"What… does this mean?"
Staring at the numerous CGs floating before him, Alvin couldn't help but sink into deep contemplation.
There was no doubt about it, these CGs were all ones he had already unlocked and cleared before.
After all, he remembered every single one of them vividly.
But the most important part was this—while playing the game, he was certain his CG completion rate had already reached 100%.
And yet…now... it had dropped back down to 87%.
Alvin carefully scrolled through the list of CGs on his personal interface, and when he reached the very end, he fell silent for a moment.
…None of his personal CGs were missing.
Could it be… that by crossing into Britain, it was as if a new DLC had been added, and the CGs from that DLC weren't fully unlocked yet?
Alvin couldn't help but think this to himself.
After all, during his time in Britain, countless things had happened.
Even several of his "wives" from before had managed to find their way here.
And he had met people who had never appeared in the Type-Moon simulation.
People like… Manaka Sajyou, Scáthach, Tiamat, and more.
Perhaps that was why his CG gallery now had several pages left blank.
"Don't tell me this system is expecting me to keep pursuing more heroines to unlock new CGs…?"
The thought made Alvin want to groan out loud.
Does this system think I'm not dying fast enough?
This time around, there were clearly way more transmigrators in Britain than before.
And if that wasn't bad enough… many of the girls he had already "captured" in the past, were now here too.
If he hadn't reacted quickly enough, he might still be rotting in the palace dungeon right now.
And now the system wanted him to keep unlocking new CGs?
"Not happening. No way in hell.
At least… not until I catch my breath. I'm not about to let this turn into 'The Quintuplets of Alvin' and trigger some hellish love war."
With that thought in his mind, Alvin closed the personal interface and stepped out of his room.
The corridor was already filled with students. Among them were several "transmigrators" who had recently arrived in Britain, chatting in hushed voices.
He could faintly hear words like "Moon King" and "marriage" being passed around.
"Did you hear? Among the people who crossed over this time, there's even a UO from the Moon… and you'll never guess what she came here for."
One of the students spoke in a mysterious tone.
He was one of the transmigrators, so naturally he was well-informed about the recent uproar in Britain.
"Stop keeping us in suspense. Just say it already," someone nearby urged impatiently.
"When the Moon King descended, she immediately drew the attention of King Arthur and that witch.
Everyone originally thought a huge battle was going to break out, but who could have imagined, she actually came here for a political marriage…"
"And the one she's marrying is from the Clock Tower."
The corridor instantly erupted in commotion.
The students who hadn't been aware of the situation were stunned, and soon, they began speculating in hushed but heated whispers.
Some guessed it might be a high-ranking official of the Clock Tower, perhaps one of the Lords, while others thought it might be a noble heir of some great family…
"It's a student from the Mineralogy Department, actually—he's even one of Lord Kayneth's disciples…"
The moment those words were spoken, the corridor exploded in noise.
"One of Lord Kayneth's disciples…? Who?"
"It can't be Waver, right?"
Kayneth had many students in the Clock Tower, but lately, the one most well-known was a boy named Waver Velvet.
A while ago, during an open lecture, Waver had been publicly scolded by Kayneth himself. Since then, plenty of students remembered his name.
"No way. That guy's talent isn't nearly enough to catch the Moon King's eye…"
"And you think anyone's talent could actually catch the Moon King's eye?" Someone else countered.
At that, the crowd fell silent.
True enough…
The Moon King, Arcueid Brunestud—princess of the Millennium Castle, the very archetype of the True Ancestors.
The Clock Tower had scattered records of her existence.
Anyone familiar with history knew her name.
With her personality, even the most extraordinary genius wouldn't be able to win her favor, would they?
At this point, someone in the crowd spoke up: "You're all wrong. The one who married the Moon King is a student Kayneth took in a few years ago. I think his name is Alvin…"
The moment he heard that, Alvin's scalp went numb.
He felt a sense of social death so overwhelming it was almost physical.
He quickly lowered his head, silently turned around, and retreated back into his room.
At this rate, it seemed like he really shouldn't be showing his face in public for a while…
The last thing Alvin wanted was to walk out his door and immediately be surrounded by a mob of curious students.
Better to just stay in his room and wait for Lord Kayneth to come to him…
With how much trouble Arcueid's situation had caused, Kayneth was bound to be aware of it.
No doubt, his teacher would be knocking on his door soon.
Alvin lay back on his bed, waiting for his "guest" to arrive.
But what he didn't know was that at this very moment, Kayneth was fuming to the point of near combustion.
