Ayaka Sayjou's POV
Is this really the Holy Grail War?
I thought this was supposed to be a brutal, bloody conflict between magi and Servants, with countless people dying left and right.
But instead, what I saw was just a calm, peaceful breakfast scene, the room a bit crowded with extra figures who were complete strangers to me.
They seemed to be Servants, but where was Father's Servant?
Why did my brother have the red Command Spells burned into his hand? Was he also a Master now?
Were he and Father going to end up fighting each other?
It seemed unlikely.
After all, my brother wasn't a cruel person; he was gentle, understanding, and kind.
My sister was also here, and she would never let something like that happen.
And Father… he loved his family more than anything.
What could possibly go wrong?
Sure, we weren't exactly a perfect family.
Mother wasn't around, her absence like a silent hole in the household, but I still believed none of them would ever fight each other over the Holy Grail.
Whether it was my brother, my sister, or my father, they were each powerful in their own right, but none of them seemed desperate enough to kill each other for it.
If anything, they'd probably only be going through the motions as magi performing their duty, chasing the Root, that so-called ultimate knowledge that magi always crave at the end of their existence.
But I never really understood that obsession. I was already satisfied with the life I had.
And it seemed like my brother and sister felt the same, neither of them showing much interest in the Root.
Father, though… he was different.
Well, all I could do was wish him luck and hope he stayed safe on his journey toward that ultimate truth.
"So, Ryouma, which Master was it?" Father asked suddenly, cutting into my thoughts as he cast a glance toward a girl standing nearby, a purple-haired girl who, strangely enough, kept her distance from me and seemed determined not to let me get anywhere near her.
"He's already dead, Father. Assassin came after us herself," Ryouma replied, his voice flat and casual, like he was talking about the weather.
His eyes narrowed, and I felt my own brow crease in unease.
As magi who specialized in black magic, we dealt with curses and all kinds of dangerous mysteries… but hearing someone casually talk about death like that still left me feeling cold.
Did my brother kill him?
My heart eased slightly as my brother clarified, "He didn't die by my hand, but by hers. He got himself poisoned when he tried to rape his own Servant."
That's… seriously messed up.
This was the first time I'd ever heard of a Master dying because he couldn't control his own lower body.
I couldn't understand why the Holy Grail would choose scum like that as Masters in the first place.
How did someone like that even deserve to be called a magus?
People like him were an embarrassment to our entire lineage.
"Maybe you should look into who he really was, Father. Neither I nor Assassin have tried to investigate him yet, but if you ask Assassin where his corpse is, she can show you the way," Brother added.
"Well, in that case, let's just let the matter end here. The man is dead, there's no need to dig deeper and waste our energy on a corpse," Father said firmly. "By the way, what's her name, Ryouma?"
"Hassan of Serenity," Brother replied casually, naming his Servant without any hesitation.
"Isn't she supposed to be male?" Father asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
I perked up at that, curiosity bubbling inside me.
Hassan should indeed be male, at least according to historical records.
That's what I remembered, anyway. My knowledge of Middle Eastern history isn't all that deep, just the basic stuff so I don't sound like a total idiot if someone brings it up in conversation.
"Your own Servant was also supposed to be male, wasn't he, Father?" Brother shot back playfully.
Father simply nodded and called out, "Saber, come here. Let me introduce you to my family."
A woman with blonde hair and striking green eyes appeared before us, dressed in shining knight's armor.
She had a heroic, beautiful face, but she was quite petite, carrying herself with a serious, dignified air.
"Artoria Pendragon. Nice to meet you, Master's family," she said, introducing herself a bit awkwardly.
We nodded politely and gave our names in return.
But in my mind, I was wrestling with confusion.
Wait… Artoria Pendragon?
Isn't that basically King Arthur?
Her name sounded way too close to King Arthur for it to be a coincidence and the way Brother hinted that she was supposed to be male pretty much confirmed it.
So… King Arthur is a girl?
That's… seriously surprising.
"Nice to meet you, Saber. I've been your fan for a long, long time," Brother said, his eyes practically glued to Saber like he couldn't look away.
Then he extended his hand toward her. "I hope we can work together from now on and win the Holy Grail War, Saber."
"Yes, Ryouma," she replied, accepting his handshake firmly before they both returned to their seats.
"Well, Father, since you've been hiding her from us this whole time, let's at least let her have something to eat. Hunger is the enemy, after all," Brother chuckled.
Father gave a small laugh as well. "My son is right, Saber. I hope you enjoy our hospitality."
Saber nodded seriously, agreeing without hesitation. "Yes. Hunger is the enemy."
With that, she immediately started devouring the food spread out on our table, eating with surprising enthusiasm for someone who looked so composed and regal moments earlier.
I guess I shouldn't judge others by my own standards.
After all, not everything is always as it seems.
Nonetheless, I'm still happy and very much enjoying what I have right now.