Le Fay wasn't as outwardly shocked as Rin, but inside her heart was no less turbulent.
So all the techniques Izumi-sama had taught them…
They were from another world?
No wonder she had never heard of any of them.
Rin, having regained her composure, stepped forward and looked Izumi squarely in the eyes.
"Then… do you have a way to send me back?"
"No matter what price I have to pay, I must return!"
"There are things I must accomplish—things only I can do."
Izumi rolled his eyes spectacularly.
"What, go fight over that stupid cup?"
"Trying to prove something to someone~?"
Rin swallowed her pride and nodded once.
As the heir of the Tohsaka family, it was her duty.
Her burden.
If she hadn't been suddenly thrown into another world, she would already be fighting in the Grail War right now.
Izumi shrugged.
"I don't know the method to 'go back'—at least not exactly."
"But I can try using this card first."
He lifted the Locator Card in his hand.
The glow around it pulsed faintly.
"It probably works by locking onto your world and opening a passage for us. That's what it looks like, anyway."
He studied the card closely.
No way something obtained with so high a price was ordinary.
Going by every trope he'd ever read in novels…
This thing was definitely not simple.
Izumi wasn't fully confident, but he had a hunch.
This was a round-trip ticket, not a one-way one.
Rin's eyes lit up immediately.
"Please! I'm begging you—send me back! I'll pay any price!"
Izumi raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Any price?"
"Even letting me 'play' with you for a year?"
Rin's mouth twitched.
LSP. Absolute LSP!!
That was the only thought in her mind.
The moment this man opened his mouth, she knew he was hopeless.
Izumi watched her with a half-smile.
But Tohsaka Rin was no ordinary girl—she was a mischievous little devil.
Her eyes glimmered as a plan formed instantly.
"I agree."
"But only after you send me home."
Yes.
Let him send her home first.
Then she'd just pretend the promise never happened.
Two worlds apart—
Like hell she'd honor that deal!
Let him "play for a year"?
Please. At that rate she might end up with a kid a year later—absolutely impossible!
Izumi snorted softly.
Her intentions were so transparent he could read them with his eyes closed.
The moment she agreed without hesitation, he knew exactly what she was planning.
But he didn't mind.
"Alright then," he said cheerfully.
"It's a deal.
Don't you dare back out later."
He flashed a sinister grin.
The girls around them all frowned simultaneously.
Discussing such a promise openly right in front of them—was that really okay?
Asia looked especially heartbroken.
Her eyes were already filling with tears.
Did Izumi… not want her anymore?
Was he getting tired of her?
That painful thought made her chest tighten.
Izumi, seeing her expression, reached over and gently patted her head.
"Easy. Don't cry."
Rin watched this with a deadpan expression.
LSP. LSP. LSP.
This man was absolutely a menace.
But the thought that she might be able to go home soon made her chest swell with excitement.
She stared at Izumi eagerly, waiting for him to activate the card.
…But he didn't.
Instead, he checked the time, stretched lazily, and stood up.
"Well, for now, I'm going to make dinner."
"Can't let you say I'm a bad host. Rest for a bit."
"And since you've come all the way to another world, shouldn't you look around and learn a little?"
"This world is very different from yours."
He chuckled lightly.
Rin blinked.
Now that he mentioned it…
The moment she arrived, she had encountered werewolves, vampires, and these ridiculously powerful mages.
Especially Le Fay—
A girl who looked like a middle schooler yet could raise over a dozen magic circles with a flick of her wrist.
Such people simply didn't exist in her world.
Curiosity sparked in her eyes, and she glanced at Le Fay.
Noticing her stare, Le Fay perked up as well.
"I want to know what magic is like in your world too."
"How about we exchange knowledge?"
Rin hesitated.
"Magic? Don't you mean magecraft?"
Le Fay blinked in confusion.
"Oh? You call it 'magecraft' in your world?"
"That's such a strange term."
"In this world, magecraft is just cheap trickery."
She pouted, clearly looking down on the concept.
Hearing her magic—or rather, magecraft—being dismissed as parlor tricks made Rin's jaw tighten.
Izumi, watching them get absorbed in conversation, simply smiled and walked toward the kitchen.
Go ahead, talk.
The more Rin learns about this world, the easier things will be later.
Izumi had no intention of sending Rin back out of kindness.
If he was going to her world, he planned to reap a massive harvest.
The knowledge alone was valuable, and the artifacts—Noble Phantasms, Mysteries—were treasures everywhere.
His system could trade items.
And the Nasuverse was basically a treasure farm waiting to be plundered.
With his power, one trip would be more than profitable.
How could he ever pass up such a chance?
That was why he agreed to send Rin back.
Why he pretended not to notice her scheming.
Rin wasn't going anywhere he didn't want her to.
For now, he'd let Le Fay keep her busy—teach her about their world, confuse her a little, and make integration easier later.
Rin was completely overwhelmed.
"The people of this world… you say anyone can train in magic?"
"Right. In our world, it's normal."
"And it's called magic, not magecraft."
"Totally different from yours!"
"In addition to humans, there are other races too.
Demons, angels, spirits, elves, vampires—many coexist."
"But humans are still the majority, even if we're a bit weaker overall."
Rin listened, stunned.
So that was why this world was so powerful—
everyone could train, everyone could grow.
Not like her world, where only those with talent or lineage could even touch magecraft, and everything had to stay hidden behind the veil of secrecy.
Here?
Walking down the street, she could randomly bump into a mage.
"…What kind of world is this…" she murmured.
She felt like her entire worldview was crumbling.