120 Power of the Modern Empire (II)

'Einzbern, the pinnacle of homunculus technology.'

Artorius let out a sigh and said to himself as he gazed at the sleeping Illya.

'Technology has progressed to this level.'

Artorius looked at the sleeping Illya with a tender gaze. Sitting by her bedside, he held her hand.

Truly, she was like his own flesh and blood. Closer than any of the maids here, it felt akin to the affection he had for Iri, like a level of closeness one has with a daughter.

'Indeed, we used homunculus technology. However, it has undergone significant improvements and enhancements.'

As he caressed Illya's soft little hand, Artorius thought to himself.

'A perfect Holy Grail, huh...'

Not like the one in the original story, but even more perfect, with advanced technology. If used purely for magecraft, he could easily earn a top position in the Mage's Association, of course, referring to the one from the original story, and most likely, he would get a Sealing Designation.

'In my timeline, after fifteen hundred years of development, how different is the world? How far have we come in preparing for the Counter Force's resistance? What Mysteries, Magecraft, and Technology have developed in this time? And how have 'I' spent these fifteen hundred years?'

Artorius was very curious.

Though he had always told himself that he was here on vacation and didn't belong to this era, that he would return home after the Holy Grail War, celebrating with Morgan, Vivian, and Mordred... and, if he could work harder, have Scathach and Artoria join in, that would be even better.

But.

He couldn't help but feel extremely curious.

Unlike the summoned Heroic Spirits, who seek historical records of themselves in libraries and other sources after being summoned, Artorius was torn between delving into his curiosity or leaving it be.

The only things that made him happy were few.

First, the dynasty he founded continues to this day. Even though during the time of Artorius LXX, he had gracefully relinquished power to follow the trend of the times and established a constitutional monarchy. {T/N: Artorius 70th.}

Yet, in reality, he still wielded immense power and economic influence. Not to mention, on the Mystery side, he was likely still the Dragon Emperor with the ability to command winds and rains.

Secondly, at this point in time in this world, he couldn't sense the presence of 'himself.' Artorius had read the news and had seen his supposed descendants, the 75th in line, who was theoretically his heir but in reality nothing more than a puppet created through the Third Magic.

'Is my existence unique in the timeline?'

'Did the other 'me' hide away and refuse to meet myself?'

'Or perhaps, something went wrong with this version of myself in this timeline?'

In any case, not having to deal with the awkwardness of meeting another version of himself made Artorius feel somewhat relieved.

Having a group of Artoria surrounding him was one thing, but having a group of 'himself' surrounding him was an entirely different matter.

In this regard, Artorius felt a bit biased and hypocritical.

Realizing this, he felt a bit sorry for X. If another version of himself appeared before him, he would likely want to defeat them as well. It was only human nature.

Due to these concerns, Artorius didn't make a big fuss about collecting information and history from this time period. Instead, he tried to find out indirectly and casually.

For example, the condition of Illya, Iri, and the Einzbern.

As a branch family of the Pendragon, the Einzbern held considerable prestige and reputation in Germany and even across Western Europe. They were not like the reclusive mage family portrayed in the original story.

Based on their technology, magecraft, and military capabilities, Artorius could make a rough estimate of his doubts.

His conclusion was...

'They should be doing well.'

'At least they haven't failed and are still advancing.'

'So, they should be fine.'

Feeling slightly relieved, he shifted his mindset from worry to leisure. He intended to let go of Illya's hand and find some amusement.

That maid guarding the door, named Sella, was quite cute. She would do.

With such thoughts in mind, Artorius let go of Illya's hand, only to quickly grab Sella's.

"Your Majesty, this, this isn't quite appropriate..."

"What's wrong with it?"

"At least change the location... If Miss Illya sees this, then..."

"Don't worry; Illya is sleeping soundly, so..."

"Iyaahh?!"

"Mmhh~"

"Ahhhh~"

For several minutes, the energetic homunculus maid polished the Dragon Emperor's 'mighty spear', which consumed a great deal of her strength.

Afterward, Sella picked up her dress, gazing with resentment at the departing figure of her ancestor, who was already humming a tune so casually. At the same time, she noticed a sound behind her.

Startled, she immediately turned around and found Illya still with her eyes closed. Still concerned, she cautiously approached and confirmed that Illya was still asleep, which relieved her.

As she walked towards the adjacent bathroom, Sella muttered to herself, "That was close..."

As Illya's personal caretaker, she had her own small bed in Illya's room and the privilege to use the bathroom there.

Thankfully, that was the case because after Illya woke up, she only smelled the refreshing scent of bath products and shampoo from Sella, along with a hint of air freshener in the room.

As for Sella's outfit, there was no change whatsoever. It was a standard maid outfit, not as conservative as in the original story, nor as edgy as the gothic style.

As a young child, Illya didn't dwell too much on these matters. She rubbed her eyes and greeted Sella with a sleepy tone before the maid took her to freshen up.

Later on, Illya was led groggily to the dining table.

The Einzbern family's breakfast table was livelier than usual due to the presence of the summoned Servants.

"Good morning, Lord Ancestor, Big Sister X. Good morning, Mom, Dad, Leysritt."

As Illya greeted everyone politely, X was busy eating. Her appetite was as expected as one of Artoria Species, with practically no limits.

At the same time, Artorius looked at X with a helpless gaze, much like one would look at their childish little sister, even though she kept insisting that she was his mother.

Addressed as Mom and Dad by Illya were obviously referring to Iri and Kiritsugu.

The former gazed at X with warmth, while the latter still had the appearance of a man holding a grudge. Only when Illya entered the room did he manage to force a smile.