"These past few days have been oddly quiet. No battles between Servants... it's almost unnatural."
In a luxurious building, Caster gazed at a map, speaking softly.
Standing nearby, leaning casually against the wall, Assassin looked out the window at the scenery. "Didn't you set up surveillance across Fuyuki with your magecraft? No unusual activity at all?"
"My power is perfect recall, not Clairvoyance. My familiars consume mana," Caster replied. "That guy's been supplying me with mana and stabilizing my existence, but if I deploy too many familiars, he'd probably die in a day."
Caster's tone grew irritated. "His talent is abysmal, his magical theory is weak, and he hasn't bothered to improve his magecraft. Yet he thinks he's some genius. Are humans these days this arrogant?"
"Most are fine, I think. He's just a special case... rich, with abilities most don't have. Arrogance comes naturally," Assassin said, still gazing at the view.
Suddenly, Caster's expression shifted.
Assassin had never seen her react so strongly. Though her hood obscured her eyes, her mouth betrayed her excitement.
She stood abruptly, addressing Assassin. "Stay here and guard. I'm going out!"
Assassin, puzzled, watched her vanish from the room, clearly using her magecraft to leave instantly.
"Strange. Did she spot an old lover or something?" Assassin muttered, then shook his head. "No way. Her era's far older than my original's... ancient by centuries."
Caster was beyond excited, rushing out with all her speed. If not for a shred of restraint, she might've used a Command Spell to cross the distance instantly to her destination.
Just moments ago, through her network of familiar spies scattered across the city, she'd seen a figure that haunted her dreams... an unbelievable sight.
Several kilometers away, outside a bustling supermarket, there he was: the man called Morpheus, standing at the entrance, doing who-knows-what.
"Why is he here? Why? His clothes are the same old style, though... they don't clash with this world…" Caster thought, quickening her pace.
Since arriving in this era, she'd studied computers and searched extensively. She'd noticed Morpheus' attire resembled styles from a place called England decades ago.
Even now, his clothes wouldn't stand out. Combined with his usual remarks, Caster had a theory: Morpheus might be from this era, or a few decades prior, and had ended up in her time due to some unique circumstance.
But finding him had always seemed nearly impossible, so she'd pinned her hopes on the Holy Grail to track him down.
Now, it seemed the Grail might not be necessary... or could serve another wish.
As a Servant, Caster's physical prowess far surpassed a human's. She could run at forty or fifty kilometers per hour, and with reinforcement magecraft, her speed surged to over seventy.
In just a few minutes, she reached her destination: the supermarket. There, she saw Morpheus still standing, and her gaze locked onto him. She paused.
Rubbing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she confirmed he was really there. Unable to contain her excitement, she started toward him.
Just then, a woman emerged from the supermarket... a girl, about fifteen or sixteen, strikingly beautiful, carrying a bag full of ingredients.
She walked up to Morpheus, handed him the bag, and they began chatting casually.
Seeing their easy, cheerful interaction, Caster felt a pang of displeasure.
"I've been searching for you so desperately, and you're here flirting with some girl?!"
The thought sparked anger, but she reconsidered. What if this world's Morpheus didn't know her yet? What if he hadn't been to her ancient Greece?
Suppressing her frustration, Caster cautiously approached.
Morpheus examined the ingredients Rin had bought. The variety was impressive... at least five or six types of vegetables, and with seasonings like onions and garlic, the count easily exceeded ten.
The meats included pork, beef, and lamb, categorized into lean cuts, streaky pork, ribs, and more.
It was a feast's worth.
Surprised by the abundance, Morpheus asked, "Are you planning a Sukiyaki or something?"
Since they were all staying at Emiya Shirou's house, grocery duties rotated. Today was Rin's turn to buy.
"Sukiyaki's nice. Eating together is lively, isn't it?" Rin said, her lips curling into an irrepressible smile, like a kid thrilled by a clever plan.
Morpheus chuckled at her expression. "Admit it... you're mostly thinking of Sakura. You figure this setting will help you two talk more easily."
"Mind your own business!" Rin muttered, annoyed. "You sound like such an Unc!"
"Can you not copy Illya and call me that? I'm young, okay?!"
"Young? A guy from ancient Greece is telling me he's young?!" Rin laughed again.
Morpheus was about to retort when he sensed a familiar presence. Turning, he saw a familiar face, though her smile was more skin than sincerity.
"So, you're out here flirting with little girls, Morpheus?" she said.
It was Caster... Medea, the grown version, after all this time!
***
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