"Such a thing actually exists..."
After resolving the matter of the "Infinite Terror VR Game," Shin also allowed Irisviel to accept the notion that "Shin is actually a person from another world."
After all, the Holy Grail War summons Heroic Spirits, and Heroic Spirits can be anyone—not just heroes and anti-heroes from legends and myths, but even fictional Heroic Spirits born from imagination.
From this perspective, summoning a Heroic Spirit from another world didn't seem entirely unacceptable.
What surprised her, however, was that someone in her world managed to summon a Heroic Spirit from another world, and that this Heroic Spirit could even bring her back with them.
Although she had left her original world, Irisviel didn't feel any regrets.
She was created merely as a vessel for the Holy Grail and hadn't formed deep bonds in that world. Her relationship with Kiritsugu Emiya was purely a partnership.
If she had to name something she couldn't let go of, it would probably be Illyasviel. Although not born naturally, Illyasviel was still a homunculus modeled after Irisviel herself.
Irisviel truly regarded her as her daughter. Unfortunately, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it was unlikely that she would ever see Illyasviel again.
Unless... Shin could once again be summoned as a Heroic Spirit in the next Holy Grail War and bring Illyasviel back.
But what were the chances of that? Besides, Irisviel didn't feel she was in any position to make such a request of Shin.
Just being able to return to this world in human form after becoming the Holy Grail already felt like a miracle to her.
"Good that you understand. Next, I'll take you out—but there's someone else at my place, so we need to come up with a backstory for you first."
Shin looked at Irisviel. Although he doubted Sayu Ogiwara would ask too many questions, he still thought it would be more convenient to have a fabricated story.
After all, Irisviel couldn't avoid meeting people forever. Even if Sayu didn't ask, there might come a time when they'd need the cover story elsewhere.
As for whether the story would be believable... that wasn't a problem. A fake identity was easy enough to establish, especially with the resources of the Shionomiya family. Even the most fabricated story could be made convincing.
"I understand."
Irisviel, who had spent most of her life as a homunculus in the Einzbern family, was naturally mild-mannered. She was inclined to follow whatever Shin said.
However, when she tried to stand up, she found her whole body weak. Even her joints felt powerless, leaving her puzzled.
"Um… Mr. Shin, though I've woken up, it seems my body still feels weak?"
Although Irisviel was a homunculus, her physical abilities were designed to match that of a normal human. Furthermore, she had learned some magic, so she shouldn't have been this feeble.
Right now, her condition felt as if she was still on the verge of becoming the Holy Grail—barely able to move. She almost stumbled after taking a few steps.
"Oh, that's because I'll need to head to school soon. I didn't have time to replenish your mana fully, so I just gave you enough to wake you up," Shin explained casually as he observed Irisviel's frailty.
"But don't worry. Tonight, I'll replenish your mana completely. By then, you'll regain full mobility."
"…Huh?"
Irisviel looked confused. It was evident that she had no idea what Shin meant by "replenish your mana tonight."
In the mission world, Irisviel had been a pure and untainted homunculus, untouched by odd concepts or knowledge.
In this regard, she was like a blank canvas, waiting for Shin to paint upon it.
After coordinating their story, Irisviel's background became that of "a woman abandoned by a prominent family in Germany, left to fend for herself on the streets."
Removing the Holy Grail War element, Irisviel's new backstory was a modified version of her original situation in the Type-Moon world. It was unlikely anyone would bother verifying which German family had supposedly abandoned her.
Additionally, the detail that Irisviel had an "adopted daughter" named Illyasviel was also incorporated. Irisviel insisted on adding this detail, perhaps holding onto a faint hope that Shin might bring Illyasviel back someday.
Shin then supported the still-weak Irisviel out of the guest room and explained her situation to Sayu Ogiwara.
"I see... Miss Irisviel has had a rough life."
After hearing Shin's explanation, Sayu Ogiwara didn't doubt him much and quickly accepted Irisviel's backstory.
On one hand, Irisviel's appearance clearly didn't match that of a Japanese native. Her porcelain skin and delicate features made it easy to believe she was from a foreign aristocratic family.
On the other hand, Sayu thought Shin's habit of taking in strays matched her impression of him perfectly—after all, hadn't she herself been rescued by him when she was homeless?
To Sayu, Shin seemed like a "soft-hearted good guy who couldn't stand to see others suffering."
What would the Shionomiya family think if they knew this impression? Shin was the hidden boss of the Kiryu Clan—hardly a soft-hearted good guy!
"Due to the long journey, Irisviel's body is still weak, but she should recover by tomorrow."
Shin explained Irisviel's condition as "physical exhaustion from a long journey," which Sayu found convincing.
"Once her condition improves tomorrow, you can take her out to familiarize herself with the neighborhood. For today, let her rest at home."
While Irisviel's recovery process might differ from what people imagined, her body would indeed be fine by tomorrow night.
Neither Sayu nor Irisviel suspected what Shin planned to do tonight; they simply nodded obediently.
Seeing their compliance, Shin nodded in satisfaction, quickly finished breakfast, and left for school.
Before closing the door, Shin noticed Sayu Ogiwara chatting warmly with Irisviel, who responded with a smile.
Shin had been worried that Sayu might act out, but now it seemed she was quite well-behaved.
This situation also made Shin ponder whether it was time to move to a larger place.
If he kept bringing more people out of mission worlds, this apartment wouldn't suffice.
To be continued...
Advance 50 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus