Iskandar: "Ah, you're really persistent."

  Waver: "You're the one who cares too much. Don't fet who I'm doing this for."

  Iskandar: "Hahaha, well said. You are truly worthy of being my retainer."

  Kayh: "Bazett and Atrum?"

  Two future partits of the Fifth Holy Grail War, their involvement will be iigated ter.

  [The day, El-Melloi II packed his belongings, took Reines and Gray, and, along with Wills, traveled by train to the Marburry Workshop.]

  [On the way, El-Melloi II asked Wills why he specifically sought his help, and Wales relutly revealed that the Cton Main family had already reported him to the Department of Policies.]

  [The Department of Policies, formally known as the "First Principles Enfort Bureau," is a branch of the Clock Tower responsible for enf the primary w of magecraft: "Mysteries must remain hidden." This department also oversees cases involving magus-reted crimes.]

  [To put it bluntly, they serve as the Clock Tower's police force.]

  [However, the Department of Policies's reputation among magi is less favorable than that of actual police. Their methods are known to be heavy-handed, often vig individuals based on personal assumptions or inplete evidence, which has caused widespread dissatisfaong magi.]

  [The Cton Main family had taken a against Wills, leaving him in a vulnerable position.]

  [However, since Wills belongs to the Spiritual Evocatioment, his superior, Bram, stepped in to support him.]

  [The Cton Main family wao seize ownership of the Marburry Workshop, but the Spiritual Evocatioment had already cimed it as one of their assets.]

  [tally, El-Melloi II had previously approached Bram regarding his right to participate in the Holy Grail War. To return the favor, Bram assigned El-Melloi II to hahis troublesome matter.]

  [After hearing all of this, El-Melloi II could only sigh in frustration.]

  [However, as he needed assistance from others, he relutly accepted the task. At the same time, he inteo use this opportunity to make Bram owe him a favor.]

  [When the group approached the Marburry Workshop, Reines's Mystic Eyes suddenly reacted.]

  [Her mercury maid quickly administered a potion to alleviate the effects.]

  [El-Melloi II: "The leyline is more unstable than I expected."]

  [Wills: "Could it be the Mystic Eye?"]

  [El-Melloi II: "Yes. Reines's Mystic Eyes fre up in the presence of strong magical energy, causing her intense pain."]

  [Reines: "It's like toug a boilile when you were a child. Just a little eyedrop solution, and I'll be fine."]

  [Gray: "Let's hurry. The wind's pig up."]

  [As Gray predicted, the group soon entered a fierce storm mid-journey.]

  [When they finally arrived at the workshop, everyone was drenched, and Gray had to carry the weakened El-Melloi II inside.]

  ["I didn't expect the trip to be this exhausting."]

  [El-Melloi II wore a thick, rough cloak, which made his frail figure appear even smaller.]

  Kayh: "Waver, your stamina is still as appalling as ever."

  Tohsaka Rin: "I feel like I'm worse off than yht now."

  Chihiro: "After spending so long behind a desk, you're practically worn out."

  Waver: "It's not that bad yet!"

  Iskandar: "Boy, with such pathetic stamina, how do you expect to keep up with me otlefield? Starting tomorrow, you'll begin training."

  Kayh: "I'll make sure he follows through."

  Waver: "(???!)"

  [Suddenly, a white serpent emerged from the ground, transf into a bahat tightly bound Wills like a co.]

  ["I didn't expect you to arrive ahead of schedule, Miss Hishiri."]

  [El-Melloi II immediately deduced the identity of the person responsible for this.]

  ["It's been a while, Lord El-Melloi II."]

  [A woman dressed in a flowing bck kimono, her pale plexion highlighted by the sleek gsses resting on her nose, appeared at the top of the staircase. Her long, ebony hair cascaded down to her ankles, resembling the night sky that had been bed smooth.]

  [This was Adashino Hishiri, a magus dispatched by the Department of Policies.]

  [She was here to apprehend Wills, acg him of murdering her father, Trevor. Hishiri expihat she had arrived earlier to iigate and, based on her findings, deemed Wills guilty.]

  [Apanying her was a wheat-skinned, brown-haired woman named Walletta Cton, a supervisor dispatched by the Cton family.]

  [The two had tried to summon Trevor's spirit using neancy to uncover clues, but all traces of Trevor and the other victims from the same i had been pletely erased.]

  [It wasn't just Trevor—the residual marks left by all the deceased had been wiped away, simir to how fingerprints in the mundane world might be meticulously erased.]

  [Only a neancer of siderable skill could perform su act.]

  [Through their iigation, they discovered that Wills resent at the workshop during eat, prompting their accusations of his involvement.]

  [Initially, Hishiri inteo arrest Wills ht, but El-Melloi II mao dey her by g the raging storm as a legitimate .]

  [Strangely, despite her initial forcefulness, Hishiri easily releo El-Melloi II's request. Not only did she agree, but she even released Wills from his bindings without being asked and refrained from restrig his movements.]

