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

……

……

P.S.: I've slightly adjusted the book title. I was too casual about the name before and didn't notice that someone had already used this almost identical title.

It would be better to revise it.

Then, the Fourth Holy Grail War began.

I'll add an extra chapter this weekend to speed up the plot.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Invitations and Chance Encounters

—I long to journey to that world of dreams, for to me, dreams are the only reality.

……

……

someday.

In a newly established magic workshop, a young magician leaned back in his chair and gently closed his eyes.

It's a flower...

This is a fairyland that only exists in fairy tales.

The air smelled sweet, the sun was warm, and pink petals floated in the air, enveloping the lost intruder.

The dream I arrived in was intricate and complex, a mix of illusion and reality.

Like a flower in a mirror or the moon in water, it is hazy yet incredibly real, making one's thoughts almost come to a standstill.

In this hazy, dreamlike state, Luo Wei's thoughts became slightly confused. Then he began to climb the smooth marble steps, step by step, up the huge tower in front of him.

"Come here quickly, come here quickly, come here..."

In his dream, a voice appeared faintly, passing through layers of petals. Luo Wei felt himself getting closer and closer to the source of the voice.

He kept moving forward, ever forward...

Finally, it was just one step away.

"Brave young man, you will soon be able to touch the legendary miracle."

"I, the great sage who possesses both beauty and wisdom, await your arrival at the end."

Who?

Who is talking to me?

The sound seemed familiar to these petals, but they couldn't quite place it or recall it.

In the deep dream, he felt dizzy and unable to concentrate, so he could only move forward by instinct and guidance.

As the sound grew closer and closer, so did the distance between him and the top of the tower.

Just as he was about to touch the curtain and pass through the illusion, he saw only a blurry, white figure—

"Snap—!!"

At that very moment, in reality, the two gems on her body shattered.

In a daze, Luo Wei, who was in a dream, opened his eyes. With the adjustments and precautions he had made in advance, he regained his senses and his thoughts became clear.

"Get out of here."

Luo Wei suddenly opened his eyes, then snapped his fingers in mid-air, and the powerful magic hidden within his body immediately stirred.

Then, an unusually powerful force tore the meticulously woven dream world apart right before their eyes.

White wings fell from the spiritual realm, and the powerful energy they emitted instantly dispelled the sea of ​​flowers.

And the whispers in the dream, like the flower fairies, vanished completely, just like the sea of ​​flowers that had been set ablaze.

"Someone actually wants to directly attack my mental domain?!"

In reality, Luo Wei suddenly opened his eyes, a look of horror flashing in them.

Although the memory just now is like a dream that most people in this world experience briefly and will soon be forgotten by the brain, even the details are difficult to describe clearly.

However, forgetting does not mean disappearing.

Since it has been here, it must have left its mark.

He was also familiar with the culprit from earlier.

"...Merlin, what a troublesome fellow! He's acting so recklessly."

Clutching the two shattered runestones in his hand, which were meant to protect against curses and special mental attacks, Luo Wei murmured to himself.

He already had the answer in his heart regarding what he had just experienced.

He just didn't understand why the other person kept bothering him.

Is it simply because it's interesting?

Perhaps, that could be considered a reason for that guy, but is it really worth it for Him to go to such lengths to pull Him into the dream He has woven?

Luo Wei always felt that this matter was not as simple as he had imagined.

What exactly does He (Merlin) want to do?

……

The Sea Within Stars.

"Hey, what's wrong with this person? Who puts on multiple layers of mental defenses while sleeping?"

"And that's not all. He even specially set up a magic trick to force his escape, giving his older brother no chance at all. He's taking so many precautions in his own magic workshop. Just how afraid is he of being ambushed? Is it really necessary to be so cautious?"

On the white tower in the park, a flower magician who had just been humiliated by someone suddenly opened his eyes.

Merlin was clearly surprised that he had just tried to enter someone else's dream, only to be kicked out.

