Chapter 72: Investigation Plan

Saber and Irisviel were the ones who came. Emiya Kiritsugu, adhering to his usual principle of staying in the shadows, continued to operate behind the scenes.

After inviting the two inside, they were surprised to see Waver and Iskandar already there, impressed by Tatsuya's efficiency.

"Is your injury better now?" Tatsuya asked politely.

"Yes," Irisviel replied. "The 'Avalon' is a powerful conceptual weapon. Just being touched by its original owner, Saber, has caused my stolen heart to rapidly regenerate."

"But as a consequence, your function as the Lesser Holy Grail has also been lost," Morgan, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke.

Tatsuya had already reached an understanding with her on the overall situation, so there was no need to reiterate their shared opinion. However, regarding the Einzbern androids, Morgan knew Tatsuya couldn't explain much, so she stepped in to clarify.

"I realized this gradually after I woke up," Irisviel said with a subtle expression, leaving it unclear whether she felt relief or sorrow.

Tatsuya sat down again. "It seems Kirei probably didn't anticipate that his malevolent intentions would inadvertently lead to something beneficial."

Setting the joke aside, they continued the conversation. Though she arrived a bit late, Tatsuya quickly recapped the discussion for Artoria and Irisviel.

"In other words, we need to re-confirm the status of the Tohsaka family and the Fuyuki Church, as well as determine whether Tohsaka Tokiomi and the Supervisor are still alive," Irisviel summarized. "Given the situation, the only one who can take the initiative is you, Mr. Tatsuya. Additionally, the Einzbern family has agreed to participate in the original plan to purify the Greater Holy Grail."

Tatsuya didn't bother asking if this was useful. He was confident that Emiya Kiritsugu would no longer object. After experiencing the turmoil of losing and regaining his wife the previous night, coupled with the "Garden of Disappointment," Tatsuya guessed that Kiritsugu likely had no intention of continuing to pursue the Holy Grail and just wanted to resolve this mess as soon as possible.

"That's my thought as well. Now that the Einzbern have joined us, we have a three-to-two advantage in terms of the number of Servants," Tatsuya said with a slight smile. "Although, given that the opponent is the King of Heroes, with an uncertain number of Noble Phantasms at his disposal, it's hard to say how much of an advantage we really have. Still, it's something to be optimistic about."

The others present echoed his sentiments.

"And one last point I haven't mentioned yet is that we need to locate Kotomine Kirei. If Gilgamesh has renewed his contract with Kirei, they'll likely be working together now," Tatsuya said. "But that's a matter for later. For now, let's proceed with the two plans we've just discussed."

Irisviel considered this for a moment. "Then Saber and I will be responsible for investigating the Tohsaka family, while the Holy Church will be—"

"But in your current condition, if a battle breaks out, you'll only hinder your Servant," Tatsuya interrupted. "Leave the Tohsaka family to Waver and the Conqueror King. As for the Holy Church, we'll use the same method we employed to stop Caster. Saber and I will go to the church to investigate, while Morgan stays behind to prevent Assassin from launching a surprise attack or taking the children hostage."

Although Morgan is a Berserker class, she also possesses the Caster class skill of territory creation. By collaborating with the already established workshop in the Tatsuya family home, she could carry out defensive battles. Even if the King of Heroes were to arrive, it wouldn't be a problem.

Of course, Tatsuya's ulterior motive was that he could only go to the front lines with peace of mind if Morgan was protecting Sakura Caren.

"You really enjoy working with Artoria, don't you, my husband?" Morgan suddenly asked.

Tatsuya sighed, rubbing his forehead. "This isn't the time for jokes. You understand why I need you to stay behind, right?"

"I was just trying to lighten the mood," Morgan replied with a faint smile. "At the moment, both the priest and the King of Heroes are in hiding. If things become urgent, use the Command Spell to summon me."

"Understood."

The light-hearted exchange eased the tension in the room slightly. Led by Iskandar, everyone else began to laugh, making Tatsuya, who had been calm and composed, feel awkward for a moment.

Only Morgan remained composed, sipping her tea naturally.

"There's one more thing..." Irisviel spoke up hesitantly.

"Please go ahead," Tatsuya said, preparing to leave but sitting back down.

Irisviel looked at him and Morgan with a helpless expression. "Actually, Miss Maiya hasn't woken up yet. It seems she was affected by the large-scale magic last night."

Morgan was slightly surprised by this revelation.

After all, she had already dismantled the "Garden of Disappointment," so if Maiya was still unconscious, there was probably only one explanation.

The female assistant, who always appeared so calm and composed, had been completely unable to withstand the effects of the "Garden of Disappointment."

"If it's convenient, send her to my residence and let Morgan examine her personally," Tatsuya said, glancing at Morgan for confirmation. He only spoke after she nodded slightly.

After receiving their assurances, Irisviel's expression brightened a bit.

She had talked at length with Kiritsugu last night about the Holy Grail War, about their ideals, and about their child, Illya.

They discussed everything.

Kiritsugu had made his choice. Irisviel knew it was painful, but if he didn't take that path, what awaited him might be a deeper pain, one he would never be able to escape.

"By the way, Waver Velvet," Tatsuya said as he stood up, recalling something he had previously forgotten. "You haven't encountered any magic attacks, have you? Like someone using magic to control insects, for instance?"

Waver looked puzzled. "Magic to control insects? No, nothing like that..."

Although he wasn't an exceptionally skilled mage, he wasn't a complete novice either.

"If not, that's good... The Matou family is the only one of the three families that didn't participate in this Holy Grail War. The head of that family has been operating in secret," Tatsuya informed everyone seriously. "As a fellow mage, whose intentions are also unclear, I hope you can keep an eye on them."

Irisviel nodded silently, recalling the information Kiritsugu had gathered about Fuyuki. As one of the three families, the Matou family had also been a focal point of interest.

"The Matou family has no heir, and it's likely that they're seeking a shortcut due to their inability to find a solution."

Tatsuya, who was aware of this information, briefed everyone before setting off.

He was also ready to find time to "greet" Matou Zouken personally.