Xyrin Empire
Chapter 483: Night Exploration, Night Talk

Chapter 483: Chapter 483: Night Exploration, Night Talk

Mysterious Heroic Spirit’s nocturnal visit to the Emiya Mansion, I believe it if Tsuruya didn’t notice me, but it would be impossible for Pandora not to have noticed. Therefore, while discussing the unseen Peeping Tom with Saber, I also used our Spiritual Connection to inquire with Pandora, who was still in the room. Sure enough, the little one had even spotted the mysterious intruder before Saber did. The enemy Heroic Spirit clearly lacked adequate anti-surveillance Skills; he practically ran straight into the radar Barrier set up around the outside of the Emiya Mansion.

But Pandora, who has always admired the aesthetics of violence, didn’t take action because, according to radar detection, the Energy Intensity on the opponent didn’t even amount to one-fifth of an average Heroic Spirit—nearly that of an Advanced Enslaved Demon. If you’re saying a super Heroic Spirit like Hercules has some strength against lower-ranked Xyrin Apostles, an Enslaved Demon with only one-fifth the Energy Intensity of a normal Heroic Spirit—and who didn’t even dare to show its face—would probably be instant-killed by a Xyrin Combat Puppet. Naturally, Pandora deemed it unworthy of her to intervene. Moreover, the little girl indicated that the Space Folds near the Emiya Mansion were filled with Space Dark Mines that would activate at night. If the enemy Heroic Spirit really wanted to forcefully break in here, they’d have to endure a pounding by a battalion’s worth of tank fire first. There would be no rush for her to take action afterward.

In other words, if some poor drunkard stumbled into the Emiya residence in the middle of the night, this street would be gone in five seconds.

It seems I really can never let my guard down around that girl Pandora!

After severely ordering Pandora to immediately withdraw the Space Dark Mines from the vicinity and leaving only the usual Invisible Guard Towers, I refocused my attention on Saber. According to her, the one who came to spy had an aura very similar to a Heroic Spirit, but their Magic Power was very mixed, and their method of action also didn’t match any Heroic Spirit class. Moreover, with Rider—who excels in surprise attacks and covert operations—already successfully abducted by me, it was even more unlikely that the opponent was a mobile-type Heroic Spirit. Under such circumstances, the identity of the opponent became even more enigmatic.

What was even more notable was the means of retreat used by the enemy. According to Saber, upon realizing that his whereabouts had been exposed, he instantly transformed into dispersing Magic Power and directly dissipated into the air. If a Heroic Spirit were to use such a Skill...

It would simply be suicide—it was an impossible Skill. At least, in the Fate universe, no Energy Life could resurrect itself autonomously after dispersing all its Energy. Even Saber, who bore the title of Military God and had seen countless battles and all sorts of strange opponents, said she had no idea what kind of Ability it could be.

"What a headache." After pondering for ages and still unable to recall any major character from the 2D world that could fit perfectly into the Fate universe in this way, I couldn’t help but look up to the sky with a throbbing headache. If only I didn’t have that little girl still hanging dizzily around my neck, what a propaganda-worthy image of the Leader lamenting under the moon this could have been.

"Actually, these matters have nothing to do with you."

Saber looked at me for a while, then suddenly said with calm conviction, uttering a statement of fact without any sugarcoating.

"This is Human conflict among themselves, whether for Da Yi or for selfish reasons. Couldn’t you just watch indifferently?"

"Easy for you to say," I rolled my eyes, "Three forced landings and their house is destroyed; even if I wanted to turn around and leave now, my conscience wouldn’t let me."

"That also makes sense." Saber immediately nodded seriously, "Although you’re not Human, your conduct has always earned my respect."

So I’ve been praised by the Knight King’s sister again, but should I be crying or laughing at this point?

