"Why don't we go check that hospital from last time again? Maybe there'll be some way…"
His wife, Tohsaka Aoi, crouched beside the man, speaking in a worried tone.
"I'm fine… it's just a minor illness."
Tohsaka Tokiomi waved his hand.
"If you hadn't gone to Mount Enzo that day, maybe none of this would've happened."
"Until the very end, no one knows who will win. If I hadn't gone back then, I might have regretted it all the way until now," Tohsaka Tokiomi shook his head.
No one had expected so many accidents to happen on Mount Enzo that day. If the King of Heroes hadn't been ambushed, his Command Seals would've been put to use.
'But if things keep going like this, I wonder if I can hold on until the next Holy Grail War begins,' Tokiomi thought to himself.
At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed two small figures of girls approaching.
Tohsaka Rin… and his other daughter, Matou Sakura.
Tohsaka Tokiomi quickly restrained the fatigue on his face and said, "Sakura, Rin… what brings you here?"
Matou Sakura came up beside him and asked timidly, "Are you alright?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi smiled and shook his head, "I'm fine, just a bit of a cold. Have you been getting used to staying at home these past few days?"
Ever since learning the secret of the Matou family, Tokiomi had always felt he owed Sakura something. Because of that, he tended to be much gentler with this daughter.
Matou Sakura nodded lightly, "Mom and big sister have both been very kind to me."
Although she said that, there was still a hint of unfamiliarity in her tone.
Being adopted into another family during childhood was no different from a kind of "betrayal" for a young girl. And that kind of wound might take a lifetime to heal.
"Father, are you still busy with matters related to the Holy Grail War?", Sakura suddenly asked.
Tohsaka Tokiomi nodded, "Even though the Holy Grail War hasn't begun yet, preparations still need to be made in advance. Aoi, take Sakura out for a moment. I have something to discuss with Rin alone."
Tohsaka Aoi nodded silently and soon led Sakura out of the hall.
The hall fell quiet once more.
Tohsaka Rin looked at her father in confusion and asked softly, "What is it? Why did you have Mom and Sakura leave?"
Looking at his daughter, Tokiomi's gaze softened, "Rin, before the next Holy Grail War begins, I will pass the Tohsaka family's Magic Crest on to you."
The young girl froze for a moment, then her face changed in shock as she blurted out, "Why?"
"Because you will be the next head of the Tohsaka family."
Tohsaka Tokiomi stared into his daughter's eyes and slowly said, "In this Holy Grail War, I've already seen my limits. But you are different. I hope you can participate in the next Holy Grail War… and bring the glory of victory back to the Tohsaka family."
Those words sounded almost like a final farewell, causing Rin's face to pale, "Father, you mean…"
Tohsaka Tokiomi interrupted her, "The time for the crossing is almost here. This time, I'll find a way to obtain a Holy Relic for you, one that can determine victory in the Holy Grail War."
Tohsaka Rin was slightly stunned and asked instinctively, "A Holy Relic?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi gave a slight nod, gazing at his daughter, "He was also a Servant in the previous Holy Grail War."
"The White Dragon of Britain… Alvin."
———
Ancient Britain was a country filled with an almost magical aura in Type-Moon history.
King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, the fairies of the lake, even the court mage and that legendary demonic dragon.
For ordinary people, these might just be stories to listen to and forget, but for magi, especially those planning to participate in the Holy Grail War, Ancient Britain was of immense importance.
To summon a Servant, the prerequisite was possessing some object that had belonged to that Servant in life.
For example, during the Fourth Holy Grail War, the relic Waver stole from Kayneth was a fragment of Iskandar's cloak.
Another example was the relic used by Sajyou Manaka for her summoning, the "dragon scale" personally given to her by Alvin.
After the Great Holy Grail system in Fuyuki was exposed, magi from outside had already begun to stir. They held an intense obsession with the Great Holy Grail, or rather, its wish-granting power.
And one of the prerequisites for winning the Holy Grail War was summoning a Servant that was both highly compatible with oneself and extremely powerful.
Without a doubt, the Saber from the previous Holy Grail War was one of them.
"The White Dragon, Alvin?"
When she heard Tokiomi's words, the young Rin was clearly stunned.
Of course she had heard that name. In fact, the Servant her younger sister had been thinking about nonstop lately, wasn't it the White Dragon?
Her father wanted her to participate in the next Holy Grail War, and now he was going to obtain a relic of the White Dragon for her?
Rin quickly came back to her senses and asked, "Do you know where the White Dragon's relic is buried?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi slowly shook his head, "Ancient Britain belongs to the end of the Age of Gods. The country itself is steeped in myth. Many of the stories and even information recorded in history cannot be verified. Trying to directly find where the White Dragon's relic is buried… isn't very realistic."
"Then what are you planning to do?", Rin asked cautiously.
"And it doesn't necessarily have to be the White Dragon… there are other powerful Servants in this world, aren't there?", The girl spoke again.
Tohsaka Tokiomi shook his head, "I've already considered that. Among the Servants I know, there are indeed ones not inferior to the White Dragon. However, there are currently no leads on their relics, and there's also the possibility that the Servant might not obey the Master's commands."
On this point, Tokiomi had the most to say.
In the previous Holy Grail War, he had almost always faced Gilgamesh as a "retainer," and that King of Heroes often acted on his own whims, disrupting his plans multiple times.
