I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

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"And then you're going to destroy it?" Ling raised an eyebrow, looking at Kiritsugu Emiya's blurry face through the smoke.

"Yes." Kiritsugu Emiya didn't try to hide anything. Even though he knew that Rin and the others needed the Holy Grail to go home, if the way the Holy Grail could fulfill its wishes was only by destroying humanity, then he would have no choice but to destroy it.

“What a righteous hero!” Ling uttered this sarcastic title.

Kiritsugu Emiya did not refute, as he considered arguing with Rin about such a matter a waste of time. "What's the next plan?"

“Investigate three things.” Seeing that Kiritsugu Emiya remained unmoved, Ling felt bored and looked away, then spoke about the plan while watching the flashing airplane signal lights in the sky.

"First, search for Aozaki Touko's whereabouts, or find out if there is a studio called Garan no To in this city."

Upon hearing Aozaki Touko's name, Emiya Kiritsugu immediately thought of what Rin was planning. After all, that magician was a top figure in the entire magic world. Whether it was due to the magician's family or the fact that she had been sealed away, Emiya Kiritsugu could not afford to ignore it.

"Illya's problem needs to be solved by Aozaki Touko?"

“Yes, after all, this is the fastest solution.” Ling nodded, recalling her own experiences with the other two Aozaki Toukos, and could only sigh in the end.

"Continue." Kiritsugu Emiya stubbed out his cigarette. Now that he knew Rin was looking for a way to help Illya, he finally perked up.

"Secondly, also in the search for someone, there is a fortune teller in this city called the Mother of Kanbuko. Although it sounds like an urban legend, she does exist. If we can't find Aozaki Touko, we'll have to rely on her."

"What abilities does this person have?" Kiritsugu Emiya was a little puzzled, since he had never heard of this title before, but since Rin would put her on the same level as Aozaki Touko, it meant that she had a very special ability.

"Future vision." Ling didn't reveal the specific abilities of the Mother of Kanbuko, only giving him a general title. After all, future vision is not uncommon in the magic world, but the Mother of Kanbuko's future vision is too special. If others knew about it, she might be in danger, which Ling didn't want—no, she shouldn't allow it to happen.

By leading people to find her, he had already put her in danger. If others found out that she had absolute future vision, Ling dared not even imagine the consequences.

"I understand. What is the third thing?" As expected, Kiritsugu Emiya didn't react much after hearing about the ability of future vision. After all, it wasn't a rare Mystic Eye. He thought that he was probably looking for this person to get some clues from them.

"The third thing—" When the third thing was mentioned, Ling suddenly hesitated. His heart was wavering, as if he was afraid of something, or as if he was looking forward to something. "I'll do this myself. Now that I'm back in Japan, I'll go there no matter if that place still exists or not."

"Then, I'll leave everything to you, Kiritsugu Emiya." After saying this, Ling turned and left.

Back in the dining room, Ling saw Olga looking around, seemingly searching for him. He casually walked up behind her and patted her on the shoulder. "Who are you looking for?"

Olga turned around abruptly upon hearing Ling's voice, glaring at him angrily: "You know perfectly well what I'm asking! Where did you go just now?"

"Going out for some fresh air to clear my head, after all, I don't have your alcohol tolerance." Ling's words were not a lie. He did drink a little alcohol at the buffet earlier. In fact, when the waiter brought it over, he didn't know it was an alcoholic beverage. Only after drinking it did he realize it was fruit wine, and quite strong. So this became a good excuse.

Olga had also drunk the same beverage, so her face was now radiant and she had a pleasant fragrance as she spoke. After staring at Ling for several seconds, she snorted and walked to a row of chairs by the wall to sit down.

Ling knew what she meant, so after greeting Ilya who had run over, he sat down next to Olga.

Seeing Ling sit down, Olga frowned and sat down in another chair, leaving a space between them to show that she was angry.

“Oh dear, Olga, do you know what? You just made two mistakes that couples shouldn’t make.” Lingling pretended to hold up an index finger and waved it at Olga. “First, boys don’t like girls controlling them, because even the closest lovers still need their own private space.”

