DOTM: Chapter 617/618

Chapter 617: Employee Benefits

Although not many interesting things happened during their time in Camelot, everyone lived a fulfilling life.

Ever since Gawain and Lancelot were temporarily called to council by Arthur that day, Britain suddenly shifted from a state of calm to a tense state of war preparedness.

According to the news brought back by Artoria, a group of pirates from the north had been frequently raiding the coastal towns in the northeast, and these pirates always managed to accurately evade the encirclement and suppression by the local garrison. This situation caught the attention of Bedivere, who was on patrol, and subsequently drew Arthur's attention.

Having traveled to multiple worlds with Ethan and read countless history books and similar novels and essays, Arthur sensed the presence of a conspiracy. He would not be like muddle-headed monarchs who turned a blind eye to such anomalies. With grand ambitions, Arthur possessed ample drive, and he had gathered a large number of talented individuals under his command who could also sense the unusual nature of this incident.

To resolve this trouble decisively and cleanly, Arthur directly mobilized the Imperial Guard stationed in Camelot. Some might think this reaction was exaggerated, that a force capable of sweeping across the world would enter a state of war preparedness just for a group of pirates.

But Arthur did not think it was exaggerated at all. He intended to use strong measures to eliminate all schemes and conspiracies in their infancy, along with the people who wanted to play such games.

Because of this matter, Arthur visited much less frequently during this period. Ethan simply gave these young people supplementary lessons on various basic magic knowledge, especially Shirou, the designated chef. In addition to basic magic, Ethan also required him to study various cuisines.

This younger version of Shirou was more proficient in their native cuisine, while Ethan's team members leaned toward Western styles, so Shirou needed to learn more types of dishes.

Shirou felt bewildered, but he had a great interest in cooking, so he did not feel much dissatisfaction or resistance. Moreover, Ethan had only made this request and was not personally teaching him how to cook. He mostly had to study on his own.

What was truly being taught was still knowledge related to magic. After receiving instruction from Illya, Shirou had already corrected his original incorrect method of mana circulation.

Subsequently, Ethan taught new basic theories, and he began practicing new basic abilities, specifically targeting the two magecrafts of Reinforcement and Projection, which could now be fully referred to as magic, for specialized practice.

"Excuse me!"

Rin, who was also sitting below and listening to the lesson, raised her hand high, as if afraid Ethan would not see her.

"You don't need to raise it so high. You're not that far from me."

"I want to know what that magic school is like."

Rin's talent was excellent, and she would later enter the Clock Tower for further study and be taken as a disciple by Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, one of the few remaining magicians of the era.

The technique of casting magic without relying on the Root was not too difficult for someone as talented as Rin.

For people like Rin and Illya, who were inherently talented and had practiced magecraft for many years, accumulating considerable magic power within their bodies, mastering magic again would not take much time as long as they knew the correct method.

Although Shirou had learned the incorrect way to use magic power, because his previous method was ineffective, years of practice had still taught him how to channel magic power and he had a decent amount stored, though by magecraft standards his reserves were on the low side.

However, having it is having it, so apart from having a bit less magic power, Shirou's learning speed was not slow.

Because everyone was learning quickly, and Arthur had his own matters to attend to, Artoria also would not want to go back in a short time because she was with Arthur. Especially with a rebellion looming in Britain, she wanted to see how Arthur would handle it.

"That is a world with a completely different magic system. I haven't truly come into contact with the magic there, so I cannot give you a clear answer. As for the school, it should be a very interesting place."

"Should be?"

Rin looked at Ethan with suspicion. In her impression, this deity who had initially appeared as a Berserker was not very reliable.

She even suspected Ethan was playing some kind of prank, but no matter how she thought about it, why would he prank them? Was this his personal preference? Could this guy be the god of pranks?

She noticed that he seemed to care a lot about Shirou. During the lessons these past few days, she could feel that everything was being done to improve Shirou's strength.

It was simply a bonus that she and Sakura could sit here and learn together.

