Five hours earlier.
The flight had taken off at dawn, and Kayneth sat by the window, gazing expressionlessly at the gray, misty world outside.
Beside him sat his fiancée, Sola-Ui.
Waver, meanwhile, was seated in the row in front of them.
The young man looked utterly dejected, head lowered, clearly having endured a thorough scolding from Kayneth at the airport terminal earlier.
But even after giving Waver a harsh dressing-down, Kayneth still wore a look of displeasure... and upon closer inspection, there was a faint trace of worry in the man's brow.
"Are you worried about him?"
Sola-Ui suddenly asked from beside him.
The woman wore a magenta dress, her face refined, her glistening eyes paired with long lashes exuding the unique charm and allure of a mature woman.
She held a glass of red wine brought by a flight attendant but didn't drink, instead asking. "Didn't you send someone to check yesterday... Still no news?"
As a Lord of the Clock Tower, Kayneth had no shortage of disciples, but Alvin was one of the few who managed to catch Sola-Ui's attention.
After all, magi were inherently arrogant and placed great emphasis on bloodlines.
The primary reason shr had been betrothed to Kayneth was her lack of aptitude for magecraft.
Her father's decision to arrange her marriage to Kayneth was less about her future and more like a transaction, with the true prize being the El-Melloi family backing Kayneth.
Thus, at the outset, the girl harbored deep resentment toward this engagement, a sentiment Kayneth could clearly sense.
The emotional rift between the betrothed couple had been mediated by Alvin, who helped Sola gradually see some of Kayneth's merits, slowly allowing her to try accepting this inherently prideful man.
Now, with Alvin mysteriously missing in Fuyuki, it was only natural that she would be concerned.
Kayneth slowly shook his head as he said. "I've already had people look for him. There's no trace of Alvin's activities in Fuyuki."
Not long ago, on the night the Holy Grail War ended, he had tried contacting Alvin by phone, but the call wouldn't connect.
Hearing these words, Waver couldn't help but mutter. "Why would Alvin even come to Fuyuki?"
Though he and Alvin weren't particularly close friends, they were both Kayneth's disciples, occasionally crossing paths at the Clock Tower.
Given Alvin's personality, it didn't seem like he was the type to join the Holy Grail War to prove himself...
Kayneth remained silent, his contemplative face reflected in the plane's window.
Not only Waver but even Kayneth himself had his doubts.
The more he thought about it after the Holy Grail War ended, the stranger it seemed.
Alvin's personality didn't strike him as someone who would participate in the Holy Grail War, and Kayneth was certain his disciple hadn't been among the Masters in this war...
So... what had he come to Fuyuki for?
And where was he now?
Kayneth pondered for a moment before saying. "Sola, when we return to the Clock Tower, have Reines go to Alvin's dormitory. If he's there, tell him to come find me."
"You think he might have returned to the Clock Tower already?"
Sola paused, surprised.
"With Alvin's personality, he doesn't seem like the type to leave without saying anything..."
"Alvin indeed isn't that rude, so I'm only guessing."
Kayneth glanced at his fiancée, Sola, and said slowly. "If he's not at the Clock Tower, I'll find another way to look for him... But if he is there, I have some questions I'd like to discuss with him."
From the moment he saw Alvin during the Holy Grail War, Kayneth had felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
Mordred wasn't one to keep secrets well, and after meeting Alvin one night, her demeanor had noticeably changed.
She seemed to have become hyper-vigilant about ensuring his safety.
Kayneth had once asked Mordred why she was so cautious in protecting him, and her response was that Alvin had warned her about the dangers of the Holy Grail War that night, which had put her on high alert.
At first glance, it seemed reasonable... but—
Who was Mordred?
In the Arthurian legends, she was known as the "Treacherous Knight."
She didn't even listen to Kayneth's orders, so why would she heed Alvin's advice?
...
...
Clock Tower.
Alvin sat at the mahogany desk, brewing himself a cup of rich, warm tea.
He pulled out a chair and sat at his computer desk, staring at the CG achievement progress bar displayed in his vision, lost in thought.
After the Holy Grail War ended, he had completed several CG achievements, including special ones like [The Fourth Holy Grail War].
Moreover, he had now acquired a special trait called [Root Connection]... something he gained after completing a certain achievement with Manaka Sajyou.
By all accounts, there shouldn't be any uncompleted CG achievements left with Manaka, right?
