Chapter 48: Why Don’t You Just Marry Me? 

Meanwhile.

At the Fallen Angels' branch in Kuoh Town.

Kokabiel sat with his legs crossed, exuding an air of arrogance as if he were the second most important being in the world, just below God himself.

Below him, a male Fallen Angel named Donaseek was giving his report.

"So, you're saying that before this, more than half of the Fallen Angels in Kuoh Town were following the orders of the Devils?"

"Yes, that's correct, Lord Kokabiel," Donaseek replied solemnly.

"To further his research on Sacred Gears, he actually made Fallen Angels serve as dogs for the Devils."

"Azazel, you've really outdone yourself this time!"

Kokabiel, a fundamentalist who believed in the supremacy of the Fallen Angels, was also a warmonger.

In the original storyline, it was he who supported Valper Galilei's Holy Sword Project, attempting to merge the seven Holy Swords into one.

Of course, he had no personal interest in the Holy Swords themselves. His goal was to use them to lure high-ranking Angels into a conflict, thereby reigniting the war between the three major factions.

On the Devils' territory, a ten-winged Fallen Angel had killed a high-ranking Angel, stolen the Holy Sword from the Church, and even slain two of the Demon King's relatives.

Kokabiel was convinced that such a feat would be enough to reignite the war between the three factions!

...

After a long silence, Kokabiel made his decision. He was going to take things a step further.

"Donaseek, bring me the Fallen Angel who has been in contact with Azazel."

Kokabiel planned to use her to find the Devil who had been communicating with Azazel.

Hearing this, a drop of cold sweat rolled down Donaseek's forehead.

"Lord Kokabiel, the Fallen Angel in charge of communication is named Mittelt. After hearing that you were gathering the Fallen Angels, she disappeared without a trace."

"Along with her, the Fallen Angels Raynare and Kalawarna have also vanished. Raynare was previously the highest-ranking leader here."

"Deserters, huh?"

"Donaseek, you said the other party is a Devil from Kuoh Town."

"As we all know, Kuoh Town is under the jurisdiction of high-ranking Devils, and stray Devils are strictly prohibited from appearing in the area."

"This means that the person dealing with Azazel is either a high-ranking Devil or a servant of one."

"If I can take over Kuoh Academy, I believe everything will come to light!"

Kokabiel smirked.

Coincidentally, Valper's final experiment site for the 16 Holy Swords Project was also in Kuoh Town. He could kill two birds with one stone!

...

Meanwhile.

At Lucien's home.

Irina was saying goodbye to Lucien.

"Lucien! We're off to carry out the Holy Sword mission. Take care of yourself~"

"You're the one who needs to take care, Irina," Lucien replied, shaking his head helplessly.

"I've already made it clear to you. There's no way you can defeat a ten-winged Fallen Angel and complete the Holy Sword retrieval mission."

"The real purpose of Griselda giving you this mission is to make you my servants. That way, you can at least save your lives."

"Lucien Leviathan! Don't you dare slander Sister Griselda! There's no way she would do something like that!" Xenovia retorted coldly.

In her heart, Griselda was like a mother to her. It was Griselda who had given her her surname.

She would never allow Lucien to tarnish Griselda's image in her mind!

...

"Well, that's how it is, Lucien. Please forgive Xenovia. She's just an idiot," Irina apologized on Xenovia's behalf.

"We'll go contact Sister Griselda first and then try to retrieve the Holy Sword."

"If it really turns out the way you said, Lucien... make sure to save a 'Knight' piece for me! I've always wanted to be your Knight!"

Thanks to Lucien's influence, Irina's faith wasn't as firm as in the original storyline. She could even say something as blasphemous as wanting to become a Devil's "Knight."

"Irina, if you're in danger, remember to contact me using the piece I gave you," Lucien reminded her.

"Okay! That's it then, Lucien! We're off!"

Irina gripped the white "Pawn" piece in her hand.

Lucien's promise gave her a sense of security.

From their conversation, Irina knew that Lucien was no longer the same person he used to be.

The current Lucien not only possessed Evil Pieces but also had the strength of a high-class Devil, if not stronger. He was more than capable of protecting her!

After seeing Irina off, Lucien sighed helplessly.

"What does Griselda think this is? A recycling center for the Church's discarded trash?"

