Chapter 22: The Effect of 50 Charm Attribute Points
As a descendant of one of the three great mage families, Tohsaka Rin naturally had a way to contact the Clock Tower. Her method was simple and crude: sending a magical telegram.
Not all mages rejected modern tools, but most traditional mages disliked telephones, perhaps to avoid wiretapping and tracking.
When Su Xiao brought Tohsaka Rin back to the Tohsaka family villa, Rin was stunned by the scene before her. Her house had exploded—no, it had been shattered into powder by a gravitational magnetic field.
Staring at the pile of what seemed to be building debris, Rin swayed in the breeze, looking helplessly at Su Xiao.
"The magical telegram was in my bedroom. By now, it's probably turned to powder too."
"No other channels?"
"It seems not."
Tohsaka Rin's gaze flickered slightly.
"As one of the three great mage families, the Einzbern family likely also has a way to contact the Clock Tower."
Su Xiao, who could compete with the old schemers, naturally saw that Rin was hiding something.
"Are you serious? The Einzbern family is also a participant in this Holy Grail War. Showing up at their doorstep like this is clearly an act of war."
"So?"
"Uh..."
Tohsaka Rin felt like crying. Her Servant seemed intent on flattening the Einzbern estate, and she couldn't stop him. Worst of all, she had a close relationship with the child of the Einzbern family. Unless it was absolutely necessary, she never wanted to be hostile to that child. Even if they were enemies, she didn't want to hurt her.
"Not good, not good. Illya's situation is very bad!"
No matter how anxious Tohsaka Rin was, Su Xiao had already walked out of the villa. This was the most direct and effective way to find Kirei Kotomine.
...
That afternoon, in a man-made forest southwest of Fuyuki City.
"Now that we're here, let me handle the negotiations."
Tohsaka Rin stood on a dirt path. About half a kilometer ahead lay the Einzbern family castle.
Su Xiao was familiar with this place. After all, he had sniped Kiritsugu Emiya here.
Inside the Einzbern castle, a silver-haired girl with crimson eyes was having afternoon tea. On the table before her was a crystal ball, showing the images of Tohsaka Rin and Su Xiao.
"Rin."
The silver-haired girl was puzzled. She couldn't understand why Rin would come near her home at this time, but her lips curled up, revealing a small fang.
"Doing this shouldn't make Rin angry. No, definitely not."
As she spoke, her smiling eyes narrowed into slits.
This girl was named Illyasviel von Einzbern, a homunculus. As the direct descendant of the Einzbern family's homunculus lineage, she had inherited the fate of becoming the Holy Grail's vessel, just like her mother.
"Milady, do you intend to let these two into the castle? They are..."
A maid dressed as a nun beside Illya spoke. From her hair and eye color, she was also a homunculus.
"What's wrong with that? It's Rin, after all."
Though Illya was the mistress of the castle, she usually lacked the dignity of a lord.
"Milady..."
"It's fine. Even if they have ulterior motives, they can't possibly beat Berserker."
The moment Illya finished speaking, her fair face gradually froze. Through the crystal ball, she saw Su Xiao and Tohsaka Rin walking openly toward the castle without triggering a single magical trap.
"Malfunctioned? Or weren't activated in time?"
Illya was displeased. She had originally planned to tease Rin a bit before letting her into the castle for a warm welcome.
On the dirt path leading to the castle, Su Xiao walked slowly. Cyan Steel Shadow energy seeped from his feet into the soil below, quickly dissipating. But before the energy faded, bursts of black smoke rose from the ground around him.
"This... isn't good, is it?"
Tohsaka Rin followed behind Su Xiao, her smile growing more strained.
"..."
Su Xiao said nothing, only quickening his pace. He still wasn't sure which side the Einzbern family was on. If they were aligned with the Blood Gate, he would have to fight his way in today.
As they reached the castle, Su Xiao saw the main gate tightly shut. The courtyard was also empty.
"Seems like we're not welcome. That makes things simpler. Amu, go knock on the door."
The moment Su Xiao spoke, Amu, who had been hiding in the forest behind, rushed over. Judging by its momentum, it wasn't about to knock—it was about to kick the door down. This was Amu's unique way of knocking, with an estimated success rate of over 90%.
"Wait!"
Tohsaka Rin raised her arms, blocking the gate. If that kick landed, based on her understanding of this Servant, there would be no survivors inside the castle within half an hour.
Amu stopped, looking at Su Xiao as if to say, "Master, should we kick it together?"
To Amu, Tohsaka Rin was merely a target to protect. If Su Xiao gave the order, it would crush her without hesitation.
"You handle the negotiations. Time is limited. I'll give you half an hour at most."
"That's enough."
Tohsaka Rin let out a long sigh, silently praying nothing would go wrong.
"Anyone there?"
Rin called out. Standing before the iron gate, peering through the gaps into the empty courtyard, she felt like an idiot.
"So it's the young lady of the Tohsaka family. What business brings you here at such a sensitive time?"
A maid in a nun's outfit appeared. Her tone wasn't particularly friendly.
Rin's smile stiffened. She wanted to say, "You'd better be polite. I don't really care, but the person behind me..."
"I have urgent matters to discuss with Illyasviel von Einzbern. It concerns this Holy Grail War."
The moment Rin finished, another female voice rang out.
"Sella, open the gate."
"But..."
"Enough. Open the gate."
The newly arrived girl smiled warmly at Rin.
"Rin, long time no see."
"Phew... Long time no see. If it weren't for this occasion, we could have had afternoon tea together."
Rin looked at the tall Servant behind the girl. Clearly, both sides understood their respective positions.
In the courtyard, a gentle breeze blew, carrying pink petals through the air. This castle wasn't actually the Einzbern family's main stronghold. There was an identical castle in Germany, where snow fell year-round. The castle near Fuyuki City was merely a replica, so the seasonal climate here was normal.
"Speak, Rin. Why have you come to see me, and with your Servant in tow?"
Behind Illya stood over a dozen maids, all staring intently at Su Xiao. They could clearly sense his bloodlust, which made them even more vigilant.
"It's like this..."
Tohsaka Rin quickly explained the situation to Illya, including Kirei Kotomine and the need to contact the Clock Tower.
"I see."
Illya's expression gradually grew serious.
"I'm sorry, Rin. Your request isn't unreasonable. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't refuse. But now, it's a matter of stance. We're both Masters."
"Illya, please reconsider..."
Before Rin could finish, Su Xiao placed his hand on her shoulder. He would take over the negotiations. He wanted to test the effect of the Traveler's title, which significantly boosted his Charm attribute.
Who would have thought that the moment Su Xiao stepped forward, Illya took a small step back.