Illya's idea was quite creative. Ethan hadn't expected her to want to add herself to the gacha pool.
At that moment, Ethan suddenly had a thought. If he were to find a world and insert himself into the game as a Servant, would a parallel world containing "another him" be created?
"That sounds interesting. Maybe I should find a world and give it a try."
However, he didn't have the time to deal with that issue for now. They still needed to prepare for the upcoming school year.
The letter from Hogwarts had arrived, listing all the books and supplies required for the new term. These had to be prepared by the students or their parents. Next, they would head to Diagon Alley for shopping and then wait for school to begin.
"Harry Potter's second year, huh..."
Ethan had entered the world of the Harry Potter movies, which consisted of eight films. Except for the last two, which covered the same school year, the first six each represented one academic year.
The second movie covered the events of Harry's second year at Hogwarts. The story still revolved around the school but included a few scenes in other locations.
For example, at the beginning, Harry was locked in his room by his uncle. Ron and his brothers then came to rescue him and brought him to their home. After that, they all went to Diagon Alley. During that trip, Harry mispronounced the name of the destination while using Floo Powder and ended up in Knockturn Alley.
Overall, Harry's situation remained largely unchanged. His aunt and uncle continued to mistreat him, pushing him further from normal society and deeper into the wizarding world. To Harry, Hogwarts was gradually becoming his real home.
If one considered Dumbledore to be more calculating and removed the elements of contrast and drama deliberately written into the original, it wouldn't be hard to see Harry's experiences as something entirely orchestrated and intended by Dumbledore.
Touching his chin, Ethan had once considered stepping in to "do a good deed" by saving Harry from that terrible family, earning the gratitude of the wizarding world's savior and chosen one.
It wasn't even a difficult task. Dealing with the Dursleys would be simple. Ethan didn't need to use any special powers. He could use the laws and procedures of the ordinary world to strip their guardianship rights.
He wondered what kind of expression Dumbledore would show if he actually did that.
"I wonder if I'm overthinking things, but more and more, I feel like Dumbledore is more sinister than Voldemort."
Following the classic theory, "If bad people have to be cunning, then good people must be even more cunning," then Dumbledore couldn't afford not to be a little sinister.
"Can you wait until I finish changing before we talk about this?"
Selene looked at Ethan with exasperation. He was sitting there, resting his chin in his hand and staring straight at her. Seeing that he had no intention of leaving, Selene simply continued changing clothes on her own.
She didn't mind Ethan being there. In fact, she was somewhat pleased. That intense gaze once again proved that this man had thoughts about her.
Over the years, Ethan had had countless opportunities. Selene had gone from feeling slightly conflicted to mentally preparing herself, and now, she was gradually getting a little impatient.
But recently, Ethan's gaze had stopped being reserved. Now, it was completely open. Under normal circumstances, they might have already engaged in countless "fights."
Now, Selene was just frustrated. Ethan's current appearance made her hesitate.
Just as Ethan had no interest in little girls, Selene had no interest in little boys.
Diana felt the same. That was why, when Ethan tried to mess with her, she retaliated immediately.
"Also, aren't you going back to rest? We're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow."
"Does it matter whether I rest or not?"
Selene pouted. Ethan didn't need sleep for rest. With his current divine body, even if he didn't sleep at all, it wouldn't affect his health in the slightest.
If someone accompanied him, that would be another matter entirely.
Just as Ethan was thinking about whether to make a move on Selene today—after all, she didn't seem opposed, and when they came to the Harry Potter world this time, Evelyn and the others had gone traveling. Only Selene had stayed behind alone, deliberately not going anywhere, and she was changing clothes so slowly...
Just as Ethan was about to act, there was a thunderous knock on Selene's door. Selene, who had quickly slipped on a vest, opened the door to find Illya standing there in a bathrobe, hugging Shiro (who now maintained the form of a bear cub due to his special diet), casting a suspicious look back and forth between Selene and Ethan.
"What are you doing?"
"Chatting."
"Dressed like that?"
Ethan was wearing a simple T-shirt and loose shorts, while Selene only had on a white vest.
"Because I was about to go to sleep."
"Oh!" Illya immediately smiled, then looked at Ethan. "Don't disturb Selene's rest."
Before Ethan could say anything, she pulled him away, clearly signaling that she had something to say and leaving him with no room to refuse.
After dragging Ethan back to her room, Illya finally let go.
"What is it?"
"Top-up!"
"Huh?"
Illya casually held up her phone, clearly displaying the interface of the game they had all been playing recently.
"How do I top up? I want to do gacha pulls."
"...That's it?"
Ethan sighed. He could tell that Illya had more on her mind, but as for recharging the game...
"I haven't set that up yet. This time I only bought things and forgot to deal with the in-game currency. Next time I go back, I'll leave a Luna sub-program in that world so you can recharge easily."
Once the sub-program was in place, they could generate "real" accounts for online purchases.
"For now, just be a good F2P player. You might find it more fun that way."
"Okay!"
Illya didn't dwell on it and casually tossed her phone aside. After placing Shiro in his little bed nearby, she climbed into bed herself and tucked in.
"Anything else?"
"I won't have my eyes gouged out and my heart ripped out, right?"
"..."
Ethan didn't react immediately. After a few seconds, he realized what Illya was talking about. He sat down at her bedside, looking at Illya, who was staring at him with wide eyes.
"Of course not... You watched the anime?"
"Yeah, Rin and I watched it together."
After playing the game, she began collecting related information. She now had a clearer understanding of her world and had naturally watched other connected works.
Everything else was manageable, but what happened to "her" in one of the adaptations... Even as a third-party viewer, she couldn't help but shiver.
"So... Heracles was originally going to be summoned as my Servant, huh."
"That's right."
"He's not as strong as Berserker!"
"Well, I am cheating."
"Hehehe, that's good."
Illya smiled and curled up under the covers.
"When we go back, kill Gilgamesh for me..."
"Even though the Gilgamesh in your world hasn't done those things, that guy can probably 'see' why. So if you want to, just kill him."
"Basaka is the best!"
Illya fell asleep with a smile. Ethan, meanwhile, noticed that his clothes were tightly clutched in Illya's hand. Judging by the situation, he wouldn't be going anywhere tonight and could only obediently serve as a bedside ornament.
As a result, the next morning, Rin gave him a long look filled with suspicion, like she was staring at a beast. What was even more frustrating was that she tightened her pajamas even more deliberately, making a vein pop on Ethan's forehead.
"Alright, alright, just kidding."
Rin smiled and patted Ethan on the shoulder.
"Actually, I know what's going on."
"You know?"
"Well, I watched that show with her... If it were me, I'd also want someone I trust by my side to feel at ease."
Compared to Illya, Rin's ending in that timeline was pretty good. After all, it was her route, and the conclusion was quite satisfying. She went to England with her boyfriend, Shirou, entered the Clock Tower for advanced study, and became the disciple of a powerful magus. There might have even been someone tagging along freeloading.
However, both Rin and Illya understood that "story" could no longer happen. From the moment Ethan appeared, everything had changed. Perhaps timelines like that still existed, but they had nothing to do with "them."
Illya had clearly changed. Rin couldn't reunite with Shirou either.
The Shirou she now knew was following Artoria in Arthur's Kingdom of Britain, helping to quell rebellions and restore order (though that did sound a bit weird). In that world, Sakura was also with him. Rin and Shirou no longer had the kind of frequent contact needed to build a deeper bond.
To the current Rin, Shirou was just a passerby. What she cared more about now was what she could learn next. It wasn't just the magic from Hogwarts, but also the treasure trove that was Ethan, waiting for her to uncover.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)