The man standing before him looked almost exactly like the character from the anime. Sharp features, slicked-back hair, an aura of supreme confidence. But there was a difference.
The "edge" on him was sharper, fresher. He hadn't yet been worn down by the events of the Holy Grail War.
He wasn't the broken man in the wheelchair, nor was he the desperate Master facing Emiya Kiritsugu.
He was Kayneth in his prime. The Prodigy.
Rimuru's gaze lowered, his fingers unconsciously tapping a rhythm against his thigh.
I've been so obsessed with where I am... I almost forgot the most important question for someone like me. The timeline. What year is this?
Thinking quickly, Rimuru calibrated his internal monologue.
The Fate universe is a mess of overlapping timelines and catastrophes. Hiding isn't a guarantee of safety. And if I want to do something... I have to chase the major events.
The Night of the Witches (Mahoyo) has already passed. According to the Great Sage, I didn't get lucky like Aozaki Aoko, I didn't catch a glimpse of the Root back then.
"But this younger-looking Kayneth standing in front of me is a walking calendar. His existence points to the next major event I need to focus on."
The Fourth Holy Grail War.
[Notice: You do not possess the Magicule Reactor known as Veldora Tempest. Therefore, it is recommended that you attempt to acquire the Holy Grail... It would serve as a sufficient energy source.]
"Erm..." Rimuru's face twisted slightly at the Great Sage's suggestion. "If I actually eat the Holy Grail... won't I get indigestion? That thing is basically a cup full of cursed mud."
The conversation happened in a split second, thanks to the Great Sage's [Thought Acceleration]. In reality, barely a moment had passed since Kayneth greeted May.
Kayneth, having finished his brief verbal spar with May, turned his attention back to the distracted blue-haired boy.
He offered a thin, confident smile.
"Lord Rimuru, you really should refrain from saying things like 'leading students astray.' The Tempest family possesses dozens of generations of magical knowledge. Even the smallest scrap of your wisdom would be enough for any student to be grateful for a lifetime."
Kayneth paused, his eyes gleaming with calculation.
"However, if your concern lies in the quality of the students available... the Archibald family has several promising young talents in this generation…"
He let the sentence hang, but the implication was clear.
"Huh?"
Rimuru blinked, genuinely confused.
He understood Kayneth praising his lineage, that was just standard noble etiquette. But why was everyone suddenly trying to shove children at him?
First May, now Kayneth. Was there some rumor going around that he was desperate for an apprentice?
Still, Kayneth's offer sparked a thought.
If they were talking about the El-Melloi family... then the most famous member (aside from Waver Velvet, who was an outsider) was the future Princess of the Clock Tower. The sadistic, black-stocking-wearing girl who would one day torment Waver for fun.
Rimuru's eyes lit up. He almost blurted out an acceptance.
"Reines?" he asked, hopeful.
"Reines?"
To Rimuru's surprise, Kayneth's composed expression faltered. A flicker of genuine confusion crossed his face.
He thought for a moment, scanning the family registry in his mind.
Reines... Reines...
It sounded like a girl's name. But he drew a blank.
Kayneth narrowed his eyes. As a "once-in-a-century genius," he prided himself on his memory and attention to detail. If there was an Archibald named Reines, he would know.
Therefore, she did not exist.
Though, he mused, it is a rather pleasant name.
He filed the name away for future reference and shook his head.
"I am afraid there is no one by the name of Reines in our family. It seems..."
He gave Rimuru and May a knowing look, interpreting Rimuru's question as a polite way of saying, 'I'm already saving that spot for someone specific.'
"...Lord Rimuru already has a specific candidate in mind."
"I believe the matter of his disciples is none of your concern, Professor El-Melloi!"
May Riddell practically hissed the words. To poach a potential ally right in front of her face? She felt her authority as a Lord was being challenged.
By switching to his formal title and family name, she escalated the conversation from casual banter to factional warfare. It was a polite way of saying, 'Get lost.'
"Oh? I suppose you are right."
Kayneth chuckled, unfazed by her hostility. He turned on his heel, his cape flourishing behind him.
"Although the meeting is still some time away, I have matters to attend to. Until we meet again, Professor Archelot."
He glanced back one last time.
"And to you, Lord Rimuru. I wish you a pleasant afternoon at the Clock Tower."
Kayneth buried his hands deep into the pockets of his uniform coat. His posture was so rigid, his stride so mechanically perfect, that Rimuru couldn't help but think he walked less like a mage and more like a Prussian soldier on parade.
"What a thoroughly unpleasant man," May muttered, narrowing her eyes at his retreating back.
"I don't know, he seems alright to me," Rimuru shrugged.
To be honest, Rimuru's impression of Kayneth wasn't particularly deep. He mostly remembered him as the tragic comic relief of the Fourth Holy Grail War, the guy who got completely outplayed by Kiritsugu and eventually suffered a terrible case of NTR (cuckolding) by his own Servant.
"He's just a bit unlucky," Rimuru added.
Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say.
May Riddell instantly turned on him. She grabbed Rimuru's head and started aggressively rubbing her knuckles against his scalp.
"That's because you haven't seen him when he's being spiteful!" she hissed, administering the noogie with prejudice.
"He only treats you with that level of respect because he acknowledges the antiquity of the Tempest lineage. If you didn't have that last name, you'd realize just how insufferable he actually is."
Rimuru winced. Right.
The Archelot family was "New Money", a clan that rose to prominence during the Industrial Revolution.
To a hyper-traditionalist like Kayneth, whose power was derived from ancient mystery, May's family was likely seen as uncouth upstarts. That explained the tension.
However, Rimuru wasn't about to just take the abuse. He pushed against her grip, blinking his golden eyes innocently.
"So... if he respects me but hates you... doesn't that mean my status is technically higher than yours?"
"???"
May's eyebrow twitched.
"You little…!!"
Forget dignity. Forget that they were in the hallway of the Clock Tower. May clamped Rimuru's head into a headlock, utilizing her height advantage to trap him against her chest while her hands mercilessly squished his cheeks together.
"You're getting cocky, aren't you?! Squishing my face won't save you! First, explain yourself! Who is this 'Reines' woman, hmm?"
She pulled his cheeks wide.
"Is she some vixen you met outside? Some seductress?!"
"Mmph! Lemme... go!!"
Caught off guard, Rimuru had to resort to his racial traits. His head softened, liquefying into a malleable blue blob that slipped effortlessly out of May's chokehold. He reformed his face a safe distance away, rubbing his distorted cheeks.
"I told you, I just made the name up on the spot!" he protested, laughing nervously.
But while he joked, his mind was racing, connecting the dots.
Kayneth's reaction confirmed it: Reines El-Melloi Archisorte didn't exist yet. Or at least, she wasn't born or named.
If Reines wasn't around, that meant the other key players of her generation, Tohsaka Rin and Matou Sakura, weren't born yet either.
Rimuru felt a wave of relief mixed with realization.
The timeline... it's much earlier than I thought. The Holy Grail War is still years away.
….
5 more to go…