Ch 17

Today, something came up at the company, so Minachi Shinya didn't ask the butler to pick him up. Instead, he took the tram back home. It was one of the rare occasions when Minachi Shinya rode the tram, and it was quite interesting. There weren't many incidents along the way, and he arrived safely at his mansion. However, on the way, Minachi Shinya passed by a bookstore and ordered some books about history and biographies of heroes.

After all, the Fifth Holy Grail War was approaching, and as a Master in the war, it was necessary to have knowledge about historical heroes and their deeds. Although he didn't know which Servant he would summon in the Fifth Holy Grail War, Minachi Shinya was greatly interested in the matter. He didn't intend to search for relics to perform a designated summoning.

With the resources and influence of the Minachi Group, it would be relatively easy to find items related to historical figures. Instead, Minachi Shinya decided to rely on a random summoning this time. He wanted to see which historical heroes, preserved within the Throne of Heroes on the timeline, would have a deep connection with him. Compared to summoning predetermined Servants, he found the idea of a random summoning more exciting and fateful.

Just as Minachi Shinya arrived at the entrance, he saw the butler standing there, seemingly waiting for his return. "Hey, Sebastian, why are you outside today? Are you waiting for me?" Minachi Shinya asked.

"Don't you see the weather right now? Hurry inside. If you fall ill, there will be so many things to handle at the company. Who will help then?" Minachi Shinya quickly approached Sebastian and discussed these matters. After all, at this point, Minachi Shinya had no family or ancestors left, and Sebastian, the loyal butler, was the only person he was familiar with and could rely on.

Minachi Shinya didn't want Sebastian, who was already advanced in age, to exert himself unnecessarily. What would happen if he fell ill? Although Minachi Shinya could find many magical items or treasures in the future, which would allow Sebastian to stay by his side forever, he didn't possess that capability at the moment. Therefore, it was best for Sebastian to take care of himself.

"Master, there is a guest today. It's that young lady from the other day. She arrived discreetly and I let her in," Sebastian informed him. "It seems she has something to discuss with you but doesn't want others to know her whereabouts."

Minachi Shinya was surprised by this situation right as he arrived home. "So soon? If I remember correctly, the release of my work shouldn't be this soon, right? Has Tohsaka Rin discovered some clues about the truth and realized that the current circumstances are beyond his capabilities? Is that why he's seeking my help?"

Regardless of how Minachi Shinya speculated at the doorstep, there would be no change. It was better to go inside and find out directly.

"Alright, I got it, Sebastian. Let's go inside. Also, prepare dinner for today. And prepare a meal for the young lady as well. I don't want to be scolded for being impolite," Minachi Shinya said.

Returning to the mansion, everything was the same as when he left in the morning, bringing a sense of comfort to Minachi Shinya. However, there was one difference this time. Sitting in the guest room of the hall, there was an additional person.

On regular days, no guests would come to Minachi Shinya's mansion. It was his private domain.

"What a rare visitor! I didn't expect to have an honored guest today. Truly a cause for celebration," Minachi Shinya praised with his words, but deep down, he was quite concerned about the matter.

After all, he was about to get involved in the Fifth Holy Grail War, relying on his precognitive ability to possess a lot of information. However, unexpected events could happen, and not everything was predetermined. Originally, in his fate, he was not meant to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War. But sometimes, reality could be so mysterious. In this parallel world, there existed a being named Minachi Shinya. By a twist of fate, he obtained the qualification of a Master in the Fifth Holy Grail War, signifying that the future of this parallel world had entered an unpredictable direction.

Fundamentally, the person named Minachi Shinya didn't belong to this universe. Yet, he was a genuine existence in this world. Being timely and reasonable, even if the world rejected Minachi Shinya, it couldn't devise any countermeasures against him.

After all, with Minachi Shinya's arrival, he had obtained a highly advanced pass and residency permit, bestowed upon him personally by the highest god. Neither Gaia nor Alaya, the consciousnesses of this world, could oppose Minachi Shinya. Thus, they had to resort to some minor schemes, and through the Holy Grail War, they forcefully granted Minachi Shinya the qualification of a Master, hoping that unexpected circumstances would arise and he would return directly to the embrace of the highest god.

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However, they will miscalculate this time. If they truly believe that Minachi Shinya is still the same as before, they will suffer great losses. After undergoing the training from Tsuki, Minachi Shinya's body has reached the limits of the human race in terms of physical attack and defense. It is unbelievable how advanced he has become, resembling the Saitama-sensei from Minachi Shinya's memory. With pure physical strength, if Minachi Shinya really wanted to do something to all the humans in this world or even to the planet beneath his feet, he wouldn't need much effort.