As the head of the El-Melloi family and Lord of the Mineralogy Department, the resources at Kayneth's disposal were far beyond what ordinary people could even imagine.
And yet, there were some things that even vast wealth couldn't buy easily.
—Like a Holy Relic.
An artifact capable of summoning a Heroic Spirit.
Among the relics of ancient, legendary heroes, some were nearly impossible to obtain.
Even Kayneth himself had struggled immensely before acquiring one:
The fragment of a cloak that could summon Iskandar, King of Conquerors.
Because of the recent "transmigration" incident, Kayneth had put that relic aside for the time being.
But upon returning to the modern world, he was greeted by shocking news—
That priceless relic had been stolen.
And to this moment, no one knew who the thief was.
"That damned thief…"
Even now, the thought of it filled Kayneth with rage.
Alvin had once tactfully advised his teacher against participating in the Holy Grail War, and Kayneth had since dropped the idea.
But now—
With the news of Crimson Moon's marriage to Alvin spreading, Kayneth's teacher and future father-in-law, Reines's uncle, Lord El-Melloi Archibald—(Eulyphis) Yuriefis, had demanded that Kayneth annul his engagement to Sola.
After all, everyone in the Clock Tower understood perfectly well what Crimson Moon's name meant.
Getting entangled with her could very well drag Kayneth down.
And in Eulyphis"s eyes, although Kayneth was a talented mage, his "value" simply wasn't worth the risk.
At least… from Eulyphis's perspective, that was the truth.
Upon hearing about this, Kayneth decided to prove his worth, by going to Fuyuki and obtaining the wish-granting machine called the "Holy Grail".
But now…
Whatever.....
Since the relic was stolen, and he could only think of an alternative.
Now that things have come to this, there was no use getting angry and what not... he had no choice but to replace it with another relic…
Fortunately, during Kayneth's time as a transmigrator in Britain, because he had been residing in the royal palace, he obtained more than one relic.
In fact, thinking about all these things...it was actually not a bad thing that, his relic was stolen, after all, the King of Conquerors might not even be suitable for him…
Thinking of this, Kayneth took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
Then, from his breast pocket, he carefully took out a special relic.
Although these two journeys had brought him considerable hardship, they had at least been worth it.
After all, he had indeed obtained several extraordinary relics from Ancient Britain.
Among them was one relic that Kayneth valued the most.
With it in hand, victory in the Holy Grail War was practically guaranteed.
"I should try to end this Holy Grail War before the next crossing begins.*
As he gazed at the special relic in his hand, a cold smile slowly appeared on Kayneth's face.
…
Fuyuki.
This was a peaceful city.
Here, people lived a leisurely and comfortable life.
And while they enjoyed this peace, a woman in a courtly dress looked around at the dazzling, neon-lit cityscape with curious eyes.
It was none other than Morgan le Fay.
Not long after the countdown to the transmigration ended, Morgan le Fay discovered that the environment he was in was no longer the palace she had been in at the beginning.
She understood immediately that she had indeed transmigrated to a different place.
Only… this was clearly not the Clock Tower.
"…What is this place?" Morgan asked herself silently.
Closing her eyes, in an instant, her immense perception unfurled, covering nearly half the surrounding area.
The passers-by walking around, the voices of people talking, and even the blood flowing in her body were all completely absorbed into her perception in an instant.
Buzz…
At this moment, a faint sense of pressure seemed to emanate from beneath the sky, causing Morgan to suddenly open her eyes and mutter to herself subconsciously:
"Alaya…?"
In the present world, the Age of Gods had completely vanished.
Even Morgan le Fay could not wield the same overwhelming power she once had in Britain. Yet even so, she was still fully capable of transforming a region into her own "Age of Gods."
However, something unseen was restricting her.
—Alaya.
The other party's message was clear: you may cross over, but you may not act in this era.
In the past, Morgan would have ignored such a "warning."
Perhaps it might even have provoked her rebellious nature.
But now, she was far more concerned with one particular thing.
—The Holy Grail.
From the very moment she had arrived in Fuyuki, Morgan had felt the presence of that special artifact known as the "Grail."
As long as it remained in this city, she had a way to use it for Servant summoning.
She had no real interest in the Grail itself; after all, now Morgan le Fay bore no regrets.
If she had to name one wish… it would probably be only one.
As if amused by her own thoughts, Morgan's lips curved into an enchanting smile.
…
In the blink of an eye, an entire day had passed.
