In the El-Melloi Mansion, the Great Library.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
A rhythmic knocking sound echoed in the quiet space, continuing for quite some time before it finally ceased.
An ancient study was piled high with various books and papers, the sound of a fountain pen scratching against a parchment filling the air.
In the corner of the room, a figure dressed in a student uniform with long black hair was bent over, writing something. So engrossed in his work was he that he even ignored the knocking sound.
After a while...
"Hey, long time no see, Waver Velvet."
A male voice suddenly broke the silence from behind him.
"Ah? Ah!!"
In the El-Melloi family's study, young Waver, diligently studying his research topic, was startled by the sudden voice from behind him.
The fountain pen slipped from his fingers, and ink splattered over half the parchment. He scrambled up from his chair, quickly turning around to see Roy, whom he hadn't seen for several months.
"It's you... you scared me, Roy."
Seeing who had arrived, Waver let out a slight sigh of relief and complained, "You shouldn't just appear behind someone and start talking. You could give someone a heart attack."
"Hehe, I'm really sorry about that."
Roy nodded, saying helplessly, "But I did knock before I came in; it's just that you didn't respond."
"Ah? Oh… is that so?"
Waver scratched his head, recalling the earlier "knock, knock, knock" sound.
Realizing this, his expression immediately turned awkward. "Hahaha, I'm really sorry; I might have been a bit too immersed just now."
"It's fine; after all, I didn't give you a heads-up before coming."
Roy shook his head, not minding at all.
"Did you not finish that report?"
He pointed to the book page in Waver's hand, which was already half-soaked in ink.
"This? It's okay; it's just a rather absurd research hypothesis anyway. I can redo it."
Waver didn't seem to care, casually tossing the draft paper aside without showing any special emotion.
"By the way, Roy, are you also here for further studies at the Clock Tower?"
Waver changed the topic.
"It was supposed to be like that. After the Holy Grail War ended, Professor Kayneth contacted me and specifically invited me to study at the Clock Tower. I didn't refuse his invitation and came to London after finishing some other matters."
"I see, no wonder. After all, with your outstanding qualifications as a first-generation magus, Professor Kayneth definitely wouldn't let that go."
"Are you going to take the basic courses first and then switch to the mineral subjects?"
"Originally, that was indeed Professor Kayneth's plan."
Upon hearing this, Roy let out a tired sigh and continued, "However, I won't be going to the Clock Tower anymore. For the foreseeable future, unless something unexpected happens, I'll be self-studying in the El-Melloi family's Great Library."
"As for the academic guidance, I might have to trouble you and Professor Kayneth."
"Ah? That's no problem; I'm doing something similar right now."
Waver scratched his head and agreed, still not fully grasping Roy's meaning.
Although the El-Melloi family's Great Library is rich in resources and self-studying here is quite appropriate, why not go to the Clock Tower? The learning conditions there are clearly better, with dedicated teachers guiding him. Why would he not go to the Clock Tower?
Waver felt puzzled.
"By the way, Waver, have you completed the journey of conquest on the East?"
If he remembered correctly, Roy recalled that after the Holy Grail War, Waver hadn't immediately returned to the Clock Tower; instead, he went to follow in the footsteps of Iskandar's conquests before coming back.
Iskandar's path was not short, and it had only been a few months since the Holy Grail War ended; had he really returned so soon?
This surprised Roy.
"Ugh, don't mention it."
Thinking about his recently completed journey, Waver sighed.
"I was caught by Professor Kayneth in the second week after I set out, which was at the second stop of my journey. So, my journey of conquest ended almost before it even started."
As Roy remembered, after the Holy Grail War ended, Waver hadn't wanted to go back to the Clock Tower to continue his studies directly. Instead, he wanted to trace the path that the King of Conquerors had taken and see the roads he once walked.
So, on the second day after returning, he found his unfortunate friend and borrowed some money, putting on a show for Kayneth about what it meant to take a spontaneous trip.
By the time Kayneth realized it, he found that the kid had already been gone for a whole week and had flown to the Middle East. Because of this sudden departure, Kayneth had been quite annoyed.
He had just arranged the next topics and tests for Waver; before he could even assign any assessments, this guy had already left? Not even a basic request for leave was made. It was still the semester, not a holiday yet.
Did this annoying underachiever not regard him as a teacher at all?
