"I'll leave it at that. I trust you'll think it over yourself," Morpheus said, ending his conversation with Artoria and turning to leave.
Though he'd be staying at Emiya Shirou's house for the next few days, eating the meals prepared there, Morpheus didn't want to freeload constantly. He decided to head out to buy some groceries.
He hadn't gone far when someone called out to him from behind.
"Unc!" Illya shouted, jogging to catch up with Morpheus. "Wait, where are you going?"
Morpheus looked at Illya, puzzled. "Is something up?"
Illya glanced around casually. "It's not great for a Servant to wander around alone, right? I'll come with you."
Morpheus smiled faintly, recognizing Illya's excuse to skip studying, but he didn't call her out. He nodded. "Alright, lead the way then."
"I know the area pretty well!" Illya said, then asked, "So, where are we headed?"
"The supermarket, to buy some vegetables and fruits. With so many of us, the ingredients in the Emiya fridge probably won't last."
"The supermarket? Follow me, I know where it is!" Illya took the lead, hands clasped behind her back, striding confidently. Her behavior was indeed like that of a ten-year-old girl.
As they walked down the street, passersby glanced at the pair.
Morpheus, with his British appearance, and Illya, of German descent, were indistinguishable to most locals. To onlookers, they seemed like siblings.
At the supermarket, Illya scanned the produce section, then suddenly pointed to something nearby. "I want fried chicken legs!"
Morpheus, obliging her request, grabbed a large box of frozen chicken legs and placed it in the cart.
Just then, Illya's attention shifted elsewhere. Morpheus followed her gaze to see two kids walking together, each holding a cup of milk tea, chatting leisurely as they sipped.
They're not at school... probably made some excuse to skip and hang out… Morpheus thought, noticing Illya's eyes fixed on the milk tea. Without a word, he pulled a thousand-yen note from his pocket and handed it to her.
"I'm a bit thirsty. Could you grab me a milk tea? I'll wait for you at the supermarket entrance."
"Huh? Me? You're not going, Unc?" Illya asked, surprised, staring at the bill.
"I've got to finish shopping for groceries. I'll meet you at the entrance. Besides my drink, keep the change as a delivery fee and get yourself something you like."
"Really?!" Illya's eyes lit up. When Morpheus nodded, she happily took the money and dashed toward the milk tea shop outside the supermarket.
Seeing her so excited, Morpheus felt a spark of joy. Humming a tune, he continued selecting ingredients... some perishable, some not... enough to cover roughly three days' worth of meals. Then he left the supermarket.
At the entrance, he saw Illya sitting there, swinging her legs, quietly waiting for him.
When she spotted Morpheus, she jumped up, ran over, and handed him a milk tea.
She also offered some change.
"That's your delivery fee. Keep it," Morpheus said.
Illya tucked the change away, sipping her milk tea happily. "Unc, where'd you get the money?"
"From Rin, of course!"
"Won't she get mad if you spend it like that?"
"Maybe," Morpheus mused, then shook his head. "But it's fine. I'm pretty good at making money!"
"You're going to make money here?!" Illya looked at him in shock, unable to fathom a Servant, who wouldn't be in this world long, bothering to earn money.
"Yup, I've already started. Stock trading doesn't lose money. Buy low, sell high... by tomorrow, I'll probably multiply Rin's money a few times."
Illya's surprise grew. "You always win at stocks?!"
Morpheus smiled faintly. "Divination, you know?"
Illya hadn't expected that answer, but it made sense. Using divination to predict which stocks would rise, when they'd peak, or when they'd fall... just follow the patterns and profit!
This was magic!
This was magic applied to the real world, to the ordinary world!
"There's little interference in this world, so the success rate is high," Morpheus added.
"Unc, that's cheating! Straight-up cheating!" Illya giggled, playfully accusing Morpheus of essentially hacking the system, though her expression showed no real reproach.
In fact, she looked eager to try it herself.
If she left her family to live on her own, what would be most important?
After ensuring her safety and fixing her body, money was key. Without it, surviving in this world was nearly impossible!
Morpheus, seeing her thoughts, seized the moment. "So, study magic with me properly. You won't have to worry about those troublesome things anymore!"
Illya glanced at him. "Unc, this sounds like you're trying to lure a minor!"
"Tch, you're a minor?"
"Younger than you, Unc!"
"Nonsense, I'm only sixteen!"
Illya didn't believe his protest. "You, sixteen? Who're you kidding? With your magic skills and being summoned as a Servant, there's no way you're just sixteen!"
Morpheus shook his head helplessly. "I'm telling the truth. This body is sixteen, a genuine high schooler."
"High schooler?!" Illya's mind raced. "When did high schools even start? Are you from the modern era, Unc?"
"Not quite. How about this: let's trade questions. You answer one of mine, I answer one of yours. You can refuse to answer and ask for a different question, but no malicious ones."
