The young man who had just arrived at Chaldea sat exhausted on the side, unknowingly drifting into sleep.
A girl walked over and gently shook him: "Senpai, wake up!"
"Huh? Did I fall asleep?"
The young man groggily opened his eyes to see a beautiful girl with pinkish hair covering one eye standing before him.
Perched on her shoulder was an even cuter white little beast, staring at him curiously.
It was Mash and Fou!
Mash asked in confusion, "Why did Senpai fall asleep here?"
"Probably too tired. I came all the way from Fuyuki City to Chaldea without much rest," the young man replied.
Just then.
The white little beast suddenly jumped down from the girl, climbed up his leg, and settled on his shoulder.
Its fluffy little head gently nuzzled against his cheek.
"So adorable," the young man said as he gently stroked its head.
"Incredible! Senpai, you're only the second person Fou has ever taken to like this."
Mash looked even more surprised: "Congratulations, you've become Chaldea's second Fou caretaker! It was Fou who led me to you!"
"Oh, really?"
The young man gazed softly at the white creature.
At this moment.
The boy who would traverse singularities and lostbelts to save human history met his most important companions.
The little shield maiden and Fou.
Two who would accompany him every step of the way, willing to sacrifice everything to protect him!
A fated meeting.
Humanity's last Master had arrived at his most important destination - Chaldea, where he would meet the doctor who would journey with him.
A moment both commemorative and comical.
Making many viewers both heartbroken and amused—
[Tsk, Nameless kept running away but was finally dragged by Alaya to work at Chaldea. So tragic!]
[Nameless goes by Fujimaru Ritsuka in Chaldea, nickname Gudao? Damn, just adding to his collection of aliases!]
[EMIYA, Shirou Emiya, Muramasa and others salute you! Bet you didn't expect we're all the same person!]
[Why keep showing Dr. Roman? Is he really not just an ordinary doctor?]
[The first director seemed to value him highly too. Seems his identity might be special...]
[That ring on Dr. Roman's hand looks rather unusual...]
In Academy City.
Tamamo-no-Mae frowned slightly at this scene: "Just what is that doctor's true identity?"
As the dean of Fuyuki Magic Academy, which shared the same city as Chaldea, she naturally had dealings with them.
When the Age of Heroes first began, powerful heroic spirits became guardian deities for various nations.
But here's the problem.
These heroic spirits were all kings, generals and statesmen in life. As spirits, they naturally wouldn't be content being ordinary people.
With the involvement of citizens from various nations, wars continued to rage incessantly.
The entire world teetered on the brink of collapse under the threat of Heroic Spirits, whose power rivaled that of nuclear arsenals.
To mediate conflicts between these Heroic Spirits, Chaldea was specifically established.
Simply put, it was a place where battles between Heroic Spirits were reduced to heated arguments.
From time to time, one could witness grand spectacles like the Dark Saint Jeanne d'Arc slamming the table and furiously denouncing Britain.
As one of Chaldea's iconic trio, Dr. Roman naturally became a well-known figure.
He was constantly busy.
It was as if something maddeningly urgent drove him, leaving him unwilling to stop for even a moment.
Despite being an ordinary human, he dabbled in every field, transforming into a near-omnipotent genius akin to Leonardo da Vinci!
A very strange fellow indeed.
Tamamo-no-Mae couldn't understand why he pushed himself so hard.
Had he perhaps recalled fragments of a past life and now sought to protect the world?
But the problem was—you're just an ordinary doctor. Wouldn't it be better to stay safely in Chaldea's support division, sneak in some leisure time, laze around, and enjoy cake?
If war truly broke out, with so many Heroic Spirits around, there'd be no chance for you to step onto the battlefield anyway!
So… why?
Merlin swung his slender legs and smiled. "He's a fool, an otaku, an idiot, a puppet dancing on strings."
"Oh? You seem quite familiar with him?"
