Chapter 1044

【Ayaka Sajyou, Saber's Master, a Seraph of the first rank.】

【The current head of the Sajyou family is of the same generation as me, the current head of the Reiroukan family, and both of us have the same city as our base and possess ancient bloodlines as mages, so naturally, we have had many exchanges. Therefore, I know that man is not someone who would tell boring jokes, let alone humiliate himself or bluff.】

【Although we have had many exchanges—they were limited to the level of magic, far from the private friendship of ordinary people; in fact, we only talked a few times about topics related to researching magic. Even so, compared to other mages, it could already be called 'close.' Although by such standards, those neighbors who hid their identity as mages and approached me might be even 'closer' than him.】

【In those few conversations, he did indeed once say—】

【His own daughter, Ayaka Sajyou, was a genius the likes of which had never appeared in the Sajyou family line.】

【Ayaka indeed possessed magical circuits passed down through the family bloodline, but he was not sure if that could be considered the Sajyou family's magical circuits; whereas Ayaka, born a few years later, possessed the genuine Sajyou family magical circuits.】

【He said: Everything about her is an exception.】

【Not only her magical circuits, learning speed, and magical adaptability, but even magic that neither her father nor the successive heads of the Sajyou family had ever touched, she could master with astonishing speed.】

Rin Tohsaka: "Good guy, is this a true genius?"

Caules: "Can she master magic that others need a long time to grasp so easily?"

Caster: "Interesting, even in the Age of Gods, this could be considered a genius."

Aoko Aozaki: "Hehe, is this what you call being fed by the heavens?"

Shiki Ryougi: "You're not much better yourself."

Aoko Aozaki: "Hehe, little Shiki, you only see my current strength, but you didn't see my efforts."

【How could I have believed such words at the time? Even if it wasn't a joke or posturing, it must have been mixed with quite a bit of exaggeration. Perhaps Ayaka Sajyou was truly in the category of a scholar or genius, but such a 'monster' absolutely could not exist. It should just be that she was like my beloved daughter Misaya, who was more excellent than me the moment she was born and had good aptitude, just another heir born with rare talent.】

【At that time, I was actually foolish enough to think so.】

【I was truly too foolish!】

【Because that man was not wrong at all.】

【That thing, that thing with a human form, is indeed—a 'genius.'】

【If not for that...】

【"Hello, Uncle Reiroukan. Should I say nice to meet you?"】

【"When... exactly..."】

【Misaya—】

【The night I encountered Saber, it seemed I really didn't see Ayaka Sajyou, and I still remember how relieved I was at the time.】

【Ah, that's great. She didn't do anything to her at all. Those words at the time were indeed just to scare people.】

【"Compared to attacking the Master themselves, if they have a 'weakness' that lacks the ability to resist, attacking there should be more efficient. Don't you think so, Uncle? Am I wrong?"】

【"For example, Misaya, she's such a cute child."】

【"If you lost her—Uncle, you would be very painful, right?"】

【That's right. Yes, not wrong at all.】

【She was just bluffing, that's why Misaya was fine.】

【Really, nothing happened, not a single injury, and of course, no one took her life. That girl saying those words was just to restrain me.】

【No matter how much of a genius her father described her as, she couldn't possibly be a match for the perfect magic of the legendary alchemist Paracelsus, also known as von Hohenheim, who manifested as Caster.】

【Yes. I made such a judgment that night, and I even felt relieved.】

【But why?】

【Misaya has always been heavily guarded by this magical fortress; how exactly did that daughter of the Sajyou family 'make a move'?】

【"What am I? What Far East's number one mage? To be made like this by a little girl..."】

Caules: "She really wants to make a move on that girl! Aren't they friends?"

Waver: "That was just King Arthur's judgment; she never admitted it."

Kayneth: "Clearly having the strength to directly solve the Master and achieve victory, yet choosing to make a move on the Master's relatives instead—this is no longer just for victory!"

Originally, he was sighing at Ayaka Sajyou's talent, but now, he only felt deep disgust for this princess-like girl.

After all, Lord Kayneth most detests such behavior that involves relatives.

Emiya Kiritsugu: "That's right, even though it wasn't necessary, she still did it on purpose. She is no longer doing it for victory, just to satisfy her own evil tastes."

Shishigou: "Tch, is she making herself happy by watching others suffer?"

Shishigou: "As expected, just as guessed before, this girl's values have been abnormal from the start."

Rin Tohsaka: "Fortunately, this guy isn't in our world; I absolutely don't want to face such a lunatic."

Househusband: "How could..."

He originally thought Ayaka Sajyou was just ignorant of the world and would soon be normal under the guidance of the old Saber, but now it seems that is clearly not the case.

Waver: "However, compared to Ayaka Sajyou, what should be worried about now is her plan to make a move on Misaya. I'm afraid..."

【Back to Misaya Reiroukan's room.】

【"Misaya..."】

【Paracelsus quietly watched the sleeping girl, his eyes becoming incomparably strange.】

【That is, this girl sleeping with her eyes closed.】

【That is, this girl loved by her father and mother.】

【That is, this girl he chose as a noble sacrifice.】

【For a moment, sadness appeared on his expression. But he did not disobey the order.】

【Because his betrayal was already a fact.】

【"My Master, I have already followed your instructions and connected more deeply with her."】

【Paracelsus muttered: "Yes, please feel free. Any curse, as long as you wish, can be cast from the outside at any time."】

【"... No. The whole world belongs to you alone. As long as it is what you decide, it makes no sense for me to think anything."】

【"My Master, the girl of the root who descended to rule all things in the world. Even the ancient gods filled with true starlight cannot compare to your radiance."】

【"──Ayaka Sajyou-sama."】

Waver: "Sigh, as expected..."

Rin Tohsaka: "I say, don't you Casters have any credibility at all!"

Avicebron: "(Cannot refute)"