Knock knock...
As he was mulling over these scattered thoughts, a faint knock came from the door.
Alvin quickly collected himself and said. "Come in."
Moments later, the door was pushed open and he looked up and was immediately struck by the beauty of the girl at the door.
The girl had golden hair and wore the Clock Tower's academy uniform.
Her golden locks cascaded over her refined, delicate face, framing a high, elegant nose and glossy, pink lips.
Beneath her skirt were black stockings, faintly revealing the smooth, fair skin underneath.
She stepped into the room with small, snow-white boots, casually sitting on the edge of the bed as if nothing was amiss, lazily stretching and accentuating her graceful figure.
"Reines...? What are you doing here?"
Alvin asked, feeling a bit surprised.
At the Clock Tower, students had a fixed schedule of classes each day, but there was also the practice of "proxy roll call" for those looking to slack off.
During the days he was in Fuyuki, it was Reines who had been handling his class attendance for him.
Today was Wednesday, so by all accounts, she should still be in class right now...
"Can't I just drop by?" Reines gave the boy a sidelong glance. "My brother safely returned to to the Clock Tower not long ago."
'That was quick. I thought he might run into some trouble on the way, like a plane crash or something...'
Alvin finally felt relieved.
His knowledge of the Fate universe was limited, but he had heard that some characters were fated to die, their histories unchangeable.
In the canonical Fate world, no matter what Kayneth did, he was destined to meet his end.
But now, Lord Kayneth had safely survived the Fourth Holy Grail War, so there shouldn't be any issues moving forward.
After all, with the Greater Grail in Fuyuki destroyed, even if Kayneth wanted to participate in another Holy Grail War, it would be impossible.
With this thought, Alvin's gaze returned to Reines, quickly drawn to her movements.
Perhaps because she was too relaxed, the girl casually leaned against the bed, her black-stockinged legs crossed, one of her snow-white boots dangling nonchalantly.
Noticing Alvin's gaze, Reines shot him a faint glance, a playful smile on her pristine, snow-white face.
"Why are you staring at my legs? Thinking of giving them a lick?"
'Heh, she's all elegant British nobility at the Clock Tower, but in private, her little devil side comes out in full force...' Alvin grinned. "If you don't mind, I'd be happy to."
A flicker of unease passed through Reines' eyes, though her expression remained unchanged as she huffed. "You'd only dare say that in private. If my brother heard you, he'd make you copy the Clock Tower's regulations a hundred times."
Alvin shrugged.
In the past, he'd been more reserved, partly because he wasn't that close to Reines at first, and partly because he knew her status and background were far beyond his reach.
The Clock Tower was a place that valued lineage and influence.
On the surface, it was filled with students and families of great prestige.
But in reality, true power was held by only a select few.
The El-Melloi family was among them.
If they found out Alvin was secretly involved with Reines, Kayneth might not say much, but the elders of the El-Melloi family, or even Kayneth's prospective father-in-law, would never approve.
One misstep, and he could be expelled from the Clock Tower.
Alvin reined in his thoughts and changed the subject.
"You didn't come here just to chat, did you?"
"Oh, you almost made me forget the main reason I came." Reines smacked her forehead. "My brother wants you to stop by the Mineralogy Department's lab before class this afternoon. He seems to have something to discuss with you."
Just back at the Clock Tower, and instead of spending time with his fiancée, he wants to talk to me?
Though he thought this, Alvin had a rough guess in his mind.
It seemed Kayneth wanted to ask about the Holy Grail War and why he had been in Fuyuki...
After chatting for a bit, Reines stood to leave.
As she reached the door, she seemed to remember something. "Oh, by the way, I heard a new student is arriving this afternoon. If you're curious, you might want to head to the Mineralogy Department's classroom early to check it out."
"A new student...?"
Alvin was stunned for a moment.
The Clock Tower essentially had two types of students.
One type gained entry through their own abilities, passing the rigorous entrance exams.
The other type joined directly, bypassing the exams due to their influential backgrounds.
The former held more prestige, but the number of magi who could pass the Clock Tower's exams each year was exceedingly small.
After all, some of those tests were so challenging that even Clock Tower professors might struggle to answer them.
What kind of genius could pass such insane exams...?
.
.
.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and it was already afternoon.
After a refreshing nap, Alvin left his room and headed to the Clock Tower's teaching building.