With all this pent-up anger, Kayneth followed the traces of magical power left by the familiars he had given Waver for protection and pursued him all the way. By the second week, he had brought Waver back from the Middle East to the Clock Tower to continue his assigned topics.
Since then, Waver had begun a life of overwork and exhaustion.
His workload increased, and the difficulty of the courses rose, leaving him under immense pressure, making him feel like a donkey being chased by a wheel, unable to stop for a moment.
So, whenever he thought about the journey that ended before it even began, Waver felt a wave of exhaustion. Glancing at the towering pile of topics and assignments on the table, he felt a dull ache in his stomach.
He had a premonition that at this rate, he might die of overwork before he even reached forty.
"There's really a lot to do, a Lord's daily affairs and academic research."
Looking at the topics on the table, Roy roughly understood Waver's current situation and couldn't help but sigh.
As Waver had once hoped, he had finally gained Kayneth's attention, who had even made an exception to give him the chance to prove his abilities in the magical community. However, the price he had to pay was quite profound.
Now, Waver was shouldering half the tasks and daily affairs of a Lord, not counting the homework assigned by Kayneth. Every day felt like a full-time job, and compared to the Waver of the proper history, this Waver had entered a state of overwork much earlier.
All they could do was hope he would be alright.
Feeling Roy's sympathetic gaze, Waver instinctively covered his stomach.
"Ah, my stomach really hurts."
...
On the other side, inside Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald's magical workshop.
Kayneth's expression was rich at this moment, dark yet filled with a hint of fervor, as he held his lowered head with his hands, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
In the quiet room, the faint sound of his muttering could still be heard.
"The Third Magic, Magician... he actually reached the end before me, how is that possible? But it's all true... amazing, truly amazing."
The miracles displayed by Roy had completely shocked this magus noble.
Regarding the experiences after entering the Holy Grail, Roy only narrated about sixty percent of the details, omitting his encounters with Void Shiki and Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, as well as his subsequent journey to Tokyo and Einzbern.
If Kayneth were to learn about the existence of Void Shiki, he would undoubtedly go mad and drag Roy to Tokyo to find Shiki. Roy naturally wouldn't betray Shiki, so he skillfully concealed her existence from Kayneth.
Even so, just the fact that Roy fused with the Third Magic and became the new Magician of the Third Magic, reaching the Swirl of the Root in one go, was enough to leave Kayneth in awe, feeling as though he were dreaming.
What magus seek throughout their lives is nothing more than the pursuit of the Swirl of the Root, hoping to reach it one day; this is why they continue their bloodlines and carry on the traditions of the magic crest.
Yet now, this ultimate goal was achieved by Roy, a cheap disciple he picked up. This young man, who had barely stepped into the world of magecraft for less than a year, had accomplished what other magus had pursued for generations.
How could he not be shocked? He couldn't help but contemplate.
Had he wasted his years while being easily surpassed by his disciple?
But this also explained why Zelretch personally sought out Roy. The person he was looking for was not them, but the new Magician of the Third Magic.
White light flickered before his eyes.
Witnessing Roy's body, covered with nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine pure white magic circuits, Kayneth was momentarily dazed, and tears unexpectedly streamed down his face.
He admired this gem of the world of magecraft while expressing his respect and yearning for the miracle of the Third Magic.
In his eyes, this body in front of him was simply too perfect, perfect beyond any words in the world that could describe it.
He believed that any magus who saw this flawless body would go mad with admiration.
This was a treasure of the world of magecraft, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as a divine body living in modern times.
At this moment, Roy's position and value in Kayneth's eyes were completely overturned. His worth had reached the limits of Kayneth's imagination, and all previous arrangements were now rendered void.
Originally, he planned to first send Roy to study the basics for two years to solidify his magical knowledge and lay a solid foundation for the future, and then transfer him to study mineralogy for the next steps.
Such a tight schedule was not only due to Kayneth's appreciation for talent but also his unique desire for control. He wanted to dominate Roy and firmly grasp such exceptional talent in his hands.
Kayneth understood very well that a talent like Roy, given the right opportunity and suitable environment, could absorb nutrients and grow at an alarming rate. If one were not careful, he could grow to astonishing heights.
Just like Touko Aozaki, who surpassed all her teachers within just a few years, escaped control, and reached the highest rank of the Clock Tower - Grand.