A simple strike could turn this planet into cosmic dust, making the life on it become history. However, Minachi Shinya wouldn't do such a thing. After all, he initially acquired this power only for self-preservation and to pursue his own desires without being disturbed by others. But let's shift our focus back to Minachi's mansion.

"Enough of that, my dear Minachi young master," the person said. "I am genuinely curious about your identity. When we first met, I thought you were just an ordinary president of a company group who accidentally got involved with the affairs of our world. So, I decided to handle the matter simply and let it go. But I didn't expect that you are also a person from our century. However, I don't quite understand. You should know the rules of this world, and you shouldn't voluntarily expose the mysteries. I haven't had any thoughts about you because I'm cautious. But you caught my attention with the works you released. They are amazing, and you have great audacity. Regarding the Holy Grail War ten years ago, I had many doubts. Many magicians, including my father, sacrificed themselves in that war, leaving behind a huge mess for me. Fortunately, luck was on my side this time, and I encountered you. I learned everything about the Holy Grail War ten years ago, although the plot hasn't concluded yet. But based on the direction of the story, I have guessed the general facts. Now, I don't know what I should do or how to resolve my current conflicts. That's why I came here to ask you, what should I do next?"

Minachi Shinya knew that as long as he kept releasing his works, people related to him would continuously gather around him, regardless of their intentions. However, they couldn't break through his absolute fortress of safety. As long as he stayed in his mansion, he was invincible. Even though Minachi Shinya possessed an incredibly powerful force outside, making him practically invincible, he still had certain weaknesses when it came to conceptual attacks.

Therefore, he had to participate in the Holy Grail War this time. Whether it was to acquire magical knowledge related to mysteries through the war or to summon the appropriate Servants through the Holy Grail to compensate for his own shortcomings, it was necessary. If the opportunity was sufficient, it might even allow these Heroic Spirits to stay permanently by Minachi Shinya's side, providing a certain level of security. Moreover, those Heroic Spirits would surely be willing to stay in the current world.

"It's pointless to ask me about that," Minachi Shinya replied.

"You should ask yourself what you should do and how to do it. Do you have the strength to carry out your plans?" Minachi Shinya faced Tohsaka Rin, picked up the tea on the table, and took a sip.

"I have considered such matters, but now my mind is in chaos, and I don't know where to start."

Tohsaka Rin, in her current irritable elder sister-like demeanor, complained to Minachi Shinya. "Hah, you're joking. Although you might be a person from our world, I can sense that you don't have any magic within you. You don't even have a magic circuit, you're a complete Muggle. With that, you won't be able to participate in the Holy Grail War. Without possessing magical energy, you won't be selected by the Holy Grail as a Master."

As she spoke, Tohsaka Rin extended her left hand, revealing three crimson Command Spells inscribed on it. She pointed at the Command Spells and said,

"See this? These are Command Spells, representing the qualification of a Holy Grail War Master. If you don't even have these, then don't even think about participating in the Holy Grail War this time."

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"If it weren't for your connection to the previous Holy Grail War, I wouldn't have sought you out," said Tohsaka Rin.

"After all, the Holy Grail War is approaching, and anyone related to the war or their families will face considerable danger. I believe you understand these matters very well!"

After finishing her statement, she put down the Command Spells in her hand, picked up the cup of tea on the table, and continued to drink. After talking for so long, her mouth felt dry.

"Is that so?" Minachi Shinya responded.

"Although my understanding of the Holy Grail War might not be as deep as yours from the Three Families, it doesn't mean I am completely ignorant of the secrets surrounding the war. In fact, in certain aspects, I might even know more than you."

As he spoke, Minachi Shinya removed the glove from his left hand and raised it, revealing the three crimson and peculiar patterns on his left hand in front of Tohsaka Rin. This caused Tohsaka Rin, who had just taken a sip of tea, to spray it out.

"How is that possible? Why do you possess something like this?" she exclaimed.

"You are not even a magus yourself. There is no magical response within you. Why would the Holy Grail choose you as a Master for this Holy Grail War? Has the selection criteria for Masters become so lenient now? Even ordinary people can be chosen as long as they know certain mysteries."

Tohsaka Rin couldn't believe what she was seeing and approached Minachi Shinya. She grabbed his left hand, which had the three Command Spells, and kept touching and examining it.

"It's real? It's not just a random drawing," she muttered.

"This is simply unbelievable. Even I only obtained my Command Spells a few days ago. When did you obtain yours?"

