Ch25: Miyu's Search
Illyasviel von Einzbern appears before me once again, but her eyes were not trained on me. She was only 20 or so meters away.
"I just wanted to confirm that it wasn't a trick. So, you really do live in this neighborhood. Rin has some explaining to do," were she directs not at me, but Sakura who was standing in front of me.
My breath stops, but the world continues on and for that reason I had to move forward. I run past Sakura, but as Illyasviel's face becomes clearer as the distance decreases, my feet and my throat cease to function. What was I going to do? My body had reacted before my mind could process anything. I calm down, trying to piece together the events. She knew Sakura, that much was clear from our last conversation and her actions just now confirmed that fact.
"What is this development?!" is what the wand in Illyasviel's hand cries out that breaks my trance.
Saber was at the ready, always vigilant, but Sakura was unfazed.
I scan the area for Rider. Despite only briefly meeting her yesterday, I know she wouldn't stand for what was happening right now, but the hospital was on the other side of the city across the river.
I turn my gaze back towards Illyasviel and her waiting eyes. She simply watches us with her great unseen guardian not far behind her. Everything will depend on my next action, but my mind could not think of one even as my body grows ever more restless. Whether it be cooking, sewing, school work, sports or surgery, as long as I knew the path, my body would move flawlessly.
Move. Move. Move. Is what my body recklessly tells me, but I ignore it. I ignore it. I ignored it because the path wasn't clear. I had no peace offerings. I had no speech in advance. I hadn't made any preparations. I did not plan far enough ahead. All I had with me were card shaped weapons. I didn't know what I needed to do when it came to the girl in front of me…..because last time I know for certain I made things worse and right now Sakura is….
I wanted to grow up to be someone reliable. To be someone that doesn't make others sad. To be at least as reliable as those who always looked out for me….
"Don't you realize you're making Miyu uncomfortable?" Sakura says to Saber as she rests her hand on shoulder, but I sense no further movements. Saber doesn't respond to her words or her touch.
"And you over there. What do think you're doing skulking around my neighborhood?" is the holler Sakura gives to Illyasviel.
"I'm just practicing the local etiquette I learned from you," was Illyasviel's response I couldn't understand, but at the very least, the tension seemed to ease or maybe that was simply groundless optimism.
"You teach etiquette on the side, Sakura?" I ask as I face her.
I calm myself down. Thinking about it, it wasn't too strange. Did Fuji-nee and I unknowingly receive complementary lessons over the years? My brother did lecture me about the way I speak to others. That was my conclusion and Sakura responds with a smile. Did that mean my conclusion was correct after all? I turn back to the girl in the distance.
Illyasviel simply stares incredulously at me. Even the wand she was pointing at me gives the same vibes. After some inaudible mumbling, her face settles down and lets out a sigh of resignation before putting on a smile once again. A smile that was definitely fake, but I don't say a thing.
"Say, Sakura is it? Has that little sister of mine ever lied?" Illyasviel asks Sakura.
"Lying is one of those few things she was never good at it," Sakura confesses.
"I assume that's something you're good at then?" Illyasviel continues to pry.
Sakura continues to smile paying no heed to Saber's invisible sword resting on her shoulder. A smile that was definitely fake, but I don't say a thing.
"There are some things that children don't need to know and would be better off never knowing," is what Sakura admits right in front of me.
"Hmm, so that's what friends do?" is the question Illyasviel ponders.
Sakura is my friend. That was what I told Illyasviel yesterday on the swings. A relationship of equal terms without disaffection or hostility; but the relationship I had with Sakura was not such a thing. Maybe Sakura never saw me as a friend, but even so, somethings are entirely subjective. Even objective problems may have multiple solutions. Light itself is both a particle and a wave.
"If that's the case, maybe I'm luckier than I thought Miyu," are the words Illyasviel directs towards me.
Illyasviel has no friends. That is what she admits with those words. That is the reality she believes in. I stare at the ever watchful giant behind her that my eyes could not see. I glance at Saber who was still behind me before facing forward once again. I couldn't let them hijack the conversation.
"Isn't Heracles your friend?" is what I ask.
The girl in pink does not respond. She takes a breath, but no words come out of her mouth as she exhales. In her absence, the wand speaks.
"So you do understand!" the wand shouts with unabated enthusiasm.
"Ruby?" says the wielder.
"The contrasting colors, his large size, his wild mane, he really brings out my Master's strongest weapon don't you agree?" the wand continues to squirm in it's wielders hand.
"Weapon?" I repeat.
