"Um… I don't get it." Angelica said with a tilt of her head.
"Me neither." Elysia said, imitating her master's behavior perfectly.
"That's alright. All you need to know is that I am 95% sure that the next Lord of Winter is going to appear in this region." Rin said, pointing towards an area marked on her map. "And if we can catch it in the middle of its evolution, not only does that mean we can stop the blizzards from appearing this year, but it also means we can grab the monster's Feystone for ourselves."
"Honestly, Master just wants the Feystone." Taiga snickered.
Rin didn't deny this.
"I am sure that the mana blade that I made you will be able to kill a mid-evolution Lord of Winter, if we can find it at the right moment. We will only have a small window to do this, between the Winter Ceremony and when you have to go to the Academy." Rin said as she poured over the map.
Five days.
If the fledgling Lord of Winter didn't emerge during those five days, she would have no choice but to abandon her attempt to get the Feystone and kicked the information over to the Knights Order to handle.
If that happened, she'd lose out of getting one of the highest quality Feystones you can get. And she'd probably never have a chance again, as they would demand the information on how she could predict its location.
"Let's do it!" Angelica said, not understanding any of the complex math that went into finding the location, but pumped at the idea of fighting the Lord of Winter.
"Just remember that we are going to need to plan and coordinate our attack based on what the Lord of Winter turns out to be." Rin stated.
If they attacked during the moment of its ascension, it would have neither a blizzard protecting it, nor its army of familiars. It would be vulnerable, but not weak.
Was dragging a ten-year-old girl into battling the monster immoral? Yeah, but Angelica wanted to do it, and the degree to which the girl reminded her of Saber might have blinded Rin to the dangers a bit.
She needed a stone like that one to act as the base for her Jeweled Sword.
"Lady Tohsaka! Lady Tohsaka, please come out! It is an emergency!" Brigitte started to shout from outside of Rin's secret room, pounding on the door and ignoring the jolts of discharged mana she was receiving as a warning to stop bashing at her defenses.
"What? What is the emergency?" Rin asked as she approached the door.
"You have received a summons from his Majesty!" Brigitte shouted.
"...What?"
Rin was not exactly happy after being rushed to change her clothes, getting covered in makeup, despite being six years old, and being shoved into a teleportation circle going to the Sovereignty with her adopted father, only to be set aside in a waiting room to sit there for five hours.
It pissed her off. Especially after they had her strip herself of ALL of her magic tools.
"So, what do you think about the cooking in the Sovereignty?" Sylvester asked, trying to pass the time after they had been given dinner in their waiting room. Something they were very nervous about as they checked for poisons.
"I think that the cooks need to stop worrying so much about the presentation and learn how to actually cook something." Rin admitted bluntly as she eyed the flowers made of pure sugar that lay on her plate.
Honestly, if magic power didn't have a strong effect on an individual's figure, they would all be obese. They had no understanding of what made a balanced and healthy meal.
"Well, sugar is a recent import, so it is only natural that no one knows how to use it properly." Sylvester shrugged.
"It's been eight years. That's like… forever!" Rin said in a childish manner. "I wasn't even born eight years ago. The Gods created the entire planet in two days. How can it take so long for people to learn to mix sugar into things?"
"Well, its high price means that experimentation with the chance of failure is not something a lot of people will risk." Sylvester pointed out.
"...Of course. In the end, all problems always go back to not having enough money." Rin mumbled in frustration.
"That is a gross oversimplification." Sylvester said with a shake of his head. "Even if everyone had money to spare, there isn't enough product. If demand increased, the price would increase and nothing would have changed save for that everyone would be forking over more money for it. The real problem is a lack of local supply or a method of mass production."
"Something that could be researched if people were just willing to toss more money at the problem." Rin insisted.
"Tohsaka, that isn't how research works." Sylvester said with a chuckle.
"How many books have YOU published on the subject? Because I've written three and each of your scholars had purchased a copy of them." Rin said proudly.
She had written books on statistical analysis, the scientific method and on experimental design, and data science in order to teach this world's scholars and researchers how to actually do their damn jobs properly. It was actually amusing and made Rin feel happy with herself, despite it being a waste of time better spent doing her own research.
