The next morning.
When Auram opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.
"This is…"
His mind was still hazy from just waking up. After shaking his head a few times, the memories of last night gradually resurfaced.
That's right, this was the room Ayaka had prepared for him.
The room was sparsely decorated, yet it carried an air of elegance and freshness. On the small bookshelf beside the bed, a few old, worn books were neatly arranged. Fresh flowers sat in a ceramic vase atop the desk, their fragrance mingling with the faint scent of old paper, quietly reflecting the taste and disposition of the room's owner.
He hadn't taken a good look last night—this was a pretty nice room.
'There are clear signs it was cleaned beforehand. Was that Ayaka's doing? Helping clean the room in advance for the Servant she summoned? That's unusual.'
'Looks like I lucked out, meeting such a thoughtful girl.'
Thinking back to the way the girl's face had been lit with excitement last night, Auram couldn't help but smile softly.
For Ayaka Sajo, summoning the strongest—or rather, the one most fitting her image of a prince—Saber class was her ultimate goal. That was why she chose the golden hour of 2 a.m. to carry out the ritual.
As expected, everything went perfectly. The only downside was that the hour was a bit too late for a human girl's body to handle. After chatting lightly with Auram for a while, she had adorably started to yawn.
So Auram had smoothly persuaded her to rest and leave the rest for tomorrow. After all, he also needed some time to collect his thoughts.
"So the current era… this is Japan, 1994."
In the corner of the room sat a calendar, which he picked up and skimmed through. That confirmed the time and place.
But even without the calendar, Ayaka's words last night had already hinted enough for Auram to understand his situation.
'Holy Grail War… Servants… Isn't this the legendary Type-Moon world? Looks like I've ended up somewhere incredible again.'
For Auram, being transported to another dimension wasn't a first, so he could accept it calmly enough.
That said, being summoned by a stranger's Servant ritual? That was unexpected.
'Still, I can feel it… There's some kind of bond between me and Ayaka. It feels like a constant link between us… though not quite the same.'
Pondering, Auram focused on the peculiar current of mana flowing within him.
'Well… of course it's different. A mere mental link doesn't make for a true bond.'
A strong soul inhabits a strong mind and body. Beyond a spiritual connection, a proper link required establishing a new, tangible tie through the body as well.
That part hadn't happened with Ayaka yet.
'So what I feel now, this not-quite-a-bond sensation, must be the connection between Master and Servant in a Holy Grail War, right?'
Probably.
In his previous life, Auram had been a card-obsessed otaku. Not exactly a hardcore Type-Moon fan, but through exposure, he knew some of the stories, so he adapted fast.
Although maybe because he didn't originate from this planet's Throne of Heroes, even though he'd been pulled in as a Servant, he hadn't received the Grail's automatic transfer of knowledge about the current age or the war's rules. His entire understanding was based only on what he remembered from his past life.
It was almost comical—everyone else was taking an open-book exam, and he was stuck with a closed-book test.
'Damn you, Alaya, bullying an outsider like this?'
And there was another problem.
In the Grail War stories he remembered, there was no girl named Ayaka Sajo.
Not that it was too strange. Type-Moon had too many spinoffs. His clearest memories were only of the classics, Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night. Maybe Ayaka came from some obscure side story? Or maybe she was just a nameless blonde background character?
Ayaka… Ayaka… the name even sounded like she belonged as a heroine on Niconico.
Just kidding.
Truthfully, Auram's first impression of her was good. She had been kind to him, and she was adorable—when she smiled, she was like an innocent little angel.
How could such a cute girl have any bad intentions?
He wondered what wish she wanted to make on the Grail. As long as it wasn't anything outrageous, Auram wouldn't mind lending her a hand.
'I don't know why I was summoned… but after all my adventures, I've seen plenty of weird things.'
'And thinking about it, this Holy Grail War might actually be an opportunity for me.'
Calming himself, he recalled his true purpose for traveling in the first place.
Yes, he was seeking a way to repair the World Gears of Theurlogical Demiurgy. And the Holy Grail itself just might have what he needed.
At that thought, Auram's eyes lit up.
Everyone knew the Holy Grail wasn't truly an "all-powerful wish-granter." That was just a clever lie fabricated by the original Three Families to lure others into the ritual. In truth, it was a special system designed to guide magi to the Root, fueled by the immense energy gathered through the battles of Heroic Spirits. Even if someone won, realizing any wish was unrealistic.
But Auram was different.
He didn't want a wish. What he sought was the Grail's essence: pure, massive mana to repair the World Gears.
And the Grail was exactly that kind of treasure.
Talk about a blessing in disguise! Though he hadn't shown it to Ayaka, being dragged into a Grail War that had nothing to do with him was annoying.
Regardless, if that premise changed, then the situation looked completely different.
Heroes might talk about honor over gain, but they were still human. They couldn't always act selflessly, asking for nothing in return. Payment was payment, treasure chests in villagers' houses still had to be looted.
Being thrown into an irrelevant war was irritating, yet the potential reward was thrilling. If things went well, the World Gears problem might be solved along the way!
'Still, hold on… if this is 1994, then it should be the Grail War Kiritsugu Emiya participated in.'
'Except… wasn't the Grail already tainted by then, unusable?'
'Or maybe not…'
After all, with someone like Ayaka Sajo appearing out of nowhere, maybe the story here wasn't the same as the one he knew.
And really, this wasn't the first time things had diverged for him. Back during the World Legacy adventures, plenty of developments had gone differently than expected, causing him no small amount of trouble.
That gave him a hunch.
Maybe this Holy Grail War wasn't going to be as simple as he thought.
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]