Chapter 13

"Greetings, head of the Tohsaka family" I smiled tightly "Eighth seat of the Burial Agency at your service"

Sunlight shone through the family's estate, illuminating the room we're standing in. Rows upon rows of bookshelves were neatly organized on two sides of the room. Antique furniture and Mystic Codes, each flowing with magical power. The interior design giving their owner an appearance of a wise and noble Magus 

Too bad that impression can't be farther than the truth 

I could feel the sheer disapproval in the man's eyes when he looked at me, like a king looking at a mongrel groveling on the ground

"In the file they sent me it is stated that you're a Third-rated Magus with a lineage of only three-generation" He frowned "You are efficient in Gradation Air...and Reinforcement...and Alteration. Basic spells that only Clock Tower's new arrivals would practice" 

"I had trusted the Church to send one of their best" He closed the file on his hand and elegantly placed them on the table "And seeing you, I must say I am disappointed in their choice"

....Tokiomi is an elitist, egoistic, pretentious douche

That is my first impression of him

"I am afraid you'd done my capability an injustice, sir" I once again bowed as per courtesy. There's no way I'd lose my temper in front of such petty insults "Despite my average talent in Magecraft, I am quite confident in my physical abilities. You can ask for confirmation from the Agency itself"

In the corner of the room, Kotomine Kirei glanced at my direction. His expression not betraying anything

"I suppose so" He bristled, probably wondering why this brute of an Executioner is allowed to be called a Magus at all "But maybe Kirei would have done a better job than you"

Now, isn't that just hurtful words?

"May I give you a small demonstration then?"

Both men tensed as the sharp glint of a thin cord entered their vision, a web of steel wire strewn across the room, their end wrapping around my fingers. The tight thread caressed the man's neck, causing just a small itch at where it's placed

My finger twitched, the action enough for him to whimper. Arrogant as he is, Tokiomi know even the smallest of movement on my part would cause lethal harm to him 

Domination established. Asshole silenced. Let's move on

With a flick of my hand, the threads dispersed, retreating into my sleeves

"I believe we may have gotten on the wrong foot, Mr. Tohsaka. Let me reintroduce myself"

Under my disguise, I smiled slightly

"Walter C. Dornez...Eighth Seat of the Burial Agency....at your service"

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Curse Narbareck for giving me this mission

I grumbled

When I know the identity of our client, I know I will inevitably end up changing I shouldn't have, as per the rule of the Chaos Theory. 

I may have panicked a little. Hell, I may have considered quitting the assignment then and there

But then an idea struck me. It sounds stupid at first glance, but certainly plausible with further consideration

I can use an alias instead of my real name for this mission. Say, it's not that weird of a request, seeing that some members have things that they wish to remain a secret, so it won't be unnatural for me to ask for anonymity in any of my tasks

And this is the disguise I came up with. 

Walter, a master vampire hunter with proficiency in controlling microfilament strings using a variant of the [Alteration] spell. A look that not only spoke of experience but also professionalism

I had also taken time to practice my voice and demeanor to the point it matched that of an English butler: Dutiful, diligent, and polite. I do not hate Tokiomi, but the man can be painfully annoying when it comes to class and etiquette, so this is just an extra precaution to shut him up should everything fail

With this reserved and calm appearance, it is guaranteed that I won't draw attention to myself unless I wish so. My disguise is like my skill and appearance: fool-proof

"Rin, Sakura, say hello to your new caretaker" Aoi's gentle voice snapped me out of my trance as I stared at the woman beside me with curiosity

Brown hair that cascaded down her shoulder. A kind face that denotes a demure kind of beauty to it. Aoi Tohsaka, mother to both the children I'm about to meet. 

I'm conflicted about her. On one hand, the woman clearly loves her husband and is always there to support her kid as a good mother should

On the other...Sakura...enough said 

I supposed I should just ignore her for the time being. Let's focus on my mission first and foremost 

"Hmph, so you're Walter huh?"

A child Rin scoffed as she looked at me up and down. True to character, she's already hating me due to my occupation as a Priest. Looks like Kirei's had a bad influence on her

"Indeed I am, young Miss. May I know your name?"

