Chapter 174: The Golden Princess' Request

["Excellent, Lord Byron."]

[Clear applause echoed throughout the banquet hall, drawing attention to an elderly woman, around seventy years old, who clapped her hands in praise.]

[This was none other than Inorai Valualeta Atroholm, one of the twelve Lords of the Clock Tower and the head of the Valualeta faction, one of the three great noble families.]

Kayneth: "Inorai… I didn't expect her to show up."

Sola-ui: "Iselma is a branch of the Valualeta faction, so it makes sense for Lord Inorai to attend."

Kayneth: "No, this isn't her style. I can't imagine her wasting her time on something as trivial as a party."

[The banquet eventually settled back into its normal rhythm.]

[Inorai approached Reines and the two girls, a glass of wine in hand, her expression pleasant as she greeted them.]

[Inorai: "My foolish disciple was here earlier?"]

[Reines bowed politely.]

[Reines: "It has been a long time, Your Excellency, Lord Valualeta. I didn't expect to see you here."]

[Inorai: "Haha, today is a significant occasion. No matter how busy I am, I couldn't possibly miss it."]

[Inorai's smile remained warm as she turned her gaze to Reines and remarked:]

[Inorai: "It's been a while since I've seen you accompanied by anyone other than Trimmau."]

[As she spoke, she extended her hand toward Gray.]

[Gray: "I… I am the gravekeeper, Gray."]

[Gray timidly took Inorai hand, nodding in acknowledgment. Her greeting was not perfectly formal, but Inole seemed unfazed.]

[Reines: "She's my brother's student."]

[Inorai: "Oh? You seem capable."]

[Gray: "Ah, uh, but I'm not a magus…"]

[Inorai's gaze sharpened slightly as she addressed Reines.]

[Inorai: "So, what do you think? Are you considering switching factions?"]

[Reines: "No, please spare us. We're just a modest family, doing our best to survive."]

[Inorai: "Think it over. My offer is genuine. I'm even willing to extend my protection to El-Melloi II. Of course, if Lord El-Melloi II is willing to prioritize teaching our faction, I wouldn't mind transferring one or two of our classrooms to you."]

[This was no small offer. The classrooms under the Valualeta's faction were located on some of the most spiritually significant sites within the Clock Tower. Acquiring even one would drastically enhance the El-Melloi faction's resources.]

[Reines: "…Unfortunately, we don't have the means to make use of such an exceptional Leylines."]

[Inorai: "What a shame."]

Kayneth: "Hmph, I knew this woman had ulterior motives."

Waver: "But the price for a Valualeta classroom is… astronomical."

Kayneth: "Idiot! Even if the El-Melloi faction has declined, it's still a Lord family. Do you think the authority of a Lord can be bought with a few classrooms?!"

Waver: "Sorry, Teacher, I was just… expressing my thoughts."

[After some further conversation, Inole was called away by Byron, the head of the Iselma family.]

[Once the banquet concluded, many of the magi departed for home. However, due to financial constraints, Reines and the two girls were forced to stay the night in the Sun Tower, as their train would not leave until the next morning.]

[Of the two towers, the Moon Tower was reserved for the Iselma family, while the Sun Tower was designated for guests.]

[During their downtime, Gray curiously asked why the Iselma family pursued beauty with such fervor. Reines speculated that it might be their attempt to reach the Root through beauty.]

[After all, beauty is also a form of magecraft.]

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Using beauty to reach the Root? That's quite an unconventional theory."

Tohsaka Rin: "Is that even possible?"

Kayneth: "Highly unlikely. No matter the method, reaching the Root is extraordinarily difficult. Attempting it through something as abstract as beauty is… ambitious, to say the least."

Waver: "Still, it's interesting to see how every mage family's ultimate goal revolves around the Root."

Chihiro: "Not everyone is obsessed with the Root."

Darnic: "Are you referring to me?"

Chihiro: "What do you think?"

Darnic: "You're not wrong. My interests lie elsewhere now, primarily in opposing the Mage's Association and revitalizing the Yggdmillennia."

[Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.]

["Excuse me, may we come in?"]

[A familiar voice rang out from the other side.]

[Reines: "Come in, the door isn't locked."]

[The door opened, revealing the Golden Princess, accompanied by one of the twin maids who had appeared earlier.]

["Hello, my name is Carina," the maid said as she curtseyed, holding a lantern in one hand.]

[Reines: "How polite. I am Reines El-Melloi Archisorte. How can I assist you?"]

