Fate/Magus Path

"Young man, and the beautiful lady, would you like to have your fortunes told? It's quite accurate."

The crystal ball shimmered, and the person they had been searching for finally appeared.

After wandering through countless alleyways, Roy finally found the hiding place of Mother of Mifune.

As he easily tore down the final curtain, a gentle yet aged female voice echoed through the alley.

Following the sound, the once-dead end of the alley vanished, revealing a table set up in the shadows, with a figure seated before it, beckoning them over.

Wearing a dark, English-style hat adorned with a blue flower, her face and graying hair were hidden by a veil as black as the night. Draped in a neat black coat, with ornate jewelry on her arms, she didn't resemble a typical mysterious fortune-teller. Instead, she looked more like a dignified middle-aged noblewoman.

"Of course, I came here for that very reason."

Seeing her appear, Roy smiled slightly. The faint blue glow that had been in his eyes receded, and the magical energy swirling around him calmed as if nothing had happened.

Only Mother of Mifune knew that Roy had been ready to cast a large-scale spell to flush her out of hiding.

"Sigh... It's an honor to read your fortune, Great Magician."

Seeing that this powerful figure was willing to let her be, Mother of Mifune finally let out a sigh of relief.

Recognized by the world, with a body from the Root, a soul from another world, and an angel imprisoned inside him, this young man carried too much... too terrifying for her to even imagine. If she could avoid it, Mother of Mifune would never meet him.

But he had means far beyond her own True Precognition. The Great Wizard from the Avalon had already locked onto her using Clairvoyance. She couldn't see any future where she successfully avoided Roy, so she could only let him find her. And to make matters worse, he had brought along...

Mother of Mifune glanced at SHIKI, who stood beside Roy and sighed.

He had even brought her along.

Her somewhat plump body tensed up.

Seeing Mother of Mifune looking tense, SHIKI became skeptical.

"Is this the fortune-teller who can predict the future with 100% accuracy, like you told me? She's not quite what I imagined."

In SHIKI's mind, someone with such extraordinary abilities should exude mystery and wisdom. But this chubby old woman had none of that air.

She felt more like one of those middle-aged women dancing in the square.

"Remember, don't judge a book by its cover, SHIKI. This is indeed Mother of Mifune. Her True Precognition is the real deal."

As the two powerful figures discussed her, Mother of Mifune could only wait silently, not daring to speak.

Both of them... one, the Magician of the Third Magic, and the other, a representation of the Root... could destroy her with a single breath. She couldn't afford to offend either of them.

Only when they turned their attention back to her did she muster the courage to speak.

Roy politely greeted her, "Hello, Mother of Mifune."

"Ah... Hello, young man."

"No need for pleasantries. I'm sure, with your True Precognition, you already know why I'm here."

Roy was very courteous. He respected this legendary figure with an Ex-rank level of Clairvoyance, knowing that he was asking for her help.

"Yes, I can do a reading for you."

Mother of Mifune warned, "But, young man, I am not some grand prophet who can predict the future with 100% certainty. I'm just a simple fortune-teller. Please don't spread rumors about me. If you do, my stall will be trampled by crowds tomorrow."

Understanding her concerns, Roy nodded slightly.

"Rest assured, my lips are sealed. No one else will disturb you. Let's just consider today's events as if they never happened, shall we?"

"I understand."

With Roy's assurance, Mother of Mifune felt a weight lift off her chest and prepared to begin the reading for the two of them.

"Which of you will go first?"

"I'm not in a rush. Let SHIKI go first. She's quite intrigued by your abilities." After saying this, Roy gently nudged SHIKI forward.

"Alright then, let this old lady begin."

Mother of Mifune lifted her head and began to gaze at SHIKI with her pale blue eyes. After a brief observation, she seemed to see something interesting, and her gaze lingered before she burst out laughing.

"Heh, how amusing! Truly fascinating. I didn't expect such a future to exist."

She muttered softly, "The convergence of fate and development... The world line has undergone intriguing changes without anyone noticing."

"Whether it's you... or her."

"Huh?!"

SHIKI was growing irritated by the fortune-teller's cryptic observations, and given how the old lady kept examining her, it was hard to suppress her frustration. She was close to pulling a knife on her and asking directly,

"Enough with the riddles. Want me to predict whether you'll get beaten today?"

But Roy quickly chopped the idea down with a sharp rebuke.

"Be polite, SHIKI."

"Fine... I'll let it go."

SHIKI huffed and turned her head, snorting, "Is this your so-called fortune-teller? What a bore."

Then, SHIKI's personality suddenly went quiet. When she came to again, it was Shiki, the other personality, who emerged.

Sensing the change, Roy asked, "Shiki?"

"It's me."

Shiki nodded. "SHIKI was probably feeling tired, so I came out."

"I see."

Roy glanced at her and didn't press the matter.

"Ah, did that young man already leave? I didn't even get a chance to tell him his fortune."

Mother of Mifune, with her True Precognition, clearly understood Shiki's situation. She smiled at the newly emerged Shiki, then glanced thoughtfully at Roy.

Roy returned her smile.

"Thank you for your effort. If there's anything you need to tell SHIKI, just let me know, and I'll pass it on to her."

Shiki was much more polite than SHIKI. She showed respect to the remarkable fortune-teller.

"No need for the trouble. Your fate and that young man's are intertwined. It's no exaggeration to say you are the same person. The fortune I tell applies equally to both of you."

"Come, young lady, give me your hand."

With a smile, Mother of Mifune gestured for Shiki to come closer.

"I'm listening."

Shiki extended her hand as requested.

"As I see it, your future has already changed, but this change is a good one for you. You don't need much guidance from me."

