The thin, trailing clouds clung to the azure dome of the sky as if frozen, and the faint morning light scattered across the flat ground through the layered clouds.
The Tohsaka residence was situated on a scenic hill in the small, deep-mountain town. This luxurious Western-style mansion, built during the Third Holy Grail War, was Kamitani Yuu's destination.
Yuu drove a black and red motorcycle, and from a distance, he could see Tohsaka Tokiomi waiting at the mansion's entrance.
He was wearing a red tailcoat, his posture upright. The accumulation of years had endowed this gentleman with a steady, mature temperament, which, combined with his impeccable grooming, made him look seven, eight, or even nine parts elegant.
"Long time no see, Tokiomi."
Yuu parked the motorcycle to the side, then greeted Tokiomi with a smile.
Seeing his close friend, Tokiomi also offered a rare, gentle smile. "Indeed, it has been a long time, Yuu-kun. The last time we met was three years ago when you returned from your break at the Clock Tower, wasn't it?"
"Yes, and I still have you to thank for your help back then, allowing me to study magecraft at the Clock Tower." Yuu nodded readily, then got straight to the point.
"So, inviting me over so formally, is there something you need to ask of me? Just say the word, as long as it's within my power."
"For a gentleman, receiving a guest at the door is quite rude."
Instead of answering his question, Tokiomi slightly turned to the side, extending his hand like a butler, and said with an elegant tone, "Please, Yuu-kun, come inside so we may speak."
Hearing this, Yuu glanced at Tokiomi with some surprise. Then, as if he had realized something, he nodded slightly and said softly, "Then I apologize for the intrusion today."
With that, Yuu stepped forward, following Tokiomi toward the mansion's living room.
Entering the elegantly decorated living room, two small girls with black hair were sitting on the sofa, looking at a storybook and occasionally exchanging soft whispers.
"Rin, Sakura, Uncle Kamitani has come to visit. Come and say hello quickly." Facing his two daughters, Tokiomi seemed like a different person, speaking with a stern face.
Upon hearing their father's voice, Sakura and Rin immediately put down their storybook and ran over on their fair, short legs. Their clear blue eyes rippled with a faint light, and their voices were crisp and obedient, "Hello, Uncle Kamitani."
"Hello." Yuu bent down slightly, reaching out to pat the heads of the two little girls. A gentle smile appeared on his handsome face. "Just a few years, and you two have grown so much."
"My visit today was rather rushed, so I didn't prepare any proper gifts." Saying this, he took out two richly colored, seemingly expensive jewels from his pocket and presented them to the two sisters. "So, I can only offer you these small gifts. I hope you don't mind."
Faced with such valuable gifts, Rin looked up at her father, seemingly asking for his opinion, while Sakura gently tugged at her sister's sleeve, adopting an "I'll do whatever my sister does" posture.
"This..."
Seeing Yuu's generosity, Tokiomi was momentarily stunned. He then looked over with some hesitation, and only after seeing Yuu nod slightly did he say in a deep voice, "Hurry up and thank Uncle Kamitani."
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Having received her father's permission, Tohsaka Rin happily accepted the two jewels, then handed the purple one to her sister, Tohsaka Sakura.
"You two go and do your homework for the day. Kamitani-kun and I have things to discuss."
"Okay~~"
After sending Sakura and Rin away, Tokiomi led Yuu to the study. After a while, his wife, Tohsaka Aoi, brought in two cups of tea, then bent her slender waist to place the cups steadily in front of the two men.
She did not leave the room immediately as she usually would, but instead stood beside Tokiomi.
Tokiomi silently glanced at his wife, his lips slightly parted, but in the end, he did not ask Aoi to leave.
"Hmm?"
Seeing this unusual scene, Yuu raised an eyebrow in surprise, but he did not ask, merely watching the Tohsaka couple in silence.
Looks like today's matter is going to be troublesome, he thought to himself.
Aoi had no aptitude to become a magus; she was just an ordinary person. To protect his wife's safety, Tokiomi had strictly forbidden her from getting involved in anything related to magecraft.
Yet, today, he was unexpectedly allowing Aoi to stand by and listen.
Could it be that Tokiomi wants to entrust Sakura to me? Sensing the strange atmosphere, Yuu couldn't help but guess.
Judging by the timeline, Sakura should have already been adopted by the Matō family by now.
But for some reason, the Tohsaka Tokiomi of this world seemed not to have taken the same action as in the original timeline, sending Sakura to the Matō family, but instead chose the closely connected Kamitani family.
However, Yuu still couldn't figure out why Tokiomi would want to pass Sakura on to him!
Although his own Rune magecraft was highly accomplished, the Kamitani family had no Magic Crest to pass down.
And even if he gave up on the Matō family, wasn't there the Edelfelt family, a distant relative of the Tohsaka family, to consider?
Just as Yuu's mind was racing, Tokiomi suddenly spoke, "Yuu-kun, it has been three years since we last met. I wonder if you have settled down and started a family?"
"...Not yet." Hearing Tokiomi's question, Yuu was momentarily stunned. He then shook his head and replied, "And I have no plans to get married right now."
"So, you are still alone?" Tokiomi continued to ask.
"Yes, why do you ask?" Yuu was confused; he didn't understand why Tokiomi cared about this.
Having received the desired answer, Tokiomi sighed as if in regret. Then, like an elder urging marriage, he said with concern, "Our deepest desire as magi is to pursue the 'Root,' and our greatest mission is to pass down the family's path of magecraft."
"While I know you are not interested in pursuing the Root, as the sole remaining son of the Kamitani family, you still must ensure the Kamitani line continues."
Saying this, Tokiomi's right hand rested lightly on his knee, his index finger unconsciously tapping his kneecap. His deep blue eyes were fixed on Yuu with expectation, and he spoke with a solemn voice, "Yuu-kun, what do you think of my youngest daughter?"
Yuu: "???"
Hold on, Tokiomi, what the hell are you talking about?!
Hearing Tokiomi's words, Yuu instantly lost his composure. He looked hesitantly at the serious Tokiomi, then shifted his gaze to Aoi standing by the side, seeing the gentle wife's face filled with reluctance.
It's over. Tokiomi and Aoi are not joking, Yuu's mind immediately crashed.
If he remembered correctly, Tohsaka Rin and Tohsaka Sakura were only seven or eight years old, right?
He had originally thought Tokiomi only wanted to pass Sakura on to the Kamitani family, but he never expected that Tokiomi actually wanted to become his father-in-law.
And a child bride... no matter how he thought about it, it was too much to handle!
"Tokiomi, this is seriously not okay!"