Olga noticed Ling's words and immediately began to think about her recent actions. Indeed, whether Ling was asleep or awake now, she rarely left her sight. It was fine when she was asleep, but once awake, Ling was no longer someone she could control.

"Secondly, as I've said before, there's no market for being arrogant. If you don't express your true feelings properly, you'll eventually suffer the consequences." Ling smiled mischievously. He wasn't afraid of Olga getting angry because their relationship had reached this stage, and he was confident he had her wrapped around his little finger.

Sure enough, after hearing Ling's words, Olga's face turned pale, and she turned her head to glare at him fiercely, "You are the kind of person who is really annoying!"

“Yes, but no matter how much I hate you, I am still your servant, don’t you think, my Master?” Ling shook her head, looking very unserious. “Love between men and women is a war. The one who confesses first loses. So I can happily tease you, but you can’t make me unhappy, Olga. This unequal relationship is all because of your choice.”

Chapter 375 A Place That Doesn't Exist (Part 2)

Olga sneered, "Can we call our relationship lovers?"

Ling paused, habitually looked up at the chandelier in the hall, then blinked. "Well, it's not quite there, but it's very close. The only difference is my level of acceptance of you."

"Hey, Olga, let's go on a date tomorrow." Suddenly, Ling looked at Olga and extended her hand to invite her.

Caught off guard by the invitation, Olga hurriedly stood up, glancing around to make sure no one was watching before whispering, "What the hell are you doing now? I won't fall for your tricks this time!"

“I’ve always been curious about what kind of image I have in your mind.” Ling clicked her tongue. “This time I’m not joking, I’m serious. Our relationship has skipped too many necessary steps, which is very unfair to you because even now, you don’t understand the real me.”

Ling's expression was serious, and the hand he was holding out in mid-air was trembling slightly, indicating that he was not at peace. He planned to take Olga to confirm a place tomorrow, whether or not the place existed, because he wanted to make a farewell to his past.

"To be honest, for me, a partner is not necessary in my life because I have always been a single person. But this is not fair to you. You have given me everything. If I am so heartless as to be so cold-hearted, it would be too cruel of me."

Ling organized her thoughts, her gaze fixed on Olga. "So I'm giving you a chance, and also giving myself a chance."

“If you choose to give up, then our relationship will remain that of Master and Servant. I will still protect you, but that will be all, because I have my own things to do. Actually, this is the easiest choice for both of us.”

"If you choose to accept, the future of our relationship is uncertain. It might get better, or it might fall apart. Because I'm like a wrecked ship sailing in a storm, with no choice but to disembark. If you choose to disembark, then you'll have to kill me. I don't know where the other side is, or what awaits me ahead, so—"

Before Ling could finish speaking, Olga stepped forward and took his hand. "What are you saying now? I've long since lost the right to choose. And seeing you like this, who could bear to refuse you... You're such an idiot."

Olga sat back down next to Ling, slightly shifting the position of her hands so that they were now intertwined. "Actually, you're very scared, aren't you? Although I don't know what happened to you in the past, you're afraid of this world."

Olga stared straight ahead, ignoring Ling's expression. "Since just now, you've looked like you're about to cry. What are you so afraid of?"

“Yes, so that’s what my expression was like just now…” Ling lowered her head, feeling the warmth from Olga’s palm. “That’s true. Even if I gained superhuman power, I’m still a coward. I know that.”

Olga noticed that Ling's hands were trembling. She knew that Ling might tell her something very important, so she took the opportunity to set up a soundproofing spell. The outside sounds disappeared, and the only sound in the world was their breathing.

“I’ve actually died twice already. The first time was in a car accident, and the second time was due to a human error.” Ling placed her hand on her heart. “Death is a very strange experience, but I don’t think anyone would like it, especially for me. Death is an extremely terrifying thing.”

