Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

Ultimately, the Dead Apostles of the Lake turned their gaze in a certain direction.

On the pure white snow stood an old man with glasses, long white hair and a beard.

He wore a pendant made of large gemstones around his neck, and his withered fingers were adorned with numerous rings, each set with gemstones of various colors.

Despite such extravagance, the old man seemed to come from a gloomy world of death.

"Miss Rin! Miss Luvia!" "Yvette!"

Two petite girls rushed out from behind the old man, ran to the unconscious girls, and helped them up.

"Miss Olga Marie? Miss Reines?"

Rin Tohsaka, who was shaken awake, blinked: "What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be on the train?"

"What a brat who knows how to boss around old people..."

The white-haired old man—Monarch Euryphus—walked slowly into the snowfield, leaning on his cane.

That was a few minutes before the exploration team, composed of many people, entered the Son of the Fuhai Forest.

Shirou knocked on Rufreus Nasare Euriffis's guest room.

"Sir, if I don't return within an hour, I'll leave the rest to you."

Before Rufreus could agree, Shirou left, leaving the old man looking bewildered.

"Talking to oneself...it's really unpleasant..."

The old man twisted his wrinkled lips into a cold smile.

Why should I, as one of the twelve rulers of the Clock Tower, help take care of children?

Ultimately, why would a magician help someone who is completely unrelated to him?

The path to the source of magic is long and distant, with no end in sight, while the life of a magician is so fleeting.

In that case, we should carry out the belief of "selfishness" to the end.

A true magician doesn't waste energy on trivial matters concerning others; even blood relatives' children are merely vessels for inheriting one's knowledge and legacy.

Until recently, Rufreus held this view.

However, everything changed eight years ago when Kenneth and Sora returned from Japan.

Kenneth and Sora seemed like completely different people, making Rufreus feel utterly unfamiliar with them.

Kenneth began to waver in his belief in aristocracy, began to teach students of commoner origin seriously, and was no longer as proud and arrogant as before.

Rufreus believed that it didn't matter how proud Kenneth was; he simply had that kind of talent, and that was the pride of a child prodigy.

But like Kenneth who had been given a new lease on life, Rufreus inexplicably found him less annoying.

As for his daughter Sola...

Shortly after returning to London, she had a huge argument with herself, yelling things like, "I'm not your puppet!" and "Kenneth and I are truly in love! Stop interfering with us!"

That was the first time Rufreus had been overwhelmed by his daughter's imposing presence.

As people get older, they start to dislike—no, I should say they become afraid of change.

The culprit behind all these changes is a guy named "Amamiya Shirou".

Rufreus had assumed he would hate the boy, but after getting to know him, he found he didn't at all.

He even began to understand, to some extent, the reasons for the changes in Kenneth and Sora.

Hmph, although he's a self-important brat, he's still... no matter what, he's a benefactor to his students and daughter.

Euryphus isn't one of those cold-blooded people who completely ignore gratitude; this time, let's give this old bone a little exercise.

Rufreus walked to a stop about twenty meters away from the dead apostle Rubare.

"........."

The Dead Apostles of the Lake and his relatives watched the old man, who seemed to be on the verge of death at any moment, and a strange sense of tension arose in their hearts.

"Who goes there? State your name."

"Rufreus Nasare Euriffis..."

Monarch Euryphus raised his empty, vacant eyes.

“Our king… Barthezmello… we are grateful for your care before…”

The mess that guy's daughter left behind... I'll clean it up...

……

……

"Gurgle...!"

Shirou pressed down on his head, which felt like it was about to explode, and got out of bed.

"……here it is?"

Shirou finds himself in a luxurious room, bathed in the crimson glow of the moonlight streaming through the window.

He clearly remembered that he had just been fighting Nero Chaos and Flöf Arhanger when Rita Rogen unleashed her Mystic Eyes while he was vulnerable.

So what exactly is this place...?

"Shirou...you're awake?"

Just then, a somewhat familiar voice rang out.

Shirou turned his head to look.

A woman with long, silver hair that reached the ground stood at the doorway.

Her fair skin, full and shapely mature figure, and stunning beauty that even a black veil cannot conceal.

"...Morgan!?"

The fairy queen pinned Shirou down on the bed.