Tohsaka Rin now felt increasingly convinced that Minachi Shinya was no ordinary person. Despite being just an ordinary individual without any magical energy, he possessed the qualifications of a Holy Grail War Master that magi dreamt of. Moreover, once the time came, he could directly use the summoning ritual to summon Servants.

He didn't even need to expend much of his own magical energy to sustain the presence of the Servants. After all, when a Servant materialized in the modern world, the Holy Grail provided most of the necessary magical energy. In addition, the Fuyuki City's underground leylines, which had accumulated for 60 years, possessed vast amounts of magical energy that could support a Holy Grail War.

If the Servants didn't engage in battles on a regular basis, their consumption of magical energy wasn't severe. Furthermore, if a Servant's Master couldn't support the expended magical energy, the Servant would automatically enter a state of etherealization to conserve energy. However, there were exceptions, like King Arthur Pendragon (Altria) from the Fourth Holy Grail War. Before his death, he agreed to Gaia and Alaya's request to participate in the Holy Grail War. Technically, Altria hadn't truly died at that time; she was in a dying state. Therefore, when she was summoned as a Servant, she still possessed a physical body. To maintain her presence in the real world required a significant amount of magical energy.

There were also cases like Alexander the Great, who didn't prefer to etherealize himself. When selecting a Master, the Holy Grail would consider whether the person possessed magical energy or a strong concentration of it.

This time, the Holy Grail had given the qualification of a Master to Minachi Shinya, leaving Tohsaka Rin puzzled. After all, as one of the Three Families, she knew well the difficulties of obtaining the qualification of a Master and the nature of the Holy Grail War.

Honestly, the selection of Masters by the Holy Grail was quite arbitrary.

"It was just yesterday. I also obtained these three Command Spells not long ago," replied Minachi Shinya.

"I am well aware of what these three Command Spells represent. At the same time, I find it incredibly astonishing. Although I am just someone who knows about the existence of mysteries, I don't possess a magic circuit or any magical energy within me. However, the Holy Grail still chose me as a Master. It seems that the legends aren't false. The selection of Masters by the Holy Grail is indeed arbitrary, but it also depends on a certain kind of fate."

"It seems that deep down, I am quite eager for a Holy Grail War to take place," Minachi Shinya continued.

"After all, I've only been observing from the sidelines, and I would really like to personally participate and experience that feeling."

Minachi Shinya's casual expression irritated Tohsaka Rin even more. After all, the Tohsaka family had put in the effort of several generations for the Holy Grail War. Her father even sacrificed himself in the Fourth Holy Grail War. She had strived since childhood for the family's livelihood and pursued the family's ideals. Only she knew how much she had endured.

And what did she see now? An ordinary person, someone without any magical energy within them. Just a wealthy businessman who knew about the existence of mysteries, yet possessed the Command Spells that magi had longed for. It was simply unfair! He effortlessly joined this Holy Grail War, without knowing how much effort the magi had put in. In that moment, the scales in Tohsaka Rin's heart completely tipped over.

Was there still any fairness in this world between people?

However, even if Tohsaka Rin wanted to take action against Minachi Shinya at this moment, she couldn't. After all, in the previous instance, she couldn't even forcefully erase Minachi Shinya's memories. There seemed to be a magical force within this mansion that rendered countless individuals hostile to Minachi Shinya powerless.

"Well then, you can tell me now. What is your purpose for participating in this Holy Grail War? What kind of wish do you have?" Tohsaka Rin asked.

"Let me inform you in advance, regardless of whether or not you can summon a sufficiently powerful Servant to compete with me, I am destined to win this Holy Grail War."

Minachi Shinya was somewhat speechless. After all, the Holy Grail War hadn't even begun, and each Master hadn't summoned their own Servant yet.

He had no idea what Servant he would summon and whether his own abilities would be sufficient or if he could claim victory in the end. Tohsaka Rin was boasting on her home turf, but even in the original course of history, she had never won a Holy Grail War. It could be said that in each Holy Grail War, no side truly emerged as the victor. Perhaps there were certain entities intervening behind the scenes

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"Don't speak so confidently. After all, the Holy Grail War hasn't started yet, and none of us have summoned our Servants," said Tohsaka Rin.

"The Command Spells we have now are nothing more than colorful tattoos with fancy designs. And because my Command Spells suddenly appeared yesterday, right in the middle of our class, it almost caused a huge mess. Luckily, I reacted quickly and covered my hand with a book, then wrapped it in a handkerchief. Otherwise, my hard-earned reputation at school would have been tarnished again. And are you really that confident? Do you truly believe that you will be able to summon a powerful Servant and prove that your Servant can defeat the other six Heroic Spirits to claim the final victory?" Minachi Shinya said with a playful tone.

