Shinji Matou at Your Service

However, ideal magus, ideal Lords, and Shinji have nothing in common. He only knows that debts must be repaid, and lives taken must be avenged—it's a natural law.

If you want to kill my people, I'll retaliate. The fact that I haven't blown things up yet is out of respect for your teaching Toukoand Lorelei's desire to keep the Clock Tower stable. Otherwise, what does it matter if you're a Lord? Even Kenneth, who was at his peak back then, fell to Kiritsugu.

Do you believe that I would kill someone first, destroy the magic crest, and completely sever the lineage of Valualeta, forcing you to follow the same path as El-Melloi in another world line?

Of course, Shinji was just being fierce in his thoughts; the situation wouldn't escalate to that point. Lord Valualeta is a competent Lord who would calmly assess the pros and cons, and Lorelei is no different. They wouldn't allow things to spiral out of control.

More importantly, Shinji knows Waver and trusts that he'll make the right decision.

As the cigarette butt burned out, the young man's attitude softened, and he sighed helplessly.

"How am I supposed to face Carina and the others?"

"That's your problem. Everyone has to bear the consequences of their actions, whether it's you, me, Maio, or Carina. Wait, are you saying the Silver Princess has already chosen to side with you?"

Shinji assumed a knowing look and reached out to pat Waver on the shoulder, but Waver quickly shrugged him off.

"What do you mean, my side? She's just enrolled and serving as Reines' assistant."

"It's all the same, all the same. Anyway, good luck with that."

Though her escape plan failed, the Silver Princess's situation hasn't changed. She remains surrounded by wolves, without any support. To survive better, her best option is to align with the El-Melloi classroom.

Reines saw this, which is why she negotiated with Lord Valualeta. And Lord Valualeta's precarious position ensured that she wouldn't refuse this mutually beneficial proposal.

Thus, Waver gained a new student, Reines got an assistant, and Valualeta eased some pressure while laying the groundwork for future interactions—a win-win situation. Except for the potential risks when the involved parties discover the truth.

But that's no longer Shinji's concern. There are always those with ulterior motives around Wvear. The El-Melloi classroom is known for its inclusiveness, accepting all types of people, so one more or one less doesn't make much difference. Both Waver and Reines are already accustomed to dealing with such individuals.

Besides, Maio was the one at fault this time, and Carina's attitude doesn't entirely represent the Silver Princess's. When Shinji dealt with Maio, he also visited the girls. The Silver Princess and Regina were already advising Carina not to be so foolish. While Carina still insists on her stance, her tightly clenched expression shows that Maio has hurt her deeply. As time passes, will she continue to selflessly sacrifice for him? Human hearts and emotions are not things to be trampled on and consumed carelessly.

As Shinji walked away, the setting sun cast shadows on his face. He had been gone for quite some time, and only one cigarette remained in the pack.

After some thought, Waver returned the cigarette pack to his pocket and headed back to his office. It was time to finish work and rest.

Though it felt a bit early compared to usual, he didn't have the energy to work overtime today. He decided to take a rare break.

The noisy office was empty; the students had long since left. Everything was back in place as if nothing had happened, giving the illusion of time reversing.

After standing at the door in a daze for a while, Waver walked into the inner room, heading to the deepest part of his office, where a special storage cabinet was located.

Standing before the storage cabinet, Waver lost his usual composure. With a mix of hesitation and nostalgia, he took out a key and chanted a spell—the cabinet was secured with both physical and magical protection, specifically for storing valuable items.

With a soft click, the cabinet door opened, revealing a small box in the center.

The box was made of the finest oak, symbolizing honor and remembrance of ancestors, typically used to store relics.

Gently pressing on the edge of the box, Waver lifted the lid, revealing the item that had changed his fate.

A piece of red cloth, its color faded over time, appeared dull. But in the eyes of the man with the best vision in the Clock Tower, it shone like a kaleidoscope, reflecting countless emotions and colors.

Carefully, he picked up the cloth and placed it in his hand.

He didn't grip it tightly, as if he didn't want to leave even a single wrinkle on it.

He just gazed at the seemingly insignificant cloth, staring at it.

His brows and lips trembled slightly, and his eyes overflowed with emotion.

It seemed like anger.

It seemed like a lament.

It seemed like mourning.

It seemed like joy.

It seemed like sorrow.

It seemed like love.

"Do you think I'm foolish?"

"Living in an abnormal world, yet I persist in adhering to normal ethics. Even though I know from a magus' perspective I haven't made any mistakes, it still feels uncomfortable."

"Ordinary people have their ethics, and magis have theirs. The two are fundamentally opposed, but I don't want to give up on either... I can't be like Lord Valualeta, who can abandon even their most valued disciple for the sake of magecraft, nor can I be like Shinji, who simply sees magcrafte as a tool to protect his family. That's why I've always been stuck in the middle, always just a half-baked magus."

"I must have disappointed you..."

His voice grew weaker and weaker, almost becoming a whisper.

"...If you could just smile and tell me, 'You're such an immature guy,' that wouldn't be so bad."

Lost in his thoughts with the cloth in hand, Waver didn't notice that the inner room's door had somehow cracked open. A cloaked girl stood at the door, her gray-green eyes wide open.

She covered her mouth, trying desperately not to make a sound.

At this moment, she knew she mustn't interrupt. She felt this deep inside.

Her petite body slowly slid down the wall, her hand never leaving her mouth.

Only her heart thudded noisily, beating uncontrollably.

She knew she had seen something very important. It was as if she had accidentally glimpsed someone's treasure—no, it was something that could rival that person's heart, their very life.

It was the relic her teacher had used during the Fourth Holy Grail War and the reason he wanted to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War.

"...Ah."

After a long time, she exhaled softly.

"—I want them to meet."

She sincerely wished for this.

It was the first wish she had since leaving her homeland and coming to London.

A wish born from her consciousness.