Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Type-Moon, inheriting the legacy of Zi-O.

As expected... I knew it.

A person who has no value... should—

"What nonsense are you spouting, Master?" Then, Nianzhuo's words, like a bolt of lightning, shattered the bottomless darkness that was about to devour the girl.

"Huh...?" Mary looked up blankly at the man in front of her, unable to believe her ears. "What...did you say?"

"I said! What nonsense are you spouting, Master!" Immediately afterward, Nencho's angry face rapidly magnified in his eyes, while a crisp sound came from above.

A pain shot through her forehead, but Mary just stared blankly at the servant in front of her, clutching her forehead.

"No value? Lose your position as director of Chaldea? What nonsense are you talking about?" Nianzhuo moved the chair aside and half-squatted in front of Mary.

“Listen up, Mary.”

"My Master is a girl named Olga Marie. She is neither the Director of Chaldea nor the heir to one of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower." Nian Zhuo looked at Marie, who was covering her forehead, with a serious expression, and softened his tone.

"It's you, an ordinary girl, Olga Marie. You are my Master."

That short sentence, like an eternal sun, gradually shone in Mary's heart.

It filled that corner that the sun couldn't reach with sunlight, and pulled up my little self who was hugging her knees.

“Speaking of being worthless, aren’t I the same?” Recalling the initial stumbles and falls, Nian Zhuo also felt a bit nostalgic. “When we were first tested, every value of mine was the lowest level, E. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I was the weakest among the Heroic Spirits.”

Nianzhuo gently stroked the back of the girl's hand, placing it next to his own.

"Even so, you are willing to make a contract with me, and you are willing to accept me as your servant." The two bright red lines on the back of the girl's hand are the best proof.

"So at that time I made up my mind that I would definitely help you overcome all difficulties and lead you to a tomorrow that is truly full of future."

“But…but…” Mary opened her mouth, but her trembling body and voice made her somewhat lost. Was she afraid or happy? “There are many people with Master compatibility, right? Even those people in Group A—” At this point, the image of that proud, blond man appeared in Mary’s mind again.

"So what?" Unexpectedly, Nian Zhuo's answer was even more straightforward this time. He said in a tone that was indifferent and even disdainful, "I already have a Master to whom I am willing to be loyal. No matter how good other Masters are, what does it matter if they are not on the same side as me?"

"Or perhaps—" Nian Zhuo deliberately drew out his words, looking at Mary in front of him, "Do you think you made a mistake becoming a Master? Is it because there was no one else who made it—"

"—No, no." Mary lowered her head, closed her eyes, and for the first time showed a relaxed smile. "Only this matter, I really have no regrets, and I'm even a little glad about it."

"However, no matter how much you struggle, there are some things you just can't change." Gently placing his hand on Mary's head, Nianzhuo smiled and gazed at her. "If you can't run away, at least pretend to be strong, right?"

“If you are a mortal and cannot accept ordinariness, then you are a useless person.” Gently stroking the girl’s hair, Nian Zhuo pointed to her heart. “You are not a substitute for anyone. You are responding to everyone’s expectations as Olga Marie.”

"...Pfft." For the first time, the girl, who had been confused, suddenly laughed, then slapped away Nianzhuo's hand from her head. "I really didn't expect that a mere guardian would entrust the future and trust of humanity to someone who speaks such weak words. Although restoring humanity is too heavy a burden for me, it's thanks to you that I've been able to persevere, you know?"

Mary placed her hand on Nianzhuo's cheek, feeling the solid sensation between her fingers, and couldn't help but smile.

In her heart, she no longer cared about the golden man beside Nian Zhuo. Mary personally tossed him aside and placed herself next to Nian Zhuo.

In the end, only she, smiling happily, took Nianzhuo's arm.

"Thank you, Nianzhuo." In reality, she leaned close to Nianzhuo's ear and whispered, "It's so good to be able to talk to you so easily right now."

