Broly’s Multiversal Foodie Adventure

"But as far as I know, the Matou family is also participating in this Holy Grail War," Kirei Kotomine said with a frown.

"I know what you're worried about, but Matou Kariya, who represents the Matou family, is just a dropout who abandoned the path of magecraft.

While the Holy Grail War emphasizes the strength of the summoned Servants, if the Master is a half-baked magus, even the most powerful Servant is useless because the Master themselves becomes the weak point.

However, we do need to be cautious, which is why I called you here.

Kirei, I need you to use your Servant, Assassin, to investigate this matter.

Whether this is a plot by the Matou family or if Sakura was truly taken by an unknown force, I want you to get to the bottom of it.

And bring Sakura back as safely as possible."

"Understood, Teacher Tokiomi."

"Here's a photo of Sakura."

Tohsaka Tokiomi took out a photo from his pocket. It showed two little girls—his two adorable daughters.

The younger one, when she was still called Tohsaka Sakura, had a smile that was so innocent and joyful.

"She's such a lovely child, no less charming than Rin," Kirei Kotomine said with a straight face, offering a polite compliment.

"Sakura's talent is indeed on par with Rin's, but unfortunately, the Tohsaka family's magecraft inheritance can only go to one child. Whichever child inherits it, the other will suffer the misfortune of their rare talent."

Tohsaka Tokiomi sighed. This was why he didn't refuse when the Matou family proposed adopting one of his daughters as their future magecraft heir.

"Alright, Kirei, get moving. I'm worried about the child's safety."

Tohsaka Tokiomi picked up a glass of red wine, signaling for his disciple to take action.

"Has the child gone missing, Tokiomi? Why didn't you ask for my help?"

After Kirei left, a golden-haired man walked in from the balcony. His crimson, snake-like eyes marked him as none other than the future "Good Samaritan" of Fuyuki City, Gilgamesh. He looked bored and in need of something to do.

Helping a loyal subject find their missing daughter was just the kind of thing to pass the time for the former King of Uruk.

If Tohsaka Tokiomi were to kneel and beg him with utmost sincerity, Gilgamesh might consider it a worthwhile diversion.

"How could I trouble the great King of Heroes with such a trivial matter? This is merely a personal affair," Tohsaka Tokiomi replied respectfully to his Servant's offer.

"Hmph, how dull."

Seeing his master's deferential attitude, Gilgamesh felt disappointed. It was like a tyrant suddenly wanting to do a good deed, only to be met with disbelief and excessive politeness from his subjects.

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "..."

If this weren't the proud and arrogant King of Heroes, he would have treated him like any other familiar.

While he still had two Command Seals left to force Gilgamesh's compliance, using them on something as trivial as this would be a waste. How could he fight the Holy Grail War afterward?

Would he have to rely on his gem magecraft to face those monstrous Servants head-on?

Just as Tohsaka Tokiomi remained silent in response to Gilgamesh's comment, Kirei Kotomine suddenly returned to the study.

"Why are you back?" Tohsaka Tokiomi broke the silence to ask.

"Teacher, you don't need to look for your daughter anymore. She's right outside."

Kirei's expression was subtle as he answered.

He had just taken the photo and was about to leave when he ran into three people at the door, one of whom was the little girl in the photo.

"Huh?"

Hearing this, Tohsaka Tokiomi was momentarily stunned before asking for details.

"I didn't ask, but the ones bringing your daughter home are a young boy about her age and a teenage girl carrying a bamboo sword.

They seem quite aggressive, but they're just ordinary people."

Kirei explained what he saw as he followed Tohsaka Tokiomi outside.

"Dad!"

As Tohsaka Tokiomi reached the entrance, he heard his youngest daughter's excited call. However, it was just that—a call.

Young Sakura stood hesitantly at the doorstep, not daring to step inside.

"Sakura..."

Tohsaka Tokiomi's gaze softened, but before he could say anything, he was met with the 1988 version of Type-Moon's "T0" (top-tier) treatment.

"You're this child's father, right? I never thought someone living in such a grand mansion could abandon their own daughter!"

Fujimura Taiga started berating him the moment she saw him, her bamboo sword pointing accusingly at Tohsaka Tokiomi. Seeing young Sakura hesitate at the doorstep had filled her with anger.

What had this child endured in this household to make her afraid to step inside, even when the door was wide open?

"Are you even a man, a father, if you could abandon your own daughter like that?!"

Tohsaka Tokiomi, being scolded: "..."

Kirei Kotomine's mouth twitched, while Gilgamesh, standing behind them, looked on with amusement.

"Today, whether you let her in or not, she's coming home. If you don't want to be thrown out of this house by my fists, you'd better let her back in!"

After Fujimura Taiga's opening tirade, Broly stepped forward, raising his small fist threateningly on the other side of young Sakura.

The two of them, standing on either side of Sakura, looked like yakuza thugs intimidating a shop owner who refused to pay protection fees.

Except, in this case, it was a high school girl and a kindergarten-aged boy, making the scene more akin to Conan the Barbarian's version of a dragon's roar.

Tohsaka Tokiomi had considered that his daughter's disappearance might be part of the Matou family's schemes in the Holy Grail War or the work of some unscrupulous Master targeting both the Matou and Tohsaka families.

But he never expected his youngest daughter to show up the day after being reported missing, accompanied by these two.

One was a girl who immediately launched into a tirade about his failings as a father, and the other was a young boy who dared to threaten him with his fists.

For a moment, Tohsaka Tokiomi was struck by the existential questions: *Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?*

"My daughter was supposedly taken from the Matou household, right?"