I've been underestimated.

Turning her head to look at Emiya, who was standing nearby with his eyes closed, she felt it was not unreasonable for him to value Shirou. After all, Shirou had the chance to become a Heroic Spirit.

Her greatest achievement was being favored by a certain goddess and being possessed by a goddess?

The day's learning and simple practice sessions were over. This time, everyone did not disperse. They had been living here for quite some time, and Artoria had clearly stated yesterday that she would accompany Arthur on the expedition.

No one knew exactly how long it would take, as the situation was completely unclear.

Arthur was leaving Camelot, and Ethan was not planning to stay here any longer either.

He had brought Artoria to meet Arthur to see if she could resolve her inner turmoil. Now that she seemed to have many things she wanted to know, he would let her stay and pick her up next time.

To Ethan's surprise, yet not entirely unexpectedly, Shirou decided to stay after considering for a while.

"Are you staying in Camelot to wait for Artoria?"

"No, I will go with her."

"Are you planning to go to the battlefield to train yourself?"

Shirou's face was a little pale. He had thought he might very well go to the battlefield. Even if he did not have to fight, seeing real war scenes from a distance was still not easy for a high school student who had lived a peaceful life.

But he still chose to stay.

Looking at Shirou's determined expression, Ethan did not offer much advice, just nodded to indicate he understood.

Originally, he wanted to say a few words of caution, but then he thought that saying things like be careful was meaningless. With Britain's strength and Shirou's situation, it was impossible to encounter danger.

Even if there was a conspiracy, and the enemy's plan was strong enough to infiltrate Arthur's side to carry out an assassination, they probably could not deal with Artoria, who was far stronger than humans and disguised as a guard knight. Even if Shirou's strength was not great, he still had the ability to protect himself when facing ordinary people.

Moreover, Lancelot, the top expert of the Round Table, was also on this expedition, and Shirou, who would definitely be with Arthur, would be very safe. He really could not think of anything to say.

On the other hand, Illya, acting like an older sister, lectured Shirou to practice magic well and not let his strength stagnate before she returned.

"In that case, I will punish you properly on Kiritsugu's behalf."

After Shirou decided to stay, the others also made their decisions.

Sakura also chose to stay. The reason was simple: because Shirou was here. She was very worried about him staying for Artoria, so after struggling for a while, she also chose to remain in Britain.

Although her own strength was not top-tier, she had Medusa, a Servant, which further increased Shirou's safety.

As for why these two were willing to stay, it was because Ethan had told them when they arrived that no matter how long they stayed here, when he sent them back to their original world, only a few days would have passed at most.

So they did not have to worry about playing outside for many years and finding everything changed when they returned.

Rin was originally a little hesitant when she heard that Shirou was going to stay, but after hearing that Sakura was staying, she became even more determined in her own plan.

She wanted to follow Ethan to that magic school to experience another type of mystery, even if it meant being separated from everyone.

"Anyway, Emiya is with me."

"Rin, I cannot stay with you this time. I have to go back to my own world."

Originally, becoming a Servant and participating in this Holy Grail War unexpectedly gave Emiya a special opportunity: to kill himself, or rather, to prevent himself from walking down that painful path of justice.

Unexpectedly, the development of events completely exceeded expectations. This timeline became stranger and stranger. He could only be certain that this Shirou would not walk the path he had taken, and he could not be sure of anything else.

In this situation, there was no point in him staying, so he decided to go back and continue his work: protecting the existence of humanity.

"You're leaving?"

"I should have left when the Holy Grail was completely destroyed."

Emiya had stayed this long because of Shirou. Now that he was certain this Shirou had nothing to do with him, he was no longer willing to stay.

Rin knew that Emiya could not stay with her forever, but she did not expect the separation to come so suddenly, which made her, who had just gotten used to his presence, a little uncomfortable.

However, she still smiled and said goodbye to Emiya, and thanked him for taking care of her during this time.