Actually, Rin was wasting a lot of time doing things that she wouldn't have in her previous life, involving books and the education of the orphans and Angelica. But those things made her feel happy.
Rin's relationship with the members of her adopted family had improved over the last three and a half months. She bantered a little better with Sylvester and joined Florencia and Charlotte for the occasional tea party. She even visited with Veronica, who was attempting to lure her into her faction. Not with any luck, since Rin would prefer neutrality.
Her relationship with Wilfried was awkward, given that Wilfried was embarrassed about when he had been injured and grateful to Rin for helping him… but he was also a five-year-old, who whined about how unfair it was that Rin didn't have to put up with tutors, got to practice magic and could go wherever she wanted, while he was stuck in his grandmother's villa.
He didn't seem to understand or care just how far beyond him Rin was.
"Aub Ehrenfest." An attendant said as he entered the room. "The Zent will see you now."
Finally.
Rin wanted to get this over with so that she could return home and ready herself for the Lord of Winter hunt.
The introductions and greetings when meeting a royal, let alone the country's King, were as long and drawn out as one might expect at this point, given the fact that just saying a normal hello between nobles usually requires a four line incantation and a blessing.
By the end of it, Rin was considering killing everyone in the room to make sure she'd never have to do such a massive waste of time ever again.
But eventually it was over and the actual conversation could begin.
"So, this is the girl you spoke of." The kingdom's Zent said as he looked down at Rin with a kind and somewhat mournful expression. He was only around thirty years old, though his silver hair might make him appear older and he had an atmosphere around him that made him seem older. After watching Rin for a bit he shook his head. "She is not Aelita." Sylvester barely contained his relief, something that didn't go unnoticed. "You seem happy to hear it."
"Forgive me Your Majesty. As your servant, I would have liked nothing more than to reunite you with your daughter, but as a father, I was afraid of losing a child myself." Sylvester apologized.
The King nodded his head. "I am glad to hear that you feel such compassion towards the child." He said with an approving smile. "You say that you believe that she might have royal blood due to her mana affinities and her mana capacity. I would like to see a demonstration of that, if you would."
The man signaled for one of his men to come forward, a burly knight with a thick mustache who was carrying a magic tool on top of a pillow.
Rin hadn't seen one in person before, but understood that this was a magic tool meant for measuring the magic power of preteen children. A magic tool with seven stones embedded into it, one for each of the elements, which would each absorb only their own type of mana and display her relative power with each of the elements.
"Please channel your magic power into this." The knight said as he held it out to Rin, being careful not to touch it himself.
Rin took the magic tool and felt as he started to draw the power out of her.
It had been six hours since the last time she'd been drained, and her personal reserves had been nearly full.
Immediately, the stones all began to glow, the light growing until they shone like multi-colored stars, all the colors of the rainbow. Then the Feystones themselves disintegrated into golden dust.
This caused a huge commotion from those who bore witness to it, shocked whispers about how such a young girl could possibly have that much magic power, as she already rivaled the current Zent himself.
"I can see why you would believe she has royal blood." The King said, thoughtfully as Rin returned the magic tool.
"Your Majesty. Is this not a problem?" The Commander of the Sovereignty's Knights Order said, giving Rin a stern look. "Given her talent, would some not seek to use her as a figure head for another rebellion?"
Sylvester and Rin both stiffened at the man's words.
Rin hadn't considered that people might actually kill her out of a fear that she would try to steal the throne because of an unconfirmed suspicion that she MIGHT be related to royalty.
The Zent shot the man a disapproving look. "Enough people have died already for that kind of paranoia. I will not see another one of my nieces die for it."
"But Your Majesty…"
"I will hear none of it." The King said, cutting the man off.
"...Your Majesty, at least have her memories searched. To confirm whether or not she is of royal blood."
"I fail to see how it would confirm it or not, as I have no memories of ever being told that I am, or claiming that I am." Rin said, not wanting to have her memories searched. Sylvester shushed her though, telling her not to speak out of turn in front of the King.
"...Very well. But I will do it myself. I do not trust you not to claim she is a threat when she isn't one." The King said after a pause. "I am sorry, Tohsaka, but would you please allow me to view your memories?"
