Fate/Magus Path

The crimson moon hung in the sky.

The deep and ancient castle exuded a chilling and eerie atmosphere.

The blood-red sea of flowers, illuminated by the moonlight, carried not only the scent of flowers but also a smell of blood. The flower sea extended beneath his feet, while the blood moon hanging above the castle signified foreboding.

However, the colors of this world were limited to this shade of red; in the lunar realm, the cold far outweighed the blossoms.

If one were to look further, the view would reveal an endless expanse of white snowfields, stretching far and wide into the horizon, an unending pale vista.

"So this is Millenium Castle…"

Roy recognized this place.

This was the base established on Earth by the True Ancestor King, Brunestud of the Crimson Moon, who had traveled from the moon long ago.

This area did not exist on the surface.

Instead, it was nestled between the Reverse Side of the World and the Surface World.

This area was not a Reality Marble; it resembled an independently developed zone... a planar world constructed by the King of the Moon. She regarded this as her palace and the stronghold of the True Ancestors.

But why had he suddenly arrived here?

Though puzzled, since he was in this world, he had no way to return and could only continue forward.

Roy traversed the glowing white flower sea and pushed open the castle's large doors before stepping inside.

The ancient Gothic castle, dark as its exterior suggested, embodied a sense of darkness and mystery, offering a considerable degree of safety for the Dead Apostles.

Their origins were rooted in this castle.

Dead Apostles, blood-sucking bats, and some strange familiars that couldn't be named.

Everything in this castle truly resembled the vampire legends from Western Europe, containing all the necessary elements. Or rather, the vampire legends from Western Europe were born from the existence of the Dead Apostles.

"What an exquisite construction, with an air reminiscent of a demon castle."

Roy couldn't help but shake his head as he continued deeper into Millenium Castle. Along the way, some low-level Dead Apostles attempted to ambush him but were impaled against the walls by the silver swords he shot out, turning to ash amidst their pained screams.

His advance seemed to disturb the castle's tranquility, and a pair of eyes opened in the darkness.

"Who… are you?"

A voice seemed to emerge from the depths of the castle.

It sounded somewhat weak.

"Is it the princess?"

The first figure that came to Roy's mind, appearing in Millenium Castle, was Princess Arcueid Brunestud.

"Why are you here?"

Indeed, why was he here?

He too was searching for an answer.

After finishing his conversation with Zelretch, he returned to his study, preparing for his upcoming journey to Japan. However, feeling a sense of fatigue, he tried to rest his eyes for a moment. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in the flower sea outside Millenium Castle.

How had he gotten here?

Did Zelretch use the Second Magic to send him here?

He was unclear about the exact reason, but since he was here, he would find out the truth.

First, he would go meet the owner of that voice.

The White Princess was also one of his objectives.

Thus, he replied, "Roy, a lost intruder."

"Roy? Is it Roy… I remember."

That voice came in intermittent waves.

Roy began exploring the interior of Millenium Castle.

It could be said that every road within Millenium Castle was deeply complex and filled with dangerous traps and ambushes from the Dead Apostles.

However, these Dead Apostles had lost their sanity, appearing as mindless corpses, likely starved into delirium. Were they the remnants left in Millenium Castle by the True Ancestors?

He recalled that before Arcueid was schemed against by Roa and Millenium Castle was bloodied, this city had been an absolutely safe haven for the True Ancestors... a holy ground that no magus could invade or destroy, and the origin of their existence.

As long as they stayed hidden here, they could rest easy.

However, Roa had lured Arcueid into a rampage, killing all the True Ancestors within Millenium Castle, leading Arcueid to hold a grudge and initiate an endless hunt.

These Dead Apostles, who had lost their intellect due to their master's death and were left to suffer from insatiable hunger, still clung to life within Millenium Castle.

Nevertheless, this established order was about to be shattered today.

Not only had an outsider entered Millenium Castle, but he had also easily dealt with the attacking Dead Apostles.

With a subtle movement of his fingers, silver swords... highly effective against vampires... flashed like meteors, ruthlessly reaping the lurking Dead Apostles in Millenium Castle.

The mindless monsters were now being put out of their misery.

As he advanced, any Dead Apostles daring to attack or ambush him were pinned against the walls, turning to ashes under the influence of the silver imbued with black flames.

Was there still no end in sight?

After walking for so long, he still hadn't reached the depths of Millenium Castle, which surprised Roy.

At that moment, the female voice resonated from the darkness once again.

"Leave quickly, Roy. Don't come any closer."

"Leave?"

Roy pondered.

He hadn't even figured out how he got here, so how could he possibly know how to leave?

"Who are you?"

Roy was neither frightened nor inclined to leave. Instead, he inquired about the owner of the voice.

Although he already had a guess.

"Me..."

"My name is ######."