Due to the unexpected arrival of Little Baobao and Dingdang, both Sandora and I lost all desire to sleep. However, as responsible for this situation, Little Baobao was now sound asleep, and Dingdang was also snoring softly in his pocket. With no sleepiness affecting us, Sandora and I decisively switched to nocturnal mode. She happily spread out a large plastic cloth beside her and began piling up the leftover barbecue and a jumble of snacks from her Personal Space, attracting frequent glances from Saber. I carefully sat down next to Sandora with Little Baobao in my arms and called out to the still-garrison-uniform-clad Saber, "Sit down and take a break. All these things are from other places, and I guarantee you’ve never seen them before."

That being said, even if the Knight King had seen and known much, she probably hadn’t ever eaten donkey burgers, right?

"Replenishing physical strength is very necessary." As if finding an excuse for herself to "slack off," Saber said these words before sitting down next to me. She then curiously observed how Sandora handled those unfamiliar foods, intending to learn how they should be eaten, but a few seconds later, she decisively shifted her gaze to my hands: even a Heroic Spirit would die if they tried to handle food in the same manner as Sandora.

"Actually, we have set up a lot of alarm devices in this courtyard. You don’t need to stand guard," I kindly reminded her, sensing the faint flow of magic power around the young girl next to me. "Emiya is only a half-baked magician. Even with Rin’s modifications and training, the magic power he can offer is too little. Shouldn’t you be resting and conserving your energy right now?"

"If there are enemies scouting our camp, it is absolutely unacceptable for me, as a guard, to be sleeping deeply," Saber answered firmly. "Besides... perhaps I’m being stubborn, but I feel more at ease standing guard myself rather than relying on the alarm devices you mentioned."

Oh, you’re from the Magic Side.

Since she had put it that way, I naturally had nothing more to say. I just concentrated a bit of spiritual power, and based on my recent understanding of this world’s energy structure, I began to construct a simple energy field.

"This is..." Saber immediately felt the concentration of magic power nearby and exclaimed in surprise.

"By increasing the density of magic power, adjusting the energy frequency and its properties, then allowing living bodies to absorb these free, modified energies, there’s a scientific name for it called ’Radiant Aura.’ It’s a skill I learned from a human named Jaina. With slight modifications, it can have the same effect on Heroic Spirits."

I briefly explained the principle of this quick mana recovery aura, not expecting that a few simple magic theories I’d learned out of curiosity from Jaina would actually come in handy right now.

Saber immediately showed a look of admiration. "This is truly an amazing ability. For magicians and Heroic Spirits alike, it could reverse the outcome of a battle. You are indeed very powerful."

I replied with an indifferent smile. Powerful? I hadn’t even shown her the spectacle of the ’Eastern Kingdom Mage Corps with a three hundred seconds mana recharge’ or the ’Azeroth Shaman Corps with Two Thousand Totem Mana Springs.’ Those guys who always fiddled with extreme spells were overwhelmingly impressive with the technical support from the Imperial Crow Corps. If they came over, the entire Holy Grail War would be unnecessary; all the Heroic Spirits and magicians might as well switch to unlimited mode.

Indulgently wiping off some grease that had accidentally stuck to Sandora’s face, I casually asked, "Saber, you seem to be very concerned about the Holy Grail War?"

There was a moment of silence from her, and just when I thought she might not answer the question, the girl’s clear voice suddenly rang out.

"Every Heroic Spirit is summoned for the Holy Grail. No matter what great deeds they accomplished in life or how much they were revered, even worshiped as gods by later generations, they would have wishes they want to fulfill, answers they sought in life but never found. The Holy Grail is the Universal Pot that can grant any wish. Perhaps you still scoff at these notions, but at least in our eyes, within the realm of human understanding, the Holy Grail can realize miracles. For this miracle that can ameliorate the regrets of life, I answered Shirou’s summon. Thus, it is only natural to give importance to this war, isn’t it?"

"To fulfill my own wish, huh," I nodded, "So Saber, do you have any wishes that you must rely on the Holy Grail’s power to fulfill?"