"Rin. Rin Tohsaka" She held her head with pride "And this one behind me is my younger sister Sakura"

A tuff of brown hair twitched behind her before a younger version of said girl shuffled out from her back. Aside from the distinctive purple hair and the worms, she looked exactly like her Canon self

"H-hello"

"Hello. Nice to meet you" I spoke smoothly, my skill giving me an air of calmness and reassurance

Given the relaxing of her body movement, it's working wonder

"Starting from today, he'll be in charge of your daily activities in place of Kirei. Walter will stay with you for a month, at which time I hope you will stay nice and treat him with respect. Am I clear?"

"Yes/Yes"

Smiling at both of them, I subtly motioned for Aoi to let me take the rein

"I'll leave you in his care, then" The woman said as she left us, the sound of her heels clicking echoed in the hall

Now alone, I turned around and regarded the two girls with varying emotion

"Well, speak your mind" The irritation in her was already clear in her eyes from the start. It'd be detrimental if I let our relationship as a babysitter be hindered at such an early stage

"Let's make this clear, unnamed priest-"

"Walter" I corrected her

"Unnamed pr-"

"Walter"

"U-unnamed pr-"

"Walter"

"......"

The Tohsaka heiress fumed, face pink in anger, before choosing to ignore me

"I do not care if you're here to babysit me or not" She held a hand on her chest "When Father and Mother are gone, I held the absolute authority in this house. You are to obey our orders as we see fit, and you are to follow our rules. Is that clear?" 

"But of course" I inclined my head, the strands of hair behind falling forward and frame the sides of my face "As long as your order does not contradict my mission, I'd be happy to serve you in any way possible"

A flush crept up her face as Rin stared at me in sudden shyness. The authoritative aggressiveness from before turning it's head into a more demure air

I briefly wondered if I'd said the wrong thing

Ah, yes. She may be embarrassed since nobody would take a child's presence seriously. Me being so compliant must be a first for her, I suppose

"And you, young miss" I addressed Sakura who's trying to make herself as small as possible underneath my gaze "Do you have any request to make of me?"

This caught both girls by surprise, Sakura more than her sister

During their first two years of magical education, guests who appear as the Tohsaka house only paid attention to Rin, the more gifted of the two. Usually said attention involve different kind of sponsorship and investment for when she will eventually make her debut at the Clock Tower due to her vast talent in her family's formalcraft

As for Sakura. What about her? She's a second child with below-average Magic Circuits. A failure that will one day be given away like one would a piece of spare item. No one would waste their breath talking to her when no benefits can be yield from them

But this man right here, he does not care if he's speaking to a failure?

Sakura shifted. A fuzzy feeling rose inside the girl as she clenched her hands

"I'll be fine with whatever my you want of me" She gazed toward the ground, not meeting his eyes

"Well...what I want of you, huh?" (Y/n) smiled "Then, have you two eaten breakfast?"

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"Just to be clear" Rin crossed her arms "Just because you've gotten on my good grace doesn't mean I would lower my nourishment standard. It better taste good"

If the food I make doesn't taste good, I would kill myself

Still, isn't it a little unfair to expect Michelin-level cooking from a priest you just met? 

Looks like someone needs to tone down on their attitude

"Of course, I'll have you know my Mapo Tofu is top-notch among the Church's populace"

The girl shut up, an ill look crossed her face that made me smiled in amusement

"What is it miss Rin? Surely such an appetizing dish would satisfy your diet?"

"You. You Church bastards are all the same!" She screamed as she leveled an accusing finger at me, face furious.

Yet it can not hide the fear in her eyes

"What's so good about Mapo Tofu?!"

I could feel Kirei giving her the closest thing to a glare he could muster from behind

Their parents had left just minutes ago, leaving me and Kotomine alone to take care of the two children 

For the moment, the emotionless priest was content watching from the sideline as I struggled against her feral temper. His sadistic side taking place as a smirk crossed his face

"Priest Kotomine, would you kindly take care of the children while I go and prepare breakfast for them?"