"Although I regret that I couldn't support you from within the singularity, I support you, okay?"

Immediately afterwards, the girl's chest heaved faster as she gently moved closer to Nianzhuo's cheek.

"And also, I love you, Nianzhuo."

It left traces of the young girl.

Do you know the sweetness of being in love? (chuckles)

Lying on her bed in her room, Nianzhuo still had the lingering fragrance of the young girl on her cheeks.

"..." Nian Zhuo's thoughts drifted away again, and he sighed meaningfully, "So, I'm... no longer single??"

My more than 20-year-long single life just ended ten minutes ago.

------------------Inside the medical room.

"Hmm...?" Nianzhuo was slow to react, but by then Mary had already wrapped herself in the blanket.

"No, this..." Nianzhuo touched his cheek and could feel the temperature on his face rising.

"Couldn't you... have told me beforehand?" Finally, she said something that even Nianzhuo herself found hard to bear.

Clearly, the blanket on the bed trembled slightly, as if it hadn't expected Nian Zhuo to give this answer.

A tiny silver ahoge (cowlick) peeked out from under the covers and twitched twice.

"...So, what's your answer?" Mary's weak voice then came from under the covers.

The silver ahoge (antenna-like hair) stuck up again.

"Uh—" Nian Zhuo's brain was completely frozen at this moment, staring blankly at the swaying blankets in front of him. "What do you mean?"

That's it, this guy's emotional intelligence is hopeless...

Mary peeked out from under the covers, her face already flushed, her eyes darting around nervously.

"It's...it's that—" Mary's voice trailed off, and she couldn't help but shrink deeper into the blankets. "It's...it's what I was talking about earlier, that thing—"

"Just now, just now—" Nianzhuo felt as if his face was burning up, staring blankly at Mary in front of him, scratching his cheek. "What just happened—what was it again?"

"Huh?!" Mary jumped up instantly, grabbed Nianzhuo by the collar, and shook him violently. "Hey! Nianzhuo, you don't actually remember what just happened, do you?!"

“Just now, just now—you suddenly leaned in, and then—” Gradually, Nianzhuo came to his senses. “You…you kissed my cheek, and said—” However, before he could finish speaking, Mary covered his mouth.

"Honestly! If you remember, don't say it out loud, you idiot!" Mary's blush deepened, and she didn't even dare to look Nianzhuo in the eye. "So...so what's your answer?"

"My answer..." Having regained his composure, even though his face was burning, Nian Zhuo still managed a smile. "My answer is—"

He gently cupped Mary's head in his hands, pressing her slightly to make her look into his eyes.

Then, Nianzhuo leaned forward.

This time it wasn't a cheek, but a real kiss.

“Huh…!?” Mary was clearly startled. Her hand, which was gripping Nian Zhuo’s collar, trembled, and then she let go weakly.

The lips pressed together, then separated.

The exchange of saliva produced... a sound that carried a tiny bit of social tension.

Gradually, both of them closed their eyes and began to enjoy the process.

After an unknown amount of time, the silver threads were finally separated and pulled out.

“…Phew.” Nian Zhuo couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, smiling as he patted Mary’s head, who still had her eyes closed. “Alright, alright, it’s over.” He then took Mary’s hands, which were resting on his lap.

"That's my answer." He smiled, gazing at Mary who was slowly opening her eyes.

"I...I..." Mary touched her lips and felt the wetness on them. She opened her mouth wide but couldn't make a sound.

Then, she suddenly pushed Nianzhuo onto the chair and shrank back into the blankets.

"Huh?" Nian Zhuo was taken aback at first, then shook his head helplessly at the constantly heaving quilt in front of him. "Alright, alright, it seems you understand." He picked up the apple on the side, cut it into the shape of a rabbit apple, and placed it on a plate.

