Rin Tohsaka felt an overwhelming sense of disbelief.
Most of what she knew about "transmigrators" came from her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka.
For those who became transmigrators, a deep blue countdown timer would appear before their eyes, and when it ended, they would be transported to ancient Britain at the end of the Age of Gods.
Her father had also mentioned that to obtain the White Dragon's holy relic, the quickest and most direct method was to go to ancient Britain.
It was an era filled with both opportunities and dangers, and Tokiomi had clearly gone to meet the White Dragon, even risking death.
"Who... who are you?"
Rin asked warily.
Though still young, the girl clearly possessed enough caution...
At least when faced with a stranger striking up a conversation, her first reaction was alertness.
Say what you will, for a girl her age to have such vigilance, Tokiomi had clearly put effort into teaching his daughter.
But how did she end up being lured here by Sessyoin Kiara...?
Alvin had a sudden idea. "I heard about you from Sakura. I've even seen your picture."
"Sakura...?"
Hearing that name, Rin's expression shifted slightly.
She glanced around, confirming the devotees were still engrossed in prayer, then quickly grabbed Alvin's hand and hurriedly left the hall.
Just outside, the girl's face turned serious as she stared at Alvin.
"You're a transmigrator too... and you know Sakura?"
The latter nodded lightly.
"The girl adopted by the Matou family, right? I met her when I was studying in Fuyuki."
Hearing the word "adopted," Rin's trust grew a bit, though she remained skeptical. "Why haven't I ever heard her mention you? By 'before,' do you mean... you're no longer in Fuyuki?"
Alvin nodded gently. "I met Sakura by chance, and not long after, I followed my teacher to the Clock Tower."
This wasn't exactly a lie...just glossing over some details of how he met Sakura Matou.
At this, Rin seemed to fully believe Alvin, her initial wariness easing.
Still, she felt a bit frustrated.
As Sakura's older sister, Rin always thought their bond was close, with no secrets between them.
She hadn't expected her sister to keep something like this from her.
Sakura never mentioned this guy before...
Well, maybe he's not someone important to her.
But judging by his demeanor, he seems to think he's pretty close to Sakura?
It's better not to burst his bubble then... Thinking about it, Rin lowered her voice. "You've been tricked. If you can, leave this place quickly."
Alvin feigned confusion.
"You sound like you're not one of Sessyoin Kiara's devotees?"
With the connection to Sakura,
Rin's attitude toward Alvin softened considerably.
Glancing back at the praying devotees, she quickly recounted her experiences.
Rin had only arrived in ancient Britain during this transmigration.
When she first arrived, she was terrified, knowing how dangerous this era was.
Alone in such a place, it wouldn't be surprising to end up dead in the wilderness.
At that moment, she stumbled upon a group of people in the royal city kneeling before a woman in a nun's habit, with devout expressions.
It looked like a cult at first glance.
Sensing Sessyoin Kiara's attention, Rin had a flash of inspiration and joined the devotees.
Perhaps due to her young age, Sessyoin didn't suspect her and brought her to this grand manor.
In a sense, Rin was temporarily safe, but escaping this place was no easy task.
"I didn't expect you to react so quickly... That's pretty clever."
Alvin glanced at Rin Tohsaka, praising her with a hint of surprise.
At just six or seven years old, her ability to remain calm and think clearly was already remarkable.
But how does such a brilliant girl always manage to drop the ball at critical moments when she grows up...?
Alvin grumbled inwardly.
Maybe that's got something to do with the plot..
"Do you want to get out of here?"
He asked quickly, making the girl freeze, as she shook her head.
"This manor is huge. I've been looking for a chance to find an exit all day, but I haven't found a way out yet."
In this era, Britain was vast and sparsely populated.
A grand noble's manor was unimaginably large, and for a young girl to escape while evading layers of guards... it was indeed nearly impossible.
"I know where the exit is. I memorized the route on the way here."
Alvin said.
Rin's eyes lit up, and she grabbed his arm in excitement, eagerly asking.
"You remember the way? Really?"
'If I said, "Just kidding, just kidding," would she pummel me with her tiny fists...?' Alvin was tempted to tease her but held back.
The priority now was to get Rin out and then have Lily send people to surround this place.
Alvin took Rin's hand and headed out. "Follow me."
The two quickly left the hall, making their way toward the manor's main gate.
Unbeknownst to them, in the darkness, a grotesque, eerie pillar slowly opened its scarlet beastly eyes, silently watching the pair.
...
---
"Today's prayers end here.
You may go rest, Duke Cornwall."
In a side hall of the manor, the nun, whose dress was formed from magical energy, spoke with a smile.
Duke Cornwall closed his eyes briefly, feeling the abundant flow of mana within him.
He opened his eyes, filled with gratitude. "Thank you so much, Lady Kiara."
"If not for you, I'd probably have withered away by now due to the loss of mana."
In this era, as the Age of Gods waned, the mana of magi was steadily depleting.
Duke Cornwall, a magus of the Age of Gods, had nearly lost all his mana during its decline, causing his body to deteriorate rapidly.
But not long ago, a woman found him and told him that through prayer, a miracle would occur.
...And just as Sessyoin Kiara had promised, after praying, Duke Cornwall was astonished to find his lost mana flowing back into his body.
The weakness and fatigue of the past vanished entirely.
All of this was because of this woman...
At this thought, the eyes of this powerful noble of Britain burned with fervor and reverence.
