Shinji Matou At Your Service

The place where Kairi Sisigou and Mordred woke up was not the underground catacombs of Trifas, but a room in a small, secluded inn outside the city of Sighișoara. To be cautious, they hadn't rented the room under their names, instead subtly taking over a room already rented by someone else.

After receiving a message from Shirou, the two, who were deep behind enemy lines, temporarily moved from their original hiding place in Trifas to the vicinity of Sighișoara.

As a necromancer who had spent many years on the battlefield, Kairi had an extraordinary sensitivity to war. Without needing further confirmation or observation, he knew that the Red Berserker was undoubtedly doomed.

With their numbers inferior to the enemy, they couldn't afford to let the Black Faction gain further advantages. Before either side took further action, they would remain on standby here. At least here, the enemy wouldn't have the home-field advantage, and Father Shirou was nearby, so they could watch each other's backs in case of danger—though Kairi didn't know that Shirou's group had already moved.

Scratching the itchy scar on his face, Kairi sat up from the sofa, his face still showing the lingering effects of a dream.

Mordred, who was playing with a stray cat, glanced at her Master and mocked him.

"Started having nightmares as soon as we moved from that catacomb to this inn? Necromancers are troublesome."

To the girl's surprise, instead of retorting or casually explaining as he usually would, Kairi just silently looked at her. That inexplicable look of sadness made her feel uncomfortable all over.

"What? That's gross."

"No, it's nothing. Let's go eat." Kairi avoided Mordred's gaze and got up to leave.

Though Mordred was a bit concerned, the mention of food made her immediately forget all her questions—being the only child of King Arthur, she inherited her father's extraordinary appetite, even if she had no claim to the throne.

"Oh, food! Food! What are we having today?"

Picking up the stray cat, Mordred hummed a tune and followed Kairi.

"What a simple-minded fellow," Kairi muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

...

At a random outdoor café, Kairi listlessly flipped through a newspaper while Mordred enthusiastically devoured her food, presenting a stark contrast. When not engaged in battle, they usually passed the time in this harmonious manner, almost as if they had "So bored, wish something exciting would happen" written on their faces.

Perhaps hearing their thoughts, a nondescript gray pigeon descended from the sky, bringing a note. The note, written in neat handwriting, read: "Black Lancer is in Sighișoara, no other Black Faction Servants found."

Although it was just a single sentence, Kairi understood the message Father Shirou wanted to convey.

With the Red Faction having lost their Berserker, it was time for the Black Faction to lose one of their own. Whether this Lancer was bait or not, they wouldn't be allowed to return.

"Hey, it seems we're being asked to take the lead," Kairi said, tossing aside the newspaper. "Indeed, this is the best option."

"What's up, Master?" Mordred asked, her mouth full of food.

"The Black Lancer is nearby."

"Really? That's great news. I'll get some exercise after filling my stomach."

Mordred enthusiastically stabbed a sausage with her fork, as if imagining it to be the Black Lancer.

"I mean, it's daytime now. Are you planning to fight in such a crowded place—Your Majesty?" Kairi teased.

"Ugh—" Mordred was struck by this realization. To make matters worse, the stray cat had sneakily taken the largest fish from her plate.

"Hey, I saved that for last! Give it back!"

The stray cat, with food already in its mouth, immediately bolted.

"Don't run!" Mordred sprinted after it, her movements mirroring those of the cat.

Kairi pushed up his sunglasses and watched the scene in silence.

This girl, has she regressed into a cat in terms of intelligence? No, humans can't regress into cats. Maybe... a monkey? Yes, Mordred has succumbed to the monkey-style intellect reduction method.

...

The Yggdmillennia clan's "eyes and ears" were spread all over Romania, and Sighișoara was no exception. Although not as pervasive as in Trifas, monitoring key individuals wasn't an issue.

When the fierce-looking Kairi Sisigou, who resembled a hardened criminal, entered the city with Mordred, who looked like a delinquent girl with her pineapple hair, hot pants, and camisole, the news quickly reached Fiore's desk. Because of Assassin's activities, Darnic had handed over half of the Yggdmillennia clan's intelligence network to Fiore.

Combining this with the earlier information about the Ruler and the news of another unidentified Servant appearing in Sighișoara, Fiore couldn't help but echo Semiramis's sentiment.

"What's going on? Why are they all... Could something be happening in Sighișoara that we don't know about? What exactly is it?"

Her left hand rhythmically tapped the armrest of her wheelchair as Fiore fell into deep thought. Unfortunately, the formidable nature of Servants made intelligence gathering difficult, and the existing information was insufficient to draw any conclusions. At least, Fiore herself couldn't figure it out.

"Maybe Assassin can make sense of it."

Since she couldn't figure it out herself, she decided to seek help. The first person who came to mind was Shinji. As an Assassin, he had an exceptional sensitivity to information, which was evident from his previous performances.

However, as soon as this thought arose, Fiore dismissed it. The awkward incident from the night before last made it hard for her to face her Servant properly. Whenever she saw his face, she became flustered and didn't know what to do.

"This can't go on; I need to change this terrible situation."

Biting her lip, Fiore was about to summon her Servant through their contract. But before she could send the command mentally, she hesitated again.

"Ugh, I still can't do it. I am..."

After a moment of self-reproach, Fiore pulled herself together.

"Forget about that for now. Business comes first—since Assassin isn't an option, I'll find someone else. Archer—no, that won't work either."

As the second-in-command of the Black Faction and their strategist, Chiron's abilities and wisdom were unquestionable. However, he was currently helping Assassin with special training. Informing him would be the same as notifying Assassin. Given what Fiore knew about her Servant, he would follow along, potentially worsening their already strained relationship. Actually, it wouldn't; Fiore was overthinking it—ah, the worries of a young girl.

Next, Fiore ruled out Caules (too familiar with him, no need to ask to know what he'd say), Celenike (not focused on the war), Astolfo (prisoner, rationality evaporation), Spartacus (prisoner, no prior interaction), Gordes and Siegfried (both left early in the morning for unknown reasons), and Roche and Avicebron (always holed up in the workshop, not engaging with others).

In the end, only Darnic, the clan leader and half-mentor, and Berserker of Black, Vlad III, remained.

Pushing aside her discontent, Fiore moved her wheelchair towards the top floor of the castle.