"Her cuteness of course!" the wand expresses with unhinged glee, cutting all the tension in an instant.
I could sparsely follow what the wand was trying to say at first, but the core logic was sound and I nod in agreement. Illyasviel takes another exaggerated breath.
"Illyasviel, would you like to come over for lunch? The day is still young and I do owe you for showing up at your abode unannounced last time," is the invitation Sakura makes with that false smile of hers.
"I would have to decline as I have more sightseeing to do," she ends the conversation with a curtsy before walking past us with a false smile of her own.
I could hear my own heartbeat after the exchange. I wanted to reach out to her, but I knew I shouldn't do that with Sakura with me.
A short walk later and I see the Matou manor with my own eyes. The simplest description I had for it, was that it was a house trying to be a castle. Some may have found it imposing, but I did not. Fuji-nee claimed that my sense of size for what an average home should be was skewed. Mold and uncontrollable vegetation adorn the walls of cold stone. It was a far cry from the castle in my nightmares or Saber's, but I still found it ominous just the same. I was hesitant to step inside. My steps falter a bit. I was expecting the doors to shine and shift, but nothing of the sort happens. As anxious as I was, Saber was even more cautious.
Sakura opens the door.
We walk down the halls and up the stairs. We entered Sakura's "room" if it could be called that. The bed was in tatters, the walls had gashes and the furniture were splinters. Even if this place was only used to lay her head for the night, the disrepair…...Crude phantom dolls molded from massless shadows littered the room, patrolling in circles. I scan the room, but there was no sign of my brother. Saber readies her invisible blade.
"This can't…that worthless.," was all I could catch from Sakura's mumbling before she starts to shout.
"Assassin!" is the cry that throws me off and Saber responds by pressing her unseen blade against Sakura's neck.
"Assassin?" is the word that Saber repeats as her eyes scry the area for a concealed enemy that may be lurking, but I knew there wasn't one.
I take a deep breath and grab Saber by the wrist, but Saber does not respond. Sakura doesn't say anything more. It was more accurate to say that she stopped functioning altogether for a moment. I couldn't see her face with her back turned, but the sounds of water drops hitting the carpet don't escape my ears. I see Sakura's hand clenched into a fist. I reach out to it.
"It's alright," I begin as I force out a smile.
Sakura wished for me to be happy and I wanted to believe in that wish, so it's only natural that I do the same for her. Small wishes like that are what make this world turn.
"I'm sorry, if only I…if only I…..," is the beginning of Sakura's explanation that she could not articulate.
I calm myself, even though the conclusion that forms in my head isn't exactly a good one.
"Onii-chan was... ..kidnapped wasn't he?" I ask. There was no body, so he must still be alive. Now there was the question of the culprit. My brother wasn't someone to be kidnapped without a fight and the state of the room heavily implied there was one.
"Saber, put your sword down," is the command I issue.
Saber doesn't hesitate as she slashes at something in the air and my heart skips. Small shards are scattered on the floor as they regain their natural color. I stare at the once transparent pieces of amethyst.
"Tohsaka jewel magecraft…..," is what Saber mutters. As a veteran of the last Holy Grail War 10 years ago, her words are not something to be dismissed. Saber stares at the crude little shadow dolls.
"Your familiars were under an illusion," is the conclusion Saber comes to.
Sakura kneels down and examines the shards too with a complicated expression while biting her lip. An outcome that could have been avoided with the supplement of mundane surveillance cameras.
"Rest assured, there aren't any more, save for whatever is crawling down the stairs," Saber says, but she never dismisses her sword.
"I really am useless," is the comment Sakura makes underneath her breath.
I could feel the vibrations underneath the floorboards. An infestation? Was that why Sakura…. Exiting through a wall or hidden entrance was an unfamiliar old man. Saber quickly pulls me behind her.
"There was a commotion. Is everything alright?" are the words that slip out of the old man.
He should have been unfamiliar, but I know that presence. When I was still in elementary school...the class pet was….
"What were you doing when Tohsaka came?" is the question Sakura poses without an ounce of respect from her tone. The anger at herself was quickly redirected.
"I must be frank my dear granddaughter, I did what you ordered me to. To stay out of your affairs," is the old man's response.
"Despite how you are, are you not still the head of this house?" Sakura protests.
"Doesn't feel like it as of late and it was never something to take pride in the first place. You expect too much of this old man. If Assassin could not have overcome Archer, what were my chances? If only you formed a proper contract, then….ahh... You've certainly grown quite …...arrogant in such a short while," were words with a hint of fear?
