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Hello, dear readers and welcome to Chapter 5 of 'TPoM'! :)

Okay, so listen up!

What you are about to read in the first part is, once again, a flashback. But, this one has happened recently to the MC.

It's quite an exciting one to read, because I think some of you have been looking forward to this scene a lot.

So, here it is and enjoy the 12k words of a chapter. As per usual, more AN is below, so I'll see you guys there.

Also, please follow, fave and (or) leave a review of what you think of this chapter if you have the time!

(PS - Q & A is at the very bottom of the page. So, to those that left reviews in the previous chapter, please go there to see your answers, except for the ones that had already been answered via the PM.)

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"Words"

'Thoughts'

"Spells" or "Abilities"

*Sound Effects*

Chapter 5 — Morning Blues

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Deep within the far side of the lunar realm, there was a vast, empty platform with white marble flooring and numerous columns scattered around.

Within the center of the platform, there are two people currently locked in a battle.

On one side, there is a young man with short blonde hair and bright cyan eyes that are narrowed in concentration.

His long blonde lashes and his almond-shaped eyes that are narrowed in focus made his gaze appear intense and smoldering. He has a stunning face, with naught a hint of imperfections and so perfectly symmetrical that one can be captivated by merely gazing upon him.

He has a pale white skin that appears too soft to touch (similar to a newborn's), a lean and muscular physique that was fit for combat, and stands at the height of 5'5.

He was attired in a white dress shirt with white gold cuff links and long-sleeves that was rolled up to his elbows, a velvet blue tie, a black vest with gold vein-like patterns and a thin gold chain that extends from the front and to the right pocket, black pants, and dress shoes with no laces and thin straps with silver buckles.

Hanging loosely upon his shoulders is a black capelet that extends pass his waist. It has a few gold ornaments on the shoulders, and stylish lines drawn in molten gold on the front and back.

On the helix of his left ear was a silver earring with detailed carvings and a small diamond, but it remains out of sight as some strands of his hair keeps it hidden.

His hands was covered by a pair of black fingerless gloves, while adorning some of his fingers are four rings of different features: two are silver rings with similar inscriptions worn in the middle fingers on both hands, one was a black and gold ring with a crystal diamond in the center worn in his left index finger, and the last was a silver elegant ring with a small diamond worn in his right index finger.

In his left hand was a silver metallic construct that bears the shape of a gun. But, instead of one hole to fire a bullet, it has three needle-size holes at the end of its barrel.

While on the other side, there is a tall and dignified-looking young man who is older and mature-looking than the first.

He can be said to be the polar opposite of the other. While the latter was gorgeous, the other man can be described as handsome.

He has blonde hair that was similar to the color of polished gold, and a pair of crimson eyes (red like blood) with sharp, vertical irises that are visibly not those of a human and gives off a mysterious radiance that can make people wither.

He has a pale skin tone that was a bit tanned due to exposure to the sun, and has a perfect, golden proportioned body emanating majesty. He stands at the height of 6"1, and wears a gold plated armor that only covers his lower body. His upper body was on display, and red tattoos are shown across his torso and arms. Around his neck was a gold necklace and a pair of gold earrings hung on both of his ears.

The two of them had been locked into a constant conflict for several hours now.

It was a good thing that time doesn't seem to affect the world they are in, as it does on Earth to a great extent.

Otherwise, the younger man's companions would have been concerned about his current whereabouts.

And that is something that he would prefer not to happen.

Feeling that the end of their battle is coming to a close, they both prepared themselves for the finale.

The older of the two was smirking, staring at the younger man with amusement and expectation in his crimson eyes.

Seeing this, he felt a bit annoyed before he set his face into a calm and focus expression.

He clicked his tongue, then raised one hand and brushed his hair back, sweeping it back to get it out of his face

Some strands of his hair still fell, but at least his vision has improved, and now he can focus on the task at hand.

With a plan in mind, he bend his knees a bit before he moved, leaving a blue afterimage of his form at his wake.

A second longer in that spot, he would have been impaled by the golden chains with ten spear-like protrusions that came out of the golden portals in every directions.

As he teleported away, more golden portals followed him as he goes further to the left of his enemy.

Explosions of various sizes began to fill the once quiet area as all kinds of weapons (ranging from spears, swords, and etc.) with great magical energy started to shoot out of the many golden portals that kept appearing in every direction at high speeds.

They followed their target as if on auto-lock while he teleported away to safety from each attack, including the chains with the sharp blades that still did not gave up on chasing after him.

If anything, he has a sneaky suspicion that the chains is sentient, as it only began to chase after him with more fervor and haste as the time goes by.

Dare he say it, he suspected that it might even be enjoying their game of 'cat and mouse'… like its owner.

Speaking of which, his enemy only seems more amused as he observed him disappear and reappear in different locations nearby, avoiding his assaults neatly with his magical ability.

If he was someone without the teleport ability, he would (probably) had been dead and skewered thousands of times by the amount of magical weapons that are coming at his way.

His foe was truly worthy of his title.

'Hmm… no kidding.' The younger man thought wryly. 'As expected of someone who had collected all of mankind's treasures. His weapons seems endless.'

While keeping an eye on the golden chains with deadly blades, he glanced at the crimson eyed man from time to time.

Once he noticed his enemy had begun to move to a certain spot, most likely to follow him so that he can set his next attacks at a better angle, it was time for him to put his own plan into motion.

'Now's my chance…' He thought, focused and determined.

After dodging three weapons that flew out of the portals, he suddenly stopped, then turned and watched as another set of golden portals appear several feet above him.

The chains with sharp blades came out and begun their fast descent towards him at high speeds, bundling into one to further increase its down force.

The crimson eyed man smirked triumphantly, feeling that victory was already in his hands.

But, it was quickly wiped off by the next scene that he witnessed.

The younger man raised the hand that held the silver gun-shaped construct and pointed it to the incoming chains.

He smiled, and then pulled the trigger.

*Whoosh*

Just as the blades on the front of the chains came near him, a magical aura of blue light covered the chains in a span of milliseconds before they suddenly vanish into a mix of white, gold and blue particles of light. The chains was not the only one to disappear, even the golden portals were not spared from the unnatural act of magical phenomenon.

In the older man's point of view, his treasured chains and the golden portals that he summoned there just vanished into nothingness, as if it was insignificant.

That angered him, quite so.

"You…!" The older blonde muttered, feeling his blood boil by the sight.

Crimson eyes narrowed as he began to get serious.

His honed instincts spiked to dangerous levels, while his mind advised him to careful.

As far as his battle experience was telling him, his fun had come to an abrupt end the moment the younger man showed him one of his hidden cards.

He had checked his treasury for one of his greatest treasures, and found that the chains had decreased in length.

Fortunately, his treasured chains are still there, but he fears that if he used them again, it might only meet the same fate as before.

This had never happened to him before, not even in the past.

For the first time, he found someone that might possibly be the very nemesis to his own ability.

'To think that that brat would have a dangerous trump card and hid it until now. How bothersome...' The crimson eyed man thought, frowning.

As he thought about using the other great treasure within his treasury, only second to his divine chains, he was interrupted as the younger man began his counter assault.

As if by karma, the older blonde found himself surrounded with transparent weapons of all kinds, with the sharp ends of the blades pointed at his body.

The weapons looked ethereal. Beautiful and clear. All of which are glowing with a heavenly white and blue aura as crystal particles hang around them. Similar to the ones in his treasury, the crystalize weapons that surrounded him (via telekinesis) also appears to glow with great powers of their own.

By the intricate designs and their signs of their powers, the crimson eyed man found that they seem more suited in the hands of a ruler instead of a brat, who is now his foe.

It took him by surprise for a moment, but his experience as a warrior allowed him to adjust to the unexpected situation calmly.

The brat was quite cunning and opportunistic. He had to give him that.

He did not think that the brat would have such trump cards hidden, and actually be patient and resourceful enough to hide it until it was time to use them.

Before, the brat had been fighting him using only Magecraft. It was an impressive array of spells, but it was still Magecraft nonetheless.

Impressive, but parlor tricks in his opinion.

Although, the brat has the mind and cunningness to make proper use of his spells in strategic ways and in the right moments.

The brat nearly caught him in several traps earlier, and it was only thanks to his battle experience that he was able to avoid them all.

