"Rin, pour me a glass of water."
In the Tohsaka household, a young man with striking features lounged on the sofa, casting a glance at the twin-tailed little girl beside him.
"Why? Are you the Master, or am I the Master here?" Rin huffed, her small face scrunching up in frustration.
"Rin!" Aoi Tohsaka called out from nearby, her voice carrying a hint of warning.
At once, Rin pouted but begrudgingly obeyed, stomping over to the kettle.
Unbelievable. How did this proud little lady end up being so obedient?
The answer was simple.
Just a year ago, when Arthur had revealed his true identity in front of the entire Tohsaka family, the reactions were priceless. The women had been shocked, but Tokiomi Tohsaka? He had been absolutely dumbfounded.
For years, summoning a Heroic Spirit of true power required extensive preparations. Yet his daughter, a mere child, had somehow managed to summon a king with no effort at all!
Arthur had nearly laughed out loud at the sheer absurdity of it.
Of course, this revelation had also landed Rin in a rather unfortunate situation.
Anyone remember how Tokiomi treated Gilgamesh in the original timeline?
Yep. That's right. Tokiomi had instructed Rin to treat Arthur with the utmost reverence—as a subject would a king.
It was enough to drive the poor girl insane.
This shameless so-called Servant had been taking full advantage of it ever since, having Rin pour his tea, massage his shoulders, and cater to his whims.
The sheer injustice of it!
And when she had dared to complain?
Arthur had simply smirked and said, "Little girls should act more ladylike."
Rin had nearly exploded on the spot.
She clenched her tiny fists as she whispered under her breath, "Just you wait... I don't have a Command Seal now, but when the next Holy Grail War comes, I'll summon you again and—"
Sakura, standing nearby, wiped the sweat off her forehead at Rin's muttering. Without hesitation, she took the initiative and poured Arthur a glass of water herself.
"Brother Arthur, let me do it."
She handed the glass to him with a bright, obedient smile.
"See? Sakura knows how to behave," Arthur said, taking the glass and affectionately patting Sakura's head.
Sakura, who had become especially attached to Arthur ever since he rescued her, happily accepted the gesture.
Arthur then turned back to Rin with a smirk. "Rin, you should learn from your sister."
"Hmph!" Rin pouted, refusing to acknowledge him.
Of course, this was all an act. Over the past year, Arthur had taken both Rin and Sakura on various outings, doting on them whenever possible. Despite her complaints, Rin had become quite attached to him.
And Tokiomi? He had no worries at all.
After all, there were few people in the world who could harm his daughter with Arthur around.
A Sudden Visitor
Ding-dong!
The sound of the doorbell rang through the house.
Aoi Tohsaka hurried to answer it.
"Good morning, Madam. Is the Master home?"
Standing at the entrance was a priest, his expression calm and unreadable. He wasn't particularly large or imposing, but Arthur could immediately sense the hidden strength in him.
Arthur's gaze sharpened.
"Kirei Kotomine? Interesting."
Aoi stepped aside with a polite smile. "Tokiomi is upstairs. Please, come in. I'll call him for you."
But Kirei shook his head. "That won't be necessary, Madam. I'll wait in the basement."
Before leaving, he cast a quick glance at Arthur and then bowed slightly.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Oh? Looks like Tokiomi had already informed him.
Arthur gave a casual nod in return.
Kirei then turned to leave but barely took two steps before Arthur's voice stopped him.
"Next time you come, I suggest leaving that guy outside."
Kirei froze.
His face remained impassive, but internally, he was shaken.
Impossible. I only just summoned him… Even Master doesn't know yet. How did he—
Suppressing his reaction, Kirei turned back and gave a small, forced smile. "Understood, Your Majesty."
Arthur smirked.
As soon as Kirei disappeared, the amusement in Arthur's expression faded.
"The Holy Grail War… looks like it's about to begin."
A Gathering in the Basement
"King, Tokiomi would like you to join us in the basement."
Arthur turned to see Tokiomi standing at the doorway.
"Understood." He nodded and got up.
Before leaving, he ruffled Sakura's hair and flicked Rin's forehead.
"I'll be back."
"Yeah, yeah, just go already," Rin grumbled, rubbing her forehead. But then, after a pause, she muttered, "I don't like that Kirei Kotomine guy."
Arthur chuckled and pinched her cheek. "Oh? Then do you like me?"
"What kind of question is that, you idiot?! Let go!" Rin slapped his hand away. "I hate you!"
Arthur merely laughed as he walked off.
The moment he stepped into the basement, he caught the tail end of Tokiomi's lecture.
"...Although the Holy Grail is a wish-granting device, it can only fulfill one person's desire. Because of that, seven Masters must battle for it in a bloody competition."
Arthur's eyes flickered.
The Holy Grail War… the battle for a miracle.
"The marks on your hand," Tokiomi continued, addressing Kirei, "are called Command Seals. These stigmata signify that you have been chosen as a Master."
Arthur smirked to himself.
The pieces were finally moving into place.
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