Originally, each girl was just showcasing the "achievements" they had attained with Ian.
But Tamamo-no-Mae's actions instantly changed the atmosphere in the room.
Everyone clearly heard the wish she had uttered.
"To marry her Master."
This was undoubtedly an explosive request.
However——
More than the information itself, Tamamo-no-Mae's actions at this moment were even more concerning.
Olga Marie couldn't stand seeing others kneel before her, especially since she was a Servant!
"Don't do that!" Olga Marie said quickly, her amber eyes filled with concern.
She bent down and helped Tamamo-no-Mae up.
"We can talk things out properly."
"Y-yeah, that's right!" Fujimaru Ritsuka, having regained her senses, went to support Tamamo-no-Mae on the other side.
"We can't solve the problem like this!" Fujimaru Ritsuka said, her brown eyes looking at the fox spirit.
"Let's first clarify what exactly is going on——!"
"Yes, indeed!" Mash fully opened the room door. "Everyone, please come inside!"
Snap. The door closed.
Everyone went inside the room.
"I'll go make some tea!" Mash, temporarily acting as a maid, walked towards the other end of the room.
And Tamamo-no-Mae, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Olga Marie, and Mordred sat around the table.
Fujimaru Ritsuka spoke first.
"Um... Miss Tamamo-no-Mae." Fujimaru Ritsuka said hesitantly, her brown eyes looking at the fox spirit.
"Please call this concubine Tama~" The fox spirit replied to Fujimaru Ritsuka very politely.
"Eh, okay." Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded.
"Ahem." Fujimaru Ritsuka cleared her throat.
"Tama."
"You... why do you want to marry Ian?" Fujimaru Ritsuka asked, her brown eyes filled with curiosity.
"You ask this concubine why?" Tamamo-no-Mae tilted her head, her golden eyes looking at the red-haired girl.
Tamamo-no-Mae's mind recalled the bits and pieces of the Heian period.
Her originally worried face gradually became immersed in the sweetness of past memories.
He was the only light in her life.
Before meeting him, her life was filled with nothing but inescapable darkness.
"There might be many reasons to tell." Tamamo-no-Mae said softly, her golden eyes looking into the distance.
"But in the end... it's because this concubine wants to do so."
"Because I want to marry, so I will marry."
"..." Fujimaru Ritsuka's lips trembled slightly, looking like she wanted to say something.
But in the end, the red-haired girl didn't say much.
Because she felt that she could understand that feeling—having a flutter for someone, and then taking corresponding actions.
This was definitely liking someone!
It was just that... Fujimaru Ritsuka felt like something was a little strange, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Unlike her, Olga Marie had a different thought after hearing Tamamo-no-Mae's answer.
She found the impropriety in it.
"Um——" Olga Marie said hesitantly, her amber eyes looking at Tamamo-no-Mae.
"Although it might be impolite to say this... but Tama, haven't you only just met Ian for the first time?"
"How could such an idea have been born?"
Tamamo-no-Mae's two fox ears twitched slightly.
She noticed one thing—the girls before her didn't seem to know that Ian had other identities.
The clever fox spirit quickly realized that this was something he hadn't mentioned.
Then——
She had better not mention it either.
If it caused him any trouble because of this, things would become complicated.
Tamamo-no-Mae blinked her beautiful golden eyes, thinking of other reasons she could use to explain.
"Because Master Ian is this concubine's Master." Tamamo-no-Mae said gently.
"And this concubine, as a Servant... is constantly seeking how to become a virtuous wife."
"Because of this——" Tamamo-no-Mae tilted her head slightly.
"Marrying Master has become a good choice."
"This concubine believes that he will definitely be able to teach this concubine how to become a virtuous wife."
"Huh?" A fox spirit who wanted to become a virtuous wife?
Although at first glance it was a rather strange reason, upon closer inspection, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Especially for Olga Marie, who came from the Clock Tower, this was even more so.
Because she knew very well that historical figures became Heroic Spirits for all sorts of reasons.
So, it wasn't impossible for a Servant who hoped to become a virtuous wife to appear.
It could even be thought of this way——
Tamamo-no-Mae was a Servant who appeared in Chaldea for the sake of marriage!
And Ian, due to the "Spiritron Summoning System," happened to become her summoner!
A perfectly harmonious logic formed in Olga Marie's mind.
She realized that perhaps for Tamamo-no-Mae, marriage was a way to maintain her existence.
From this perspective——
She seemed to have to support her.
After all... Olga Marie's forehead broke out in a little cold sweat.
The Singularities at this moment had not been completely eliminated.
Any Servant who came here could potentially become a crucial fighting force in the future.
Both emotionally and rationally, she should be someone to retain.