One by one, the crimson eyed man was assaulted in all directions. Sometimes, even two at the same time.

He was not given the time to even think as he tried to avoid the phantom weapons with his own from the treasury.

Left, right, above and in all ways. Via telekinesis, the phantom weapons attacked him from all sides, targeting his blind spots especially.

The force behind each attack was making him use more of his strength to maintain his own defense, and it often made him grit his teeth in irritation when it happened.

He thought about using the divine chains to improve his defense further, but when he noticed that some of his weapons from the treasury had vanished after it came into contact with one of the brat's phantom weapons, the crimson eyed man knew that he cannot take the risk.

No mere Magecraft can make a portion of his divine weapon vanish from existence, no matter how impressive it is, which can only mean one thing.

The brat empowers his spells with the magical energy of a True Magic, which makes all of his spells closer to that of a True Magic based on firepower and mystery.

'That brat…' The man snarled, displeased at his predicament. 'Truly a troublesome one…'

The same scene went on for a while, the crystal weapons of unknown origin attacking and with him defending himself from the endless onslaught.

He was given no respite, and it eventually became the cause for his defeat.

It was a small gap, but it was during the time of when he was deflecting five phantom weapons, that the brat began his next move.

Even though he was busy defending himself from the non-stop assault, his instincts were still helpful as it warned him of something dangerous approaching.

Blood red eyes widened as he felt the sense of death looming over him, making him turn in the direction where he felt it from.

In a span of seconds, he summoned another portal and pulled out a weapon with his left hand, then raised it in front of him in defense.

Had he not been quick enough, he would have a sword get lodge deep into his midsection.

As he had suspected, the flashes of white, blue and gold sparks was the telltale signs of his enemy's sudden arrival.

He blocked the young man's sneak attack just in time the moment he turned around and held the sword in front of him.

A dual colored sword of white and gold, made of otherworldly energy, met a sword of peculiar structure with red circuit lines that runs along its cylindrical surface.

Sparks flew between them as they locked blades.

But, it was slowly and steadily coming into the younger man's favor.

The older blonde noticed this and wondered, frowning in confusion.

When he looked up, that was when he saw the younger man's peculiar eyes.

They were glowing with a vibrant blue light and the irises are dyed red like blood.

In addition, the crimson eyed man started to hear cracking noises against the surface of his own blade, and he found that his body seemed to be getting heavier.

A quick look down, he saw a magic circle beneath his feet, and he was right in the dead center of it.

Realization immediately dawned on him, and he cannot help but laugh.

Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, smirked.

"You… you really are one troublesome brat."

...

[... Vancouver, Canada - Morning ...]

...

Vibrant cyan eyes slowly opened, a dazed expression on his face as Hadrian stared up the dark ceiling of his private quarters.

He blinked, feeling the cobwebs of sleep fade away from his mind.

'What… what was that?'

He closed his eyes as he put a hand over them.

'Why am I dreaming about that now of all times? Wait… is this what they call being haunted?'

With no answer coming to mind, Hadrian let out a quiet sigh.

"Fou…"

A strange but familiar sound was heard near his ear.

Then, Hadrian felt something furry and fluffy softly brush against his skin, tickling him a little.

Opening his eyes, he put his hand away and turned his head a bit to the left.

He saw a small creature with the size and a slight resemblance to a squirrel's, but with ears as long as a rabbit's. It has a pure white fur, a large fluffy tail and a pair of purple orbs for eyes. Over its shoulders is a white and blue capelet with a purple ribbon to hold it in place.

This was Fou, also known as Cath Palug. One of his familiars.

A few months back after the Holy Grail War ended, his wish was granted by the Moon Cell and the balance of the world was restored into its natural and healthy state.

It took quite a while for his wish to take effect. The process was slow yet steady that lasted for a few months, but it happened and that was what mattered to him.

While Hadrian did not originally belong in this world and there was no need for him to do such a thing, he felt indebted to the man who had been his father in this second life.

Arin von Aelfryth was a good man to Lucia, and the best father that any child could ask for. It was only upsetting that Hadrian had not manage to spend more time with him, but even that can't be helped. The man had to join the war and he had a good purpose for doing so.

Therefore, Hadrian could hardly blame him for it.

A lot of innocent people had been dying, and the state of the world was on the brink of calamity. All of the clues they found had pointed to the Moon, and so Arin was left with no choice.

Win the war and restore balance to the world, or risk letting someone with malevolent intentions to win and ignore the needs of the world.

The choice was obvious, and Hadrian could not be more proud of him.

But of course, the outcome of the war was not expected nor was it surprising.

It was then around that time that Fou was given to him by his grandfather, who advised him to take care of Fou as she was entrusted to him by someone of great stature.

While he was grateful, Hadrian wondered if his grandfather simply gave Fou to him to distract him from the events of the war, especially about his father's death.

Hadrian often found himself accompanied with melancholic thoughts after the Holy Grail War was over and he returned home with Arturia in tow. Needless to say, whenever Hadrian was left to his own devices, he would tend to stay quiet and lost himself deep in his thoughts, reflecting on his experience in the war.

Said negative thoughts disappeared when Fou came into the picture, but Hadrian remembered that she had an original owner.

When Hadrian asked who that person was and why Fou was given to him, his grandfather only said…

"Let's just say that she's someone who is interested in you. She knows what you did for the world, and Fou is your reward for your efforts without asking for anything in return."

…

Even to this day, Hadrian had no idea who Fou's original owner was. He had asked his grandfather about it twice, but he did not pursue the matter any further after that, considering as the old man looked a bit uncomfortable when Hadrian tried to ask him more about Fou's previous owner.

What he does know was that Fou is not an ordinary creature.

He had never seen one like her before, and so he assumed that her origins must be related to the magical side of things.

Nevertheless, even without the old man's vague words and advice, Hadrian had every intention to take care of Fou.

He found her to be quite adorable and, whenever he feels down, Fou would always never leave his side.

Usually, his retainers would be the ones to notice the changes in his mood, especially Arturia, but Fou was a lot quicker to pick up on his emotions than the others could. The familiar bond between the two of them might have given her an edge compared to the others, so there was that.

Yesterday, Fou was with Arturia since Hadrian had been asleep.

When he woke up, he had seen Fou also look at him in concern like the rest of his retainers.

She even wanted to go and comfort him, but Hadrian reassured her through their familiar bond and she stayed with Arturia instead.

Fou was often there to accompany him, and Hadrian could not be more grateful for her presence in his life.

And the same can be said with his friends and family in this life, including his retainers.

Hadrian smiled.

He picked her up carefully with both hands, chuckling softly when she uttered her trademarked 'fou' before he laid her down on his chest and closer to his face.

He nuzzled her and whispered his good mornings, smiling when she returned the gesture by cuddling back.

"How are you doing? Hm?" Hadrian asked her gently.

"Fou."

The cute little animal responded as per as usual with a twitch of her tail and ears.

"Okay, good." Hadrian smile's widened a little.

With one last rub on her head, Hadrian slowly sat up and looked around the room after he settled her on his lap.

His private quarters was spacious and well furnished: a king-size bed in the center, a 49' flat screen TV equipped with the latest consoles and gadgets, a mini fridge beside the table drawer that the TV was set upon, a master bathroom behind the wall of his bed, a spacious dressing room, a private study nearby and a veranda that has the best view of the ocean.

It was to be expected since they did made reservations in one of the most expensive hotels in the country.

'Well… it was more like opa made the reservations. Not me.' He thought wryly.

When it comes to Magi, displaying (wasting) their wealth was one of the things that was peculiar about his kind, along with ego-ribbing and playing politics in the high circles of their society.

His grandfather, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, was no different from the rest when it comes to matters related to wealth.

Even though they only need to stay here for no more than a week, the old man still went and purchased a penthouse in one of the best hotels in the country.

Hadrian can only wonder how much it cost, but he would not be surprised if the price to buy the penthouse went by millions.

'Magi and their weird sense of lifestyle…' Hadrian shook his head with a sigh.

Watching her master's strange actions, Fou tilted her head in curiosity as she looked up at him.

"Fou?"

Looking at the glass doors of the veranda, he can tell that it was still too early by the lack of sunlight from behind the midnight curtains that covered the entrance.

He turned to look at the digital clock by the bedside table, and saw that it was [3:30 AM].

