"The White Dragon's holy relic...?"
Seeing the item in Tokiomi's hand, Rin froze, somewhat in disbelief.
Since Fuyuki's Greater Grail system was exposed, many magi had eyed Fuyuki...or rather, the Greater Grail.
As one of the three great families, the Tohsaka family faced considerable pressure.
Even to keep the Greater Grail in Fuyuki, Tokiomi wanted the Fifth Holy Grail War to be foolproof.
In his view, the White Dragon was an indispensable Servant.
Rin Tohsaka knew her father's fixation on him...
But she never imagined he'd actually obtain the White Dragon's holy relic.
How on earth did he do it...?
Before she could ponder further,
Rin subtly furrowed her brow, a hint of worry hidden deep in her eyes.
"What's wrong? You don't seem happy."
Out of concern for his daughter, Tokiomi asked gently. "Did something unpleasant happen during your days in the palace?"
The girl shook her head lightly. "Nothing... Everyone in the palace treated me well, and the White Dragon even saved me before."
"If that's the case, why do you look unhappy now?"
Tokiomi gazed at his daughter, feeling a bit puzzled.
Rin instinctively looked up at him, her lips parting slightly.
She hesitated for a moment but ultimately swallowed the words she wanted to say, and just whispered.
"I'm not unhappy. I'm just a bit surprised..."
Tokiomi's furrowed brows relaxed as he gently patted her head. "You don't need to feel burdened. I've already spoken with Lord White Dragon, this was with his agreement."
Rin's eyes flickered, and she asked instinctively. "He agreed to answer the Holy Grail War's summons?"
Tokiomi nodded slightly, briefly explaining his recent conversation with Alvin.
At the end, the girl's expression turned thoughtful.
In short, the White Dragon agreed to cooperate with Tokiomi to gain usage rights to the Greater Grail.
What... could his wish be?
Modern Britain differed from history—the transmigrators had brought massive changes to ancient Britain.
No one knew how history would unfold.
Similarly, Rin Tohsaka didn't know this timeline's White Dragon's fate; otherwise, she might guess what he wanted the Greater Grail for.
After a brief chat, Tokiomi left the room.
Once the door closed, Rin's gaze fell on the black cloth fragment in her hand, a conflicted expression soon appearing on her face.
For the girl, she didn't dislike the Holy Grail War or the White Dragon.
On the contrary... having him as a Servant would greatly increase their chances in the Fifth Holy Grail War.
But... what about Sakura?
Her sister had been fixated on reuniting with the White Dragon since the Fourth Holy Grail War ended.
If one day Sakura saw her Servant...
Imagining the scene, Rin's fingertips lightly brushed the black fragment, her eyes revealing complexity and conflict.
Then, another thought emerged:
Though Father said he'd reached an agreement with the White Dragon, if she were the one summoning him, what would he think?
Could she really be a worthy Master for the White Dragon?
Rin's eyes shimmered.
She exhaled softly, inexplicably feeling the holy relic in her hand incredibly heavy.
After a long while, she carefully placed the White Dragon's holy relic in a drawer, turned off the lamp.
The room was quietly swallowed by darkness.
...
---
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the next transmigration.
Upon returning to Britain,
Alvin's first task was to bring food to Tiamat.
Last time, the only reason he succeeded in driving off Sessyoin was this woman.
The Primordial Mother Goddess Tiamat... For ordinary people, the "Beast" title was a combat buff.
But for Tiamat, Beast was actually a restriction.
She shouldn't fall under the Beast category; she only became a hindrance to Human Order after being "eliminated" by the era.
Unlike typical Beasts embodying the Principle of Return, Tiamat's Spirit Origin was overwhelmingly vast.
Exaggerating slightly, even Alvin's White Dragon reactor core seemed minuscule compared to her true body.
Not just Alvin—any other Beast's Spirit Origin paled in comparison.
Primordial Goddess Tiamat in her Prime could be said to be on par with Gaia.
Perhaps Sessyoin's escape from Britain had spread the word of Tiamat, or for some other reason, but large-scale disturbances had ceased in ancient Britain during this period.
All thanks to Tiamat...
Which was why, on the day of his return, Alvin brought heaps of delicacies to reward her.
"Tia, eat more. If it's not enough,
I'll grab some from Lily's dinner."
