"So, it's at City Hall instead of the Magi Association, huh? Tch, those magi are really losing their touch as they age."
The second person to arrive was a young girl with snow-white hair.
She looked barely past her early teens, her pure white hair cascading naturally down her back, while her blood-red eyes sparkled with an innocent, childlike glow.
Wrapped in a deep purple woolen coat, her petite figure gave off the impression of a delicate, lonely sprite dancing in the snow.
The magi watching her immediately recognized her.
She was an artificial human—created by the Einzbern family.
The technology used by the Einzbern family to craft homunculi had long since spread, ever since they were sanctioned for creating the Holy Grail War. Nowadays, it was fairly widespread.
Not everyone could do it, of course, but anyone with the right means could get their hands on such knowledge.
The third person to arrive also had white hair and red eyes.
But this time, it was a boy—he appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, with a more mature look than the girl. He wore glasses, and a soft smile constantly played at the corners of his lips, giving him the appearance of someone easy to talk to.
"Is that him?"
"The lucky kid favored by that person?"
"Wait, he's a Master too? Him?"
The familiars exchanged looks, while a few familiar faces whispered among themselves, unable to hide their envy and discontent toward the boy.
Naturally, the white-haired, red-eyed boy was Roy.
Roy walked into the hall, displaying the Command Seals on his hand. Instantly, a servant came forward to greet him, guiding him to the second-floor reception room.
Inside the room, a few people were already waiting.
Among them were Bazett, the androgynous beauty dressed in a sharp suit, and the snow-like homunculus girl.
Also present was another figure—the elegant young lady with twin-tails, who had been the one to issue the call to arms in the first place. She had been waiting in the reception room from the very start.
As soon as Roy entered the room, he became the center of attention.
Bazett's gaze was the first to land on him.
And it was by far the sharpest.
Her eyes were like a tiger ready to pounce, radiating a powerful pressure. She scrutinized Roy up and down, and the more she looked, the more dangerous her expression became.
In contrast, the homunculus girl, who resembled a sprite in the snow, immediately brightened when she saw him, her face lighting up with obvious delight.
She hopped off the couch, completely ignoring the other two, and skipped over to Roy.
"I'm really surprised! I didn't expect to see one of our family's creations here, and one so perfectly crafted! Which house do you belong to?"
Her hands were clasped behind her back, her eyes sparkling with affection.
Her excitement made her look like a cat that had just found a new toy to play with.
Roy merely smiled without saying a word.
Clap! Clap!
The sound of applause broke the moment.
Rin Tohsaka clapped her hands before resting them on her hips, a look of exasperation on her face.
"Bazett, Illyasviel, both of you are overreacting."
"Eh? I was just happy!" Illyasviel von Einzbern, the white-haired homunculus girl, pouted, shooting Rin an annoyed look.
"Now's not the time. This is a meeting. Whatever you want to talk about, there'll be plenty of time after."
"You're so stubborn, Rin."
Though Illyasviel pouted in displeasure, she grudgingly shuffled back to her couch.
"Bazett, are you going to keep glaring at him?"
With Illya settled, Rin turned her attention to Bazett.
Bazett's gaze was still locked on Roy as if she were staring at her archenemy. Her eyes, like a hawk's, tracked his every move, as if she was ready to strike at any moment.
Rin sighed internally. Bazett was far more troublesome than Illyasviel.
"...My apologies. Perhaps I'm just being overly sensitive."
Only after Rin spoke did Bazett's imposing aura gradually recede.
"His build reminds me of the person who trespassed into the Great Hollow that night and summoned a Servant. So, I might have been a bit... out of line."
Even as she spoke, her sharp eyes never left Roy's face, watching his every expression like a hawk circling its prey.
His build is similar?
Rin raised an eyebrow slightly.
Was that really the case?
From Bazett's words, it sounded like she suspected Roy of being the one who had trespassed into the Great Hollow that night.
Rin fell into thought.
It was true that the culprit responsible for breaking into the Great Hollow still hadn't been caught.
While it was possible that Zouken Matou had been involved, that was just a guess... and it had been Roy who made that suggestion in the first place.
More importantly, after that night, Roy had Command Seals on his hand. And they had appeared unusually early.
Wait a second.
The more Rin thought about it, the more suspicious Roy seemed.
She had never suspected him before—out of gratitude for his help, she had instinctively ruled him out. But now that Bazett mentioned it, Rin's expression became slightly more serious.
"We can be sure that the person who broke into the Great Hollow has become a Master. I've even seen their Servant. So, Lord Roy, why don't you summon your Servant for us now? Of course, to be fair, I'll summon mine as well. That way, no one is at a disadvantage."
Bazett, her expression cold and unreadable, proposed her plan, her words as blunt as her combat skills.
"As long as it's not the Servant I saw, the misunderstanding will be cleared up!"
Wow. Well done, Bazett.
For someone with a muscle-brained head, she sure came up with a sharp plan!
Could someone have coached her?
Rin fell into deeper thought, staying silent for the moment.
Seeing that Rin had nothing to say, Roy cleared his throat.
"Perhaps my build does resemble the trespasser's. But since when did the Greater Grail belong solely to the Magi Association? Wasn't it created by the Three Founding Families?"
Rin's expression flickered slightly.
"Back then, maybe it was acceptable. But now, two of the Three Families have already summoned their Servants. And yet, the Magi Association still wants to claim the Greater Grail for themselves? Does that mean they no longer respect the Three Families and their Servants?"
Bazett's face instantly changed.
This guy... he's trying to drive a wedge between us!
It wouldn't be such a big deal if it was just a simple provocation.
But the critical issue was that of the four Masters present, two were from the Three Families!
And his words clearly leaned in their favor!
"The Greater Grail belongs to the Three Families. That fact will never change."
Suddenly, Illyasviel, who had been swinging her legs in boredom, chimed in.
Her face beamed with innocence, as if she were completely oblivious to the tension in the room.
"The Magi Association's ways have long been known to everyone."
Rin nonchalantly tossed her thick twin-tails over her shoulder, a sly smile curling on her lips.
"I don't see what the big deal is. Sneaking into the Greater Grail and summoning a Servant a few days earlier than usual isn't much of a crime, is it? It's just preparing a little ahead of time. It's not like he used his Servant to assassinate another Master. In fact, his actions seem rather reasonable."
"Exactly! I summoned my Servant two months in advance! So what if someone else did it a few days early? What's the big deal?"
Illyasviel cheerfully echoed Rin's words, her cute face showing absolutely no concern.
In the eyes of the Magi Association, any unauthorized access to the Greater Grail was unforgivable.
After all, they had claimed the Grail as their own—even if it was a one-sided declaration.
The reality, however, was that they had no control over the Greater Grail at all.
To the Grail, the Association was nothing more than a loud bystander, with far less relevance than the Three Families.
For that reason, the magi of the Association were so desperate to assert their authority over the Grail.
Because without doing so, they wouldn't even have a seat at the table when it came time to fight over it.
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