The overwhelming magical energy sent a shiver down the spine of Rufleus, a high-ranking mage of the Color rank!
Servants!
This man had two Servants protecting him at his side!
And these two... both had physical bodies. Both were liberated from the constraints of the Holy Grail War. Together, they possessed enough power to completely level the Department of Evocation to the ground.
—This was the ultimate symbol of strength!
Because summoning a Servant usually required a Holy Grail War, the Servants in Haruka Kasugano's hands represented a combat force that humanity simply could not counter. In the Lord El-Melloi II Case Files, the antagonist Heartless dared to challenge the Clock Tower just by summoning a "Fake" Hephaestion.
Haruka Kasugano held two Knights of the Round Table.
"From start to finish, you've felt that I was a social climber..."
Haruka Kasugano smiled and leaned back, crossing his legs with a look of pure mockery. "I'm sorry."
"You're the one climbing up to me~!"
--------
After a long moment of silence, Rufleus's attitude shifted to one of profound respect.
"It is indeed the Eurifis family who is honored. With your strength, sir, you can guarantee the dominance of your lineage for a hundred years. I no longer have any objections to this marriage."
"Really? That's wonderful~!" Sola cheered, jumping for joy. She hopped around, completely forgetting her noble poise.
"Ahem..." Rufleus let out a sharp cough.
Sola immediately resumed her respectful demeanor. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself~!" She stuck out her tongue playfully, giggling.
[Ding~! Congratulations to the Host for completely conquering Sola-Ui! Infidelity Progress has reached 100~!]
[Congratulations to the Host for completing the 'Cuckold' mission for Sola-Ui~!]
[Combined Reward: Host has obtained the Permanent Noble Phantasm: 'Game of Secret Sins C+']
Noble Phantasm Effect: Upon drinking the potion, all of the Host's injuries will be fully healed! Additionally, the Host's inner evil side will expand, turning them into an 'Evil Madman.' During this process, the Host's physical strength will double, and they will gain the Berserker class container (Saint Graph)!
Duration: 30 minutes!
Haruka Kasugano looked at the reward. Not bad. It was a life-saving trump card that offered a powerful counter-attack. Though the side effect of becoming an "evil madman" made him wonder... just how crazy would he get? He'd have to use it with caution.
"I agree to the union," Rufleus said suddenly. "However, as a son-in-law of the Eurifis, we expect you to lend us your strength when necessary. Is that acceptable?"
Clearly, he wanted to utilize Haruka Kasugano's power for something specific, though he didn't state it openly.
"As long as it's within my capabilities, it's my responsibility," Haruka Kasugano replied dismissively.
Rufleus then claimed he had work to do, leaving Sola to lead Haruka Kasugano out. As for the wedding, Sola was given free rein to handle the arrangements herself.
"Dearest, we have to book the most expensive hotel in London! I want to invite the entire Mage's Association to our wedding~!" Sola clung to Haruka Kasugano's arm, excitedly planning her grand event.
Haruka Kasugano just nodded. Since it wasn't his money, he was happy to play along with whatever spectacle Sola wanted.
"By the way, where is Sister Caster? Why didn't she come? And why did you switch to Saber? Why did she... turn dark? And who is this little girl?" Sola asked, looking at Artoria alter and Melusine in confusion.
"Circe is pregnant. She stayed in Fuyuki to rest," Haruka Kasugano said, scratching his head.
Sola froze for three solid seconds.
Then, she stammered, "A Heroic Spirit... you got a Heroic Spirit pregnant?"
Haruka Kasugano nodded with a wry smile.
"Good grief... what will your child be like? Sister Caster is a witch; will the child inherit her lineage? Honestly, I kind of want to research this topic now." Sola's soul as a researcher began to burn with excitement.
"Since you're sisters now, feel free to research it when you have time," Haruka Kasugano laughed.
As the group passed the Clock Tower headquarters, they happened to see Waver Velvet—now Lord El-Melloi II—walking out with Reines.
The two groups stopped and stared at each other.
