Chapter 62: Day 11 ⑥

I ascended the stone steps leading to the top of the mountain, pressing my weight into each stride. The trees on this mountain connect to the forest on the outskirts; if one navigates through the woods, they eventually reach the residential district of Miyama. It serves as a natural boundary for the population.

I moved forward while scanning my surroundings. It appeared that Magical Energy was flowing back into the land from the Leylines. I received the impression that the trees and the air itself were more vibrant than when I had visited before.

I see—so this is what a land where Leylines converge feels like. I felt as though my vigor was being restored just by breathing. Thanks to that, the heavy mood I had carried until arriving here lifted slightly.

I had walked for about fifteen minutes to reach this point, yet I hardly encountered anyone out and about. Even in the residential area, the usual hustle and bustle had vanished. Shops that were normally open now displayed "Temporarily Closed" signs; the area looked as though it had suddenly been depopulated.

Beginning with the murder of an entire family in Miyama City, news had been streaming daily: a gas leak accident causing worker poisoning in Shinto, the disappearance of several women, and most recently, the mass coma incident at Homurahara Academy. It seemed the residents had stopped venturing outside.

Each of these was a major incident or accident, yet for some reason, the details were never scrutinized in the media. Upon hearing about them, one felt only as much concern as if a child had tripped and scraped a knee. I suspect some form of large-scale Perception Blocking or Suggestion is being utilized.

The post-incident processing performed by the Church is truly formidable. However, even their information control cannot suppress human instinct. The desolate state of the town was a testament to that.

I forcibly pushed back my consciousness, which was threatening to sink into gloom again.

The stairs leading to Ryudou Temple aren't particularly crowded except during the New Year period, but even so, there was a startling lack of human presence. Despite the land being rich with returning Prana, it felt as though I was wandering through ruins. Walking through such an environment alone, I couldn't help but feel depressed.

After scanning the area to confirm there were no worshippers, I gave a small "Right then," and with the crunch of gravel, I leaped off my right foot. With just two bounds, I reached the top of the mountain. This was the place once guarded by a Gatekeeper. Now, there was nothing left to obstruct intruders.

Approaching the temple, I felt an intense pressure. The Bounded Field continued to flaunt its power as usual. Peeking through the temple gate—the only "hole" in the barrier—everything appeared normal.

Unlike the outside world, there were scattered signs of people. Four disciples were sweeping the grounds with brooms, living out their daily lives as they always did. It was a peaceful atmosphere, as if isolated from the world outside.

The "Black Shadow" that reportedly attacked Caster must have been targeting Servants, just as she said. It likely departed without harming the humans here.

"…Phew."

I let out a sigh of relief. The people of the Ryudou family are not strangers to me. Ever since hearing Caster’s story, I had been worried, but given my current position, I couldn't just come to check on them. In a way, this reconnaissance mission was a perfect opportunity.

"Oh, how unusual. To think a young lady would go through the trouble of climbing all the way up this mountain. Ah, are you from abroad? …May I help you?"

As I stepped through the gate, a presence manifested silently beside me. I continued to look at the temple without reacting much as I was addressed. Because of this body, I could sense him, but back when I was Emiya Shirou, I probably wouldn't have noticed his existence until he spoke.

"I can speak Japanese without any issues."

"I see. You are quite fluent."

When I turned toward the presence, it was indeed him. Just who is he, really? Reikan-san… in a different sense than Fujinee, he’s like a jack-in-the-box.

"Are you sightseeing? Though, this Ryudou Temple is no different from any other temple, aside from the fact that the grounds are vast and situated atop a mountain. We do have some history, however, so if you are interested in the origin of the name or our legends, this humble monk would be happy to share a few."

"Ah, no. I am currently staying as a guest at Emiya Shirou’s house. When I mentioned I was heading out nearby for errands, he asked me to come and see how things were."

"Ho, Shirou-kun’s guest? Well, our Issei is currently hospitalized for tests due to that recent incident, but other than that, we have no illnesses or missing persons… Ah, wait. Souichirou mentioned something about a staff meeting at Homurahara Academy and is staying over at a fellow teacher’s place."

…It seemed the temple itself was truly safe.

The story goes that Souichirou Kuzuki is in hiding somewhere with Caster… but now that I think about it, where exactly? Since I have no way to contact Caster from my side, I have no choice but to wait for a Mental Link to reach Rin.

"I see. Shirou will be relieved to hear that."

"By the way, did nothing happen to Shirou-kun? I was worried because of Issei, but I didn't see him at the hospital."

Reikan-san, who always wore a smile, let it fade as he gazed intently at me. It seemed he was truly concerned.

"Yes, he seems to be in good health."

"I see, that is wonderful. Please tell him to take care of himself."

He nodded with a "Fumu" and then returned to his smile. The air felt as though it had softened.

Having learned what I wanted to confirm, I gave a polite bow and left the temple. Reikan-san simply said, "No, no, I am glad I could be of help," and walked back toward the main hall.

Leaving the temple gate, I paused. While it was a relief that there was almost no damage, the fact that I couldn't find any clues at the site of the incident made gathering information on the "Black Shadow" difficult. In that case, I should move on to the next location. Geographically speaking, that would be the Matou estate or the castle in the outskirts, but since I have to bring someone back with me later, the castle naturally has to wait.

Having decided, I reignited the Magic Circuits that I keep constantly active while here. I circulated Prana through the circuits—my pseudo-nerves—and concentrated it into my eyes; they began to glow with a slight heat.

