In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

'No, actually I've already sampled enough in FGO.'

"So... you really are the one from the Atlas Academy?"

Ignoring the guy's rather dramatic antics, Rowe went straight to the point and asked.

"That's right. It seems you recognize me. The Outsider, the victor of the Holy Grail War, the wielder of the Book of Laws, the one who may change the world and reverse it in the future? Or... a god? My name is Tsbia Eltnam Atlasia. I am a Dead Apostle who broke through the limits of human lifespan to continue my research in alchemy, and I currently serve as the Dean of the Atlas Institute."

Tsbia nodded slightly, bowed to Rowe, and then began his self-introduction.

Is it a human or a god?

This suggestive question surprised Lowe somewhat.

After all, the fact that they could ask that question means they actually know what they're planning to do? And that's no small matter...

He must be wary of this.

"I'm sorry, perhaps I was too blunt."

"Now you must be wondering how I know this kind of thing, right?"

As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, before Lowe could ask a question, Tsbia preemptively answered, "That's because of its specificity."

"Specificity?"

“That’s right. Actually, the information I currently know isn’t much of a secret to Hermes the Trident. After all, that thing is like a library that records everything on Earth. Anything that exists on a planet, whatever happens, or whatever is happening can be easily discovered.”

"Furthermore, the changes you caused during the Fourth Holy Grail War were too great. Because you created a possibility that would never have happened in this world line, you created a new ending for the Holy Grail War, causing such a huge change in the original world line. Our Atlas Institute certainly had to monitor and record it. So it's not surprising that we discovered your existence and continued to observe you. To be honest, this is the first time we've encountered an existence whose future we can't predict at all. At the time, many of my colleagues at the Atlas Institute wanted to go out and meet you, but I suppressed it, and Hermes the Three-Pointed was the one who issued the warning, which buried the matter."

"As for your secrets, they were all unintentional. We cannot foresee your future, but we are quite clear about the detection of ley lines and alchemy. Combined with the records of this Holy Grail War, it is not difficult to deduce what you are preparing in secret."

Sensing Lowe's doubts, Tsbia didn't hide anything. Instead, he stroked his chin and thoughtfully answered, revealing all the secrets without any reservation.

"Oh, you can rest assured. I modified this windmill, so the witch can't see it. There are only the three of us as life forms here, um... perhaps there's also a Holy Lance Mystic Code created by the witch?"

As if suddenly remembering something, he turned his head and glanced at Ad, which Grey was carrying.

"...It seems you know a lot."

After hearing his answer, Luo Wei nodded and then said, "So you also know about what I'm going to do?"

"..."

The question hits the nail on the head.

However, Tsbia's expression didn't change much when asked this question. He simply nodded slightly and continued, "I know. Because I cared, I specifically investigated it, and as a result, I learned a lot. I also estimated the uncertainties and feasibility involved, and it is indeed a way out for the future. So I understand that what you are doing is actually a path to save the world."

"Because I sensed your presence and was curious about the changes in this world, I used the Trident Hermes to conduct a comprehensive investigation and search of you. The information I obtained truly surprised me, and it also made me even more interested in you. However..."

He looked at Grey and Yad, who were completely oblivious to what he was saying, and continued slowly, "But please rest assured, I have used the Dean's highest authority to seal all information and intelligence about you in the top-secret database of the Trident Hermes and Atlas Institute. There has been absolutely no leakage, and therefore it will not cause any problems for your next actions."

"...Is that so? Since only you know, then forget it."

"Thank you for your trust."

He nodded slightly.

Luo Wei glanced at the blond man in front of him who was still talking non-stop, lost interest in continuing to ask questions, and decided to put the topic aside for now.

"Please wait a moment..."

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes, there is one more extremely important thing."

Tsbia adjusted his collar and continued, "I already know a lot about you, so I find your attempt to save the world quite interesting and applaud it. I do see a certain possibility in it, which is much better than Atlas Institute's approach of preparing for war and trying to solve problems after they happen. So I am willing to offer you some small assistance."

"Please speak."

"First of all, you may be disappointed this time regarding the Star Anchor. Although the ceremonial item in that child's hand is indeed the Star Anchor, it is merely a counterfeit. It was forged by Morgan using divine craftsmanship collected during the Age of Gods, and was intended to replace some of the Star Anchor's functions in preparation for King Arthur's resurrection. Because the craftsmanship is exceptional and it is genuine divine creation technology of the Lady of the Lake, it is quite normal that you haven't noticed it yet."

