“Sakura is playing outside with the other children at the moment; she won’t return until dinner, so you’ll have to wait here for a bit.”
Matou Zouken’s tone shifted, his voice dropping into a low rasp.
“Speaking of which, Kariya came to visit this old man again yesterday. He was spouting his usual clichés, demanding to participate as the Matou family’s second Master.”
Just like the established sequence of events in Fuyuki, the news of Sakura being adopted into the Matou lineage had reached Kariya’s ears nearly a year ago.
As the second son of the family, he understood all too well the grim reality of the Matou attributes.
Thus, he had approached Zouken, volunteering to fight in the Holy Grail War under the condition that should he secure victory, Sakura would be released from her obligations.
There was, of course, a lingering desire for resentment against Tohsaka Tokiomi fueling his resolve.
On the other hand, the current standing of the Matou family was no longer what it once was.
Having already forged a pact with an anomaly like Rhodes, Zouken had absolutely no use for an untrained layman like Kariya.
The old magus had rejected the request without a second thought.
Since then, Kariya had persistently loitered near the estate every few days, hoping the old man would change his mind.
He had even crossed paths with Rhodes once, though their exchange had been brief.
…
“Are you a magus?” Rhodes had asked him back then.
Kariya: “I believe I am.” Rhodes had merely sneered, shaking his head before entering the mansion without another word…
…
“Rhodes-sama, what are your thoughts?” Zouken inquired, his eyes gleaming in the shadows.
“Although that unfilial son has never undergone formal training in our craft, he possesses the baseline aptitude required to be recognized by the Grail. He has even consented to the integration of the Crest Worms to guarantee his capacity as a Master. For our family, this is the closest we have ever been to reaching the Root.”
The old magus had indeed been evaluating his strategic options carefully.
“If Kariya participates, it simultaneously eliminates a potential wildcard and provides you with a convenient shield. Is that not a viable asset?”
Hearing his proposition, Rhodes impatiently crossed his legs.
“Makiri, are you losing your edge in your old age?”
Zouken’s frail frame stiffened.
“…What?”
“You speak of the Fuyuki ritual as if it hasn’t stalled for generations under your family’s current methods. It’s always the same old approach with a different coat of paint,” Rhodes stated disdainfully, sitting upright on the sofa.
“Look at the caliber of strength I operate with—prestigious lineages, deep-rooted traditions of foreign sorcery. And who are you asking me to align with?” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Zouken was inwardly startled.
The usually flippant and easygoing youth had undergone a sudden, sharp shift in demeanor, his tone carrying an absolute, unyielding authority.
“What is the standard of the Matou family right now? With just this meager foundation, you want Kariya to handle a baseline Master position for everything? Can he actually perform!? He can’t! He utterly lacks the capacity, do you not see that?” Rhodes sighed deeply, waving his hand dismissively.
“If this trajectory continues, you’ll be outmatched even by novice rogue magi. First the Tohsaka surpass you, then the outsiders, then the amateur enforcers, until there is no one left to even lose to.”
“Ahem… My original projection was to focus our resources on preparing for the subsequent ritual decades from now…” Zouken muttered.
“Oh, marvelous! Thank goodness!” Rhodes interrupted, clasping his hands together in mock relief, staring at the old magus with an expression of profound pity.
“I have already told you—the spiritual lineage of the Matou has long since thinned out. Can you give me an absolute guarantee that your family will secure victory sixty years from now using nothing but these methods?”
Zouken remained silent, unable to offer a rebuttal.
Indeed, securing the alliance of the entity before him was the greatest fortune the Matou had encountered in a century.
Even though his family was being systematically dismantled as worthless, the old monster did not dare to raise his voice.
Glancing at the silent elder, Rhodes let out a controlled breath.
“Be pragmatic. This current ritual will be fully entrusted to my management. Do not complicate the board.”
“…Understood. This old man will comply,” Zouken conceded, nodding slowly.
“The next time Kariya presents himself, I shall have him removed.”
“Rhodes-sama! Are you here today?”
Suddenly, a bright, youthful voice echoed through the corridor, followed by the light, hurried patter of footsteps on the wooden floor.
The door to the reception room swung open, revealing a young girl with short dark hair and dark eyes.
A brilliant smile lit up Matou Sakura’s face as she instinctively reached up to adjust a neat pink ribbon tied to the side of her hair.
The ribbon had been a gift from Rhodes months ago; she usually kept it carefully stored away, reluctant to wear it casually.
Having anticipated his arrival, she had worn it for the past few days, eager to present herself neatly and earn his acknowledgement.
“Sakura, mind your manners,” Zouken rebuked sternly, causing the girl to tense slightly.
“Y-yes, Grandfather. Good evening, Rhodes-sama.”
Rhodes waved his hand smoothly, dissolving the tension.
“Now, now… Sakura is adjusting to a new environment. There is no need to enforce the rigid protocols of magus nobility here.”
The old magus stood up, leaning heavily on his staff.
“Then, I shall descend to the chambers below to finalize the preparations.”
“No, Makiri. Take Sakura down first. I will join you in five minutes.” Rhodes walked over, kneeling down to bring himself to Sakura’s eye level, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Get faster updates on novelping.com.
“Starting tonight, you will begin your introduction to formal maverick arts. Are you anxious?”
“Learning magic? Will Rhodes-sama be the one teaching me?” Sakura asked, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity.
At her age, she understood very little of the hidden world, knowing only that Rhodes was a powerful ally of her grandfather.
If she entered this world, she reasoned artlessly, perhaps they would have more opportunities to spend time together.
“No, I will not be the instructor… however, I will remain present throughout the process.”
“Then I’m not afraid! I will do my absolute best, Rhodes-sama!”
“A commendable resolve. Focus on your path, so that when you grow older, your achievements will speak for themselves,” Rhodes said smoothly, stroking her hair with a calm, gentle expression.
Behind him, Zouken watched the interaction with a cold, calculating gaze.
Ah…
I see your design now, the old man thought, a sinister realization dawning upon him.
First, I will introduce her to the reality of the integration chambers, breaking her illusions.
And just as despair takes hold, you will arrive as her perceived salvation.
She will cling to you blindly, never realizing that the savior she worships is the very architect who orchestrated her descent into the depths of this trial.
To lift an unsuspecting soul, expose it to the void, and observe the sheer magnitude of spiritual resonance generated by such a profound shift—Zouken found himself deeply impressed by the sheer calculation of the youth’s methodology.
He let out a dry, rasping laugh.
“Heh heh… truly remarkable.”
With a silent sigh of admiration, the old man opened the door.
“Let us proceed, Sakura.”
“Yes, Grandfather. Rhodes-sama, see you in a bit!”
“See you soon.”
As Sakura departed and the heavy wooden door clicked shut, Rhodes was left entirely alone in the gloomy room.
He walked slowly toward the window, watching the amber sun gradually sink below the distant horizon, casting long, stark shadows across the floor.
“The concept of the Übermensch, or the Superman, is a thesis presented by Friedrich Nietzsche in his foundational work,” Rhodes murmured to the empty room, his reflection catching the dying light.
“He posited that every species naturally strives to evolve something beyond itself, and humanity is merely a bridge—a transitional element suspended between the primitive and the advanced. True evolution requires surpassing conventional boundaries entirely.”
He stared out at the gathering darkness, a faint, detached smile touching his lips.
“When old frameworks of compassion collapse, a new order must rise to define the world. That is the essence of the transition.”