After all, he never expected that a kind person would set up a double magic barrier for themselves while sleeping, one layer to protect their mental realm and the other to guard against curses or special contact.

His dream illusion is also a type of mental magic. The moment the contact is made, the other party forcibly disconnects and breaks free from the mental realm.

This put Merlin in a somewhat difficult position.

Originally, he planned to use this dream-like tea party to explain the current situation to the other party, to take credit for the help he provided to Queen Scáthach, and finally to do him a favor and make a deal with him, so that Rowe could help him accomplish some things.

"They didn't give us a chance at all..."

Reflecting on his recent experience, Merlin sighed helplessly.

As the renowned Flower Magician, Nightmare, and a legendary figure worthy of succeeding the Grand Caster, I was actually kicked out of a dream. How embarrassing! If Morgan and Vivian knew about this, they would surely laugh at me for a long time.

However, considering that the other party is the successor of the sorcerer who holds the Book of Laws in this generation, and is also a Foreniger with an extremely strong soul, this matter is not so hard to accept.

If it were an ordinary magician, even if the opponent was on guard beforehand, it would be impossible to stop his magic trick.

So... what should we do now?

Should we give up now?

That's impossible, of course.

Putting aside the bet he made with the Jewel King, in which he would become the magical girl Merry if he lost, he couldn't easily let go of her just because of her form of existence and the unique characteristics she possessed.

He had tasted enough of the mundane and tedious Holy Grail War process, and no matter how he deduced it, he could never achieve his goal.

The existence of this variable has given him a good opportunity, although he himself is unsure whether it's good or bad...

However, he had waited through such a long period of time, and this time was the most special one, so there was naturally no reason for him to give up easily.

And... to be honest, he was quite interested in that Forengineer and this kind of off-the-charts story development.

Thinking this, Merlin's lips slowly curved into a smile, and his rainbow-like clairvoyance once again pierced the distance of the world, fixing his gaze on the young man.

"Hey, interesting young man... I hope you can bring a different answer this time? I hope you can awaken my confused, naive, and stubborn queen, so that she can truly rest..."

He murmured softly, his hands never stopping.

"Although my soul strength is beyond the standard and I have all sorts of defenses, don't underestimate me as someone who can become the legendary Grand Caster... Despite the many difficulties, as long as I make sufficient preparations in advance, I can still find an opportunity to sneak in."

"So... take a good rest first."

"Sleep well, sleep well... interesting young man, our tea party will still begin in the near future, but for now, let your older brother prepare properly..."

The frivolous voices echoed quietly in the tower, carried by the warm breeze, blowing and blowing...

Until they reached the other side of the dream, it quietly echoed in Luo Wei's ears.

"Merlin... It's him again. He's really persistent."

Listening to the whispers echoing in his ears, Luo Wei slowly opened his palm, letting the petals drift from his fingertips and then disappear into the air.

"Looks like they've set their sights on me..."

Although he didn't have a very good impression of Merlin, Lowe was very clear about his abilities.

Putting aside Merlin's personality and some of his unreliable actions, his clairvoyance is truly invaluable. If we could win him over to help us, we could certainly gain a significant advantage.

As for why he kept coming to him, Luo Wei had probably already guessed something—

For the king she serves, Saber Artoria Pendragon.

If that's all there is to it, then they might be able to cooperate.

'But now that everything is almost ready, I should go out and take a look.'

After thinking for a while, he slowly stood up from the bench and stretched in the sunlight streaming through the window.

"I wonder where Scáthach and Aozaki Touko have been wandering around? Is it really okay for them to be running around during such a tense time as the Holy Grail War? They agreed to help improve the purification ritual together, but they always end up going shopping during the Holy Grail War. I guess I need to limit their allowance a bit..."

Looking out at the pristine white sky, Luo Wei stroked his chin, thinking to himself.

……

……

On the other side, on the streets of Fuyuki City.

A white-haired beauty is strolling leisurely in the sunlight.

"Irisviel, how are you feeling?"