  [Their iions made it clear that this wasn't the first time El-Melloi II and Hishiri had worked together on a case.]

  Tohsaka Rin: "Are all the members of the Department of Policies this overbearing? They're arresting someone based on flimsy specution."

  Kayh: "Young dy, the world of magi isn't like the outside world. The methods employed by magus criminals are often insidious. It's better tfully detain someohan to let a potential threat go free. All suspects must be apprehended."

  Emiya Kiritsugu: "That's a grim reality. I'm all too familiar with it."

  Even if a criminal magus is dead, their schemes still enshers. This is how Natalia Kaminski, his mentor, fell victim to Odd Borzak's maations and perished by his own hand.

  Emiya Kiritsugu: "The world of magi is cruel."

  [Once Hishiri backed down, El-Melloi II sighed in relief and proceeded to iigate with Wills.]

  [The two of them ehe study, where El-Melloi II inquired about the nature of Wales's retionship with Walletta.]

  [He had observed earlier that their iions seemed unusually tense.]

  [Wills relutly admitted that he and Walletta were childhood friends. However, after rejeg her proposal of marriage, their retionship had soured.]

  ["Now, you expin the real reason you called me here?"]

  [Ensuring no one was eavesdropping, El-Melloi II steered the versation to the crux of the matter.]

  ["Alright. I've been meaning to show you this."]

  [Wills activated his Fairy Eyes and scattered a fine, mysterious powder over El-Melloi II.]

  [In the moment, ahereal figure resembling a fairy materialized withiudy.]

  Kayh: "A fairy? To think such a rare entity was found in this area."

  Kayh: "Trevor was fortunate io enter such a treasure."

  Tohsaka Rin: "Fairies truly exist?"

  Tohsaka Tokiomi: "This is my first time witnessing one as well."

  Tohsaka Sakura: "She looks sorrowful."

  ---

  [Wills expined: "She seems to be a fairy bound to this nd."]

  ["Be careful..."]

  [The fairy left only those few words before disappearing.]

  [Wills mentiohat ever sihe workshop was pleted, this fairy would appear during every stormy night.]

  [Due to his Fairy Eyes, Wills was able to perceive her presence.]

  [Each time she appeared, she delivered a warning. Afterward, someone would iably be strud killed by lightning.]

  [However, the fairy never expihe nature of the danger, merely repeating the words "be careful" every time.]

  [This, Wills expined, was the seatter he wanted El-Melloi II to iigate.]

  Kayh: "A warning from the fairy? This suggests the events at the workshop are likely man-made."

  Astolfo: "Ah, this is getting more and more exg!"

  Chihiro: "You always leave half of what you're saying unsaid. It's really irritating."

  Astolfo: "Really? Really? I think so too."

  [Meanwhile, Reines and Gray, who were dug their own iigation in the living room, stumbled across a hidden passage.]

  [Driven by curiosity, Reines impulsively dragged Gray into it.]

  ["This is a tomb. I'm a gravekeeper—I tell."]

  [Gray quickly identified the underground caverh the secret passage as a burial site.]

  [At the same time, her former occupation was iently revealed.]

  [Reines: "In the end, this neantic artifact was just something purchased from an au."]

  Artoria: "A gravekeeper? I wouldn't have expected someone so young to take on such a somber duty."

  For some reason, Artoria felt a strange sense of familiarity with the girl. It was more than just a resembnce; something about her presence felt deeply ected to her.

  Even the peculiar cube Gray carried in her hands struck Artoria as oddly familiar. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall where she had seen it before.

  [As the group tinued deeper into the tomb, Reines's Mystic Eyes suddenly fred up again.]

  ["The potion wore off too quickly... Or is the power of the Mystic Eye being amplified by this relic?"]

  [They had no choice but to retreat.]

  [However, on their way back, Reines actally triggered a hidden meism. Rocks began to fall from above.]

  [The mercury maid transformed into a barrier to protect Reines, but Gray wasn't as fortunate.]

  ["Bang!!!"]

  [Just as a massive stone was about to crush Gray, a loud gunshot echoed through the cavern. The falling rock was instantly shattered.]

  ["Ladies, are you alright?"]

  [A burly man carrying a shotgun stepped out from another passage.]

  [With his rugged features, muscur build, and trademark suhat he never removed, it was unmistakably Sisigou Kairi.]

  Sisigou: "Huh? Is that me?"

  Waver: "So you exist in our world too, huh?"

  Kayh: "What's so surprising? Wasn't that uy, Caules, also one of your students?"

  Sisigou: "Looking at another version of myself... It feels bizarre."

  Mordred: "This is the first time I've seen you smile. I didn't expect this from an alternate version of you."

  Sisigou: "Yeah, I 't remember the st time I ughed."

  Sisigou: "It seems like I'm doing well in that world."