"Tea is ready~" Mash, dressed in a maid outfit, returned to everyone's side with clear tea.
And Tamamo-no-Mae very politely stood up and helped her place the cups of tea one by one in front of everyone.
"Miss Tamamo-no-Mae." Mash looked at her with a hint of admiration in her eyes.
"You seem to pay a lot of attention to the etiquette of tea."
"Even the way you place the tea seems particularly refined."
"Is that so?" Tamamo-no-Mae's face flushed slightly, as if recalling something embarrassing.
"Perhaps it's because this concubine likes tea, so I unintentionally cultivated this habit."
"In addition——" Tamamo-no-Mae smiled gently.
"Please call this concubine Tama."
"Oh oh~" Mash nodded.
"Tama." The pink-haired girl said as she sat down at the table.
She held a cup of clear tea, her gaze never leaving Tamamo-no-Mae, the absolute center of this "meeting."
"What you said just now... were you serious?" Mash asked softly, her violet eyes looking at the fox spirit.
"You... want to marry Senpai?"
"Yes, that's right." Tamamo-no-Mae nodded, confirming that Mash hadn't misheard.
"This concubine does indeed want to marry Master Ian."
"..." Mash held the teacup and cautiously took a sip.
Her hand trembled slightly.
"Then——" Mash said hesitantly.
"Does Senpai know about this?"
"You could say he knows." Tamamo-no-Mae replied truthfully. "That's why this concubine came here this time."
"I see." Mash took another sip of clear tea, then placed the cup on the table.
"If Senpai knows... then I have no objections."
"This?" Tamamo-no-Mae hadn't expected Mash, who had just sat down not long ago, to agree to her request so readily.
She had to know that they had only just learned each other's names.
"Mash... are you really agreeing to this concubine marrying Master Ian?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked, her golden eyes wide with surprise.
"Yeah." Mash nodded seriously.
"I... as long as Senpai agrees, then it's fine with me." Mash said softly but firmly.
"Because I believe that he must have made his own judgment before doing so."
"Therefore——" A light of trust appeared in Mash's violet eyes.
"What I need to do is support him!"
"..." Tamamo-no-Mae was surprised at first, but quickly understood Mash's intentions.
Just like herself, she was a girl who would be very happy as long as she saw Ian happy.
Compared to that, other things were not so important.
"Thank you for understanding this concubine." Tamamo-no-Mae took Mash's hand.
"This concubine will forever remember your kindness."
"Eh?" Mash blushed at Tamamo-no-Mae's gratitude.
She was rarely thanked like this—after all, her usual presence was indeed too low.
"You don't need to thank me... this is the reward you deserve, Koyanskaya." Mash said softly, her violet eyes looking at the fox spirit.
Before Mash's voice fell, Olga Marie followed up.
"Um——" Olga Marie said hesitantly.
"Although not the first, if Koyanskaya, you really intend to do this... I think I should also try my best to support it, right?"
"After all, this is the meaning of your summoning."
"If even this kind of thing can't be satisfied... then it would be a bit too much."
"However——" Olga Marie's gaze fell on Tamamo-no-Mae before her, a hint of caution in her amber eyes.
"According to what you said, it shouldn't be the case that after you marry Ian... you won't let him see us again, right?"
"Of course not." Tamamo-no-Mae met Olga Marie's gaze.
"This concubine... is not that kind of person." Tamamo-no-Mae said gently but firmly.
"Besides——" Tamamo-no-Mae smiled slightly.
"If you are willing, then you would be this concubine's benefactors."
"This concubine will not do anything to repay kindness with enmity."
"I see..." Olga Marie's face remained calm, but she breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
She wasn't willing to give up any Servant who came to Chaldea, but she also didn't want to use Ian as a bargaining chip.
The way things were now was actually the result she hoped for the most.
"Eh, so that means——" Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice rang out at this moment.
"Although you're marrying Ian."
"But you won't affect his usual life, is that right?" Fujimaru Ritsuka asked, her brown eyes looking at Tamamo-no-Mae.
"That's certainly one way to put it." Tamamo-no-Mae nodded.
"This concubine doesn't wish to see her own request bring trouble to Master Ian."
"The past is the past, and the present is the present."
"..." Fujimaru Ritsuka finally understood Tamamo-no-Mae's true meaning.
She just wanted to accomplish the act of "marriage" and not steal Ian away from everyone else.
In that case——
There was no need to treat her as a complete enemy.
"Then it's settled!" Fujimaru Ritsuka said cheerfully, a smile returning to her face.
"Everything stays the same, right?"
"Hmm~" Tamamo-no-Mae smiled slightly. "Everything stays the same."
"Thank you, Miss Ritsuka."
Everything progressed very smoothly until it came to Mordred.