And in the end, Gilgamesh's defeat was less due to lack of strength and more due to his own arrogance.
Tohsaka Tokiomi pondered for a moment before continuing, "But you're right. The Servants we can choose from aren't limited to the White Dragon, if it's other Knights of the Round Table, or even that court mage, they could also be good choices."
It was just a pity. The Knights of the Round Table were one thing, but that court mage of Britain, according to legend, had not died, so he likely wouldn't fall within the range of the Holy Grail War's summoning.
"Do you not like the White Dragon?", Tohsaka Tokiomi suddenly asked.
From what he knew of his daughter, unless she truly disliked something, Rin wouldn't oppose him.
Yet from her reaction just now, she seemed to have a slight… resistance toward summoning the White Dragon?
The young girl hurriedly waved her hands, "You misunderstood, Father. I was just asking out of curiosity. You can decide how to arrange things."
"I'm just worried you might run into danger."
Hearing this, Tokiomi finally nodded in satisfaction, "This is a matter for adults. You don't need to worry about it. Once this crossing begins, I'll find a way to visit Camelot Palace and try to make a deal with the White Dragon."
Seeing Rin nod obediently, Tokiomi stood up and left the hall.
The girl silently watched his departing figure. Only after a long while did she let out a soft breath, though there was a trace of worry in her eyes.
Tohsaka Tokiomi didn't know that Matou Sakura also had the intention of participating in the Holy Grail War, and the Servant she wanted was the White Dragon. If one day in the future her younger sister saw the White Dragon relic in her hands, what would she think?
Even though she was young, Rin always believed that as the older sister, she should act like one. At the very least, in front of her younger sister, she should fulfill her duties, and make up for what their father owed as well.
But thinking about all this now didn't really mean much. After all, it wasn't even certain whether Father could obtain the White Dragon relic.
With that thought, the tension in Rin's heart slowly eased.
———
[The Clock Tower]
At two in the afternoon, sunlight filtered through the glass windows. Alvin sat by the windowsill, holding a cup of black tea, with a few cookies placed beside him.
The Clock Tower was unusually quiet today. Normally at this hour, students would often pass by, but today everyone stayed in their rooms, as if waiting for something.
Tick-tock! Tick-tock!
Alvin watched the clock on the wall as its hands moved forward, silently counting down in his mind.
The countdown to crossing that appeared before his eyes now had only "10" seconds left.
Ten seconds later, he would return to Ancient Britain.
In the final ten seconds, he stuffed the remaining cookies into his mouth, then finished off the tea.
After setting the teacup down, he sat on the bed.
With a "beep," it was as if a white light swallowed him. In the next instant, Alvin's figure vanished from the dormitory.
———
It was a warmth that made one feel completely at ease.
Faintly, there was even a sweet, milky fragrance in the air.
Under the gentle sunlight, Alvin slowly opened his eyes in a certain room.
"Aaa?"
A soft, pleasant voice sounded beside his ear.
Alvin focused his gaze and saw a pair of eyes staring at him curiously.
They were bright crimson eyes, pure and without a trace of impurity, as if stars were contained within them, dazzling and beautiful.
The woman's clothing… more accurately, it could hardly be called clothing at all. It was formed from the "Sea of Life" into two strips of fabric, barely covering her full, upright chest, accentuating her plump and alluring figure.
Her face carried a gentle, maternal warmth. No matter how one looked at it, there wasn't the slightest flaw. She lacked a bit of a young girl's innocence, but possessed the mature charm a woman should have.
Alvin glanced at this primordial mother goddess who could overwhelm all others in terms of presence, then looked around before muttering, "Looks like I've really come back."
There was no doubt, this was no longer the Clock Tower in London, England, but the royal palace of Ancient Britain.
More precisely, it was the guest room where Tiamat was currently resting.
"Aaaa (Are you alright?)"
The woman's gentle voice sounded again.
Alvin set aside his thoughts for the moment and asked hesitantly, "What do you mean?"
"Aaa! (The Holy Grail War)."
Tiamat said.
Alvin was startled, "You have memories from the Holy Grail War?"
Normally, a Heroic Spirit wouldn't remember everything from their life, and likewise, after the Holy Grail War ended and they departed, they might not retain memories from that period either.
Not to mention that what he used wasn't even a proper incarnation of Tiamat… yet she still retained related memories?
"Guess that's to be expected of you," Alvin couldn't help but sigh.
Tiamat nodded proudly with an "Aaa," as if it were only natural. Paired with her naturally beautiful face and the small fang she revealed, she looked inexplicably cute.
Yet her full chest stretched the fabric high, giving her a strangely alluring air even while being cute.
'She might be the first woman I've seen who perfectly blends "cute" and "sexy",' Alvin thought, then, under Tiamat's curious gaze, briefly explained what had happened during the Holy Grail War.
Ishtar destroyed the Great Holy Grail, and afterward, the shattered Grail somehow restored itself. When she heard the end, Tiamat showed a thoughtful expression.
"Mother, what are you thinking about?", Alvin asked instinctively.
"Aaaaa (The black mud… there might still be some left inside the Great Holy Grail)," Tiamat said.
No one in this world understood "black mud" better than Tiamat. After all, the Sea of Life she possessed could itself be considered another form of black mud.
Alvin froze for a moment, "You mean… the black mud repaired the Great Holy Grail itself?"
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