"Uh, sorry, old man, I didn't catch that. Could you say it again?"
"Old man" was Shinji's nickname for Zelretch. The latter was indeed elderly and had a connection with Shinji's Shishou. Calling him "old man" was both respectful and familiar.
Of course, the leader of aristocratic ideology and current Lord Barthomeloi expressed objections. However, since the person in question didn't mind, it was ultimately allowed.
Now, in the second workshop in the basement of his home, Shinji was engaged in a staring contest with his newly acknowledged "old man" – Shinji had large eyes, while Zelretch had smaller ones, his bald head making his eyes appear larger.
Despite the renowned elder's imposing presence, he was quite approachable. He chuckled and, with a voice as robust as his presence, said, "You should have heard it. Justaze did too."
"Yes, Zelretch."
There was another person in the workshop, someone who had known Zelretch for over 200 years and whose fate was intertwined with Shinji's. The task Zelretch had in mind required more than one person's strength; both were indispensable.
"Even so, I find it incredible, traveling to parallel worlds and all."
"Exactly," Shinji quickly agreed. "Although there are rumors that you control the Second Magic and travel across various parallel worlds, we've never heard of you taking others with you."
"Just because you haven't heard doesn't mean it hasn't happened," the elder's smile didn't waver. "To protect the normal operation of each world, I generally don't bring people or objects across worlds."
"So, does that mean if you wanted to, taking people across worlds is possible?"
"That's right. So, what's your answer?"
"May I ask a few more questions?"
This event was more outrageous than any before, and Shinji couldn't afford to be careless.
"Go ahead."
"First, what do we need to do in the parallel world?"
"That is precisely what I am about to explain."
After some time interacting with Zelretch, Shinji had developed a certain understanding of him.
He was a lively old man, with no signs of old age, completely different from most Dead Apostles.
He was also a very interesting old man, unbound by convention, with unique perspectives on many things. Even seemingly heretical statements from his mouth had a special meaning. Saying he "mocks good with righteous indignation" was spot on.
He was also an old man who pursued efficiency and results, liked to provide a direction or goal, and then let people achieve it, with the process up to them. He only cared about the results – if you couldn't deliver, you were deemed an idiot or a failure. It's said that many of his disciples were driven to ruin by this approach.
This personality is reflected in his speech. He liked to throw out the core part first and then gradually fill in the details. This time was no different. As soon as the conversation in the workshop began, he dropped the bombshell, "I want you to go to a parallel world," shocking Shinji and Justeaze without giving them a chance to ask why.
Now, the elder was finally about to reveal the purpose of this journey to a parallel world.
"This time, I want you to go to a parallel world to participate in the Holy Grail War there and obtain the Holy Grail."
"A Holy Grail War in a parallel world? The Holy Grail?" Justeaze and Shinji looked at each other, unable to grasp the elder's true intentions.
The elder continued, "You are well aware that the Holy Grail in Fuyuki City has been tainted. The colorless magical energy has been stained with a curse. I also know you've been trying to purify the Grail but with no progress. Because the Grail appears only once every 60 years, you don't have enough time to study it, and this world has only that one Grail."
"So, you want us to obtain a sample from another world?" Shinji began to understand.
"Yes, parallel worlds also have Holy Grails. Some worlds even have more than one, and many are not tainted. Right now, there is a world where a Holy Grail War is about to begin, with an untainted Holy Grail as the prize."
"Is this Holy Grail the same as the one in our Fuyuki City?" Justeaze asked.
"The same, because it's the same thing. Do you know the theory of parallel worlds?"
Shinji nodded, "I know a bit. It's said that different choices at certain nodes branch into different paths, and these branches are parallel worlds."
"Well summarized," the elder's eyes showed a trace of approval. "The divergence point between that world and this world is the Third Holy Grail War. In this world, the Third Holy Grail War ended with the Einzberns illegally summoning the eighth class, Avenger, which led to the Holy Grail being tainted. In the other world, the Einzberns summoned another class, Ruler, successfully avoiding the tainting of the Holy Grail. However, the Three Founding Families did not obtain the Holy Grail in that world either, as the entire Holy Grail system was taken by an outsider magus, ultimately hidden in Romania. After 60 years of magical energy accumulation, a completely different and truly meaningful Holy Grail War is about to begin."
Hearing this, Shinji immediately understood that Zelretch was talking about the world of Fate/Apocrypha. Indeed, the Holy Grail created by the Three Founding Families in that world remains intact, pure, and untainted. Using the Holy Grail from that world as a sample to study methods to purify the Holy Grail in their world was highly feasible.
"I understand. Now, the second question: how does purifying the Holy Grail in this world benefit you?" This was a matter for Shinji and Justeaze; how was it related to this Second Magician?
"I can't explain the specifics. If I reveal too much, it might trigger the influence of the Counter Force. I can only tell you that I need the Holy Grail to exist, and it must not be tainted. As for who holds it and how it's used, I will not interfere."
Although this didn't fully answer Shinji's question, it clarified that the elder did not need the Holy Grail itself; he only required it to exist in an untainted state.
"The third question: why do you need us to go? With your abilities, directly seizing the Holy Grail and bringing it here shouldn't be difficult."
"It's not as simple as you think," the elder shook his head. "Magicians are enemies of the world; their every move affects the world. Therefore, magicians cannot interfere too much with the world, or it will trigger the Counter Force's interference, and the timeline itself could be affected, possibly even leading to that world's destruction."
"Moreover, the Holy Grail is a creation of the Third Magic, and my understanding of it is limited, so even if I obtained it, I might not be able to bring it to this world."
"I see. Fourth question: will there be any risks for us, who don't understand the Second Magic, in crossing worlds?"
"If it were someone else, there would be significant risks even with my guidance. But for you two, there aren't any significant risks, as Justeaze has a contract with you, allowing her to anchor to your soul, and your soul is special - it doesn't change with your body and won't be affected by shifts in time and space. Six years ago, I brought you to this world in the same way!"
"!!!!!!"
PS: The Next Arc will be Fate/Apocrypha! Let's Go!