"In the end… you really did bring me to Japan."
Caren's soft murmur lingered briefly in the cold night air as her eyes wandered over the house in front of her, filled with quiet curiosity.
"And on top of that… we're in Fuyuki…" she added.
"Do you want to see your father?" Arthur asked, turning his gaze toward her. "If you want, I can take you to him."
"...We'll talk about that later."
Caren replied after a short pause, her expression becoming slightly more complex.
"Besides, didn't you say he's also one of the Masters participating in the Holy Grail War? Shouldn't he have a hostile relationship with you?"
"So what?"
Arthur shrugged, as if it were something completely trivial.
"Go see him if you want. As for hostility? That doesn't concern me… I could crush him."
There was no arrogance in his tone.
It was simply a statement of fact—direct, absolute, unquestionable.
"...Ah."
Caren fell silent for a moment, lightly furrowing her brows.
"I hate wild men. And you still haven't told me how you know I'm his daughter."
"Just to be clear, I'm not a wild man. I can be quite gentle sometimes. And to answer your question… I saw the future."
In truth, he had only seen one of many possible futures—but that detail hardly mattered right now.
"Alright, let's go inside. From today onward, this will be your home as well. If you need anything, let me know. There's less than a year left until the Holy Grail War begins. Once it's over, I'll send you all to school."
"Eh? We're going to school too?"
Kohaku's voice rang out immediately, full of excitement, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Of course."
Not in this world—but that's not important right now, he thought.
He had already decided that he would take them with him when he eventually left this world.
"I took you away from the Tohno family so you could live like normal girls, without having to worry about the twisted desires of some disgusting adult… and to take care of your special constitution."
"Constitution…"
Kohaku and Hisui fell silent for a moment.
Despite her young age, Kohaku knew exactly what awaited them if they had remained in the Tohno household. Makihisa had made his intentions painfully clear—what he would do to her in exchange for leaving Hisui alone.
"It's alright."
Arthur gently placed his hand on Kohaku's head, softly stroking her hair.
"I know you're mature enough to understand things. I'll make sure you can live as normal girls."
Kohaku raised her face to look at him… then tilted her head slightly.
"Why do you only pat my head and not Hisui's?"
"Eh?"
Arthur blinked, genuinely surprised by the question.
"I noticed that Hisui trembled every time I touched her, so I avoided unnecessary contact."
For a brief moment, silence returned.
"…Thank you."
Kohaku murmured, her expression softening before breaking into a radiant smile that seemed to light up everything around her.
"Hisui and I will help you take care of the house. After all, our original role was to be maids!"
"My sister and I will help with the household chores."
Hisui added as well, her voice quiet but firm, as if gathering courage just to say those words.
Arthur observed the two of them for a moment, then smiled.
"Then I'll entrust that responsibility to both of you."
His gaze slowly shifted toward Fujino.
"Fujino, your situation is a bit special, so I'll cure your condition first… and then teach you how to use your power."
"My power…?"
Fujino repeated, as if the very word felt unfamiliar.
"I understand…" she nodded.
Arthur watched her reaction with satisfaction.
"Then first of all…"
He raised his gaze toward the now fully dark sky, where a few stars had begun to timidly appear.
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"Let's get something to eat. We still have a year before the Holy Grail War begins."
---
—xXx—
A year.
That was the amount of time I had since my sudden summoning into this world.
I still haven't discovered the exact reason for my summoning… nor how it even happened.
I have so many questions.
But no answers.
No matter how much I tried to look into the future for clues, I never found anything that directly answered them.
Or rather…
I found many relevant things.
Just none that answered that question.
For example, I saw myself—or rather, a version of myself so absurdly arrogant that it made me want to punch him.
A red-haired guy who looked like he was stuck in middle school.
A magnificent pair of breasts— I mean, a powerful warrior summoned as Lancer.
And a repulsive man that I will make sure to kill.