When Olga heard Ling's words, she couldn't help but think of her own birth. Her existence was built upon the deaths of countless Olga Marie in parallel worlds, but she had no memory of death. Therefore, she found it difficult to understand Ling's words. She could tell that Ling was sincerely trying her best to make her understand, but she was completely confused.

On the Chaldea side, Leonardo da Vinci stopped writing, turned to look at the self-portrait that represented his true appearance, and sighed slightly. "Has it finally come to this? It's really not easy. But Olga probably can't do anything, but she doesn't need to. The more she does, the more mistakes she'll make. Staying by Ling's side for now and letting him get through this on his own is the best solution."

“Hum, you’re right. After all, those who haven’t experienced it have no right to speak. In the entire Chaldea, probably only you and that guy named Romani Archaman can have a word to say about this topic with Ling, right?” Shion’s image reappeared in front of Leonardo da Vinci, and behind her, many strange facilities were under construction.

“Impossible, because Ling would never open her heart to me and Roman. It’s a miracle that Olga has come this far.” Leonardo da Vinci stood up and walked to his self-portrait while listening to the replay of Ling and Olga’s conversation.

“Ling’s innate personality is a bit twisted. I used to think it was because of a problem with his soul, but now it seems that I was completely wrong. You heard it too, right? Ling admitted that he died twice.” Da Vinci touched the self-portrait, his gaze as deep as an abyss.

"A person can only die once. Even if they become a Heroic Spirit, they cannot die again. A Servant is just an avatar. If they return to the Throne of Heroes, the original body has only watched a movie. For us, the concept of death has long disappeared."

"For the living, death is unimaginable, and the soul can no longer retain memories after death. Even if they become heroic spirits, they will only have a vague impression of everything that happened between their death and the time they regain consciousness. Even after the concept of heroic spirit is instilled in them by the restraint force, their fear of death also disappears."

“Ah, I see. That makes sense. According to the Kabbalah Tree of Life, Heroic Spirits are equivalent to Elves, and Elves are the tangible beings of the World. As long as the World isn’t completely destroyed—no, even if the World is completely destroyed—your existence won’t be greatly affected.” Shion pushed up her glasses, a wise glint in her eyes. From Leonardo da Vinci’s explanation, she had glimpsed a corner of the true nature of the so-called Heroic Spirits.

“Yes, but Ling’s existence completely negates the meaning of this death.” Da Vinci rubbed his temples in distress, his sighing tone as if to express just how surprised he was.

“Ling, it’s clear that he was still conscious after death. He said he died twice. So, can we infer that after his first death, he became an infant with a complete soul, then grew up again until he died again?”

Chapter 376 A Place That Doesn't Exist (Part 2)

"Hum, that's an interesting guess, but I don't see anything wrong with it. Isn't this just a matter of soul transfer?"

“No, it’s different. Soul transfer is based on the premise that there is a chance of success, but Ling’s case should be that he was reincarnated without his knowledge.” Da Vinci tried to analyze Ling’s state of mind at the time. “Ling clearly remembers everything after his death. Before his soul solidified and he regained his ability to act, what did he see in his soul state, and how long did it take for him to regain control of himself? Even heroic spirits cannot know this kind of experience. After all, after we regain consciousness, all that is left is the memory of the moment before death.”

“From what I’ve observed, Ling hasn’t developed PTSD, so the problem here is even more serious.” Da Vinci looked at Ziyuan with a helpless expression. “It’s like a baby being born but not crying; it’s completely abnormal.”

PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a delayed and persistent mental disorder that occurs after an individual experiences, witnesses, or encounters one or more events involving actual death, threat of death, serious injury, or threat to physical integrity of themselves or others.

“It seems that Ling is willing to confess part of his past to Olga this time. This will help us understand what happened back then. Hopefully, after knowing these things, we can find a way to help Ling.” Da Vinci knew that if Ling’s problem was left unresolved, it could destroy the world if it were to erupt one day. After all, even she was terrified by the information Ling possessed. The suppressive force had already appeared twice, and even she was terrified by Ji Ling’s existence.