The building was located on the south side of the Clock Tower, where students of the Mineralogy Department typically conducted special experiments.
The meeting place Kayneth had specified was a laboratory at the end of the first-floor corridor.
As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw the golden-haired man with slicked-back hair.
Kayneth stood with his hands clasped behind his back by the window, gazing out at the students passing by in the distance.
Knock knock.
Alvin lightly tapped the doorframe and said. "Teacher, you wanted to see me?"
Kayneth turned to look at Alvin, his blue eyes piercing as if they could see through everything, exuding a solemn and profound intensity.
Even Alvin could sense the tension in the air.
While Kayneth was usually serious and unapproachable, his expression had never been this grave.
"Alvin, if I brought you before the board of directors, do you know what the consequences would be?"
Before Alvin could respond, Kayneth's opening words left him stunned.
"The White Dragon's Core, to the Clock Tower..."
Kayneth shook his head.
"No, to all magi, the White Dragon's Core would be an immense temptation."
"A mythical creature that has lived from ancient Britain to the present day... If I were the board, I'd be thinking of ways to place a Sealing Designation on you right now."
His words carried a profound implication.
Could he have already figured out my connection to the White Dragon...?
Alvin's thoughts began to race.
"You don't need to explain or admit whether you're the White Dragon."
Alvin opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Kayneth continued.
"I'm just giving you a warning—don't trust any magus, including me. If anyone asks about your identity, deny it at all costs, even if your life depends on it. Understood?"
Well..it's not like anyone can do anything about it.
After all, apart from the Jewel Magician, he didn't think there was anyone in the Clock Tower, who could threaten him, and considering Arcuied, even he would not dare to attack him.
And that's without talking about Tiamat.
Though his mind was filled with countless questions, seeing the man's intensely serious gaze,
Alvin ultimately nodded.
This silent response spoke volumes.
Kayneth's expression remained calm, as if unsurprised by his own suspicions. "Go now, and don't be late for your afternoon classes."
He waved his hand, signaling for Alvin to leave.
After the boy departed, Kayneth quickly stepped forward and closed the laboratory door.
Then, he placed a hand on his chest.
His heart pounded like a drum.
The White Dragon, Britain's guardian of the night, and the Saber of this Holy Grail War... was his own disciple?!
If he hadn't seen Alvin nod in confirmation just now, even with his suspicions, Kayneth would have found it hard to accept.
If the Clock Tower learned of Alvin's identity... the consequences would be unthinkable.
No matter what, this secret had to be kept hidden at all costs...
As this thought crossed his mind, Kayneth's heart surged with a flicker of excitement.
For magi, especially the noble families of the Clock Tower, one of the things they valued most was "legacy."
With a disciple like Alvin, the Clock Tower's internal competitions and even the future of the El-Melloi family would be secure.
Of course... that was contingent on keeping the White Dragon's secret concealed forever.
...
How did my teacher figure out the "White Dragon" thing?
Walking down the corridor, Alvin reflected on his conversation with Kayneth in the laboratory, his heart filled with both admiration and amazement.
If it were him, he could never have connected an ancient British White Dragon to a modern-day kid, after all, it was just too fantastical.
But on second thought, if someone like a transmigrator could exist, was it really that hard to accept the White Dragon appearing in the present?
A commotion in the distance pulled Alvin back to reality.
"That girl's so beautiful..."
"She's like a doll, so cute... I wonder which family she's from?"
"She's not wearing our academy uniform... A transfer student?"
The buzz of discussion around him piqued Alvin's curiosity, and he walked toward the crowd.
As he approached, he saw a girl in a light blue gothic dress, her golden hair framing a pure and radiant face.
A captivating faint smile played on her lips, her beauty utterly enchanting.
Sunlight streamed through the classic English windows, illuminating her face and adding a tempting sheen to her soft, pink lips.
At this most innocent and vibrant age, she exuded a sacred, pristine charm.
As if sensing the gaze from the edge of the crowd, the girl slightly turned her head.
She froze for a moment, then her elegant smile grew even brighter.
Under countless stunned gazes, she rushed forward and threw herself into Alvin's arms.
Before he could fully register the warmth of the girl's delicate frame, a notification quietly appeared before his eyes.
[You have completed the special CG, Reunion after the Fourth Holy Grail War]
So, after all this fuss, you were waiting for me here?!