Chapter Thirty-One: The More One Tries to Hide, the More One Is Exposed

My name is Illya, and I’ve blown my cover.

172:38:15

Inside the Einzbern castle, far from Fuyuki City, Irisviel is tending to the unconscious Lin Hao.

A few hours ago, intense magical fluctuations erupted from the direction of Fuyuki City. It must have been a battle between Servants, and Kiritsugu would surely be at the scene.

Since the two Sabers are essentially the same person, they can communicate over long distances via "telepathy." However, they seem to dislike each other, so although Irisviel is worried, she cannot force Lily to stay in constant contact with Alter.

Yet, when she sensed that Saber Alter had entered combat shortly after the fighting began, she couldn't help but feel anxious. Her emotional turmoil was so evident that even Lin Hao, who was helping her refine the magical barriers, noticed.

While she wants to trust in Kiritsugu’s combat skills and his ability to assess a situation, battle is not something that proceeds according to plan. She instructed Saber Lily to monitor Saber Alter’s status at all times, with orders to use a Command Spell to teleport her over at the first sign of distress, even if it meant exposing the fact that they possessed two Sabers.

After the young knight informed her that the black Saber had encountered a Servant and successfully repelled them, Irisviel breathed a small sigh of relief. Unexpectedly, however, Lin Hao—who had been forcing herself to stay awake to keep her company—suddenly used a Command Spell and collapsed on the spot.

"By the power of the Command Spell, Caster, appear immediately by Emiya Kiritsugu's side and protect him!" she had said.

After a moment of shock, a message came from Saber Alter: while she was pursuing a Servant who appeared to be a Berserker, Kiritsugu was ambushed at the designated extraction point, but judging by the scene, he had likely been saved by a Caster.

Although the fact that Saber Alter—who lacked the Independent Action skill—remained in this world proved that Kiritsugu was unharmed, Irisviel was still left trembling with lingering fear. She didn't know how Lin Hao had learned of Kiritsugu's condition, but the fact that she had used a Command Spell without hesitation for someone she had previously claimed to dislike...

"What a good child," Irisviel thought, stroking Lin Hao’s sleeping face, a sentiment she had felt many times before.

She seemed to act without regard for who the person was; if she saw someone in need and was capable of helping, she would intervene immediately, regardless of the cost to herself. It was just like at the Fuyuki General Hospital: she had come to participate in the Holy Grail War, yet she used Caster’s magecraft to treat patients who had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Curious about what her Servant might be like, Irisviel waited in the room where Lin Hao was resting, with Saber Lily standing guard at her side.

171:54:24

At midnight, the snow-white Einzbern castle was exceptionally quiet, save for the faint sound of insects. Although Irisviel was a product of alchemy, she could not forgo sleep like a Heroic Spirit. She had been resting her chin on her hand, observing Lin Hao for a while, her long eyelashes slowly drooping. Saber Lily began to wonder if she would fall asleep right there in the next instant.

"Irisviel, a Servant is approaching." The pure-white young knight suddenly turned toward the direction of the forest outside the window.

Unless one possesses concealment magecraft or the Presence Concealment skill, a Servant—even when moving in spirit form—can be detected by others. Moreover, this visitor seemed to have no intention of hiding at all.

Saber sensed that the Heroic Spirit moving rapidly toward the Einzbern castle shared some connection with the unconscious girl from the East. Could it be the Caster she had been reluctant to summon?

"Hmm, the warning barrier hasn't reacted at all. If they hadn't intentionally released their presence, we probably wouldn't have noticed them at all. As expected of a Caster," Irisviel closed her eyes to sense for a moment, then frowned. "But how did she..."

"The visitor is heading toward us." Sensing the location of the guest, Saber clasped her hands into a defensive stance, preparing to draw her sword. "The magical presence is... immense. Should we prepare ourselves?"

"No, there is no need." Irisviel’s expression turned peculiar, as if she were grappling with something she couldn't quite understand.

*Whoosh—*

Without warning, a whirlwind swept through the room. Countless silvery-white motes of light converged and condensed within the vortex, finally taking the form of a young girl before Irisviel and Saber.

Artoria looked on with curiosity, comparing Irisviel to the newly arrived Heroic Spirit; they were simply too similar.

The long, silvery-white hair, the agate-like eyes, the ornate purple fur-trimmed dress, and the pure white flat boots. If not for the fact that the newcomer appeared noticeably younger than her Master, Saber felt she might accidentally mistake one for the other if judging solely by appearance.

Irisviel, however, showed no particular shock; she simply looked the girl up and down, as if trying to confirm something.

"Greetings. I am—" the manifested girl Heroic Spirit began.

"Illya, what are you doing here?" Irisviel interrupted her directly.

"...Illya?" The Caster with the appearance of a young girl paused. "Oh, that’s your daughter, isn't it? Although we look alike, I am not her. I am—"

"Oh? Is that so?" Saber noticed Irisviel wearing a dangerous expression she had never seen before. If she had to describe it, it was similar to the look her foster brother Kay would wear after Merlin had stirred up some new trouble. "Then who are you trying to say you are?"

"Then who are you trying to say you are" rather than "Then who are you." There was only a subtle difference in the phrasing, but the meaning was entirely different.

"..." Caster was rendered speechless by the question. After a pause, she continued, "My name is Lizlei-Justeaze von Einz—"

"Is that how you lied to Kiritsugu?" Irisviel interrupted again before she could finish. "Pretending to be the Saint of Winter?"

