Chapter 49: Minor Friction Among Servants

"Teacher, you wanted to see me? And Father is here too?"

In the Tohsaka residence, both Tohsaka Tokiomi and Risei Kotomine wore expressions of deep concern, nearly causing Kirei Kotomine to lose his usual composure. Fortunately, Kirei had undergone over half a month of professional training—never laugh unless he absolutely couldn’t help it.

"Take a look, Kirei. This is a Servant battle incident the Holy Church just dealt with in the suburbs," Tokiomi said, handing over documents and photographs. As Kirei examined them, his father, Risei, spoke sternly: "The Holy Grail War hasn’t even begun, yet someone is already breaking the rules—initiating combat prematurely and doing so in broad daylight, no less. This has put tremendous pressure on the Holy Church to cover it up."

"To have such unruly, low-class individuals running amok in our jurisdiction, and for us to fail in managing it properly... If the Mage’s Association or the Holy Church headquarters were to find out, they’d undoubtedly mock us relentlessly," Risei added, his tone laced with irritation.

"Kirei, we’ll begin the plan ahead of schedule tonight," Tokiomi declared solemnly.

"Tonight? But the Holy Grail War isn’t set to start for another seven days," Kirei replied, setting down the materials in surprise.

"If we don’t use this to intimidate those fools, they’ll grow even more brazen in our territory. Too many unexpected incidents have occurred already. As the overseer of Fuyuki, I cannot allow this to continue," Tokiomi stated firmly.

"But... what about the King of Heroes?" Kirei asked. After all, Tokiomi had previously discussed this matter with Gilgamesh, and Kirei distinctly remembered how displeased the golden king had been, berating Tokiomi harshly at the time.

Now, with the plan being moved up abruptly, wouldn’t that temperamental king...?

"Actually, this was the King of Heroes’ own decision," Tokiomi explained slowly. "After the Servant battle this morning, the King of Heroes visited the scene. When he returned, his expression was... unusual, as if a fire burned within him. He likely wants to use this as an outlet for his anger."

"If it’s the King of Heroes’ will, then there’s no need to worry too much. I’ll proceed as planned tonight, Teacher," Kirei said, though a flicker of disappointment passed through his eyes. Truthfully, he had been looking forward to seeing his teacher get torn apart by Gilgamesh again.

For some reason, Tokiomi felt a sudden chill run down his spine, as if something unspeakable were watching him. He glanced around but found nothing. With a sigh, he lamented how these continuous surprises were fraying his nerves—hardly a good sign.

"Only by strictly adhering to the plan can I maintain control of the situation," Tokiomi thought to himself.

"What? You’re all Takashi Kuroda’s Servants?" Mordred stared in shock at the three sisters and the Assyrian Empress before her. Including herself, that made five Servants already under Kuroda’s command. And if she recalled correctly, that mysterious girl who had appeared out of nowhere didn’t seem ordinary either. Later, she realized her helmet Noble Phantasm had reacted—that blonde girl definitely wasn’t just some Master, as Kuroda had claimed, but another Servant with unique abilities. Add to that Kuroda’s own combat prowess, which rivaled that of a Servant...

What kind of Holy Grail War was this? One guy had gathered the equivalent of seven Servants’ worth of power. Was he even giving anyone else a chance?

Mordred could only admit—yeah, this was one hell of a strong ally.

She’d never fought a war this stacked in her life. jpg

"Big Sister Semiramis, is Teacher not coming back after this?" A small purple-haired head peeked out, trembling slightly as she took in the crowd.

"Who’s this kid?" Mordred stepped closer to ask, but the moment the child noticed her approach, she ducked back out of sight.

"...Tch. Still as unpopular with kids as ever, huh?" This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Mordred scratched her head irritably—only to realize she was still wearing her helmet.

Oh, right. She hadn’t dispelled her Spirit Origin attire yet. With a quick motion, she removed her armor, reverting to her usual, somewhat revealing outfit.

"Hmm? As expected. Just from your voice, I could tell you’d be a beauty. Without that armor, you’ve got a uniquely robust charm, like those heroines from Greek myths," Stheno remarked, eyeing Mordred.

"Hey, even if you’re a woman, if you keep treating me like one, I won’t hold back," Mordred shot back, her gaze sharpening.

"How strange. Why reject your own feminine appeal? Well, no matter. It just means one less rival for our Master’s attention. And let’s be honest—in terms of charm, you’re hardly a contender," Stheno retorted with equal venom.

"You wanna die?"

"Oh my. Are you really going to fight me? Setting aside the consequences of infighting among fellow Servants under the same Master... That little girl is still watching. Is this the impression you want to leave her with?" Stheno remained unfazed, her words cold and cutting.

Crack—

The sound of clenched fists echoed, but Mordred didn’t lash out. Glancing at the wide-eyed purple-haired girl, she clicked her tongue and strode away, deciding to take a walk outside to cool off.

Semiramis sighed inwardly. Just what was their Master thinking, gathering such a problematic group of Servants? The Holy Grail War hadn’t even started, and infighting was already brewing.

But this wasn’t her problem to solve. Managing Servant relations was the Master’s job—she had no interest in babysitting these troublemakers. Why not focus on someone well-behaved and eager to learn? Like that little girl, Sakura, outside. With that thought, Semiramis stepped out to continue the day’s magical lessons. Once construction on the Hanging Gardens was complete, she’d be busy chanting for three days straight—she needed to prepare Sakura’s curriculum in advance.

Mordred wandered the halls aimlessly, still irritated by the earlier exchange. Sure, she might have overreacted, but her pride and identity weren’t things she’d let others trample on. As she walked, she spotted the hooded Servant from before standing in her path.

"Something you need?" Mordred asked, stopping.

"I came to apologize on behalf of my sister. Stheno has always been like this—please don’t take it to heart," the younger Medusa said softly.

Seeing such a cute Servant offering an apology, Mordred’s anger dissipated somewhat. She wasn’t one to hold grudges, and the sincerity in Medusa’s words made her sigh in resignation.

"It’s fine. I don’t dwell on these things. Clashing with others over differences is nothing new to me—I’m used to it. And honestly, from your perspective, I’m probably the one who overreacted."

"Not at all. Everyone has their own past and boundaries they don’t want crossed. Even I can be fierce when pushed too far," Medusa replied with a gentle smile. "Our Master’s Servants are many, and friction is inevitable when we’re still unfamiliar with each other. But that’s exactly why we should strive to understand one another and avoid crossing those lines. Even if Stheno didn’t come to apologize herself, she’s already memorized everything you said."

"Seriously?" Mordred blinked in surprise.

"Mm. I’ve lived with my sisters for a long time—I know them well. And Stheno is strict. If she didn’t want to apologize, even I wouldn’t be allowed to do it for her. To her, we three sisters are one—shared glory, shared shame. So, by letting me come here, she’s already expressing her stance."

That made Mordred feel a little embarrassed. It also piqued her curiosity about the Gorgon sisters.

"You three really have a strong bond, huh?"

"Of course. We’re family. Isn’t this how family should be?" Medusa smiled sweetly.

"Family... huh?" Mordred’s expression darkened slightly.