His day usually starts [4:00 AM], but since he didn't feel like going back to sleep, Hadrian felt that he might as well start the day early and do something to distract himself.

'Speaking of which…'

Hadrian turned his head to the right, and saw a familiar lump that was somewhat hidden by the layers of white sheet.

With a closer look, he saw that it was Arturia, still asleep and closer to the spot of where he had been resting before.

The only reason as to why they had not bumped into each other during the night was because of the pillow that he had been hugging before he went to sleep.

But, Arturia does not seem to have any reservations in sleeping closer to where he was.

Hadrian knew that he should not stare at her, but he did it anyways due to the sight before him.

Despite her reservations and doubts in the beginning, Arturia seems to have taken to wearing a nightie whenever it was time for them to turn in for the night.

During their time on the Moon, Hadrian would share his bed with her to let her rest as well.

Since there was no use to be on guard all the time while inside the privacy of their room, Hadrian had manage to convince Arturia to sleep beside him so that she can at least relax.

While the 'bed' was actually a couple of desks with many layers of blankets and pillows that an NPC had gave him, Hadrian thought to make the bed in the end since he does need to sleep to keep his magical reserves up to full in order to continue providing his mana for Arturia.

Hadrian had also thought to make another bed for Arturia, but because of the lack of resources in the area (and he had yet to gain access to the Armiger Arsenal, due to his temporary amnesia that time), he was left with no choice but to share the bed he made with Arturia.

The woman had been quite stubborn, that's for sure.

At first, she often refuted his words with her own reasons by saying "as a Servant, I do not require rest" to him and among other things.

It didn't even worked when Hadrian tried to offer the bed to her only, and that he can sleep on the floor if it had made her uncomfortable, but she still refused.

It was only when Hadrian came to know about how much Arturia loves food did he found some success.

After convincing (bribing) her with promises of cooking some well-structured food for her, Arturia eventually relented and had taken to sleep beside him from then on.

Ever since then, the two of them had gotten used to the routine that they adopted during the events on the Moon.

And by the looks of it, it seems that that habit would not be changing any time soon.

But, what made Hadrian stare was due to her current choice of attire.

It was a nightie instead of her usual nightgown.

Even though Hadrian had training in sex education, courtesy of his grandfather's insistence and the one from his first life, he still found himself affected by the opposite sex when the women in question have relations to him in some way, such as Arturia and his other female retainers for example.

The first time she wore it, Hadrian found himself rendered completely silent.

It was the first time for him too, to have his mind shut down by such a… lovely sight.

By the look on her face that day, even he can tell that she was embarrassed by her outfit, and Hadrian did not want to dishonor her by acting like a fool.

He respect her too much, so he tried his best to act natural around her and purge his mind of any strange thoughts.

That night was the most sleepless night he had ever had in his life, in both lifetimes.

'Must be the other girls' influence. I think mama may have a hand in this too…' Hadrian mused, recalling the times Arturia went out with his mother and the other girls for shopping.

Eventually, he had gotten used to her wearing it, but it still gets him every time.

It did not helped him at all when she bought different styles of nightwear, all of which were more tempting than the last, and randomly wear one of them to bed.

Last night though, the nightie she was wearing was made of white satin. It has thin shoulder straps, and reaches down her thighs midway.

Hadrian knew that if he were to tilt his head to the right, the angle would provide him a view of her panties and a glimpse of her rear.

It was a good thing that some of the sheets was tangled with her legs, but when one rose up and the sheets moved, he was given a perfect view of her smooth, creamy thigh.

During the night, Arturia's hair has splayed all over her pillow, creating a halo of gold above her head. The expression on her beautiful face was peaceful and relaxed. The admittedly spectacular view of her smooth, flush tinted cleavage, and one of the shoulder straps falling off her equally smooth, snow-white shoulder was already… quite tempting to look at.

He did the best thing that he can do in these type of situations.

Hadrian turned his head away and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm his raging hormones after a few seconds of staring at the beautiful sight near him.

All the while, Fou was watching her master's funny actions in silent curiosity, her long ears twitching every now and then.

Once he was sure that his body had calmed down, Hadrian turned his gaze back to Arturia, who was still (fortunately) asleep.

With a calm facade that belied what he was truly feeling, Hadrian leaned closer and raised one hand.

Gently, he grabbed a hold of the sheets and raised it to Arturia's neck, so that she was well covered and can stay warm from the cold morning breeze.

'There…' Hadrian smiled in relief, feeling calm and satisfied now that the temptation was no longer in view.

The smile slowly disappeared however, as his thoughts returned to the event that changed his life.

Hadrian thought that he would never be involved in a war again after being born in it in his first life.

But, he did not expect to be involved in one voluntarily.

In his first life, war had always been present from the moment that he can remember.

Even though his father, Aeneas, tried to be there in his children's lives, the war against the Empire had often demanded his attention, which left Hadrian and Astraea mostly on their own and with their respective attendants to take care of them as they grew older in time.

After his mother, Reina de Lucis Caelum (may the astrals bless her soul), had passed away, his father always had a solemn expression on his face that never seems to fade.

The only few times that Hadrian had seen him smile was when he was around him and Astraea. And, it had been upsetting for Hadrian to witness his father confess about feeling guilty for not spending more of his time with him and Astraea before he passed away on his deathbed.

Even so, Hadrian did not blamed his father for his choices, for he had been in his place.

Choosing to spend his attention on the efforts against the Empire's forces was more important, not only because it can keep the kingdom safe, but also his children as well.

If Lucis is safe, then so does his loved ones. That was what his father must be thinking of during those times, Hadrian guessed.

And, in all honesty, it was what Hadrian had thought about in his last moments as well.

Hadrian knew how the others saw him in his first life.

How can he not be aware of it, when one of his abilities as a Lucis Caelum allows him to feel other people's emotions?

After his success in collecting all of the royal weapons and augmenting the powers of the Ring of Lucii, Hadrian had awakened several abilities that originated from the royal bloodline. One of them in particular was the ability to sense the target's emotions, no matter the race, and as long as they are sentient and a living creature.

When Hadrian told his opa about it (and not about its origin), the cheeky old man had officially christened it as the 'Empathy'.

Much to his annoyance, the old man even gave it an alternative name, such as 'Clairsentience'.

The look that Hadrian gave him that day can make a man wither, but the old man merely grinned at him, obviously unrepentant.

Ignoring the old man's antics that time, the only limitations they found in the ability was the distance and the guessing game.

First, Hadrian had to be nearby to sense the target's feelings and emotions. And second, he had to learn how to separate the two, and remember which one was which.

Fortunately, with the help of the Moon Cell, the limitations had been rendered inert.

With the Moon Cell, Hadrian can sense the target's emotions and feelings no matter the distance and how much time has passed, and can be aware of what the target is feeling via the notifications that the Automaton sends in his mind.

Not only that, the mechanics of his 'upgraded' ability would be similar to modern video games with crime investigations. The Moon Cell provides him a perfect visual of the scene in his mindscape, and it gives him the option to 'see' things that happened in the past. It also points him to key information that are related to the things that he wants to find.

But, in his first life, Hadrian did not have the Moon Cell to help him discern the emotions and feelings. Thus, he had to literally learn and cope in dealing with its effect on his own.

Not even his retainers were aware of this ability. Not that he didn't want to tell them, but because he feels that there was no need for him to do so. Also, he thought that it might make them worry for him even more if he did tell them about it. Having them worry over his health had already been enough, there was just no reason for him to add another on top of it.

As for their views, Hadrian was perfectly aware of how others sees him.

Hadrian closed his eyes, recalling certain memories of his first life.

There were a lot of various emotions that he felt from all the people he encountered, but most prominent one of them all was their love for him, which came mostly from the masses of Lucis, his friends and his only remaining family, Astraea.

That was why, Hadrian did not hesitated in sacrificing most of his time for the betterment of the kingdom.

In fact, he would not even think twice of going through all of that again for the second time around, if it was to make sure to keep the kingdom and his loved ones safe. The only different choice that he will make would be to ensure that he survives the last battle and put a swift but painful end to that vile Emperor.

Hadrian frowned, feeling sour at the thought of his most hated enemy.

So many lives had been lost because of the scoundrel, and Hadrian had hoped that he would be the one to end the fool, preferably by gutting the imbecile and severing his head off.

