Chapter 72: Matters of the Tohsaka Family

“What an unusual sight that was.”
Roland stretched lazily, reminiscing about the scenes he had just witnessed.
Whether it was the classically beautiful young woman, blushing shyly, or Rin Tohsaka puffing up like a pufferfish, baring her teeth as if she might bite at any moment—both were equally amusing.
With two Riders now in his hands, and setting aside Gilgamesh and Enkidu, it was about time to deal with Saber as well.
He couldn’t afford to let that one sneak away, slip into the Holy Grail’s chamber, make a wish, and then backstab him by blowing up the Grail. With someone who had a history of such things, Roland could not be too careful.
Though the wielder of the Holy Sword was deeply obsessed, if his obsession could be shattered and his worldview reshaped, he would make for a remarkably useful weapon.
Besides, after spending the past few days playing with Sakura and Rin, Roland was now curious to see what kind of state Illya was in.
“Tonight, let’s go conquer the Einzbern estate.”
Roland spoke lightly, and just then, a sudden ringing came from his pocket.
“Hm?”
He pulled out a phone—by his standards, no more than a device for the elderly, but in this era, it was cutting-edge technology.
He looked at the unknown number displayed on the screen, puzzled but answered anyway.
After becoming acquainted with Kotomine Kirei, the priest, afraid Roland would slip away and be out of reach, had given him this phone as a gift. Since Roland had no other contacts in this era, the only person who ever called was Kotomine Kirei.
“Hello, Kirei? What is it?”
Knowing the man’s character, Roland didn’t bother with pleasantries. Kirei’s voice was as somber as ever, but the content he delivered was startling.
“Sir Roland, are you interested in taking control of the Tohsaka family?”
Hearing Kirei’s explanation, a careless smile played on Roland’s lips. “Since that’s the case, go ahead. I recently came into some ready cash. I’ll have the Matou family wire it to you directly.”
Once the arrangements were confirmed, Roland shook his head in resignation.
“Should I call it my good luck? Or is it that the Tohsaka family’s luck is simply terrible?”
—
That night, at the Tohsaka residence, Tohsaka Tokiomi barely had time to wipe the sweat from his brow before answering the house phone.
“This is the Tohsaka residence…Aoi?”
Hearing the familiar voice on the other end, Tokiomi’s already weary tone grew impatient.

“I told you, unless it’s urgent, don’t call me.”
Perhaps because his work had been interrupted, Tokiomi’s tone was sharper than usual. The past few days’ plans had been completely upended, and now, after being skewered by the King of Heroes, Tokiomi—who held elegance as a family creed—found himself overwhelmed.
He couldn’t voice his complaints to his respectful apprentice or Archer, so hearing his wife’s lack of tact at a time like this made the veins on Tokiomi’s forehead throb.
“Want to hear my voice?” Though he was annoyed, Tokiomi realized his tone had been too harsh. He didn’t want to take it out on his wife, but his voice grew colder nonetheless.
“I don’t have the leisure. Wait until the Holy Grail War is over. And if things go well, you need to prepare yourself. Since our last parting, you should understand this.”
The other end of the line fell silent. Aoi Tohsaka’s response was a cold, wordless silence.
Tokiomi didn’t speak either, maintaining his patriarchal authority. Eventually, it was Aoi who broke the silence.
“We’re husband and wife? Of course. Precisely because of that, you should support me as always. This is the Tohsaka family’s, and my own, long-cherished wish. I am fully prepared—both for Rin’s arrangements and for Sakura. They will both have bright futures.”
Tokiomi began to speak at length: “If that’s all you have to say, there’s no need to go on. As a magus’s wife, you should understand—ordinary happiness is not possible for you. Whether I win or lose this time, you must learn to accept change and adapt to a new life.”
He took a deep breath and said sharply, “Don’t do anything unnecessary like this again.”
Not even waiting for a reply, he hung up coldly.
“Master.”
A knock came from behind him. Though the door was never locked, Kotomine Kirei always observed proper etiquette.
This pleased Tokiomi, and he nodded as he turned to speak to Kirei.
“Forgive the display. Aoi isn’t usually like this.”
Kirei replied calmly, “It’s nothing to speak with your wife a little longer. After all, her husband is engaged in such dangerous affairs.”
“Kirei, you truly are an outsider,” Tokiomi said with a faint smile. “Your devotion is too thin.”
“For a magus, the Root is the sole answer. The goal of reaching the Root is before my eyes. Even if I must abandon my wife and children, I do so willingly. Besides, I’ve already made arrangements for my children.”
Kirei understood his mentor’s meaning. No magus has ever truly returned after reaching the Root, at least not in the broadest sense. That was why Tokiomi was certain that, win or lose, he could never go back to the way things were.
“Sakura was sent to the Matou family. What if, in the future, these two exceptional girls fight to the death for the Root?”
“That’s better than letting them live in mediocrity.” Tokiomi’s tone was cold. “If it comes to that, there’s nothing to be done. No matter which sister reaches the Root, the Tohsaka family’s wish will be fulfilled. They may not understand now, but in the end, this will be their happiness.”
But does such purity have any value?
Humanity, it seems, still needs the guidance of heaven, Kirei thought to himself.

Tokiomi possessed a fair amount of humanity, but at his core, he was still a magus—an existence utterly incomprehensible to ordinary people.
“No more digressions, Kirei. Is the matter settled?”
“It’s all been arranged. I had a friend convert all Tohsaka assets, apart from the exorcism grounds, into liquid funds. The moment you sign the contract, it will take effect.”
“Well done, very well done!”
Tokiomi was genuinely excited—he hadn’t expected Kirei to act so swiftly. Liquidating so many assets in such a short time was no small feat, but Kirei was not a man to make empty promises.
Tokiomi turned to gaze at the living room, now torn open to accommodate a massive furnace.
“Now, though I owe a major creditor, once this magical furnace is completed and connected to the leyline, Archer’s mana supply will no longer be a concern.”
“Wasn’t it difficult to do all this alone? You’re still injured…”
“It’s nothing,” Tokiomi waved his hand. “I can’t let outsiders in, after all. The magical crest has already healed most of my wounds. They don’t hinder me.”
As he spoke, Tokiomi took a sheet of paper from a nearby cabinet and handed it to Kirei.
“By the way, the reason I called you here today was to give you this.”
“A will? Master…”
Seeing Kirei’s confusion, Tokiomi reassured him, “This is a necessary preparation. If I succeed and enter the Root, I won’t have time for such matters. I’m appointing you as Rin’s guardian and entrusting you with managing the Tohsaka estate. Aoi simply doesn’t understand magi and cannot bear these responsibilities.”
“Don’t be pessimistic, Kirei,” Tokiomi said, hands behind his back as he gazed at the starry night outside the window. “This is only the prelude to victory. Once the mana supply is secured, I’m sure the King of Heroes will be satisfied.”
“Master, I am unworthy of such trust…”
Seeing Kirei bow his head, his words sincere and fervent, his body trembling slightly with unease, Tokiomi smiled again.
“The rest is up to you. When this Holy Grail War ends, I will finally accomplish the Tohsaka family’s long-cherished wish!”
These were not words to comfort Kirei, but Tokiomi’s heartfelt conviction.
A powerful and reliable heroic spirit, a loyal and humble student—how could he possibly lose?
“This Holy Grail War is as good as won!”