Deep within a palace, Alvin had servants present the prepared dishes to Tiamat.
Juicy roasted squab, golden-fried chicken legs, garlic-sprinkled oily tofu... Many dishes didn't belong to this era, but since transmigrators arrived, ancient Britain had undergone earth-shaking changes.
Sometimes Alvin even wondered if, at this rate, ancient Britain might become a "Lostbelt."
After all, its original collapse stemmed from crops failing at the Age of Gods' end, leaving people without food.
In the end, King Arthur faced blame and doubt from all of Britain, ultimately resulting in rebellion.
Now, transmigrators and ancient Britain were tackling the "food" problem.
If they solved hunger, Britain could stabilize completely.
But the future wasn't something worrying alone could shape.
For now, we just need to watch...
Thinking about it, Alvin smiled inwardly, biting into a steaming meat bun.
Then, he felt a pair of eyes staring fixedly at him.
He turned to see Tiamat's starry, bright eyes fixed longingly on his bun.
Alvin paused for a moment, thinking.
'You just scarfed down one after another without a word, and now you won't spare the one I saved for myself?'
He thought about it, but still tentatively offered. "Want it?"
Tiamat's eyes lit up at first, but then she sighed regretfully, shaking her head with an "Aaa."
She pointed at the meat bun in Alvin's hand, gesturing for him to eat it.
When a foodie offers to share, it means her affection for you is sky-high...not to mention, an ultimate foodie last Tiamat..
It just meant that Tiamat's affection for him is second to none।
Alvin felt touched but still handed it over. "You eat. I'm not hungry."
Tiamat looked at the young man across her skeptically for a moment, before her eyes looked at the large bun.
She hesitated for a moment, unconsciously swallowing, but seeing his sincere expression, she took it and scarfed it down, her cheeks puffing like a steamed dumpling.
Alvin cooperatively passed her water. After she swallowed, he smiled and said. "Have you been happy since leaving the imaginary number space?"
Tiamat glanced at him, then wrote on her notepad: 'Though I haven't left the palace much, the outside world is far more interesting than I imagined.'
Mentioning this topic made Alvin feel a twinge of guilt.
By now, over a month had passed since Tiamat's spirit left the imaginary space.
He'd originally planned to take her traveling, but with transmigrators being a mixed bag...some potentially dangerous...even though they posed no threat to Tiamat, if someone tracked her spirit to her true body and awakened it... it would be a catastrophe for Britain.
"Once Britain stabilizes, I'll take you out for a walk."
Alvin said suddenly.
Tiamat patted his head, then wrote: 'I'm happy even staying in the palace, especially with you here.'
"You don't have to wait for danger.
If you miss me, you can call me anytime."
She continued writing.
Seeing the gentle expression on her childlike face, Alvin paused.
The "Mom" Noble Phantasm had always amused him... In danger, he could summon Tiamat based on his current mana to reverse the crisis.
But thinking carefully, he could use it even without danger, if he just wanted to see her.
After a brief silence, Alvin nodded seriously. "Got it... Next time I return to the modern world, I'll find a chance to summon you."
"Then I can take you to see the modern world."
Tiamat's eyes brightened, but soon dimmed. "In the modern world, do you have enough mana?"
"After the Age of Gods, ambient mana is extremely thin... It affects me too, but with the White Dragon reactor, sustaining your spirit for a while is no problem. Trust me."
"Do you believe me?"
Alvin asked.
Seeing Tiamat nod obediently, he smiled, gently stroking her soft hair.
As they enjoyed this simple warmth, faint footsteps sounded outside.
Then, a voice at the door. "Father..."
Little Mo?
This girl really doesn't know how to read the room... Alvin's brow arched slightly. "What is it?"
"The little girl you brought back seems to want to talk to you... Should I have her wait?"
Mordred's voice continued.
Little girl... Rin?
Alvin pondered for a moment and said. "Tell her to wait a moment. I'll be right there."
Rin Tohsaka... After bringing her back to the palace that day, Alvin had seen her once, but they only chatted briefly.
What could she want now?
As Alvin mulled this over, a system interface suddenly appeared before him.
[You have triggered a special CG mission: The Promise of the Fifth Holy Grail War]
[This mission will affect multiple characters' CGs. Proceed with the goal of unlocking all CGs...]
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