'Hmm… maybe I should pay a visit in the future.' Hadrian mused. 'That is, if I can learn opa's True Magic to make it in time…'

Feeling anger rising up in his chest, Hadrian took a deep breath to calm himself down, counting from one to ten in his mind.

Still, even if he wanted to return to that time, Hadrian had already decided to let go and move on with his life.

During his time in the Holy Grail War, Hadrian had been through quite a lot of ups and downs.

The confusion, the helplessness, the handicaps of his temporary amnesia, his reason for joining the war, his guilt for surviving at the expense of defeating his enemies, and more. Unlike his first taste of what war was like in his first life, the one that he experienced in this world had given him a long lasting impression that Hadrian knew would never go away.

His opponents made various impressions upon him in their own unique ways.

Speaking and fighting against Dan Blackmore made him question his resolve. Alice made him think of his morals. Even fighting Shinji Matou made him more determined to survive in the war.

Although, Hadrian supposed that it was more in the influence of his Servant, Francis Drake, who did the influencing and not Shinji. Funny dude he may be, Shinji was kind of an asshole during their time in the war, but even he didn't deserved to die like that.

In his defense though, everyone in the war was determined to win the grail for their own sake, and Shinji was simply unprepared and lacked the resolve to win the battle.

As sour the truth may be, but it is the truth nonetheless.

'Survival of the fittest...' Hadrian mused, weary by the thought.

When Hadrian claimed the Moon Cell and made his wish, he felt relieved, guilty and hollow.

He felt relieved because the war was finally over. There would be no more people dying and his father's sacrifice did not go to waste. His late father, Arin, was part of the reason why he volunteered to participate and end the war, after all. Hence, he felt gladdened that he had finished what his father had intended to do.

By winning the war, Hadrian felt that his father can rest at ease now, wherever he may be.

On the other hand, he also felt guilty and hollow.

Guilt because he had been the only one to actually win the war. The participants in his generation had not been the only ones to join the event. There had been countless of others in the past, and many of them had died, even the ones who survived in the end. In some self-depreciating aspect, Hadrian felt like he was stepping on the countless bodies of the defeated participants when he got closer to the Holy Grail and made his wish, including the ones that earned the right to have the grail, like his father.

His opa told him that he was experiencing a mental condition known as the 'Survivor's Guilt', due to the brutal events of the war, which was something to be expected.

Hadrian can only agree, seeing as most of his thoughts after he returned home often leads back to the war and the numerous questions of 'what-ifs' in his head.

However, Arturia and the others told him that while it was expected, it would be better for him not to dwell too deeply about it. While the war had been brutal and cruel, they advised Hadrian that he should not let his guilt for surviving the event become something to be ashamed of, and to not let it affect him too much.

All participants had joined the war for their own reasons, and while they did not survived, Hadrian is not the one to be blamed for their deaths.

The rules of the war had been simple: win and you survive, lose and you die.

Inside though, Hadrian agrees, but he still felt responsible for the ones that was his fault, such as the deaths of the others who faced him in the war.

But, it was an opinion that he kept to himself. It was better that way, or else, the others would scold him for thinking of such things and being stubborn about the subject.

If anything, Rin and the others all pointed the blame on the leech of an apparition with questionable sanity, who lurked behind the Moon Cell, for every incidents related to the alien artifact.

'Like a creep…' Hadrian scowled, arms crossed over his chest.

Twice H. Pieceman. That was the name of that imbecile.

There were no words, no simple words to describe what kind of impression that guy had left upon Hadrian.

If he were to put it in one word, Hadrian would choose 'complicated', and that was just putting it nicely.

The infamous phrase of 'do not judge a book by its cover' applies well to that imbecile.

His appearance was that of an average-looking man in his late 20's, with short black hair and gray eyes that was covered by his black framed glasses. He wore a doctor's uniform with a black collar, a white shirt with long-sleeves and a black, gray and light blue tie. He also wore a gray sweater vest, a white lab coat, a pair of black gloves, black pants with gray lines, and black shoes.

But, what stood out the most about him was the utterly blank expression on his face, and the eerie aura of 'nothingness' that covered his form like a blanket.

At first sight, Hadrian knew that the man was dead on the inside, and he also knew that trying to reason with the imbecile would simply get him nowhere.

Furthermore, it was already quite suspicious when Hadrian and the others found Twice alone in the area where the Moon Cell Automaton was located.

The leech had greeted them when Hadrian, Arturia, Rin and Rani arrived in that place, as if there was nothing wrong.

Despite not knowing much about how the war works, even Hadrian knew that there should not be anyone in the Core's area but the winner, which can only be him in that case.

His former mentor, Lord El-Melloi II, had warned him about someone in the Moon before he left the Earth. He remembered being told that that person was the one he should watch out for. Then, when Arturia informed him that she felt the presence of Servant nearby, Hadrian knew that he found the person that his former mentor had told him about.

Eventually, his thoughts were proven to be correct when the leech started to manipulate him, asking him to make a wish to the Grail for the perpetuation of the war and the continued advance of man in his stead, leaving Hadrian with no other options to choose from but the single one Twice had pushed in front of him.

Based on his experience with psychopaths (like that certain ever loathsome Emperor), Hadrian was well-aware that trying to go circles with him would just be a waste of his time.

Sure, Hadrian can empathize with what the leech was trying to say.

The 'Prince' even understood what the madman was trying to get at.

It goes along the lines of…

'By letting the war continue perpetually, mankind will be stronger and the weak shall be weeded out. Many people will die and the earth might be next, but that's okay. Survival of the fittest is the newest trend, don't you agree?'

… was basically what the madman was trying to say.

Granted, the fool had not stated the words that way, but the meaning behind it remains all the same.

But, Hadrian found himself to care less of what kind of idiotic shit that that leech was saying.

So, without a word, Hadrian simply ignored whatever nonsense that madman was spouting and attacked him where he stood.

Considering as the Moon Cell deemed the leech as an 'invalid data', Hadrian figured that it would not really matter much if he killed the madman on the spot.

Besides, it saved him the trouble of letting the situation dissolved into a battle between their Servants, so Hadrian merely skipped the traditions and put the leech out of his misery.

Arturia knew about his past life via the dream cycle, while both Rin and Rani knew that he was not an ordinary Magus based on the background information they had about him.

While they had been surprised by his action, the three could hardly scold him for it, seeing as they are well aware of his views about the Holy Grail War.

Watching Twice literally confessed his crimes in front them, and to actually have the gall to try and manipulate him, was the final nail to the coffin that was Hadrian's patience.

With a quiet teleportation, Hadrian had lessened the distance between them in a split second and he landed right behind the fool, who was unaware of what he had brought upon himself.

Before Twice's servant became aware of his presence, Hadrian already had one of his Mystic Codes (which is a silver metal construct in the form of a gun), Silver Trident, gripped in his right hand, and he aimed it right in the center of that fool's heart from behind.

The roaring scream that tore out of the leech's mouth would had been satisfying to hear, if not for the fact that Hadrian was too angry to care or noticed his pain.

The fool's servant, Saver, had tried to interfere, but it was already too late for him to save his Master.

With no mercy for the leech, Hadrian pulled the trigger of Silver Trident again, casting a quick spell that multiplied the fool's suffering a thousand times than it originally was, and Twice screamed his heart out that one would assume that he had gone insane from the pain.

Twice's earsplitting cries echoed in the vast area of the Moon Cell's core that day, and Hadrian can still remember the sounds as if it had happened yesterday.

In that moment, Hadrian truly wanted to make the fool suffer for what he had done to the world.

He did not care whether the man had been good once, or the good deeds that he did in life. What he understood about Twice was that he gave up on humanity, turned back on his beliefs and was the source for the great internal strife that caused a lot of innocent people to die all over the world, including his father, Arin.

By letting the fool drown in his pain till it stayed within his soul, Hadrian made sure that he suffered before pulling on the trigger again and, finally, killing him off with a spell that he imbued with the magical energy of a True Magic.

The 'Disintegration' spell, one of the spells within Hadrian's brand of Magecraft.

The spell was purposely made to 'destroy' all things in its path. With it, Hadrian can decompose a target by dissolving their entire structure at a molecular level in a single cast.

He designed the spell to be quite versatile as well, as it provides him with various selection of which part that he can disintegrate. It can be the whole structure, or simply some part of it. It can also be used against an object, an area, and even an enemy's attack, kinetic energy or magical.