I doubted I’d get an answer. For a Heroic Spirit, their desired wish is not only a well-kept secret, but the wish itself could betray their true identity. I asked just out of curiosity, because I was already very familiar with the real answer. The wish was none other than the desire for a chance to start over, having taken on the mission of becoming the King of Great Britain, only to be faced with a devastated nation and a desolate battlefield in the end. This led to doubts about the initial decision and a hope to see if the world would chart a better course if someone else had drawn the Sword in the Stone. Despite sounding like an escape from reality, this wish simply stemmed from a sincere hope for the people to welcome a wiser king than oneself. Who could mock such a noble aspiration borne of benevolence?

As expected, Saber didn’t respond to my abrupt question but spoke in a low voice, "I apologize; this is a secret. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but that wish... it’s not worth mentioning."

"Is that so," I smiled carelessly, "Altoria, if you end up failing, telling me your wish might still work."

Aside from the parties involved, it was unlikely anyone would have imagined that what would later be called by the Heroic Spirits as the biggest swindling plan in the world, was started in such circumstances, like a demolition site atop a concrete pile, sitting around a bunch of snacks, with the sound of a queen crunching on food in the background as the first character was jokingly typed out.

But now, faced with this fate-changing statement, the Heroic Spirit girl truly named Altoria only felt an unprecedented shock.

"How could you know..."

"Not only your true name, our knowledge about you might even exceed your own," I said with a mysterious smile. The scammer skills I had learned from Lilina struck a critical hit at that moment. If Little Baobao hadn’t been dreamily scratching her father’s face, I felt I could have been even more of a scammer. "Altoria, perhaps the decision to have you draw that sword was a hasty act of fate, but at least the elves’ choice had its reasons. For now, follow your own path. We have been observing this world for quite some time. Now, it may be time to see what kind of miracles this ordinary world can create. To put it another way: that man known as Yanfeng Qili, a human priest, is a supervisor sent by the combined forces of the Magician Association and the Church, representing humanity’s side. We, on the other hand, are observers from another party. Before this Holy Grail War, only human supervisors were involved, but this time, we, the record-keeping observers, have also joined in."

"That identity as an alien, it really was made up on the spot, wasn’t it?" Altoria paused for a few seconds and then said with a nuanced expression, "But who exactly are you? If you are the manifestation of some power of this world—I can’t imagine what kind of mystical collective could exist beyond the two controlling powers of this world that you represent."

"Alien wasn’t a lie," Sandora finally satisfied her appetite, gracefully wiping the metal shavings from her mouth. "In Earth’s common knowledge, we indeed come from another planet. Our advanced technology allows us to see more of the essence of things. Honestly, we should not have disturbed your lives, but some danger signals sent out by this world caught our attention. Now, it seems that the unsettling element might be related to the Holy Grail War. Don’t worry, I know the significance of the Holy Grail to you. As Ah Jun promised, even if the Holy Grail cannot fulfill your wish, we will use our special powers to help you. For now, let the Holy Grail War continue. I want to see what lurks in the depths of the world that drives this absurd drama."

The night passed quickly, and unsurprisingly, the mysterious visitor who came to spy never appeared again. But this night vigil was not entirely meaningless. The Heroic Spirit girl named Altoria thought about our "identity" for the whole night, and by the next morning, she had reached a certain degree of understanding with some photography enthusiasts from another world. And it was evident, with us ambiguous "observers" implicitly on her side, Altoria’s confidence surged remarkably.

Upon waking, Tsuruya’s assessment of this achievement was: Director-brother has indeed spent too much time with Lilina.

Little Baobao and Dingdang’s appearance startled Emiya. First, he was shocked to find that I apparently had a daughter who was already capable of lifting a soy sauce bottle, and then astonished that a magical creature like Dingdang could exist in the world. Displaying both these shocks resulted in the unfortunate Emiya boy sprouting two thorns under his armpits, which tormented him for nearly half an hour.

