In the suburbs of London, a small town that disguises itself as a university town, with a clock tower as its central landmark. This is the location of the Modern magecraft Theory Department teaching building and Waver's exclusive office.
Two otaku, one older and one younger, are sitting on the couch playing a Gameboy handheld console, facing each other.
That's right, they are playing a local wireless multiplayer game. In 1998, the technology for wireless connectivity had not yet developed, so they could only connect through a data cable for close-range data exchange.
"Come in, come in, some of the pets need to evolve," one of them says.
"Let me check the guide. Gastly, Machop, and Geodude, that's the four we need, right? Are you all set on your end?" the other replies.
"Of course, I caught them all last night."
"You were up late again, weren't you?"
"Of course, which day this week haven't I been up late? You know the reason. I'll keep sleeping after you go to class, completing the Pokédex is the top priority now!"
"Alright, let's start the transfer. The first one is Gastly, oh yeah, let's witness the birth of Haunter!"
The game they are so passionately playing is Pokémon, Nintendo's wildly popular franchise that spans games, manga, anime, and all otaku media.
The specific games they are playing are the original Pokémon Red and Green versions, released in 1996. After their release, the cute monster designs, extensive collection elements, and high replayability quickly took Japan and the world by storm, reviving the flagging Gameboy sales and solidifying Nintendo's dominance in the gaming industry. Even before Shinji arrives in the Nasuverse, Pokémon remains a national phenomenon in Japan, with each new release causing a frenzy.
Given Shinji and Waver's otaku natures, they have of course already completed the games and filled their Pokédex, except for the few that require trading to evolve.
Waver is in London, where the Pokémon craze has not yet reached. Shinji has also been traveling with Touko, and the few female companions he has don't share much interest in the game. At first, Fujino and Sakura were willing to play with Shinji, but then Touko had a random idea to teach them the basics of making dolls, so they became absorbed in creating "piles of colored blocks" (Touko's words) as their version of live-action Pokémon, abandoning Shinji. As a result, these two magus otaku have no local multiplayer partners and haven't thought to find any elsewhere.
A few minutes later, the cheers of the two otaku echoed through the office.
"We did it, Gastly, Sandslash, Machamp, Golem."
"Finally, we've collected all 151, 151, 151. We just need to level them up to the max and our mission will be accomplished."
"Let's do it tonight, the lunch break will be over soon. I have class, you can take a nap."
"You can grind at night, but I can't. From today on, my glorious all-nighter gaming lifestyle is over." Shinji carefully saved his game, tossed the handheld aside, and stretched.
Waver also put away his carefree gaming expression: "Yeah, the professor must be here by now. The Clock Tower is about to go through some turmoil."
"That's inevitable," Shinji nodded. "Many factions, especially those who made a move on El-Melloi in the past three years, are worried about the lord's retaliation. And you know, Lord Kenneth has never been known for being merciful. Just between us, we've heard of three plots to make sure Lord Kenneth 'disappears' permanently. Who knows how many more unheard schemes are out there?"
"That's why the professor bought a direct flight from Japan to London but didn't board the plane. Instead, he disguised himself and flew to Ireland via South Korea, then sneaked into Britain by land from Ireland."
"Yes, if he entered openly, even with all our forces, we can't guarantee Lord Kenneth's safe return. You know, no matter how strong we are, we can't stop a precision missile strike."
Shinji and Waver exchanged a knowing look.
In the Nasuverse, there is an often overlooked but real premise - technology, especially in weapons, has surpassed magecraft. The destruction caused by a top magus' ritual over days can't even compare to a nuclear bomb. Arranging a few bombers and precisely timing strikes on Kenneth would be enough to kill him, even if he had nine lives. And for these ancient families, acquiring such aerial firepower is not difficult. Although those magus aristocrats may not have that mindset, it's better to be safe than sorry. Any tiny possibility must be prevented before Kenneth can return successfully.
What the two didn't know was that even with these precautions, Kenneth's journey back wasn't smooth sailing. Emiya Kiritsugu alone spent three Origin Bullets and one of Kenneth Mystic Code mercury maids was severely damaged, showing how formidable the obstacles were.
Of course, all of this is only up until this noon. When Kenneth enters the sphere of influence of El-Melloi in the suburbs of London and joins up with Reines and the elite who remain loyal to El-Melloi, it means the Lord has formally returned, and the other factions, even if they are unwilling, can only grit their teeth and accept it. Otherwise, it would not just be private conflict, but an outright war, slapping the face of the entire Clock Tower and the twelve noble houses - no house can bear such a cost.
The subsequent struggle will become more politicized and aristocratic.
On the surface, it will be resolved through negotiation or quibbling. Tremberio and Baruereta, who are opposed to aristocracy, will lead the democratic faction to launch inquiries and impeachment against Kenneth's three-year unexplained absence, to establish Kenneth's dereliction of duty and further undermining El-Melloi, hopefully causing this "genius" to lose his position as Lord and inciting internal strife within the El-Melloi faction.
Of course, Kenneth will not sit idly by and let this happen - he has prepared a series of arguments and "merits" sufficient to offset his three-year neglect of duty.
The aristocratic leader, Barthomeloi, will also provide limited support and assistance as the situation warrants - even if it is a united front, it does not mean they are of one mind. If Kenneth has no value, the aristocratic faction will immediately abandon him, which is also one of the reasons why he has been in hiding for three years - a person with a destroyed magic circuit has no value.
When the night that shrouds and conceals everything descends, the "elegance and harmony" on the surface will be cast aside, and machinations, conflicts, purges, and other unsavory actions will unfold in the unknown.
There are only a few hours left until the first night of the Lord's return.
Waver, as always, enters the classroom.
Shinji lazily reclines on the sofa, conserving his energy.
PS: In Fate/Zero, the Japan Self-Defense Force lost two F-15 fighter jets, and Father Risei directly arranged to get two replacements from the Middle East and sent them to Japan overnight to fill the gap. As one of the major factions under the Mage's Association that rivals the Holy Church, they must have this capability.
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