In Twice's case, Hadrian had disintegrated some nerves of the fool's heart, which seemed to shock the leech based on his expression before the pain took over and he was forced to kneel on the floor.

Arturia had also stepped in and protected him by intercepting Saver's attack before it could reached him and keeping the latter at bay with Rin and Rani's help, while Hadrian killed off Twice.

Even to this day, Hadrian recalled the feeling of cold anger that seethed quietly in his heart when he watched the fool's body dissolved into little particles of light.

Hadrian did not even noticed that Saver and Arturia had stopped fighting once Twice disappeared from the Moon Cell for good, seeing as it would brought Saver nothing to gain because his Master was already dead. He didn't even noticed that Saver had faded away and left them with parting words related to Twice.

When he did finally noticed the situation, it was when Arturia held his hand and covered it with her own.

Hadrian smiled, feeling the warmth in his heart as he remembered that particular memory.

From the moment that he summoned her, Arturia had always been there for him. It would not even be a stretch to say that he owed his life to her that day, due to the numerous times that she managed to save his life during the war. Their time together on the Moon was something that he will never nor want to forget, including the bad times.

Which was why it did not surprised him at all that she made the cold anger in his chest fade away with a mere touch of her hands.

Having dreamt of her past, Hadrian understood Arturia greatly as she did with him. It had been quite a shock to know that her past was almost the same as his, and it scared him that he would have had turned exactly similar in her position had their positions been reverse.

Arturia though, looked a bit wistful yet proud when she saw his past and after he explained it to her.

She was sad to see how his first life had become and his sacrifice at the end, but she looked a bit envious of his choice in remaining as himself and keeping his emotions instead of suppressing them like she had 'foolishly done', as she put it. Then, she looked proud of what he had accomplished for his kingdom, and for being his Servant.

She also told him that she felt glad and thankful that she met him.

Although amused by her words and the adorable expression on her face, Hadrian corrected her that he should be the one saying that to her.

Looking back on it, Hadrian deemed their story in the war as a black comedy, really.

The two of them had been cut from the same cloth, so similar yet different at the same time. They were born with similar circumstances: born in a time of war, both of their parents were dead before they got old enough, ascended to kingship at an early age, almost similar in personality, went on a journey to get stronger, and among other things.

Fate threw a wrench at their lives when the only way for them to meet each other was through a war that was not like any other. Funnily enough, the two of them despised war. So, for them to meet in one and have positive memories of it, Hadrian found that to be the most irony on a different scale.

Feeling that familiar tapping on his lap, Hadrian was broken out of his musings as he opened his eyes in surprise and looked down.

It was Fou, who was looking up at him with her head titled slightly.

"Kyufou?"

Through the link of their bond, Hadrian can easily feel her concern for him, causing him to smile and pat her on the head as thanks before he settled her down on the covers.

Happy to help him out of his funk, Fou trotted over to Arturia and curled up beside her to sleep.

With one last look at Arturia's peaceful expression, Hadrian slowly rose from the bed, making sure not to make strong movements that would her wake up.

…

…

He slowly made his way to the bathroom, closing the door gently behind him.

Like the bedroom, the bathroom was spacious and luxuriously furnished as well. White marble floors, a large shower that can fit five people, a modern style bathtub, and among other things.

Used to seeing such luxury in his first life and then now, Hadrian didn't even blink as he entered the master bathroom.

After heating up the water in the bathtub, he started to take off his pajamas, folding them neatly before leaving it in the hamper.

Hadrian let out a soft sigh as he slowly submerged his body in the pleasant heated water.

'Can't believe I would dream of that, of all things…' The cyan eyed Master mused with a frown. 'I certainly hope he's not haunting me or something.'

Hadrian sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the headrest of the bathtub.

Being reincarnated and sent over here by the astrals, it was a certainly different experience for him.

Even without hints, Hadrian already knew that the astrals of Eos had something to do with his situation in this world, considering as they were the only beings in his world that has enough power to accomplish such a thing. In addition, the Astral Goddess of Death, Lady Etro, was quite known to be favorable to the Lucis Caelum family.

Ergo, Hadrian would not be so surprised if she and the astrals had something to do with his reincarnation.

Still, he did wonder as to why they would do such a thing.

Having read myths and numerous tales of the astrals, Hadrian had come to a conclusion that they are beings that do not really understand mortals. Rarely do they ever show themselves to mortals and rarely do they even lend their help. When he was a child, his opinion had often gotten him scolded by his father for bearing doubts to the astrals in the past.

But, his narrow-minded view was simply based on an assumption from childhood.

When Hadrian grew older and went on a short journey to collect the royal weapons and increased the ring's power, he knew that there was more to the world than meets the eye.

After the Ring of Lucii had accepted him as the new King, Hadrian had gained a sort of awareness for the supernatural.

Sometimes, he would hear unknown voices with power, dream of things that might shape the future, and feel presences that he had never known were there before he wore the ring.

Then, he met a being that looked like a human, who called herself 'Gentiana'.

Said being had the appearance of a beautiful woman with long glossy black hair that flowed down her back like a straight river. She had a pale skin, tall (with the height of 5'7), and a body that was so well-proportioned and perfect that it can leave men gaping in shock and awe at her beauty.

Strangely enough, her eyes were closed, and yet every time she appeared to him, Hadrian always felt that she was looking at him even without actually seeing him.

She had introduced herself to him as the 'High Messenger' of the astral gods, and she often assisted him in his journey across Eos. Through Gentiana, Hadrian's belief in the astrals had solidified, and their actions that led to him being reincarnated in this world made him believe that they are benevolent beings.

On a side note, Hadrian was glad that the astrals had the foresight to seal the memories of his past life before he was sent here to be reincarnated.

His memories returned to him slowly as he grew older in this world. Hadrian had first thought that he was going crazy at that time, but as the pieces fell into place, so did his understanding of the current situation. It was a good thing on his part that he did not tell anyone in his family about any strange dreams that he had in the past.

Otherwise, he doubted that they would just leave the matter alone, especially with a certain old Magician.

Also, it was a good thing that he was not yet fully conscious and aware of his situation at that time. It would be a nightmare for him if his mind had been in full maturity at such a young age. Or else, he would have had memories of the times when his mother, Lucia, breastfed him.

Hadrian shuddered at the thought.

'No. Just no…' He grimaced. 'Glad I don't remember that part of my life.'

The world he was born in was odd. It was familiar, yet unique at the same time.

Growing up in a household with ancient magical roots, it was something that he did not expect, let alone to be surrounded by loving parents and a grandparent.

If one were to ignore that they were Magi, Arin and Lucia are the best parents that any child can ask for.

They were attentive and caring, never the type to leave without letting him know that they were there for him always and would listen to his troubles if he has any.

While he only had a few memories of his father, Arin had still left an impression on Hadrian because they were good and positive memories.

As a father, Arin had done a good job in being one to Hadrian. He was calm, kind and patient with him, taking his time in teaching him about Magecraft. Often times, his mother would find the two of them exchanging theories and ideas regarding Magecraft either at lunch or dinner. Sometimes, his grandfather would also be there with them, though it often ends in hilarity.

Whenever he was around Arin, Hadrian felt unburdened and free to be himself.

It felt as if the man has no expectations of him other than finding his own happiness in this world, and Hadrian supposed it was that side of his father that made him think of him fondly.

As for his mother, Lucia, she was nearly similar as Arin. She too was calm, kind and patient with him. But, she was more open in showing her love for him as a mother. She would give him hugs, and always provide him some of her attention whenever she sees him around the castle.

As someone related to the old Magician, Lucia also had a habit of teasing the people who were close to her, including Hadrian.

His mother (in his life) would sometimes pinch his cheek or tweak his nose in jest, which would result with Hadrian giving her a glare that she only found adorable and a great incentive to tease him even more, much to Hadrian's slight annoyance.

His grandfather though… loving and caring, yet quite the prankster too.

In his first life, Hadrian never had a grandparent before. The ones in his first life had already passed away before he was even born, and Hadrian only got to know about them through his father, who would tell him stories about them when he and Astraea had been young. Thus, it was a new experience for Hadrian to have one in this life.

Having Zelretch as a grandfather was quite a fun experience. But as a senior Magus, Zelretch can be seen as both a mentor and a wise advisor.

