"Could this be Aoko's teleportation?"
Seeing Lainis and Caules fly into the final carriage of the train, many magi present couldn't help but look at them with admiration. Aoko's teleportation technique was well known among magi—after all, it was a signature spell of the Grand Magus of the Clock Tower. But anyone familiar with its mechanics knew it was not something they ever wanted to try.
"It was amazing! Seriously exhilarating!"
Lainis was visibly thrilled. For those seeking thrills, Aoko-style teleportation was an unmatched experience—far more exciting than any mundane bungee jump. Just moments ago, she had been in Big Ben, and now she was on the Mystic Eye Collection Train. Not even a jet could match that speed.
"Caules, why are you with Miss Lainis?"
Gray was startled to see them appear together.
"Where's the other Caules?"
Hearing Gray mention Caules, Lainis' playful expression turned serious.
"He disappeared," Waver answered plainly.
"Hmph. He fled fast."
Lainis sounded frustrated. She had gone through a lot to gather this intel, hoping to confront the fake Caules and enjoy a rare moment of brilliance. With the help of Luviagelita, Liones, Flatt, and Svin, they had uncovered the mastermind's identity.
"I'm sorry, Professor."
The real Caules walked up to Waver and bowed his head in guilt. Being impersonated and used to get close to his teacher left him deeply unsettled. Since arriving at the Clock Tower, Waver had supported him continuously—not just academically, but also in building his confidence as a mage.
"This isn't your fault. If anyone is to blame…"
Waver's gaze landed on the seemingly uninvolved Yvette. Impersonating someone wasn't just a matter of appearance. It required knowledge of their habits, preferences, behavior—things the real Caules, a reclusive student rarely seen outside the Clock Tower, wouldn't have exposed. Someone had to be feeding that information, and Waver had a good idea who.
"Fifty million."
"One hundred million."
"Three hundred million."
Though Lainis was annoyed and Waver disappointed, the Mystic Eye auction continued. The final item, the Jewel-ranked Bubble Mystic Eyes, attracted fierce competition.
The starting bid was thirty million, but it quickly soared past one hundred million. To avoid any last-minute surprises, Daniel immediately offered three hundred million. After a moment of hesitation, both Yvette and Hazakura Ritsuri gave up—the price exceeded their budgets. Realistically, the Bubble Mystic Eyes weren't worth more than two hundred million.
"This concludes this year's Mystic Eye auction. Those who wish to proceed with eye transplantation, please contact the conductor."
The Mystic Eye Collection Train provided after-sales services for transplanting Mystic Eyes. Unlike the plug-and-play style of the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, Mystic Eye transplants were complex and difficult. This train was the only place with a guaranteed 100% success rate.
Boom!
Just as the auction ended, thunder roared and the train suddenly jolted. Everyone turned to see the fake Caules appear again.
"So he's decided to show himself. Fine, I'll stay out of it. With Gray here, he won't get far."
Since the man was giving him face, Daniel chose to reciprocate.
"Why show yourself now, Hatrass?"
"So you figured it out,"
With Waver calling him out, the impostor dropped his disguise. His appearance transformed—flaming red hair and porcelain-white skin that rivaled any woman aboard.
"You left so many clues. If I hadn't figured it out, I'd have been disappointing you. Why?"
Waver was genuinely curious. Hatrass wasn't just his predecessor as dean of the Department of Modern Magecraft—he was also a prodigy. Waver, by contrast, was never considered talented. So why was someone like him so focused on Waver?
"Maybe because we're alike."
Hatrass' voice sounded strangely wistful.
"I don't see any resemblance."
Waver wasn't being modest—he truly believed they had nothing in common. Background, talent, temperament—they couldn't be more different. But what he didn't know was that Hatrass's sense of similarity came from being his polar opposite.
Waver had something Hatrass lacked—his students' respect. All Hatrass had known was betrayal, and not just once, but twice.
Hatrass's story was legendary. Due to circumstances involving the Fairy Kingdom, he had traveled back in time—only to fail in changing anything.
If Daniel had known about his time travel, he'd probably suggest Hatrass study abroad in the Eastern Empire for a few years. After all, what kind of time traveler fails to change anything?
"What's your goal in all of this?"
This was Waver's greatest mystery. Mages never act without purpose. Hatrass had orchestrated so many schemes—there had to be a reason. But even after all of Waver's research, the objective remained elusive.
"Why don't you guess?"
"Then let's start from the beginning."
"You sure you weren't possessed by Sherlock Holmes instead of Zhuge Liang?"
As Waver laid out Hatrass's decade-long schemes, Daniel couldn't help but laugh. He didn't sound like a mage—more like a detective. But maybe that analytical mindset was what made Waver so skilled at deciphering magecraft. No wonder he earned the title "Magecraft Breaker."
"It was you who collaborated with the head of the Department of Astrology to manipulate Caleb and hunt Mystic Eye bearers. That's probably when you learned the Greater Grail was tainted. Can I ask—why can't it grant wishes anymore?"
As someone who had once participated in the Holy Grail War, this naturally concerned Waver. But Hatrass simply smiled and said nothing.
"I was controlled? That's impossible!"
Caleb, his eyes still bandaged, couldn't believe it.
"Mages don't gather information like ordinary people. All seven Mystic Eye bearers were decapitated—that's already suspicious."
