Note: This Chapter is Re-Translated on 6 / 15 / 2025
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Chapter 48: Zouken: I'm Not Some Kind of Demon, You Know
Because Touko still had to finish assembling her technical team, Shinji didn't bring her back to Japan just yet.
But the two return tickets he'd booked didn't go to waste—his new secretary, Ophelia, stepped in to fill the gap perfectly.
Back in Japan, Shinji didn't allow himself to relax despite Fate/Stay Night's nearly perfect box office performance.
On the contrary, with Fate/Zero now entering the planning stage, things were even busier.
While he was away, old man Zouken had done his part by compiling a detailed list of magus families that could potentially become partners.
Some were purely in it for profit.
Some were eyeing the Holy Grail War ritual with greed in their eyes.
And others… were all too eager to send their daughters straight into Shinji's bed.
Of course, Shinji wasn't about to just accept the list as-is.
His first picks were families looking for clean economic partnerships—particularly those willing to lease or sell access to their own leylines.
After all, filming Fate/Zero would require summoning a new round of Servants.
And Fuyuki City's current leyline could already barely support seven. That was its upper limit.
If Shinji wanted to expand the Servant roster, he'd need to link additional leylines to Fuyuki City's, funneling mana into the area to increase the total output.
The plan wasn't unlike what Chaldea attempted in Fate/Grand Order—trying to link directly to Earth's major leylines in order to support more Servant summons.
It was a strategy meant to allow a broader, more flexible summoning system.
That said, Chaldea's method was… costly. And cruel.
Their tests melted entire teams of Master candidates into the planet's leyline network—fusing them with Gaia, like poor Miss Tanaka.
Shinji had no intention of becoming a murderer.
He'd stick to humane, conventional methods, thank you very much.
Thankfully, he wasn't facing a world-ending crisis.
The strength of the Servants didn't matter—so long as they could walk, talk, and look good on camera, that was good enough.
Normally, linking multiple leylines was incredibly dangerous.
Too much mana buildup in one place could easily lead to a "Nuclear Fuyuki City" scenario—complete with mushroom clouds.
But with a whole bunch of Servants acting as magical drain valves, the bigger concern was not having enough mana, not having too much.
And like any good capitalist, Shinji made sure that even while he was busy, his employees were busier.
All of the Servants were promptly packed off to acting school.
The goal: whip their performances into something viewable before filming began.
Among them, the one Shinji placed the most hope in was, of course, his future money-printing machine: Arturia Pendragon.
She wasn't just going to train—she'd been given a role in a late-night TV show to polish her acting through real-world experience.
Naturally, Shinji didn't expect any Oscar-worthy performances from her just yet.
So instead, he told her to focus on her specialty—eating.
Thus was born the show: "The Lonely King".
A series inspired by the smash-hit The Solitary Gourmet, it would follow King Arthur's culinary adventures across Fuyuki City.
Each episode, she would visit a local restaurant and showcase the town's culinary treasures to all of Japan.
Forget how much she could eat—Arturia's refined but enthusiastic eating habits were adorably captivating.
It was more than enough to win over a whole audience of foodies and anime fans alike.
And considering her rising popularity across Japan, Shinji was confident that—even if the show didn't explode—it definitely wouldn't flop.
After all, it was a late-night slot. Expectations weren't that high to begin with.
Of course, this show wasn't just a tool to improve Arturia's acting.
It was also a low-key PR campaign for Fuyuki City itself.
With Fate/Stay Night's popularity skyrocketing, the number of fans flocking to Fuyuki City for Holy Grail pilgrimage tours had grown by the day.
A little extra advertising for the town's restaurants would help boost the local economy—and that, too, was part of Shinji's grand plan.
While Shinji was running around Japan, and his Servants were hard at work on their acting, the elders who had stayed behind in Fuyuki City had their own tasks to handle.
They were currently gathered together, deep in discussion over the logistics of shooting Fate/Zero.
"Hm, this 'internet' thing is quite impressive," said one elder, watching the virtual meeting room fill with faces from around the world. "Even with half the planet between us, we can talk like we're in the same room. No wonder Shinji believes it's the future."
