Chapter 129: Another Appears

Iskandar: "Ah, you're really persistent."

Waver: "You're the one who cares too much. Don't forget who I'm doing this for."

Iskandar: "Hahaha, well said. You are truly worthy of being my retainer."

Kayneth: "Bazett and Atrum?"

Two future participants of the Fifth Holy Grail War, their involvement will be investigated later.

[The next day, El-Melloi II packed his belongings, took Reines and Gray, and, along with Wills, traveled by train to the Marburry Workshop.]

[On the way, El-Melloi II asked Wills why he specifically sought his help, and Wales reluctantly revealed that the Cordigton Main family had already reported him to the Department of Policies.]

[The Department of Policies, formally known as the "First Principles Enforcement Bureau," is a branch of the Clock Tower responsible for enforcing the primary law of magecraft: "Mysteries must remain hidden." This department also oversees cases involving magus-related crimes.]

[To put it bluntly, they serve as the Clock Tower's police force.]

[However, the Department of Policies's reputation among magi is less favorable than that of actual police. Their methods are known to be heavy-handed, often convicting individuals based on personal assumptions or incomplete evidence, which has caused widespread dissatisfaction among magi.]

[The Codrington Main family had taken action against Wills, leaving him in a vulnerable position.]

[However, since Wills belongs to the Spiritual Evocation Department, his superior, Bram, stepped in to support him.]

[The Codrington Main family wanted to seize ownership of the Marburry Workshop, but the Spiritual Evocation Department had already claimed it as one of their assets.]

[Coincidentally, El-Melloi II had previously approached Bram regarding his right to participate in the Holy Grail War. To return the favor, Bram assigned El-Melloi II to handle this troublesome matter.]

[After hearing all of this, El-Melloi II could only sigh in frustration.]

[However, as he needed assistance from others, he reluctantly accepted the task. At the same time, he intended to use this opportunity to make Bram owe him a favor.]

[When the group approached the Marburry Workshop, Reines's Mystic Eyes suddenly reacted.]

[Her mercury maid quickly administered a potion to alleviate the effects.]

[El-Melloi II: "The leyline is more unstable than I expected."]

[Wills: "Could it be the Mystic Eye?"]

[El-Melloi II: "Yes. Reines's Mystic Eyes flare up in the presence of strong magical energy, causing her intense pain."]

[Reines: "It's like touching a boiling kettle when you were a child. Just a little eyedrop solution, and I'll be fine."]

[Gray: "Let's hurry. The wind's picking up."]

[As Gray predicted, the group soon encountered a fierce storm mid-journey.]

[When they finally arrived at the workshop, everyone was drenched, and Gray had to carry the weakened El-Melloi II inside.]

["I didn't expect the trip to be this exhausting."]

[El-Melloi II wore a thick, rough cloak, which made his frail figure appear even smaller.]

Kayneth: "Waver, your stamina is still as appalling as ever."

Tohsaka Rin: "I feel like I'm worse off than you right now."

Chihiro: "After spending so long behind a desk, you're practically worn out."

Waver: "It's not that bad yet!"

Iskandar: "Boy, with such pathetic stamina, how do you expect to keep up with me on the battlefield? Starting tomorrow, you'll begin training."

Kayneth: "I'll make sure he follows through."

Waver: "(???!)"

[Suddenly, a white serpent emerged from the ground, transforming into a bandage that tightly bound Wills like a cocoon.]

["I didn't expect you to arrive ahead of schedule, Miss Hishiri."]

[El-Melloi II immediately deduced the identity of the person responsible for this.]

["It's been a while, Lord El-Melloi II."]

[A woman dressed in a flowing black kimono, her pale complexion highlighted by the sleek glasses resting on her nose, appeared at the top of the staircase. Her long, ebony hair cascaded down to her ankles, resembling the night sky that had been combed smooth.]

[This was Adashino Hishiri, a magus dispatched by the Department of Policies.]

[She was here to apprehend Wills, accusing him of murdering her father, Trevor. Hishiri explained that she had arrived earlier to investigate and, based on her findings, deemed Wills guilty.]

[Accompanying her was a wheat-skinned, brown-haired woman named Walletta Codrington, a supervisor dispatched by the Codrington family.]

[The two had tried to summon Trevor's spirit using necromancy to uncover clues, but all traces of Trevor and the other victims from the same incident had been completely erased.]

[It wasn't just Trevor—the residual marks left by all the deceased had been wiped away, similar to how fingerprints in the mundane world might be meticulously erased.]

[Only a necromancer of considerable skill could perform such an act.]

[Through their investigation, they discovered that Wills was present at the workshop during each incident, prompting their accusations of his involvement.]

[Initially, Hishiri intended to arrest Wills outright, but El-Melloi II managed to delay her by citing the raging storm as a legitimate concern.]

