Throughout the ages, across countless myths and legends in human history, many renowned and powerful magi have appeared.
However, if one were to ask who among them is the most famous—or the strongest—the name Merlin would inevitably come up for comparison.
There are only a handful of individuals who can compete for the title of "strongest magus," and Merlin, both in fame and legend, stands shoulder to shoulder with the Mage King Solomon, making him a prime candidate for that title.
According to legend, Merlin's mother was a Welsh princess, while his father was an otherworldly incubus born between the moon and the earth. Thus, Merlin himself was a half-blood—part human, part dream demon. From a young age, he possessed exceptional Clairvoyance, making many prophecies that brought him wide acclaim.
It was this very Merlin who helped Arthur's father win the hand of the queen and aided in the birth of the red dragon-blooded King Arthur.
He was present both before and after Arthur's birth, teaching the young king vast knowledge—like a foster father bearing witness to her growth—and ultimately helped guide her to the throne as Britain's ruler.
One could say that in Arthur's life, she might have been able to do without the loyalty of some Knights of the Round, or even a few decisive battles—but she could never have done without Merlin.
Without Merlin, Arthur might never have been born at all. To say that the legends of Britain were all orchestrated by him would not be an exaggeration.
Even in many other myths and legends, Merlin's name as the Great Magus appears frequently, demonstrating just how legendary his fame truly is.
As such, Merlin's standing as a Caster is on par with the Mage King Solomon himself.
Therefore, it's not surprising at all that this Great Magus of Britain holds the rank of Grand Caster.
Of course...
"I do have the qualifications to be a Grand Servant, but this time around, my Saint Graph is only at the level of a regular Servant. So for now, I'm just your average Caster. My talents are top-notch when it comes to running and trickery, but don't expect too much from me in battle, hahaha!"
Right after his theatrical reveal of his true name and class, Merlin suddenly shifted gears, brushing it all off with a carefree laugh. The emotional whiplash left everyone around him visibly shaken—some nearly stumbling over in disbelief.
In short, the Magus of Flowers before them may have the qualifications to be summoned by the world as Grand Caster, but this time, he wasn't summoned by the world. He had manifested only as a normal Caster Servant.
Even so, that alone was incredible.
Because—
"You say you're Merlin? That's impossible!"
Roman's voice burst out from the communicator, almost shouting.
"The Great Mage Merlin is supposed to be immortal until the end of the world! He's a dream demon who lives forever in Avalon! How could he possibly be summoned as a Servant!?"
Exactly.
It is said that Merlin, with his powerful Clairvoyance, foresaw the fall of the Round Table and the crisis of Britain.
Yet, instead of informing Artoria, he left Camelot and disappeared from the royal court.
There are many theories as to why he never told her about her fate. Perhaps he didn't want to favor any one individual—he simply loved fate itself.
Eventually, Merlin reached the ideal land of Avalon and imprisoned himself within a tower, never to die, merely continuing to witness the evolution of the human world until the very end of time.
Like Scathach, who resides in the Land of Shadows, Merlin exists in another dimension separate from the human world—and is still very much alive.
Since he hasn't died, he logically cannot be elevated to Heroic Spirit status, let alone summoned as a Servant.
That's why everyone was so shocked upon hearing his name.
As for the man himself, he looked quite pleased with how much he'd startled them.
"Well, I did say I was quite skilled in trickery—even the world can be fooled."
Merlin casually shrugged and spoke with a grin.
"This era has no place for me. Even Avalon itself doesn't exist yet. There's still a long way to go before I'm born and sealed there. So technically speaking, I'm already dead as far as this timeline is concerned. In simple terms, I played a little conceptual sleight of hand with the world. That's how I was able to manifest as a Servant. My true body is still in Avalon far off in the future, not in the Throne of Heroes."
His explanation left everyone speechless.
"Is... something like that even possible?"
Mash muttered in a daze.
Even Rozen couldn't help but feel a measure of admiration.
The logic made a strange sort of sense. But to deceive the world itself, to twist its concepts—just what level of power must a dream demon like him possess?
While the others still struggled to process it, Rozen already accepted it as fact.
After all, wasn't this kind of thing not entirely unheard of?
Scathach was still alive in the Land of Shadows, and yet she successfully manifested as a Servant due to the anomaly of the burning of human history.
Altera, too—her true body sealed within the stone chamber on the moon—was still capable of appearing in the world with the attributes of a Heroic Spirit.
These weren't ordinary heroes or Servants. Even if their opponent was the world itself, they could fight back on equal footing.
Perhaps... that's the real shortcut to achieving Grand Rank.
As Rozen thought that, he looked at Merlin.
"So, that means you know about Chaldea and what we're doing, right?"
Rozen asked.
"Of course," Merlin replied proudly. "I do have Clairvoyance, after all. I foresaw the crisis of the incineration of human history a long time ago. I've also been watching your journey closely—your every battle, from the First Singularity to the Sixth, how our King has become your Servant, and even the fact that you're not in peak condition right now. I can see it all."
"I see," Rozen narrowed his eyes. "No wonder you're bold enough to appear in front of us like this. You already calculated that Artoria wouldn't be summoned right now. Otherwise, you'd have run off a long time ago, wouldn't you?"
"Aha… ahahaha…"
Merlin gave an awkward laugh, his mouth twitching.
"You really are sharp. If possible, I'd prefer you let our King stay asleep. Please don't wake her, I beg you."
That was fast. He folded instantly.
Clearly, Merlin was rather reluctant to face Artoria.
And who could blame him? After all, Artoria's tragic life could be said to be largely his doing.
Even though he foresaw her death at the Battle of Camlann, he still presented her with the Sword of Selection. Even though he knew of the Round Table's fall and Britain's doom, he said nothing and simply left.
If that's not irresponsibility, nothing is.
"Do you know what Artoria told me?"
Rozen patted Merlin on the shoulder, sliding his finger lightly across his throat with a grin that wasn't quite a smile.
"She said, 'If I ever get sick of seeing your face, I can just cut you down. No need to show you any mercy.'"
That one sentence made Merlin freeze, sweat dripping visibly down his forehead.
/// Uploaded double today cuz tomorrow is gonna be super busy for me, probably won't have any time to upload///