A long, long time ago, magecraft and science were both fields of study.

However, as the ages passed, the mysteries that once existed on this planet began to fade, and the presence of magecraft was gradually forgotten by humanity.

By today, magecraft has become nothing more than a word belonging to fantasy. The few families that still possess complete magical traditions are, without exception, ancient families with long-standing lineages. Clearly, magecraft has thoroughly retreated from human society.

In the hidden side, these people call themselves magus.

...

Winter, 1990.

Fuyuki City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

On this day, an unfortunate soul from another world was sent here by an interdimensional human trafficking organization using a truck as its tool, on a bright and sunny day.

As a young man from the 21st century, he was utterly speechless.

He was walking on a pedestrian crossing, strictly following traffic rules. Although he heard a loud rumbling in his ears, before he could react, a truck sent him straight to another world.

When Roy opened his eyes, what was once a warm summer day had turned into a freezing winter in an instant.

He was completely dumbfounded.

People bustled past him, and he stood among them, bewildered and unsure.

Surrounded by a strange city, hearing a language he couldn't understand, the more he grasped his situation, the more absurd it felt.

But after wandering the streets of a foreign world for a few weeks, no matter how much he didn't want to accept it, he had no choice but to face reality.

At first, he wondered if he had some kind of cheat ability or system to help him start a new life in this world.

But he soon realized he was overthinking it. Those weeks of hardship made him bow down to the cruel reality.

Sleeping on the streets, scavenging for trash and even fighting homeless people for a clean park bench.

He lived this vagrant life for quite some time, but fortunately, he didn't fall into despair. No matter how tough the trials, he always sought a way to break free.

Even in ruin, he refused to kneel, that was the principle he upheld.

...

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

On the outskirts of Fuyuki City, a gentle knock echoed on the wooden gate of a small courtyard with a sign that read Fujimura Household.

"Taiga, are you home?"

"Coming, coming."

With the lively voice of a cheerful girl, the wooden door was pushed open from the inside.

As the door opened, two people met.

Inside stood a young woman with brown hair tied in a ponytail, dressed in sportswear, radiating energy... a yakuza princess.

Outside stood a young man with short black hair, dressed in a black long coat, smiling as he greeted her.

"Long time no see, Taiga."

"What? Oh, it's you, Roy! What brings you here so late? Are those Yamaguchi-gumi guys causing trouble again? Do you need me to help you take them down?" Taiga smiled brightly when she saw him, raising her fists excitedly as she spoke.

It was clear she was in a great mood.

Starting the new year full of energy, just like this.

"Please, spare me. If I brought you to a gang fight, the old man would lose it."

In response, Roy merely smiled, ruffled her hair, and teased, "Also, you shouldn't always be fighting and causing trouble. If the boss finds out, he'll put you under house arrest again."

"Come on, don't keep using my grandfather to pressure me." 

"But it's okay; he wouldn't really punish me."

Taiga confidently patted her chest.

"And besides, I'm pretty strong. Those idiots from the Yamaguchi-gumi are no match for me. I'll take them all down with you."

Seeing the girl's confident demeanor, Roy smiled but didn't say much. Instead, he handed her a prepared gift.

"What's this?"

"It's a New Year's gift for you, and I'm passing a message to the boss on the way."

"A message for my grandfather?"

"Exactly. He asked me to tell you that the Fujimura group will be very busy for a while. You need to behave while you're home alone and not run around. Also, school starts again after New Year, so don't forget your winter vacation homework."

Receiving the package and feeling its familiar weight and shape, Taiga's expression suddenly stiffened, deflating like a punctured ball, losing all her earlier energy.

"Ugh…"

The so-called New Year's gift turned out to be winter vacation homework...

This New Year's gift was truly too heavy.

"You can celebrate the New Year, but you also have to complete your homework. Anyway, good luck, girl! A bright future is waiting for you."

