Chapter 66: Delay

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[Awakening Progress: 5.1%]

Haruki swiped the spear to shake the hideous blood. Silence enveloped the surroundings, his heartbeats growing louder and louder.

“Your awakening,” Arch said. “Want me to delay it?”

‘Please do.’

He couldn’t let it happen when the threat of Angra Mainyu hadn’t completely vanished.

Artoria shook his shoulder. “Master, are you feeling sick? As I thought, letting me kill the magus was a better idea.”

She had felt nauseated on her first kill after years of strict training to become a king. Haruki was a normal student before everything.

“It’s not what you think,” Haruki denied with a shake of his head. “I might have used too much magical energy.”

“You should rest,” Rin said.

Medusa folded her arms on her chest, idly observing the magical energy’s flow in Haruki’s body.

“Master grew stronger,” she conveyed with telepathy. “Is it because you killed the mage?”

Haruki stared at Medusa’s calm expression. ‘You get strong from drinking blood, I get strength from slaughter. A perfect match if I say so myself.’

“A peculiar ability. I assume it’s from the dragon race.”

She sounded more amused than afraid of his ability. Rather, she felt a bit giddy to find someone who shared something similar with her.

“Master, can we go?” Cu Chulainn asked. “This stench is making me vomit.”

Rin scrunched her nose. “It’s horrendous.”

Artoria slashed her sword, shredding all the remnants of flesh and sending it far. “

“Strong,” Rin muttered, envying Saber’s strength. “What do we do now? Return home?”

As competitive a person she was, she trusted Haruki’s judgment after relying on him. He solved Sakura’s servant problem, took care of the Matou Family all the while getting himself five servants.

Haruki shook his head. He didn’t contact Medea in fear of disturbing her during the crucial moment.

Rin stared at his face for a moment before she sighed. “What do you think happened between Otou-san and Matous?”

“Forget about that for now. Zouken was toying with your head,” Haruki said, narrowing his eyes. “Miss Tohsaka’s confidence is shaken so easily?”

“O-Of course no!”

“Then stop whining.”

“Master, my advice is to collect evidence on him,” Artoria advised. “We have executed a magus… the Mage’s Association may not take it too kindly.”

Artoria had heard of the nefarious reputation of the Mage’s Association. Mages were given free rein over innocent lives as long as they left no evidence.

She despised the fact that this self-indulgence was allowed.

Rin finally remembered she was the Second Owner of Fuyuki. The Association had made the Tohsaka family in charge of every supernatural activity in the lands of Fuyuki. A mage was murdered in her territory.

Rin felt her head spinning at the thought of giving all the explanations to the Association. If she didn’t, her family might lose reputation in the Clocktower, and she might even get a punishment.

‘I won’t regret it.’

The Tohsaka family was already declining. If it sank at the cost of saving her sister, she had no reason for regrets.

Haruki told Archer, Cu Chulainn, and Medusa to scout the city for any traces of Angra Mainyu. They weren’t allowed to fight him under any circumstances. Even Cu Chulainn didn’t show any battle spirit when Haruki told him about the horrors of the All World’s Evil. Artoria had to stay since she couldn’t turn into her spiritual form.

Haruki entered the mansion with Rin and Artoria and ran through every room. Rin found the secret passage to the basement and almost followed her impulses to check it out. Of course, Haruki didn’t allow her anywhere near the basement.

After nearly an hour of investigation, they collected enough evidence to drown the Association in facts.

Rin tossed all the documents in a bag. “All done. Let’s return to Sakura.”

“We’re going to your mansion.”

Haruki hadn’t received Medea’s message. He might as well finish his awakening somewhere safe. Rin’s mansion wasn’t far from here.

Rin frowned, staring him down as if he had something suspicious. “You’re hiding something. What is it?”

Haruki shrugged. “It’s better if you don’t know.”

“If you say so.”

Rin gave up on finding out about this secret. On the surface at least.

‘I’ll find it sooner or later.’

Artoria, now back to her white dress, walked back into the room. With her arrival, Haruki departed from the now-empty mansion.

Tall trees surrounded the eerily silent two-storey mansion. Tohsaka mansion lived up to its reputation for being the ‘haunted house’ of Fuyuki.

Rin unlocked the door, which also disabled the barrier around the place. She looked back to find Haruki and Artoria staring at her.

“What?”

Haruki shook his head. “I keep forgetting you’re filthy rich.”

“Rich?” She looked up at the mansion that had aged well considering it was built over two generations ago. “It’s the norm for magus families. I’m more amazed that your mother didn’t indulge in luxury. Was she indebted to someone?”

“I also want to know her history.”

Haruki followed Rin inside the mansion. Rin took him to the living room, offered them seats before she collapsed face down on a couch.

“I feel dead… the insects were too much.”

Haruki breathed a sigh of relief after two back-to-back fights. “Rin, shouldn’t you serve us some tea?”

Without bothering to lift her face, Rin waved her hand. “Ask your Servant.”

Artoria glanced away from Haruki’s expectant gaze. “Master, I can’t… in my time there were no plates, the meat was merely cooked and thrown onto the table… drinks only involved basic mead.”

She only learned about tea after being summoned in this era.

Rin raised her head and gave Artoria a pitiful look. “Poor you.”

“So that’s why she is such a glutton,” Haruki whispered, recalling Artoria’s monstrous appetite. “Guess I’ll make something.”

Rin grinned, pointing him towards the kitchen. “Be careful. You’re our Lord Savior.”

“...”