"Let's return to our earlier discussion. As a world, you are all beings living within me—just as cells reside within your body. Even if some cells die due to natural processes, as I grow stronger, so too will you. Do you understand?"
"I do."
Roy nodded in acknowledgment.
"Good. Then let us proceed."
「Touko」 sighed in relief before continuing.
"As my Pioneer, whenever I discover a new world, I will secretly send you there to investigate. If all goes well, I will retrieve individuals from that world. If not, we can revisit the matter later."
"Of course, I understand humans are driven by self-interest. I won't ask you to work for nothing. Each time you successfully explore a world beneficial to me, I will grant you a reward—separate from the compensation we previously agreed upon. You need not worry."
"In fact, your beginner's reward has already been prepared. You'll find it when you return to the Aozaki residence."
"A beginner's reward?"
Roy was genuinely surprised by the Root's generosity.
"Naturally. You are my only Pioneer. It's only logical that I ensure your survival to the best of my ability."
「Touko」 spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Moreover, journeying between worlds benefits you as well. Just as I evolve by analyzing and refining rules, your adaptive constitution allows you to learn abilities from different worlds. In time, your potential will be limitless."
"And let's not forget—this also serves your own ambitions."
「Touko」 smiled warmly at Roy.
She was right.
Roy sought to create a new system—one that would externally supplement humanity. Venturing beyond this world, studying the systems of other worlds, would be invaluable. When the time came to forge his new system, the process would be far smoother.
"Even if I eventually try to alter the rules you operate by?"
Roy's expression remained rigid, his gaze locked onto 「Touko.」 He knew he couldn't discern her true thoughts, but he stared anyway.
"Ah, you mean your dissatisfaction with this world's fundamental rules?"
"Exactly."
"Hmm…"
「Touko」 fell into brief contemplation.
"So this is your true goal—changing the rules of my world... All I can say is, if I grow powerful enough in the future, I could discard certain rules for your sake."
She was being this accommodating?!
Roy could hardly believe it.
Rebuilding the Magecraft system was merely Roy's first step. What truly irked him wasn't the system itself, but the underlying rules of this world. Countless tragedies stemmed from the unique laws of the Type-Moon universe. His deepest desire was to rewrite them at their core.
Of course, he knew his own limits. He might not even succeed in reconstructing the Magecraft system, let alone altering the world's foundational rules. So he had kept this ambition buried in his heart.
"I know the difference between one full meal and a lifetime of feasts."
Meeting Roy's incredulous stare, 「Touko」 smiled faintly.
With Roy, she had infinite potential for growth. He alone could aid her in this endeavor. Naturally, she was willing to grant him the highest privileges.
Roy couldn't help but nod in admiration.
What a great boss!
Even if she could be a bit self-absorbed at times.
"So, do you accept this deal?"
「Touko」 watched him expectantly.
"Hmm…"
Now it was Roy's turn to deliberate.
Exploring new worlds was mutually beneficial, no doubt.
But as Roy carefully weighed the terms, a few lingering doubts remained.
"I have one more question."
"Go ahead."
"How did you discover the existence of other worlds?"
"Ah…"
For the first time, 「Touko」 hesitated.
"I intended to tell you this later, but since you've asked…"
With a wave of her hand, a screen-like image materialized before Roy.
The scene depicted a castle nestled deep within snow-capped mountains, shrouded in perpetual winter and encircled by layers of impenetrable barriers.
Within the castle stood a lone figure—a middle-aged man with black hair. Though only in his thirties or forties, his face bore the weariness of a lifetime, his eyes hollow and devoid of passion, as though he had long abandoned all hope.
"That's… Kiritsugu Emiya?"
"Correct. The Kiritsugu Emiya from your world."
「Touko」 nodded. "This was before the Fourth Holy Grail War, just after he received the Einzberns' invitation. Keep watching—the critical moment is coming."
Roy turned his attention back to the screen.
In the image, Kiritsugu lit a cigarette.
Then—he vanished into thin air.
Not a trace remained.
Roy's eyes widened.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"I don't know."
「Touko」 shook her head, a shadow of unease crossing her features.
She didn't know?!
The Root itself was claiming ignorance?!
Roy's mind reeled.
So that's why…
No wonder Illya had been born even though she'd never met Kiritsugu!
The Einzberns had recruited Kiritsugu and created Illya—but he disappeared midway. Forced to proceed without him, they made Irisviel the Master instead. Since Illya had never met her father, she had no memory of him!
"And he's not the only one."
With another wave, 「Touko」 conjured more images before Roy.
A white-haired young man trekked through a desert, only to abruptly disappear.
"This is Shirou Emiya, the protagonist of a parallel world where the Fifth Holy Grail War had already concluded. He was traveling the world as a Hero of Justice when he inexplicably vanished."
In a dimly lit underground chamber, hundreds of familiar-looking incubation pods lined the walls. Within one of them floated an Einzbern homunculus—but before it could awaken, it disappeared from the pod.
"This was another parallel world's protagonist, created by the Yggdmillennia clan using Einzbern technology. He was supposed to be born prematurely and given the name Sieg—but he vanished while still in incubation."
If no one adjusted his body afterward, he'd be dead for sure…
More scenes followed, each from a different parallel world—over a dozen in total.
"These protagonists… none of them remain within me anymore."
The Root, in the guise of 「Touko」, let out a quiet sigh.
"There's only one explanation—another world stole them from me, completely undetected. Most likely, a world stronger than my own... This is another favor I must ask of you. If you encounter these protagonists in your travels, I hope you can bring them back."
How ironic.
The hunter had become the hunted.
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