Chapter 89: King Arthur is a girl? The referee cannot be trusted!
After a 'friendly' negotiation with the yakuza family entrenched in Fuyuki, Arthur successfully secured temporary residency at the Fujimura residence.
Fujimura Raiga immediately thumped his chest, guaranteeing that the entire Fujimura Group would fully cooperate with all of Arthur's actions in Fuyuki City.
During this period, anyone who dared to disobey would be disrespecting the Fujimura Group!
Arthur, on the other hand, humbly stated that he was merely a passing traveler and would depart after a month at most.
Upon hearing that Arthur would leave in a month at most, the elderly Fujimura Raiga was almost moved to tears, wishing he could prostrate himself on the spot and see off the plague god.
The next morning, the sky was faintly lit.
Arthur had already risen, and at this moment, he was holding Fou, sitting peacefully in the ancient courtyard.
Mechanical parts were scattered around him on the ground, which he skillfully picked up and manipulated from time to time.
Merlin, still in his spiritual form, lurked in the shadows like a ghost, full of praise for his Master's exquisite craftsmanship.
"Oh ho ho~ As expected of Master!"
"To think you can conjure such high-precision mechanical familiars from these ordinary household appliances!"
Arthur's fingertips glowed with flowing magical energy as he meticulously carved complex array patterns onto the cold mechanical parts, saying without looking up,
"Merlin, the Master who summoned Caster is reduced to crafting familiars personally. Don't you, the renowned Magus, feel disgraced?"
"...You are absolutely right. I shall go and reflect deeply."
Upon hearing this, Merlin immediately put on a theatrical act.
He raised a hand and feigned wiping a non-existent tear from his eye, then shuffled to a corner of the courtyard, squatted down, and assumed a posture of serious self-reflection.
Just then, an energetic figure burst out from the corner like a small whirlwind, tearing through Merlin's spiritual body with a flurry, and made an emergency turn!
The other person knelt down with a 'thump' in front of Arthur, greeting him with full vitality.
"Good morning!"
"My name is Fujimura Taiga! My grandfather told me you're the son of his close friend from abroad? But why have I never heard him mention you before?"
Arthur tilted his head slightly, observing the young girl in front of him with a refreshing flaxen ponytail and clear, straightforward eyes, and casually fabricated a reason.
"After all, it's just an old-generation acquaintance. If I hadn't had a whim to travel to Japan, the old man probably wouldn't have thought to specifically mention it to you."
Fujimura Taiga, only fifteen and still in her innocent and carefree years, nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
She was naturally not one to bother with family formalities, so she readily believed Arthur's explanation.
"So, do you have any plans for today?"
"Do you want me to show you around and experience the local customs of Fuyuki City?"
Fujimura Taiga's eyes lit up, her face full of eagerness.
Clearly, the one who truly wanted to go out and explore was herself.
Arthur, on the other hand, remained focused on his assembly, merely shaking his head unhurriedly, his tone flat as he declined.
"Thank you for your kindness. However, my itinerary is already set, and I plan to enjoy the scenery of Fuyuki City this afternoon."
"Really!?"
Fujimura Taiga was overjoyed upon hearing this, springing up from the ground and excitedly clapping her hands, exclaiming,
"I get out of school at three this afternoon! Let's go out together then!"
"So it's settled! No backing out!"
Before her words had even finished, Fujimura Taiga had vanished like a gust of wind sweeping through the courtyard, leaving Arthur no chance to refuse.
"Ah ah~ What a spirited child, she reminds me of Lia when she was little."
Merlin, at some point, had silently returned to Arthur's side and sat down again, sighing like an old man.
Arthur, multitasking, raised an eyebrow at this.
"Lia? Is there such a person in the legend of King Arthur?"
Merlin revealed his characteristic sly smile, as if hiding countless little secrets, and leaned in, lowering his voice mysteriously.
"Master, you wouldn't still be in the dark, would you?"
"That famous King Arthur is actually a girl!"
With a 'click,' the precise part Arthur was about to finish fell to the ground, rolling into the depths of the courtyard.
He, however, seemed to be under a binding spell, stiffly turning his head.
Arthur stared at the incubus's face, smiling like a cat that had stolen cream, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"So... that person named Lia... is King Arthur herself?"
Seeing his reaction, Merlin immediately put on a smug expression, nodding with absolute certainty.
"Authentic, no trickery!"
