Sitting close together, they talked for a long time.
Moran, who looked as young as a boy, and Zelretch, who appeared to be over fifty, sipped tea and chatted.
Both of them wore expressions of nostalgia.
It was like two elderly men forgetting their ages as they reminisced about the past, a scene that felt quite wonderful.
Moran had already taken Rin and Sakura as his disciples.
Afterward, he would guide the two girls into the world of magecraft, while Zelretch was contemplating what gift to give.
After all, it was his senior brother's first time taking on disciples.
As a junior brother, he had to show some consideration.
"I've got it! How about designing a staff-type magical outfit, incorporating my second law design—capable of using multi-dimensional transformation, allowing the user to download skills from parallel worlds? Hmm, let's call this magical outfit the Wand of Many Colors."
Zelretch thought of an interesting idea.
Hearing this, Moran couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
If he remembered correctly, the Sapphire Staff and the Ruby Staff were designed by Zelretch.
Although Zelretch had a rather rigid appearance.
When it came to creativity, he was definitely on par with modern young people.
Thinking about Rin and Sakura, who would become magical girls in the future, Moran felt a bit subtle.
He didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.
After chatting about the past with Zelretch for what felt like a thousand years.
Time passed quite quickly.
Gradually, the tea prepared by Tokiomi was also finished.
"Moran, have you thought about how to face Arcueid and Altrouge? If they find out you're here, with an extra daughter and the princess of Einzbern by your side…"
Zelretch spoke as if it had nothing to do with him.
He sipped his tea with an amused smile.
"Well, when the time comes, things will naturally work out. I managed to get through to Brunestud, so how could I not handle this?"
"… Can you really handle it?"
"Don't ask, just believe in the future."
Moran concealed his unease with tea tasting.
He was also thinking about how, if the girls really met, the scene could very well be explosive.
Just thinking about it made his stomach ache.
However, this was a hurdle he had to face, and Moran still believed in his ability to improvise.
"I can't imagine how you can withstand such pressure. Whether it's Brunestud or Arcueid, they could shake the planet with just a flick of their hands. Women, it's not an exaggeration to say they are the most difficult beings to understand in this world."
Zelretch admired Moran's broad-mindedness.
Ordinary people would be scared away by a non-human monster like Brunestud, yet Moran specifically ran toward danger.
This extraordinary courage to fight for love.
Even Zelretch had to admire it.
As Zelretch was about to leave after chatting for a while, he stood up and asked Moran one last question:
"Moran, your participation in the Holy Grail War isn't just for fun, right? What is your real reason for participating in the Holy Grail War?"
The question made Moran pause slightly.
He seemed to ponder for a moment, finally coming up with a suitable answer.
"I need a proper stage. It's as simple as that. It's also for future reunions. Right now, the stage isn't sufficiently prepared, and not all the actors are present."
A hint of nostalgia flickered in Moran's eyes.
There were still many people he wanted to see who he hadn't met yet.
Before the Holy Grail War in Snowfield City arrived, he would do his best to ensure that all simulations reached the highest level.
So that the past would leave no regrets.
"A stage… Looking at the direction of that Holy Grail War, it is indeed grand. Then, let me look forward to seeing the end."
Zelretch left his farewell words.
When they would meet again, he didn't know.
But Moran would continue to move forward.
The bond he had formed with Zelretch in the simulations also transmitted to reality with a sense of déjà vu.
He believed that as long as he continued to simulate.
The future he desired would only get closer.
After bidding farewell to Moran, Zelretch returned to the jewel space.
He sat back down on the wooden chair.
"Upon confirmation, Moran is just as I remember him, with no possibility of being false. However, the world's records—"
Zelretch summoned a book again.
As the pages flipped backward, the celestial sphere of the room rotated in sync with it. He observed all of this.
The way it propelled the planet's movement held no trace of confusion.
It was as if he were checking for gaps in a maze.
"—I can't find it. Even though my memories are so clear, there is no record of Moran's past in the world. Could it be that something has erased his traces?"
Zelretch pondered, stroking his chin.
He hadn't encountered such a strange phenomenon in a long time.
Clearly, he had a very clear memory of Moran, and he had previously confirmed past information through their conversation.
He was certain that Moran was his senior brother.
This was an undeniable truth.
"Once it involves Moran, everything falls into a mystery. Well, perhaps this is also the reason he can intervene in the Holy Grail War in Snowfield City as a party involved…"
Zelretch decided not to meddle further in this matter.
Even though he couldn't find Moran's past in this world, he believed in the memories he possessed.
In fact, Zelretch was thinking quite the opposite.
Moran's experiences in the True Ancestor simulation had not yet overwritten reality, but that sense of déjà vu had been brought out.
It wasn't that Moran's experiences were erased.
Rather, his simulations were interfering with reality.
The perspective returned to the Tohsaka residence.
Moran decided to take on the role of teacher for Rin and Sakura, but he chose not to reside permanently in the Tohsaka residence.
He didn't want to trouble Tokiomi too much.
Tokiomi felt that no matter how troublesome it was, it was an unparalleled honor to be able to assist his master.
However, the atmosphere in the Tohsaka residence was too solemn.
It was completely at odds with Moran's casual nature.
Fortunately, there was the Einzbern castle outside Fuyuki City, and Moran and the others moved there.
The castle was not far from Fuyuki City.
Normally, it would only take an hour to drive there—
This was a strange castle that originally welcomed its master every sixty years, becoming a wartime stronghold.
This castle was an otherworldly space protected by layers of illusions and magical barriers, making it absolutely impossible to be discovered by the outside world except under extremely rare circumstances.
Those who knew the true origin of this castle referred to this deep forest as the "Einzbern Forest."