"…I am deeply ashamed."
Tokiomi lowered his head, unable to speak.
His talent was not particularly outstanding among the generations of the Tohsaka family.
Although Tokiomi Tohsaka had a certain reputation in the mage's world and was regarded as a classical excellent magus by those in the field.
However, when it came to completing the assignment given by Zelretch.
This could be considered an important mission akin to a designated rank for the Tohsaka family, and he was still far from achieving it.
He felt too embarrassed to say another word.
"Very well, your talent is far inferior to that of your predecessors, but at least you have this character. Keep working hard; I hope you won't disappoint my past expectations."
"Yes, I will remember my ancestor's teachings and will never forget."
Tokiomi nodded solemnly.
Then, Zelretch's gaze shifted to Mordred.
He saw through the essence of this ritual at a glance.
Mordred, on the other hand, instinctively gripped her sword, feeling the dangerous aura emanating from this magus.
It was no less threatening than the gods she had faced in the Inner Sea of the Planet.
In short, he was not to be trifled with.
"Hey, hey, hey, little girl, there's no need to point such a dangerous sword at me. I'm not here to fight. I'm just an old man passing by, wanting to clarify a few things."
"Old man, you make it sound so easy, just a passing ordinary old man? First, put down your sword before saying that! You terrorist! How disrespectful to the elderly!"
Mordred showed no mercy to Zelretch.
The smile she revealed was highly aggressive.
Like a lioness ready to pounce, the air was filled with a fierce and electrifying tension.
"Ha, you saw through me, huh? After all, little girl, I can see that you're not someone who can be reasoned with through words, so I have to prepare myself.
Want to fight? My old bones haven't moved in a long time."
Zelretch's eyes sparkled with phosphorescence.
His gaze was sharp enough to pierce through his opponent.
The overwhelming aura rolling like flames was truly too powerful, akin to a raging tide.
On the surface, there seemed to be no fluctuations.
But beneath it lay a hidden might that could swallow everything.
Tokiomi and Irisviel clearly could not intervene, and just as the two sides' auras were at a standstill.
Moran suddenly stepped into the center of their line of sight.
She separated the auras they were releasing.
"Zelretch, do you still enjoy playing around with young people? If you want to fight, let me accompany you instead."
"Hmph, I told you, I'm just here to clarify things. It seems that this summoning ritual in Fuyuki was indeed your doing—Moran, has your reincarnation succeeded?"
Zelretch withdrew his hand from his cloak.
The powerful aura dissipated completely.
He returned to the imposing old man appearance, a pleasant smile on his face.
"Hmm, I thought you wouldn't recognize me, your senior. You're so enthusiastic right from the start."
"Hahaha, you've been dead for so long; I can't just believe that the one resurrected is really you. After all, even I and Brishisan have not figured out your reincarnation issue. I had to confirm it; otherwise, it would be quite embarrassing if I got it wrong."
Zelretch and Moran began to chat.
The two seemed to return to their past, happily exchanging words as if there were no distance between them.
This left the people around them momentarily stunned.
Tokiomi was once again struggling to digest the shock, Mordred looked bewildered, and Irisviel had a dazed expression on her face.
"Father… he and that old man… are they brothers?"
"Ahem, no matter how you say it, the ancestor is also a Second Magic user, while Lord Moran is a Third Magic user. It's not surprising that there's a connection between them, but I didn't expect them to actually be brothers… Two magic users from the same school… this is beyond what miracles can explain!"
Tokiomi felt like the muscles in his face were about to cramp.
He tried hard to maintain his composure and elegance.
But ever since he started following Moran, every moment's development was overturning his understanding.
Just the sight of the ancestor and Moran calling each other brothers at this moment.
Made him feel a bit dizzy.
"Um, um… so that means… when I yelled at that old man just now… does that count as a mistake…?"
Mordred scratched her head, feeling quite embarrassed.
The old man who came uninvited was too suspicious…
So she had taken a cautious attitude and confronted him on the spot, never expecting that he was an old friend of her father.
After all, he had never heard Moran mention it.
Not knowing Zelretch's identity was not surprising.
"So, you tricked the boundary record, huh? Only someone like Moran would dare to do such reckless things. Too much interference with the present world is not good."
"You have the right to say that to me? Aren't you the one who observes the world lines all day, and whenever there's a chance to meddle, you immediately take action? Interfering with reality is just like playing around."
"What are you talking about? How can saving the world be called playing around? I'm very concerned about the safety of this world. By the way, that girl, she seems to have a special relationship with you."
Zelretch stroked the beard on his face.
He sensed an undeniable clue from the magical aura that Mordred had just released.
It was too similar to Moran.
"Well, she is my daughter…"
"Ha? Isn't having Altrouge and Arcueid enough for you? I can always understand why Brisisan says you're fickle, Moran. You really need to change this habit."
"Stop, stop, stop! Take that back!"
Moran tightened his nerves and immediately opened a soundproof barrier.
Zelretch was quite speechless.
He used the Second Magic to alter what he had said, preventing those around him from hearing that remark. "This is love for all; how can it be called fickleness? I treat everyone well and am very devoted."
"Hehe, you can say that to your wives. I believe there will be a good show when that happens."
"Ahem, are you itching for a fight? Do you really want to spar with me?"
The two chatted without any reservations.
Years of camaraderie made them so at ease.
It seemed like they were bickering, but in reality, only deep bonds could allow for such exchanges.
Both were relentless in their verbal sparring.
"Hehe, chatting with you, Senior Brother, feels like I've become hundreds of years younger. It was the same back in the academy. This trip seems to be worth it."
Zelretch said with a sense of nostalgia in his eyes.