Tsbia pointed to the Yad in Grey's hand and continued, "As for... the real Star Anchor, there's one in the eastern region, but it's unattainable under the current circumstances, so we won't consider it. The one in the west, because of your change, is currently still in the hands of the king who has transformed into the Storm Goddess. At this moment, she is not in this timeline for many reasons, so if you want to find her, you'll need to use other methods. I can point you in the right direction: use our still-imperfect Spirit Particle Transfer System, or the Jewel Elder's second magic. Just explain it to the Jewel Elder, and he will definitely understand."

As he spoke, Tsbia then put on a thoughtful expression: "However, the goddess's recent changes seem to be somewhat unexpected, so I hope you can make some preparations before you set off to search for her. Similarly, if possible, I will also provide you with some assistance over there, which is the greatest help I can offer. In short, whether or not it succeeds, I wish you good luck in advance."

"The rest of time and space transformed into the Storm Goddess and the Star Anchor... I think I know what you're talking about now..."

Listening to Tsbia's description, Lowe's eyelids twitched involuntarily. He suddenly understood why Yad had given him such a weak and even strange feeling before.

It turns out that the Yad in this timeline was just a fake created by Morgan in order to revive Artoria, so he replicated some of the abilities of the Star Anchor Rungomminiad.

As for where the genuine article went...

Upon Tsbia's reminder, Rowe immediately understood. He had originally thought that Artoria had survived thanks to the Holy Sword, beginning her journey and heading towards a new future.

In the end, she still returned the Holy Sword, but chose the Holy Lance instead? And she even became a goddess, which means the Lion King has been born? It seems that Lovi knows some of the reasons why Merry can't find Artoria now.

She wasn't sleeping in some secret realm, nor was she traveling through the world, not in Avalon or any other place in the Star Sea, but in some other world...

In an independent world, what are possibilities and singularities?

Has this already entered the FGO storyline?

If that's the case, then things are really getting complicated.

"Thank you for letting me know, this is very important to me."

Having considered this possibility, Luo Wei looked somewhat troubled, but he still nodded and expressed his gratitude to the Dean of the Atlas Institute, whom he was meeting for the first time, for providing such important information.

"Haha, not at all. After all, you are now one of the possibilities, and what you are doing is to save the world. Although I am no longer human, I am still a life form living on this planet. Naturally, I am unwilling to accept the so-called Steel Land and Moon Coral, those two hateful and terrible futures. Otherwise, I would not be actively preparing for the future."

Upon seeing that Rowe had learned the general situation, Tsbia smiled happily: "Although I have also made active preparations, such actions are tantamount to being a bit too late. Now that I see a completely different possibility like yours, I will naturally not hesitate to help. Because in a sense, your position and goals are the same as mine."

"I see... It seems there are still smart people in this world. Thank you so much."

"Yes, and I wish you all the best as well. Whatever the outcome, there is no doubt that everything you are doing now is worthy of the name of savior, even if not many people know it."

This time, Tsbia put away his flippant expression and spoke with utmost seriousness.

“Savior… that title is too lofty, I can hardly bear it. All I have done is to give those kind people and those I love a good ending.”

Lowe shook his head slightly, and Tsbia did not answer but simply nodded.

"A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. Whatever your goal may be, in my opinion, what you have done is a good thing for the world."

"Ah."

Luo Wei nodded, then chose to get straight to the point instead of continuing the conversation on that topic.

"Well... let's wrap this up first, and then we can start talking about what's going on right now, right?"

"Please speak."

"I would like to hear your thoughts on this village and the resurrection ceremony of King Arthur, as well as detailed information, regarding the Dean of the Atlas Academy."

"That's a really direct question."

Upon hearing this, Tsbia couldn't help but chuckle with a troubled expression. Then, rubbing his forehead, he turned to Gray beside him and said, "Because the Holy Grail War summoned King Arthur, this ritual began to operate autonomously, resulting in the birth of Gray, Arthur's priestess, who was chosen as a vessel to fulfill her mission. Actually, up to this point, everything was going quite smoothly, but I never expected that you and the Flower Magician would accomplish such an astonishing feat in the Holy Grail War. The effect preceded the cause, changing the past from the future. This altered the most crucial premise—the death of King Arthur—making the entire calculation based on Arthur's death and resurrection completely wrong. This caused an irreversible bug in the ritual, rendering it utterly useless."

At this point, his expression, which had been as vivid as that of a theatrical actor, became extremely distressed and complicated.

"Your actions this time can be said to have ruthlessly negated all my calculations and the efforts of the entire village over the past thousand years. In fact, this is quite a blow to a researcher like me. But more importantly, even if I wanted to correct or make amends, I couldn't, since the premise or the initial goal was wrong from the start."