"I'm afraid not Walter. My duty is to supervise your progress in handling the young Mistresses and report it to the Patriarch, should your performance prove unsatisfying"

"And I'm afraid I haven't been clear enough"

"Priest Kotomine. Would you kindly" My Mystic Eyes of Enchantment flashed "attend to the children for me?"

We're in this together. If you're throwing me into Hell I will drag you down with me

The young man stiffened, before nodding wordlessly as though in a trance. He moved to stand beside them while I walked toward the kitchen

A sigh of relief escaped my lips as the elder Tohsaka's voice raised to high-pitch yelling behind me. I've just dodged a bullet there

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"You know, you're a real piece of wonder" Rin said with a frown as I walked alongside her and Sakura to their study room

"Many have told me that" I noted "And I would often reply with I'm just an average Magus to escape the conversation"

"I've just filtered through your file" She said, eyes flickering to meet mine "You manage to become an Executioner and earned yourself a seat among the Burial Agency. That spoke highly of your skills. At the very least, you're not an average Magus"

"Whatever you say, Miss Rin"

The girl's face soured

She was trying to compliment him, and he just brush her off like that?

"Ungrateful jerk" the girl grunted

(Y/n) on his part is looking at Sakura on his right.

Ever since I've introduced myself to the younger sibling, she's been oddly silent. 

It was until now that I've caught her staring intently at me a few times, seeming as if she wants to ask me something, before giving up and turned away when I gazed back at her

I...didn't do something wrong, did I?

Of course, he did nothing wrong. The only thing he hadn't taken into account is just how much neglecting the little girl beside him had suffered from Tokiomi and his wife

For the early part of her life, Sakura had been given nothing but the bare minimum of care needed to satisfy the responsibility of a parent. Almost all of their attention, love, and resources were placed on her elder sister, leaving her isolated from the rest of the house

Seeing Walter, a kind young man who does not treat her like a burden comes as a surprise to the girl. She had instinctively hid away from the truth

Maybe he had not seen how terrible of a Magus she is? Or maybe he did not care? As far as she know, that may be the case

It fills her with joy, yet a subtle sense of envy at the same time. Envy that her sister always seem to effortlessly catch other's attention with her perfect image, and that she will inevitably take him away too

A crow's cawing from the outside caught their attention. (Y/n), having remembered one of the things Tokiomi has told him, walked to the window sill and plucked the letter from the bird's leg

Really. Magi and their love for outdated things

"It seems like your teacher have gotten a cold today" He undid the seal and rolled the parchment down "As it is, he reminded you to do your homework and review your previous lesson for next week's test"

"Hm, how disappointing" Rin drawled "And to think I've been looking forward to it the whole week"

"If you'd like I can tutor you in that regard"

Silence

"You? Don't kid me Walter. I doubt you'd be as proficient in Formalcraft as our family" She waved him off dismissively, but he only smiled 

"Is that a challenge I heard, miss Tohsaka?"

"Huh?"

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The mad scribble of the inked pen upon antique parchment could be heard in the manor's study room could be heard. Textbooks laid opened in front of Rin, their content easily forgotten in favor of listening to the man before her

"As you already know" I lectured in a calm tone "Inversing the equation not only allows you a better grasping of the crystal's structure - critical in reducing its mana output and permanent harm in the long run - but also to give you proper reading on its parameters. This, using the law of energy conservation, signify the distinctive properties in different jewels that correlate with their respective elements"

I wrote some random mumbo jumbo on the board with the chalk. 

The arcane symbols burned with unbridled magical power, but I ignored it

"The exact formula for each type of container differentiates between their inner arrangement. Chemically, it points out to their ability to processing and storing ambient mana. Mathematically, their constitution serves as the basis for the Kaleidoscope principle" I wrote some more, chalk dust floating through the air "The Wizard Marshall Zelretch is the leading Magus in this field, using the fundamental composition and taking inspiration from the jewels, he stated in one of his research that it's possible to create a greater source of power by utilizing different energy input from parallel origins, led through years of accumulation and condensing them into a finite vessel until it is ready to burst. Then...Boom"

I slapped my hand on the board, causing more chalk dust to fell down. 

