Calm days always seem to pass by quickly—although, saying it like that doesn't quite fit. After all, the world of Type-Moon seems forever distant from anything resembling tranquility.
Even though the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki had ended, there were still Holy Grail Wars happening elsewhere, such as the False Holy Grail War in Snowfield, U.S.A.
And even if the Holy Grail Wars stopped, other events would crop up, like the Aylesbury Valesti ritual, which the White Wing Lord Ortenrosse had been preparing for decades, closely tied to the true Dead Apostle King, the Dark Six Thrones.
However, none of these could be classified as major events in the eyes of Matou Shinji, now the Third Magician, who had already defeated the Crimson Moon and taken down the giant gods. Such matters hardly warranted his attention.
Now, he could somewhat understand Aoko Aozaki's reckless behavior and the detached attitude of the Old Man of the Jewels, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. With Magic, an overwhelming power beyond normal comprehension, every time they took action, the outcome was already decided, unless someone of equal strength intervened.
Take, for example, the two incidents mentioned earlier:
For the Holy Grail War in Snowfield, since Shinji knew the background beforehand, he had a brief conversation with Zelretch. The old man chose to sit on the sidelines, leaving the matter for Shinji to handle.
As a result, what would have been a grand battle, no less intense than the Fuyuki War (at least in terms of the Masters and Servants involved in the Holy Grail system, not counting external interferences), turned into a stage for the Third Magician to display his power—and his dark sense of humor—for the first time in public.
According to incomplete statistics, at least three Masters and their associated factions were either tricked or directly crushed by Shinji, suffering heavy losses.
He faced most of the Servants head-on, defeating them all, including figures standing at the pinnacle of human history like Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and Heracles (Archer).
He single-handedly overwhelmed the U.S. military's special operations units, and even when the actual army was deployed, he left unscathed, slapping this world's superpower in the face and reminding them of a brutal truth—when it comes to the world of mysteries, young nations can't compete.
He even successfully captured the mastermind behind the scenes, a certain loli who had survived from the time of Jeanne d'Arc or even earlier. As a gift, he handed her over to Aozaki Touko—during the time Touko had been away from Shinji, the two had encountered each other and engaged in a long bout of mutual attempts to kill each other. Despite Touko gaining the assistance of Katou, she still paid the price of several deaths.
On a side note, Maiya's son, Sigma, finally made his appearance, and naturally, Shinji brought him back to Fuyuki to reunite with his mother.
Next, the Aylesbury Valesti ritual.
This situation was much more chaotic. Gaia, Alaya, the Crimson Moon, Zelretch, Shinji, the Burial Agency, Barthomeloi, Arcueid, and Altrouge—all had their agendas, and they ended up countering each other. In the end, no one emerged victorious, though they did manage to reach a relatively acceptable outcome. The only one who suffered greatly was the White Wing Lord, the one who had set up the ritual. Even Shinji, who held a grudge against him, couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him after seeing his losses—ultimately deciding to let him live and abandon him to his fate.
To Shinji, these events were nothing more than small interludes to keep life interesting. The main theme of his life remained peaceful.
Sometimes he would teach and work at the Clock Tower; sometimes he would return to Japan to reunite with his family; and occasionally, he would be dragged off by someone to travel somewhere. His life was steady yet fulfilling.
Don't assume that this kind of life was boring—on the contrary, it was filled with more fun than those two so-called major battles. Some of the fun he created himself, while some came from others.
For instance, in a fit of mischief, he took Artoria to Buckingham Palace to meet the current Queen of England. The expression on the Queen's face at that moment was something Shinji would never forget.
...
Then there was the matter of arranging schooling for his daughters to help them better experience life. Jack was fine, as her experience in parallel worlds allowed her to adapt with ease. The other three lolis, though, were a different story. Having no experience in this area, they caused quite a few funny situations. With this group of children around, there was never a dull moment, no matter where they went.
...
Finally, something that had been anticipated since 1994 came to fruition—annexing the Tohsaka family—ahem, scratch that—fulfilling Kariya's dream.
After Rin officially came of age, Kariya's years of waiting finally bore fruit, and Tohsaka Aoi officially became Matou Aoi.
Before the wedding, the three Matou men gathered for a rare moment of indulgence—don't get the wrong idea, they just drank. And they drank until they were completely drunk, unconscious, and unaware of the world around them.
...
Ryougi Mana officially became Shinji's apprentice, learning all sorts of skills and knowledge from him.
Mana followed the same path as Shinji, learning everything. Having already been influenced by the Root before her birth, she had the potential for it. She was the true number one genius of this world.
Additionally, Shinji took on another disciple.
This occurred during an outdoor training session with Mana, in some remote mountains. There, they encountered a girl who had been confined to a temple—her name was Kiara Sesshouin.
Yes, the same Kiara who, in a parallel world, was the demonic Bodhisattva, the enemy of one of the Saviors, and the chrysalis of the Third Beast. Although still young and suffering from illness, she had already shown remarkable talent.
Honestly, Shinji hesitated on how to deal with such a troublesome individual. But he quickly came to terms with it—nowadays, he stood at the pinnacle of the planet. Even if she truly became the demonic Bodhisattva, there was nothing for him to fear. After all, she no longer had the potential to control Mooncell, and the desires that drove the demonic Bodhisattva were only a small portion of her soul, posing no threat to someone who wielded the Third Magic.
Even if he one day ventured into the stars, Mana would still be there. Speaking of which, it was Mana who first sensed Kiara's presence, perhaps a sign of the fate that would bind them as adversaries for life.
...
When truly bored, he could go watch two dramas unfold.
The first was in the Astronomy Department. Whether during the Holy Grail War or not, the daily interactions between Romani Archaman and Olga Marie were always entertaining. Even after learning Romani's true identity and power, their relationship didn't change. Olga Marie never showed him a kind face, and Romani, being the laid-back man he was, seemed to enjoy this dynamic, leisurely playing the role of her assistant and caretaker, shamelessly freeloading. After being bound for so long, King Solomon finally found the life he wanted.
The second was in the Modern Magecraft Department.
There was Waver's number one little housekeeper, Reines.
There was Alexandria. No one knew what methods Waver had used, but the warrior who initially found Waver intolerable eventually fell for him.
The rivalry between these two was more dramatic than most television shows.
Regarding this, Waver once joked: "You still have time to worry about me? Don't you have even more trouble on your side?"
Shinji replied: "I've only just reached adulthood, while you're already over 30. The pressure's on you. Plus, I can learn how to handle complicated relationships from you—not just you, but Shiki and Mikiya are all models for me to study."
Waver was speechless.
Shameless. Absolutely shameless.