In the basement of the Fuyuki Church.
Having nominally lost his Servant, Kirei Kotomine sought the protection of the Church, the overseer of the Holy Grail War. He hid in the basement of the very church his father managed, secretly investigating intelligence on the other factions to funnel back to his mentor, Tokiomi.
Just moments ago, one of the Assassins had returned with a report: Kariya Matou had held a secret meeting with Ludwig. Because the meeting place had been shielded by magecraft, Assassin had not dared to draw close enough to eavesdrop on the details. All they knew was that no conflict had broken out; once the conversation ended, Ludwig and Kariya Matou went their separate ways.
"You certainly have a somber expression, Kirei," Gilgamesh remarked. He sat on a sofa in the basement, pouring himself a glass of wine from Kirei's private collection as he questioned him teasingly.
"Are your injuries no longer an issue, Archer?" Kirei did not answer directly, instead addressing a different concern.
Archer swirled his wine glass. "Tokiomi's handling of matters is deft enough, and his support was quite timely. Even without relying on my own treasures, this King's wounds were healed in less than a single night."
"For a mere diversion, you've certainly sought out a tremendous amount of trouble," Kirei commented dryly.
"Watch your tongue, Kirei." A hint of murderous intent flickered in Archer's eyes. "If you disturb this King's current good mood, you know the consequences."
"It is already night. As a Servant, shouldn't you return to Master Tokiomi's side?" Kirei asked.
Archer reclined on the sofa, savoring the wine. "Tokiomi is a coward; he intends to stay his hand for now. Truly a dull man."
"So that is your reason for coming here to kill time?" Kirei understood.
"Rather than this King, what about you, Kirei?" Gilgamesh leisurely admired the red wine through the glass. "Exactly what kind of intelligence has left you so despondent that you cannot even maintain your usual facade?"
Kirei shook his head. "It is nothing. I simply heard that Ludwig made contact with Kariya Matou, but no battle occurred. I believe this can be viewed as an intent to ally. If that is the case, it is not good news for Master Tokiomi or for you."
"Does the brat intend to bolster his military strength?" Gilgamesh laughed dismissively. "A rabble is still a rabble. Without that person, they alone are not enough to make this King get serious."
Kirei wondered who Gilgamesh meant by "that person," but Gilgamesh had no intention of elaborating.
"So then, has the brat headed off toward Saber?" Gilgamesh asked again.
"According to Assassin's sightings, Ludwig is currently heading toward the Einzbern Forest on the outskirts southwest of Fuyuki City, where their castle is located," Kirei said. "However, it seems he is not alone."
"And what do you intend to do?" Gilgamesh turned his glass toward Kirei. "Broadly speaking, the landscape of the Holy Grail War will shift tonight. If there is something weighing on your mind, you had best set out early, Kirei. If you go too late, you won't see a thing."
Kirei froze. He hadn't expected Gilgamesh to see through his preoccupation with Kiritsugu Emiya so easily.
"Are you saying Kiritsugu Emiya will—" Kirei couldn't help but press for more.
"Who knows? This King does not possess eyes that can perceive all of the present," Gilgamesh said with great amusement. "And of course, even if I did, I wouldn't use them."
"..."
Kirei fell silent. He stared at the floor for a moment, deep in thought, then immediately stood and headed out of the stone chamber.
After nightfall, Ludwig prepared to search for the Saber camp, only to learn from Merlin that their base was a castle located in the Einzbern Forest on the outskirts southwest of Fuyuki.
"I don't usually expect much from you, but you seem a bit over-eager today," Ludwig remarked as he flew, holding Merlin in his arms.
"Since I already knew, I figured I might as well say it. It's better than you grumbling that I don't do any work when you eventually have to ask," Merlin replied, sticking her tongue out with a self-righteous air.
"Hardly. You've already done quite a bit today. It wouldn't have mattered much if you kept the Intel to yourself," Ludwig shook his head with a grin. "No wonder you insisted on coming along. You were planning to play the favor card, weren't you?"
"Well, the Saber camp is, in a way, the one I have the least connection to," Merlin said.
"Why say that? Aren't you the court magus who assisted King Arthur?"
"Saber's True Name is indeed Arthur Pendragon," Merlin nodded, "but since she's a girl, it's more accurate to call her Artoria Pendragon."
"What?" Ludwig stopped mid-air, looking at Merlin in disbelief. "So, in your mind, this doesn't count as betraying your lord?"
"I told you, didn't I? The Merlin of this world is a man, and he is the one who assisted this world's female King Arthur," Merlin explained. "I am from a different world. The King Arthur I served was a man."
That was why Merlin claimed Saber was the one she had the least connection to.
"When you put it that way, it feels like there are a lot of King Arthurs..." Ludwig muttered, momentarily dazed.
"Those are minor details. The King Arthur I know is currently busy with other matters," Merlin added mischievously. "Maybe you'll have the chance to meet him someday."
"This is getting confusing." Ludwig shook his head, temporarily giving up on trying to wrap his mind around the bizarre character combinations of the various King Arthur legends across different worlds.
He looked ahead. From this height, he could already see the massive castle situated in the heart of the forest.
"Alright, I'll drop you off once we reach the castle—" Ludwig was about to discuss their next move when he suddenly noticed a figure walking into the forest, accompanied by several small children.
Merlin spoke up in surprise. "Caster is here too. And he's brought so many children... he must be planning to use them as hostages."
"...Is that all?"
"Hard to say. Even if Saber or someone else goes over there, those children will likely die anyway," Merlin mused for a moment. "Knowing Caster, he surely has magical means to ensure they can be killed even if they are rescued."
Ludwig clicked his tongue at that.
"Can I ask a favor of you? I'll owe you one," he said.
"Oh?"
"The opponent is a magus, but he's certainly no match for a 'Floral Magus Big Sister,'" Ludwig said with a sly grin. "Can I ask you to go and rescue those innocent children? After all, I don't know the first thing about magecraft."
"You certainly know how to play the charmer," Merlin said, clearly pleased by the flattery. "Well then, for the sake of that 'Big Sister,' I suppose I'll go and interfere with some bottom-tier magus."
Having secured Merlin's promise, Ludwig let go of her, allowing her to drift down slowly like a falling flower petal. He then accelerated, flying straight toward the skies above the Einzbern castle.
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