Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!-Chapter 1519 - 1517: Intertwined Worldlines (Lounging Lazily Under the Covers, Not Wanting to Get Up)
On the silent and deserted mountain path, the four who rarely met found themselves momentarily stunned upon seeing each other.
Oh? Isn’t this that Second?
Looking at that face like a programmer who had been working overtime for decades, Fang Zheng was taken aback, but before she could greet him, she saw the programmer suddenly jump up, eyes wide in surprise, pointing at her.
"The MASTER of CASTER! What are you doing here?!"
"Huh?"
Hearing this voice, Fang Zheng was momentarily stunned. What’s with this title?
Initially, Fang Zheng thought the other was a MASTER from the last Holy Grail War, but at that time, she was clearly an ASSASSIN on the surface, and she’d never met this guy... wait, why does this voice sound so familiar? Hmm? Wait... could it be...
Realizing this, Fang Zheng widened her eyes in surprise.
"You’re Weber?!"
".........."
The other person silently nodded, clearly admitting to it.
"........Huh?"
Fang Zheng was truly puzzled at this point. What a joke, her only encounter with Weber was during the Fourth War in another world, huh? Wait... could it be...
With this realization, a golden light flashed in Fang Zheng’s eyes, and then she narrowed them.
Ah... I see.
By observing the Time Axis, Fang Zheng finally understood what had happened.
This all started from the last time travel when Fang Zheng accepted a commission from Gaia to handle the Fourth War in another parallel world because the black Holy Grail of that world was invaded by Chaos, which could potentially lead to the world’s destruction. Eventually, Fang Zheng took Illya over there, dealt with it like slicing through butter, and then burned the broken Holy Grail, along with the Chaotic Power inside, before brushing off her hands and going home to sleep.
After Fang Zheng burned it, that parallel world line shattered and fused with this world. After the mutual fusion, the information between them also changed.
For instance, in this world, the Fourth War Fang Zheng participated in was held in Romania, and the Greater Holy Grail in Fuyuki had already been dug up. In Weber and the others’ memories, their Fourth War had become a Subspecies Holy Grail War based on the remaining Spirit Veins of Fuyuki.
The basic process was similar to the animation Fang Zheng had seen, but perhaps due to the fusion, Fang Zheng’s role had changed. Although she still replaced the original CASTER and MASTER, in the timeline "fused" with Weber and others, the specific process was different from Fang Zheng’s memories.
Originally, Fang Zheng started off with a big attack, first taking out ARCHER, then swooping in to take down the others. But in the memory of the Subspecies Holy Grail War after two world lines fused, it became similar to the start of the animation; Fang Zheng didn’t initially take out ARCHER but instead killed ASSASSIN—hmm, does this count as staying true to the original?
What followed was also similar to the development in the animation, except for the part where everyone ganged up against CASTER; otherwise, it essentially stayed true to the original. ARCHER took down RIDER, Emiya Kiritsugu took down Kenneth, killing LANCER. Finally, Fang Zheng swooped in and took ARCHER and SABER along with the Subspecies Holy Grail down.
Incidentally, unlike that world’s direction, the final result of the Subspecies Holy Grail was that Kiritsugu and Irisviel survived, then took Illya and ran far away, and the Einzbern Clan eventually declined... that was over a decade ago.
So, the Weber of this world retained memories about her.
However.......
"How did you become like this?"
Fang Zheng extended a hand, gesturing in surprise.
"I remember you were a shorty back then, and now you’ve grown so tall... you didn’t take hormones, did you?"
"You’re the one who..."
Hearing Fang Zheng’s words, the other instinctively wanted to retort, but perhaps remembering she could tear Servants apart, he forcibly shut his mouth.
After all, without RIDER by his side right now—not that even having him would protect him...
"Teacher... do you know her?"
At this moment, the girl in the gray cloak standing next to Weber asked timidly, while Weber sighed without speaking.
However, even if he wasn’t speaking, Fang Zheng would. She dashed over with a grin to the girl in the gray cloak to warmly introduce herself.
"Yo, hello there, I am the righteous Magical Girl Red Ponytail, you can just call me Little Hong. What’s your name?"
"Gr... Gray..."
"Hmm, that’s a nice name. By the way, why are you covering your face? Are you imitating ASSASSIN? That’s not a good hobby... huh?"
Fang Zheng leaned closer to take a peek beneath the cloak and froze.
"Why do you have a face like SABER’s?"
"SABER...?"
"Does it matter?"
At this moment, Weber abruptly inserted himself between the two, interrupting Fang Zheng’s questioning.
"Red Ponytail, why are you here?"