Ethan watched the two say goodbye, thinking they would never see each other again, and shook his head speechlessly, telling Emiya something that surprised him.

"What do you mean I don't have to go back to that place where there's nothing?"

"It means exactly what it says. It's a reward from the new boss for an excellent employee..."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 618: Diana’s Misjudgment

Emiya was a Counter Guardian, whose job was to prevent humanity's extinction. To achieve this, he even had to undertake some rather dirty work.

He performed similar tasks relentlessly year after year. After completing a job, he would return to his own world for a simple rest before continuing with the next mission.

There was no salary, no vacation, nothing. All there was was killing, over and over again.

Living this kind of life for so many years, any normal person would find it unbearable. Therefore, Ethan deeply understood Emiya's desire to kill his past self and change the fact that he became a Guardian.

Emiya's superior was merely a rule, devoid of any human touch, simply completing its own job mechanically. As for how Emiya, as a human, felt about it, that was not within its consideration. The moment Emiya chose to accept this job, he became a tool.

Ethan was different. He had his own thoughts, and for the most part, he would pretend he was still a person. Thus, he would consider things from a human perspective.

During the time he took over the Nasuverse, he had, to some extent, gained a bit of control over this world.

He could not make huge changes, and currently there was no way to completely free Emiya. Separating Emiya was not just about removing his status as a Guardian, but also involved the Throne of Heroes, which was a rather complex situation.

Since the fundamental problem could not be solved for now, he would deal with the simple matters first.

Ethan adjusted Emiya's work hours and the location of his home base, making Fuyuki, where they had been before, Emiya's usual resting place.

This meant that from now on, Emiya could live in Fuyuki when he was not being summoned for a mission.

The number and frequency of summons were also adjusted by Ethan. He only needed to go out on one mission per month, and the remaining time could be used for rest.

Simply put, Emiya's work style was somewhat similar to that of a dimension traveler, except that his missions were mostly aimed at ensuring the survival of humanity as a whole by eliminating evil existences that could cause human extinction.

"Currently, I can't interfere too much with your work assignments. When I can in the future, I'll let you take on some easier or less unpleasant tasks. Of course, if you truly encounter a situation where you need to save the world, I won't stop you either."

There was a reason Emiya became a Guardian. Although after so many years of killing he loathed this identity and regretted his initial choice, when faced with a real crisis, he would always make the correct choice and protect everything he believed should be protected.

This had not changed even after dying countless times, suffering innumerable blows, and witnessing the various evil sides of humanity. It could be said that he was fundamentally an excellent Counter Guardian.

Although she did not understand what Emiya and Ethan meant by missions and home base, Rin did understand the part about Emiya being able to live in Fuyuki like before when he was not working.

"You can actually do that?"

Emiya had not had a very intuitive impression of Ethan controlling the entire world before, but this time he truly understood what this individual in front of him meant to a special existence like himself. This was essentially his superior's superior.

"That's great! In that case, can Emiya come with us?"

"Still no."

Emiya shook his head. Although Ethan had provided him with many new benefits, he calculated that he had been off work for a while, and he would have to go out on a mission after returning this time.

Although his missions existed at various points in time and did not conflict with the timeline of that world, he was not sure how time in that world was calculated when he left for a mission.

"We all have things we need to do. Anyway, it's not like we won't see each other again."

"Okay!"

After saying goodbye to Artoria, Shirou, and Sakura, who were confirmed to stay here, Ethan took everyone directly back to Artemis, then sent Emiya back to the Nasuverse alone before returning to Artemis again. A certain person eating instant noodles looked left and right suspiciously: Seems like someone came back? Huh? Was it a hallucination?

"Alright, now we need to make preliminary preparations for the upcoming activity."

Ethan's target this time was precisely the world of Harry Potter. For the world he once lived in, when mentioning schools of magic, Hogwarts would come to mind. In many universes, Hogwarts was also the most famous school of magic because those worlds also had the novel and film series of Harry Potter.