Proper contract with Assassin? I take a mental note of it and Saber's hand tightens.
"The same can be said of you just because I brought guests over," is the point Sakura makes.
"The tone you're taking. You certainly have faith in those bonds despite things with the Emiya boy not going so well," is the old man's words I had to ignore for now, but he turns his attention to me.
"I apologize for showing you something unsightly Miss Emiya, but please continue being good friends with my granddaughter because she doesn't really have much in the way of those," are words without sincerity he lets out with a smile on his face as he begins to take his leave.
Despite declaring her as a friend, I sparsely knew anything about her situation at home. She spends so much time in ours that it didn't even cross my mind…..but just like Sakura, her "grandfather" has been watching me for some time, hasn't he?
"How long?" is the question that escapes my mouth.
"Pardon?" is what escapes his mouth as his steps stop in front of the stairs.
From a glance, I could already tell that his body differed from normal people. Though nothing was amiss superficially, his movements were unnatural. The older someone gets, as the skin sags and the joints degrade, the way the skeleton works becomes ever more transparent. Bones do not contact each other directly at the joints, but instead are cushioned with cartilage, synovial membrane and fluid. As one ages, as cartilage degrades, as the fluid dissipates, movements become stiffer, like a wooden puppet on strings. Even as Raiga tries to stand straight, Fuji-nee's grandfather could not truly hide the degradation of bones that comes with age.
This "old man" in front of me had no bones.
His dignified posture made his hunchback seem like nothing more than a parody from my eyes. Structurally, he was like a stuffed plushie of flesh instead of a human being.
"Back in elementary school…," I start, but it was then he corrects me.
"Ever since the fire," is his answer.
The fire 10 years ago? Then that means…..
"Well, at the time I was more concerned about some egg shells….," he admits, but Sakura interrupts him.
"Isn't it time to take your afternoon medicine, grandfather?" were words meant to send him away.
"Why yes, thanks for reminding me. You were always such a good child at heart," were his parting words as he made his way down the steps.
Saber never averts her eyes from the retreating figure.
"He isn't someone you need to worry about. He's simply an old man…..though older than most," are Sakura's words that don't reassure Saber at all. Even so, Saber doesn't say anything. Not a word, but the fact remains.
Sakura's family had been watching mine from the very beginning, but such a fact was obvious. Just like the Einzbern whom my older sister belongs and the Tohsaka who is suspected of kidnapping my brother, the Matou were one of the three families behind the Holy Grail War. There wouldn't be a reason why they wouldn't be putting tabs on me because I'm…..
"Miyu, is Sakura still to be trusted?" is Saber's question that rings out in my head.
"Yes," is my answer.
Sakura is my ally and she wishes for my happiness.
Among the truths I knew about her, that was the most important one. We aren't strangers. We are family. My brother is the same.
He wished for the future. He wished for me to be happy.
He was lost. He was hurting. He was an absolute wreck. Even after losing everything, he still smiled and wished for such a thing. Human beings possess that kind of strength. If he could do that then I ….
"Miyu, you should go back home and make dinner. I already did the prep work for rice porridge since you aren't feeling that well. I promise I'll bring senpai back before Taiga gets back," is the proposition Sakura makes once again with that gentle smile of hers.
"No, I'm coming with you," is the fact I reiterate with no intention of negotiating.
Sakura's smile dampens. She bends her knees so our eyes meet. Saber's hand intercepts Sakura's. Her attempt at flicking my forehead was thwarted.
"You're being awfully stubborn young lady," Sakura lectures me with her offending finger in front of me.
She turns to Saber who was still gripping her arm.
"Don't you agree?" is what she asks of Saber.
"No, the one being stubborn is you. Even if you were the strongest Master with the strongest Servant, facing an enemy that outnumbers you is unwise," is the fact Saber bluntly states.
"I don't see why that matters to you," Sakura says dismissively.
"You don't have to shoulder everything alone," is what I tell her. I understand her sentiments well.
"And you don't need to shoulder things that aren't your fault," is the advice she bounces back.
"I apologize if this is intrusive, but this back and forth isn't getting us anywhere. As a former Tohsaka yourself, is there anything you could divulge about the bounded field that covers the Tohsaka estate?" is the question Saber poses.
Sakura holds her breath at the mention of Tohsaka.
"I'm sorry. I was never properly trained. I was given away after all. If things have changed since then, I don't know anything about it," is what Sakura admits as she shivers.
"You don't have to worry about that, because I have…..this," is the answer I bring forth.
