You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

By candlelight, Farrell smiled radiantly: "I will definitely make you happy, Yosuke."

"……well?"

Before Yang Jie could say anything, Farrell had already turned and left without looking back. As the door closed, he sat back down, exhausted.

"Happiness...what does that mean?"

In the stillness of the night, Yosuke lay in bed, Farrell's words echoing in his mind, tossing and turning, his heart filled with complex emotions.

"What am I doing...?"

Yosuke muttered to himself.

He closed his eyes, and Farrell's smile appeared in his mind. That smile warmed his heart, as if something within him had quietly changed.

"Could it be that I... But something doesn't feel right, it shouldn't be, after all, this feeling is completely different from when I play Galgames."

Yes! If you truly like someone, you should be able to tell how much you like them. Real love doesn't involve this kind of anxiety and insecurity.

It seems I was just sick after all... A fortune teller? Let's give it a try..."

Yosuke said softly, then seemed to have come to a realization, his mood lightened, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.

...The next day, Yosuke got up and went to the counter. The clerk told him that Iori and Saito, as well as Miss Elf, had left one after the other. He didn't care. Since he was going to act alone anyway, he packed up and prepared to start his next mission.

He ran into Farrell as he was leaving. Remembering Iori's suggestion, he asked the fortune teller if she knew any diviners. Farrell then enthusiastically recommended her own teacher to him.

"A massive... a massive torrent will separate you from the people you care about, a distance so vast that it cannot be measured by common sense... But don't worry, one day... the day the forgotten treasure box is reopened, you will finally reunite with the people you care about."

—Given this ambiguous answer, Yosuke was still completely confused.

However, his journey became much easier afterward, as Farrell officially graduated from her master's tutelage and began her activities as an adventurer and archaeologist, forming an adventure team with him.

According to the appraiser, she possesses the knowledge that Yosuke needs, and Yosuke also has the strength to protect her. For the sake of efficiency, it is best for the two of them to act as a team.

And so, they earned money by completing tasks while searching for ancient ruins. Farrell was exceptionally talented, and she also possessed perseverance and willpower. Yosuke's cheat-like abilities provided her with numerous conveniences, which allowed her magical knowledge to continuously advance and become increasingly profound.

Especially in the restoration of ancient lost magic circles, he quickly achieved one of the best skills in the world.

Yosuke Shimazaki gradually got used to having Farrell around, and even felt that her presence was as natural as air.

Such days passed for an unknown amount of time, as if time had been fast-forwarded. The things around Yosuke were constantly changing, and even the number of times he met Iori decreased, but Farrell remained the only one...

He stopped worrying about going back at some point.

And so, one day, Farrell solemnly summoned him to a certain ruin and showed him a... or rather, "room" of magic circle.

It was not a conventional flat magic circle, but a three-dimensional magic circle composed of six faces, like a die, with mysterious array patterns engraved on each face that Yosuke could not understand at all.

At the top is a platform large enough for one person to lie down, which at first glance looks like an altar, giving people an ominous feeling.

"Is this...your new invention?"

Yosuke wasn't too surprised.

Over the years, Farrell has become a true sage, a researcher who can even drive progress, and several of his inventions have permanently changed people's lives. Although Yosuke also had ideas and inspirations, it was undoubtedly Farrell who realized and popularized them with extraordinary creativity.

"Yes, this is quite impressive."

Farrell's eyes reflected the altar, and then Yosuke's image.

"What is this for?"

Yosuke asked with interest.

With a faint smile, Farrell calmly said, "It's the second half of the otherworldly summoning technique."

"..."

Yosuke remained silent, looking at Farrell in shock.

The former appraiser, now the Great Sage, was very satisfied with Yosuke's reaction and said with a smile, "The art of summoning from another world was not created by humans, but was passed down from the divine realm and was given to humanity by the goddess as the ultimate insurance. However, repeated wars have caused the interruption of mortal civilization, and they have lost the ability to actively summon heroes from another world."

Occasionally, otherworldly beings like you, possessing cheat-like abilities, suddenly appear in Granbahamar. Perhaps it's the goddess's arrangement...

However, strangely enough, according to the records, almost none of these people became 'heroes,' and none of them returned to their original world after completing their mission.

"……why is that?"

“I don’t know either, I’m just guessing… It’s probably because the ‘spell’ on you is incomplete. The goddess only performed the first half, summoning you here, but didn’t imprint the second half—the ‘miracle of return’—on as well.”

Even... I forgot to tell you what you were supposed to do.

"That's such an irresponsible goddess~"

Yosuke grinned, but there was no joy in his eyes.

"And then, did you make this magic circle yourself?"

"Over the years, I have pieced together the remains from the ruins and added some parts that I restored myself, so I can barely call it a success."

Upon hearing this, Yosuke looked up, and Farrell's figure was crystal clear in his pupils. Then he was surprised to realize that... without realizing it, the appraiser was no longer the same as before.

She seemed to have grown taller, her figure was fuller, and her hair had grown to her waist. She wore gold-rimmed glasses that covered her bright eyes. Her appearance seemed unchanged, but she gave off a much more mature vibe.

The original staff had disappeared without a trace, replaced by a pitch-black magic book, and the clothes he was wearing had also been changed to a long robe.

Why is it that even now, it feels like I'm just meeting her for the first time?

"Can I finally go back to my hometown?"

"Congratulations, Yosuke, it's finally over."