"Well, it's fine. Since they're going to be given away anyway, it's better if they all come to me."

"No men, though. The more beautiful girls, the better."

...

After handling this matter, Lucien returned to the Fate world.

As soon as he arrived, he heard the system's notification.

[Ding!~]

[Congratulations, Host, for completing the Villain Check-in!]

[Check-in Level: Purple.]

[Check-in Event: A Good Servant Deserves Multiple Masters.]

[Requirement: Find more Masters to supply magical energy, allowing you to unleash greater power. Note: The Masters must be female characters who appear in the storyline. Ordinary magi or male characters lack the status and luck to withstand the pressure of cross-world Servant summoning.]

[Congratulations, Host, for receiving the reward: Magus Compendium.]

[Magus Compendium: A comprehensive collection of basic magical knowledge from the Type-Moon world. While not advanced, it covers a wide range of topics.]

As the magical knowledge flooded his mind, Lucien's understanding of the Type-Moon world deepened.

"The check-in is complete, which means Illya's body has been fully restored. She even took the initiative to form a contract with me."

...

Suddenly, two fragrant breezes rushed into his arms as two adorable lolis pounced on him.

"Lucien Daddy! Welcome back!"

"Daddy! Sakura missed you!"

The moment Lucien returned, he gained two fiercely competitive pseudo-daughters.

Wait, wasn't Illya refusing to call him "Daddy" earlier? Why was she so eager now?

Lucien was puzzled for a few seconds.

But when he saw the two little ones glaring at each other even while in his arms, he understood everything.

Patting their heads, Lucien smiled and asked, "Illya, Sakura, I'm more than happy to be your Daddy."

"But a family isn't complete with just a Daddy, right?"

"How about I find you a Mommy too?"

"Daddy! I don't want any other Mommy! I just want my original Mommy!" Sakura puffed up her cheeks in protest.

"Illya feels the same! Illya only has one Mommy!" Illya chimed in, not wanting to be outdone.

"Well, of course."

"I'm talking about your original Mommy~"

"Illya, there's a chance tonight. How about you come with me to convince your Mommy?"

"Yay! Illya wants to go! Illya wants to go!"

Illya jumped up and down in excitement.

See that, Matou's little thief? This is my victory!

"Daddy! Sakura wants a Mommy too!"

Tears welled up in Sakura's eyes as she clung to Lucien even tighter.

"Of course, Daddy won't play favorites. You'll both get one, but there has to be an order, right?"

"Besides, we'll need to be careful about how we convince Mommy. We can't rush things."

...

A few hours later.

At the Tohsaka residence.

Due to the Holy Grail War, Tokiomi Tohsaka had sent his wife and daughter to the Tohsaka family's ancestral home.

This way, even if he died in the Holy Grail War, the Tohsaka bloodline and Magic Crest would continue.

Seeing her mother again, Sakura smiled brightly.

Tonight was technically Illya's turn.

But this afternoon, Lucien had brought her to see her mother first! This meant that she held a higher place in Lucien's heart than Illya!

...

Across from Lucien, a graceful and elegant woman nervously sipped her tea.

Her name was Aoi Tohsaka, Tokiomi Tohsaka's wife and the mother of Rin and Sakura.

In the original storyline, she had died during the Fourth Holy Grail War, killed by... Matou Kariya.

Aoi had long, dark green hair, delicate features, and fair, alluring skin.

Her gentle shoulders were covered by a beige shawl, and she wore green sandals with matching nail polish.

Her nervousness caused her delicate, silkworm-like toes to curl inward slightly.

If Irisviel represented the "active" type of mother, then Aoi represented the "quiet" type.

Aoi was a traditional beauty, both in appearance and demeanor.

Such a top-tier wife could only be handled by someone as experienced and possessing high-dimensional succubus bloodline as Lucien.

After all, she was still an ordinary person. Even with some magical aptitude, her aura couldn't compare to that of a high-class Devil princess or a Demon King's daughter like Serafall.

Aura was something that grew stronger with confidence and personal strength.

After holding Sakura and talking with her for a long time, Aoi finally mustered the courage to speak to Lucien.

...

"Mr. Lucien, thank you for allowing me to see Sakura again. I never imagined that the Matou family was such a despicable household."