The name was impossible to hear clearly, as if it had been deliberately obscured. In just an instant, Roy felt a heat in his eyes and a discomfort in his brain, causing his magical energy to start operating automatically.

In the next moment, he saw the scenery in front of him changing dramatically as if the stars were shifting. He glimpsed a figure deep within Millenium Castle, bound by chains.

"Arcueid Brunestud."

He called her name, and at that moment, the slender figure slowly lifted her head. Through the endless haze, their gazes locked.

*Crack!!*

But accompanied by a piercing sound, his vision suddenly became clear, and everything transformed into fleeting feathers that rapidly vanished before his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the familiar study, the materials he had organized last night quietly laid out on the desk. Outside, Gray was knocking on the door, calling for him to come eat breakfast.

"A dream?"

Roy rubbed his hands together, reflecting on his journey to Millenium Castle last night.

This dream felt so real that he hadn't even realized he was dreaming.

The ancient castle in the dream was undoubtedly Millenium Castle, the castle where the True Ancestors resided, and also the place used to imprison Arcueid Brunestud. The girl bound by chains was none other than the White Princess, Arcueid Brunestud.

Why did he dream of Millenium Castle, and why did he meet Arcueid? Especially on the same night, Zelretch had just visited him. If he were to say it was merely a coincidence with no connection, he wouldn't believe it.

So now the only question was, who was manipulating him? Was it Zelretch who guided him to peek into Millenium Castle, or was it someone else?

"Merlin?"

For some reason, whenever he thought of dreams, he unconsciously recalled the Magus of Flowers closely related to dreams.

He muttered softly, and as if responding to him, beneath the letter left by Zelretch was a pale pink flower.

It seemed there was no need for doubt; it was quite evident. That guy had openly laid the events before him.

Seeing the familiar petals was equivalent to acknowledging that it was he who had directed Roy's consciousness to Millenium Castle, allowing him to wander through the city in a dream and meet the White Princess.

Had Zelretch contacted him in advance?

What a meddlesome guy…

But it also served as a reminder for him.

"White Princess Arcueid Brunestud."

Moon Princess…

True Ancestor, and the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

And… snakes.

It seemed this experience would be quite interesting.

As Roy contemplated this,

*Bang!*

The door to the study was forcibly kicked open.

"Roy! Are you in there?!"

Reines rushed into the study with Gray, flustered.

"What's going on?"

Roy glanced at the two, puzzled.

"Uh… it's nothing. It's just that Gray said when she went to your room to find you and saw you weren't there, she knocked on the study door for a long time without any response. So we were a bit worried about you, and that's why…" Reines explained cautiously about her impolite behavior of kicking the door.

Knocking...

So Roy did recall hearing something like knocking as his consciousness detached from Millenium Castle.

It was just that he had been focused on thoughts about Millenium Castle and Arcueid at the time, so he had overlooked it.

"Don't worry, I'm fine; I just overslept a bit."

"Is that so?"

Reines nodded and let out a small sigh of relief.

"But this is really rare. You, who usually don't rest much, actually stayed in bed. It's already one in the afternoon."

Gray said, "Yes, Sir Roy. King Arthur asked me to come get you for lunch."

One in the afternoon?

Had it gotten so late?

Roy rubbed his head and nodded, replying, "I see, thank you for coming to get me. Please tell Artoria that I'll be there shortly."

"Oh, and by the way, Reines should have class this afternoon. I'll take you to complete your enrollment procedures later, Gray."

"Ah, okay… okay, Sir Roy."

Hearing his words, Gray was a bit surprised and asked, "May I ask what you mean by going to school?"

"It means going to the Clock Tower for further study, which is where Reines studies. Your assigned teacher's name is Waver Velvet. Although he may not seem reliable, he's someone I can trust."

"Eh? You mean you're letting that silly disciple to teach Gray?"

"Yeah, it's quite suitable to let Waver take care of Gray. He's now recognized as a professional lecturer by the Clock Tower faculty, so there shouldn't be any problems. Plus, with my connections, he'll be able to look out for Gray a bit more."

"Eh, so that guy is actually pretty capable? Young magecraft lecturers are quite rare, and he really doesn't seem like much on the surface."

"Yeah, Waver has never been a mediocre person; he possesses exceptional talents, but not in the magecraft. Those who mock him are simply short-sighted. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been taken as an apprentice by Professor Kayneth."

"Of course, you'll need to discover more details for yourself. If you spend more time with him, you'll see his talents."

"In any case, Gray, be prepared. This afternoon, you'll get to meet your future mentor."

Roy patted Gray on the shoulder and smiled, saying, "You need to work hard in your studies from now on. Aim to become an outstanding magus, Gray."

"Okay… okay!"

...

The courtyard of the Clock Tower.

Waver and Roy were walking side by side, with Gray following them to become his apprentice.

"In any case, I'm entrusting Gray to you from now on, Waver."