Unlike his parents, who were more gentle and firm in their approach in showing their care for him, his grandfather was different.

Most of the time, he can be doting, kind and caring. Other times, he was strict, firm and wise.

Sure, there was a mix of hilarity and silliness that would simply sneak its way in without warning beneath his grandfather's serious demeanor, but his vast knowledge and wealth of experience in the art of Magecraft and True Magic were truly something to behold. After witnessing it in person so many times, Hadrian had seen how his grandfather had earned the title of 'Wizard Marshall'.

Of course, it was also rather obvious that the old man has high expectations of him.

Fortunately, Hadrian had his own wealth of knowledge and experience to call upon to meet the old man's expectations, even if his family do not know about the origins of his 'ideas'.

He may have come from a world different from Eos, but magic was something that he has great knowledge of.

He grew up with it, after all, in both lifetimes. And as he grew up in this world, so does his knowledge and talent in magic.

His grandfather took great interest in his potential, even going as far as to assign two individuals test him in different levels of Magecraft.

The first had been Lord El-Melloi II, who taught him the basic levels of Magecraft until his grandfather would tell him to stop.

It hadn't been hard for Hadrian to learn the basics.

From what Hadrian understood, the utilization of a Magecraft must require the caster's magical energy, which was called Od in this world, and the belief in one's self to let it materialize into reality.

As a firm believer in the astrals and his familiarity with magic in his first life, Hadrian had no issues in learning the ways of Magecraft whatsoever, much to Lord El-Melloi II's astonishment.

The lessons did not last long. It took Hadrian less than a year to know every way and corner of the basics of Magecraft, but he would made it less if not for his former mentor's insistence to double check regarding everything that he had learned from him so far.

While amused, Hadrian indulged the long-haired professor by diligently and calmly taking to the older man's lessons till he was no longer worried about him.

Even though his former mentor scowls a lot, he was quite the softy inside, despite his usual grouchy appearance.

Once Lord El-Melloi II was satisfied with his progress, his grandfather had ended the basic lessons from there.

His grandfather then proceeded in upping the difficulty of his lessons by assigning Lady Lorelei of Barthomeloi house, the Vice Chairman and the other Wizard Marshall of the Clock Tower, to teach him the advance levels of Magecraft, which lasted longer than the basics for a year and a few months.

Lady Lorelei's lessons had been trickier than his former mentor's.

Her lessons were strict, on-point and she does not mess around. She had high expectations of him, and would often scold him whenever he was too slow to understand a formula that should be easy for his intellect to grasp in minutes. However, while she was strict with him, Hadrian can see that she was quite caring and kind on the inside.

'Like a porcupine...' He thought in amusement, lips twitching into a smile at the thought of his brown-haired female mentor. 'All prickly, but adorable on the inside.'

Of course, Hadrian would never say such a thing out loud regarding Lady Lorelei. That would simply earn him a quick punishment and then a harsh scolding next.

After the advance lessons with Lady Lorelei was done, his grandfather had issued a new challenge by telling Hadrian to do a self-study and create his own brand of Magecraft.

It had been difficult at first, due to the risks and he was literally diving into the unknown, but Hadrian was anything if not persistent.

Thanks to his determination and creativity, he had managed to create it from the various researches that he had taken interest in long ago. With the help of those researches, his father's research and his uncle's notes about the First True Magic combined together, Hadrian was able to make a unique brand of Magecraft that is closer to a True Magic.

It also helped that Hadrian had been inspired and drew significant influences from the spells and the magic system that he used in his first life.

'Void Magecraft', was the official name of it.

Considering as he designed it to support the First Magic, most of the spells that he made so far has intimate relations with the latter subjects.

In hindsight, it was probably the reason why he had been given the rank of 'Crown' by the high council of the Mage's Association, along with that infernal title 'Prince'.

Ironically, if one were to put the two together, they would be pronounced as 'Crown Prince', which was the irony of all ironies. It did not even helped make things better for him that one of his mentors has the title of 'Queen' of the Clock Tower, along with how the residents of the moonlit world would bow to him in greeting whenever they see him as if he was royalty in this world as well.

Sometimes, it made Hadrian wonder if Fate just likes to mess with him a lot.

'Speaking of a spell…'

Recalling a certain memory in his dream, Hadrian huffed to himself.

That particular dream had occurred only several months ago.

After he closed off the Moon and made it completely inaccessible to everyone, Hadrian had to make sure that there were no loose ends.

By diligently going through the records provided by the Moon Cell, he wanted to make sure if there was anything strange lingering in the Moon, just waiting to make itself known.

When he came by a certain info about the Far Side of the Moon, Hadrian went there and personally saw to it himself.

Unlike before, the transition to go from earth and to the inner side of the moon had been easy for him. It helped that the Moon Cell was compliant to his wishes, and that it had merged with his soul after the war was over. Thus, when Hadrian ordered it to make the Far Side appear like the Arena, his wish was followed to the letter and he had gotten himself a private training ground that day.

Since Hadrian was born in this world, he never really had the chance to explore the limits of his powers, to test whether his powers from the Lucis Caelum bloodline was still there.

Fortunately, when he was old enough, his small tests proved that his Lucian powers were still there with him, despite being reborn a second time.

Unfortunately, his new family did not exactly gave him much privacy when he was young. His eccentric grandfather and his antics did not helped make things easy for him at all.

While Hadrian does love his new family and cherishes them greatly, there were some moments that he simply wish for them to give him a bit of privacy.

Thankfully, his parents understood, even without him telling them about it. They probably thought that he was going through some phase or something at that time, and didn't really think too deeply about giving him some privacy to explore the world, but Hadrian did not complain since the outcome did worked in his favor.

His grandfather though… the word 'doting' and 'noisy' comes to his mind.

Hadrian does not want to think unkindly of his grandfather, but honestly, the old man can be unbearable sometimes.

So, when the Moon Cell made him a new 'Arena' to play with, Hadrian spent most of his time training in that place to his heart's content.

All of his pent up stress that he kept bottled up for fourteen years, he poured it all into his training and killing a bunch of dangerous programs that had been discarded as 'errors' by the Moon Cell.

Back then, Hadrian had worked hard to bring his body to the peak of its condition. Thanks to the divine essence within his blood, he was able to take several hits from large monsters the likes of a Behemoth, and still be alright to stand and fight. After being reincarnated in this world, Hadrian had to start over.

Even now, his body was not yet up to the level that he had in his first life, but his weakness was slowly being overcome as the time goes by.

Of course, his visits there had to be done under the pretense of 'improving his research inside his private workshop'.

His retainers then, especially Arturia, were quite perceptive of his movements. They knew some of his powers, but they don't really know of its origins, including his family in this regard.

Arturia and a few of his retainers were the only ones who knew, but they knew not to speak a word of it unless Hadrian is ready to tell the others about the truth.

In regards to his visits to the inner side of the moon though, all of them were not aware of his 'trips'.

Therefore, he had to be extra careful in going there without arising suspicion from them.

(In the end, it didn't really mattered since he got found out by Arturia herself. She demanded him to take her as well whenever he goes there, and his other retainers jumped in the bandwagon too when they found out the truth from their arguments. From then on, Hadrian was accompanied by his retainers, so that they too can have some 'fun'.)

After training for a month there, Hadrian had reached the deepest part of the Arena, and that was where he found that guy.

The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.

Or at least, it was the recorded version of the original that the Moon Cell had copied in its database.

Nevertheless, based on his findings, Hadrian knew that the being he met at the bottom of the Arena was closer to the original, if not the truest version of himself.

What went on in that place had nearly cost him his life, but what surprised Hadrian more was how that fight ended.

When Gilgamesh saw his weird sword breaking apart, he simply raised his hand and called their battle into a sudden halt, despite having been the one who started attacking Hadrian on sight.

It had stupefied Hadrian too, to have an all-out battle in his hands suddenly start and then stopped right when he was just about to end the guy.

During those moments, Hadrian concluded that he had met another weirdo in his second lifetime.

In his first lifetime, Hadrian had met a few weirdos during his travels around Eos. In this world though, Hadrian had met a lot of them, including among them was his opa and some of his friends.

(In some parts of the world and somewhere within the penthouse, several people sneezed at the same time.)

Admittedly though, the older blonde was a weirdo amongst weirdos, especially when Gilgamesh began spouting off about becoming his 'heir' and whatever nonsense.