Aoi was overjoyed, relieved that Sakura had escaped that hellhole.

Those worms were just too disgusting.

"By the way, Mommy, can you promise me something?" Sakura brought up the main topic.

"Of course, Sakura. I'll agree to anything I can," Aoi replied, wiping her tears.

"Then... can you marry Lucien Daddy and continue to take care of me?"

Sakura's eyes were filled with hope as she looked at Aoi.

Unfortunately.

Aoi's touched expression froze instantly.

"This..."

"Sakura, this... this isn't something I can decide."

"A magus family can only pass down its lineage to one person. Your father... he sent you away because he didn't want you and Rin to grow apart."

As a traditional Japanese wife, Aoi couldn't go against her husband's wishes.

Aoi only answered the question about whether she wanted to continue taking care of Sakura.

As for marrying Lucien... she simply dismissed it as a child's naivety.

Aoi wasn't wrong.

Sakura, being a child, didn't fully understand the situation.

However, children were more perceptive in some ways than adults.

Sakura keenly noticed that while Aoi claimed to want to take care of her, she was actually powerless to do so.

"Mommy... are you saying... you don't want me either?"

Tears welled up in Sakura's eyes as she backed away, retreating into Lucien's arms.

Only Lucien's embrace could give her a sense of security and warmth.

...

"I..."

"Of course I want Sakura back... but Tokiomi would never allow it..." Aoi's face twisted in pain.

"Excuses! They're all excuses!"

"If you can't do it, just say so! What's the point of just wanting to?!"

"Daddy! Let's go back! If Mommy doesn't want me, then I don't want her either!" Sakura grabbed Lucien's hand, wanting to flee this heartbreaking place.

From today on, she only had Lucien! Lucien Daddy! No more Tohsaka Daddy or Tohsaka Mommy!

After all... she wasn't a Tohsaka anymore, right? She had even changed her surname!

"Ms. Tohsaka, I'll comfort Sakura for a bit and be right back."

...

After saying this, Lucien followed Sakura's lead, holding her hand as they walked out the door.

Tears streamed down Sakura's face as she marched resolutely toward the hotel.

"Sakura, you didn't really mean what you said earlier, did you? You still want your Mommy, right?" Lucien smiled and patted Sakura's head.

"What's the point of wanting her? Mommy doesn't want me anymore! Both Mommy and Daddy only care about Big Sister!"

As she said this, a dark aura seemed to emanate from Sakura.

Yes~

How could a child who had been abandoned not hold resentment toward her parents?

Earlier, Sakura had wanted her mother because she thought there was a chance her mother would accept her.

But now, knowing that her mother couldn't accept her, Sakura had no choice but to give up.

...

Lucien patted Sakura's head and glanced back at the Tohsaka residence.

"Sakura, I always keep my promises."

"Wait here for a bit. I'll go back and make some preparations."

"I promise that within seven days, your Mommy will come to you."

"Until then, leave this matter to me... okay?"

"Okay! I believe in Lucien!"

Sakura bit her lip and nodded.

As expected, Lucien loved her far more than her abandoning father and powerless mother!

...

A few minutes later, Lucien returned to the Tohsaka residence.

Seeing him return, Aoi quickly poured him a fresh cup of tea.

No matter what, Lucien was the savior who had rescued Sakura from hell.

This debt of gratitude was immense.

Aoi couldn't imagine how heartbroken she would have been if she had learned that Sakura had been sent to such a family without Lucien's intervention.

"Ms. Tohsaka, Sakura's words earlier were just a joke, but she truly wishes to live with you."

"I know. I don't blame Sakura. This is all our fault."

Fortunately, Aoi didn't say, "It's all Tokiomi's fault," or Lucien might have burst out laughing on the spot.

...

"By the way, I have a solution that benefits everyone."

"What solution?" Aoi asked curiously.

"It's simple... if Ms. Tohsaka marries me, the problem will be solved."

"My family doesn't have a rule about only passing things down to one person. If Ms. Tohsaka marries me, both Sakura and Rin can live happily together. I'll make sure to raise them into the finest magicians."

Lucien emphasized "magicians."

The magicians of the DxD world were vastly different from the magi and Magic Users of the Type-Moon world.

...

(Image: Aoi Tohsaka)