Although these statements were factual and had some truth to them, Tohsaka Rin, who had never participated in a Holy Grail War, didn't share the same view. In her understanding, the Holy Grail War was just a grand magical ritual. The main focus was the battles between the Servants, and the last remaining Magus with their Servant would be the ultimate victor, obtaining the Holy Grail. Through the power of the Holy Grail, they would connect to the Root and gain omniscient knowledge, becoming a practitioner of the Third Magic.

As a member of the longstanding magus family, the Tohsaka clan, Rin believed in maintaining her noble elegance at all times. She possessed exceptional talent in magic circuits and had diligently trained her magic skills throughout the years. She never let her guard down. Additionally, she had also learned ancient martial arts, the Eight Extremities Fist, which was a violent close combat style that allowed her to defend herself and resist powerful adversaries. It was an innate talent that gave her immense confidence.

However, it was unfortunate that this Holy Grail War would teach her that the war wasn't as simple as she believed. It wasn't merely a battle between magi or a clash between Servants. It involved the considerations and collisions of human hearts.

Looking at the previous Holy Grail Wars in history, most magi who survived experienced a transformation. It wasn't a transformation of their abilities or reaching the Root, but a transformation of their inner selves. Perhaps initially, they had believed in the pride of being magi and saw the Holy Grail War as a battle between familiars.

They underestimated their enemies, were ambushed by rival magi, or betrayed by their own Servants. Through these events, they came to understand that Heroic Spirits weren't simple familiars. They were individuals who had existed as humans, possessing various significant roles in the world. They were kings, heroes, strategists, inventors—existences that had profound significance for the world. After their death, they ascended to become Heroic Spirits.

They possessed strong wills and beliefs and, apart from being summoned by the Holy Grail and serving their Masters, they generally had their own thoughts and actions. If there were irreconcilable conflicts between the Servant and the Master, the Servant might choose to leave the mortal world and return to the Throne of Heroes as a punishment, or even eliminate their Master. However, such occurrences were rare among Servants. Their integrity was usually safeguarded, and they rarely committed the act of killing their Masters.

"That goes without saying. I am different from a half-hearted amateur like you," Minachi Shinya retorted. "I have received various magical knowledge since I was young, and my magic circuits are exceptional. Even among the top talents at the Clock Tower, I stand out. If it weren't for this Holy Grail War happening a bit too early, I might have gone to England for a period of seclusion.

After all, I've already prepared a recommendation letter to connect with the Clock Tower. If it weren't for the item left behind by our Tohsaka family, indicating that the Holy Grail War was approaching, I wouldn't have stayed in Fuyuki City. Although this Holy Grail War arrived a bit earlier than expected, just ten years after the previous one, it doesn't mean that I, Tohsaka Rin, am unprepared. As the heir of the Tohsaka family, I must always maintain the elegance of a noble. It is the family motto."

While discussing matters related to her own family, Tohsaka Rin initially seemed excited, seemingly wanting to display the deep history of her family in front of Minachi Shinya. However, Minachi Shinya didn't think much of it and didn't perceive any hint of noble etiquette from Tohsaka Rin. Although he had heard about Tohsaka Rin's behavior at school, where she seemed to be an excellent student with proper manners, in the presence of someone familiar, she showed a different side—an aspect of being quite artificial.

Ever since Minachi Shinya exposed the truth about her being a magus, she never showed a pleasant expression to him and always appeared quite obstinate. Perhaps this was the true nature of Tohsaka Rin.

"By the way, you haven't answered my question. What kind of wish do you have for this Holy Grail War?" Tohsaka Rin asked.

"I don't believe what you said earlier. If a person doesn't have a strong desire, they won't be able to catch the Holy Grail's attention and receive the Command Spells."

Minachi Shinya almost fell for the diversion created by Tohsaka Rin, shifting the topic away. Even though he was the one who initiated the conversation, it somehow circled back to himself. This made Tohsaka Rin, who lost her initiative, feel a bit uneasy. After all, as a noble magus, if she lost her initiative, what would she have left? Negotiating with others was one thing, but now Minachi Shinya was the one with the Command Spells.

"Well then, I won't ask why you want to obtain the Holy Grail. It doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I want to win this Holy Grail War. So let's form an alliance. With two Servants on our side, we'll have a stronger force. As long as we don't expose our relationship, we can eliminate the other five Servants in this Holy Grail War. In the end, it will come down to which one of us is more capable of winning," proposed Minachi Shinya with a playful tone.