"Your eyes… why are they glowing?"
Frieren leaned in close, her face mere inches from mine. Her silver hair brushed against my shoulder. She stared into the blinding golden light pouring from my optical sensors, her expression a mix of profound confusion and intense curiosity.
She couldn't detect a single trace of mana. To a mage, light without magic was a phenomenon that defied the very laws of nature. It made no sense.
"Affirmative. My chassis is functioning within normal parameters," I replied, my voice steady. "Frieren, there is no need for concern."
"If you say so..." Frieren muttered, though she didn't pull back. She was still trying to solve the puzzle of my existence. "But if it's not magic, then what…"
"I'm back!"
The wooden door swung open, interrupting the ancient elf. Flamme bounded into the room, her bright orange hair bouncing with her energetic steps.
At that exact moment, the download reached 100%.
The massive influx of data ceased. My internal processors spun down to standard operating capacity, and the blinding golden glare vanished from my eyes, smoothly transitioning back to the simulated, human-like amber irises of my disguise.
Analysis: Flamme has arrived before Takson. I noted the minor detail. My sturdy apprentice was uncharacteristically late.
"Welcome back," Frieren said, pulling away from me and turning to the young mage. Her voice was as calm as ever, giving away nothing.
Flamme blinked, looking between the two of us. She had caught the tail end of our close proximity. "Did I interrupt something?"
"No, nothing at all," Frieren said, shaking her head. She picked up the thick grimoire she had borrowed and went right back to reading, completely unbothered.
I knew Frieren was still curious, but I also knew she wouldn't press the issue. If I didn't offer an explanation, she wouldn't demand one.
"Teacher! Guess what happened today!"
Taking my silence as an invitation, Flamme pulled up a chair and launched into a lively, detailed recount of her day exploring the elven village. She talked about the strange plants, the slow-paced elves, and the unique architecture.
I didn't utter a single word in response. I simply sat there, letting the sound of her cheerful voice wash over me, quietly recording this final, peaceful moment into my permanent memory banks.
…
[Anchor point established. Data logging in progress... Fixation successful.]
[Please select the next destination, Host.]
I floated in the endless, tranquil sea of golden light.
This was the space between dimensions. It was the third time I had stood in this golden void, and yet, the feeling of absolute isolation and infinite possibility never failed to bring a faint hum of satisfaction to my circuits.
I accessed my database, compiling the records of my time in the world I had just left. Over a decade had passed since I first stepped foot in that forest. It was, by far, the longest I had stayed in any single reality.
"I will hunt down every last demon in this world. And I will spread the story of the Angel who saved us, so that future generations will never forget you."
I murmured Takson's final answer to myself.
That was what he had told me on our last day. A crusade of vengeance and a lifetime of missionary work.
I didn't know what to feel about that. It wasn't the peaceful, safe life I had calculated for him. But looking back at the data I had received from my future clone, the legend of the "Battle-Crazed Saint" and the "Order of the Angelic Descent", it all made perfect sense. He had walked the path he chose, and he had carved it into history.
I would not deny his choice. He was my apprentice, and he was a man.
I carefully bundled the decade of memories, the battles, the quiet nights reading, the annoying but endearing habits of my two students, and filed them away in a secure folder labeled [Memories]. It wasn't a perfect story, but it was a good one.
The system remained silent, patiently waiting for my command.
With the past neatly archived, I turned my attention to the future. It was time to choose my next target.
….
[Stabilizing dimensional corridor... Stabilization complete.]
[Preparing for dimensional barrier breach... Preparation complete. Commencing breach.]
An invisible, familiar shockwave rippled through the golden space, washing over my chassis.
The sensation of reality bending and tearing apart was exhilarating. It was the ultimate thrill of crossing the boundary between universes.
[Breach successful. Dimensional wall bypassed. Target world reached.]
[Link confirmed. Verifying corridor stability... Safe.]
The standard sequence played out flawlessly. As the system notifications faded, a brilliant, glowing golden door materialized in the void before me.
Behind that door lay an entirely new reality, governed by unknown rules and filled with unrecorded data. Without a second of hesitation, I stepped forward and plunged into the light.
...
Crunch.
My boots touched solid ground, snapping a dry twig beneath my weight.
The golden gate vanished behind me, leaving me in darkness.
"Query: Location?"
My golden eyes instantly adjusted to the gloom. I was standing in the middle of a dense, quiet forest. The air was cool and crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine needles. Judging by the ambient light levels and atmospheric temperature, it was the middle of the night.
The timeline and seasonal indicators of my previous world were completely irrelevant here.
I pulled up my system log to review the destination I had selected.
[Target World: Fate/Apocrypha]
The Fate series.
In my previous life as a human on Earth, it was a massive, incredibly popular media franchise. However, I hadn't been a hardcore fan. I had never played the games, nor had I watched every single show. My knowledge was strictly limited to what I had absorbed through cultural osmosis and the endless, enthusiastic rambling of a good friend.
I knew the absolute basics. I knew about the "King of Knights" with the blonde cowlick. I knew about the arrogant "Golden King" who threw weapons from portals.
So why had I chosen this world?
First, my friend's rambling had introduced me to one specific concept that deeply intrigued my collector's mindset: Noble Phantasms. Crystallized mysteries, ultimate weapons forged from human history and myth. To a machine that collected armaments and magic, a world filled with legendary, conceptual weapons was an absolute treasure trove.
Second, the specific destination of Fate/Apocrypha hadn't been a deliberate, targeted choice.
When the system prompted me, I had simply inputted the keyword: "Fate."
Because the Fate franchise was a sprawling multiverse with countless parallel timelines, spin-offs, and game worlds, my vague request had triggered the system's random selection protocol. It had essentially turned my world-jump into a gacha pull.
And the system had rolled Fate/Apocrypha.
….
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