Tamamo-no-Mae blinked in surprise before suddenly recalling something. "Speaking of which, aren't you that wildly popular virtual idol, [Magical☆Meri]?"
Among virtual idols, [Magical☆Meri] had amassed millions of devoted fans within just a few months of debut.
Countless fans were utterly obsessed, tirelessly promoting her everywhere.
Even Tamamo-no-Mae, in her role as the academy director, had stumbled upon her by chance.
"No idea. I don't surf the web," Merlin flatly denied.
"Hehe, you all look exactly the same, and you still want to argue?"
Tamamo-no-Mae was filled with disdain.
This wretched nightmare was indeed full of lies, utterly untrustworthy.
With white hair and red eyes, a petite figure, and a habitual catchphrase, she was certain this was that virtual idol.
Tsk, a dignified Grand Sorcerer, yet here he was, acting cute online every day!
Oh right, this guy often danced and sang, and was quite skilled at calling out "Onii-chan" and the like.
Tamamo-no-Mae looked at him and felt a chill run down her spine.
Just as expected of you!
You truly have no sense of human decency or conscience!
Her gaze was filled with scrutiny, "Otaku, characterized by a love for the two-dimensional world and games. Do you often tease others?"
Given Merlin's consistent character, this didn't seem impossible.
What exactly did this child of nightmares want to do?
Considering the relationship between Nameless and Doctor Roman.
Previously, Nameless had forcibly made Merlin drown in a motherly way, just to turn the foot-picking brute, "Magical☆Merlin," into a truly cute little loli, right?
"Ahem, how could that be?" Merlin replied, lacking confidence.
"Hehe, do you think I believe your nonsense?"
Tamamo-no-Mae casually opened his account and saw the top fan's name glaringly listed as—
[Roman!]
Confirmed!
The top fan was indeed Doctor Roman!
Merlin had clearly been teasing him when he had nothing better to do.
The two of them must have various interactions.
Tamamo-no-Mae's mind began to race.
Streamers often catered to wealthy fans, and even virtual characters were rumored to engage in lip-syncing or taking advantage of fans.
Would Merlin also post some of his lewd pictures to tempt him?
The most crucial point was.
Merlin had no interest in ordinary people.
He preferred to tease heroic spirits; the stronger they were, the more excited he became.
Tamamo-no-Mae looked at the video with a strange expression: "So, Doctor Roman wouldn't have any connection to King Solomon, would he?"
Incredible!
That was the Grand Sorcerer standing at the very top, the omniscient and omnipotent Magic King.
How could he choose to become an ordinary doctor?
The most critical question was.
Why was he simultaneously igniting human history, destroying the entire human world, while also joining Chaldea to assist Nameless in protecting human history?
So strange!
Could it be that he was suffering from a split personality, splitting into two?
"Just watch quietly and you'll know." Merlin's smile grew even brighter.
Watching the show was her favorite thing to do.
The other party would soon face public execution, making a fool of himself in front of the whole world.
Just thinking about it made her ecstatic!
The scene continued.
A man dressed in green, wearing a green hat, approached: "Mash, it's not good to leave without permission."
"Professor Raif, I came to find Fufu and was brought here," Mash replied, a bit embarrassed.
"Oh, so you must be the 48th Master?"
The newcomer smiled at the two, "Let me introduce myself, my name is Raif Lainor Flauros, just call me Professor Raif."
"Okay, Professor Raif." The boy replied politely, yet there was a clear sense of distance.
"I'm just an ordinary technician working here, nothing special, no need to be so formal."
Professor Raif seemed very easygoing, smiling warmly: "Alright, hurry to the conference room, or Director Olga will get angry again."
After he left.
The boy watched his back, frowning: "Ordinary technician? Who would believe your words!"
"Eh, what's wrong, senpai? Professor Raif is a very kind person; you'll understand after spending more time with him," Mash said, puzzled.
"Oh, it's nothing."