"I was also invited here, though the invitation wasn’t exactly for me."
As he spoke, Fang Zheng gestured to the back. Soon, Kurotou Hana walked over and respectfully bowed to everyone.
"Hello everyone, nice to meet you. I’m Kurotou Hana, here on behalf of the World Tree of a Thousand Realms, invited by Mr. Ashurban."
"World Tree of a Thousand Realms..."
Hearing this name, Weber’s expression changed slightly as he looked at Fang Zheng.
"You’re from the World Tree of a Thousand Realms?"
"Surprised, aren’t you?"
Fang Zheng grinned and proudly shook his twin ponytails, while Weber wore a look like he was about to die from a stomach ache.
"This is really unexpected..."
Weber sighed, then stood up and nodded towards Fang Zheng and Hana.
"I am Lord El-Melloi II, currently teaching modern Magecraft at the Clock Tower. This is my student, Gray."
"Hello..."
Gray shyly approached and greeted the two.
However, after hearing Weber’s introduction, Fang Zheng frowned.
"Lord... You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, have defected to the side of the nobility? Where’s that guy who claimed ’even Magicians without family bloodlines can become first-class Magicians’? Have you bowed to reality too? Sigh, society is truly cruel..."
"Uh..." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
Hearing the mention of his dark history so lightly, Weber’s face darkened.
"That’s not it, I just..."
"But it’s also understandable. Everyone has their struggles. Looking at you, like you’ve been working overtime for over a decade without a break, it’s clear being a Lord doesn’t make you happy."
Fang Zheng laughed, patting Weber on the body.
"Alright, we’ll be going ahead first. See you at Severance City... Oh yes, I have something to discuss with you afterwards, so don’t think about running away."
With that, Fang Zheng left with Hana, heading further down the mountain path, leaving Weber and Gray speechless, watching their backs.
"Little Hong? Do you know him?"
Once around the bend, Hana curiously asked, and Fang Zheng chuckled.
"Of course, Weber Velvet, we’ve crossed paths during the Holy Grail War. Back then, he was still a naive, chuunibyou kid, hoping to prove his theories by winning the Holy Grail War..."
"Theories?"
"Yes, you must have heard from Fiore too, that Magecraft is accumulated through bloodlines and Magic Circuits. So, the recognized theory at the Mage’s Association is that only those with deep-rooted Magical Families can produce first-class Magicians. But Weber’s theory is that as long as one can effectively research and understand Magecraft, even Magicians without deep blood ties can become first-class Magicians."
Hearing this, Kurotou Hana was a little surprised.
"Isn’t this similar to our World Tree of a Thousand Realms’..."
"Exactly, listen up, Hana. The idea that bloodlines determine a Magician’s worth is just a tool and excuse for the upper echelons to maintain their status. The difference between ordinary Magicians and family-inherited Magicians is like a self-made employee and a second-generation heir born with a silver spoon. The former needs immense effort to become a millionaire, while the latter only needs to ask their family for money. You might think of it like racial segregation policies, where whites think they’re superior to blacks, simply because most of them have access to a good education, while blacks don’t."
Fang Zheng snorted.
"If both start at the same line, growing up in the same environment, it’s uncertain who’s win or lose. Family-inherited Magicians are naturally more powerful due to inheriting generations of Magic Crests, but this doesn’t mean others can’t also become millionaires through their own strength. The Mage’s Association’s theories are merely to stabilize the positions of those in power and to control other weak Magician families. We, the World Tree of a Thousand Realms, don’t care for those old fogeys!"
"I understand, Little Hong!"
Hana became excited.
"So our goal at the World Tree of a Thousand Realms is to overthrow these Magicians, right?"
"Absolutely. A great person once said social change stems from the development of internal contradictions within society—conflicts between productive forces and relationships, class conflicts, and conflicts between the old and the new. These drives society’s progress and institutional change."
Fang Zheng raised a finger proudly.
"The Mage’s Association represents the outdated and backward aspects of the magical world. It’s no longer an era where nobles and bloodlines can be self-righteous. But they’re still stuck in the Victorian Era, self-satisfied and arrogant. But like dust on the ground, if you don’t sweep it, it won’t disappear by itself."
"So... are we inviting that Lord to join us at the World Tree of a Thousand Realms?"
Hana, having studied Magecraft under Fiore, knew these things well and was not worried but excited.
"For now, it seems so, but we need to observe the situation more... I can’t believe that kid would become some Lord... He better not be bowing to the corrupt capitalist ruling class. We don’t want defectors."
Fang Zheng shrugged.
"Well, in any case, we’ll see how it goes when the time comes."
