105 Lost Lamb Evolution

Fuyuki Church.

Evening.

After recruiting Emiya Kiritsugu as his assistant, Roy went to the Fuyuki Church to meet the executor whose fate had changed dramatically because of him.

"Roy, one of the seven participants in the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City, and also the Master of Avenger, King of the Cavern. Am I right?"

"Yes, you're right."

"Oh, so it's really you! Although I've seen your name in the records, I didn't expect you to be such a young magus. Since that's the case, I hope you can tell me everything that happened in the Fourth Holy Grail War."

"I really want to know what bizarre events occurred in that war. How could it have caused my father, who was originally as cold as a zombie, to become the mess he is now?"

A little girl with silver hair approached Roy.

Her puffed-up but cute demeanor made both Roy and Kotomine Kirei a bit helpless.

To win over Roy, she even uses her powerful skill called pouting.

"Hmm... that would be a long story. If you have time, it would be better to have your father tell you himself." Roy said with a smile.

"Stop messing around, Caren. I'm fine, better than I've ever been."

"I've just found a little bit of what it feels like to be human again."

"Ah! Dad's starting to talk nonsense again!"

Kotomine Kirei patted her head calmly, and as Caren cried out in surprise and tried to pull away from her father, resembling a startled little rabbit, she was pulled back by a large hand.

"See? Again with this. If I hadn't secretly taken your hair to do a paternity test at the hospital, I'd have suspected that some magus was impersonating my father."

Clearly, Caren had not yet adapted to the drastic changes that had taken place in Kotomine Kirei during this time.

"Stop misbehaving in front of guests, Caren."

Kirei picked Caren up by the collar and placed her back in her seat. Then, turning to Roy, he said with a wry smile, "Sorry about that. This is my daughter, Caren. She's a bit too lively because I've been neglecting to discipline her."

She was indeed lively.

Roy glanced at Caren, who was still a little girl. She reminded him of Reines, with her mischievous but restrained behavior. Although she liked to play around, she knew her limits.

As long as they weren't overly annoying, Roy was tolerant of children. He nodded slightly.

"No worries. Children are naturally energetic at Caren's age, and being playful is part of their nature."

"I'm glad you don't mind."

Kirei glanced at Caren before nodding slightly. Then he refocused on Roy, asking, "So, why did you return to Fuyuki City? Do you need something from us, or are you just visiting?"

"Both. I do have something I'd like your help with, but I also wanted to check in and see how you're doing."

"Our way of life, huh..."

Roy took a sip of his cold tea and then sighed.

"Something like that. I've been visiting all the Masters from the Fourth Holy Grail War who are still in Fuyuki City. Apart from Matou Kariya, who's still traveling, I've stopped by to see Tohsaka Tokiomi, Emiya Kiritsugu, and you."

Emiya Kiritsugu returned?

Hearing this name surprised Kotomine Kirei.

"How are they doing?"

"Well... from what I can tell, they've all found lives and goals that they are content with."

During this return to Fuyuki City, in addition to his encounter with Emiya Kiritsugu, Roy had visited the Tohsaka family, the managers of the local leyline. He came as a direct disciple of the Clock Tower's Lord of the Department of Mineralogy.

Though Tohsaka Tokiomi didn't know Roy personally, he was aware that someone had intruded into the previous Holy Grail War and then left midway. He didn't know much about the final outcome and therefore was unaware of Roy's identity as both a Magician and the victor of the war.

Since he had stayed in Fuyuki City for a long time, Tohsaka also wasn't aware of the changes at the Clock Tower. But from his perspective, the title of a direct disciple of a Clock Tower Lord was prestigious enough.

As the leyline manager of Fuyuki City, Tokiomi deemed it appropriate to greet Roy with the highest level of hospitality. He was also curious about this young man who, just six months ago, was an ordinary person who stumbled into the Holy Grail War but had now become the disciple of a Lord.

He also felt some regret. The fact that such a magical prodigy, someone talented enough to be taken as a Lord's personal disciple, had been in Fuyuki City without him noticing made him feel like he had missed out on a great opportunity.

But there was no use in lamenting it now. Roy's visit was merely a formal courtesy, as a Clock Tower magus visiting the local leyline manager. This display of respect pleased Tohsaka Tokiomi greatly.