"Hum, but according to my calculations, if we interfere without permission, things might get worse." Shion looked at Rin, who had already made plans to meet Olga tomorrow, and suddenly felt very excited about what would happen to them tomorrow.

“I know, so this time we can only focus on spying and try to minimize our presence.” Da Vinci understood Shion’s concerns, so she also told her the plan she had prepared. “I suppose it’s time for you to transfer the Emerald Record. I’ll take this opportunity to test the prototype inter-world communication device.”

"Wow, it's finished so quickly?" Ziyuan looked at Da Vinci with some surprise. This so-called inter-world communication device was designed by Da Vinci with her data support. In her calculations, even a genius like Da Vinci would need more than a month to complete this device, but now she has completed it in just a few days, which is completely illogical.

“Well, I used a little trick. A succubus provided some support and helped me solve the interdimensional barrier problem. We can now see the area within about 500 meters of the bracelet directly through location tracking, but it's not truly complete yet, because it can only be used for viewing. I don't think the communication function will be working when the Clock Tower investigation team arrives.” She tapped the table in frustration. “I wonder if they'll use this as an excuse to say we haven't found Olga at all. If that's the case, then Chaldea will be in some danger.”

"Hum, you can rest assured about that. When I transport the Jade Record back, I will leave a group of people behind to help with the communication issues." Finding this amusing, Shion gave Da Vinci a thumbs up. Although she didn't have much time now, she still had people under her command. Those people weren't in a hurry to go back, so asking them for help was still possible.

During her stay in Chaldea, Shion had learned a lot of information from Rin and Da Vinci that she had never known before. Following the principle of equivalent exchange, she had accumulated a large debt, so this help could be considered as repaying part of it.

Although the construction of the second Chaldea in the Wandering Sea is progressing more smoothly than expected, Shion still wants to take the time to go and check on it. As for what is happening here, she has given up participating. Even so, she will still collect the information she needs, since there are some very important pawns among those who remain.

"That's a huge help!" Da Vinci laughed happily. Looking at the busy Atlas Institute staff behind Shion, she couldn't help but marvel at how much time and effort it was to have such a group of alchemists as labor. She didn't have that many people to command, and even if the Chaldea staff obeyed her, they wouldn't be able to meet the technical requirements.

Early the next morning, Shion officially left Chaldea with the Emerald Record. The reason for the rush was that she heard the investigation team from the Clock Tower had already set off. To avoid unnecessary trouble, she had to leave early. There were some extremely troublesome people in that investigation team. If the Emerald Record remained here, who knew what would happen after the investigation team entered Chaldea.

Romani, the acting director, seemed to have considered this as well. He completely ignored the excuses made by some employees that Shion's departure was too hasty and that the schedule could not be adjusted. He postponed all the work arrangements for the day and prioritized the departure of the Atlas Institute group.

Watching Shion and her group disappear into the horizon in a helicopter on the monitor, Dr. Roman breathed a sigh of relief. Rafe walked over with two cups of coffee. "What, finally relieved?"

"I suppose so. After all, that thing is a potential threat. The Clock Tower can't possibly ignore it, and I don't want Chaldea to become a battleground for their open and covert struggles." Dr. Roman was referring to the Emerald Record that Shion had taken away. It was a divine artifact passed down from the Age of Gods, and it was a divine artifact with great auxiliary functions. No one could resist its allure.

Although Dr. Roman didn't understand why Shion was able to bring out the Emerald Record, which was the foundation of the Atlas Institute, it didn't matter anymore. As long as that thing didn't stay in Chaldea, he no longer needed to be so worried.

Leif gave a wry smile and handed him one of the cups of coffee. "I agree. Although we found Olga with the help of that thing, keeping it in Chaldea is more likely to lead to a difficult situation that Chaldea cannot handle. It's the right thing to do to get rid of it as soon as possible."

Dr. Roman took the coffee, took a sip, and then froze.

I thought this would be a bitter black coffee, but to my surprise, Rafe thoughtfully added enough sugar cubes. For Roman, a sweet tooth, this coffee was just the right amount of sweetness.