As he spoke, Tsbia couldn't help but glance at Rowe, who had caused this situation, and Grey, who was hiding beside him, and his expression became somewhat gloomy.

"I'm really sorry... But compared to resurrection, the result I've achieved is the best answer that doesn't require sacrificing anyone, isn't it? It's a happy ending for both Artoria and Gray. It's just that she seems to have encountered some problems and is now waiting for my help."

Noticing that the girl beside him was clearly frightened, in order to comfort her, Lowe quietly reached out his palm and held Grey's small hand.

'So big, so warm...'

Feeling that warmth, Grey nodded gently and leaned closer to Rowe, making Yad realize something was wrong.

"Yes, although it's heartbreaking, from any perspective, I'm the only one who's sad. What you've done is a much better solution. However, the anomaly that occurred underground because of it still gives me a headache."

"...that thing?"

Lo Wei's expression turned somewhat strange.

"Oh, right, you probably don't know this."

Upon hearing the question, Tsbia immediately reacted. He cleared his throat, seemingly organizing his thoughts, and then continued, "Speaking of this matter, we must mention something very important—the [Contract of the Atlas Academy]."

"Those are seven important tokens written at the very beginning of the Astra Institute's founding. As long as you possess one of those tokens, the Astra Institute will provide you with its full support. This is one of the main reasons why I often return here and leave behind the projection equipment."

"To be specific, a long time ago, a gravedigger in this village contacted me using a contract, wanting to borrow the [Logos React], one of the seven great weapons created by the Atlas Institute, to complete some important plans. As the current headmaster of the Atlas Institute, I am often forced to stay here because I am concerned about the operational status of that device. Of course, you can also interpret this as my sense of responsibility as the headmaster. Although, undeniably, I am also very interested in the magical rituals left behind by the witches of the Age of Gods and King Arthur's rebirth plan."

"My departure was largely due to Logos React, because I noticed its huge changes and had to go back to find a way to stop it."

At this point, Tsbia sighed helplessly: "Actually, the real purpose of this village using Logos React is to simulate the spirit of King Arthur, thereby gathering the three elements that would allow King Arthur to be resurrected."

The three essential elements for King Arthur's resurrection.

"Body, mind, and soul?"

'The body is that of the priestess Gray, the soul is that of Artoria, and the spirit is the key to their fusion; it is indeed a feasible plan.'

At this moment, Loewe had understood the entire principle and theory of this ritual.

"As expected of you, it seems that you have made a great breakthrough in this area in the process of interpreting the Book of Law."

Tsbia nodded. He really enjoyed talking to intelligent people like Lowe; it was so time-saving and effortless. He only needed to subtly reveal a few details, and the other person could easily learn the whole story.

"According to my calculations, the witch's plan was supposed to be completed soon, within the next fifty years. After hundreds of years, the witch of King Arthur was successfully born in the village of the gravediggers, and the girl had met the requirements to be a vessel. All that was needed next was to complete the synchronization of their minds and the descent of King Arthur's soul. Sacrificing her as a sacrifice would allow King Arthur to be resurrected and their long-cherished wish to be fulfilled."

"Is it still about sacrificing others for one's own happiness? I feel disgusted no matter how many times I see this..."

After hearing what Tsbia said, Lowe frowned, then made no attempt to hide his disgust.

After all, it was Kiritsugu Emiya who did this last time. However, after being taught a lesson in the Holy Grail World by Kirei Kotomine, who seemed to have suddenly come to his senses, his thoughts seemed to have changed quite a bit. And now that something similar has happened here again, it's only natural that he feels disgusted.

Holding Grey's hand tightly, Rowe tried his best to comfort her while feeling disgusted by her behavior.

"But this is indeed the most correct way to resurrect..."

Seeing Rowe's expression, Tsbia shook his head.

Loewy's standards and values ​​are significantly different from his.

From both a value and other perspectives, Tsbia felt that sacrificing a witch of King Arthur to complete such a grand magic trick and resurrect him was an extremely worthwhile endeavor. There was nothing to regret; rather, Grey, who personally participated in the magic, should be happy about her worth.

However, Loewy clearly values ​​life more than magic and dislikes this kind of sacrifice to save someone.

The essence of alchemy is clearly equivalent exchange, yet Loewy made such an absurd choice.

Although he didn't understand, Tsbia still chose to respect it.

"But there's nothing more to say right now. After all, failure is failure, and I can't find any excuses. On the contrary, I have to deal with the mess below..."