"Tokiomi Tohsaka...?"
Seeing the man, Alvin's first reaction was surprise.
Not long ago, he had met Tokiomi briefly in ancient Britain, and soon after, during the Holy Grail War, their paths crossed again.
In a sense, he and Tokiomi were quite fated to meet.
But judging by the man's condition, he didn't seem to be in good health lately...
As Alvin observed him, Tokiomi sensed the movement behind him and turned to look.
The boy wore a black cloak, his face partially covered by a swirling white mask, his deep, fathomless eyes quietly fixed on Tokiomi.
On the surface, he might seem like an ordinary boy, but Tokiomi, who had clashed with him multiple times during the Holy Grail War, knew full well the devastating, brutal power of Britain's White Dragon.
Tokiomi stood, placing a hand over his chest and bowing in a manner reminiscent of Western nobles greeting a monarch, neither servile nor overbearing. "Lord White Dragon, it's an honor to meet you again."
"We met briefly in ancient Britain before. Do you remember?"
"That was during the Holy Grail War, wasn't it? It hasn't been that long, has it?"
Alvin said with a smile.
Tokiomi's body stiffened slightly.
Though he appeared calm on the surface, his heart surged with emotion.
He... he actually remembers the Holy Grail War?!
As a prominent figure in Fuyuki, with his ancestor's teacher being the Wizard Marshal Zelretch, Tokiomi had always carried a sense of pride.
Even when he was outwardly deferential to Gilgamesh during the Holy Grail War, his heart remained fiercely proud.
Back in the Holy Grail War, his attitude towards Alvin was not very respectful, and he even had hostility towards him for a while because of Matou Sakura.
Normally, after a Servant exits the Holy Grail War, they should forget everything that happened during it.
Yet this man actually remembered the events of the war...?
Tokiomi coughed lightly, a touch of awkwardness in his voice: "You still remember the Holy Grail War..."
"Due to some special reasons, I don't lose my memories from the Holy Grail War."
Alvin said with a smile.
"How's your daughter doing lately?"
Seeing that Alvin didn't dwell on their conflicts from the war, Tokiomi let out a small sigh of relief and nodded. "Thanks to you last time. If you hadn't saved Sakura in time, she might have..."
Mentioning this, the head of the Tohsaka family felt a pang of embarrassment...
After all, he had initially assumed that Alvin kidnapped his daughter Sakura to use her against him, but in reality, not only did he save her from the terrible fate she might've faced in the Matou Family...but from the start to the end of the war, Alvin never dragged Sakura into their disputes.
"I'm truly grateful for what you did for Sakura."
Tokiomi paused for a moment, then continued. "I misunderstood you at first... I'm sorry."
"As long as your daughter is fine, that's what matters."
Alvin smiled.
He didn't care whether he was misunderstood or not.
He didn't consider himself a saint; saving Sakura was less about kindness and more about circumstance... In that freezing, snowy environment, he couldn't bear to watch a young girl suffer.
It wasn't some lofty virtue, just a desire to ease his conscience.
After all, even if she wasn't his favourite character in the Type Moon, she was the one he felt most pity for.
Now that he was there, now that he had the ability and it wouldn't cause him any loss to save her, he did so.
"How's the Einzbern family doing now?"
Alvin suddenly asked.
Tokiomi paused, then shook his head: "You may not believe me, but I don't know the specifics."
"After the Holy Grail War ended, the Einzbern castle set up a magical barrier, blocking anyone from approaching."
Tokiomi added.
"So, the castle is in a 'sealed' state now?"
Alvin mused thoughtfully.
The Greater Grail system was built and guarded by Fuyuki's three great families, with its core being the homunculus known as the "Winter Saint."
Realizing the Third Magic to save humanity through the Greater Grail... that was the goal of the Winter Saint and, by extension, the entire Einzbern family.
But not long ago, the Greater Grail was destroyed, shattering their hopes.
They should have received news of the Grail's restoration by now, so why seal the castle?
Were they secretly preparing for the next Holy Grail War?
How are Illya and Irisviel doing...?
If I remember correctly, Irisviel's grandfather is quite strict.
Would the failure of the last war affect their mother-daughter relationship?
Even after doing so much, if he still couldn't save them from their fate, then he would feel quite uncomfortable.
But then again, the Winter Saint's consciousness should still reside in Irisviel's body, so there shouldn't be any issues with her around...
Alvin pulled his thoughts back to the present, looking at Tokiomi.
"What's the state of the Greater Grail now?"
In the end, he asked the question that concerned him most.
Tokiomi hesitated slightly before saying softly. "Actually, I came to see you today because of the Greater Grail."
He then explained what happened that night on Mount Enzou and the restoration of the Greater Grail.
Alvin pondered for a moment and then spoke. "So, the Greater Grail, which was destroyed, has truly been restored?"