"A hole in reality is forcefully opened, allowing for the assembled mass of energy to create miracles beyond one's comprehension" I stated, pushing my glasses up "You should be familiar with this concept. In the Magi's world, this event is what we call the Holy Grail War. A gathering of mana being converted subverted and restructured so that they can gather in the vessel, the Grail"

"Using it as an example, we can infer formalcraft to be of an inferior, yet similar function. Mysteries by nature are incredibly unstable without the interference of Ether in its essence. What is it that allows such dangerous concepts to be imposed upon a physical vessel? The answer lies in the gem's purity, as they allow no external influence from the mundane world once the mana'd been entrapped inside"

I closed the book on my hand

".....In our next lesson on Friday, I want you to give me a detailed explanation of the Holy Grail's inner mechanism using a combination of the knowledge we learned today. Source material is banned unless it concerns unknown fundamentals. One point reduction if that happens"

"Additionally, extra points will be given if you can recreate Zelretch's Jeweled Sword at the end of Thursday. I need only a complete analysis of its content and material, as I know you're not very good at Projection yourself"

I spread out my arm, before clapping once

"And with that, today's lesson ends" 

Rin stared at me with a blank look, the pen in her hands dropped to the table, but she didn't care. She continues looking at me with those blank, dead eyes, even as I called out to her

Oh

Is my homework too difficult for her?

I covered my face with a palm, filing away any amount of exasperation I may feel. When you already maxed out [True Magic Theory], explaining such a simple concept to a child is incredibly difficult

It's like teaching a fish why one plus one is two. You know the answer to everything and beyond infinity, but you will find yourself struggling to present it in a way that they could understand with their feeble intelligence

In any case, over-explaining something would cause their mind to break. Like Rin is right now

"Uh...yes...you...are dismissed?"

She nodded wordlessly and walked out of the room, muttering about something 'revolutionary" and 'breakthrough'

Just what exactly is so special about them? I literally only taught you the content in the text book

Kirei appeared. He took a glance at Rin who's having a thousand-yard gaze, then back at me 

"Ah, I see you have a mindbreak fetish as well"

"I certainly do not, priest Kotomine"

The Christian psychopath made no reply, as if already accustomed to the act of kink shaming itself

Grunting to myself, I went after Rin. Now that my role as her tutor has ended, I am back to being her humble butler once more

Unbeknownst to (Y/n), a window flickered to life behind him, before fading away just as suddenly

[True Teaching] had been maxed out

- The ability to impart your wisdom to others. Increase the ability of those under your tutelage and unlock their full potential

- At this level, those who study under you have a 100% chance of becoming a prodigy at their craft. 80% to become a person of great power and authority, 60% to achieve revolutionary feats, and 10% to become a legend etched in history

- In return, +20% Bond Limit gained with your students

You have gained Perk: [Teach Me More Sensei~]

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Night fell above the Tohsaka manor. After the first day of meeting their new butler, err, supervisor, Rin felt completely drain - both mentally and physically

"Impossible" The little girl stared, open-mouthed at the glowing gem in front of her

He was right. True to Walter's teaching, the use of Reinforcement to fill certain pathways in the gem is enough to accelerate its mana conversion rate to a staggering degree. 

The use of different crystals according to their compatible elements has the effect of stabilizing said pathway to which no risk of damaging the container appears. To that end, the speed at which she can gather and convert ambient mana to said jewels just went from one to multiple of them a day

She was sure even her father wouldn't be capable of such a feat

"Rin, do you want to play with me?" Beside her is Sakura who's holding several dolls in her arms. She held them toward her sister with a hopeful gaze

Due to her having almost no talent in magic, it has been decided that the younger of them will not receive education in their family's magecraft aside from a few basics. It is, in her father's words, a way to cut off unnecessary expenses from their family's fund

Usually, Rin'd be more than happy to oblige to Sakura's request, but-

"Sorry, I'm busy right now. We'll do it later"

She can't afford to lose focus when the answer to achieving a breakthrough to Formalcraft lies right in front of her. This will need more research if she wants to complete her homework in time

It was exceedingly hard for a child. But then again Rin Tohsaka isn't one to back down from a challenge

"O-okay, I'll play by myself then" The girl held back the disappointment in her voice and head to the bedroom's door, leaving Rin in the silence that followed afterward

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I was surprised to see the short-haired girl wandering alone in the hallway

"Miss Sakura, what are you doing outside at this hour?"