"...If Your Majesty requests it, I must obey." Rin said, turning her sight inwards and preparing herself as people went to fetch the magic tools.
Memories were stored within mana, so with the right methods, one could extract them from that mana. The magic tool in question only helped to form a link between the two who worn the crowns in order to allow one access to the others mana.
For a normal noble, this was impossible to deceive, as they lacked the control over their mana necessary to manipulate what sort of memories it was holding. Even Rin was going to have a hard time masking everything. Instead she was going to have to try to supply memories to the device in order to hopefully mask her more private ones.
This was something that became a lot harder after they handed her the potion that went with the ritual and she drank the sweet liquid. "I didn't expect it to be so sweet." Rin mumbled as she put the goblet down.
"...Sweet is it? Curious. I suppose that means that we are mana matc… What is happening to her…" That was the last thing Rin heard before drifting to sleep.
'What is this?' Trauerqual mumbled to himself as he entered the young girl's mindscape.
Rather than coherent memories playing out before him, informing him of key moments in the girl's life, he was assaulted by a stream of thousands of facts about magic… no, Magecraft. Things too foreign to him for him to comprehend. With only a few flashing imagines of magic circles and different experiments, sometimes performed by a child, sometimes a woman, other times by a man. Always a 'Tohsaka'.
Tohsaka… It wasn't the girl's given name. It was more like a family name or a title. These memories spanned over multiple generations of 'Tohsakas', all of it relating to research into Magecraft.
This was all eye opening, and confusing. It was like no other time when Trauerqual had done this. The nature of the research, it carried no emotions with it.
…So. Some of them did.
In the scenes where the one performing the rituals was the smallest, bits of pride and wonder were attached to the memories.
Trauerqual focused on these ones, trying to draw them out and see more that was being hidden.
A dark cellar, dozens of books on magecraft. A man with brown hair and blue eyes, staring at her with a stern expression.
'My father.'
The thought was connected to a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. Longing, pride, betrayal, love, hatred, disgust. This man was a figure that the girl revered and admired, but also a man who she could never forgive.
There was another figure in the memories, another man with dark hair, younger than the first, wearing black robes. A 'Fake Priest'.
'Kirei Kotomine.'
Hate. So much hate. She despised this man. He was the face of evil itself. Loathing, disgust and… fear.
'I am not afraid of him!'
Trauerqual jumped as he observed the emotions, the girl getting angry at the suggestion that she was afraid of the man. Though Trauerqual could feel the fear as if it was his own.
The man wasn't just scary. He was terrifying. He was the worst of creatures who had murdered her father…
Wait, what?
Trauerqual wanted to know more, but it seemed that memories of that man were agitating the girl, so Trauerqual pulled out, so that the connection wouldn't be broken, looking for something else to latch onto.
A young man with red hair. A knight who would protect her. One who had shielded her from multiple assassins using his own body. He was brave, kind and foolish, not letting his lack of magical talent top him from pursuing his dream. His stupid, beautiful dream. She respected and loved him with all her heart.
'Sh…SHUT UP! IT ISN'T LIKE THAT!'
Again, Trauerqual pulled back, feeling a blush on his own cheeks as he felt her embarrassment as if it was her own.
Another memory, connected to that of the red haired man. A figure with white hair battling with a blue haired man. The clash between them was like that between the Gods of Life and Fire.
The white haired man produced feelings of regret and love. Not so strongly as the red haired knight, but still there.
FInally, other memories started to unfold. Less guarded than the others.
"Myne, how are you feeling today?"
"Terrible. I'm so hot." A whiny voice came out of the girl's mouth as she lay in what looked like a rundown building.
"I'm sorry. Here, have some water." A girl with green hair said as she held up a cup of water.
'Tuuli.'
The name was connected to hundreds of memories and emotions, similar to those that Trauerqual was used to seeing whenever searching another's memories.
Love, jealousy and regret. More people. Not just this commoner sister, but a mother and father who also had loved her. All of the memories passed before Trauerqual's eyes until one near the end.
"No. Not Myne. Myne is dead. You have to call me Rin from now on."
…Rin.
Rin cursed herself as she opened her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks.
She'd be so focused on hiding as much as possible about her old world, to avoid unwanted questions, that she hadn't thought to restrict access to her memories as Myne.