Unable to find the urge to continue the fight, Hadrian simply agreed to whatever the man was asking, so that it can be over and done with.

What happened after that was a real blur, but from Hadrian's recollection, the older blonde appeared to be quite impressed with him and his abilities, despite being a mortal. Then, he started calling him a 'Hero', someone worthy of inheriting all of the treasures that he had collected, and how he should rejoice for being the one to receive all of it.

Hadrian, on the other hand, merely showed his own enthusiasm by doing a fist pump in the air with a tired smile on his face.

Fortunately, the guy showed some restraint at his impudence, or he just outright ignored Hadrian's actions. Otherwise, the fight would start all over again, but on a different reason.

Then, Gilgamesh moved the conversation along and advised him to find the key that will be the door to all the treasures that he had kept hidden from the rest of the world.

When Hadrian asked him why, the blonde man simply answered him that it was his reward for amusing him too much.

After those parting words, Hadrian never saw him ever again. Also, now that he thought about it, the guy didn't even answered his question.

Anyways, it was as if the man outright vanish in his very eyes that day, which caused Hadrian to wonder whether he was actually real or merely an apparition in the system.

Frankly, Hadrian thinks that the King was just impressed with his spells, his weapons, his skills with the royal arms and his teleportation ability.

Based on what he found about Gilgamesh, the older blonde was the first Hero, who was widely acknowledged by mankind in this world. Due to his noble deeds and various accomplishments in the past, the people from all over the world in that era had lauded him as the 'Hero-King', Gilgamesh.

In addition, the weapons and items used and owned by other heroes in legends were literally once a part of his treasury.

Therefore, giving legitimacy that he can even be called as the 'Father of Heroes', considering as the meaning of the title 'Hero' had literally started with him.

During their fight, Hadrian had seen the fascination in Gilgamesh's eyes, which honestly annoyed him at first.

Also, when he turned the tables on him with one of his spells, Disintegration, and the Armiger, Hadrian saw the anger in his crimson eyes, but there was a new emotion that appeared: approval.

So, after reading the info and recalling his parting words, Hadrian began to understand him a little.

It was only a pity that the guy was arrogant and too egotistical to relate to, but after Gilgamesh had admitted defeated when he saw the crack on his peculiar sword appeared and grew the longer they fought, the arrogant behavior seemed to have toned down.

The words of encouragement and his generous parting gift had also helped in making a good impression upon Hadrian about the King.

After that encounter, Hadrian had to use the Moon Cell to find the key, seeing as relying on a normal search would bring him nowhere and waste his time.

Finding the key, Bab-ilu, had not been too difficult. It was displayed in one of the antique shops located in Iraq, just gathering dust there and being useless.

Needless to say, Hadrian bought the item and used it to open himself a portal that leads directly to the treasury.

From what he knows, many people had tried to find the treasury that Gilgamesh had left hidden in the world, and many of them failed.

What they did not know though, was that they need the key, a great amount of magical energy, and (most probably) the approval of the King to open the Gates of Babylon.

Being inside the treasury, it was quite a beautiful sight to behold.

All kinds of treasures were in plain view, displayed there to be admired and hold for its new owner. Rare gems the size of his fist, weapons and items deemed worthy of being inside the treasury by the first King, a large ocean of golden treasures in all various shapes and sizes covered the floor, and many more.

Simply put, it was one of the images that Hadrian would remember for the rest of his life.

Of course, since the King had already given his permission, Hadrian had decided to use the Gate of Babylon as his main choice to use in a fight in case there is a need for him to.

Also, seeing as the King was literally his benefactor in that aspect, Hadrian thought it would be proper to at least call the guy one of his 'Lehrers', which was a title of respect that he always used to the ones that taught him and gave him the chance to increase his powers.

So far, only his grandfather, Lord El-Melloi II, and Lady Lorelei Barthomeloi had earned that respectful title from him.

But, after the generous gift that he received from the King of Heroes, Hadrian figured it was okay to add Gilgamesh into the list, weird as he may be.

After he returned to his workshop that day, Hadrian found that the weirdo King had literally passed on his abilities to him before he vanished to who knows where.

Interestingly, the Moon Cell had been kind enough to even notify him via thought and the 'PT' (Portable Terminal), which is a device that appears similar to a mobile phone but highly advance in its functions, and it can change its size and shape according to his wishes.

The 'PT' even provides direct access to most of the Moon Cell's abilities, but like a Mystic Code, only Hadrian can use them exclusively without restrictions.

With most of the anomalies in the Moon gone, Hadrian was left with a simple Arena that he can play and train in with his retainers without worrying about the damages to their surroundings.

Speaking of gems and treasures, Hadrian wondered about what his two friends, Rin Tohsaka and Rani VIII, would say about his 'inheritance' from the weirdo King.

In particular, Hadrian would be more interested in what Rin's reaction would be if she were to see the gems that are in the treasury.

'She would probably go nuts for it. Jewel Magecraft is her thing, after all. Hmm, I wonder where those two are. Last I heard from them was about going to Russia or something. I couldn't quite understand what they were saying since Rin was arguing with that blonde girl and Rani was talking to me at the same time.'

Amused by the thought, Hadrian smiled in fondness as he opened his eyes and looked at the sun making its slow ascent to the sky.

"Well, wherever they are, it would be nice to see those two again. I hope they are okay..."

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Author's Note

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Okay, so that is chapter six done!

Just like I promised, the MC's pov about the nasuverse is revealed.

I'm aware that there's not much interactions here, but I wanted to get this out of the way first.

I know that many of you had been wondering what the hell is going with the MC's life in the Fate verse and what he thinks of it, so I hope those questions are answered in this chapter. This chapter is more detailed info of what the MC has experienced so far in the Fate verse. It's to bring you guys up to speed of what is going on in his life.

As for the character interactions, you guys are going to see it in the next chapter, now that this is out of the way.

Now, before you guys ask why I haven't upload anything before this, I've been busy. Life just gets in the way often.

Not to mention I don't exactly have enough energy nor the time to write after having finished work. So, yeah, I've been quite busy, alright.

Thus, apologies for the delay, guys. I've been working hard and trying to earn hard, but RL gets in the way of my writing.

Well, I certainly hope that you guys enjoyed that 12k words of a chapter. That was also my first fight scene in this story, so I hope you appreciate that.

The first time I imagined it in my head, that scene of where Gil and Heracles duke it out in the Einzbern castle became its source of influence for me to write that first part.

Also, I'll have something important to tell you guys in the future, but that will have to wait in the next chapter. For now, I hope you guys enjoyed this one.

By the way, I'll make this distinction known now for future reference, the 'Armiger' will be the name of the MC's ability to invoke the crystal weapons.

While the 'Armiger Arsenal' will be the name for the MC's spatial inventory. This is so to avoid some confusion in the future.

As always, please leave a review, fave, and (or) follow this story. And many thanks to the ones that did all of the above.

Please continue to support this story now and in the future. I look forward in hearing from you guys in the future, and feel free to tell me what you think of this chapter.

I'm always happy to hear feedback from you guys, and it's been fun reading your reviews.

Also, [Q & A] is below, so to anyone that left a review in the previous chapter, please scroll below to find your response to the review that you left previously. I originally wanted to place the Q&A page above, but I don't want to delay you guys from reading the new chapter, so I placed it below.

Thank you, and adieu for now! :D

(Note: In German, 'Opa' means grandfather, while 'Lehrer' means teacher.)

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Q & A

Doortolight47:

A -From what I've read in Gray's wiki page, it doesn't say anything like that. It just says that she was supposed to be King Arthur in the flesh. Even if it did, I'm not going to do that to her. The girl had enough bad things happen to her back at home, she doesn't need anything more. So in this story, she is going to be happy.

Like I had stated before, this story is mostly following the lines of the canon, but not all of it.

You guys will see something familiar, and you will see something that is not. I'm mixing things up when it comes to the plot of this story.

No offense to other authors out there, but following the plot in canon is not always fun, you know.

It can be quite boring if what you saw in the anime remains the same in the story that you are reading. I mean, you already watched what happened in the anime, so why would you want to include that in the story if it doesn't add flavor to the plot? There's no fun in reading something that you already know.

Hence, I'm mixing things up by putting different elements from all the Nasuverse and other animes.