He chose this world not only because of its special magic system but also because the age for new students entering Hogwarts was exactly eleven, which perfectly matched the current physical condition of Ethan and Illya.

At the same time, Leah's apparent age was also just over ten. Although her actual age was a bit older, she looked younger than her actual age due to living in poverty in previous years. A thin, weak little girl, saying she was eleven would not arouse suspicion.

The only trouble was Rin, who was already a high school student. There was no way for her to directly enter Hogwarts.

"You have two options now. One is to simply come to that world with us without entering the magic school to study, but I can compile that knowledge and teach it to you."

Rin thought about it and finally shook her head. She still preferred to personally experience this completely different mysterious knowledge.

"What's the other option?"

"Drink this. This potion can make your body return to the state of being around eleven years old."

Rin caught the small bottle Ethan threw over. Having practiced martial arts for many years, her reaction time and physical coordination were good. When necessary, she could use reinforcement magic to enhance her physical abilities and engage in close combat.

Squinting at the bottle in her hand, her gaze kept shifting between it and Ethan.

"What?"

"This isn't some strange potion, is it?"

Ethan covered his face. "What are you thinking?"

"A girl traveling alone, of course, has to be careful." Rin opened the bottle and smelled it for a long time. Just as she finally decided to drink it, Ethan reached out and signaled her to wait.

"Wait a moment."

"What?" Her first reaction was that the potion was problematic, but then she realized that if there was a problem, Ethan would not stop her, right?

"It's not about that." Ethan pointed to her clothes. She had changed back into her favorite red top and skirt before returning. "Your body will shrink after drinking the potion, but your clothes won't shrink with you."

"Ah!"

Only then did Rin understand, and she slightly blushed as she screwed the cap back on.

"I was just smelling it. I wasn't going to drink it right now."

"You don't need to rush with this. To go to that world, I still need to do some preparatory work."

Hogwarts' admissions were quite special. Unlike many schools where parents applied for their children, in a certain area, once a child with magical aptitude was born, the child's name and information automatically appeared on Hogwarts' list of new students. When the child turned eleven, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sent an owl with an acceptance letter to the child's location.

This area definitely included the British Isles. There were other magic schools on the European continent, and Ethan could not be sure how the territories of these schools were divided.

Therefore, to ensure that they would receive acceptance letters from Hogwarts, he had to make arrangements and preparations in advance, such as entering at the very beginning of the film, shortly after Harry Potter was born and his parents were killed by Voldemort.

This was to ensure their names automatically appeared on the list of new students, or to use some means to write their names on it.

Besides himself, there were Illya, Leah, and Rin, who also needed to enroll.

"Do you want some?"

Ethan had already informed his companions about his upcoming itinerary and even sent messages to the few who were not currently on Artemis.

So far, everyone's reaction was not very enthusiastic. Logan, whom Ethan specifically asked, expressed a very clear refusal. He had no interest in turning into a child and going back to school.

"If you really turn me into a child, I'll fight you!"

Logan's expression was serious, very serious. Judging by his appearance, he was definitely not joking, and he repeatedly emphasized that Ethan was not allowed to add anything to his food in a prankish manner.

"Diana, when are you going back? I'll stay with you for a while."

Feeling that staying near Ethan at this time was likely to get him into trouble, Logan decisively chose to go out and avoid the storm, and his choice was Paradise Island.

"No problem, I'll be going back in a few days."

"Going back already? I thought you'd stay with me for a few more years."

"You'll be living in school for the next few years, and I can't get in. Should I become a teacher?"

Diana was not very interested in such things. Besides, Hogwarts was a magic school. Although she was not completely clueless about magic, she was not skilled enough to be a teacher.

At the same time, she was not interested in becoming a child. Considering Ethan's ability to leave Hogwarts and find her at any time, which was no different from their usual way of interacting, there was no need for her to stay by Ethan's side all the time.

Moreover, Ethan, who had turned into a little kid, could not do much in a short time.

That very night, Ethan made Diana realize how incredibly wrong she was.

(To be continued.)