"Thank you... No, that's not it!"

Yosuke Shimazaki clenched his fists, his heart brimming with countless words, yet he didn't know how to begin.

After a long silence, she said, as if deflated, "Is that all? Is it really over?"

"Yes, it was a wonderful time... but the dream is about to end."

Farrell's tone was melancholy, but the smile on her lips remained unchanged, as if she had already made up her mind.

Yosuke took a deep breath: "I want to stay—"

"No...this is not your true feeling."

Farrell stepped forward, and the two could almost feel each other's body temperature. The woman placed her hand on Yosuke's not-so-handsome face.

"If you accept a life you don't like for the sake of someone else, that's not love, that's self-sacrifice... Such a life is built on unhappiness."

Besides, you have more precious things to cherish in that world, don't you?

“Fariel, I, I actually…”

"I love you, Yosuke."

And then... I will make you happy.

--sorry.

A familiar dizziness struck Yosuke Shimazaki's brain, and his previously continuous consciousness suddenly seemed to be stuck in a gear, freezing everything in front of him.

"you……"

“Ijuras… I learned memory manipulation magic a long time ago.”

Just before his consciousness faded into darkness, Yosuke Shimazaki felt a soft, moist touch on his lips. Looking up at the dome of the ruins, a beautiful face appeared in his field of vision, her smile as radiant as the sun, but her glasses were stained with blurry water droplets.

"I love you... Goodbye forever."

……

A burning sensation flowed from the corner of his eye, and drops of scarlet blood also dripped onto the table.

Ignoring his nephew and the female college student's exclamations, Yosuke Shimazaki was frozen in place, as if under a petrification spell.

"Why……"

"uncle?"

"Why did I forget... Why... This won't do!"

Yosuke gritted his teeth, his breathing was heavy like a bellows, and he curled up into a ball with his hands covering his head.

"This won't do! I have to tell her... I've never... I've never told her before!"

"uncle!"

"Jingwen! I... I've been wrong all along!"

The uncle clutched his nephew's jacket, his face already streaked with tears.

"I... don't hate the other world that much... I really want... really want to see her again."

"uncle……"

Tears welled up in Jingwen and Fujimiya's eyes, but they were helpless and could only hug their uncle to offer some comfort.

"Miss Farrell must be hoping that her uncle can live a happy and fulfilling life..."

"Oh, right! Jingwen!"

Yosuke suddenly stood up: "How tall is our house?"

"Huh? Because it's a two-story building..."

Jingwen was stunned for a moment.

"That's enough!"

Yosuke turned around and said, "Wait a moment, I'm going to the other world first."

"and many more!"

"Don't just die so easily!"

Swish!

As Yosuke opened the sliding window of the balcony and stepped onto the railing, a burst of golden light swept over him. Looking up, he saw a figure flying out from among countless array patterns in the flashing light, crashing into him and knocking him onto the balcony with a powerful force.

"uncle!"

"Are you okay?"

"What's going on——"

The next moment, Yosuke, Fujimiya, and Keifumi were all stunned.

"You are……"

"Ouch, it hurts!"

Lying on Yosuke's body, the Sage Lady, rubbing her head as she slowly got up, blinked, looked at the dumbfounded man beneath her, and suddenly chuckled.

"Sorry... developing the reverse summoning array took a little longer than expected."

She smiled brightly and showed him the coordinates—

Only seven of these astral stone rings exist in the world, and they shine brilliantly on my ring finger…

Chapter 555 Merlin? (No feeling)

Chaldea is an extremely busy place. People in the normal world are always busy saving the world, and this "modified version of Chaldea" under Iori's name is even more so.

Even while busy being bosses in various timelines, the Servants still have private time to recuperate and rejuvenate. Chaldea treats its employees very well because there are so many Servants with unique skills that they can cover every aspect of life, so the care can even be described as meticulous.

In the early morning, the aroma of wheat wafts through the Chaldea dining hall. Freshly baked bread is sliced ​​and mixed with the aroma of hot coffee and fried eggs, making one's mouth water.

As always, Artoria Pendragon (Saber) occupied the long table in the corner, with a small mountain of toasted bread, fried bacon, and buttered potatoes piled up in front of her—potatoes were a way for her to reminisce about the bitter past.

Emiya stood in front of the open kitchen counter, skillfully tossing and stirring the food while chatting with a passing Heroic Spirit: "Today's curry has an extra spice added, want to try it?"

Karna smiled and nodded, holding the plate. Behind him, Gina was being pulled by Elizabeth's sleeve as she enthusiastically described the "Idol Training Program" and invited the audience to listen to her training session.

The employees sat in twos and threes around small round tables. Some sipped red tea while flipping through mission briefings, while others discussed in hushed tones the coordinates for spirit particle transfer. Occasionally, Columbus's oblivious laughter would drift over, drawing angry glares from the passing employees and servants.

Drake immediately decided to challenge him to a thirty-seventh duel to determine who was the true master of the ocean. Meanwhile, Captain Nemo, who possessed the divine power of the sea, only had a weak-willed clone who was helplessly trying to mediate the fight.

When the two pirate kings arrived at the training ground, it was as lively as ever. On the wide ground divided into several areas by a magical barrier, two agile figures stood out.

Clang!

Clang!

The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed across the training ground. Cú Chulainn's spear drew a crimson arc, forcing the young man opposite him to take a half-step back, but the young man showed no fear, grinning: "Not bad, old man!"