"So you've come after all. Drawn here by the allure of a dazzling treasure?"
As everyone was still stunned by the arrival of the elegant new guest, a voice laced with contempt and loathing came from the side. It was Oroc, his words making clear just how much he disliked the newcomer.
"Is there a problem, old gentleman?" Luviagelita Edelfelt responded with a pleasant smile, as if she hadn't noticed the malice in his tone.
"As expected of that lowly bloodline. Luviagelita Edelfelt." Oroc's words were as biting as ever, and in doing so, he also revealed her identity.
"Well then, what an honor."
Even in the face of such undisguised insults, Luvia's expression remained entirely composed.
"Luviagelita Edelfelt... Quite the notable figure." El-Melloi II's expression shifted slightly when he heard the name from Oroc.
"Professor, you know her?" Gray asked in a low voice.
"She's the current head of the Edelfelt family, a renowned gem mage lineage in Finland. It's said the previous generation has retired from public life and left the family entirely in her hands." As a Lord of the Clock Tower, El-Melloi II was naturally well-informed about prominent figures in the magical world.
"Didn't think even a half-baked Lord would know her. But they're just nouveau riche from the Renaissance—rose to power like jackals, really." Oroc sneered.
"The Renaissance? That's still centuries ago. Ah, the mage hierarchy of disdain." Daniel immediately understood where Oroc's contempt came from. The magical world revered age and lineage above all. The strongest families often boasted over a thousand years of history—and they naturally looked down on younger ones.
In his youth, El-Melloi II—then just Waver Velvet—had been mocked for the same reason. His family was only in its third generation of magi, making them total newcomers at the bottom of the social chain.
In the mage world, the hierarchy broke roughly into hundred- and five-hundred-year increments. A family like Oroc's, with over a millennium of history, had every reason—by those standards—to look down on the Edelfelts.
But it wasn't just the age of their lineage. The Edelfelts were infamous for their predatory tactics. Wherever rare magical relics or rituals could be found, the Edelfelt family wasn't far behind. Their legacy was matrilineal, and their reputation for "graceful scavenging" had earned them the title of "the world's most elegant hyenas."
Still, only someone like Oroc would openly scorn them. The other mages simply offered polite greetings. Even the flamboyant youth who earlier acted overly familiar with every beautiful woman kept quiet this time.
"Lord Sizamud, I'm genuinely honored to receive such judgment from you. That must mean you fear the Edelfelt family."
Daniel found himself baffled. "Why does this woman act like such a refined lady around everyone else, but throw it all out the window the moment she sees Tohsaka Rin? Are they just natural-born enemies—or is it just their gem magecraft clashing?"
Luvia remained composed as always, a perfect image of a noble lady—until Rin appeared. Then all pretense vanished.
"Hmph." Oroc snorted before speaking again. "For someone like you to come here... don't tell me your family's magic crest is damaged?"
"Rest assured, Lord Sizamud, the Edelfelt family's magic crest is perfectly intact. Though, seeing you here, I realize something new—ancient crests can go moldy too."
"Hyena," Oroc snapped.
Luvia's jab struck deep. For magi, their crest was everything. Rumors of damage could cause endless complications—just look at the El-Melloi family.
Had their crest been properly preserved, they wouldn't be in such dire straits. Of course, that also meant Reines wouldn't have risen to power.
Not only Oroc, but many others reacted to her words. This was the Separation Castle—its former owner was famous for crest restoration. Most people here had likely come hoping for repairs.
Only El-Melloi II remained unperturbed. Everyone already knew about the El-Melloi crest's issues.
"If it's not crest repair, then why are you here?"
"To acquire this invaluable restoration technique for the Edelfelt family archives, of course."
Arrogant, but no one present doubted her. That was how the Edelfelts had always operated.
They didn't always take things by force. Most of the time, they simply buried their targets in money. In the magical world, wealth could buy nearly anything—except perhaps a magic crest. But relics, spells, knowledge? All up for grabs.
If Luvia offered Reines a large enough sum for her Moon Cell Elixir, Reines would surely accept.
Trying to rob other families was certainly an option—but only if done in secret. Open predation would quickly isolate any family foolish enough to try.
In contrast, those who wielded great wealth could do as they pleased. Many fallen families were all too eager to sell.
The Edelfelts were ludicrously rich. It was said they controlled multiple gem mines.
"Looks like everyone's here."
While the room lapsed into silence, a woman in a black kimono descended the central staircase, her long dark hair trailing behind her. A butler joined her silently at her side.
"Thank you for waiting. I am Hazuki Ayano, of the Clock Tower's Department of Policies, assigned as executor of Geryon Ashbourne's estate."
Her introduction caused a stir. Rin's expression didn't change, but the others—including Luvia and El-Melloi II—frowned.
The Department of Policies. The most notorious division of the Clock Tower. The Tower had twelve Lords—but thirteen departments.
Daniel, having spent some time there, had learned the basics: the Policies Department was the enforcement branch. Like hall monitors in school, no one liked dealing with them. If they came knocking, it was never good news.