Although he didn't believe Roy possessed the terrifying talent of Touko Aozaki, he still wanted to control him as much as possible. So ever since Roy set foot in London, Kayneth had arranged everything for him meticulously.
He had even planned that when Roy completed all his studies and reached the Fes rank, he would pull this kid into the El-Melloi faction and marry Reines to him, making him one of his own.
But now all these plans had been overturned.
Compared to the current Roy, Kayneth's previous small favors seemed like mere child's play. In the face of absolute value and strength, these things could not hold him back; rather, their positions had reversed.
Kayneth's status had shifted from that of a benefactor to that of a recipient of favor.
He could offer Roy nothing to attract him; magical resources and materials held no allure or value for someone who had reached the end. On the contrary, the identity and value of the Magician of the Third Magic could provide him and his family with tremendous convenience and worth.
What does it mean for a magus family to possess a Lord?
What does it mean for a magus family to have a Magician?
There was no doubt about it.
It represented the pinnacle, the true summit.
Far surpassing any family's peak, the El-Melloi faction, along with the entire family, would gain an extraordinary status comparable to the Wizard Marshal, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, surpassing the three great nobles of Barthomeloi, Trambelio, and Meluastea, and becoming the strongest noble in the Clock Tower.
He was now immensely grateful that while Roy was the Magician of the Third Magic, he was also his nominal disciple.
This allowed him to draw Roy to his side; Roy was also someone worth every cost to the court.
But what price should he pay to have him stand on his side?
Kayneth fell into deep thought.
After ending their brief conversation as master and disciple, Roy noticed Kayneth's worries and the change in his attitude.
To put him at ease, Roy made a promise to Kayneth.
He would not get involved in the power struggles of other factions or nobles.
Before the right moment arrived, he would not proactively expose his identity as the Magician of the Third Magic or the existence of the Third Magic.
And he would not betray their master-disciple relationship.
Only after making these three promises did Kayneth relax.
He gave Roy a few simple instructions, then took out the key to the El-Melloi family's grand library from his drawer, along with his identity badge, granting Roy the high privilege of free passage throughout the entire family.
Moreover, he could utilize any resources of the El-Melloi family, including magical materials and funds, without restriction.
As long as Roy wished, he could come and go freely anywhere and could use the entire El-Melloi family's resources. He wouldn't even need to report to Kayneth; he possessed absolute autonomy that even the high-ups of the El-Melloi family could not question.
Such a bold distribution of power could almost be said to be handing over the El-Melloi family to Roy.
However, Kayneth didn't feel there was anything wrong with this.
He was well aware that, considering the temperament of the Lords from other departments, they were likely still waiting at the Clock Tower for Roy, the one whom Zelretch had met, to return.
Even though Roy had made a promise, Kayneth still couldn't feel 100% at ease.
The loss of the Third Magic and the Magician of the Third Magic was something he needed to stifle at its inception, even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance.
Therefore, he needed to prioritize making the highest offer before other lords could bid, so that others couldn't surpass him. He would bind Roy with the bonds of master and disciple, using reason and emotion to ensure Roy was drawn onto the chariot of his family.
As long as he could gain the allegiance of the Magician of the Third Magic, this cost would be nothing. He was currently demonstrating his sincerity to Roy; if Roy wanted it, he wouldn't hesitate to transfer the title of head of the family to him on the spot.
Of course, the prerequisite was that Roy agreed to marry Reines and truly become one of the El-Melloi family.
In the time to come, Kayneth planned for Roy to stay in the grand library of the El-Melloi family to study independently, trying to avoid contact with the powers of other factions. To facilitate his learning, he also sent that brat Waver to assist Roy.
When the time was ripe, he would announce to the outside world that Roy was the Magician of the Third Magic, giving those old geezers in the Clock Tower and that damned trio of families a little shock.
As for Kayneth's thoughts, Roy was naturally well aware of them, but he didn't refuse.
Rather, being able to stay here and avoid the incessant disturbances from the Clock Tower's hounds was what gave him the most peace of mind.
As for his identity and status, he actually didn't care about such things.
He didn't understand the intrigues among nobles, nor did he want to participate. Having received so many conveniences from Kayneth, the matter of status was trivial; he could use it however he wanted.
Compared to power, he was more eager to master his Magic and gain the knowledge to articulate and harness this strength.
----
If you're interested in reading more, feel free to visit my pa treon :
https://www.pa treon. com/XElenea