"Wait a moment." Kenneth called out to stop me. "Inorai Balueretta Atrum wishes to meet you."
Inorai Balueretta Atrum was the head of the Balueretta family, one of the Three Great Noble Families.
The Lord of the Creation Department (Balueretta), a Brand-ranked Caster who effectively stood at the highest level. A member of the Democrat Faction and a renowned heroine of the Clock Tower.
At this time, she appeared to be in her sixties. Though her face was covered in wrinkles, she gave off an impression of boundless vitality. Her silver hair possessed the noble bearing of a wolf.
She was gentle, easygoing, and free-spirited, but beneath it all, she was also a cold-blooded Caster.
More importantly, she had been the teacher of Aozaki Touko and Araya Souren. I had never even met her before, so that was the only reason she could have for wanting to see me.
"When?" I asked. "I really am in a hurry to get back."
Kenneth considered it for a moment. "Then tonight."
Then he asked, "Is it because of Aozaki Touko?"
"I'm not sure, but it probably has something to do with her. I'm only responsible for passing along the message."
Afterward, I took Gray to see Waver and the two little ones. Rin immediately remarked venomously, "That lolicon pervert has brought back another little girl." Sakura, meanwhile, curiously asked who Gray was.
"This is my new disciple," I said. "You two aren't allowed to bully her from now on."
Everyone was stunned. "You actually take disciples?"
"Don't look down on me. It's just taking on a disciple. In another two years, I'll send her here too."
Waver immediately protested, "No way! Bastard, this place isn't a kindergarten!"
Leaving the three little girls to get acquainted, I pulled Waver into a room.
Once inside, Waver asked, "What did you want to talk to me about alone?"
"Gray is a very special child," I said. "I first need to confirm whether the course of her life will change because of my appearance."
"Special? How special?" Waver asked. "From what I can see, she might have decent aptitude, but it's not absurdly outstanding."
"Do you remember Saber?" I asked. "King Arthur—the king who defeated your king."
"The king did not lose," Waver corrected. "It was my inadequacy that caused it. I remember. What about her?"
"Gray is the product of a ritual that a certain clan connected to Morgan le Fay has been planning for a thousand years, intending to resurrect King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon."
"This ritual requires King Arthur's body, mind, and soul to be fused into one. So that clan created descendants modeled after King Arthur."
"They intended to make them substitutes for King Arthur's body. After countless failures over hundreds of years, Gray was born."
"You can't tell yet, but before long, her face and figure will transform into Saber's. In another ten years, she should completely become Saber's vessel."
"When I brought her out, her fate had already been rewritten. But some things may not change simply because I changed them. Fate is a mysterious thing, and the Counter Force's corrections are not something people like us can stop."
"I'll take her back to Japan first and slowly tell her the details. Then I'll let her choose her own future: to live carefree forever, or to shoulder that destiny."
"If she chooses the former, I'll let her remain in Japan. If she chooses the latter, I'll send her to you. I hope you won't hold any reservations then. I know Waver wouldn't, but there are still things that need to be said."
Waver retorted, "I lost on the battlefield fair and square. How could I ever stoop to such petty behavior?"
"Then I'm relieved. I'll be leaving tomorrow morning. Rin and Sakura will be in your care."
The three outside had also been chatting animatedly. When they saw me come out, they immediately fell silent. Gray's face was bright red, and she pulled her gray hood lower.
I had let my guard down. Rin and Sakura must have filled Gray's head with something strange.
I also told Rin and Sakura that I would be leaving tomorrow and reminded them to listen to Teacher Waver. Though the two little ones were reluctant to part, they knew I had many things to take care of and both said they understood.
That night, I met Inorai Balueretta Atrum. At first glance, she seemed like a kind old grandmother.
Only those who knew her understood that, in a certain sense, she was the ideal image of a Caster. She conducted politics as naturally as breathing and researched magecraft as casually as taking a walk.
Inorai Balueretta Atrum: the current Lord of the Creation Department (Balueretta), Inorai Balueretta Atrum, and one of the Three Great Noble Families.
An elderly woman over sixty and a renowned heroine of the Clock Tower, she had taught Aozaki Touko, Araya Souren, and Cornelius Alba.
Her magecraft characteristic was sympathy, and she excelled at sand magecraft. Her handbag could spray out what seemed like an endless supply of sand. The Balueretta family pursued "ultimate beauty" in order to reach the Root.
"May I ask what business Lord Balueretta has with me?" I asked first.
Inorai did not alter her manner because of my attitude. She spoke in an orderly fashion. "I heard you intend to invest in Marisbury's project. That bottomless pit with no visible return."
After thinking for a moment, I said, "On the surface, it's to contribute something to human history and earn a good reputation. In reality, every project has pros and cons. Others simply failed to see its advantages, while I happened to notice them, so I invested. I'll be blunt. There's no need to beat around the bush."
Inorai was somewhat surprised by how straightforward I was.
Then she said, "Youth is wonderful. You have courage. I wanted to ask about that matter, but I also wanted to ask whether Touko is doing well."
Just as I thought. "From what I've seen, she's doing fairly well. We've only met a few times and worked together twice."
Inorai said, "I only hope that, the next time you see Touko, you will apologize to her for me. Even so, I still do not believe my choice was wrong."
Back then, she had strongly recommended that Aozaki Touko be designated for a Seal Designation. As long as something ranked highly among her priorities, she considered it the natural course of action and would carry it out without hesitation.
Because she felt no conflict or hesitation whatsoever about being that kind of person. "Gladly. I will certainly convey it to Miss Aozaki Touko."
With that said, there was nothing else to discuss, and we parted ways.
The next day, Waver brought Rin and Sakura to the airport to see us off. Only after the plane took off did my heart finally settle completely.
I had been afraid that Gray's face would suddenly change and that someone with ulterior motives would recognize her. Now, I could finally relax. On my turf, you follow my rules. My territory, my say.
I could go see how Aozaki Touko and Araya Souren had considered the matter.