"What pretending..." Caster’s eyes began to dart around, pointedly avoiding Irisviel’s gaze.

"I taught you that lying is forbidden, didn't I, Illya?" Irisviel’s tone grew stern.

Caster fell into total silence. She turned her head and stared at the unconscious Lin Hao, saying nothing.

"Eh? Is the name she gave fake?" Although confused at first, Saber Lily now seemed to have noticed something.

"This is the expression she makes whenever Illya gets into trouble and tries to cover it up with a lie—looking around and refusing to meet anyone's eyes, or staring fixedly at a single point." Irisviel’s tone carried a sense of certainty, as if she had already confirmed it.

"Although I have not met her, shouldn't your daughter have already returned to Germany?" Saber observed the girl-like form of the Caster, comparing her to the photos of Kiritsugu and Irisviel’s young daughter that she had occasionally seen. "Besides, her appearance doesn't match."

"Exactly. Illya has been waiting in the castle deep in the mountains for you both to return. How could she possibly turn into a Heroic Spirit and appear here?" Caster spoke again, as if she had found support for her claim.

*Trying to cover things up...* Artoria suddenly wanted to laugh. Although she was still in training, her perception had grown significantly under the sting of Merlin’s sharp tongue. To her, this Caster’s response to Irisviel’s questioning was tantamount to a self-confession.

*Waiting for you to return*—a description with such strong personal emotion and directionality could never be uttered by an outsider. Moreover, the information revealed within it seemed slightly ominous.

"So, Kiritsugu and I failed, and we never went back, is that it?" Irisviel’s voice dropped. Saber even saw a faint glimmer of tears in her eyes.

"No... ah, no, that was just a guess. What I mean is—" Caster became incoherent, no longer resembling the confident figure she had been at the start.

"I'm sorry I didn't accompany you as you grew up," Irisviel continued, ignoring Caster’s reply. "You must hate us, don't you?"

"Of course not... I'm not! I don't!" The future version of Illya, now essentially confirmed, was still trying to struggle.

"Miss Illya, please do not be willful." Though the situation was chaotic, Saber Lily, aided by her "Instinct," quickly clarified the facts and intervened. "The Lady is already very sad."

"Ha—" Caster—no, Illyasviel von Einzbern—sighed in utter resignation and walked over to sit beside Irisviel. "Fine. How did you recognize me? Generally speaking, the Holy Grail shouldn't summon Heroic Spirits from the future unless they want to return themselves. You shouldn't know that."

Irisviel didn't answer, only raising her hand to stroke the girl's head.

Illya had been waiting for her to speak, but when she found Irisviel stroking her incessantly, she shook her head to break free, only to be pulled into a hug the next moment.

"Hehe, how could a mother not recognize her own daughter?" Irisviel nuzzled Illya’s cheek. "Thank goodness. I was worried you wouldn't grow up."

"Let me go—" "No~"

Saber hadn't been entirely sure before, but once they sat together, she no longer doubted it. Even if appearance could be adjusted with magecraft, the aura of a family and the small, habitual gestures they used with one another could never be faked.

"Tell me... Mother." Illya, having failed to escape the clutches, asked with flushed cheeks.

"The reason I recognized you is, of course," Irisviel tapped her own forehead, "because everyone, including the Saint of Winter, is here. The only one outside is Illya."

"The Misaka Network... Am I the Last Order? No, I must be a variant individual." The silver-haired, red-eyed girl muttered words that were nonsensical and perhaps from the future, appearing quite struck. "I thought my cover identity was flawless."

"Being able to become a Heroic Spirit proves that Illya has also created a legend, doesn't it?" Irisviel continued to stroke her future daughter's head. "You don't need to impersonate anyone else."

"Hmph. Won't Kiritsugu be smug about that?"

"So you really do have issues with us?"

"Only with him!"

"...Illya," Saber attempted to interject. "What is your wish?"

Given that mother and daughter were happy to be reunited, she wouldn't ask how she became a Heroic Spirit, but the current situation still needed clarification.

"Just call me Caster. If Kiritsugu finds out I was lying to him, he might get angry," Caster smiled at Artoria. "Well, as for my wish, it is to help Kiritsugu win this Holy Grail War without any Masters dying."

"Hmm?" Though the sentence sounded normal, Saber Lily keenly noticed the crux of the matter. "Do you mean to say that you want to preserve the strength of the magi as much as possible?"

"Yes. A terrible disaster occurs in the future. An invincible enemy appears and eventually destroys the entire world. With the help of the Alaya, I have returned to every point in history where magi made meaningless sacrifices, attempting to save those people. This is my first stop," Caster explained.

"Illya, although we don't dabble in space-time magic, is it really okay to just say that out loud?" Irisviel asked, concerned. "Won't it cause some... well, 'butterfly effect' or 'paradox'?"

"Descending as a Heroic Spirit is actually a loophole. If my actions in this war are useless, I'll have to return to a more distant past. If that doesn't work, I'll just have to hope that the version of me currently in the German castle tries again in a different way." After her true name was revealed, Caster seemed much more lively. "As long as I don't meet her face to face, it shouldn't be much of a problem."

In that case, both father and daughter shared the goal of "saving the world," which meant there was a foundation for cooperation—no, it should be said that their cooperation had already been established.

"I will assist you as much as I can," Artoria said earnestly.