Seeing the amusing grimace on the girl's face, Roy couldn't help but feel cheerful. He ruffled her hair again and decided not to tease her any longer. He then took out a relatively thick white envelope from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Happy New Year! Here's a gift for you."

Since being picked up by the Fujimura group a few years ago, he had saved a little over time. Although he wasn't wealthy, giving a small amount of money to a child wasn't a problem.

While it was unlikely that the Fujimura princess lacked money, as her senpai, he felt it was important to give her this gesture.

"Thank you so much, Roy."

Taiga smiled brightly as she tucked the money into her pocket.

Regardless of the child, receiving money always brings joy.

She didn't care much about the money itself; she simply liked the idea of "gift."

After a burst of laughter and cheer, the New Year visit came to an end. Roy didn't linger, declining Taiga's invitation to come inside and left instead.

Walking on the empty street, watching the snowflakes fall, Roy couldn't help but start reminiscing about his years.

He had been in this world for almost three years, and those three years had been rich and colorful. Initially, he fully learned Japanese during his life as a vagrant, leveraging his existing knowledge.

After that, he earned some money by collecting scrap and started a small vendor business. Although he often had to evade the city management and the yakuza for operating without a license and not being able to pay protection fees, he had considered taking the path of a copycat writer.

However, in 1994, whether or not the future would succeed here was one thing; he only knew fragments of the content from the books. His knowledge was far from enough to be a successful copycat writer, so that path was naturally unfeasible.

But with his honest sales and good behavior, he managed to establish himself in the small streets over the course of more than six months. Later, when the Fujimura group began recruiting, he finally had a proper job.

Although being part of the yakuza didn't exactly qualify as a normal profession, given his status as an illegal resident, there was likely no legitimate job that would accept him.

His daily routine then transitioned from selling goods and collecting scraps to collecting protection fees on the street every day, occasionally even engaging in skirmishes with the Yamaguchi-gumi, while also avoiding the police.

Life was plain but fulfilling. At least he didn't have to wander like a stray dog, scavenging for food; he had found a place to settle and rely on in this world.

With his relatively advanced ideas and a treasured attitude toward his hard-earned job, he always maintained his motivation. Even with challenging tasks, he managed to accomplish them impressively, which made him valued in the Fujimura group.

Recently, due to his previous suggestions, the boss felt that the Fujimura group should indeed adapt to the changing times, and began moving toward legitimate business, investing in many electronic industries. Even the demeanor of the group members had become much more restrained.

The gradual shift from black to white was proceeding steadily, and he thought this calm life would last a long time.

However, regrettably, this ordinary life was shattered just a few days ago.

...

Carrying the dinner he bought at a discount supermarket, Roy rode his bike back to his house.

This spacious house was a reward from the old man for his contributions to the Fujimura group when he became a core member.

One day, the head of the Fujimura group learned that Roy was still living in a cramped single apartment, so he said, "A man should have a home. Don't think that because you're young now, you won't need a place to settle down in the future, whether you get married or retire." He happened to have an old house near the eastern outer ring, which was originally used as a rest station when the organization was starting up. Since it was no longer needed, he generously gifted it to him.

With a deep sigh, as he habitually took out his keys to open the door, the door automatically swung open, revealing a magnetic male voice from inside.

"Welcome back, Master."

"Yeah, I'm back, Count."

Responding lightly, Roy took off his shoes and walked inside.

Seated in the room was a cold yet handsome figure exuding an air of elegance. Just his indifferent demeanor could save a significant amount on air conditioning costs, making it feel chilly just to be in front of him.

In response to this man's greeting, Roy leisurely replied, "Good evening, Count. Have you finished reading those books I bought for you?"

Regarding this man who had appeared, Roy dared not offend him in the slightest.

Although he wasn't as hard to get along with as imagined, he always maintained a sense of caution toward his Servant.

