Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart.
For this academy, Rozen's departure had only lasted a short two months.
But for Rozen himself, leaving this academy—and even this world—had already been several decades ago.
Yes.
Another few decades.
Generally speaking, decades of time are enough to change everything beyond recognition.
Yet, even though decades had passed for Rozen, only two months had gone by in this world. Everything remained just as he remembered—almost untouched by time.
"How nostalgic,"
Rozen muttered to himself as he blended into the students entering the school gates, walking alongside them toward the academy, taking in his surroundings with a sense of sentimentality.
At this moment, Rozen had already changed into the academy uniform, draped once again in the feathered cloak of Kinu, just like back when he was a student here—nothing about his appearance had changed.
But that was only in appearance.
In truth, Rozen had changed significantly—drastically, even. Whether others could notice it or not was another matter entirely.
After all, unlike the previous world, people in this world could not see spiritual energy. They wouldn't be able to perceive Rozen's changes. Only those extremely familiar with him might notice the difference.
Still, Rozen used a spell of Invisibility Jutsu to hide within the crowd, making sure no one noticed him.
This was to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Rozen remembered all too well just how much of a stir he caused before leaving this world.
"To summon an army of hundreds of thousands... even in times of peace, one would be heavily scrutinized by the world powers—let alone in an era like this."
In this world, it was the 19th century.
The Second World War loomed on the horizon, and the scent of war hung in the air. It was a chaotic, unstable time.
And this particular Night Party was exceptionally special. Nations were already moving under the surface, engaging in secretive, vigorous activity. In such times, a magus who could single-handedly summon and control hundreds of thousands of troops was a force no country preparing for war could afford to ignore.
Back then, before Rozen left, many with ulterior motives had already set their eyes on him—some wanting to recruit or lure him in. And if that failed, many had intentions to eliminate the threat he posed.
Unfortunately for them, Rozen back then feared no one. And now, Rozen feared even less. Even if he stood alone against the entire world, he would emerge victorious—easily, at that.
Thus, he wasn't especially cautious upon his return. He simply didn't want attention or trouble, so he chose to remain invisible and silently returned to the academy.
"I recall the Night Party starts again once the new semester begins, and all participants ranked after the top fifty will be taking the stage."
Rozen recalled events from decades past with idle detachment.
To others, it was a matter of great anticipation or anxiety. But to Rozen, it was utterly insignificant.
Even back then, he wasn't worried about being ganged up on in the Night Party, and now, even less so. Such things didn't pose the slightest threat to him.
To put it bluntly, Rozen participating in the Night Party at this point was practically bullying.
If this were an ordinary Night Party, Rozen wouldn't even mind forfeiting. He had no interest in becoming the Wiseman, nor in competing for power in this world. He didn't care about wealth or status—participating was meaningless.
But this particular Night Party was different.
This Night Party would give birth to a certain existence.
—Machine Doll.
An Automaton praised as a god was destined to be born in this Night Party.
There was also the matter of the Akabane clan. Magnus would be participating as well. Rozen was quite intrigued.
Therefore, on this return, Rozen wished not only to reconnect with old acquaintances but also to finally settle unfinished matters from the past.
So, Rozen would continue staying at this academy.
"How about you all?" Rozen asked silently in his heart to his familiars. "Not planning to keep traveling?"
His Servants had all dispelled their physical forms and followed Rozen in spirit form—they hadn't left.
"Even though this world is still in the 19th century and has much less entertainment than the modern age, there are still quite a few interesting things out there. Going on a trip isn't a bad idea."
Rozen made the suggestion casually.
But the girls' responses were as expected.
"That's enough, Senpai,"
Mash's voice echoed in his mind.
"No matter what, we're still Servants and you are our Master. Even if we're now your familiars recorded into your soul, how could we not stay by your side?"
Artoria [Alter] followed up.
"Instead of doing boring, meaningless things like traveling for fun, I'd rather stay by your side. You might start another major incident, like in the previous world. Then I'll have something fun to do."
Jeanne [Alter] spoke with evident malice.
"I don't want to be away from Rozen-sama anymore either. Please allow us to remain with you, even in spirit form—we'll stay like this."
Even Serenity said so.
This time, the four girls had clearly decided not to leave.
"Alright then," Rozen chuckled, shaking his head. "But this world has creatures like shikigami and spirits. If you're not careful, it might cause unnecessary commotion. How about dwelling in my blood like my Beast Vessels?"
Upon hearing this, the four girls paused briefly, then nodded in agreement.
And so, the four Servants transformed from spirit form into Beast Vassals and merged into Rozen's body, taking residence in his blood.
Within Rozen's blood now resided a dragon, the four Servants, and ten Beast Vassals—silently protecting him.
Rozen smiled faintly, strolling through the academy as he made his way toward the Raphael Dormitory for boys.
That was where his dorm room was.
Following the faded yet vivid memories, Rozen stepped into the familiar yet unfamiliar dormitory, slowly lifting the invisibility spell and arriving in front of his room.
Before he even opened the door, he had already sensed a familiar presence through their shikigami contract.
"You're already back, huh?"
Rozen smiled, then reached out and opened the door, stepping inside.
The next moment...
"Rozen!"
With a tearful cry, a girl threw herself into Rozen's arms.
Seeing this, Rozen's smile deepened.
"Yaya."
The girl—was Yaya.