"Did Professor Kayneth forget about me or something…? How come I still haven't seen him?"
Alvin lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling, lost in thought for a long time.
He originally thought that Kayneth would take the initiative to find him the very day he returned.
After all, the news of Crimson Moon's marriage to him was nothing short of a bombshell.
Back in Britain, Kayneth had no chance to confront him about it.
But now that they were back in the Clock Tower, surely Kayneth would drag him out for a proper interrogation, right?
Well...he had such thoughts, but unfortunately, even now, there wasn't the slightest sign of him.
With that thought in mind, Alvin got out of bed, pulled a black robe from the wardrobe, and raised the hood over his head before leaving the room.
If the other party wasn't coming to him, then he might as well go see for himself.
The Clock Tower, as one of the major branches of the Mage's Association, was not only a hub for magical exchange but also a sanctuary, one might even call it an academy—for magi.
Alvin quickly went down the stairs, crossed the Clock Tower plaza, and headed toward Kayneth's private residence.
"Alvin?"
At that moment, a clear and pleasant voice of a young girl suddenly came from behind him.
Alvin instinctively turned his head and, in the corner of the plaza, saw a noble girl with long flowing golden hair.
She was dressed in a dark blue academy uniform, a pair of long, slender legs clad in black stockings beneath her skirt, and small, elegant short boots on her feet.
A few strands of golden hair fell over her forehead, framing her delicate and charming face.
The noble girl radiated the youthful brightness befitting her age.
"Reines?"
Alvin raised his hand in greeting and was just about to speak.
However, the moment the girl saw him, she quickly reacted.
Her expression changed, and before Alvin could say anything, she grabbed his hand and hurriedly pulled him toward her dorm room.
Before long, she dragged him inside, shut the door with a loud "bang," then looked up at him with a stern expression. "Alvin… how dare you stroll around the plaza so casually?"
"I'm a student of the Clock Tower… what's wrong with going out for a walk?"
Alvin looked completely baffled and added, "Besides, I'm here to see my teacher. Have you seen him today?"
Hearing this, Reines gave him a "you really are hopeless" look and sighed. "Alvin… don't you realize you're the most famous person in the Clock Tower right now?"
"I heard the higher-ups held an emergency meeting yesterday.
Many Lords wanted to meet you in person to ask about the Crimson Moon… If it weren't for my brother stepping in to stop them, plus Lord Barthomeloi speaking up, you'd already have people pounding on your door by now."
Though Kayneth was strict, he had always treated Alvin well and had provided him with plenty of academic resources at the Clock Tower.
So it wasn't surprising that he would step in to help.
It was precisely because Alvin understood this that he had convinced Kayneth not to join the Holy Grail War.
After all, in the original timeline, Kayneth was killed during the Holy Grail War.
But that Lord of the Department of Policies would actually help him…?
Alvin raised an eyebrow, but quickly relaxed.
Looks like the old jewel freak probably talked to Barthomeloi and explained a few things.
Thinking this, Alvin looked at Reines' worried little face and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Reines slowly shook her head.
"The fact you're saying that only proves you don't understand what kind of person Barthomeloi really is."
The matter of the Crimson Moon was of great importance.
Given Barthomeloi's personality, would she really go against everyone else just to protect Alvin after returning?
In her eyes, that Lord of the Department of Policies was probably plotting something dangerous.
Seeing this, Alvin couldn't help but reach out and gently rub Reines' silky hair, smiling again. "Relax. I know what I'm doing."
"You've always had this strange confidence in yourself… just like my brother," Reines muttered with a slight pout.
Then, feeling the warmth of his hand, her face reddened and shr brushed it away, saying "You're a married man now… at least mind your manners."
Alvin looked down at her. "Oh? I can't?"
"That's not what I mean, it's just…"
As she spoke, Reines trailed off, then stomped her foot in slight frustration. "Anyway, don't touch me like that in my room… if my roommate comes back and sees, it'll be troublesome."
Why does that sound a bit tsundere…
Alvin couldn't help but chuckle. "By the way, have you seen my teacher? I have something to discuss with him."
Hearing this, Reines gave Alvin a surprised look. "You don't know? My brother took a late-night flight out of the Clock Tower yesterday."
Alvin looked at her in confusion. "Where did he go?"
Reines tilted her head slightly, thinking for a moment. "He said… it was somewhere in Japan. A place called Fuyuki, I think…"
And as soon as he heard it, the smile on his face suddenly froze.
.
.
.
.