Arthur's expression changed several times, wonderfully varied, and his heart was turbulent.
'I had intended to observe this world's King Arthur to see if it could offer any insights into the restraints on the Holy Sword, but it turns out... it's another girl again!?'
Finally, he struggled to raise his thumb, forcing out an incredibly subtle smile, and 'sincerely' praised,
"Alright—you Britons certainly know how to have fun!"
...
Just as Merlin was enthusiastically and volubly lecturing Arthur on the untold gossip and secrets of the Knights of the Round Table.
In the courtyard, a mechanical falcon, gleaming with cold metal, silently flapped its wings.
It streaked across the sky like a silver lightning bolt, heading straight for the Fuyuki Church on the outskirts.
That place was, in fact, a special base set up by the Holy Church for the upcoming Holy Grail War.
Under normal circumstances, the Holy Church would not directly participate in the fighting of the Holy Grail War but would instead play the role of an Overseer.
Their duty was to ensure that the conflicts between Magi were not detected by ordinary people, preventing the mysteries of the hidden world from being exposed in broad daylight.
And according to the unwritten rules of the Holy Grail War,
All Masters who successfully summon a Servant must go to the church to register and confirm their official participation qualifications.
Arthur was not yet clear where the variables of this Holy Grail War would arise, but acting according to established rules would always be safe.
The high-precision mechanical familiar flew extremely fast, arriving above Fuyuki Church in no time.
The boundary spells used to ward off idlers were as good as non-existent to this bird familiar.
With a flap of its wings, it gracefully slipped into the church through a half-open window.
Inside the chapel, long pews were neatly arranged, and the oil lamps hanging on the walls were clearly old, casting a somewhat dim light.
An elderly priest, who was devoutly praying before a statue, heard the sound, put down the crucifix in his hand, turned towards the lifelike mechanical familiar, and nodded slightly in greeting.
"Good morning, unknown Magus.
"I am Risei Kotomine, the humble Overseer for the Fourth Holy Grail War. Please state your purpose."
The mechanical falcon's transparent, obsidian-like eyes blinked, emitting a slightly distorted, synthesized mechanical voice.
"I have successfully summoned one of the seven Servants, and I am here to register for participation."
Risei Kotomine nodded calmly, unhurriedly taking out a magical tool called a "Spirit Orb" from his pocket and solemnly rubbing it for a moment.
"That's correct. According to the leyline feedback, just last night, the Caster class successfully responded to the summons and manifested in the present world."
After briefly confirming the situation, Risei Kotomine put away the Spirit Orb and offered a formal smile to the mechanical familiar before him.
"Then, Caster's Master, allow me to explain the current battle situation to you."
"As of last night, all seven Servants have responded to the summons, and the Holy Grail War has already begun."
"Among them, the Assassin group launched a surprise attack on the Archer group's magical workshop in the early hours, but the operation failed."
"The Servant immediately withdrew, and their Master applied for sanctuary with the Church."
After listening to the Overseer's brief, the mechanical falcon's metal head tilted with a 'clack, clack,' precisely relaying its controller's confusion.
"The other groups have already started fighting? And... the Assassin group withdrew so quickly?"
Risei Kotomine's aged face maintained a calm and unruffled expression throughout, and he merely nodded faintly at the question.
"That is indeed the case. Unfortunately, they chose the wrong opponent."
The mechanical falcon's jewel-like eyes narrowed in a remarkably human-like manner, then it flapped its wings, turned, and swiftly flew away from Fuyuki Church.
Listening to the sound of the mechanical familiar's wings fading away in the empty church, Risei Kotomine's old face was filled with mockery and undisguised disdain.
Meanwhile, at the Fujimura residence.
Arthur raised his hand, interrupting Merlin, who was enthusiastically spitting out gossip.
A playful glint flickered in his deep silver eyes as he reconfirmed.
"Hey, Merlin, the number of Servants I asked you to confirm with Clairvoyance this morning was indeed six, right?"
"Of course!"
"While I might not be much use in combat, small tasks like reconnaissance and enemy detection are a piece of cake for me!"
Merlin thumped his chest confidently, his face full of an expectant "praise me" expression.
Arthur couldn't be bothered with the overly dramatic incubus beside him, tapping his knee lightly, the playfulness in his eyes deepening as he murmured to himself,
"Six Servants... Heh, that's very interesting."
"This Holy Grail War, even the guy on the judging panel isn't playing by the rules."