Tokiomi nodded slightly. "Thanks to a secret technique left by my ancestor's teacher. Otherwise, the Greater Grail might no longer exist in Fuyuki."
It feels like he's hiding something...
Alvin gave Tokiomi a deep look.
After all, according to Tokiomi, the Grail was restored by a secret technique from the Jewel Mage, but who was he?
Alvin knew Zelretch even more than Tokiomi Tohsaka himself...
While that old man did have the ability to restore the Goly Grail, as far as he knew, Zelretch rarely involved himself in such matters.
While Zelretch had acted as a witness during the creation of Fuyuki's Greater Grail, that was the extent of it.
Is Tokiomi hiding the truth about the Grail's restoration...?
Alvin quickly considered this possibility.
But why?
Before he could dwell further, Tokiomi stood and bowed respectfully again.
"Lord White Dragon, though the Greater Grail has been restored, since the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War, too many magi have set their sights on Fuyuki... When the next war begins, it might be even bloodier than the last."
"I humbly request your assistance for my daughter Rin in the next Holy Grail War... In return, whether it's the blueprint for the Tohsaka family's Jeweled Sword or the wish-granting power of the Greater Grail, I can offer them to you."
The Jeweled Sword, a special blueprint of the Tohsaka family, was a "gift" from the Wizard Marshal Zelretch to the first head of the family.
Over the years, Tokiomi had studied it countless times but could never unravel its true secrets.
After the last Holy Grail War, Tokiomi had realized his own limits and the importance of a Servant, as well as his fears for the Tohsaka family's future decline.
He urgently wanted to secure the family's standing in Fuyuki.
If he could secure Britain's White Dragon as a Servant for the next war, it would at least guarantee the Tohsaka family a place in the conflict.
"Even knowing the Greater Grail is tainted... you still don't plan to give up on it?"
Alvin asked, as Tokiomi's brows furrowed slightly before easing, and he said helplessly. "Perhaps this is the fate of a magus... To pursue the Root, to chase the pinnacle of magecraft, no cost is too great."
"You might not live to see the next Holy Grail War."
Alvin said calmly.
His keen perception had already detected something off about Tokiomi's condition upon approaching him.
The curse from the black mud had already eroded Tokiomi's magical circuits.
At this rate, he might not survive until the Fifth Holy Grail War began.
Tokiomi's expression darkened.
He was well aware of his situation.
His visit to Alvin during this transmigration was less about cooperation and more about setting affairs in order.
On one hand, it was to ensure the Tohsaka family wouldn't decline after his passing; on the other, it was to pave the way for his daughter.
If Rin participated in the Fifth Holy Grail War with the White Dragon as her Servant, even if she failed, the dragon's power would ensure her safety...
Of course, winning the war and reaching the Root would be ideal.
If possible, Tokiomi would prefer to participate in the war himself, but the curse of the black mud was like a ticking time bomb, with no telling when it might fully erupt.
At this thought, Tokiomi's heart grew heavy.
"Perhaps when you return next time, you could consider visiting a certain place... There might be a way to resolve your curse there."
Just then, the boy's calm, gentle voice reached his ears.
Tokiomi froze, and after a moment, his eyes lit up as if glimpsing hope, staring intently at Alvin.
"You have a solution?"
Alvin shook his head and said.
"I'm no expert in this area, but there's a place that might be able to help with the curse in your body... You could consider going there after returning to Fuyuki."
"After all, that place is considered the pinnacle of the Mage's Association."
Tokiomi's eyes flickered as he quickly realized something, saying softly: "Are you referring to... the Clock Tower?"
...
This was an unfamiliar place.
Without a doubt, it didn't belong to any modern location.
Though the architecture was steeped in English style, it felt more like a kingdom from ancient times.
High white walls loomed, and in the distance, a glimpse of ancient Britain's royal palace shone under the sky, radiant and majestic, faintly glowing with a sacred light.
Not far away, knights on warhorses patrolled the streets from time to time, and the powerful clanging sounds of armor colliding were filled with a solemn and murderous atmosphere.
At this moment, a woman in a nun's habit, with a graceful and sexy figure, held her breath, watching a countdown timer appear before her eyes.
Then, an audacious thought struck her.
During her missionary work, a believer had once mentioned something about "transmigrators."
And the destination of their transmigration was none other than ancient Britain at the end of the Age of Gods.
Could it be... I've transmigrated too?
Realizing this, the woman, after a brief moment of shock, soon broke into a sweet smile.
"Hehe... How interesting."
"A kingdom from the end of the Age of Gods... I hope it brings me some surprises."
With elegant steps, the woman walked toward the grand, ancient gates of the royal city.
.
.
.
.
P.S: Do you guys play Wuthering Waves?