Despite being his Master now, he was very aware of his own shortcomings. He wasn't like Fujimaru Ritsuka, who possessed an almost transcendent charm; he was just a third-rate Master without even activated magic circuits. What right did he have to command these heroes? Thus, he kept his posture very humble.

Moreover, he found it somewhat unexpected to summon this particular Servant.

If he had a good temper, he was genuinely an anti-hero, with a chaotic evil alignment, perfectly described as unpredictable.

Yet, in a certain sense, he was surprisingly easy to get along with. At least during this time, he hadn't caused any trouble for Roy; he simply enjoyed going out alone and reading at home.

"I no longer need them. Most of the books I'm interested in have already been read…"

The Count shook his head, glanced at Roy, and deliberately pushed over a cup of coffee that he had prepared in advance, his movements still radiating elegance.

"Drink up, Master. Being exposed to the cold wind for so long can easily make you sick."

"Another cup of coffee…"

Seeing the steaming black coffee, Roy couldn't help but swallow.

"What's wrong? It's not some fancy coffee, but the taste is decent enough."

"Count, your coffee is delicious, but I really struggle with the bitter taste."

Roy chuckled bitterly but had no intention of refusing the Count's kind gesture. He picked up the coffee offered by the Count, preparing to drink.

"Is that so…"

The Count, who had somehow moved to his side, blocked the cup with his hand and pulled out a sugar cube from his pocket, saying, "Pure coffee is indeed bitter. If you're not used to it, just add a bit of sugar before drinking."

Looking at the sugar cube offered, Roy felt somewhat surprised. If they hadn't spent so much time together, he would find it hard to imagine this indifferent King of the Cavern having such a gentle side. He secretly glanced up at the Count.

Isn't this quite gentle…

"Hmm? What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?" Noticing Roy staring at him, the Count furrowed his brow slightly.

"No, nothing."

Roy shook his head and continued to savor the coffee.

The green Servant before him was named Edmond Dantès, based on the protagonist from The Count of Monte Cristo. He was the world's most famous avenger, the King of the Cavern, and was summoned by Roy a few months ago.

However, rather than saying Roy summoned him, it would be more accurate to say that Dantès summoned himself, with Roy merely being the one who happened to be chosen as his Master.

That day, he had merely been resting at home as usual when he suddenly found three strange red marks appearing on the back of his hand. The glowing circle that rose in his bedroom startled him, and then he heard...

"Krrahahahahaha..." A bold and demonic laugh.

Then the circle exploded, and what he saw was...

"It was you who called me, young man, the embodiment of revenge! It is… my pitch-black resentment, Servant Avenger at your service!"

At the moment of the summoning, Roy clearly saw his appearance.

That red scarf, the dark green cloak, like a tangible hatred, along with that bright green hat and his raucous, devilish laughter... wasn't this the Count? The Count of Monte Cristo, the King of the Cavern, Edmond Dantès.

But the problem was, where on earth did he come from? Roy didn't call for him at all!

He had no magic circuits, nor had he drawn a summoning circle. How could a Servant be summoned by him, and why would a class like Avenger be summoned?

What the hell is going on?

In 1994, in Fuyuki City, Servant Summoning.

For someone like him, an old hand at this, it was obvious without even thinking about what was about to happen.

The Fourth Holy Grail War.

The magus were going to cause trouble in Fuyuki.

Having anticipated this, he didn't pay it much mind. After all, he was just a mortal, and whatever happened on the mysterious side had nothing to do with him. He had no intention of getting involved; after all, being a low-level fighter in such a war, he wouldn't even know how he died. Avoiding it altogether was the best choice.

However, as that light circle rose from the ground, followed by the arrogant demonic laughter, it completely numbed Roy, who had originally been prepared to move to a distant city this year.

Seeing the three glaring red marks appear on the back of his hand, he felt that he had already been bound to this Servant before him.

He knew that the house insurance he had bought early and the relocation plans he had prepared were all in vain.

Looking at the Count's cocky and arrogant face, and the already messy room, he could only think…

What a disaster.