Outskirts of London, Clock Tower, District 8.
Wenze Clairladdin, a first-class lecturer in the Department of Astromancy, leaned against a wall, gazing out at the shimmering Thames River, bathed in the bright afternoon light.
"How did the exam go?" A clear, bright voice rang out.
Wenze turned to see a young girl, around ten years old, standing before him.
Her long, silver hair cascaded down to her waist, with her right bangs slightly covering her lashes. On the left side, her hair was tied into a ponytail with a ribbon. Her large, golden eyes exuded an air of elegance and grace. She wore a black top that tightly hugged her small frame, paired with a yellow-striped skirt that reached her knees, revealing her long, slender legs covered in deep black stockings. She completed the look with light brown knee-high boots.
"Miss Olga Marie," Wenze stood up straight, his gaze drifting past the girl.
Behind her, Trisha Fellows, her attendant, gently shook her head.
Is the Lord of the Department of Astromancy, Marisbury Animusphere, missing again?
Wenze pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Olga Marie, saying, "This is the entrance exam result for Li Xiang."
"A regular person with no Magic Crest?" Olga Marie instinctively puffed out her cheeks, but realizing it was unbecoming of her status, she quickly remembered her father's teachings on noble etiquette. She adopted a serious expression and cleared her throat, drawing the attention of both Wenze and Trisha before she spoke, "The Department of Astromancy doesn't need commoners."
---
Li Xiang followed a senior who claimed to be an enthusiastic member of the Department of Astromancy. He was led to the dormitory area of the 13th department, the Department of Law and Politics, which was separate from the twelve main departments.
Sitting on the bed, he wore a blank expression as he shouted, "Hey, system, come out already!"
[Master! My name isn't 'Hey,' it's A... Irigal, an AI system from Chaldea specifically designed to assist you!]
You just made that up, didn't you? Don't think I didn't catch the "AI" in there. You're probably more artificial stupidity than intelligence.
"Can I change my main quest?"
[Huh? But I spent so much time on this quest; it would be such a pity to give it up.]
"... So you're okay with sending your Master to his death? The Holy Grail War is not something I'm ready for!"
[Sometimes death leads to rebirth.]
"Are you malfunctioning?"
[Ah! My apologies, I spoke out of turn. But as a Master, it's only natural for you to participate in the Holy Grail War.]
"I've only been a Master for a day!"
[It's been more than a day... Well, sure, there are many challenges ahead, but with Irigal here, those are just small issues!]
An image of a confident girl with hands on her hips appeared in Li Xiang's mind.
Where do you get the nerve to say such things?
"Really, I can't change it?" Li Xiang rubbed his forehead, "If not, what's the penalty for failure?"
[Well... in the Holy Grail War, if you fail, you'll probably... die?]The system, calling itself Irigal, spoke in a cautious tone.
"I knew it," Li Xiang's headache worsened, "Bring it up."
[What?]
"My status screen!"
[Oh, oh! Sorry, Master! It's my first time, so I'm not very familiar with this. Wait a moment, I'll generate your status panel right away.]
"..."
Suddenly, a semi-transparent golden screen appeared before him.
---
Name: Li Xiang
Gender: Male
Birthday: March 15
Servant: None
Conceptual Weapon: None
Class: Magus (Not Activated)
Rank: None
Alignment: Neutral Good
Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: E
Mana: E
Luck: EX (Minimum Display: E)
Magic Crest: None
Magic Circuits: 7
Spells: None
Innate Skills: Master Aptitude EX, 100% Spiritron Transfer Adaptation
---
"Luck EX? Are you sure that's not a mistake?" The other attributes seemed normal, given that he was just an ordinary person, but having maxed-out luck was bizarre. Especially considering how everything was going so far, it was more like he was extremely unlucky.
[Nope, Master's greatest luck is meeting me.]
"..."
You shameless system! Oh wait, you don't have a face, so never mind.
Moving on, he noticed the detailed quest information.
---
Main Quest: Participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City and achieve victory.
Quest Description: A grand ritual system planned by the Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou families in Fuyuki City to reach the Root. Seven pairs of Masters and Servants will be chosen to compete, and you are one of the candidates.
Quest Duration: Six months.
Quest Reward: The right to make a wish with the untainted Great Holy Grail.
---
After reading the information, Li Xiang finally understood why his luck was rated as EX.
Without some crazy luck, he wouldn't have encountered a system like this.
Li Xiang sighed and asked, "Irigal, the main quest has a six-month limit. During this time, are there any side quests?"
[Eh? Wait a second, Master, let me think of some side quests for you.] After some scrambling, the golden screen displayed new text.
---
Side Quest 1: Join one of the twelve departments of the Clock Tower.
Quest Description: As the headquarters of the Mage's Association, the Clock Tower has twelve departments: General Fundamentals, Individual Fundamentals, Invocation, Mineralogy, Zoology, Heritage, Botany, Astromancy, Creation, Curses, Archeology, and Modern Magecraft Theory. Please choose one of these departments.
Quest Duration: One day.
Quest Reward: Activation of the Magus class.
Side Quest 2: Unknown Malice.
Quest Description: A certain being has taken notice of you, but your ordinariness has puzzled it, so it has decided to test you. Hint: Victoria Street.
Quest Duration: Three days.
Quest Reward: Rank promotion to Apprentice Magus, Nordic ancient curse—Yin Qi Bomb.
---
"Is my luck really EX?"
Li Xiang began to seriously doubt it. He had just arrived in this world and already someone was watching him. And now, because he seemed ordinary, they wanted to test him.
What's wrong with being ordinary?
Can't I just be a regular person?
A few minutes later, Li Xiang closed his eyes, his mind gradually calming down.
There was no doubt he was in the Type-Moon universe now. Based on the system's main quest, he was likely just before the Fifth Holy Grail War, in the Fate/stay night timeline.
At this point in time, Waver Velvet, after surviving the Fourth Holy Grail War, had inherited the massive debt and the title of Lord El-Melloi.
Though Waver lacked the qualifications of a strong mage, his abilities in teaching magecraft theory and nurturing students were exceptional.
This made the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory his first choice.
The second option was the Department of Astromancy. Wenze, a first-class lecturer in that department, had already extended an invitation to him, and thanks to the mobile game Fate/Grand Order, he knew that the future Director of Chaldea was Olga Marie, the daughter of the Lord of Astromancy.
Chaldea's technology represented the pinnacle of the era. If he joined, it might increase his chances of survival, even if the world ended.
The third option was the Department of Botany. At this time, a certain immortal being similar to a True Ancestor, Granny Nagato, had become the Witch of the Botany Department. Chatting with her about mechanics and how to summon Xiang Yu might help him secure her favor.
Li Xiang's thoughts drifted with the sunlight reflecting off the Thames River outside the window. He couldn't imagine what the future held, but at this moment, he had made up his mind.