Also, as for your question related to Hadrian, I think it's going to be answered in this chapter. I hope you like it! ;)

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Gen2324:

A - No, Charles doesn't know about his Master's true origins yet. Only four among his retainers knows about it, which will be revealed in the future chapters. Arturia is already obvious, but there are the other three as well. Two of them is not a Servant though, but they are a part of his entourage.

And yes, hilarity is bound to happen once Astolfo is in the mix, even more so once Flatt comes into the picture. So, look forward to that.

And yeah, I suppose you should. Ever since I've played the game Fate/Extra, I've always wondered what it would be like if Arturia is the one who fought Gawain instead of Nero. Also, I didn't like how he called Nero "Whore of Babylon", so I'm still pissed at him for that. I like Nero. You don't call a potential wifey that word or any woman for that matter!

So, his fate in this story is like a stab in the back for his insult at Nero.

Don't get me wrong, I still like Gawain because he is damn loyal. But just remembering his insult to Nero (who looks a lot like Arturia, mind you) still pisses me off. You would think that the guy would at least have some respect and fondness when he saw Nero, but no, he just straight insulted adorable Nero like that.

So, what better way to make him face the source of his guilt and fears but in this manner? Mwuahahahaha! :D

And yes, there will be more flashbacks in the upcoming chapters. I've decided to go along that route so as to not slow down the pacing of the story. Making the MC go through all of that, starting from learning Magecraft at a young age then going to the war takes time, too much time in my opinion.

It's better to just include flashback to mix things up in the story. It's more fun that way! :D

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Dxhologram:

A - Yes, for Hadrian's case, the lag of the soul transference from Earth and to the Moon caused him to experience a mild case of Amnesia. His memories returned to him though, slowly as the weeks goes by and the more battles Hadrian and Arturia won in the war. By the time he fought Leonardo, he got all of his memories back and then made quick but brutal work of Leo and Twice.

Yes, Arturia and Hadrian are like two sides of the same coin. Two people with similar circumstances, but chose different paths and decisions in life.

Interesting, no? It's I made this story, after all! ;)

I've always been bothered as to why Arturia would suppress her emotions like that. I mean, sure, I understand if it was to handle her emotions better and make her rule the kingdom better since her era was dark times in mankind's history. But I don't understand why she would completely cut herself off from her emotions.

In my opinion, the moment you do that, you can no longer be called a human. In Nasuverse, I think they said that that's how a God would behave or something.

So instead suppressing his emotions, Hadrian preferred to remain the way he is, and accepted all of his flaws, including his negative emotions. For him, there's nothing wrong with showing compassion to others because it reminds him of his humanity, to be a good person first before being a King, and it's also because it's what he wants to do. To help people, that is.

He's a responsible person, a kind King who cares about the well-being of his people than his own health.

And like I said to Gen2324, Gawain's fate in this story is like a stab in the back for his insult at Nero.

Being a chaotic author aside, don't you think it's more interesting that way?

Two knights, who were once allies in the past, suddenly met on the battlefield that can only have one winner.

Also, I'm glad you guys are like Charles. I was worried that you guys wouldn't even know about him since he's new around the Fate verse. Glad to see that you are welcoming him with open arms. As for him being summoned as Hadrian's Servant, there's a reason for that, actually. But you guys will find out about soon enough, I'm sure.

For the meantime, just watch as Charles walk on eggshells around his Master for teasing him too much! XD

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Guest:

Was kinda hoping to see some epic battles from the King of Lucis along with his charisma that even his servant can see that he is like that of a king despite being a human and not a heroic spirit.

Speaking of which what would he be like if he were a Servant. Is his class going to be like that of Savior or Ruler?

A - You asked for it, dear reader, now you're gonna get it! :D

Also, I think I answered your question before, he's qualified for both, but I don't really see him becoming a Servant. Not at all with the way the plot of this story is going.

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Oran:

Is Hadrian capable of fighting a Servant?

A - Yes, and you are going to find in this chapter. Hope you guys like it! :D

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Shiroyasha Rises:

A - I'm glad that you are liking the story so far. And yes, Zelretch will have some influence over the MC's behavior, but only just a tad. If he does decides to prank someone, then it'll be for the sake of punishing that person. You can't be around the Wizard Marshall without some of his mischievous side rubbing off on ya! :D

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Kensei-1085:

A - Glad you like it, buddy! :D

And the plane was only about to land in an hour. The interactions are fast in the chapter. The only reason why the chapter was long was because Charlie was recalling some events in his mind, and when you think, it often requires some time. Hence, the reason why it's long. It's not instant when a character begins to think about things, you know.

As for your questions, no. The events of Fate/Extella and Link has not happened... yet. In this story, the plot of Fate/Extra is only thing that happened. The events of the sequel might come, but the only one I can imagine happening soon is Fate/Extella, really. I'm more familiar with that game than Link, so I don't have the guts to include Link to the story yet.

I included Charles and the Astolfo there because I like them. I have a reason for Charles to be there, but it's nothing really that serious to affect the plot.

As for Altera... Oh, she will make an appearance alright. But, that is in the future. In the sequel of this story.

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Journey to the End:

A - And you're going to see a lot more in the future. It's only right that you guys see it instead of just knowing about it in context. And yes, it's bound for something special to happen between the Master and the Servant. We've all seen it coming in the Fate/Extra game, after all.

Glad to see you like Charles too. First time I saw him, I already know he's a friendly and thoughtful guy. So, I included him in the story to make him babysit the MC. Since Hadrian doesn't care about his own well-being, I'll have his Servants do it for him instead. The MC can be quite stubborn once he is set in his ways.

And glad to also see you had fun with Astolfo's part. He's playing Farma Villa with the other three servants. Mechanics of the game: is you build a farm, compete and make it prosper, then make your farm famous in the world. You also have the free option to 'accidentally' burn the farms of other players to lose some competitors.

As you've seen in the previous chapter, Astolfo became a victim of a three-way plot for the three servants. Hence, the result of his anger! XD

You guys are going to see some of them play games in the story soon as well, including Hadrian. So, look forward to that! :D

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Guest:

Romance between the king of Lucis (Hadrian) and the adorable King of Knights (Arturia)? Would not mind seeing that.

A - I'm sure you absolutely won't! XD

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Sera:

Character interactions is good, because it shows the relationship between the characters and how they connect with each other.

Calling it meaningless is a rather ignorant. And calling someone a fool is not nice.

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Guest:

Please ignore the dude's complaints. Story like this needs to take their time and establish character relationships. Interactions are needed.

A - Yes, I'm glad you guys understand! :D

I'm happy to hear that you guys understand that a story like this needs time to develop properly instead of rushing it. A fellow writer of mine has also said the same thing, and even I agreed with their sentiments since, by showing you guys the MC's interactions with others, you'll see his bonds with them and relate to him, as if he's a true person! :D

As for the one who sent that review, I simply told that person that this story is not for everyone and I hope the best for them to find a story that fits their taste more than mine can.

Whatever that is, and good luck to them in finding such a thing. I also don't blame them for being confused about how the story is going. I even sent that person a PM with a detailed explanation of the previous chapter, but I'm not holding my breath that that person would continue in reading this story after that particular review.

Also, based on that person's review, I think that person prefers a more fast paced story than a slow one like mine, which I can understand why it would frustrate them, but I'm not going to change how I pace my story simply because of what they want.

Actually, I'm more confused as to why that person doesn't understand the story, yet most of you do. Perhaps that person is just not that familiar with the Fate verse. Well, that is something that I can't help them with. If they want to understand the story better, then they must first familiarize themselves with the series. Otherwise, they really are going to get confused.

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Ina: So is Hadrian's charisma like an A or Ex Rank here?

A - Hahaha... uhhh... EX Rank! XD

The guy got so many people to pray for him to find peace in the afterlife, and even the gods got swept along for the ride.

How can that guy's Charisma not be more powerful than the other Kingly Heroic Spirits?

In my opinion, if the MC's charisma can even affect the gods' decision for his fate, then it's exceedingly powerful.

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Guest: Will Arturia have Avalon?

A - Yes, she will have it in the story. Can't separate her from Avalon, especially when it is especially useful.

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Okay, I hope I got all of your questions answered.

Anyways, if you have any more or I missed some, feel free to leave a review and I'll take a look at it once I have the time!

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