"Are we playing a king's game?" Illya laughed, even explaining with mock seriousness. "A king's game needs at least three people to be fun. With just two, it's boring... no drama!"
But Morpheus wasn't joking. He asked directly, "Illya, my question is: what's your true wish?"
Illya fell silent. After a moment, she countered, "Didn't you already know?"
Yesterday, during their talk about cooperating, Morpheus' words had shown he knew her wish.
Illya was aware of this, so she was puzzled why he'd ask again, as if handing her a free question.
But Morpheus shook his head. "My guesses are just that... guesses. They're not guaranteed to be correct. That's why I'm asking you directly. I want the true answer from your mouth."
Illya didn't respond. Seeing her silence, Morpheus continued:
"Many tragedies could be prevented, but too often, people avoid saying what needs to be said, leading to bad outcomes. So, I hope you'll tell me your true thoughts."
"You're such a hassle, Unc. I was right to call you that... your mindset is totally Unc material."
Illya laughed, then fell silent again before speaking. "My wish? It's simple. I want the people I care about to live well. If possible, I'd like to live with them, together. That's all."
She shook her head. "But it's impossible. The puzzle of this wish has been missing pieces from the start. I told you, I've always hated Kiritsugu. I've always thought it was his fault. Even after you told me the truth, I still think it's his fault."
Illya's voice grew soft as she sank into memories... her happy past and the pain of recent years.
If the Einzberns were mere homunculi, then as a half-human, half-homunculus, her status in the family was even lower than theirs. She was only kept because she was Kiritsugu's child, and he had betrayed them in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
If she weren't essential to the Fifth Holy Grail War, she'd likely have been discarded long ago.
"If, I mean, if he had taken me away from the start... taken me and my mother... would things be different now?" Illya fell silent again, then sighed. "And Mother's fate… I still can't accept it."
"You're really strong, Illya," Morpheus said.
Illya looked up, puzzled, blinking at him. "Huh? Why say that out of nowhere?"
"I've heard most people spend their lives healing from childhood wounds. With what you've been through, going mad would be normal."
"I think you're calling me crazy, Unc."
Morpheus shook his head earnestly. "No, I'm not. Most people would've broken under those circumstances, but you haven't. That makes you strong."
Illya turned her head away. "Flatter me all you want, I'm not happy about it."
"It's not flattery. I just don't think anyone should have to endure such hardships to stay strong… And your wish, as you said, is missing pieces from the start."
Morpheus' voice carried undeniable compassion. He pursued magic to seek truth, and though that path might require sacrificing much, the pursuit itself stemmed from his deepest desires... the most fervent ones.
Bound to emotion, he held true to his heart, which included a love for life.
He didn't think he could match the woman from the Anglican Church, the one with the magic name Salvare000, meaning "Be the salvation of those who cannot be saved." Nor could he reach the level of many priests and nuns of the Christian. But at least for the tragedies he witnessed firsthand, he wanted to resolve them with his power.
Not out of some grand ideal to save the world, but simply to lessen the tragedies before his eyes.
"I've already been through it, and I'm still here, so don't worry about me, Unc!" Illya smiled, still radiating strength.
This only deepened Morpheus' sympathy.
"Don't worry. Your wish may be missing pieces, but you can fill them in yourself... not by reclaiming what was lost.
"Those are your memories, your past. You can find new pieces in a new life, slowly completing the puzzle, even expanding it."
Morpheus made a promise, clearer than yesterday's.
"Emiya Shirou is like your half-brother, being Kiritsugu's adopted son. As his child, he'd surely treat you as family, and you already see him that way…
"You also consider your two maids family, don't you? And I think you see Heracles as family too."
Illya looked at Morpheus in surprise, then shook her head with a wry smile. "As expected, you already know Berserker's true identity."
"We're friends, you know... not this world's Heracles, but still." Morpheus' expression turned nostalgic. "We went after the Golden Fleece together, fought the Gigantes too."
Illya shouted, "Aha! I knew it, Unc! You slipped up! How could you be sixteen?!"
"Wrong focus! Shouldn't you be impressed I was part of such famous battles?!"
"I don't care about that stuff!"
Morpheus shook his head. Illya was definitely different from Rin... their priorities were worlds apart.
Then he added, "What if Heracles regained his consciousness?"
"Huh?"
Illya didn't quite follow.
"What if Heracles regained his consciousness, sustained by the city's leyline mana, free from the Grail's control? How would that be?"
Illya's expression shifted dramatically. She stared at Morpheus in disbelief, finally asking, "Can… can that really happen?!"
Her voice was cautious, as if afraid this hope was a dream.
Morpheus gave a firm answer. "Most likely, yes. If I can successfully analyze the Grail, the success rate isn't quite 100%, but 99% is no problem."
He smiled. "After all, for you, Heracles is your most important family, right?"
Illya didn't deny it. She simply nodded.
That silent giant, unable to speak, was her greatest family.
No question about it.
***
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