After a pause, Tohsaka Tokiomi asked his disciple.

"If what you told me via your familiar is correct, then yes," Kirei replied expressionlessly.

"Then can someone explain to me what's happening right now?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi asked, but Kirei couldn't answer because he didn't know either.

"Foolish subject, just ask your daughter directly. Isn't that the simplest way to find out?"

Gilgamesh, ever the beacon of wisdom, offered his advice.

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "..."

He stepped forward, standing at the entrance, and asked his daughter, "Sakura, can you tell me what happened? The Matou family came yesterday and said you had been taken."

"No one took me. I was rescued.

After I went to the Matou household, 'Grandfather' threw me into a basement full of bugs.

Those bugs crawled all over me, and it hurt so much.

Broly suddenly appeared and saved me from the bug pit."

Young Sakura mustered her courage and told her father about her experiences at the Matou household.

Tohsaka Tokiomi frowned as he listened.

The Matou family was known for their insect-based magecraft, but throwing his daughter, who was supposed to be their magecraft heir, into a bug-filled basement was beyond his comprehension.

"Why would Zouken throw you into a basement full of bugs?" he asked.

"Grandfather said it was to modify my magical attributes," young Sakura answered honestly.

[Magical attributes? But the Matou family's magecraft is water-based, isn't it? Unless...]

Tohsaka Tokiomi had a suspicion but kept it to himself.

"And who are they?"

He then turned to ask about the two people beside her.

"This is Broly, the one who saved me from the bug pit.

And this is Fujimura-nee, who took us in last night when we had nowhere to go."

Young Sakura introduced them.

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "..."

Nowhere to go? What a way to put it.

Hearing those words from his youngest daughter was incredibly ironic.

"There might be some misunderstanding here."

Taking a deep breath, Tohsaka Tokiomi broke the stalemate at the door.

Fujimura Taiga was still processing the whole "bugs" and "magi" thing, but when she heard Tohsaka Tokiomi mention a "misunderstanding," she immediately exploded.

"What misunderstanding? Look at her! She's too scared to even step into her own home! That tells me everything I need to know about what kind of irresponsible father you are!"

Tohsaka Tokiomi was scolded again, but since the girl in front of him was an ordinary person and had taken in his daughter, he couldn't lose his temper. As a refined gentleman, he patiently explained that his daughter had been adopted into another family.

Of course, Tohsaka Tokiomi didn't mention the magecraft inheritance. He simply said that the Tohsaka and Matou families were old friends.

In his mind, he had already concluded that his daughter had been "taken by a Servant" because she couldn't endure the magical attribute modification and had run away from the Matou household, with the help of the boy named Broly.

"Then why don't you let her come back to her real home?"

Broly asked.

"It's not that she can't come back. It's just that this involves the inheritance of the family business. After the adoption, we had to make a clear separation, which is inevitable. But when Sakura grows up, if she wants to return here, that's perfectly fine."

[Ah, so this is how wealthy families handle adopted children?!]

Fujimura Taiga marveled inwardly. Based on what she had just heard, the "Tiger of Fuyuki" had already imagined a whole drama about two wealthy families exchanging children.

However, Broly didn't have the same rich imagination as Fujimura Taiga. Tohsaka Tokiomi's words only left him more confused.

He shook his head and asked the man at the entrance, "So, can she come home or not?"

"Of course she can."

Tohsaka Tokiomi nodded.

Young Sakura's eyes lit up, but she was still hesitant.

"The separation and distance were under normal adoption circumstances, but now that things have changed, Sakura, you are still my child."

The refined gentleman opened his arms to his youngest daughter.

"Dad~"

Young Sakura couldn't hold back anymore. She ran into the house and threw herself into her father's arms.

"Waaah..."

She couldn't stop crying. Her father's embrace was still as warm and comforting as she remembered.

She believed that if her father had known about her suffering at the Matou household, he would have come to rescue her.

It must have been that bad grandfather who deceived her father, hiding the truth about her ordeal.

That's why her father hadn't come.

Young Sakura found a way to excuse her father's inaction and quickly forgave him, continuing to see him as someone she could rely on. Gradually, she felt a sense of安心 (relief) from him.

[Sakura Matou's happiness level is steadily increasing.]

"Even though it's clear this was a misunderstanding, I still want to say that you, who didn't even investigate the family you were sending your daughter to, allowing her to be abused, are still an irresponsible and terrible father!"

Fujimura Taiga continued to berate him, and Tohsaka Tokiomi had no rebuttal. He could only say, "It was indeed my oversight. Thank you both for helping my daughter."

After a moment of thought, Tohsaka Tokiomi took out two high-quality gemstones from his pocket.

"The Tohsaka family deals in jewelry."

He said this as he handed the gemstones to the boy and the girl in front of him.

"These gemstones aren't particularly valuable, but please accept them as a token of my gratitude."

Fujimura Taiga had been ready to scold him some more, but the man's offer was too generous.

Broly glanced at the gemstone, but when he realized it was just a rock and not food, he lost interest.

[Shiny gemstones are common items for increasing the happiness level of the opposite sex. The primary method of use is gifting.]

However, the Harem System's reminder made Broly change his attitude toward the gemstone.

"Here, this is for you."

Without hesitation, he took the blue gemstone from Tohsaka Tokiomi and handed it to young Sakura.

"Huh?!"

Young Sakura was stunned by the sudden gift and instinctively looked up at her father.

"What does this mean?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi was taken aback and asked with a slight frown.

"I gave her a stone. Do you have a problem with that?"

Broly's blunt retort left Tohsaka Tokiomi speechless.