Einzbern Castle
Because Kiritsugu Emiya still had equipment and logistical matters to arrange, the group did not immediately depart for Fuyuki City, where the Greater Grail lay.
With Irisviel—the Lesser Grail vessel—present here, along with Saber and Berserker, Leon had no need to worry about anyone secretly making a move.
Taking advantage of the delay, he once again indulged in the luxurious lifestyle of Einzbern Castle, surrounded by beautiful attendants.
With sufficient power, one could thrive anywhere.
Leon had come to deeply appreciate that fact.
However—
With the tacit approval of Jubstacheit von Einzbern—whose name was so long that people simply called him Acht (Ahad), the Eighth Head—
Leon had originally thought he could live quite freely within the castle.
But right at the beginning, he ran into an unexpected setback.
Inside Leon's room.
A voluptuous maid with short white hair slowly slid down the wall while breathing heavily, eventually collapsing into a weak seated posture.
Her maid uniform had slipped down to her shoulders, revealing pale skin that seemed almost unnaturally white.
Her eyes were the same ruby-red color shared by all members of the Einzbern lineage.
But at this moment, those ruby eyes looked dull and unfocused, like a doll that had been played with until it nearly broke.
Her name was Sella, one of Illyasviel's two personal maids.
The other was Leysritt, who was currently attending Illya.
Originally, the maid uniforms of Einzbern Castle covered almost everything—every part of the body except the hands and face, even the hair, wrapped tightly and properly.
But Sella now looked like an egg that had been half peeled.
About a third of the pristine white "shell" had been removed, revealing the equally white interior beneath.
Yet the person responsible had apparently abandoned the idea of "tasting" the egg halfway through.
The reason was simple.
Leon had overlooked a very inconvenient detail.
The homunculus maids of the Einzbern family were created for one purpose—
To assist Ahad in maintaining the operations of Einzbern Castle, and to serve and protect the two Lesser Grail vessels, Irisviel and Illyasviel, in their daily lives.
But before Kiritsugu Emiya married into the family, the castle only had one male in a biological sense—
Ahad himself.
And he was essentially an AI-like puppet, operating only according to predetermined programs, without human personality.
Because of that, the homunculus maids of Einzbern Castle were never designed with a complete reproductive system.
Yes.
They possessed perfectly engineered figures and refined beauty, like spirits born from spring water—pleasing to the eye in every way.
But from the moment they were "manufactured," something fundamental had been omitted.
Leon silently cursed Ahad for cutting corners even on such a minor detail.
In a sense, it was accurate.
After all, the homunculus maids—along with Irisviel and Illyasviel themselves—were all products of Ahad's magecraft workshop.
Calling them his "children" wasn't far from the truth.
"Sella… are all your colleagues the same as you?"
Standing shirtless by the window, Leon clasped his hands behind his back and asked unwillingly.
He had deliberately kept his Observation Haki inactive, but he still hoped there might be an exception.
"Yes, Mr. Leon."
Sella replied with perfect composure.
Hearing that answer, the last trace of hope in Leon's heart quietly died.
At that moment, a knock came from outside the door.
"Uncle Leon, have you seen Sella?"
It was Illya's voice.
"Leysritt said you took her away."
"She's here."
"Just a moment—I'll open the door."
Click.
Leon gestured for Sella to compose herself before opening the door.
He stepped aside and invited Illya and Leysritt inside.
As soon as Illya entered, she noticed Sella licking her lips as if she had just swallowed something.
"Ah! Sella, what are you eating? If it's something tasty, you should share with me!"
"Oh, it's just some freshly heated experimental milk tea," Leon said casually.
"Want to try it? Since it's a test version, I can't guarantee the flavor."
Like a magician performing a trick, Leon produced a cup of milk tea from his system storage space, instantly heating it in his palm.
He inserted a straw and handed it to Illya.
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