After breakfast.
“…So, Sister Scathach was summoned by Sister Morgan using the rules of the Holy Grail system and her own uniqueness as a Caster?”
Having learned more information about Scathach from Morgan, Sakura frowned in thought.
“If that’s possible, and since Sister Scathach is also a Caster, could she summon a third Caster?”
“And then have the third one summon a fourth, and the fourth summon a fifth?”
“Uh…
is that not allowed?”
“It is possible, but unnecessary.”
Morgan shook her head.
“The reason ‘rule-breaking summons’ are called that is because they defy the established order.
This doesn’t just apply to the Holy Grail War.
Mark my words: when you do something that deviates from the norm once, people will simply assume you’re naive, ignorant of the rules, or acting on impulse.
But if you do it repeatedly…
you can’t complain when others start using methods outside the rules, or when the ‘Rules’ themselves descend to deal with you.”
“Don’t tell me you taught her the same thing while I was gone a few days ago.”
Standing nearby, Byakuya was studying Rune Magecraft under Scathach.
He had been hesitating to speak, opening and closing his mouth several times before finally unable to hold it in.
“I admit, this isn’t exactly ‘righteous’ thinking,” Morgan replied, meeting his gaze.
“But who was the one who came up with the idea that ‘a Caster can break the rules to summon extra Servants’?”
“…”
*Of course it was Medea.
Did you think it was me?*
Byakuya pursed his lips and decided not to argue further.
After all, witches stuck together; even if he pointed it out, Morgan would likely just think he was trying to shift the blame.
He shifted his attention back to Scathach.
In the brief moment he had been talking to Morgan, she had already laid out an extensive set of theories written in Runic characters.
Byakuya hurried to copy them down.
As the runes took shape beneath his fingertips, the proficiency for [Rune Magecraft] on his system interface began to climb rapidly.
Whenever he encountered a passage he couldn’t quite grasp, he would simply extract the proficiency gained from his automated training.
Yesterday, after Scathach agreed to teach him her understanding of modern runes, Byakuya had moved [Rune Magecraft] into the automated training slot previously occupied by [Unity of Heaven and Man] to better and faster absorb the knowledge he gained from her.
‘An interesting talent.’
From last night until now, there had been several moments where Scathach felt he should have been stuck for a while.
Yet, after a brief period of contemplation, he always managed to fully integrate and master the previous section.
Scathach watched Byakuya in the midst of his epiphany with genuine interest.
She was surprised that she had encountered such a prime specimen—someone who would have been rare even in the Age of Gods—simply because she had responded to a summons on the whim that it was “a rare chance to get out and see the world.”
“…Madam?”
Byakuya called out, noticing her strange gaze.
Because claiming the “experience” from his automated training provided a deeper insight into the knowledge he had partially understood from Scathach, his actual increase in [Rune Magecraft] proficiency was higher than what the automation alone provided.
He was very satisfied with his new teacher.
“It’s nothing.
Let us continue.”
For now, there was still about a week before the latest possible start date for the Holy Grail War.
Furthermore, because Morgan had designated her as being outside the official combatant roster when she was summoned, Scathach could remain in this world even after the war ended, provided she was willing to sever her contract with Morgan and find a new Master.
Having her interest piqued, Scathach decided to observe him a while longer.
Two hours later, at nine in the morning, Kariya Matou arrived punctually at the Matou Residence.
Seeing Sakura—who, while not as cheerful as she had been when with Aoi and Rin Tohsaka in his memories, was clearly being well-cared for—the heavy stone that had been weighing on Kariya’s heart finally lifted.
He then reported his future plans to Byakuya.
“You’re not leaving?” Byakuya asked, hearing that Kariya wanted to stay and help Tsuruno Matou manage the family’s secular businesses.
“No, I don’t plan on leaving,” Kariya nodded.
“The root cause of my leaving home back then was that old man.
Although I haven’t been in touch with my brother for years, he understands why I did it.
He was even envious of my decisiveness back then…”
Recalling the heart-to-heart conversation he and Tsuruno had shared last night, aided by alcohol, a complex array of emotions surfaced on Kariya’s face.
“If you’ve made up your mind, then stay,” Byakuya agreed.
“You didn’t actually need to ask me for this.
I told your brother back then that as long as the basic needs of the Matou Residence were guaranteed, everything regarding the Matou family’s secular affairs would be his decision until Sakura comes of age.
I won’t interfere.”
*What?
Over the course of a dozen years, would Tsuruno Matou transfer the family assets into his own name?*
Byakuya believed that Tsuruno—who had learned exactly what a “magus” was from a man who was a father in name but an ancestor in reality—would be smart enough to handle it.
“Even so, my brother and I felt it was right to report it to you first.”
Having confirmed Sakura’s condition and received permission, Kariya didn’t linger.
He told Sakura he would visit her more often when he had time and then departed.
After the guest left, Sakura continued studying the basics that Morgan believed every magus must master, and Byakuya continued his lessons in Rune Magecraft with Scathach until noon.
In the afternoon, Byakuya didn’t seek out Scathach.
Instead, he went to Esdeath to begin hunting.
While harvesting the flesh of Danger Beasts, he used the combat as a relatively relaxed way to verify his progress in Rune Magecraft.
Morning Rune lessons with Scathach, afternoon hunting, stretching his muscles with Esdeath after dinner, and then returning to the Matou Residence for a night session with Scathach…
this became his daily routine for the next few days.
This continued until the sixteenth day after he had broken into the Matou Residence to save Sakura.
It was the day the Greater Holy Grail, triggered by a surge of magic power within the Fuyuki Leyline, announced that the Fourth Holy Grail War would begin ahead of schedule—marking the final day of the fifteen-day preparation period given to the participants.
[Skill [Rune Magecraft (Lv.5)] proficiency has reached maximum.
Would you like to upgrade to a higher level?]
*Finally!*
With Scathach’s help, Byakuya had filled the proficiency for Lv.6 in just one week—a task that would have normally taken over a hundred days of automated training.
He let out a long sigh of relief as he saw the prompt.
*Yes!*
[[Rune Magecraft (Lv.5)] has been upgraded to [Rune Magecraft (Lv.6)]][[Rune Magecraft (Lv.6)] has gained 1 additional point of Intensity (Current Cumulative Intensity: