"Hahah! So you ended up using that old clause with the Shinto and humiliated the Gremory girl?"
Rin nodded with pride at her future teacher's words as her rival gave her a flat look before speaking.
"Grandmaster, while we don't regret that confrontation, is this going to cause problems for the Clock Tower?"
Zelretch shook his head with amusement.
"Not really, Luvia. The Clock Tower rarely interacts with the devils in the first place, and except for those here who have contacts with a few of their kind, we don't even trade anything in the first place, so this confrontation is of no consequence. Besides."
The immortal's eyes flashed with mischief.
"Those girls are far too prideful to let slip about this matter to the underworld. Especially that Gremory girl, what with her current issues with a certain pillar family breathing down her neck."
"....Then, I want to ask you something."
"Go on."
"Did you really hire Emiya-kun to help you with those secondary class cards?"
"And, if you did, why did you hide your knowledge about Shero's capabilities and his involvement from us? We knew him from our childhood, so shouldn't we be allowed to know about our friend being involved in this kind of thing?"
Zelretch watched his two potential students with amusement as they fidgeted in their seats. Their nervousness was clear for him to see after they somehow managed to bring themselves to question him.
Courage was always Rin and Luvia's most valuable traits alongside their morality, something that the magi of the other worlds, and even many clans and organizations of this world, lack. However, sometimes, their courage gets the better of them and makes them take reckless actions that lead to rather disastrous results.
Thankfully, this is not one of those times.
"Yes. I contracted Shirou Emiya to collect that second set of Class Cards. The reason I did not tell you girls was purely for the sake of efficiency as well as Shirou's request."
"But, Grandmaster, if you had informed us beforehand, we could have used the backup-"
Zelretch raised a hand, stopping Luvia from speaking, and gave the two girls a flat look.
"Rin, Luvia, I know you two better than you know. If I had informed you beforehand, you would have taken it upon yourselves to retrieve the secondary set along with the primary ones simply because you did not want others to be involved in this business. And if you knew that the person I tasked with this issue was Shirou Emiya? You would be scrambling to complete the task as soon as possible before he even gets the chance to be involved, because you two care so deeply about him. Am I right?"
"...."
Zelretch sighed at their silence, which was already answer enough.
Throughout the many iterations of these girls, he had seen many variations that had various different circumstances and ways of doing things, yet the core never changed.
In the end, Rin Tohsaka and Luvia Edelfelt would always remain those who care dearly for those they consider their own. And one way or another, this always included Shirou Emiya.
Sometimes, it would be Rin that Shirou chose after the Grail War. Sometimes, it is Luvia in the rare instances where she participates in Fuyuki. And some other times, he chooses both. And in some other timelines, he chooses neither and someone else entirely. In these timelines, he either ends up choosing Sakura Matou, which would either lead to his death or his life afterwards consisting of having a bizarre body one way or another, or he ends up choosing Saber, which means he would eternally search for Avalon, which he rarely succeeds in.
Yet, the majority of the time, despite his choice, he would always end up following in the footsteps of his servant self, despite Rin and Luvia's efforts to try and save him.
And then, there are also times when they successfully manage to save his heart of glass with their love, turning him from that path.
Of course, these are just a fraction of the whole Kaleidoscope where Shirou Emiya is a constant factor. A factor that has so much potential that his choices sometimes shape entire timelines one way or another.
A factor that is the same even in this world.
"Children, I will not bore you with the details because, frankly, you two are not ready to know about it. But let me make something clear. Shirou Emiya's actions right now are necessary for what is to come. His task is one that no one but he can complete."
Left unsaid was the fact that the same went for Illya and Miyu.
Zelretch did not want to tell the girls that it was always inevitable for the Kaleidosticks to leave them and go for Illya and Miyu as their masters, it was simply the way things are. It was something that even he could not change since compatibility is something that he cannot change.
Not like he would have changed it even if he could, because as he told Shirou, Illya and Miyu need this experience and growth for what is to come.
Zelretch watched as Rin and Luvia shared a meaningful look and tacitly exited his room after bidding him goodbye.
He knew what the girls were upto.
From now on, he knew that the girls would omit certain details in their reports to him, details about how they 'accidentally' ended up following Shirou Emiya on his task and 'accidentally' ended up helping him with his task.
"Heh, you are a few thousand years too young to play these games with me."
However, soon, his smirk fell away as his eyes peered into the distance, seeing things that only he could see.
"Three down, three more to go, eh? Shirou?"
His eyes hardened as he thought about what awaited the young Emiya in the future.
'Things will only get difficult from here on out, Shirou. You already had Hope in the form of the Archer card, which put you on this path according to his plans. Then, you faced the Guilt you felt because of your counterparts in the form of Lancer. And now, you faced both your Love in the form of Caster and your Despair in the form of Assassin. And so far, you have emerged triumphant, thwarting every attempt made by Angra Mainyu to break you.'
'But now, you need to face your Wrath in the form of Berserker, and your Envy in the form of Saber, before finally confronting Avenger, putting an end to this part of your journey.'
'And yet, I have no doubt that these two emotions will be the hardest for you to face.'
Zelretch's far-off gaze returned to the present as he smiled.
'I know that you will pull through. Because, unlike your counterparts, you have something worth fighting for. Something beyond hollow ideals that most of the time lead you to your doom.'
'Because this time around, you have a loving family that has influenced you so deeply, that your Reality Marble, your very soul, has changed to become something beyond anything your counterparts can ever hope to achieve.'
'A new power born out of an amalgamation, brought together through the hands of a divine being, even if said divinity is a fake one born of evil.'
"How interesting."
Zelretch smiled, sitting alone in his room and sipping his wine, thinking about the interesting times ahead.
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Author Notes:
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