Mother of Mifune placed Shiki's hand on the crystal ball and waved her sleeve, letting some fragments of the future reveal themselves from within the crystal. These visions flowed directly into Shiki's mind.

She leaned in and whispered in Shiki's ear.

"Child, your future is destined to be a happy one. Even though you may be separated from those closest to you in the future, it will not be a bad thing. Your bond will never be broken. Don't hesitate to rely on that young man beside you. Your fates are tightly bound. Don't let happiness slip through your fingers..."

"..."

Then, Mother of Mifune whispered something more into Shiki's ear, and whatever she said made Shiki's eyes widen in surprise, her expression shifting intriguingly. This change didn't escape Roy's attention, and it piqued his curiosity as well.

However, he tactfully refrained from eavesdropping, deactivating his sensory magecraft, and quietly watched from the side.

After a brief whisper, Shiki glanced at Mother of Mifune in front of her, then turned to look at Roy, and finally turned her head away, uttering only two words.

"Boring."

Mother of Mifune was irritated by this, but she merely smiled at Shiki. In truth, according to the rules, a fortune teller should not reveal too much of the future in detail, as doing so could bring the world's punishment.

However, since he asked her to speak, it didn't really matter.

She hoped these words would be of some help.

After speaking to Shiki, she looked at Roy, the only one left.

Sigh...

She sighed inwardly.

This young man... Was he lucky or unlucky? Clearly, the world favored him, yet he was also being watched by numerous powerful entities. Wherever he went, that place would become the center of the world, covered by countless gazes.

The dark cloud hanging over him was so overwhelming that just peeking at it had brought her to the verge of collapse. If it weren't for the protection of the world itself, the consequences would be unimaginable.

What a troublesome situation.

It was useless to say more... she could not reveal Roy's future in detail. Just knowing it was already a tremendous burden, and she could only disclose the fragments that the world allowed.

Keeping secrets and speaking in half-truths was the professional ethic of a fortune teller.

She no longer had the same friendly demeanor from her conversation with Shiki. Instead, she shook her head, her expression cold, as she addressed Roy, who was walking toward her.

"I know what you're going to do, and I'll give you a prophecy."

"But don't ask me about anything more, or anything you're harboring in your heart. I want to live a few more years."

"I understand, ma'am."

Roy nodded and looked straight into Mother of Mifune's blue eyes.

"Please begin."

"What you're about to do is very dangerous, but the risk comes with some opportunities. This journey of yours is destined to bring significant rewards. However, do not entangle yourself too deeply with the White. Doing so will lead you to the Black."

With that, Mother of Mifune waved her hand dismissively.

"I've already reached my limit by saying this much. I don't have the courage to delve further. Young man, leave now. Don't disturb my peace any longer."

"At the same time, while I was observing your future, the great wizard Merlin left me with some words to pass on to you. I will now recite them for you... "

"Ahem, 'To my dear friend Roy, I will be away for a while and won't appear in your dream. It won't be long before I contact you again. Perhaps this time it will be your turn to stand up for me... I'm really looking forward to it!'"

Mother of Mifune, still somewhat playful, mimicked Merlin's tone as she delivered this message. Roy couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.

"Is this how you people with clairvoyance have cross-era phone calls?"

While Roy still had to use Avalon to connect to the dream world, they could simply make clairvoyant calls.

"Did he say it directly to you?!"

Hearing this, Shiki was somewhat surprised. In her mind, she could already picture Merlin and Mother of Mifune having a cross-temporal conversation.

A seer could predict the future, but someone with clairvoyance could use those predictions to have conversations across time with the seer.

In other words...

This really was cheating.

"Yes, that Merlin, the great wizard in the tower, said it to me just like that." Mother of Mifune shook her head helplessly.

"And he seemed quite pleased with himself."

"..."

"I understand now. Thank you for your explanation. If you'd like a reward for your help, feel free to ask. Consider it a token of my gratitude."

By now, Roy had grasped the situation. Though he still had many questions, Mother of Mifune had made it clear that she had said all she could, and he couldn't push her further.

"The reward is clearly stated, 200 yen per person. I'm just a fortune teller setting up shop by the roadside. How much could I possibly ask for?"

Hearing this playful response, Roy didn't say anything further. He intended to pay and leave without troubling her anymore.

But as he reached into his pocket, his fingers stiffened slightly, and he froze in place. He realized that he had forgotten to bring money.

This was awkward.

Back in London, Reines or Kayneth would usually handle payments for him, and he had gotten used to living without needing money. He seemed to have developed a bad habit of going out without any.

But he couldn't just skip paying these few hundred yen. Could he write her an IOU?

She obviously wanted to settle things cleanly, so Roy could only turn to Shiki for help with an embarrassed look.

"Shiki..."

"Idiot." Shiki rolled her eyes at him and took out the required amount from her wallet, placing it on the fortune-telling table.

"Here, this is your fee."

"Good. Now that we're even, don't come looking for me again, young man."

After taking the coins from the table, Mother of Mifune nodded.

"Farewell."

Without replying, Roy and Shiki left the alley without looking back.

"You unlucky fellow, take care of yourself."

The rest of the prophecy was left unsaid. The things she had seen were indescribable. If the world hadn't protected her, she would have gone mad at her first glimpse.

Once they were far away, a few drops of red appeared on the table, blood trickling from her eyes as she watched Roy's back. She sighed with relief and then looked around. The tension finally left her face.

The dark forces observing had withdrawn, and their gazes had shifted away.

"Good luck, young man. There's nothing more this old woman can do for you."

With that, Mother of Mifune let out a soft breath. Her figure dissolved into a wisp of white smoke and vanished into the shadows.

___

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