The boy didn't explain, but his eyes revealed his dislike and hostility.
Mash smiled and said, "Senpai, I hope to get your guidance in the future. Let me take you to your room first?"
"Alright, please lead the way."
Under her guidance.
The boy arrived at a room door, pushed it open, and walked in alone.
Doctor Roman asked in surprise: "Hey, who are you?"
"Hello, I am the 48th Master."
He looked at him and smiled: "Let me introduce myself, my name is Fujimaru Ritsuka, but you can also call me Gudao."
"You're actually the last Master candidate?"
Doctor Roman was increasingly surprised upon hearing his introduction.
Chaldea had been searching for 48 Masters to initiate the human protection plan.
But the last one had been elusive for a long time.
Finally, they unexpectedly found him in Fuyuki City and brought him back to Chaldea.
"You are Doctor Roman, right? I've heard so much about you. May I ask what you're doing here?" he smiled back.
"Ahem, this is my refuge for slacking off; why did you suddenly come here?"
Doctor Roman put down the strawberry cake in his hand, his face slightly reddening.
There was no way around it; he had been caught slacking off by a newcomer, which was utterly embarrassing.
The dignity of being a senior was instantly swept away!
Doctor Roman looked at him in confusion: "We shouldn't have met before; how do you know me?"
"The Anderson who brought me here mentioned you before."
The boy smiled shyly, shrugged helplessly, "I originally just went for blood, but unexpectedly got tricked into coming to Chaldea, saying something about saving the world; they really overestimate me."
"Yeah, saving the world is indeed too difficult; after all, you and I are just ordinary people," Doctor Roman nodded, feeling a surge of goodwill towards the boy in front of him.
The two seemed to hit it off, almost like they were alike.
There was even a strange sense of familiarity.
Could this be what they call a kindred spirit in Longguo?
Doctor Roman glanced at the strawberry cake he had placed on the table, feeling a bit conflicted, yet still generously said: "Would you like to try some? It's really delicious!"
"No, you can eat it yourself."
The boy decisively refused.
Then.
The boy's gaze fixed on the ring on his hand, curiously asking: "Doctor Roman, are you married?"
"No, this is just an ordinary ring."
Doctor Roman was slightly surprised.
He hadn't expected the boy to ask the same question Mash had once asked.
"Since it's an ordinary ring, I have an unusual request."
The boy's eyes were fixed on the ring, "Could you sell me this ordinary ring? Of course, I don't have much money right now, but I can work at Chaldea to buy it."
"Uh, why?"
Doctor Roman was momentarily taken aback, looking at him with confusion.
This was just an ordinary boy; why was he so concerned about the ring?
The boy stepped forward, striking a pose as if to snatch it away, but calmly replied: "Because I think it looks beautiful, and I really like it."
"Like it…"
Doctor Roman furrowed his brow.
A simple sentence sent countless thoughts swirling in his mind.
Why would someone like this thing?
Was it fate or some other reason?
Doctor Roman looked at the boy who seemed ready to snatch it away and took a small step back: "Sorry, this has significant meaning to me; I can't sell it."
"Really not considering it?"
The boy still didn't give up.
His bright eyes blinked, as if plotting something.
"Yes, it's impossible to consider!" Doctor Roman resolutely refused.
This ring had existed since the beginning of his memories, seemingly possessing some magical power.
It was his last trump card.
When the time was right, he could bring it out to showcase its true power and help protect humanity.
No one could take it away!
This scene left the audience astonished—
[Isn't it just an ordinary ring? Why does Nameless care so much?]
[As the designated human protector by Alaya, could Nameless, who has seen the script, know what secret the ring holds?]
[Hehe, in novels, people often find artifacts at street stalls; could this ring also be an artifact?]
[Hmm, I don't know if it's just my imagination, but it feels like Doctor Roman's ring resembles the one worn by the Demon God King!]
[Wow, it really does look a bit similar; let's cut off the prophet!]