Kayneth had long harbored suspicions about this Heroic Spirit.
... Particularly when he learned that this spirit, without ever seeing the Moonlit Essence, could guide Waver Velvet to repair it from scratch. His suspicions about this Heroic Spirit reached their peak.
"The legendary Zhuge Liang was undoubtedly a genius... but no matter how brilliant, he couldn't possibly use our El-Melloi techniques to repair our El-Melloi artifacts, could he?"
The young genius magus fixed his gaze on the dark-haired, middle-aged man before him, his eyes burning with intensity.
"I know you're trying to hide your identity, and you're doing it well. But some habits you simply can't change, and certain ways of handling magical materials are known only to the El-Melloi family."
"For instance, your habit of using tin powder to stabilize the flow of mana in mercury... I bet you've read my Analysis and Application of Mana Properties in Base Minerals, haven't you?"
Kayneth declared with pride.
It was just one of his many "genius inventions," a minor detail not even worth mentioning. Yet, when he saw someone actually applying the methods described in his unpublished manuscript to a magical experiment, a sense of satisfaction welled up within him.
But soon, that satisfaction was overshadowed by a greater sense of frustration.
Because he realized that this Caster was only using the "small tricks" he had discovered... the truly core, valuable knowledge, the "secret Magecraft" passed down through generations of the El-Melloi family, this magus hadn't shown a trace of it.
Was it that he didn't want to use it?
No, that wasn't it.
His demeanor didn't suggest "unwillingness" at all... it was as if he couldn't use it, not even pretending to know how.
In other words, something was gravely wrong with the El-Melloi legacy in this magus.
The ancestral magical crest was gone! The secret Magecraft of the family had been severed!
All he had was the hollow name of [El-Melloi].
And this Caster seemed to have a close connection with Waver.
Was he his son or grandson, perhaps?
Kayneth slumped into his chair, a posture of defeat that this proud and elegant Clock Tower lord had never shown before an "outsider."
So...
"Speak, magus."
"Tell me what you know, and what you plan to do."
"At the very least, the glory of El-Melloi must be preserved."
...
Fuyuki City, Holy Church.
It was nearing eleven o'clock.
The diligent young nun had risen at five in the morning, preparing for the worshippers attending Mass.
Illya, however, slept until the sun was high in the sky, only then groggily opening her eyes.
She sat up on the hard wooden bed, looking around in a daze, then suddenly widened her eyes as if startled by a nightmare... before finally recalling something and turning into a hamster-like pout, dressing herself while sulking.
Artoria, carrying a few slices of bread, entered at just the right moment.
"Did you sleep well, Master?"
"Ugh, not really..."
Illya shook her head... she wasn't the type to sugarcoat things; she always spoke the truth.
"It's cold and hard here. I'm not used to it."
To be honest, the living conditions in this church were indeed poor. This room was already the most "luxurious" one Jeanne Lily had found for her.
But it still couldn't satisfy the little princess who had grown up in the Einzbern Castle.
"That's just how it is."
"If you're not comfortable, why not go back home to sleep?"
Artoria suggested.
Illya thought about it seriously for a moment before shaking her head vigorously.
"No way... "
She was still angry, caught up in the "betrayal" from yesterday, unable to let it go.
What made Illya even angrier was that her mother, who was clearly in the wrong, hadn't apologized after the game ended... not even when Illya left with the referee sister. Instead, she stood there, smiling and waving goodbye!
Illya was genuinely upset!
She decided she wouldn't speak to her mother for the entire day; she was determined to win today's match and show her mother up; she would act like a mature adult, and even if her mother begged, she wouldn't go back... As she nibbled on the less-than-tasty bread, she concocted all sorts of "revenge plans" in her mind!
... But the moment her mother's figure appeared in the church's main hall, all those plans fell apart.
"Mom..."
Illya put down the slice of bread.
She saw the woman sitting on a pew, chatting and laughing with a silver-haired nun girl... wasn't that her mother?
And it wasn't just her mother.
Kiritsugu Emiya, who usually stayed in the shadows with a silent demeanor, was, unusually,穿着 a formal suit today, appearing in the church.
Compared to Irisviel, who was joking with Caren, Kiritsugu's conversation with Jeanne Lily was far more serious, their expressions grave as if discussing something of great importance.
As for Alaric?
He had been idly examining the church's statues and murals... until Illya emerged, when his attention immediately shifted to the little angel.
"Mom..."
He saw the white-haired little angel, full of joy, hurrying down the corridor toward Irisviel.
He was certain Irisviel saw her too.
Yet Irisviel deliberately pretended not to notice, continuing to speak to the girl named Caren Ortensia.
"So cute! Your silver-white hair is just like my daughter's."
"No, I should say, even cuter than my daughter!"
"Why don't you become my daughter instead?"
"???"
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