She raised her hand high:
"I object!" Mordred exclaimed, her green eyes flashing.
"How can you just casually let my Fath... Master get married?!"
"And——! When did you all become his girlfriends?! How come I don't know anything about it?!"
"..." "..." No one could answer Mordred's question.
Or rather, even if they knew how to answer, they couldn't bring themselves to speak.
After all——
In a sense, everyone present except Mordred had approached Ian in ways that were somewhat difficult to talk about.
Even though they had already been honest with each other, it wasn't a situation suitable for detailed description.
"You guys... are too much!" Mordred stood up, opened the door, and walked outside.
Snap. The door slammed shut heavily.
The room fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone's gaze focused on Tamamo-no-Mae.
But the fox spirit herself didn't have much of a reaction—she even comforted the other three.
"It's alright." Tamamo-no-Mae said gently, her golden eyes looking at the closed door.
"This concubine will go and see her... there must be a way to resolve this."
Saying these words, Tamamo-no-Mae followed and left the room.
At the end of a certain corridor.
Mordred was leaning on the railing, looking somewhat dejected.
Her mind was full of everything that had just happened.
She had originally thought that Mash was the limit, but she hadn't expected a whole bunch of them to suddenly appear.
When had her father become like this?
It must have been the fault of that fox spirit named Tamamo-no-Mae, right?
The more Mordred thought about it, the sadder she became, until a hand rested on her shoulder.
"This concubine has finally found you." Tamamo-no-Mae said softly, her golden eyes looking at Mordred.
"Eh?" Mordred turned her head and saw Tamamo-no-Mae.
Immediately, the mischievous child turned her face away and shook off Tamamo-no-Mae's hand.
"What are you doing here?!" Mordred asked, her green eyes filled with annoyance.
"..." Knowing that Mordred was angry with her, Tamamo-no-Mae didn't take it to heart.
She asked,
"Do you feel like this concubine has stolen your boyfriend?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked gently.
"Then——" Tamamo-no-Mae smiled slightly.
"You can rest assured... this concubine will not disturb your life with him."
"He's not some boyfriend——!" Mordred exclaimed, her green eyes flashing.
"He's my father!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Mordred realized that she had revealed her relationship with Ian due to her momentary agitation.
And Tamamo-no-Mae looked at her with a surprised expression, but quickly became gentle again.
"I see." Tamamo-no-Mae said softly, her golden eyes filled with understanding.
"Is it that you can't accept that your father has a new wife?"
"Then——" Tamamo-no-Mae gathered her magical energy and transformed her Noble Phantasm, "Fox's Wedding"—it was a pure white wedding dress.
"Mordred, this is this concubine's Noble Phantasm." Tamamo-no-Mae said gently, holding out the dress.
"If I wear it, I can directly become Master Ian's wife."
Mordred was dumbfounded.
"How can there be such a thing?!" Mordred exclaimed, her green eyes wide with surprise.
"It's complicated to explain—just think of it as this concubine's wishful thinking receiving a response from the gods." Tamamo-no-Mae said with a smile.
"Then what's the meaning of taking it out?" Mordred's face flushed red. "Are you trying to say that whether I object or not doesn't matter?"
"No." Tamamo-no-Mae shook her head.
"This concubine wants to tell you—Master Ian doesn't want this concubine to use it." Tamamo-no-Mae said softly.
"This concubine didn't understand why at first... but now I finally understand."
"..." Mordred looked at the wedding dress in Tamamo-no-Mae's hand and suddenly realized something.
"Are you saying... that Father didn't allow you to do this so that I wouldn't be sad?" Mordred asked, her voice a little softer.
Tamamo-no-Mae didn't answer Mordred, but just gave her a slight smile.
But that was enough to serve as an answer.
"You're lying to me..." Mordred's voice became quieter. "How could Father still be thinking about me at a time like this?"
"Then——" Tamamo-no-Mae put away her wedding dress.
"Have you ever thought... why you only know now that there are so many girls who like your father?"
"Eh?" Tamamo-no-Mae's words completely woke Mordred up.
The latter then realized that the reason for everything was actually herself!
After a long silence, Mordred spoke again.
"Tamamo-no-Mae... will you be good to my father?" Mordred asked, her green eyes looking at the fox spirit.
"Isn't that a matter of course?" Tamamo-no-Mae replied gently.
"Then——" Mordred looked at Tamamo-no-Mae before her and called out with a blushing face,
"I will absolutely not call you Mom! I only recognize Mother and Second Mom!"
"It's alright." Tamamo-no-Mae hugged Mordred and gently stroked the mischievous child's head.
"No matter what." Tamamo-no-Mae said softly.
"This concubine will take good care of you for Master Ian."