Upon reaching the Clock Tower's location on the outskirts of London, Morpheus invoked the power of Raphael. Instantly, the Clock Tower, previously hidden and difficult to detect, appeared before him.
The Bounded Field protecting the Clock Tower lost its effect... or rather, it had no effect on Morpheus. He strolled through the barrier as if walking in his own backyard, casually pushing open the Clock Tower's door and stepping inside.
The Clock Tower was much as Morpheus remembered, or rather, it hadn't changed much at all. If there was any difference, it was the absence of people.
Or more precisely, there were no magi present. It was as if they had all been erased.
"As expected, to prevent any complications, they took out all the magi who could cause issues first?" Morpheus muttered, continuing forward.
Soon, accompanied by an eerie sound, a large number of mechanical constructs emerged from the surrounding corridors, all fixating on him.
Then, they charged, rushing toward Morpheus with the intent to destroy everything in their path!
Morpheus barely glanced at the oncoming constructs, too lazy to attack. Wind blades swirled around him, forming a layered shield. The moment the automatons got close, their bodies were sliced apart by the blades, reduced to debris scattered on the ground.
At the same time, another force manifested before Morpheus, forming a dark current that parted to either side, pushing the fallen debris away to clear his path.
The Clock Tower's interior was divided into many sections: classrooms, offices, and more. Morpheus's destination was the library... or rather, the archive, also known as the Sea of Books, filled with countless tomes, research records, and magical theories.
Morpheus was practically salivating at the thought of them!
He effortlessly dispelled the various protective barriers along the way and arrived at the Sea of Books on the lower level. Seeing the shelves lined with books, he let out a cheer.
"Wow, I never thought I'd get the chance to come here!" he said, quickly scanning the surroundings. But then he paused.
"Hm? It looks like someone's been here..."
Morpheus approached a desk, noticing scattered yet clearly related documents and books. He narrowed his eyes.
"About the Holy Grail War and Servant summoning..." He picked up the materials, quickly skimming through them, and his expression turned to surprise.
"Servant summoning and the Holy Grail War are independent systems, not one and the same. I already knew that. The Holy Grail's purpose is essentially to let Servants die, right? As expected, it's written here... Then, by harnessing the magical energy released when Servants return to the Throne of Heroes, a pathway is stabilized, allowing one to reach the Root and access its knowledge..."
Morpheus had learned this during the Fifth Holy Grail War, but he hadn't expected to find such records in the Clock Tower of 1888. After all, the first Holy Grail War wasn't until 2004.
"As I thought, research on the Holy Grail War started long ago. The Clock Tower has documented so much, but it hasn't succeeded yet?"
Morpheus mused, continuing to read.
"According to this, Servant summoning is essentially an imitation of an ancient form of magecraft... Since Heroic Spirits are records of humanity, as long as humanity exists, Heroic Spirits will too. Servants, as facets of Heroic Spirits, are part of a familiar summoning formula.
"To counter disasters that could threaten human civilization, Heroic Spirit summoning magecraft was developed, based on seven distinct Classes, summoning the strongest champions. The Servant summonings we see now are essentially ordinary Servants under these seven Classes..."
Though the content wasn't extensive, Morpheus rubbed his chin and quickly grasped what it meant.
"Oh, so it's saying that when humanity faces extinction-level disasters, seven Heroic Spirits become... idols... cough, I mean, Grand Servants, descending as the ultimate champions to eliminate the threat?"
Back when he was an ordinary person, before transmigrating, he'd seen all sorts of discussions about "Grand" this or that, and debates like "Why isn't Heracles a Grand?" online.
Even though Morpheus wasn't particularly interested in Fate/Grand Order and skipped its story, he still had some impression of these endlessly debated topics.
So, without hesitation, he photographed and archived the information. He'd bring it back to Chaldea and let them deal with the headache.
For instance, who left these documents here? Why were they placed so conspicuously, as if meant for someone expected to find them?
Morpheus was certain the intended recipient wasn't him, but likely someone from Chaldea.
Like the true professional investigators, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash.
As for him? He was just a tank that could bulldoze through the plot, perfect for rampaging through Singularities.
After taking the photos, he began his favorite activity: grabbing a book, memorizing its contents, switching to another, memorizing that, and then another!
Book after book, Morpheus flipped through them, tossing each aside after reading. Since the Singularity would reset history once resolved, he didn't bother putting them back. All he wanted was to spend every moment reading.
...
"...Ugh, really, Saber. You always blurt out your True Name to strangers. Didn't I tell you? Didn't I emphasize? Just give your Class when introducing yourself!" A slender blond man was lecturing Mordred.
Seeing her indifferent attitude, he continued, "Do you really understand? Revealing your True Name is like exposing your abilities. That's why, in a typical Holy Grail War, Servants hide their True Names. But you, you always casually spill yours..."