"W-Walter?"

"Big sister is busy studying by herself in our room. I can't afford to interrupt her concentration at this time"

"And...pray tell, why is it that you're not studying yourself?"

She looked at me, before clenching her fist and gazed at the ground

"They- I was told by father that I was born with no magical talent, and that the only use I would have for the family is to be given away as an offering to bear other clan's children" The little girl smiled sadly, as though resigned to her fate 

[Structural Analysis]

Sakura Tohsaka

Magic Circuits: 34 (900 unit/second)

Element: Imaginary Numbers

Origin: Blooming and Wilting

I see...the problem with her magical talent isn't with the amount of Magic Circuits she had, but rather the element of her craft. Imaginary Numbers are rather useless in nature. Unlike other types of affinity, one can't affect the physical world with what is "imaginary", unless they have a lynchpin to it

Compare this with Rin's five elements, I could understand why Tokiomi would isolate and neglect her in favor of her genius sister. There's no such things as love in the Magus world. Merely abilities and connections. Without them, one is useless. From a pragmatic point of view, I could understand his action

But...well, you know what they say

"Just because your father is correct, doesn't mean he's right"

"H-huh?"

"Come, let's get to the living room. You will catch a cold out here"

Sakura's a failure, sure. But she's their failure, she's their family. For a child to suffer from discrimination because of her abilities isn't something I would agree with

Fine

If no one will acknowledge her, I will. I'll make her into one of the most terrifying Magus to ever exist on this planet. So much so that Tokiomi will cry out of regret for ignoring the hidden treasure that is his daughter

What would trying to maintain the timeline do if that mean ignoring other's suffering? I myself can not give her happiness, but I certainly can give her the power to do so

With the young girl in hand, I retreated into the spacious guest room of the manor. The magic fireplace roared to life the moment we set our foot in. Sakura hopped on the couch while I stood beside her, a cup of warm milk already in my hand

A comfortable silence, with the crackling of the fire the only sound between us. A lonely girl and a teen who came from another world

"May I ask. What are those dolls in your hands?"

"They're...I made them" She smiled weakly, staring at the six cotton dolls in her hand "I was going to give it to Rin, but she wasn't one who would waste her time with things like that"

"This one is Kazuradrop" She pointed at the smallest one "The one next to her is Violet. The one with glasses"

(Y/n)'s smile froze just for the briefest of moment 

"The big one with bandages is Kingprotea" Sakura smiled, joy flashing through her eyes, completely oblivious to his reaction

He shifted his eyes, scrutinizing the two dolls. They look harmless, yet...

"This one is Meltililith"

"This one is Passionlip"

Maybe it's only a trick of the light....but he swore they just smiled at him

"And this one is Black Blossom, but you can call her BB"

Long black cloak that wrapped around it's figure, covering the white blouse behind with a black bow tie settled neatly on it. His eyes wandered downward, toward the miniskirt the doll's wearing

"I see. They are certainly unique" (Y/n) inspected each of them "Somehow, I feel like they're extension of yourself. They're all certainly beautiful in their own rights" 

A blush slowly made it's way across Sakura's face

"Then..."

The proof of their friendship. To the one kind butler named Walter

"You can have all six of them. They seems to have taken a liking to you"

Something changed that night

Will the Butler be her greatest friend, or something more?

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Author's Note: Please tell me I got their characters right. It's been such a long time since I've written from a Canon character's perspective that I don't know if I was good enough or not

Also, quoting a certain reader of mine: "BB chaneru~" has been the inspiration for this chapter, so thank you