He immediately arranged a tea party at his house to have a conversation with Roy.

During this visit, Roy also noticed a significant change in Tohsaka Tokiomi. While there was still a trace of the obsessive and arrogant attitude ingrained in him as a magus, Tokiomi had begun stepping away from the identity of a magus and was gradually moving toward embracing the nature of an ordinary person.

His fundamental character had changed.

This was a positive shift, indicating that Matou Kariya's severe beating had indeed had a profound effect.

Roy also saw Tohsaka Rin and her sister, Sakura. After the upheaval caused by Matou Zouken and the Holy Grail War, Tokiomi no longer insisted on forcing his daughters to follow the path of magecraft.

However, Sakura's Imaginary Numbers body was still a major issue. To deal with it, Tokiomi used magecraft to temporarily seal her unique constitution, hoping that she could live an ordinary life.

Through this Holy Grail War, Tokiomi had lost much, but he had also gained understanding. He no longer wanted to send his daughter away to Finland, and he had abandoned the idea of adoption. As long as Sakura could live peacefully by his side, that was the best thing he could ask for. So, he sealed her Imaginary Numbers body.

However, Roy could see that this solution was problematic.

With Tokiomi's level of magical expertise, even with special magecraft, he could not completely seal Sakura's Imaginary Numbers traits. As Sakura grew older, the power of her body would become stronger, and eventually, the seal would no longer be able to contain it. Surely, Tokiomi was aware of this reality.

However, even though he knew, Tohsaka Tokiomi had no way to resolve the issue. This was the limit of his abilities.

Once Tohsaka Sakura's innate powerful traits were exposed, they would undoubtedly attract many mysteries, as well as the prying eyes of the magus. This was inevitable.

Thus, he did not dare to request the Clock Tower's Lords for assistance, fearing that they would discover Sakura's potential and forcibly take her from him. As a small Tohsaka family, he had no power to compete against the true noble houses of magecraft.

Upon seeing Sakura, Roy felt a bit moved.

This poor girl, whom both he and the Count had rescued, deserved a way out, and he didn't mind showing her a path.

Of course, he did not plan to send her to any faction of Lords. Instead, he directly contacted Zelretch. Being closely connected to the Tohsaka family, that old man was the most suitable person to handle this problem.

His way of asking was quite simple.

He directly inquired of the old man, "Do you need a magical girl on your side? I have a high-quality candidate here; would you like her?"

As expected, the old man, shameless as ever, gave him the response, "Of course I need one. If you have any over there, I'll take as many as you have. But I don't want any that are too old or of low quality."

"..."

Roy was speechless at this response.

Why did it sound like he was some sort of human trafficker conducting shady deals?

"Rest assured, you'll be satisfied. You can come check her out yourself when the time comes."

"Alright then, save her for me. My research on the magical girl transformation device has made significant breakthroughs, and now I only lack a suitable user."

And so, they decided that once the old man was done with his affairs, he would come to Tohsaka Tokiomi to inspect the 'goods' and see if this girl was indeed a good candidate to become a magical girl.

By that time, it would be up to Tokiomi's ancestor's teacher to discuss the matter with him.

After exchanging some pleasantries, Roy left Tohsaka Tokiomi's residence.

However, Tokiomi's hand never left the ruby-embedded cane he was holding.

"Has everyone found their own path?"

Kotomine Kirei clenched his fists and spoke with a tinge of emotion in his eyes. "Indeed, I have experienced something different, but the feeling is still vague. Yet, I can sense that it's real. So, in the time to come, I'd like to explore and validate this feeling."

"Are you thinking of going on a journey like Matou Kariya?"

"Perhaps. The Church hasn't pursued responsibility for the Fourth Holy Grail War, and I have you to thank for that. You used the power of the Grail to smooth over the disturbances, causing most people to lose their memory of those few days. It was easily suppressed. The final verdict was simply that my father and I were stripped of our roles as Executors."

"So, you intend to raise your daughter to take over your position?"

Roy glanced at the little girl in his arms.

"Yes. I brought her here so she can become familiar with the city."

Kotomine Kirei lifted Caren, ignoring her struggles, and placed her on his lap, his expression tinged with regret.