Class Card Caster. Medea of Colchis.
"A skeleton key..card. I can't imagine a bounded field she cannot break," is what I announce.
Sakura places her free hand upon her chest as if in prayer. A cracked smile forms.
"You don't have to force yourself if you don't want to go," were the only words of comfort that I could come up with.
"Thank you, but at least take Rider with you," is the small grace she offers.
Saber glances for a second outside the window. Sakura's stalwart guardian had arrived. Even if she could not best Saber in strength, she did not lose in terms of speed. From the hospital on the other side of the river to this house was no short trek.
Saber refocuses her attention on the shivering girl whose hand she had grasped and gently releases it.
"I must apologize," is the small gesture Saber makes.
"For what?" is the question Sakura asks, genuinely perplexed.
"A knight should not make a maiden cry. It should have dawned on me earlier that you don't have good memories of that house," is the apology Saber makes as she gets on her knees.
"No, no, as a knight, prioritizing senpai's safety over my silly feelings was the right choice," is the apology Sakura makes as her hands flail about.
"It's true that the result is the most important thing. But with that aside, your heart trying to...," were old words I was unable to finish. What did Kiri-father say again?
"I'll…..prepare dinner back at your place. If there's anyone we need to worry about, it's Fujimura-sensei," is the fact Sakura points out with her usual gentle smile.
"That's right, Onii-chan isn't as hopeless," is the fact I point out with a smile of my own.
We go down the stairs and exit the house. Rider was at the entrance waiting for us. Sakura parts ways with us as she goes off to shop for tonight's dinner. With both Saber and Rider at my side, we make our way to the Tohsaka manor. If Sakura's in danger, she still has 2 command spells by which to call Rider to her side in an instant.
The western house on the hill enters my vision. Saber was by my side while Rider was on the other side of the street. If Archer were to target one of us, the other would close the distance with him in an instant. I still had 3 command spells and if worse came to worse, Archer's ultimate defense was also at my disposal.
We make our way slowly, but Archer does not appear. Saber's steps stop.
"Rider, may you please explain why your Master mentioned Assassin as if he was your ally?" is the question Saber had on her mind and mine as well.
"He was for a brief time," was Rider's curt explanation that didn't explain anything.
"Who was the Master?" was Saber's question that Rider answers with silence.
"..."
"Your Master mentioned that her brother doesn't have any magic circuits, yet she also mentioned how Illyasviel had crippled him. There isn't any reason to do so, unless he was a Master himself," is the next point Saber makes.
"He….was a Master. That was what one of Sakura's command spells were used for. The command spells were ultimately a system devised by that….old…. man...in the first place," was Rider's lengthier explanation.
"Does that suffice?" is Rider's own question for Saber.
"It will for now," is Saber's answer as she scans the roof tops.
Even if I was friendly with Sakura, there was no reason why Rider wouldn't be suspicious of me just as Saber was suspicious of Sakura.
The house on the hill becomes larger with every step we take, but Archer was nowhere in sight. We could sense no Servants even as we reached the border of the bounded field.
"Install:Caster."
I blow it away like a birthday cake candle.
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The famous "haunted house" was vermin free it seemed. Its dilapidated exterior did not match the interior. Unlike Sakura's house, there were signs of people living here and they did not skimp out on housework.
The house was not just for show.
It may have been nothing more than a forward base, but the books and the gems were quite the items to be simply left out in the open. Maybe that's the confidence they placed in the bounded field alone? I could not sense any signs of life unless small little statues carved from amethyst or the "eyes" scattered on the wooden floorboards and beams. Well, under Caster's gaze, they weren't anything but ornaments, but they knew that, which was why they burst apart themselves once I was aware of their presence so I could not trace them. The workshop didn't contain anything noteworthy. Between Caster's worldview and my modern one, it looked absolutely archaic. Though our family doesn't have a right to judge. In an era with e-mail, seeing an ancestor to the fax machine was quite the curiosity.
I dismiss Caster's robes as I exit the house.
Saber and Rider were finished with their respective searches and couldn't find any clues throughout the neighborhood.
My brother was nowhere in sight. My heart beats.
Rin and Illyasviel must have established a base of operations somewhere else. We search the city, but we find no leads. The temple, the school and the entirety of Miyama, we could not find a thing. I half expected Archer to be waiting for us on the Fuyuki Bridge as the sky became dark, but he wasn't there and part of me wished he was. At least I would know I was getting warmer.
My phone rings and I check the ID. Fuji-nee?