"Although I'm not sure if I'm qualified to take on a disciple since it's your request, I will certainly do my best to teach this child." 

Understanding Roy's intention, Waver glanced at the shy girl who had her head down and smiled slightly. He then assured him, "After training with Professor Kayneth for so long, I've made significant progress. Teaching a magecraft apprentice shouldn't be a problem, so you can rest assured."

"That's really reassuring."

Roy nodded and continued, "If you encounter any issues that need assistance, you can call me, or go to the Department of Mineralogy to find Professor Kayneth, or to the Department of Astromancy and Spiritual Evocation; they will help you."

"Okay, wait… huh? Astromancy and Spiritual Evocation? How did you get involved with those two disciplines? This is simply ridiculous! Does Professor Kayneth know about this?"

"No, if he knew you were messing around like this, he would have definitely blown up by now."

Hearing Roy's words, Waver was taken aback and quickly grabbed his shoulder, asking urgently, "Roy, you're not secretly accepting invitations from other factions behind Professor Kayneth's back, are you?"

Based on his understanding of Kayneth, if he knew his disciple was getting involved with subjects outside the Department of Mineralogy, he would surely have a fit and then severely punish Roy.

Moreover, Roy, having a master while privately accepting invitations from other schools, could definitely be considered betrayal. Such betrayal is unforgivable in any school.

Now he could only hope that Roy had not gotten too deeply involved with other factions. While Kayneth was unaware, there was still time to make amends, to quickly distance himself from other subjects, and finally seek protection from Kayneth. A teacher with a sharp tongue but a kind heart would surely not stand by and ignore this.

"In any case, you need to hurry and… wow! That hurts!!"

"Stop overthinking it."

Roy's hand chop interrupted Waver's rambling, and he sighed, "Things aren't as simple as you think. However, Professor Kayneth knows about all of this. If you really want to know the reasons behind it, just ask him directly."

"Ah…"

Waver weakly held his head.

Roy's action reminded him of the time he spent with the King of ConquerorS.

"In any case, I'm entrusting Gray to you. I have some matters to handle back in Japan."

"But you don't need to feel pressured; just help Gray with her studies and guidance. Try to treat her as your student or assistant, and in some cases, she might give you unexpected surprises."

"Surprises? This girl…"

Upon hearing this, Waver was taken aback and then carefully observed Gray, whose face was buried beneath her cloak.

He then greeted the timid girl, "Hello, Gray. I am your teacher, Waver Velvet. I hope we can get along in the days to come…"

"Wow!"

Waver's gaze collided with Gray's, and he was shocked by what he saw.

"Saber!!"

That familiar face was unforgettable, even if turned to ashes.

Even after so long, Waver remembered his experiences in the Holy Grail War. In that war, Arthur... Saber... had undoubtedly left a deep impression on him. And now, this girl named Gray resembled Saber by over ninety percent, which could not be a coincidence.

He urgently cast a questioning glance at Roy.

"What on earth is going on with this girl?"

"Don't be so nervous, Waver. She's not King Arthur."

Seeing Waver startled, Roy sighed.

"Explaining this is complicated. I have more important matters to attend to right now; let the person involved explain it to you."

He addressed the air beside him, "I'm counting on you, Artoria."

"Sure, no problem, Master."

Artoria's figure suddenly appeared next to Waver.

"Wow! She really showed up!! It's Saber!!!"

"It's been a while, Master of Rider. It is indeed me, King Arthur Artoria, summoned once more into this world."

Artoria greeted the stunned Waver, "It's nice to see you again. Master has already informed me about you. It seems you've grown a lot since the Holy Grail War ended. I believe your King would be proud of you."

"Ah… um."

The momentary shock turned into calm. Whenever it came to matters related to the Conqueror King, he treated them seriously.

"Because I promised that King, even if I am all alone, I will strive to become a true subject worthy of following him."

However…

What exactly was going on? Why had King Arthur been summoned back into this world? According to reports, the Greater Grail had already been dismantled.

The shock lasted only a short time.

Just a few seconds after seeing Saber reappear, Waver's feelings shifted from shock to calmness, and finally to joy.

Because if Saber could return, then perhaps Rider could too…

But his excitement was quickly interrupted by Artoria's words.

"Although I understand that you have many questions to ask me, please calm down first, and find a quiet place. I will slowly answer you."

"Okay, everyone can go to my office to continue the conversation; there's no one there."

Waver glanced around and realized that discussing such topics here was indeed inappropriate, so he nodded and agreed to Artoria's request.

"Um, please lead the way, Mr. Waver."

Artoria nodded, then extended her hand, signaling Waver to guide them.

She added, "I do not currently exist in the form of a Servant anymore, so you can just call me Artoria."

"Okay, Saber… no, Miss. Artoria, and Gray, please follow me."

"Roy, do you want to come too…"

He looked at Roy but found that he had already vanished.

___

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