"Peeling Castle, Twin-Faced Tower, Dave Nant—those were all your doing. You provided the funding, encouraged their ambitions—all to set the stage for your next move. You stole my relic to force me aboard this train.
The appearance of the Son of Einnashe? That was you too, done to shift the train's course and align its spiritual vein with Fuyuki's Greater Grail. That's how you summoned a Servant—Hephaestion."
Summoning a Servant requires a Greater Grail system. Chaldea's pseudo-Grail Wars all had similar setups—spiritual veins rerouted to connect to the Greater Grail.
Using this method, Hatrass had summoned a Servant before the Fifth Holy Grail War even began. Waver's relic was essential—he had been a participant in the previous war.
"I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Spot on."
Hatrass clapped for Waver.
"Shame I figured it all out so late."
Waver wasn't proud. Solving the mystery after everything had already happened was hardly satisfying.
"This guy's pretty impressive. Summoning a Servant by rerouting spiritual veins like that…"
Daniel admired the creativity. While Eastern and Western veins differed greatly, it wasn't impossible to connect them through alternate methods.
"Are you finished?"
Just as Waver fell into self-reflection, a beautiful woman with black hair suddenly appeared beside him and sliced through Hazakura's ribbon with a single sword stroke.
"All done."
"Then let's go."
As Hephaestion turned to leave, her gaze lingered briefly on Waver, then shifted to Daniel. Daniel smiled and waved in response.
"Wait, Hephaestion! Tell me something. Why weren't you part of Ionioi Hetairoi?"
Waver called out in a rush.
"Shut up."
Clang!
His question struck a nerve. Hephaestion vanished from Hatrass's side and reappeared in front of Waver in an instant. Her short sword stabbed toward him—only to be blocked by Gray's scythe, Areadbhar.
"What do you know?"
"If you want to fight, take it outside."
The mysterious woman aboard the train intervened, stopping Hephaestion. The previous incident with the Son of Einnashe hadn't caused much damage, but a full-blown battle here would be catastrophic. They were in the Eye Repository—a vault filled with Mystic Eyes. One misstep could destroy everything.
With a clang-clang-clang, the train's roof opened. Hephaestion and Gray leapt out to continue their fight in the sky. Meanwhile, Hatrass used the chaos to vanish—Hazakura had been watching him closely. Though Hatrass could likely defeat her, she was still his sister.
"Hephaestion, you were supposed to be Iskandar's body double. Back then, he offered to give you a name, but you refused. Why didn't you answer the call of Ionioi Hetairoi?"
As Gray and Hephaestion clashed, Waver shouted up, revealing her backstory. Due to his admiration for Iskandar, Waver had studied the conqueror's history in detail—even visiting his tomb and homeland.
Hephaestion had served as Iskandar's decoy—a role she was uniquely suited for. She looked nothing like him, by design. She was meant to mislead any magical assassination attempts during a time when curses were commonplace.
"Shut up."
Waver remained oblivious to how each of his words worsened Hephaestion's mood. Her strikes grew more brutal, and Gray could barely defend herself.
"My brother…"
Lainis sighed. Even she could see Waver was poking the proverbial hornet's nest.
"Infinite Ocean? Nothing but fantasy. If he'd just listened to me, none of that tragedy would've happened."
Hephaestion's refusal to join Ionioi Hetairoi was simple: she didn't believe in conquering the "Infinite Ocean." It was an unknown, a possibly nonexistent goal. To her, dragging an empire into a war over such a dream was madness.
While Waver idolized Iskandar, from another perspective, he was undeniably a tyrant. His empire collapsed the moment he died—because his conquests had no foundation.
Finally, Hephaestion leapt into the air. Amid a thunderstorm, a bizarre ox-drawn chariot appeared, and she and Hatrass stood side by side atop it.
"Gray!"
Seeing the scene above, Waver immediately recognized it. Though it seemed like a mere transport in the Fourth Grail War, this was indeed a Noble Phantasm.
As Iskandar's body double, Hephaestion had access to some of his treasures.
"Yes, Master."
Seeing the chariot, Gray began unlocking Areadbhar's true power.
"Simulated personality: paused. Mana flow exceeding limit. Unlocking second seal. Thirteen restraints: commencing release. Round Table Protocols: in session."
This was the strongest opponent Gray had ever faced. She had to use her full strength. Like Excalibur, her spear held thirteen seals.
"Opponent is not a fae—approved."
"Opponent is superior in power—approved."
"Battle is for survival—approved."
"Not in violation of humanity—approved."
"Battle is for truth—approved."
"Unlocking third-stage restriction. Gravekeeper's weapon, ancient mystery—vanish! Anchor removed—Rhongomyniad!"
"Wheel of Heaven's Thunder."
Golden light clashed with purple lightning, shaking the heavens and earth. Fortunately, they had left the train—otherwise, the shockwaves alone would've destroyed it.
"Third-stage release… Shame my projection can't replicate that."
Daniel didn't intervene—he was too busy watching, studying how the seals were undone. Even with only five approvals, the weapon's power dwarfed all previous usages.
Hephaestion was undeniably stronger than Gray, but now she was being overwhelmed—the golden light pushing back her storm.
"Reverse it!"
Seeing the tide turn, Hatrass finally made his move.
______
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