Rin watched her pouting expression and, contrary to expectation, felt that this "Berserker" had no intimidating presence at all, and was even a little... cute? She chuckled secretly.
The three of them arrived at the castle's dining room.
Long Night Moon, Irisviel, and Artoria were already seated at the long dining table.
Emiya Kiritsugu was not present.
"Ah!" Rin recognized Long Night Moon at a glance, her eyes lighting up. "It's that pretty big sister from the park!"
Hearing this, March 7th, who was nearby, immediately wore a wronged expression and muttered in a low voice, "Pretty big sister... violent big sister... the difference in treatment is just too huge!"
Hearing how Rin addressed her, Long Night Moon smiled gently and waved at her. "Good morning, little Rin. It seems you rested well. Come over and sit."
Rin walked over somewhat reservedly, her gaze involuntarily drawn to Irisviel's rare silver hair and crimson eyes, and her gentle temperament. She was even more stunned by the blonde girl sitting upright beside her, whose dignified, heroic spirit was hard to conceal even in casual clothes.
She could feel the extraordinary presence emanating from her.
"They are Madam Irisviel and Saber," Long Night Moon introduced simply. "This is their home."
"Saber...?" Rin's eyes widened. She knew about the Holy Grail War and some basic knowledge regarding the class.
Saber, the head of the three knight classes, one of the strongest classes!
And that silver-haired lady was likely the master.
She realized immediately that she was currently in the camp of another contestant, and her heart tightened involuntarily. Her small hand quietly grabbed Sakura's hand beside her. (Am I... kidnapped to the enemy's base camp?)
"Don't be nervous, little Rin." Long Night Moon seemed to see through her thoughts, her tone peaceful. "If it were a kidnapping, you wouldn't be sitting here peacefully, eating breakfast with your little sister."
She gestured to March 7th, who was already eyeing the sumptuous food on the table and had quickly entered "battle mode," and to Sakura, who was sitting quietly in her chair, sipping milk in small sips.
"Look, your 'kidnapper' is working hard to eliminate the food, and your little sister is also at ease," Long Night Moon smiled. "This is just a temporary shelter. You can stay here with peace of mind until we ensure your safety and contact your family."
Rin looked at March 7th, who was wolfing down food as if she hadn't eaten in days, and then at Sakura, who was indeed much calmer. The heart that had been hanging in her chest finally settled down. The aroma of the food also finally stirred her own hunger.
Irisviel also smiled gently. "Rin, Sakura, please don't be polite. Just treat this place like your own home. Take whatever you want to eat."
Rin whispered her thanks and began to carefully take some food. At the dining table, the adults also began to converse.
"Madam," Long Night Moon elegantly cut the food on her plate and mentioned it seemingly casually, "Your husband, Mr. Emiya Kiritsugu, seems to be always busy. He was nowhere to be seen last night either."
Irisviel's smile faded slightly. She glanced at Saber, who was beside her, and the latter's emerald eyes also lowered slightly.
"Kiritsugu... always has his own plans and considerations," she said softly.
"Plans and considerations, you say?" Long Night Moon put down her knife and fork, picked up a napkin to wipe the corner of her mouth, her tone still gentle but carrying a hint of imperceptible sharpness. "For example, in order to eliminate a potential threat, he did not hesitate to blow up an entire hotel full of innocent guests, putting hundreds of people in danger—is that the kind of 'plans and considerations'?"
"What?!" Artoria suddenly looked up, her emerald eyes instantly erupting with incredulous shock. "Miss Long Night Moon, is what you said true? Did Kiritsugu... do such a thing last night?"
Although she was dissatisfied with Kiritsugu's methods, she hadn't expected them to be so extreme, completely violating the chivalry and philosophy of salvation she upheld.
Irisviel's face turned pale, and her fingers tightened around her glass. She knew Kiritsugu's style of operation, but hearing such specific and cruel actions with her own ears still made her feel painful and powerless. She could not refute it, because it was very consistent with Kiritsugu's logic.
"Unfortunately, it is a fact," Long Night Moon confirmed calmly. "My little sister and I were staying at that hotel at the time. If we hadn't reacted in time, we might have been buried in the ruins by now. Of course, that would include these two little girls as well."
Her gaze swept over Rin and Sakura, who were pricking up their ears to listen and had stopped chewing.
Saber's expression became extremely ugly, her hands clenched into fists under the table. This behavior of Emiya Kiritsugu ran counter to the ideals she wanted to realize by participating in the Holy Grail War, and was even more of a trampling on her beliefs as a king and a knight.
She looked at Irisviel, her eyes full of questioning.
Irisviel avoided Saber's gaze, lowered her head, and her voice was hoarse. "...I am very sorry, Miss Long Night Moon. For the danger and trouble that Kiritsugu's actions have caused everyone... I..."
"Madam, there is no need to apologize; you are not the executor," Long Night Moon interrupted her, her tone softening. "I mentioned this not to accuse, but simply to state that in this war, the philosophy and methods we uphold might differ fundamentally from those of Mr. Kiritsugu. Our alliance with your side is based on our trust in you and Miss Saber, and our judgment of common threats. However, there are some bottom lines that I hope we can clarify with each other."
These words both stated her position and gave Irisviel and Saber plenty of face.
Saber took a deep breath and nodded solemnly to Long Night Moon. "Thank you for your honesty. I will personally ask Kiritsugu about this matter. I swear by my honor as a knight that I will never approve of actions that endanger a large number of innocent people, and I will do my best to stop them, I, Artoria Pendragon."
Irisviel also looked up, her eyes recovering their firmness. "I understand what you mean, Miss Long Night Moon. On issues involving innocent people and basic principles, our positions should be consistent. We can discuss the specific details of our collaboration in more detail later."
The tension at the dining table eased slightly.
Although Rin only half-understood, she understood that the male owner who hadn't appeared seemed to have done something terrible, and that this blonde big sister Saber and the silver-haired lady did not seem to approve. This made her feelings about this "enemy camp" somewhat complicated.
Breakfast ended in a slightly subtle but generally peaceful atmosphere.
"Alright, little Rin, little Sakura." Long Night Moon stood up and smiled at the two little girls. "The weather is nice today; would you like to go for a walk? The streets of Fuyuki City are still quite lively during the day."
"Is that okay?" Rin's eyes lit up. After all, she was just a child, full of curiosity about the outside of the unfamiliar castle, and she also wanted to get away from these heavy topics for a while.
Sakura also looked at Long Night Moon with anticipation.
"Of course. The 'rules' of the Holy Grail War are relatively loose during the day, as long as you don't actively trigger large-scale conflicts."
Long Night Moon picked up the black umbrella at her side. "Besides, with me and your Sister March 7th following, it will be very safe." She specifically glanced at March 7th.
March 7th immediately patted her chest. "Don't worry! With me here, there's absolutely no problem! The duty of a Berserker is to protect everyone, right!" Although her method of protection might be a bit direct.
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