"What's wrong? Not enough sugar?" Rafe looked at Dr. Roman, who had only taken a sip and then stopped, and wondered why he hadn't added enough sugar. After all, this cup of coffee had the same amount of sugar that Roman usually added to his coffee.

"No, that's perfect. Thanks, Rafe." Dr. Roman gestured to Rafe and thanked him with a smile.

Just as the two were enjoying their leisurely morning, Da Vinci's communication went directly to the control room: "Alright, starting the test now, all staff in position~~"

Rafe stood behind Roman with his hands behind his back. "It's about to begin."

"Yes, we really owe a lot to Da Vinci this time. Otherwise, we would have been completely helpless on our own." Roman put down his cup and looked at the busy control room staff below, sighing with a complicated expression.

"Mortals and geniuses cannot be compared, especially a hero like Leonardo da Vinci who is etched in human history. How can we mortals compare to him?" Rafe said in a flat tone, making it impossible to tell whether he was being sarcastic or praising.

Roman's expression changed slightly as he listened. This way of speaking reminded him of himself as a king in the past, when he faced all living beings with the same attitude. Now, hearing this familiar tone, Roman couldn't help but turn around and look at Rafe.

"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with me?" Seeing Roman's hesitant gesture, Rafe straightened his appearance.

"No, I was just thinking, Professor Rafe, you're not exactly a mortal, are you? If you, who created the near-future observation mirror, are also a mortal, then what am I?" In the end, Roman didn't say what he was going to say, but cleverly changed the subject. "After working at Chaldea for so long, I don't have any noteworthy achievements. You know, those who can enter here are the elite of human society. Every time I see them, I realize just how ordinary I really am."

"Romani, as my friend who has studied with me on the path of magic, isn't your self-evaluation a bit too low? Without a doubt, you are also a genius. Having worked together for so many years, I have seen your hard work. Compared to those who have talent but don't know how to work hard, your figure of desperately striving to surpass your own limits, what else can you be but a genius?"

Rafe smiled. "And as a magician, you haven't abandoned your humanity. Just for that, you've already transcended the realm of mortals."

Roman knew why Lev said that, because they both cared about the same person. "I'm so sorry about Mash. If only I had joined Chaldea sooner—"

"Stop talking!" Lev suddenly opened his eyes and glared at Roman, his bloodshot eyes filled with murderous intent. However, he quickly looked away. "That kind of thing is not something you or I can stop. Don't forget, I joined Chaldea before you. The plan to develop the Heroic Spirit Fusion Body had already begun before I came!"

"...Lee, actually you and I both hate your own powerlessness, right? The reason you teach Mash magic is because this powerlessness is whipping you, right?" Roman turned his chair around and looked directly at Lee. He knew that the reason Lee agreed to the incineration of humanity was because he had seen the bottomless abyss of humanity, and the birth of Mash was just an extension. Even if Mash had not been born, Lee, seeing those inhuman tragedies, would still have initiated the incineration of humanity plan.

Rafe didn't answer. He took a deep breath and then coldly changed the subject, "Da Vinci is all ready. Acting Director, please give the order."

Hearing Rafe's words, Roman sighed inwardly. It seemed that his probing had no effect. However, he was not in a hurry. It was 2014. According to Ling's prophecy, the Human Order Burning would happen in 2016. That meant there were still two years to resolve Rafe's inner conflict. Even if he couldn't prevent the Human Order Burning from happening, he could work on Rafe first to make the journey of the future final Master less arduous.

Roman opened all communications to Chaldea and read his prepared speech into the summons: "I am Romani Archaman, appointed by Olga Marie Asmirette Animusfia to temporarily serve as the director of the Human Existence Preservation Agency, Phineas Chaldea, until her return."

Roman's voice was broadcast throughout Chaldea via loudspeakers placed in various locations, and everyone who heard it instinctively stopped what they were doing.