Waver bowed respectfully to Sola, as she was the fiancée of his late mentor, Kayneth. As he had matured and immersed himself in magecraft research, he had come to realize just how great his mentor truly was.
"Waver, you don't need to do that anymore. I'm getting married; this is my husband," Sola informed him.
Waver nodded in understanding. He looked at Haruka Kasugano; thanks to his [Eyes of Identification], he saw instantly that Haruka Kasugano had no Magic Circuits. He was just a "normie." He was confused as to why Sola would marry a commoner, but seeing them so close in London meant the Lord of the Department of Evocation had already approved.
Before he could process it, his eyes landed on Artoria alter behind Haruka Kasugano.
"Saber?... Why are you here?" Waver's legs went weak. The sight of her triggered intense memories of Iskandar and the Holy Grail War, filling him with a mix of awe and pain.
Reines quickly supported him.
"Oh? You're Rider's Master? Still alive, I see," Artoria alter quipped.
Her tone immediately caught Waver's attention. He guessed she was an "Alter" version and suspected it had to do with the corruption of the Grail. Having investigated the truth of the Fuyuki war for years, he knew the Grail had been tainted.
He quickly pieced it together. There had been no winner in that war. Saber must have been consumed by the mud, incarnated, and inverted. Her existence now... was surely a threat to the world.
Waver pulled himself together. He couldn't be bound by the past, or he'd never grow. He stepped forward and asked Haruka Kasugano, "You have quite the skill, sir, to be able to harness an inverted Hero."
"I'm a pretty good driver," Haruka Kasugano joked.
"???" The upright Waver was bewildered, having no idea why Haruka Kasugano was talking about driving.
But Reines, who was precocious and well-versed in "adult talk," burst into laughter. "Hahahaha!" She doubled over, clutching her stomach.
Haruka Kasugano glanced at Reines. Mmm... she's still young, but she's already developing quite well. She's definitely starting to look desirable!
System, does Reines count as a conquest target?
[Ding~! Yes. Reines is identified as Lord El-Melloi II's ward/woman, and she harbors feelings for him. She qualifies as a 'Cuckold' target!]
Excellent! My goals in London just increased by one!
Sola didn't want to deal with the rigid Waver, so she pulled Haruka Kasugano away. Melusine gave Waver a polite bow before following.
Waver watched them leave, his brow furrowed. Why is Saber following him? Who is that little girl? Another incarnated Servant? Was she in the war? I never saw this man during the war either...
Suddenly, a shock hit him. ...He might be the Master of Caster who never showed his face! Back then, Caster was suspected of kidnapping and murdering children. Rider had searched for him relentlessly. But when they found the workshop in the sewers, there was no trace of murder.
He hadn't understood it then, but now... This Master of Caster... is terrifying. He set a trap for all of us! He was the true final victor!
"Brother, what are you thinking about?" Reines asked.
"The one behind that man is the Saber from the Holy Grail War," Waver explained.
Reines was shocked. "Then he's the winner?"
"No, the Grail didn't descend. Only that man and Saber know what really happened," Waver said.
"Heh... so he has permanent Servants in this world? No wonder the Lord of Evocation let Sola marry him~!" Reines giggled.
"Yeah... Evocation studies 'Spirits.' He's probably very interested in those Heroic Spirits," Waver said, trying to stay calm.
"Speaking of the Grail, didn't a family in Romania claim they obtained the Greater Grail a few days ago?" Reines remembered. "At the meeting, they told you to coordinate the response, Brother. Don't you think this man would be perfect for the job?"
Waver lit a cigar and thought about it. A few days ago, the Yggdmillennia family in Romania declared they had the Greater Grail and challenged the Clock Tower. They killed 40 Clock Tower mages in a single night. They clearly had Servants. To counter them, Waver had to trigger the "Great Holy Grail War" mechanism—7 vs 7.
But right now, the Clock Tower's understanding of Servants was shallow. Their combat power was worrying.
Waver nodded. "There probably isn't anyone better suited than him."