Even though my eyesight is naturally excellent now, I can only confirm general details from this distance. However, if I apply more Prana, perhaps…

To the right and nearby was Homurahara Academy. The school gate was sealed with yellow tape, barring entry. The large hole Caster had opened had been repaired, and it seemed a temporary facade of normalcy had been restored.

Further away, far to the right, stood Rin’s mansion, and very close to it was the Matou estate. From here, the distance was roughly 7km. If I concentrated my Prana and pushed my circuits to their limit, it would be difficult to read a person’s expression, but I could likely identify individuals. Though, that would only work if the target wasn't moving.

…It appeared the Matou manor was completely shut tight. Every window visible from the outside was covered by curtains, and the front gate was fully locked. If I approached and performed a Structural Analysis, I could grasp the Magecraft traps, special magic circles, or the internal structure, but that would take time. Furthermore, if they have detection-type fields, it would leave traces of my investigation.

Even if this was "scouting," I lacked the skills for a full-scale infiltration. At most, I could only confirm visual abnormalities or visible preparations. Rin said it would be pointless if the enemy noticed me, so for the Matou estate, this is likely as much as I can do.

That left Shinto and the castle in the forest requested by Illya, but both were too far for visual confirmation. Finally, I turned my gaze toward our home. It might have been my imagination, but it seemed more colorful than the rest, and unlike the other houses, it felt as if I could almost hear voices talking inside.

I descended the long stone steps in several large bounds and walked toward Shinto, bypassing the Matou estate.

I passed through the Miyama shopping district; though most shops were open, there were still several closed ones scattered about. In the residential areas, it was rare to see people, but that wasn't the case here. Delivery trucks and housewives out shopping—there was still enough vitality here to feel reassuring.

Proceeding while glancing at the vegetables and fish lined up at the storefronts, I eventually reached the bridge connecting to Shinto. As expected of a point connecting two districts, the traffic was heavy.

As I entered Shinto, the number of eyes on me increased. It’s easy to forget, but being alone with the appearance of Lia—a young Caucasian woman—tends to attract curious stares. Just by walking, I was drawing attention.

At this rate, at least while I’m here, I won't be able to do anything conspicuous like running at full speed. On the other hand, if I just walk around, I won't cover much ground, and the information I gain will be minimal. I should have asked Rin for some activity funds.

……Yeah, that’s right. In that case, let’s follow Rin’s methods.

The sound of metal scraping echoed as an iron door was pushed open. The lock I had broken previously remained as it was; the door opened easily just by turning the knob.

Instantly, a strong wind blew in. My hair fluttered back, but I ignored it and walked to the edge. Below my eyes, people were walking busily, and cars crowded the streets.

——I wonder if this is the fourth time I’ve looked at this scenery from here.

The first time was back when I was Emiya Shirou, chasing Rider and Saber. The second time was when Rin brought me here to identify lingering traces of Prana and grasp the geography. The third time was in a dream—viewed through Saber’s eyes while fighting Rider.

And now. I am checking the town for abnormalities.

I couldn't have imagined things would turn out like this during that first time, but I suppose that’s natural.

Not only did I become "Saber," but I was summoned as a Servant to take the place of Archer—who could have imagined that? If I just heard the story, even I would think it was a joke.

I gave a small, self-deprecating smile and once again flooded my Magic Circuits with a large amount of Prana. Enhancing my vision, I scanned Shinto from the rooftop of this building.

In the Shinto district below, there were many men in suits and office ladies; among them, I saw a few familiar young faces. They likely came to shop since the academy is temporarily closed.

I expanded my search range, but saw no suspicious individuals or anything of the sort. I stretched my vision further to the bridge I had crossed to get here. With my Prana at full capacity, I could just barely discern the details of the tiles. No one was crossing on foot.

Turning my gaze in the opposite direction, the Foreigner's Cemetery and the Church came into view. The cemetery had already been restored. The Church must have handled it. The Church where Kotomine resides was still there, looking unchanged.

In the corner of my vision, I saw a Western-style mansion. …Hm? A mansion of that same design… I think I saw one when I was looking down from the mountain earlier. Well, it’s probably nothing of importance.

Having finished my sweep, I deactivated my focus. …I found no abnormalities. There were no unnatural traces of Prana like the ones I felt when I came here with Rin.

It seemed Shinto was also a dead end. I had checked everything I was told to scout, but the results were meager. Well, since neither enemy Masters nor Servants move much during the day, I knew it would be difficult to find traces.

However, finding nothing is emotionally draining. Just as I let out a sigh, my body detected an abnormality. My skin crawled with a sudden chill.

A distinct presence was rising from beneath my feet. This is… a Servant!

Reflexively, I wove my Prana and materialized my armor. In my hands, I manifested Excalibur. I lowered my center of gravity and took a stance to prepare for an ambush.

Recalling Rin’s words to avoid combat, I looked for an escape route, but this was the rooftop of a building. There was only one entrance/exit, and if I wanted to flee without using it, I’d have to jump off like I did before.

In the meantime, the presence drew closer. It seemed the Servant was running up the side of the building. The presence was identical to one I had felt before; if my intuition was correct, I would be inferior in terms of speed. In other words, outrunning them would be difficult. And given their strength, forcing them to retreat wouldn't be easy either.

The individual placed a hand on the edge of the roof and then, with a light movement as if hopping over a guardrail, vaulted onto the top of this skyscraper. The hazy presence took on a solid outline. Just as I expected, the Servant stood there with a daring smirk and opened his mouth.

"Yo. It is you after all, little lady. What are you doing here without your Master?"

"…Lancer!"