"Next, we will launch a rescue plan for Director Olga Marie Asmiret Animusfia. This plan will be carried out across parallel worlds because I need your help."

At this point, Roman deliberately paused to allow the others to process the news. After all, not many people knew that Olga and Ling were in different parallel worlds through the Atlas Institute; at most, there were no more than thirty people.

"The Clock Tower has sent an investigation team, seemingly with designs on Chaldea. But I can assure you that Director Olga Marie Asmiret Animusfia is still alive and has no intention of handing over Chaldea. Therefore, for the foreseeable future, please work hard, stay at your posts, remember your mission, and do not be tempted by anything before the Director's official return."

"You can find information about the director's movements on Chaldea's employee network later. The control room will release a condensed version. Now, I hereby announce the official commencement of the rescue operation! Thank you, Da Vinci!"

After Roman finished speaking, he nodded heavily to Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci understood and pressed the button in front of him. Then, with the help of the Imaginary Number Observation Machine Paper Moon and Leonardo da Vinci's Noble Phantasm, a special system temporarily named "The Three Wise Men of the East" began to track that wavelength using the bracelet that Olga brought to the parallel world as the transmitter.

Soon after, images began to appear on the large screen in the central control room, showing Olga from five angles: front, back, left, right, and top.

While watching the surveillance footage from the central control room, Da Vinci activated another facility in his workshop. It was a tool he had created at Shion's suggestion to shield the Phenomenon Recording Computer Familiar, Laplace. "Well then, let me handle this. I can't let you watch the live stream, okay? There are some things you don't need to know."

In fact, the footage from the control room was delayed by half an hour. Da Vinci used this time difference to process potentially dangerous information. Although she knew that this little trick would be discovered when the two sides could communicate, at least before that, not many people would know about those unrestrained words.

Now, in the image, Ling and Olga are standing in front of an open space. The control room also heard the sound, and Ling chuckled: "Ha~ So it really doesn't exist."

Chapter 377 The Demon Who Knows Despair (Part 1)

During the period when Ling and Olga were not visible in the Chaldea world line, the two parted ways with the Emiya family early the next morning. Ling and Olga went to the Civil Affairs Bureau of Kaminari City to obtain an internal government map under the pretext of preventing them from getting lost. Then, Ling took the map and boarded a train with Olga, heading towards the town next to Kaminari City.

Clang, clang, the train travels along the tracks, the monotonous and tedious sound repeating itself endlessly.

This is an old and outdated train, lacking both kaleidoscope-style screens and good noise reduction equipment; it is a rather nostalgic, simulated transportation machine.

For Olga Marie, who lives in a developed country and has spent most of her childhood exposed to cutting-edge technology, riding such a train is an unprecedented experience.

"Is this what Japanese trains are like in this era?" Olga felt the hard seat beneath her, then looked around the rather old-fashioned carriage, and suddenly lost all hope for the journey.

"Don't look like that. I've lived in this kind of environment for over ten years, but things have really changed a lot. And people these days talk much louder." Ling looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery outside the car window with a nostalgic expression. At the same time, he frowned and pressed his ear with his palm, as if he hated the noise coming in from outside.

"You really did live in this era before you died?" Olga said, looking at Ling beside her with some surprise.

“Yes, and a few years earlier. Japan is currently in the period of economic bubble bursting, and the time when I died was before that period. Well, you might not understand, the specific time should be 1986.” Ling’s tone was very calm, as if he were talking about someone else’s affairs. He looked up and then found the electronic tag in the carriage.

"It's 1993 here now, seven years have passed. Although the surrounding area hasn't changed, there are many new buildings. Just in case, I went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get a map."

He unfolded the map in his hand and looked at it carefully. He found that some areas had changed their names. Street renovations had caused the entire area to be relocated. Fortunately, the place he was going to today had not changed, otherwise it would have taken him a long time to find it.

"So, what is the purpose of your outing today?" Olga asked, pretending to be indifferent as she looked out the window at the scenery.

"Go home and visit, or rather, go back to the place where you should be called 'home' and visit it."