At the tea table, the face of Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald appeared on the large screen set in the center, commenting mildly on the video call.
"Well now, Lord El-Melloi. We're not here today to discuss the internet," came a calm voice from the man seated furthest from the screen—Tokiomi Tohsaka.
"This sort of communication is easily achievable through magecraft," he added with cool conviction.
"And how long can you keep that up before you burn through your prana and turn into a dried-up husk, huh?"
The sarcastic jab came from Kariya Matou, his tone laced with ridicule.
"Let's be real, Tokiomi—you're still as old-fashioned and uptight as a pile of rocks."
Though Kariya had long since let go of the pain of his failed youthful love, that didn't mean he had any fondness left for Tokiomi.
Any chance to throw shade at the man was welcome.
Tokiomi clicked his tongue. "Kariya Matou, I would have expected you to at least distinguish between primary and secondary contradictions."
"What did you just say?!"
Kariya shot up, practically bristling like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Kiritsugu Emiya quickly stepped in to mediate before the conversation exploded.
"Enough, you two. We're not here to settle old scores. Let's remember why we called this meeting."
It had been a while since Shinji submitted his Fate/Zero project proposal.
All of them—his "actors," so to speak—had already read through the outline.
And the reason they'd all gathered here today was simple:
To convince Shinji to change the script.
Because, let's face it, none of them made it out of Fate/Zero looking good.
Tokiomi? Stabbed by his beloved apprentice, and that was one of the cleaner deaths.
Kayneth? Paralyzed, betrayed, humiliated, and unceremoniously disposed of.
Kiritsugu? Lost everything. Even after the story ended, he was left slowly wasting away in quiet agony.
And Kariya… well. Let's just say even his corpse didn't get proper closure.
Sure, they knew it was all just a story. But seeing themselves suffer such pitiful, tragic fates still made it impossible to sit still.
"Even if this story's meant to be a prequel expanding on Fate/Stay Night, I think we can all agree this version of events is... difficult to swallow."
Tokiomi's words were calm but firm.
"If we must die, then let it be with dignity. Not... like that."
He glanced toward the corner of the room—at Kirei Kotomine, who was quietly seated in silence.
Since reading the script, Tokiomi had found it increasingly hard to look the young priest in the eye.
There was a thorn stuck in his chest—an invisible dagger he feared Kirei might suddenly plunge into his back, just like in the story.
Not that Kirei noticed.
His gaze was fixed on the table, but his mind was elsewhere—thinking about where to grab some good mapo tofu once this was over.
Clack—
The door opened.
Zouken Matou shuffled in, leaning on his cane and chatting with a cheerful Irisviel von Einzbern.
"Kiritsugu!" Irisviel beamed, running over and looping her arms around her husband's.
"Zouken-san was just telling me—we could fence off the whole mountain behind the house and turn it into a filming zone! Wouldn't that be amazing? We'd have film crews right in our backyard!"
Kiritsugu was quiet for a moment. Then, with a small, helpless smile, he replied, "As long as it makes you happy."
Zouken tapped his cane against the floor, his wrinkled face curled into a sly, satisfied grin as he took a seat beside Kariya.
"Look at all of us, gathered together. Ever since the Holy Grail War was called off, the heads of our three families haven't sat down like this in ages, have we?"
He gave a slow nod. "That boy Shinji's done quite well for himself."
There was a trace of genuine pride in the old man's voice, though it was faint—hidden beneath layers of mockery and schemes.
Tokiomi's face twitched slightly. He cleared his throat, then cautiously asked:
"Matou-dono… you've read the proposal, haven't you?"
"Of course," Zouken replied with a knowing smile.
"In fact, I saw it before you did."
Tokiomi straightened. "Then… may I ask your opinion on the script?"
If they wanted the story changed, their best bet was to have Zouken lead the charge.
If the elder Matou formally opposed it—and they all followed suit—then Shinji would have no choice but to listen.
Tokiomi absolutely refused to believe it.
If all the elder representatives objected as one, no way Shinji would have the guts to go against them and insist on pushing forward with the original draft.