[Strangely, despite her initial forcefulness, Hishiri easily relented to El-Melloi II's request. Not only did she agree, but she even released Wills from his bindings without being asked and refrained from restricting his movements.]

[Their interactions made it clear that this wasn't the first time El-Melloi II and Hishiri had worked together on a case.]

Tohsaka Rin: "Are all the members of the Department of Policies this overbearing? They're arresting someone based on flimsy speculation."

Kayneth: "Young lady, the world of magi isn't like the outside world. The methods employed by magus criminals are often insidious. It's better to wrongfully detain someone than to let a potential threat go free. All suspects must be apprehended."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "That's a grim reality. I'm all too familiar with it."

Even if a criminal magus is dead, their schemes can still ensnare others. This is how Natalia Kaminski, his mentor, fell victim to Odd Borzak's machinations and perished by his own hand.

Emiya Kiritsugu: "The world of magi is cruel."

[Once Hishiri backed down, El-Melloi II sighed in relief and proceeded to investigate with Wills.]

[The two of them entered the study, where El-Melloi II inquired about the nature of Wales's relationship with Walletta.]

[He had observed earlier that their interactions seemed unusually tense.]

[Wills reluctantly admitted that he and Walletta were childhood friends. However, after rejecting her proposal of marriage, their relationship had soured.]

["Now, can you explain the real reason you called me here?"]

[Ensuring no one was eavesdropping, El-Melloi II steered the conversation to the crux of the matter.]

["Alright. I've been meaning to show you this."]

[Wills activated his Fairy Eyes and scattered a fine, mysterious powder over El-Melloi II.]

[In the next moment, an ethereal figure resembling a fairy materialized within the study.]

Kayneth: "A fairy? To think such a rare entity was found in this area."

Kayneth: "Trevor was fortunate indeed to encounter such a treasure."

Tohsaka Rin: "Fairies truly exist?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "This is my first time witnessing one as well."

Tohsaka Sakura: "She looks sorrowful."

---

[Wills explained: "She seems to be a fairy bound to this land."]

["Be careful..."]

[The fairy left only those few words before disappearing.]

[Wills mentioned that ever since the workshop was completed, this fairy would appear during every stormy night.]

[Due to his Fairy Eyes, Wills was able to perceive her presence.]

[Each time she appeared, she delivered a warning. Afterward, someone would inevitably be struck and killed by lightning.]

[However, the fairy never explained the nature of the danger, merely repeating the words "be careful" every time.]

[This, Wills explained, was the second matter he wanted El-Melloi II to investigate.]

Kayneth: "A warning from the fairy? This suggests the events at the workshop are likely man-made."

Astolfo: "Ah, this is getting more and more exciting!"

Chihiro: "You always leave half of what you're saying unsaid. It's really irritating."

Astolfo: "Really? Really? I think so too."

[Meanwhile, Reines and Gray, who were conducting their own investigation in the living room, stumbled across a hidden passage.]

[Driven by curiosity, Reines impulsively dragged Gray into it.]

["This is a tomb. I'm a gravekeeper—I can tell."]

[Gray quickly identified the underground cavern beneath the secret passage as a burial site.]

[At the same time, her former occupation was inadvertently revealed.]

[Reines: "In the end, this necromantic artifact was just something purchased from an auction."]

Artoria: "A gravekeeper? I wouldn't have expected someone so young to take on such a somber duty."

For some reason, Artoria felt a strange sense of familiarity with the girl. It was more than just a resemblance; something about her presence felt deeply connected to her.

Even the peculiar cube Gray carried in her hands struck Artoria as oddly familiar. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall where she had seen it before.

[As the group continued deeper into the tomb, Reines's Mystic Eyes suddenly flared up again.]

["The potion wore off too quickly... Or is the power of the Mystic Eye being amplified by this relic?"]

[They had no choice but to retreat.]

[However, on their way back, Reines accidentally triggered a hidden mechanism. Rocks began to fall from above.]

[The mercury maid transformed into a barrier to protect Reines, but Gray wasn't as fortunate.]

["Bang!!!"]

[Just as a massive stone was about to crush Gray, a loud gunshot echoed through the cavern. The falling rock was instantly shattered.]

["Ladies, are you alright?"]

[A burly man carrying a shotgun stepped out from another passage.]

[With his rugged features, muscular build, and trademark sunglasses that he never removed, it was unmistakably Sisigou Kairi.]

Sisigou: "Huh? Is that me?"

Waver: "So you exist in our world too, huh?"

Kayneth: "What's so surprising? Wasn't that other guy, Caules, also one of your students?"

Sisigou: "Looking at another version of myself... It feels bizarre."

Mordred: "This is the first time I've seen you smile. I didn't expect this from an alternate version of you."

Sisigou: "Yeah, I can't remember the last time I laughed."

Sisigou: "It seems like I'm doing well in that world."

***

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