"However, because of the false angel, the Holy Church has grown wary of this city. This Fuyuki Church has now become a symbol. No one knows how many Dead Apostles, Magus, and Executors are hiding in this city. Even though the various factions have signed an agreement to keep mysteries hidden and prevent chaos, this balance remains fragile."

"I became an Executor in hopes of finding emotion through this role, seeking God to fill the emptiness in me. But now, it seems that I lack the piety to receive God's help in finding human emotions."

"And what about Caren? In the current situation, will you leave her alone in Fuyuki City?"

"I don't know."

Kotomine Kirei glanced at Caren, and the gloom on his face seemed to ease a little.

"Even now, I still find it difficult to feel love for my daughter, but when I try to spend time with her and interact with her like a normal father and daughter, I realize that this relationship is not as dull as I had imagined."

"I want to love her as much as I can, to gradually reclaim my identity as a human being. But no matter how hard I try, it always feels like something is still missing. So, staying by her side... I don't even know if it's the right thing to do."

He sighed and continued, "I'll stay in Fuyuki City for another two years. Maybe I'll work as my teacher's housekeeper, or perhaps open a ramen shop in this city. I've discovered that Mapo tofu goes well with ramen, and I think it could be a good business opportunity."

"I've been rambling a bit too much. In any case, once Caren can handle things on her own, I'll leave to find my own path. By then, you must come back here to find me, and I'll treat you to the best Mapo tofu."

"That's a great idea. I'm sure by then you'll have found what you've been missing."

Roy nodded as he listened to Kotomine Kirei. He could see clearly that this man had already found his path, and it was only a matter of time before he would find redemption.

"I'll be sure to try your Mapo tofu when the time comes."

"Thank you for your kind words. Oh, right, you mentioned earlier that you came here for a reason. If there's anything I can do to help, just say the word."

"Yes, I came to ask for your help in preparing a few things."

"These things can only be obtained from your Church."

Roy had originally intended to invite both Kotomine Kirei and Emiya Kiritsugu to accompany him to Misaki Town.

Emiya Kiritsugu, an expert assassin well-versed in both modern firearms and networks, combined with his Time Alter ability, would certainly be of great help to him.

And as for Kotomine Kirei, there was no need to say more. As an Executor, he was proficient in Black Keys, sacraments, blessings, and martial arts, and he was an expert in dealing with Dead Apostles. Having him around would save a lot of trouble in the upcoming challenges.

However, seeing that Kirei was busy teaching Caren, Roy decided not to disturb him further. Instead, he thought it would be good enough to request some custom-made weapons from him.

"Go ahead and tell me what you need."

After briefly explaining his requirements, Kotomine Kirei didn't hesitate. He and Caren retrieved many sets of Black Keys and a large amount of holy water from the church. They even brought out the black cloak symbolizing the Executor's authority, along with special Bibles and crucifixes.

"Is this enough?"

Looking at the pile of items before him, Roy couldn't help but feel as though Kotomine Kirei had emptied all of Fuyuki City's church supplies for him.

He didn't refuse and quickly stored everything.

"This is more than enough. You've been a great help."

"It's nothing. The Church has plenty of these things. You just need to file a request."

Roy then pulled out a slip of paper from his pocket, scribbled down his contact information, and handed it to Kotomine Kirei.

"Here's my contact info. If you run into any trouble, use this to reach me. Consider this my token of gratitude."

"A favor? A gift of thanks? That's really not necessary."

Though he said this, Kotomine Kirei accepted the paper and carefully folded it, putting it away.

"I'm glad we had this conversation. But I still have to teach Caren the responsibilities of managing Fuyuki City's church. If you ever get the chance, come see me again."

"Goodbye."

With Kotomine Kirei signaling the end of their conversation, Roy didn't linger. He packed up the specialized weapons for fighting Dead Apostles and left.

As he was leaving, he caught a glimpse of the lively Caren making funny faces at him from behind Kotomine Kirei.

Roy smiled slightly at the sight.

Indeed, compared to the quiet Gray, this girl was quite mischievous. Caren's personality was not just similar to Reines... she was exactly like her.

But he didn't dislike it.

"Goodbye, lost lamb."

I look forward to our next meeting.

I hope that by the time we meet again, you will have found the meaning of your life, and I wish you a peaceful future.

Kotomine Kirei.

___

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