"Don't ask about this."
Though Touko was usually forthcoming with answers, she immediately clammed up when this topic arose.
"This is absolutely off-limits for Roy. If one day he chooses to speak of it, you'll naturally learn the answer. But if he doesn't, you must never ask him about it. Understood?"
Seeing Touko's expression—one that made it clear she wouldn't budge no matter how much they pressed—Utaha had no choice but to relent, though her mind remained clouded with unanswered questions.
Meanwhile, Hayasaka's thoughts stirred slightly.
A topic Roy must never touch—does that mean what Rin referred to as a "forbidden subject"?
Then, the reason for Roy's mental instability that Touko mentioned—could it overlap with what Rin called "the events of three years ago"?
In other words, Roy's experiences three years ago are the root cause of his psychological breakdown.
Hayasaka felt she had likely uncovered the truth.
But caution held her back from voicing it.
Rin had explicitly warned against digging into his past, even advising to "run as far as you can" if it ever came up. That alone spoke volumes about how dangerous the topic was.
Besides, I'm not part of this household. I'll be leaving soon anyway—why invite trouble?
***
"Are you ready? I'm removing the bandages now!"
A nervous voice reached his ears.
Darkness enveloped his vision—something was covering his eyes.
Then, the covering was peeled away, and his eyelids instinctively fluttered open.
Blurred light seeped into his vision, sending sharp pain through his eyeballs. Uncontrollable tears spilled from the corners of his eyes.
An indeterminate amount of time passed before the hazy shapes before him gradually sharpened into clarity.
The first thing he saw was an old man wrapped head to toe in bandages and tattered armor, his face obscured. Only his voice betrayed his advanced age.
"Success! It worked!"
The old man's wrinkled hands trembled as they caressed his eyes, tears of joy soaking into the bandages on his face.
Overcome with emotion, the old man seemed to have fulfilled a lifelong dream. The way he gazed at him was as though beholding the most precious treasure in existence—so intense that it almost felt like, if forced to choose between his own life and his, the old man would unhesitatingly sacrifice himself.
Such fervent devotion could move even a saint.
Tears welled in his own eyes, spilling down his cheeks.
But not for the old man's dream.
Only for the light he had been deprived of for so long.
The old man treated him with immense kindness.
Not only had he restored his sight, but he had also convinced the thirty-odd villagers to revere him as a "saint," prostrating before him in worshipful devotion.
Like disciples kneeling before Christ, as though paying homage to him would grant them passage to heaven.
He painstakingly crafted a Magic Crest for him, laboring tirelessly to construct it no matter what magecraft he wished to learn.
Knowledge, power, status—the old man spared no effort in teaching him, bestowing everything upon him with a sincerity that held not a shred of falsehood.
That old man truly saw him as his successor, the vessel of his life's ambition, pouring every last drop of his essence into him without reservation.
But—
"Pity I can't see the look of rage twisting your face—it's a bit unsatisfying!"
A great fire reduced the village to ashes.
Tilting his head back, he laughed shrilly, mocking the old man.
Denying everything he stood for.
Destroying everything he had built.
***
Rider opened his eyes.
"So... this is the Master's past."
His gaze darkened, thoughts unreadable.
Standing atop the tallest skyscraper in Fuyuki, his vision stretched like a lighthouse beam, enveloping the entire city as though his eyes alone could take in every last detail.
***
Morning.
A chill wind rustled the leaves of the vegetables in the garden.
A faint shiver ran through him—today seemed even colder than yesterday.
Roy poured himself a cup of hot tea and settled onto the veranda. During winter, glass panels were installed to block the wind, and though the air remained cold, the absence of biting gusts made sipping tea there rather pleasant.
He rubbed his lower back with a pained smile.
"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
"That's why I told you—want me to replace that part? You said no."
A teasing voice came from behind.
Touko stepped out, dressed in loungewear. The oversized white top obscured her striking figure, and her vivid orange-red hair was tied into a low side ponytail, the end fastened with a ribbon.
Somehow, this homely look gave her an air of domesticity that made Roy's heartbeat skip for a moment.
"At least say you'll replace my whole body. Just swapping out a single part? How's that supposed to work?"
Roy rolled his eyes, shooting her an exasperated look.
Touko joined him on the engawa with her own cup of tea, studying him carefully.
"You look exhausted—I take it you've vented enough? How's your body? Any lingering discomfort?"
"My back hurts, and my kidneys ache."
"That's your own fault."
"Yeah, I overdid it."
"No, I mean you're just pathetically weak."
"Touko—you trying to pick a fight?!"
Roy sprang to his feet, jabbing a finger at her as he hurled incoherent insults.
Touko looked thoroughly amused.
"Alright, serious talk now."
She sat beside him, taking a sip of hot water.
"No need for me to spell out the curse on you—you already know. Before, you could tough it out through sheer willpower, but from now on, it won't be so easy. You understand why, right?"
"Yeah. Because I summoned multiple Servants."
Roy scowled, sitting back down to sip his own hot water.
A Master could only contract with one Servant.
Not only because sustaining even one Servant drained a tremendous amount of magical energy—most Masters couldn't handle the demands of two.
But also because forming a contract with a Servant placed immense mental strain on the Master. A connection formed between their memories and spirits, allowing the Servant's spiritual impurities to seep into the Master's psyche. Contracting a Servant with mental pollution traits would inevitably corrupt the Master's mind as well.
Previously, Roy had only Okita Souji as his Servant, so the mental burden was minimal. When the curse flared up, he could still endure it.
But now, with two Servants, the strain had multiplied.
"The curse of the Greater Grail, the mental burden of multiple Servants, and your innate destructive impulses."
Touko's expression was uncharacteristically grave as she fixed him with a piercing stare.
"If this continues, your mind might collapse before you achieve your goal—so I'll ask you one more time. Are you truly resolved to see this through, no matter what?"
***
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