[...]
[Host, you are a literal genius!]
[Do you want to treat the left leg or the right leg?]
Haruka Kasugano thought for a moment, gently twisting the calf of Fiore's left leg.
Generally speaking, in humans, the calf muscles of the dominant leg are slightly more slender, while the soleus muscle is more developed. Fiore's legs were normal when she was a child, so her dominant leg would certainly possess these characteristics.
"...The left leg!"
[Ding~! Changing reward to: Treating Fiore's left leg...]
"Why do you keep squeezing my leg?" Fiore asked curiously.
"I'm treating you! You're my woman now; of course I'm going to be a little better to you!" Haruka Kasugano laughed.
"How is that possible... my legs have long since—" Before Fiore could finish, she suddenly felt a violent wave of soreness and numbness surging through her leg, as if a force was unblocking her long-paralyzed nerves.
"Ahhh—" After the numbness passed, Fiore's left leg actually twitched miraculously.
She could actually feel that she could use her left leg to run!
Since the left was her dominant foot, she was supported by Haruka Kasugano and began hopping and jumping on one leg! What was even more shocking was that the magic circuits in her left leg had actually been repaired as well!
Fiore's eyes widened as she looked at Haruka Kasugano in disbelief. "You... you really healed my leg?"
Haruka Kasugano shrugged lightly, a smug smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
[Ding~! Fiore is deeply grateful to the Host. Infidelity Progress has exploded! Increased by 50%~!]
[Reward...]
Hmm?
[Roger that. 50% Infidelity Progress can be used to repair Fiore's right leg...]
Immediately after, Fiore once again felt that tingling sensation within her right leg, like an electric current grazing her, bringing a strange sense of comfort.
"Ahhh—"
After a moment of shock, she discovered to her delight that she could now stand completely upright! She couldn't wait to try walking, so she attempted to take a few steps, lightly jogging forward.
However, since she hadn't run in so long, her body was still a bit stiff. She lost her balance and tripped. Haruka Kasugano saw this and hurried forward to lift her, holding her steadily in his arms.
Leaning against Haruka Kasugano's chest, Fiore suddenly realized she actually loved this embrace. A blush bloomed on her face.
"Thank you..." Fiore had completely surrendered.
[Ding~! Congratulations Host, Fiore's Infidelity Progress has reached 99%~!]
Heh, 99% already. Giving up those earlier rewards was a good call!
-----------
On the other side.
Due to Chiron's sneak attack, Jack the Ripper was suddenly wounded. Her left arm was fractured, and she was covered in blood. Left with no choice, she dematerialized and retreated.
Mordred, thanks to her [Instinct], managed to dodge the blow in the nick of time. Furious, she charged toward the high tower where Chiron was positioned. With her extreme speed, she could even run vertically up the walls.
At that moment, Melusine stepped out from the side and followed the direction in which Jack had fled. Her goal was to track Jack and find their hideout. As for Mordred's battle with Chiron—whether based on power analysis or anything else—there was no way Mordred would lose. There was no need to worry about her, nor was there a strict necessity to defeat Chiron.
-----
Meanwhile, having finished his "business," Haruka Kasugano carried Fiore and prepared to evacuate. Artoria alter dragged the unconscious Caules along as they left.
Looking at Caules, Haruka Kasugano's "mathematical mind" began working again. It looked like Frankenstein would be easy to obtain~! As a Berserker, her mental state was unstable, and she was easily toyed with by Shakespeare. With a little bit of planning and using Caules as leverage, he could take her easily.
Haruka Kasugano looked forward to tomorrow even more. Using his relationship with Fiore, he had her take him back to the Yggdmillennia castle. After all, besides conquering Frankenstein, he had two other things to do inside that castle~!
-------
Once Haruka Kasugano boarded the luxury car driven by the Yggdmillennia homunculi, Artoria alter returned to the battlefield. Not long after, Mordred walked back in her casual clothes.
"Where's Master?" Mordred asked, hands in her pockets, feigning impatience but with a smile tugging at her lips.
Artoria alter remained standing elegantly and answered with a smile: "He went back to the Black Faction's castle with that crippled woman."
"Huh? He's a Red Faction Master running into Black Faction territory? Isn't that a death wish?" Mordred asked, confused.
"It's fine. He has some trick that hides his magic circuits even from us; he won't be suspected." Artoria alter knew this all too well—after all, she had been fooled the same way. "By the way, seeing how relaxed you are, was Archer repelled?"
"The first battle was a draw. It seems you're enjoying the fun of the Holy Grail War~!"
