บท 459: Full of Mystery
"What do you mean?" Kirei Kotomine quickly regained his composure, speaking calmly.
"Nothing much," Kaguya said, playfully twisting a lock of her silky hair around her fingers. She circled around him slowly, smiling as she continued, "I just noticed you've been spending a lot of time with Gilgamesh lately. It seems like you're discussing something important."
"We're merely discussing the mission," Kirei replied in a low voice.
"Is that so?" Kaguya smiled faintly, not quite believing him. "I can tell you're a very loyal apprentice, always thinking of your master."
"As a disciple, it is my duty," Kirei said. "If there's nothing else, I have matters to attend to." He gave a slight bow and turned to leave.
Kaguya watched his hurried departure with a knowing smile. Her spiritual awareness was exceptionally keen, and she had secretly used her Star Eyes to probe his thoughts. Although illusion techniques weren't particularly effective on Masters, she could still detect some clues.
Kirei clearly had his own ideas brewing. It seemed Gilgamesh's words had stirred something within him, though he had not yet fully committed to any decision. However, his internal conflict was evident—it was only a matter of time before he made his move.
This, Kaguya thought, is shaping up to be quite an interesting drama.
That strange sensation she had felt after killing Assassin previously had returned when she killed Caster Gilles the night before—a feeling of something entering her body. Now, Kaguya understood what it was: the souls of the defeated Servants. Since the Lesser Grail's purpose was to collect the souls of fallen Servants, their spirits would naturally enter it after their death. And since the Lesser Grail was inside Kaguya, it explained the peculiar feeling she had experienced.
This was entirely different from the agonizing pain that Irisviel had felt in the original story. As the vessel of the Lesser Grail, Kaguya hardly felt anything—no pain at all, just a vague sense of discomfort. This was likely due to Kaguya's immense strength and vast reserves of energy. On the other hand, Irisviel, a mere artificial human with limited power, had been an ill-suited vessel for the Grail.
Still, Kaguya was curious to see what would happen once she collected the souls of all seven Servants. What kind of change would occur?
Surprisingly, Gilgamesh hadn't returned to the mansion. She didn't know where he was, but perhaps he had gone off to seek some "pleasure" as he called it.
Wherever he was, Kaguya felt a sense of relief. Every time she saw his smug face, she had the urge to hit him. The ancient virtue of humility really made sense—humility generally made people more approachable. Arrogant and conceited people, no matter how wealthy or powerful, were rarely liked.
As she wandered, Kaguya found herself standing in front of a partially open door. The door wasn't locked, just slightly ajar. Pausing for a moment, Kaguya peeked inside. The room was beautifully decorated with soft, pastel hues—it seemed to have once been Sakura's room.
On the table sat a book with the title "Urban Legends" emblazoned on its cover.
Kaguya suddenly remembered that Sakura had a fondness for ghost stories and horror novels, which had surprised her at the time. She hadn't expected such a quiet and gentle girl to enjoy things like that. Perhaps it was due to Sakura's frail body and reserved personality that she found comfort in the thrill of horror.
It was much like how some girls, despite being terrified, loved watching horror movies—something Kaguya never quite understood. Did they have a hidden penchant for self-inflicted fear?
Pushing open the door, Kaguya stepped inside. She picked up the book from the table. While she had no particular interest in ghost stories, it was clear that Sakura had cherished this one. If time permitted, Kaguya planned to personally return the book to her—it had been a while since she last saw the sweet girl, and she missed her.
Just then, something shiny caught Kaguya's attention from the soft bed. She blinked in surprise and approached the bed, reaching out to pick up the small, glittering object.
It was a delicate earring adorned with crystals, shimmering beautifully. Kaguya immediately recognized it—this was the earring she had bought as a gift for Sakura some time ago.
However, Kaguya's brows furrowed. If she remembered correctly, she had given this earring to Sakura after they had moved out of the Tohsaka residence. Since then, Sakura had never returned to the house.
There was no mistake—this was indeed the earring she had given to Sakura, and it still carried traces of her own energy, leaving no room for doubt.
But how had it ended up here?
Suddenly, as Kaguya pondered the situation, a flash of realization cut through her mind like lightning. She pieced together the clues and arrived at a disturbing possibility.
Could it have been that person?
Kaguya's frown deepened. If it was who she thought, it would mean he had gone to great lengths to carry out this scheme, possibly even orchestrating it just to divert her attention.
However, now was not the time to confront him. Even if she asked, he would never admit to it. If she wanted to uncover the truth, she would have to ask the person directly involved—Sakura Matou.
Coincidentally, she was already planning to return the "Urban Legends" book to Sakura, so this would be a good opportunity.
With a light step, Kaguya's graceful form soared into the sky, leaving behind a streak of light as she swiftly flew toward her destination. Before long, she had vanished into the horizon.
Not long after Kaguya departed, a figure emerged from the golden particles in the air—it was none other than Gilgamesh, who was supposed to be elsewhere.
Holding a golden goblet, Gilgamesh took a sip of his wine, a smirk playing on his lips. "As expected of the woman I've set my sights on," he murmured. "Her senses are remarkably sharp. It seems she's already discovered something. What a pity—looks like I'll need to accelerate my plans."
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