[Carina: "Lady Diadra wishes to speak with you."]

[The Golden Princess stepped forward, her voice polite yet captivating.]

[Golden Princess: "It's a pleasure to meet you."]

["Ah… Uh…"]

[Despite this being their second encounter, Reines found herself momentarily dazed by the sheer presence of the Golden Princess.]

[Her beauty was not merely physical, it was overwhelming, almost violent in its intensity.]

[Reines: "How may I help you?"]

[Golden Princess: "Please forgive my rudeness, but could you ask the lady over there to leave?"]

[Gray: "Ah! Um, I…"]

[Reines: "Don't worry, she can be trusted."]

[Golden Princess: "…Very well. Carina, could you step outside for a moment?"]

[Carina: "Of course."]

[The maid obediently left the room, her movements so precise and quiet that it was almost as though she weren't there at all.]

Waver: "The Golden Princess coming to meet Reines alone? They don't seem to have any prior connection."

Kayneth: "I have a bad feeling about this."

[Golden Princess: "I apologize for taking up your time so suddenly."]

Reines: "It's no trouble at all."

[Reines frowned slightly, noticing something unusual.]

[Reines: "Your ears… you can't hear, can you?"]

[Golden Princess: "Did you figure it out?"]

[The Golden Princess laughed softly, covering her ears.]

[Golden Princess: "I'm deaf due to genetic issues. However, I can read lips well enough to hold most conversations. With magecraft, I've also learned to replicate speech."]

[Reines: "I see."]

[Golden Princess: "I've heard of El-Melloi. My father once told me how the Lord captured the attention of the entire Clock Tower with his groundbreaking magecraft. To the younger generation of magi, he's almost like a savior."]

Waver: "???"

Iskandar: "Hahaha! A savior, huh? Boy, it seems your future self is quite accomplished."

Tohsaka Rin: "The overworked old man? Turns out he's highly regarded by others."

Kayneth: "Hmph. At least the El-Melloi name hasn't been tarnished."

[Golden Princess: "So, I have a request to make."]

[Reines: "Oh? A request from someone as extraordinary as you? I'll do my best to assist, as long as it's within my power."]

[Golden Princess: "Thank you. My request is simple…"]

[Her expression turned serious.]

[Golden Princess: "I would like you to help us escape."]

[Reines: "Escape?!"]

[Golden Princess: "Yes, I would like to ask El-Melloi to hide us."]

Kayneth: "I knew it. I said this would lead to trouble."

Sola-ui: "It's not surprising. The Golden Princess is the Iselma family's greatest treasure. If Reines agrees, she'll undoubtedly bring a mountain of problems onto herself."

Kayneth: "Don't worry. That girl is sharp enough to know better than to accept such a reckless request."

Tohsaka Rin: "A princess escaping from her family? Why does this feel like a scene out of a fairy tale?"

Illya: "Then should a dashing prince show up to help her escape?"

Chihiro: "Maybe it'll just be an ordinary guy with no accomplishments whatsoever."

Illya: "What's that supposed to mean?"

Chihiro: "You know, the typical story. A rich man's daughter falls for an ordinary guy. It's the kind of plot that's super popular among girls."

Tohsaka Rin: "…I have no interest in such cliché stories."

Illyasviel: "Me neither."

Irisviel: "Haha, but I'd be curious to see how it plays out, right @Emiya Kiritsugu."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "???"

[It took Reines a moment to process the request before she finally spoke.]

[Reines: "May I ask why you're making such a request?"]

[Golden Princess: "I want to protect myself and my sister, Estella—the Silver Princess who has taken over the family's name this time."]

[Reines: "Protect yourselves? But doesn't Lord Byron value you both dearly?"]

[Golden Princess: "…I'm tired."]

[After a long silence, the Golden Princess spoke again, her tone soft yet resolute.]

[Golden Princess: "I'm sure you can imagine the pain we've endured to create these bodies."]

[Golden Princess: "Please don't misunderstand. We are magus, and we understand that sacrifice is part of our craft. But my father's methods have become inefficient in the current era. No, they've gone far beyond inefficiency. That's why I believe we have a duty to defend ourselves."]

["…"]

[This time, it was Reines who fell silent.]

[She had heard of such situations before.]

[When a magus family's research reaches a bottleneck, it becomes a matter of survival. If they fail to make progress, it often leads to the complete extinction of their magical lineage.]

[Reines recalled hearing about families that had lasted for centuries, only to vanish completely after failing to achieve a breakthrough in their research.]

***

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