Mordred paused, then immediately got flustered, shouting, "I haven't said anything yet, why are you speaking for me?"
"Hehehe, I can tell by your expression!" Artoria alter laughed seductively.
"..." Mordred's face flushed for a second, and she quickly pouted. "You really are a fake... Father... Mother King would never be this considerate..."
"Hehehe, the 'old me' was just a brainless little girl. The 'current me' is a good woman who's considerate enough to help people out of their clothes. It's different~!" Artoria alter joked.
"I still can't get used to this..." Mordred found the composed Artoria alter hard to deal with. Just then, Melusine flew down before them like a gust of wind.
"The location has been scouted. Do we move to capture tonight?" Melusine asked.
"Huh? You didn't come out to help because you were tracking the Assassin? Good, let's go kill her now!" Mordred was instantly excited.
Artoria alter stood up and smiled. "Killing is out of the question. Haruka Kasugano's order is to capture them alive."
"Hah... that pervert... is he going to lay hands on even the Assassin?" Mordred grumbled.
"What do you mean by that?" The loli-statured Melusine asked, puffing her cheeks out in annoyance.
"Ah... nothing..." Mordred whistled a casual tune. "Let's go. If we don't leave now, the Assassin might slip away."
Artoria alter rose gracefully, walking like a noble swan toward Jack the Ripper's location.
---------
Haruka Kasugano followed Fiore back to the Yggdmillennia castle. Along the way, he held Fiore, patting her small backside with a smug expression. However, Fiore in his arms was restless.
"Haruka Kasugano... are you really coming to the castle with us? Aren't you afraid of being exposed?" Fiore asked worriedly.
"Does everyone there know what I look like?" Haruka Kasugano asked.
"I'm not sure. I knew I might meet Saber's Master tonight, but I didn't know your face," Fiore replied.
"Then it's settled. Just don't tell anyone I'm Saber's Master!" Haruka Kasugano said cheerfully.
"But... you are a Master. Clan head Darnic will see it at a glance..." Fiore was full of concern.
Haruka Kasugano wasn't worried at all. With the [Espionage] skill, as long as Fiore didn't betray him, his identity was safe. And since her Infidelity Progress was at 99%, she wasn't likely to turn on him. "Don't worry," he comforted her. Fiore had no choice but to stop trying to persuade him.
Thanks to Fiore, Haruka Kasugano entered the castle easily. Upon getting out of the car, Darnic, the head of the Yggdmillennia, came to meet them.
"Fiore, how was the battle? Did you find the Assassin?" Darnic asked.
"We found her. She was fighting the Red Faction's Saber. Archer tried to ambush her but failed," Fiore stepped forward and answered.
"I see..." Darnic accepted the result, but his gaze quickly fell on Haruka Kasugano. "And this is..."
"He... he's my fiancé! My father picked him out for me. I ran into him on the way back..." Fiore explained hurriedly.
Darnic stared at Haruka Kasugano fiercely, but Haruka Kasugano remained calm. With [Camouflage] and [Espionage], he didn't believe Darnic could see through him.
"Why would your father want you to marry a man with no magic circuits?" Darnic asked suddenly.
"..." Fiore didn't answer. She was still sitting in her wheelchair. Even though her legs were healed, who would believe they were fixed in a single night? So, being clever, she chose to continue faking the disability.
Darnic looked at the "disabled" girl and sighed. "Is this your choice? Very well." He turned and walked away. By "choice," he meant he thought Fiore had decided to give up being a magus. After all, her disability was tied to her circuits; removing them would fix her legs but end her career as a magus. Since she was his chosen successor, he felt a sense of pity.
As Darnic left, Fiore knew Haruka Kasugano had successfully blended in. She let out a breath of relief. Just then, Frankenstein ran over like a flash of pink lightning—she wanted to welcome Caules back.
Her pink bangs were long, falling like a waterfall to cover her beautiful face. She had a single horn on her head like a unicorn, making her look heart-stoppingly cute. She was wearing a wedding dress that looked as delicate as a blooming flower. Her 172cm height gave her incredibly long legs—seemingly longer than Caules' life.
"Ah... ahh..." She spoke with a stutter, letting out small, beast-like cries toward the unconscious Caules.
Tsk, tsk. This level of cuteness is practically a crime~!
--------
The homunculi quickly carried Caules away toward the infirmary. Frankenstein followed them, hopping and skipping excitedly with her giant hammer in hand. Haruka Kasugano stared at her retreating figure. He was truly looking forward to their upcoming "date"!