113 Einzbern and Ancestor (I)
A bonus chapter for reaching 1k power stone yesterday, thanks for the support!
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It was the spring of 1994. The Holy Grail War was still some time away from its official commencement. Deep within the Black Forests of Germany, secluded from the outside world, lay the Einzbern castle.
The Einzbern, proud of their prestigious mage bloodline, looked down upon other mages, considering them mere barbarians. However, driven to madness by their pursuit of the Holy Grail and the Third Magic, the Einzbern family had finally crossed a line.
They had chosen a son-in-law from among outsiders, granting him honor and power as a member of their family, and sending him as their representative to participate in the Holy Grail War.
This action not only brought shame upon the family, but it also disgraced their ancestor from the Age of Gods, the founder of the modern era, and even the ordinary homunculi within the family.
To make matters worse, it now appeared that this decision, which had caused the entire family to feel disgraced, was entirely unnecessary.
If one were to ask the current head of the Einzbern family, the wise, elderly, and Gandalf-looking, Jubstacheit von Einzbern about his feelings, he would undoubtedly say—"I regret it. I just feel so regretful now."
Confronted with the summoning of a great being through the Servant system, Jubstacheit felt both awe and fear.
"If I had known it would turn out like this, I shouldn't have hired that outsider... since it became like this, our pursuit of the Holy Grail and the Third Magic is... Ah, no! Why am I blabbering such nonsense?! Please forgive this one, Your Majesty!"
Despite several days passing and the family accepting this exceptional summoning, Jubstacheit still found it hard to contain his excitement when faced with the source of the Einzbern family's long-cherished wish, standing right before him.
"Don't be too nervous, Jubstacheit."
At the same time, a breathtakingly attractive boy with radiant platinum hair took the central spot in the living room without hesitation. He spoke in a relaxed manner, and his body was completely at ease, reclining in the chair as he was served by a group of Einzbern maids.
Behind him, a maid with white hair and red eyes was massaging his shoulders, while two other maids with the same appearance massaged his arms. Below, two more maids with white hair and red eyes were massaging his legs.
He appeared entirely at ease, indulgent, and decadent.
After uttering a word, the boy lightly tapped the chair's armrest. Immediately, a maid graciously offered him sweet coffee and snacks, feeding him bit by bit.
Of course, this behavior was limited to when Jubstacheit was present. Otherwise, the boy, or rather, Artorius would indulge in way more outrageous things, such as the Pius Chalice and the Seaweed Wine.
Although there had been a slight mishap on the way here, Artorius's purpose and attitude remained unchanged.
He had come here primarily for vacation and enjoyment. He would play for a few days and then return home. Anything else achieved would be a bonus, but if not, it didn't matter. Being summoned by the Einzbern this time was considered quite satisfactory.
The family lacked nothing except cute homunculus girls. Indulging a few hundred for Artorius's pleasure was no big deal at all.
Although he couldn't say that to Jubstacheit.
After finishing the coffee and snacks and patting the maid's breasts, expressing his satisfaction, Artorius simultaneously heard a lively and somewhat silly voice outside.
"Behold! The heroine's ripple dash! X special move, dynamic laser beam!"
"Ahahaha~"
There was a scene that seemed to show a girl resembling Artoria, playing with the adorable white-haired girl, Illyasviel von Einzbern—commonly called Illya. They had become close friends and would often play together in the snow in front of the Einzbern castle every other day.
The playful girl and the adorable little girl were enjoying their game of the righteous heroine, X, battling the Evil Saber, the offspring of the Evil Artoria Species. The sound of their laughter indicated they were having a great time.
Looking out the window, one could see the scene, and standing nearby with a smile on her face was the beautiful lady named Irisviel von Einzbern, or simply Iri, the lady of the Einzbern family. She was pleased with the heartwarming scene.
On the other hand, the supposed 'Mage Killer' was nowhere to be seen. No one knew what he was up to.
"The Holy Grail War, what a boring joke."
Upon hearing the seemingly silly voice of the girl with Artoria's face, Artorius's mood soured, and he made this judgment.
Hearing such an evaluation, Jubstacheit felt uneasy.
Their family's cherished wish, the Holy Grail War was being called a boring joke. If it were anyone else, Jubstacheit would undoubtedly be furious, ready to argue, and even take action.
But it was different when facing the legendary Dragon Emperor.
As everyone knew, their ancestor was the child of Dragon Emperor Artorius, the child with his unknown concubine.
Despite not being legitimate due to the lower status of the concubine and not inheriting the famous 'Artoria Face', their Einzbern family lineage and blood were still of the highest hierarchy, recognized anywhere and anytime.
Thus, as the source of their entire family's bloodline, Emperor Artorius the First, the glorious ancestor, was not only their ruler but also their ancestor and the great being they passionately pursued.
For the Einzbern family, their fanatical pursuit of the Third Magic was rooted in their reverence for this great ancestor—the European Dragon Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the conqueror of barbarian tribes, and the founder of the New Roman Empire—the Holy Roman Empire.
If there was anything in this world that could make the Einzberns bow their heads, freely do anything to them, and even make them serve and die without question, it was Emperor Artorius.
When they summoned Emperor Artorius, they knew that they had already won this Holy Grail War.
They no longer needed to compete in the Holy Grail War, nor did they have to fight with that barbaric and despicable outsider, as the embodiment of the Third Magic was standing before them.
The Great Emperor Artorius the First, their esteemed ancestor, was right before their eyes.
Truly, they were blessed, as they originally sought to summon Heroic Spirits with the Scabbard Avalon to bring forth the Dragon Emperor's father, the King of Knights—Arthur Pendragon.
Although the legend of the King of Knights was equally appealing, and the century of unification of Britain was remarkable, it was incomparable to Emperor Artorius, akin to comparing a strengthened Philip II to the thoroughly upgraded Alexander the Great.
"...Yes."
Thus, after the initial awkwardness, Jubstacheit also agreed with Artorius's words.
"We indeed have no need to compete with those barbarians. In the time to come, everything about the Einzbern family is at Your Majesty's command. We shall serve at your pleasure."