During this period, I gathered everything I needed.
Information about the three founding families of the Holy Grail War.
I also turned my attention to the so-called Clock Tower—the central organization of modern magi… a nest of arrogant old men clinging to the past while pretending to understand the present.
Nothing particularly surprising.
Nothing that could truly concern me.
Still…
Understanding the board is essential before crushing the pieces.
But interestingly enough…
What occupied most of my time wasn't my enemies.
It was them.
Sakura, Hisui and Kohaku, Fujino… and Caren.
My adoptive little sisters, as they like to call themselves.
Kohaku and Hisui adapted quickly to their new life.
The former was loud, cheerful, and energetic—like a lively Siamese cat, always trying to do more than necessary.
The latter was gentle and soft, like a British Shorthair. Unlike her energetic sister, Hisui was much quieter and more attentive.
Both of them came to see me as someone indispensable in their lives.
Kohaku, in particular, would often argue with Sakura over who had more right to receive head pats.
Watching their interactions always made me laugh.
Fujino was almost their complete opposite.
She was calm and affectionate, like an adorable Ragdoll.
Whenever she had the chance, she would quietly rest her head on my lap without me noticing.
Her power, on the other hand, was dangerous and unstable, since she had almost no control over it.
But it wasn't impossible to manage.
With enough time—and persistence—I managed to teach her how to understand her own ability.
As for Caren…
She was like a Maine Coon.
Even if she didn't show it openly, she enjoyed attention and never refused affection.
Though she made her jealousy quite clear whenever I didn't give her enough attention.
Despite her sharp tongue, she was actually quite sociable.
Sakura was like a Birman cat—gentle, sensitive, and deeply affectionate with everyone.
And she absolutely loved it when I patted her head.
But when I didn't give her enough attention…
She showed her jealousy even more openly than Caren.
Of course…
Not everything was peaceful.
It didn't take long for the Tohno family to try to capture Kohaku and Hisui again.
As expected, they began sending people after them.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Eventually…
I completely lost my patience.
So I went personally to their residence again and had a… "peaceful and pleasant" conversation with the head of the family, Makihisa Tohno.
Since then…
They've never bothered us again.
A wise decision, I'd say.
During that year, I also taught them magic.
Not the magecraft of this world—
But magic from mine.
And just to be safe, I granted them a few abilities to help them use it.
Nothing excessive.
Just enough for them to protect themselves if something happened in my absence.
I don't like relying on luck.
Especially when it comes to what belongs to me.
And now…
The Holy Grail War was approaching.
Fuyuki would soon become a battlefield.
And although I had no issue participating in it…
I couldn't just leave them in the middle of a war zone.
So I made a decision.
"Girls, we're going on a trip for a while."
I said, watching them gathered in the living room.
Sakura was the first to react.
"Eh? A trip!?" Her eyes lit up immediately.
Fujino tilted her head slightly.
Caren simply crossed her arms.
"Where to?"
She asked.
"We're going to Germany."
I answered calmly.
"To the residence of the Einzbern family."
A brief silence filled the room.
"Einzbern…?" Fujino murmured.
"That's right."
I crossed my legs, resting my chin on my hand.
"You'll stay there for a while."
"Eh!?"
Kohaku leaned forward.
"And you?"
"I can't just leave here. I have business to settle with one of the summoned Servants."
I replied bluntly.
"The Holy Grail War is about to begin."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Even if they didn't fully understand, they knew they couldn't change my decision.
"So you'll stay somewhere safe until all of this is over."
My tone left no room for argument.
"You're pushing us away."
Caren said directly, arms crossed.
"I'm making sure you stay alive and safe."
I replied.
"As much as I hate to admit it… I can't stay by your side all the time."
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
"Hmph… do whatever you want."
Caren huffed.
"Don't make those faces."
I laughed, gently patting each of their heads.
"Pack your things. We leave tomorrow morning."
---
(End of the Chapter)