Chapter 22 The Mutation of Einzbern

The relic found in Cornwall has been delivered.

Early this morning, the android maid informed Kiritsugu Emiya of the news, so he quickly rushed to the most magnificent and darkest place in Einzbern, the chapel.

Although religion still had a great influence when Einzbern was born, as a pure magus family, this was not a place to praise God's grace or find peace of mind, but a room for rituals.

Therefore, what is depicted on the stained glass of the chapel is naturally the thousand-year history of Einzbern.

They are the oldest of the three great families and also the one with the purest wishes.

If it weren't for the changes in the times and the fruitless search for miracles, they would probably still be following the lifestyle that they had been living in the frozen mountains for thousands of years.

After walking through the corridor and arriving at the center of the chapel, Kiritsugu raised his head and looked at the stained glass on the window.

The Winter Saint, who looks very similar to Irisviel, is on the main side, with two magicians serving beside her. The three of them are reaching their hands toward the Holy Grail in the sky.

From the composition, we can see that Einzbern is unwilling to rely on the power of outsiders, and below this picture is a newer painting, which was built after the last Holy Grail War.

Thinking of this, Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes could not help but stern, and he recalled the unfinished conversation with Irisviel that day.

"The Holy Grail War is cursed? It's not that I don't believe you, but this matter..."

In response to Irisviel's request, although Emiya Kiritsugu was concerned about the Holy Grail, he did not lose his mind.

"I know this is hard to believe, but this is not just a lie born out of delusion."

After a brief hesitation, Irisviel's maternal love outweighed her responsibilities to her family.

"Kiritsugu, you know that the Einzbern family has continued to this day for the purpose of recreating the Third Law. However, in the long period of failure, when there is no hope at all, proving the existence of the Third Law is more like the family's purpose than the goal of recreating the Third Law."

Analyzing the family's tragic wish to outsiders without hesitation made Emiya Kiritsugu become serious.

"He was obviously very anxious before, but since the last war, Great Grandfather has become a different person. He doesn't care about these things at all. It's as if he has confirmed that the person who can save everything really exists, and he just needs to prove it."

"Is there anything wrong with that?"

Emiya Kiritsugu asked doubtfully. After all, the great-grandfather had lived for two centuries. Maybe he had come into contact with the power of the Holy Grail last time, so it was not surprising that he had such a change.

"That's the problem," Irisviel sighed, "The Einzbern family was born for the Third Magic. Although we are all androids, if anyone could become our master, it would only be the Third Magician. But this is impossible because the Third Magic can only be reproduced if the Holy Grail is used successfully."

"But the previous Holy Grail Wars were all failures."

Emiya Kiritsugu said in a deep voice that this was a question of putting the cart before the horse. The great grandfather would change his obsession only if the third magician existed, but the third magician could only be born if the Holy Grail was summoned.

"You are right. He may indeed have been affected by something. However, since he still chose to participate in the Holy Grail War, there are two possibilities."

Emiya Kiritsugu concluded expressionlessly, "Either he was not deeply affected, or he was deeply affected, but this influence is inseparable from the Holy Grail."

"——So no matter what, everything will be revealed after this war begins."

The heavy footsteps coming from the other side of the corridor interrupted Kiritsugu's thoughts, and stopped him when he was about to smoke a cigarette to relieve these annoying memories.

"A way to save all mankind? Haha..."

He laughed sarcastically and memorized the pattern that was completely different from the surrounding Western style. This was the conclusion that the great grandfather came to after returning from the last war.

On the painted glass, a swirling shadow is located in the center, and three patterns with oriental ink painting style are guarding the swirling shadow.

Although he didn't really understand this style of art, Kiritsugu, who grew up Japanese, could still recognize what these three ink-and-wash patterns were.

The red dragon of the East, the proud horse, and the loyal dog, are these three unknown things the answer to saving all mankind?

No matter what conspiracy Einzbern has for this Holy Grail War, it doesn't matter. He must use the Universal Cauldron to fulfill his long-cherished wish.

"Emiya Kiritsugu, this is the last bit of assistance that Einzbern will give you."

The old man with a white beard that looked like a frozen waterfall and a shrewd gaze staring at Emiya Kiritsugu from his sunken eye sockets walked slowly towards him, holding a charcoal-black long cabinet in both hands, followed by the silent Irisviel.

Emiya Kiritsugu subconsciously looked away. To this day, he still couldn't get used to this paranoid look.

But from this point of view, it is hard to believe that such a person would be possessed by some invisible demon.

"I am truly unworthy of this, Patriarch."

"With this thing, you will definitely be able to summon the strongest heroic spirit!"

As if he had not heard Emiya Kiritsugu's humble words, Acht, the eighth-generation head of the Einzbern clan, opened the long cabinet and revealed the holy relic inside.

It was a golden scabbard decorated with dazzling enamel, with long-lost fairy language engraved in the middle. Rather than a weapon, it looked more like a treasure or handicraft that showed one's status.

But the fact that it has shown no signs of weathering after fifteen hundred years is enough to prove its preciousness.

The scabbard of the Knight King can still be used in modern times if it is activated by his own magic power.

Acht respectfully took out the golden scabbard from its lining, held it in his hand, and handed it to Emiya Kiritsugu.

The old man's eyes flashed with an intense light as if he was mad, and he looked at Emiya Kiritsugu with a fanatical passion that seemed to imply a curse.

"This time, we must summon the Holy Grail and create the Almighty Cauldron. Our great wish is within reach!"

As usual, Emiya Kiritsugu ignored these crazy words, lowered his head with a stiff face, and respectfully took the scabbard handed to him.

Without any exhortation to win, and without any obsession with the Third Magic Heavenly Grail, Irisviel looked at Acht worriedly, and suddenly, as if she had seen something incredible, she blinked.

But neither Emiya Kiritsugu nor Acht showed any abnormality. Looking at this scene that looked like a knight's awarding ceremony, Irisviel hesitated again and again, but swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth.

Could it be that she saw it wrong?

Although it was only a momentary illusion, she seemed to see a bright yellow shadow slowly moving from Acht's body to the scabbard and hovering above it, like a dragon guarding its palace.