Mordred remained unfazed. "It's no big deal. Besides, this isn't your so-called Holy Grail War anymore. There aren't seven or fourteen Heroic Spirits, and no Masters."
She then asked, "Hey, got any cider? I'm thirsty."
She plopped onto a sofa as she spoke.
Seeing her sit on it in full armor, the man hurriedly shouted, "Hey, that's my favorite sofa!"
But he only complained briefly about his seat being taken, almost resignedly grabbing something prepared earlier. "Fine, I've got some chilled cider ready."
Mordred grinned. "You've got a fridge that hasn't even become common yet? Not bad, scholar!"
The man sighed helplessly. "Some medicines need to be kept cold. For a scholar, a fridge is essential."
"Yeah, yeah," Mordred replied dismissively, downing the cider in one go. With a series of gulps, she pulled the cup away, letting out a satisfied, "Phew! Ah! I'm alive again. Nothing beats a cold cider after wading through that magical fog!"
She then turned to the others... Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash, and company.
"What's with you guys? Don't just stand there... sit down!"
She spoke as if she owned the place.
Mash hesitated, glancing at Fujimaru Ritsuka, who looked at the blond man. "Is it okay if we sit, Glasses?"
He smiled. "Haha, yes, it's fine. If Saber trusts you, you're probably our allies. I haven't introduced myself... I'm Henry Jekyll.
"I'm a scholar in London... a scientist. Not an official magus, but I'm skilled at concocting elixirs.
"When I realized it, London was suddenly engulfed by this fog. It's terrifying!"
He showed a trace of fear. "I found magical energy in the fog, but I'm powerless against it..."
Mordred chimed in. "Then he met me, and we formed a partnership. He's not the most reliable magus, but he's useful enough. I handle the action, and he handles the investigation and analysis."
Jekyll nodded. "Exactly."
But Mash looked puzzled, cautiously saying, "Excuse me, Henry Jekyll? That name... um... it's the same as a character in a novel. Is it a coincidence? Or is he the inspiration for that character?"
Roman spoke up. "Mash, can you sense any Servant aura? I can't from here. Even indoors, it's the same as outside... I can't see anything, only hear, and the interference is too strong."
Mash whispered, "Same here, Doctor. I can't distinguish humans from Servants by aura. Maybe only Morpheus could tell if he were here."
Hearing Mash, Jekyll quickly said, "No way! I'm a genuine human! If I were a Servant, I'd be out investigating. Also, what were you saying about a novel?"
Mash nodded. "Yes, a book published slightly before this era. The protagonist shares your name."
Jekyll grew more confused. "I don't recall that. I've read plenty of novels. A protagonist with my name? Really? If that were true, I wouldn't forget it."
Jeanne Alter stepped forward. "Morpheus sent a message. He says this situation might be due to the Holy Grail causing a distortion in the timeline, blending fiction and reality, creating a unique timeline entirely different from reality."
"So, it's because of the Holy Grail?" Mash asked, and Jeanne Alter nodded. "That's what Morpheus thinks. Once the issue is resolved, everything will return to normal."
Jekyll nodded, seemingly agreeing. "That's possible."
Then he moved on from the topic.
"Forget my name... it's common enough. Let me reintroduce myself. I'm Henry Jekyll, just a man trying to stop his hometown from being trampled.
"Now, your turn. You're different from us, right?"
Mash, well-practiced, explained they were from Chaldea, here to save humanity.
Jekyll's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean London in this era is one of the seven singularities embedded in world history?"
Mash nodded. "Yes, and we're searching for the Holy Grail causing this Singularity."
Jekyll didn't doubt them. "I understand your situation. Let me share what we know about the city's current state.
"About three days ago, every night, the city gets enveloped in fog deadly to living things. In areas where the fog is thinner, a mask can keep you alive, but in thick fog, it's impossible. Ordinary creatures inhaling it get corroded by magical energy.
"Depending on one's constitution, reactions vary, but in severe cases, death comes within an hour."
His expression turned grave. "I don't know the exact numbers, but I estimate deaths have reached the hundreds of thousands!
"Some areas are complete ruins. London's East End is nearly wiped out. It's only a matter of time before the city becomes a wasteland. All because of that fog... this abnormal, magically dense fog we're calling the Demonic Fog."
"It's somewhat similar to an event in the 20th century, but the timing's off. Did it happen early, creating this Singularity?" Roman said through the communicator. "I looked into 20th-century events. I thought it was just one city, but it's trickier than expected."
"It's not just the Demonic Fog," Jekyll continued. "You've likely fought them already, but besides the fog, London's filled with threats: magical automatons, murderous artificial lifeforms, unknown machines, serial killers... the papers call them Jack the Ripper!"
Jekyll's words stunned Mash and gave Morpheus, listening from the Clock Tower, plenty of useful information.
***
If you enjoyed this story, don't forget to drop 5 stars and your power stone. And if you want to read more than 70 chapters in advance, feel free to visit: pat reon . com / KangTL