The one who came to send Emiya off to school in the morning was still the eternal guardian big sister, Fujimura Taiga. It was apparent the woman with the rough personality cared for Emiya living alone, and not just for the sake of enjoying meals here each day. Well, maybe it was quite the opposite—she was probably interested in the morning camping and barbecue sessions at the Emiya Ruins. For this, we shall speculate with the maximum malice.

True to her previous promise, Fujimura had also brought a construction crew to repair the Emiya Residence. The power of a crime boss was not to be underestimated, and it was clear that even these construction workers were tough veterans of many "battles." Of course, as the boss, Fujimura was even tougher than them.

"Listen up, you guys!" Fujimura barked. "This mansion has been personally ordered by the old man to be fully repaired, and I’m the one overseeing it! Anyone who lays one brick too few will find themselves sinking in the Sea of Japan within three hours. Now get to work!"

"Can she really be trusted with the responsibility of educating the youth?"

Emiya’s whisper did not escape Fujimura’s ears. The fierce boss immediately turned around and twisted Emiya’s head hard. "If I let you command these slobs, they’d probably bring the whole house down even more! You have to deal with these disobedient guys using family methods... Hey, you over there, keep an eye on things for me!"

Amid Emiya’s pleas for mercy, Fujimura finally released the unlucky youth, but then immediately seemed to remember something important and asked with a serious look, "Speaking of which, Emiya, do you have any idea where Sakura has been these past two days?"

"Sakura?" Emiya tensed up, then quickly feigned ignorance. "Hasn’t she taken a few days off?"

The coarse and careless Fujimura failed to notice the fleeting change in Emiya’s expression and said strangely, "But she doesn’t seem to be at home either. I thought you might know."

"Maybe she’s just upset about something and went out to clear her head," Emiya continued to play dumb. "But sneaking out of the house without telling her family, that’s definitely not Sakura’s style. Besides, look, Sakura’s family hasn’t even called the police, right? That means they probably have an idea of where she is. It’s best not to speculate about other people’s family matters."

Knowing the guardian’s oblivious nature, Emiya Shirou managed to deceive her with just a few sentences. Fujimura showed a look of agreement, muttering to herself, "Hmm, that’s true."

Once Fujimura walked away, Emiya immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then leaned in and asked in a low voice, "When exactly is Sakura going to be finished with treatment?"

"It should be in the next couple of days," I pondered, giving a fairly certain answer. "The physical healing is already complete, but due to the long-term energy erosion, we need to make some modifications to correct these issues. As for you, if you don’t go to school now, you’ll probably be late along with Fujimura."

Folks, from this last sentence we can analyze two pieces of information: First, it’s time for Emiya to go to school, and second, I discovered a while ago that Fujimura was already too late for her staff meeting time, but I just didn’t say a thing!!

Because watching Fujimura Taiga rush off in a cloud of dust every day is simply too entertaining.

Sakura has been "missing" for two whole days. Even Fujimura, an outsider, felt something was off, but the Makoto family remained silent. Even when Emiya saw Makoto Shinji at school, he acted as if nothing was amiss. Who knows what those guys are up to. But with the important chip of this Holy Grail War, the Heroic Spirit Rider, also missing, they surely must be searching in the shadows. Of course, such a search is doomed to be fruitless.

The so-called "treatment" Sakura was undergoing had been completed the night before. The news from Avalon was exhilarating; the experiment had made astonishing progress. Makoto Sakura was exceptionally suitable as the key, and Rider, as the first recipient of Sakura’s attacks, had safely and successfully undergone transformation. However, all these results still required more experimental data before a final comprehensive judgment could be made. On Taville’s rigorous turf, not even I could allow an experimental subject who hadn’t passed the final test to leave her laboratory, so Sakura’s return might take another day or two. (To be continued. For more information on what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. There are more Chapters available there, support the author, support genuine reading!)