The Human Order Continuity Security Organization, Chaldeas—a massive "observatory" funded 30% by various world nations and 70% solely by the Animusphere mage family.
Unlike most observatories, it didn't observe extraterrestrial bodies. Instead, it monitored the entire planet's past, present, and future.
Through the combined efforts of Merlin and the Old Man of the Jewels, they had confirmed the existence of this organization in another parallel world. They had witnessed the extinguishing of human civilization's light and observed the struggles of Chaldea's survivors as they fought to reclaim humanity's future.
Their willingness to intervene stemmed from Merlin's inability to foresee a deeply painful alternative possibility within a certain Singularity.
In that possibility, Guinevere was just an ordinary Guinevere, with no unique traits. She truly became entangled with Lancelot, setting the stage for the Round Table's collapse.
At the Battle of Camlann, the King of Knights killed Mordred and, gravely wounded, dragged herself to a lakeside. Like countless other versions of herself, she asked Bedivere to return the Holy Sword.
However, Bedivere disobeyed. Unable to bear seeing his King meet her end, he refused to return the Holy Sword to Avalon.
Afterward, the King of Knights miraculously survived, losing only her memories. Tragically, she could now only wield the Holy Lance, gradually merging with it until she became the true Lion King—a being who had lost her humanity, her heart completely consumed by Divinity.
For nearly eight hundred years, the Lion King's army occupied Jerusalem, turning everything into a desert through constant warfare. To survive and escape the desert's torment, the humans of that Singularity had no choice but to seek refuge in the New Holy City, Camelot, hoping to pass the Lion King's "Holy Selection" and become citizens.
But they won't make it through. The Knights of Camelot will simply kill them.
"So, Guinevere," Merlin began, his voice echoing through the private connection, "do you truly not wish to save the one who, across countless parallel worlds, could be called the most pitiful version of her?"
In a lavish and elegant lounge within the Clock Tower's Mineralogy Department, Merlin was speaking privately with Guinevere and the King of Knights.
Intervening in that Singularity was his idea, but whether they would actually go depended on Guinevere's own will.
As for doing it himself?
He still vividly remembered the "grand failure" of his first intervention fifteen hundred years ago—a memory that left him with a lasting psychological scar. For Merlin, if words alone could solve the problem, then words alone were the best course of action.
"Merlin, I can do this," Guinevere replied, "but how do I get there? Am I really supposed to rely on this Rainbow Gem, modified by the Old Man of the Jewels?"
The gift, originally from the Old Man of the Jewels and kept by the Mineralogy Department after her death, had been returned to Guinevere upon her arrival. Just as Morgan had said, it had undergone further modifications by the Old Man. It was now a Prototype Mystic Code - Modified, a replica he had recreated after using its principles to forge the Mystic Codes Ruby and Sapphire.
Unlike those two Mystic Codes, Guinevere's Rainbow Gem lacked an artificial spirit. It was an inanimate object that responded only to programmed commands.
Fortunately, its functionality was no less potent.
In other words, if Guinevere wished, she could indeed transform into a "Magical" Girl and gain the immense Magecraft abilities granted by the Rainbow Gem. With this, her claim to the Caster class would be truly legitimate.
"Ahem," Merlin coughed. "That was the original plan. But since you absorbed all the Black Mud from the Fuyuki Holy Grail, transferring that near-infinite Mana has proven more difficult than anticipated—beyond our projected capabilities."
"But the Old Man of the Jewels' message..."
"That was just a message. He can't see the future; he can only make educated guesses by observing parallel worlds. Ahem, to put it simply, he often misses the finer details."
"Does he know you talk about him like that?"
"Ahem, ahem, ahem! It's fine. I'm not leaving Avalon anyway."
The communication was conducted via a computer, using a video call slightly ahead of its time.
Thus, Guinevere and the King of Knights could see his appearance, unchanged for fifteen hundred years. Merlin was still the handsome, gentle Mage of Flowers they remembered.
"In short," Merlin continued, "directly teleporting your physical body is too difficult, and Lia would likely be unhappy about your departure.
"So, I plan to create a false 'return to the Throne of Heroes' for you. I'll transmit your current memories back to your original Heroic Spirit on the Throne.
"Then, I'll use your Rainbow Gem to contact my counterpart in that parallel world. Hopefully, he can perform a Heroic Spirit Summoning Ritual and summon the version of you who now possesses these memories."
Listening and thinking, Guinevere didn't find the plan simple at all.
However, it offered a significant advantage: if successful, she could work in that Singularity without neglecting her duties here. After all, as Servants, they were all her, yet they were also mere aspects of the original Heroic Spirit on the Throne—journeys that would eventually be integrated back into the main body.
"Merlin," the King of Knights interjected, "can I go too? No, I mean, can my memories also be sent back and summoned by your other self in that world?"
Hot pants and a hoodie—the King of Knights had genuinely grown fond of this casual attire. Her question wasn't born from fear of Guinevere cheating on her; she simply wanted to save that most pitiful version of herself.
Of course, since that was also Artoria, she did harbor a subtle worry.
An awkward silence fell. Merlin didn't refuse, but he had no confidence that the Singularity could accommodate another Artoria. He could only scratch his head and say, "Lia, I'll do as you ask, but whether it succeeds or not will depend entirely on luck. Besides, I'll need to study this carefully with Guinevere to figure out how to summon her accurately. You know we've failed to summon her correctly for the past fifteen hundred years."
They still had plenty of time; the journey to the Singularity in the other parallel world wasn't urgent.
Merlin had many preparations to make, and Guinevere faced an endless stream of troubles.
At the tomb, Guinevere had just mentioned the Great Holy Grail War to Morgan. By the time they returned to the Clock Tower, rumors were already spreading like wildfire.
Even Kayneth was willing to participate in another Holy Grail War for a share of the Albion Spirit Tomb.
He wasn't the only one. Numerous Mage families were secretly mobilizing. For them, if the Pendragons were willing to offer shares of the Spirit Tomb, they wouldn't need to resort to excessive scheming and risk the wrath of the entire Clock Tower.
As for the preliminary preparations for the Holy Grail War—setting up a Holy Grail System on a ley line and constructing a Greater Grail—several families had already requested to handle the task themselves.
After all, securing the right to build the foundational infrastructure would give them leverage to demand participation slots and make additional preparations.
"Lia," Guinevere explained, "they're not just after the Spirit Tomb shares. Since the Fuyuki Holy Grail War ended, all Mages have confirmed that opening a pathway to the Root via a Holy Grail System is indeed feasible.
"However, very few Mage families in the world possess the independent capability to construct a Holy Grail System. The relevant Magecraft knowledge is currently under the dual control of the Clock Tower and the Holy Church.
"To host their own Holy Grail War, the primary prerequisite is still obtaining permission from both organizations."
Mineralogy Department. Hallway.
Footsteps echoed on the wooden floor. Flickering lights cast the shadow of two people holding hands.
Morgan was arranging for people to handle the Great Holy Grail War, while they—Guinevere and the King of Knights—were heading to the Clock Tower's Academic Affairs Office to register as transfer students into the most basic class.
The King of Knights was genuinely interested in experiencing the life of an ordinary girl.