Afternoon in the British palace, warm sunlight spilling in.
Rin sat by the windowsill, absentmindedly staring outside.
Then, faint footsteps. Rin instinctively turned to the door, seeing a black-clad boy enter under Mordred's guidance.
Noticing her gaze, Alvin smiled.
"You wanted to see me, Rin?"
Rin glanced instinctively at Mordred, staying silent.
The latter clicked her tongue. "Kids are such a hassle..."
'Didn't you forget you're a kid too...?' Alvin smiled outwardly but inwardly quipped.
Once Mordred left the room, he turned to Rin. "What's up?"
After bringing her back, Alvin had let her rest in the palace.
The reason he didn't come to see her was partly because too many things had happened during this time and he needed to deal with them, and partly because... nowadays, Alvin was seen by the people in the palace as King Arthur's second-in-command, and he would attract attention wherever he went.
If possible, he didn't want Rin drawing too much notice.
After all, at such a young age, entering the public eye too early might not be good for her.
Rin hesitated slightly, then said timidly. "I haven't properly thanked you for last time."
Alvin was taken aback at first, then quickly remembered something and asked in confusion. "Are you talking about Sessyoin...? Didn't I tell you before that you don't need to worry about it too much?"
"But Father said you must thank someone who helps you."
The seven-year-old girl lifted her cute face, her bright eyes staring straight at Alvin as she spoke. "And it's not just that... There's also the future Holy Grail War."
Alvin's brow arched. He entered the room, poured himself hot tea, and looked at Rin.
Two o'clock sunlight gently spilled through the window onto the girl, giving her fair skin a warm, jade-like glow.
"Has Tokiomi already explained it to you?"
Rin nodded lightly. "The Holy Grail War... I know all about it."
She hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Alvin tsundere-style. "Y-you... Do you have a wish you want to fulfill?"
"That's the real reason you wanted to see me, right?"
Alvin asked with a smile.
Rin hummed in agreement. "Servants in the Holy Grail War all had regrets in life, so they use the Greater Grail to make a wish... I want to know yours."
"...This can also be considered as learning about the Holy Grail War in advance."
She quickly added another unnecessary sentence.
"My wish...?"
Alvin thought for a moment, then smiled. "You'll find out later, won't you?"
"But later is a long, long time..."
According to Tokiomi Tohsaka's estimate, it may be a full ten years before the start of the next Holy Grail War.
Alvin pondered for a moment and said. "Actually, I don't plan to use the Greater Grail for any wish. If I had to name one, it'd be purifying the Greater Grail, then letting my Master claim final victory."
"Can you accept that reason, Master?"
As he finished speaking, he looked at Rin Tohsaka with a gentle smile.
The twin-tailed girl words froze in her throat. She didn't process Alvin's meaning at first. After a long moment, she stiffened.
Eh... Eh eh eh eh eh?!
The stunned Tohsaka heiress's eyes widened, her complex gaze concealing indescribable emotions. She opened her mouth, stunned for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word.
Only after who-knows-how-long did Rin manage, voice strained. "Master...? You just called me Master?"
"Yes. Tokiomi is heading to the Clock Tower soon... If you're the future Tohsaka heir, aren't you my Master?"
Alvin spoke in a completely natural tone.
Under the sunlight, the young boy's fair face carried an incredibly gentle smile, yet that expression alone made Rin Tohsaka, who just moments ago still wore a slightly tsundere attitude, suddenly panic.
"Or do you already have a Servant you truly prefer? Am I just one of your backup options?"
That soft, calm voice continued to reach her ears.
"N-no, that's not what I meant, I, I just… just…"
The girl's mind suddenly turned into a mess; losing her ability to think, she stammered for a long while but couldn't utter a single coherent sentence.
Admiration is always the most distant distance.
Ever since she personally witnessed the power of the White Dragon, Rin Tohsaka had been able to understand why her father longed to have the White Dragon as his Servant.
However, she had also once wondered, could she really be qualified to be the White Dragon's Master?
Even when she met Alvin not long ago, Rin Tohsaka still carried such doubts deep in her heart.
But now, Alvin was the one who first acknowledged her as his little Master…?
They say tsundere isn't trendy anymore these days, but this kind of little tsundere acting shy is still quite interesting…
Alvin said, "Are you getting used to living in the palace?"
"Everything's fine… and Miss Mordred has been taking good care of me too…"
When she said that, Rin hesitated again, as if she had something else she wanted to say but stopped herself.
Alvin noticed her hesitation and smiled. "If you have something to say, just say it. There are no outsiders here."
Rin puffed up her cheeks slightly and raised her head to meet Alvin's gaze.
"I just wanted to ask, is everything fine on Sessyoin Kiara's side?"
That day, although the priest beast had escaped from the mansion, no one knew where she might be hiding now, or what she might be plotting.
Rin didn't doubt Alvin's strength, but if the enemy lurked in the shadows while he stood in the light, it was hard not to feel uneasy.
"Is that what you're worried about?"
Alvin quietly gazed at Rin's worried expression, his eyes thoughtful.
"I've already taken care of that matter. Don't worry."
As long as Merlin was around, any enemy, even a Beast, stepping into the royal capital would be noticed instantly… of course, that was assuming Merlin didn't slack off.
Although that white-haired mage had verbally promised Alvin he would help, for some reason, Alvin always felt the man wasn't entirely reliable.
Of course, that wasn't something he could say aloud to Rin.
After chatting idly for a while longer, Alvin got up and left the room.
Walking along the palace path, his mind was occupied with everything that had happened recently.
At present, ancient Britain had entered a relatively stable stage.
Although the Age of Gods was accelerating its decline, the long-standing food shortage among the people of Britain had been rapidly resolved in just a few days thanks to the traveler's arrival.
However, one must know, under normal circumstances, history shouldn't be changeable.
In the legends of King Arthur, there was the mutual hatred between Artoria and Morgan le Fay, Mordred's rebellion, the disintegration of the Round Table Knights led by Lancelot and others, all of which led to the inevitable collapse of ancient Britain.
But judging from the current trend, ancient Britain seemed to be thriving instead.
At least for now, Alvin couldn't imagine how this kingdom could decline, let alone collapse.
"I wonder if some invisible hand will forcibly correct all of this…"
The young man thought to himself.