The King had learned far more than she had wanted him to about everything, and now she needed to see what he was going to do with that information.
She looked up to see the King's face, his dignity compromised by a schoolgirl's blush and tears coming from his eyes.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" One of his servants said as they rushed to assist him.
"I'll be fine. I wasn't expecting our manas to be so similar. Her emotions had a strong effect on me." The King said, waving the men off. Taking a handkerchief and wiping his face. "There didn't seem to be any memories that would prove her to be of royal blood. Though she has memories of a man in black robes who claimed to be a priest and confessed to having assassinated her biological father. Regardless, she is not a dangerous child. Just a very intelligent one."
Rin was surprised, hearing the man say such things about her.
'Not a dangerous child' is not something that people would normally call her. He did see the memory of her killing three men for daring to lay a hand on her sister. He was also keeping quiet about her being a commoner.
Did he just get confused by all of Tohsaka's memories and not fully understand what he was seeing?
No, he was just hiding it for some reason.
"Tohsaka, are you alright?" Sylvester asked as he held her gently.
"I'm alright." Rin replied, wiping away her own tears.
"Tohsaka… what happened to your hair and eyes?" Sylvester asked, confusion clear on his face.
Rin didn't know what he was talking about, until she realized it.
Her attempts to hide the mana which was connected to Rin's memories had caused the effect that mana had on her body to become hidden as well. Her hair had returned to its dark blue and her eyes much have returned to their bright golden color as well.
Everyone stared at her, confused by the change, until Rin allowed her old mana to seep out once more, her hair darkening to black and her eyes turning a brilliant blue once more.
"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with my hair?" Rin asked, pretending to not understand what he was saying.
Sylvester opened his mouth, then closed it, then sighed. This was neither the time nor place for an interrogation. Not by him at least.
He assumed that the Zent would call them out, but surprisingly he didn't.
"That should be enough for today. You may go." The King said, dismissing them. "Though I will need to speak to Aub Ehrenfest at a later date as to what his intentions are for his daughter."
"My intentions?" Sylvester said, so surprised that he dropped his noble mask.
"For another time. You may go now." The Zent said, waving them away.
Once they were out of the room, he palmed his face. "What a mess."
"What do you learn, Your Majesty?" Raublut asked after everyone had been cleared from the room.
"Nothing of importance. She is merely a very smart child who has seen more than her fair share of assassination attempts and pain. She spent several months fighting with death while living among the commoner merchants because of her lack of magic tools, just like we were told. She has a good deal of empathy, and while she is ambitious as a researcher, she views politics as annoying." Trauerqual said, telling half truths to the man.
Despite Raublut being his Knight Commander, Trauerqual didn't like kid himself into believing that the man held any respect for him. He knew full well that many saw him as a puppet, and the rest mostly saw him as a fraud.
He'd been Zent for four years of hell and honestly sometimes wished that he had died during the war and left this mess to his brother.
Trauerqual realized that Tohsaka, or Rin, or Myne, was a commoner by birth, but he honestly didn't care. Her magic power and her knowledge of magic was too valuable for something like blood to matter. Not so long as no one else knew about it.
Especially not when the kingdom was struggling the way that it was. Her knowledge about research could help them rediscover so much of what had been lost during the war.
"But even if she doesn't want anything to do with politics, she isn't someone who can be ignored. Which is why her 'intentions' will be very important to this country's future. Adopting her into the royal family would be preferable, and she can marry either Sigiswald or Anastasius, whichever of them will inherit the throne."
Among nobles, whenever someone talked about a family's intentions for a young girl, what they meant was 'who is she going to marry'. Something that had caught Aub Ehrenfest off guard, given that the girl was only six and the one asking was the King.
"You mean to make that girl Queen?" Raublut said in shock.
"She'd likely prefer to be the second or third wife. Left to her research instead of politics. But having her support the Royal family will be important for the future." Trauerqual said.
Though if she ends up wanting to be Queen, so be it. If she agreed to use her power and knowledge for the sake of the Kingdom, she could be the next Zent for all he cared, save him as his children the misery of it.
Though she was too smart to ever agree to do such a horrible thing.