"Miyu! Where are you? Where is everybody? Shirou isn't here. Sakura isn't here. They aren't picking up their phones either. I called Sakura's grandfather, but he doesn't know…" she talks without stopping.
My heart tightens. It seems I made the same mistake twice in a row. Even so, I couldn't let Fuji-nee's heart tighten too. She still hasn't completely recovered despite how she acts.
"Sakura…..invited my brother to…," I begin, not sure what I should have been saying at that moment. I compose my voice as best I can hoping she can't sense the quivering.
"R-really? Ohoho. Well, they are that age now….as a teacher I should…..well, I guess I was worried over nothing, so are you coming back for dinner?" she asks.
"You just want someone to cook for you don't you?" as I pinpoint her intent, but I knew she was genuinely trying to be nice.
"Well, something came up and," as I try to formulate an explanation.
"You're 10. Kids shouldn't be breaking curfew and with what's going on these past few days even adults are staying inside," she points out.
"Don't worry, Saber is with me," I point out. Those welts Saber gave her must have been fresh on her mind, more so than the condition of her heart it seemed.
"Anyways, how's your heart?"
"Didn't even leave a scar. Did you use some special antibiotic gel that the hospitals don't want anyone to know about?" is the wild theory Fuji-nee makes.
"Wait a minute. Don't change the subject! Where are you?" is the question Fuji-nee asks.
"Catching a thief. Someone broke into Sakura's house...," is the partial truth I answer with.
"So, after 10 years, they strike again. Guess I'll stop by Sakura's house then. I'm a veteran when it comes to these things, so I'll help you," she insists.
"Your grandfather told you not to do anything reckless," I scold her.
"But, there really isn't a scar!" she insists.
"I'll have your allowance cut," is the threat I make.
"You d-don't have…," is her disbelief.
"You want to test it out?"
"Fine, but come back soon," is what she ends the call with.
I take a deep breath. I turn to Rider. Just like Saber and I, Rider was linked to Sakura. If Sakura was indeed in danger, there was no doubt Rider would know about it, but Rider had simply stayed quiet all this time. Logically, if Sakura was in danger, Rider would have ditched us without warning.
"Is Sakura alright?" I ask Rider anyways just to be sure.
"My Master is alright. She's a strong girl. Stronger than you know," is her answer I would have to accept for now.
I contemplated pushing further, but the important thing was that Sakura was safe. Rider was still suspicious of us, so I shouldn't do anything drastic. I would have to be satisfied with that. Sakura is safe. That is the fact I repeat in my head. Rin wasn't a bad person. If she was willing to save a stranger, she wouldn't be able to hurt Sakura. Sakura is just as gentle. I should have nothing to worry about. Illyasviel…...Illyasviel….. Onii-chan is the strongest person I know and Rin is with her. There's no point in worrying. I wouldn't be able to face my brother or Sakura if I ruined myself for something stupid. I didn't have an explanation for Fuji-nee if that became the case. I take another breath. I try to collect my thoughts. I lay out my next actions, focusing on the immediate future.
I stare at the sky and the time on my phone.
It was supposed to be dinner time at this hour, but our fridge was nearly empty ever since Saber came into our lives. If we went to a restaurant, how big a bill would Saber rack up herself. I walk down the shopping district with Saber behind me and Rider scouting ahead in her spiritual form. As we walk down the shopping district with the intent of stockpiling groceries, a pungent odor assaults my nose.
"What's that smell?" is the question Saber asks.
The pungent spice of chili peppers on top of chili peppers.
"Koushuuensaiken: Taizan's Mapo Tofu?" is what I remember.
There was a period of time where I made it my mission to visit every single restaurant in the city. To experience all the different flavors in order to hone my own cooking. My stomach rumbles. I hadn't eaten lunch and neither had Saber.
Saber looks towards the sign with utmost curiosity. In the era Saber lived in, spicy foods were rare, even for a king. That pungent smell, must have been otherworldly, or netherworldly as my brother described it. Maybe Saber's appetite can be curbed.
We go in and witness something netherworldly. Even Saber is shocked.
"Hm?" is what the priest mutters. A man of god dining on the netherworldly.
He pays no heed to me or Saber. He simply continues to eat chili oil disguised as mapo tofu. He takes no rest, even as he swelters. Was this an act of penance?
"So you come here too? Did you come here to extort answers out of me when I'm off duty? Extra command spells perhaps?" is the accusation he makes without stopping his spoon.
"Or do you want some?" is his next question directed at the curious Saber.