And as for Zouken Matou…
Tokiomi assumed he'd be the first to object.
After all, the way he was portrayed in the draft script was outright villainous—a deranged old freak practically painted in tar by his own grandson.
There was no way the old man would accept such slander with a smile.
But reality, once again, proved Tokiomi's assumptions wildly off the mark.
"Hoh-hoh-hoh~ The script's not bad at all!" Zouken chuckled, practically beaming.
"Compared to Fate/Stay Night, this one's got more pizzazz! Bigger battles! More spectacle! The audience is gonna eat it up."
"But the story is…" Tokiomi started, trying to steer the conversation back on track.
"The story?" Zouken blinked innocently. "Isn't it perfectly fine? It's much more serious than Fate/Stay Night, more like a proper war filled with blood and betrayal."
He paused for effect, then smiled wickedly.
"And besides! This masterpiece was written by my adorable grandson, wasn't it? Of course I support it—with both hands and all three legs!"
His voice oozed grandparental pride as he declared his unwavering support.
"Wait, old man, your dick can still go hard at your age?" Kariya blurted out, eyes wide in horror.
"You dolt! I meant my cane!" Zouken snapped.
"Y-Yeah, me too," Kariya backpedaled hastily. "But doesn't it get exhausting waving your hands and your cane around like that?"
Whack!
Zouken bonked Kariya's head with said cane.
"Ow—! Dammit!"
"Zouken-dono…"
Tokiomi's expression was grim as he tried again.
"I just feel… well… perhaps the tone of the film is a little too dark…"
Off to the side, he shot Kiritsugu and Kariya a pleading glance, hoping one of them would help back him up.
'What a joke. Can't even take the lead on your own, coward.'
Kariya rolled his eyes at Tokiomi in disgust.
"Dad," Kariya said instead, stepping up. "I get where you're coming from, but don't you think the script's tone is a bit too grim? It's a massive tonal shift from the last film—maybe we should tone it down a little?"
"What, change the script?" Zouken replied, feigning sudden realization.
"Ah, I see. You're just embarrassed that the whole 'losing the girl to another man' angle is going public, right?"
Whack!
Another cane-bonk landed squarely on Kariya's skull.
"Pathetic brat. Go stand in the corner and think about your life."
"Ugh…"
Tokiomi, sitting on the side, looked like he had just swallowed a lemon whole.
That cane might as well have been aimed at him.
'He might as well just shout out my national ID number while he's at it.'
Meanwhile…
Kirei Kotomine continued sitting there in stoic silence, completely ignoring the drama unfolding around him.
'…Hmph. Bunch of clowns. Looks like it's up to me to salvage this mess.'
While the others floundered, Kiritsugu crushed his cigarette into the ashtray, sighed, and raised his head.
"I understand your point, Matou-san. But I still think some revisions are necessary. The head of the El-Melloi family is a major investor in this project. Isn't his treatment in the script… a bit much?"
"Not at all. Not at all," said Kayneth via the video feed, casually waving his hand.
"Shinji and I already discussed this. I'll be selecting Sola's actress personally."
He didn't say who it was, but his smug expression made it painfully clear that he already had someone very specific in mind.
Everyone else around the table collectively grimaced.
'Tch. Women. Always the downfall of great men.'
Tokiomi clicked his tongue and furrowed his brow.
'Has he already forgotten that his character gets his fiancée seduced away by his own Servant?!'
Kiritsugu sighed.
Maybe he really should follow the script and have Kayneth end up in a wheelchair.
'Shinji… you really are a pro at screwing over your uncles.'
Kariya made another mental note in his ever-growing ledger of grievances.
'Hmm… my tea stem is standing upright. That means something good's about to happen.'
Irisviel took a delicate sip of her tea, beaming to herself.
'Maybe Kiritsugu and I will get more screentime together in the next one!'
'Hmm… should I go with that new Sichuan place instead? Their doubanjiang is better. But didn't Rin-ji have that weird green mapo tofu...?'
Kirei, for his part, remained utterly still—outwardly serene, inwardly locked in battle over his next culinary conquest.