"But before reading the will, there's something to address: we seem to have two uninvited guests."
Ayano's gaze settled on Daniel and Rin. His suggestion spell had worked on the butler, but it couldn't fool the castle's invitation registry.
"Busted, huh? My apologies. We're here as Lord El-Melloi II's bodyguards. Everyone knows he's not the strongest, and there was a recent assassination attempt. As someone from Policies, you should be aware."
He said it without shame.
"…Yes." El-Melloi II admitted, clearly unhappy to be called out as weak—but it was true.
"Then, let us proceed to the reading of the will."
Ayano glanced at him again, then swept her eyes over Daniel and Rin. Without further comment, she produced a letter and opened it.
"Policies being so cooperative today… that's unusual."
The other mages looked confused. The Department of Policies was infamous for meddling. That they'd let this slide—especially for El-Melloi II—was unprecedented.
They weren't wrong. Ayano hadn't backed off because of El-Melloi II's status. Rather, it was Rin.
The Tohsaka family held a special position in the magical world. Their founder had once been a disciple of the Second Magician—the most powerful individual in the modern era.
The Second Magician was the Clock Tower's greatest hidden weapon. And no one dared anger him—or his line.
While most Magicians didn't care about their disciples' descendants, the Second was not normal. In fact, in one possible future, he personally vouched for Rin, saving her from the Clock Tower's wrath.
Of the Three Founding Families, only the Matou line had fallen. The Tohsakas were linked to the Second Magician. The Einzberns? They were tied to the Third Magic.
"To those unable to answer the angels' names: your angels will be stripped. The one who captures my angel shall inherit my estate."
Ayano recited the will and then fell silent.
"That's it?"
After a moment, someone finally spoke up.
"Yes. That's all. There's no time limit, but a hint has already been given. Please check your invitation."
Those with real invitations pulled them out. Sure enough, each one now bore a previously invisible inscription.
Every mage guarded their invitation closely, ensuring no one else could see the new content.
"That name is your angel's name. From now on, you may go to your rooms. Meals and other accommodations will be provided by the castle staff."
Ayano turned and left. The butler then led the others to the second floor—each to a room marked with their angel's name.
"So they're just handing out each person's angel name like that?"
Anyone with half a brain could figure out everyone else's angel name with a little effort—except Daniel and Rin, of course.
"I'm staying with the professor."
Inside El-Melloi II's room, Gray insisted on sharing. Though two guest rooms had been prepared for Daniel and Rin, she was determined to stay by her mentor's side to protect him.
"…Fine. Looks like it's just you and me," Rin said to Daniel.
"Bed's mine. Couch is yours."
No room for negotiation.
With the rooms settled, the four of them began analyzing the will—and asking El-Melloi II to explain who the other magi were. Neither Daniel nor Rin cared for such things.
"Heine is a prodigy from an alchemy family. He spent time in the Church before his family called him back."
El-Melloi II began with the brother-sister pair. Heine had refused to inherit the family crest, choosing to join the Church instead. But his family later forced him to return due to his immense talent.
"Lord Sizamud is a user of butterfly magic."
"And then there's the Edelfelt girl. Her family actually has ties to yours, Rin."
El-Melloi II recounted something he'd discovered during his research into the Holy Grail War after the Fourth War. Wanting to see Iskandar again, he'd dug deep into its history.
The First and Second Wars were too far in the past to trace. But the Third had yielded something interesting.
Apparently, two of the Masters had been from the Edelfelt family. Unlike most families, which passed magic down a single line, the Edelfelts used sibling-based inheritance.
One of those sisters never returned home. Judging by Rin's partial foreign ancestry, it was likely the sister had married into the Tohsaka line. Her one-quarter non-Japanese heritage likely came from that union.
"…I see."
Rin didn't seem particularly moved. They were distant relatives, after all—and they'd never even met.
"Angels… the Zodiac… honestly, the symbolism here is bizarre."
After summarizing the key figures, El-Melloi II began pondering the meaning behind the angel names. He was determined to claim the inheritance—he believed it might hold the key to repairing the El-Melloi family crest, fulfilling his promise to Reines.
They'd sought out many crest repair specialists before. But the damage was too severe. Most said it would take three full generations to fix—at least a hundred years.
"Like that's ever going to happen."
Daniel sighed. He wasn't too familiar with the Separation Castle, knowing more about the Mystic Eye train. But based on El-Melloi II's past cases, one thing was clear:
Someone was going to die.
After all, the man's adventures always turned into Holmes-style murder mysteries. And more importantly, Daniel understood the hearts of Moon World magi.
They didn't leave legacies for posterity. If learning the Root required sacrificing one's family, at least 70% would do it without hesitation. Another 20% would waver before agreeing. Only 10% would say no.
Tokiomi Tohsaka had belonged to the hesitant 20%.
Which meant any so-called "inheritance" was almost certainly a trap.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
• Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.• Every 5 reviews = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.