Compared to King Arthur or Merlin, the goddess who could heal his body was far more worthy of worship.
Duke Cornwall was about to speak when a faint *hum* sounded, and a strange eye quietly opened at Sessyoin Kiara's chest.
At the same moment, Sessyoin Kiara's eyes narrowed sharply.
"What's wrong... Lady Kiara?"
Duke Cornwall asked instinctively.
"The boy I brought just now is trying to escape with one of the devotees."
Sessyoin Kiara said.
Duke Cornwall was shocked and hurriedly replied. "I'll send people to intercept them right away."
If the king learned of his connection to Sessyoin Kiara... the consequences would be unthinkable.
"No need."
Sessyoin Kiara's tone carried a trace of chilling coldness as she looked at Duke Cornwall with a captivating smile: "I'll deal with them myself. It'll be fun."
...
---
The moonlight was like water, clear and frosty.
Perhaps because it was already night or for some other reason, the manor had few guards.
Alvin and Rin navigated through the gardens, and though they encountered several magical barriers, Alvin's keen perception allowed them to easily avoid them.
"Does the Clock Tower even teach about magical barriers?"
Rin, following the boy as they bypassed layer after layer of barriers, went from initial skepticism to growing admiration.
She had heard of the Clock Tower, but this was ancient Britain, and this was a grand noble's manor with intricately complex magical barriers...
How could a modern magus unravel barriers set by a magus from the Age of Gods?
"Every subject at the Clock Tower teaches different things... Some don't focus on magical barriers, but with high enough perception, you can sense their presence in advance."
Alvin explained.
"Which subject are you best at?"
Rin asked curiously.
Alvin thought for a moment, smiling.
"I know a bit of everything... but I'm not a master at any."
By now, their relationship had grown much closer than at the start, so they could talk more freely.
Taking the opportunity, Alvin casually asked the girl about Sakura Matou's recent situation.
"My sister...? She's doing alright, but she still seems to have some psychological shadows from being adopted into the Matou family."
Rin said.
'If I were sent to that old bug's house and nearly thrown into a bug pit, I wouldn't even call Tokiomi 'Dad'...he'd be lucky to get a couple of steamed buns...'
Alvin said. "What about the Einzbern castle... how much do you know?"
Rin cautiously scanned their surroundings, pausing at his question and giving Alvin a puzzled look.
"You know someone there too?"
"Sort of..."
Alvin replied vaguely.
"I don't know much about it... My father said the Einzbern family seems to be preparing for the next Holy Grail War, but it's unclear who'll participate."
'Looks like if I want to know about Illya, I'll have to visit Fuyuki myself...' Alvin felt a twinge of regret.
As they reached the garden's exit, he lifted Rin and easily passed through the barrier at the gate.
Her body floated briefly in midair, the weightlessness leaving the girl momentarily dazed.
Soon, Rin studied the boy in the black cloak with his fair, handsome face, surprised.
Contrary to her expectations, he seemed delicate, but while navigating the barriers, his muscles were sharply defined.
"Are you planning to join the Holy Grail War too?"
After setting Rin down, Alvin asked suddenly.
"Oh... if it's a secret, you don't have to say."
He quickly added.
The topic was a bit personal, and pressing too much might make Rin think he was fishing for information for the Holy Grail War.
Rin shook her head, gazing at the brightly lit path ahead. "It's not exactly a secret... The three great families of Fuyuki never miss a Holy Grail War. If my father's health holds up, he'll likely participate in the next one, but since the last war ended, he's..."
Her eyes dimmed slightly as she lowered her voice. "I don't know if he'll make it to the end of the next Holy Grail War."
Alvin's mind stirred, and he said. "You're hoping to use the Grail's wish to heal him?"
Rin nodded gently. "If there's time... I'll do everything I can to win the Holy Grail War."
'If I recall correctly, the next Holy Grail War starts in ten years...
Ten years—if Tokiomi doesn't go to the Clock Tower, his grave will probably be overgrown by then.'
Alvin stayed silent.
"My father said he wants to find the White Dragon's holy relic... I also want to take this chance to see if I can find one. It doesn't have to be the White Dragon, though."
Rin suddenly said causing Alvin to raise an eyebrow. "What, you don't like him?"
Hearing this, the girl pursed her lips, recalling her sister's distracted demeanor over the past few days, and said softly. "Sort of... He's an annoying guy."
Though she said this, the real reason was more about her sister.
She had seen how much Sakura longed to summon the White Dragon from the last Holy Grail War.
If possible, she didn't want to crush her sister's wish...
Besides, Britain had plenty of powerful heroic spirits; it didn't have to be the White Dragon.
Seeing the girl had no intention of explaining further, Alvin didn't press and walked silently with her toward the manor's exit.
Before long, the outline of the manor's gate came into view.
"We've reached the exit!"
A spark of excitement flashed in Rin's eyes, and she was about to pull Alvin along to leave.
But at that moment, Alvin's heart sank.
Sensing a powerful surge of mana rushing toward them, he quickly grabbed Rin's small hand, pulling her behind him.
The girl looked up at him, puzzled, about to speak, when a soft, melodious voice echoed in their ears.
"Interesting. I misjudged you during the day. That mana... So you're a magus from the Age of Gods?"
A magus from the Age of Gods...?
Rin's expression froze, and she slowly looked up, staring at Alvin in shock.
.
.
.