"Well then, get some rest, Mary." Standing up, Nianzhuo quietly put the chair back in its place and patted the blanket wrapped around her on the bed. "Hmm, or rather, my lovely little Mary?"

Clearly, the blanket twitched slightly upon hearing the word "lover," then returned to its original state as if nothing had happened.

Seeing this, Nianzhuo could only shrug and quietly walk out the door.

"Heh...hehe..." After hearing the infirmary door close, Mary suddenly jumped out of the covers, her silver ahoge (cowlick) twitching, showing her current happy mood.

With a relieved expression, Mary chuckled twice and then lay down on the hospital bed.

"Just listen to him this once, and get some rest—"

As Nianzhuo walked out of the infirmary, feeling her burning cheeks, she shook her head shyly.

"Seriously, I didn't expect to be so shy doing something like this for the first time..." Nianzhuo patted his cheeks and walked towards his room. "I'll go and get some rest too."

That concludes everything that happened before Nianzhuo lay down on the bed.

"..." Her eyes regained their clarity, but Nianzhuo did not sit up immediately. Instead, she grabbed her blanket.

Then, just like Mary, she covered her head and rolled back and forth on the bed.

"Goo-heh...goo-goo-goo-goo-goo..." Nian Zhuo covered his face with the blanket and kept making strange-sounding laughs.

That makes sense, considering he'd been single for over twenty years... Anyone would be inexplicably happy to suddenly have a girlfriend.

"Please stop your disgusting laughter, host." Then, a familiar, emotionless voice rang in Nian Zhuo's mind, and the long-lost system inexplicably returned to Nian Zhuo's mind.

—They even learned to make sarcastic remarks.

"Although I know that your decades of single life have been miserable, System, you still have other things to do, right?" The system's voice was still as cold as ever, but compared to its previous emotionless tone, it now seemed to carry a hint of... disdain.

"What do you know?!" Nian Zhuo suddenly sat up, pointing at the empty space in front of him with a satisfied smile. "Do you understand the pain of being single for over ten years? Now that I have a girlfriend, can't I enjoy myself?" He even waved his hand dismissively, "Go away, get out of my way. Don't interfere with my happiness."

"...I see." The system's voice paused for a moment before slowly speaking, "It seems that the host has forgotten the fear of being controlled by the system before. In that case, let this system help the system remember it again."

A cold sweat inexplicably ran down Nian Zhuo's back. Although he was immersed in the feeling of being in love, Nian Zhuo had not lost his memory. The volume complaint and ear-piercing demonic sound from the system at the beginning still made it impossible for Nian Zhuo to defend against them.

So he backed down again and immediately sat up straight on the bed.

"So?" Nianzhuo scratched his head, his voice lacking energy. "You suddenly reappeared after being out of touch for so long, just to pull me out of my romantic feelings?"

"No, that's not it." The system quickly rejected the possibility, its voice somewhat slow. "...Well, host, just assume the system is going to update."

"Oh?" Nian Zhuo became interested instead. "System update, are there any new abilities added?"

"...Yes." The system's voice remained unchanged, and a deep blue screen appeared in front of Nian Zhuo.

However, compared to the previous screen which only had storage space, there are now two unknown options.

'Power' and 'Degree of Reversal'.

"What are these two...?" Nian Zhuo opened the first power option first.

Then, what appeared before him was his own statue.

It was the same as the one I saw in the world of Oma Eboshi, but my statue didn't have the words "Commemorative Statue of Nencho's First Transformation" engraved on it.

The statues of the knights stood behind him, arranged from left to right according to the year.

Nian Zhuo has now lit up half of the statues, up to the magenta Decade.

"I see, so it only allows you to check your current progress?" Nian Zhuo stroked his chin, somewhat disappointed. "I thought there would be some kind of reward..."

Then he noticed that some of the illuminated knight statues had shimmering spots of light beneath them, while others did not.

So Nianzhuo simply clicked on the light spot closest to him, under the Decade statue.