"Miyu?" she whispers in my head.
"He may know something useful," is what I tell her through our unseen connection.
Saber hesitates for a moment, but proceeds to take a seat. She answers his challenge armed with a spoon and meets it beautifully. Kotomine's own spoon stops for a moment.
"I can't imagine you three are just stopping by to have dinner, but I invite you to dinner nonetheless," the priest concludes.
I was contemplating whether I should reveal what had happened these past few days. I take a seat and a spoon as well. The priest was staring at me from across the table. It's rude not to accept another's invitation. He may have the lead I'm looking for, so I'll entertain him.
"Here's your mapo tofu aru!" was the signal to my ordeal.
I stare at it. There will be many challenges that lay ahead, but first I needed to eat. I take a bite. A heresy to Sichuan food. The spice is so overpowering, it is the only thing I can taste, if spice itself could be called a flavor. Sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami were the 5 basic tastes mediated by our taste receptors. Spice does nothing but stimulate the somatosensory fibers on our tongue like boiling tea would. If the purpose of this dish was to educate diners on that fact, then it gets 5 stars.
A spoon is slammed on the table.
"So, the world of food was this vast….," is the epiphany Saber reaches as she stares into her empty bowl.
A Servant is an order of magnitude more durable than a normal human. How did the spice affect her? I turn to the side. Rider was staying out of the whole affair with her spiritual form that normal humans could not perceive.
The priest puts his hands together to grab my attention. Was he angry at Saber?
"Did you come seeking guidance?" is what he asks of me.
"..."
"Well, the ones closest to you are the ones you should distrust the most. They tend to have the most biased view after all," is his small tidbit of advice that isn't unnoticed by Saber.
I say nothing and simply nod. My tongue was inflamed after all. He lets out a sigh as beads of sweat roll down his face. Saber continues to vigilantly watch us even as she downs a second bowl.
"How odd? If it was your father, he would have avoided this outcome at all costs," is what he casually mentions.
"Considering you have no Servant with you, I would have to disagree," is the point Saber makes, but the priest simply ignores her, squarely focused on me.
My mouth slowly recovers.
"Did you hate my father?"
"That's putting it lightly. We could not ignore each other. Each and every thing he did made me angry. We were opposites I suppose. He was someone who could not forgive death, but he killed people in order to save more people," was the truth my brother would never say outright. Saber grimances for a moment.
"To create a world of eternal peace where no one suffers," was his goal for living I repeat. My brother already told me countless times to the point I can't parse between dreams and memories.
"Childish isn't it? Such a world is impossible, yet cornered by that impossibility, he sought the Holy Grail to fulfill his dream in his place. Quite irresponsible of him, don't you agree?" were his words and his eyes that bore into mine.
"Irresponsible yes, but I don't think his dream was childish and aren't you supposed to be a priest?" I argue.
"You yourself are a child, so that isn't a compelling argument," is his counter.
"My Master doesn't act enough like a child," is Saber's counter.
"She's nothing but a child," is the priest's unyielding conclusion.
His eyes turn towards me and burrow deep from above.
"You are still a child. You said that your wish was granted in that life of yours, but that is backwards. Wishes are born only by living. Someone may have wished for you to be born, but that is not your own wish. Wishes are not passed from parent to child like what some old magi like to believe. Children pick and choose the parts they like from the wishes of their predecessors as they develop their own. Wishes lose merit with the passage of time you must understand. There was a time when people wished for genocide in order to recover Holy Ground. So tell me. Did you finally discover what you alone are wishing for?" is the question he repeats from our last meeting.
"People…..wished for my happiness and I wish to honor that wish," is the first thing that comes to mind.
"Happiness huh? What does it even mean?" is the question he poses to both of us.
"To gather around the dinner table, knowing that no one is missing," was the small wish I was harboring this morning.
"How ordinary," is the comment the priest makes.
"I am ordinary."
"The mere fact you have to state such a thing disqualifies you, don't you think?" is his attack.
I ponder for a moment and take in the atmosphere around me.
"Well, you seem to be enjoying dinner with us," is my rebuttal.
The priest pauses as he realizes he had been smiling this entire time. He stands up returning Saber's gaze.
"The Einzbern Castle is located out in the outskirts of Miyama. Your Servant should know the place well," was the answer he knew I was after, but that simply raised more questions. I turn to Saber, but she simply resigns herself.
"Well, I pray your journey turns out more fruitful than mine. Enjoy the beautiful evening," are his parting words as he leaves us with the bill.