Tokiomi Tohsaka turned and walked away, heading off to prepare a space for their upcoming discussion.
"Thank you, big brother!" Rin Tohsaka exclaimed, raising the red gem in her hand with delight as she expressed her gratitude.
"Um, thank you, big brother," Sakura Tohsaka murmured, her emotions far calmer, offering a slight bow in thanks.
"You two go play. I'm here to see your father today," Alex said with a smile, gently patting their heads. After their brief encounter, he had already gotten a sense of the sisters' personalities. He watched them head to their bedroom together before following Aoi Tohsaka to the Tohsaka family's reception room.
Tokiomi, the head of the Tohsaka family, was already waiting there. As Alex entered under Aoi's guidance, Tokiomi greeted him with a warm smile and asked his wife to leave so they could speak privately. Aoi nodded without objection, respectfully stepping out and closing the door behind her.
Click!!
As the wooden door of the reception room slowly shut, the atmosphere inside subtly shifted.
If their earlier exchange outside had been mere pleasantries of the mundane world, then stepping into this room marked the start of serious business. Tokiomi understood this well, which was why he had sent his non-magus wife away.
He hadn't come to the Tohsaka residence on a whim. He had a purpose. After all that small talk, it was time to get to the point—time to figure out how to take this man's daughter.
Tokiomi sat on an elegant sofa, skillfully handling his tea. He scraped the porcelain lid of his teacup against its steaming rim, then used a prepared silver spoon to drop two sugar cubes into the liquid. With a small whisk, he stirred evenly until faint grayish-white foam floated to the surface, creating a pleasing aesthetic.
Though his movements were graceful, paired with Tokiomi's refined appearance and attire, giving off an air of sophistication, Alex couldn't help but wonder if all these meticulous steps were really necessary. To him, the elaborate process seemed like nothing but trouble.
'Even in Europe, there probably aren't many nobles as particular as Tokiomi. From what I remember, most of them just stir it a bit for show and drink it down. Why bother with all this? You're a magus, not a tea connoisseur, shouldn't you be focused on magecraft instead?'
For a magus noble, mastery of magecraft should come before noble appearances. The pursuit of the arcane was what mattered most, not the façade of aristocracy.
"Head of the Crowley family, please," Tokiomi said, maintaining his refined demeanor and extending a warm invitation, oblivious to Alex's inner musings.
"Thank you, Head of the Tohsaka family," Alex replied. He picked up his teacup, mimicking the way his teacher used to drink, lightly scraping the lid, stirring a few times before taking a small sip and offering some courteous words. "This is excellent tea. Your brewing skills are truly impressive, rivaling even the teas served at London noble gatherings. I never imagined the Tohsaka head would have such a talent for tea-making."
Tokiomi chuckled modestly. "Is that so? As long as you enjoy it, that's enough for me. It seems my skills haven't gotten rusty after all."
'Honestly, I can't tell the difference between this and instant tea,' Alex thought. He wasn't one for noble pretenses anyway.
"The head of the Crowley family to come in person, I assume this isn't just a casual visit. Is there something important?"
"Yes, there's something significant I'd like to discuss with you," Alex said, deciding to be straightforward. "I couldn't notify you earlier because I didn't have your family's contact information, and I was still in Europe at the time, unable to send word across continents. That's why I showed up today. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you."
Tokiomi's expression grew slightly serious as he nodded. "Something significant, you say?"
"Yes. It's a lengthy matter, but it concerns your daughters," Alex continued.
"My daughters?"
The moment those words left Alex's mouth, the room's atmosphere turned heavy. The earlier harmony between them vanished in an instant. Tokiomi's brow furrowed as he fought to keep his racing heart in check. His expression cooled, and he looked at the young man before him with a stern gaze.
"Could you explain in detail, Mr. Crowley?"
Though he kept his emotions restrained, maintaining a calm demeanor, his hand, previously resting on his teacup had quietly tightened around the gem-topped cane hidden at his side. A dangerous tension began to fill the air.
It was clear that if Alex said anything threatening about him or his daughters, Tokiomi would spring into action, using his workshop's magecraft to detain the visitor. Alex had anticipated this reaction and prepared accordingly.
He raised a hand casually, as if oblivious to the shifting mood, and smiled. "Please don't worry. swear on the Crowley family name that my purpose here is not to harm your daughters or threaten the Tohsaka family's interests. There's no need to be so tense."
Tokiomi's nerves settled slightly at the oath, though his suspicion lingered. "Then what exactly do you mean?"
"I'm not like those rigid fossils at the Clock Tower, nor am I an enforcer of Sealing Designations. I'd never do anything to endanger your daughters. I've come here with sincerity, as a magus pursuing the Root, just like you."
After a moment's thought, Tokiomi nodded, his furrowed brow easing a little. The tension in the room softened, though not entirely.
Seeing this, Alex pressed forward, his tone earnest. "As fellow magi, you know the true purpose of our existence as magi and the ultimate goal we strive is for to reach the Root!"
"Of course I understand!" Tokiomi replied, nodding firmly, his voice tinged with fervor. "Reaching the Root is the grand ambition we magi dedicate our lives to. It's the ideal I pursue, and the lifelong dream of the Tohsaka family."
"But we both know that no single person can reach the Root alone. That's why we value bloodlines and pass down our life's work, our magic crests to our heirs, hoping they'll one day achieve it in our place."
Listening to Tokiomi's passionate explanation, Alex could barely contain his glee. He hadn't expected things to go this smoothly. For Tokiomi, who saw reaching the Root as his ultimate purpose, just mentioning it was enough. The man's imagination filled in the rest.
All Alex had to do now was align himself with Tokiomi, lower his guard, and make him see him as a kindred spirit essentially, talk him into agreement.
"But how does this relate to my daughters?"
"It's deeply connected," Alex said, his expression turning serious. "I'd heard your daughters possess rare talents, and seeing them today confirmed it. Both have qualities akin to miracles, beloved by the world of magecraft."
"Your eldest daughter carries the miracle of all five elements combined, a talent that needs no explanation. She's destined to shine as a star in the magecraft world. And your younger daughter is even more remarkable, bearing the Imaginary Numbers attribute, rarer still than the five elements. Without exaggeration, each of them is a treasure beyond measure in our world!"
'He knows this much detail?'
Tokiomi's heart jolted. A strange unease crept over him, as if the man before him had seen through everything. Every word Alex spoke was spot-on—Rin with her five elements, Sakura with Imaginary Numbers. Tokiomi had gone to great lengths to hide their talents, even using spells to disguise them. Yet, despite his efforts, the Clock Tower had still found out.
The more he thought, the more perplexed he became. A chill ran through him, and he resolved to thoroughly inspect the Tohsaka household later. He couldn't tolerate an unknown threat lurking so close.
Alex, of course, knew such efforts would be futile. His source wasn't a spy, it was Nasu Kinoko himself.
{T/S : Nasu Kinako is Fate's author}
"So, you mean to… adopt one of them?" Tokiomi asked, his expression odd as he pieced together Alex's intent.
"Exactly as you're thinking," Alex replied, nodding firmly with a sincere tone. "My purpose in coming here is to adopt one of your daughters. In the future, she'll inherit the Crowley family's magic crest and carry on my pursuit of the truth, pushing open the door to the Root. I hope you'll grant me this."
After all that buildup, it was time to lay his cards on the table. He was here for Tokiomi's daughter, not to steal or snatch, but to adopt her openly.
Your daughter….I shall raise her!