Entrustment, the Past, the Return Journey

"Wait a moment," Kenneth called out to stop me. "Inorai Balueretta Atorohomu wants to meet you."

Inorai Balueretta Atorohomu was the head of Balueretta, one of the Three Great Families.

The Lord of the Creation Department (Balueretta), and in practice a mage of the highest rank, Brand. A member of the Democrat Faction. A renowned heroine of the Clock Tower.

She appeared to be in her sixties at this point. Though her face was covered in wrinkles, she gave off an impression of vigorous vitality. Her silver hair possessed the noble bearing of a wolf.

She was mild-tempered, free-spirited, and easygoing, but deep down, she was also a ruthless mage.

More importantly, she was Aozaki Touko and Araya Souren's teacher. 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. "Tonight, then."

Then he asked, "Is it because of Aozaki Touko?"

"I'm not sure, but it should be somewhat related. I'm only responsible for passing along the message."

Afterward, I took Gray to meet Waver and the two little ones. Rin immediately remarked with her sharp tongue, "That lolicon pervert has brought back another little girl." Sakura, meanwhile, curiously asked about Gray's identity.

"This is my new disciple," I said. "You mustn't bully her from now on."

Everyone was stunned. "You actually take disciples?"

"Don't underestimate me. Isn't it just taking a disciple? In another two years, I'll send her here too."

Waver's turn came. "No way, you bastard. This isn't a kindergarten."

I let the three little girls get acquainted by themselves, then pulled Waver into a room.

Once inside, Waver asked, "What did you want to speak to me about in private?"

"Gray is a very special child," I said. "I need to first confirm whether her life's trajectory will change because of my appearance."

"Special? How special?" Waver asked in return. "As far as I can tell, she may have decent talent, but it's not outrageously exceptional."

"Do you remember Saber?" I asked. "The King Arthur who defeated your King."

Waver corrected me, "My King did not lose. It was my own inadequacy that caused it. I remember. Why?"

"Gray is the result of a ritual that a certain clan connected to Morgan le Fay has been planning for a thousand years to resurrect King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon."

"This ritual requires King Arthur's body, mind, and soul to be merged into one. Thus, that clan produced descendants modeled after King Arthur."

"They intended to make them substitutes for King Arthur's body. After countless failures over the centuries, Gray was born."

"You can't see it yet, but before long, both her face and figure will transform into Saber's. In another ten years, she should be able to completely become Saber's vessel."

"By bringing her out, I had already rewritten her fate. But some things may not change just because I change 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 harbor any reservations then. Though I know Waver wouldn't, there are still things one ought to say."

Waver retorted, "I lost honorably on the battlefield. How could I ever do something so petty?"

"Then I'm relieved. I'll be heading back tomorrow morning. Rin and Sakura are in your care."

The three outside had also been chatting away animatedly, but they fell silent the moment they saw me come out. I could only see Gray's face flushed red as she tugged her gray hood lower.

I had been careless. Rin and Sakura must have filled Gray's head with something strange.

I also told Rin and Sakura that I would be leaving tomorrow. "Remember to listen to Teacher Waver." Though the two little ones were reluctant to part with me, they knew I had many things to handle, and both said they understood.

That night, I met Inorai Balueretta Atorohomu. 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 mage. She practiced politics as naturally as breathing and researched magecraft as casually as taking a walk.

Inorai Balueretta Atorohomu: the current Lord of the Creation Department (Balueretta) and one of the Three Great Families.

An elderly woman in her sixties, she was a renowned heroine of the Clock Tower and the teacher of Aozaki Touko, Araya Souren, and Cornelius Alba.

Her magecraft characteristic was sensory affinity, and she specialized in sand magecraft. Her handbag could spray forth what seemed like an endless amount of sand. The Balueretta family sought "ultimate beauty" in order to reach the Root.

"May I ask what the Lord of Balueretta wants with me?" I asked first.

Inorai did not change her demeanor because of my attitude. She spoke calmly and methodically. "I heard that you intend to invest in that project of Marisbury's. That bottomless pit where no returns can be seen."

After considering it for a moment, I said, "On the surface, it's to contribute something to human history and earn a good reputation. In truth, every project has its advantages and disadvantages. Others simply failed to see its benefits, while I happened to notice them, so I invested." I spoke frankly, without beating around the bush.

Inorai was somewhat surprised to hear how direct I was.

Then she said, "Youth is wonderful. It comes with courage. On one hand, I called you here to ask about this matter. On the other, I 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. However, even now, I 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 high among her priorities, she regarded it as only natural and acted without the slightest hesitation.

Because she felt absolutely no contradiction or inner conflict over being that kind of person. "Gladly. I will certainly convey your words to Miss Aozaki Touko."

With that, there was nothing more to say, and we went our separate ways.

The next day, Waver brought Rin and Sakura to the airport to see us off. It was only after the plane took off that my heart truly settled.

I had always feared 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 call.

I could go see what Aozaki Touko and Araya Souren had decided.