166 Drifting Phenomenon

"Umu."

"Umu."

"Hehehe~"

Under the displeased gaze of Morgan, Artorius continued chatting with X, making her laugh foolishly before she turned around and ran off.

So full of energy, Morgan couldn't help but feel envious.

She was content with her own appearance and figure. Especially Artorius was infatuated with her mature charm. She viewed X's energetic behavior as immature and childish.

However, watching X bouncing around with that youthful vitality, she still couldn't help but feel envious.

'Mature women are one thing, while youthful is another. If only I could combine the two. Artorius would definitely like me more.'

Thinking like that, Morgan thought of the Third Magic.

Artorius with the Third Magic could effortlessly switch between different ages.

Today, he could act like a charming boy (Shota) and confuse the older girls, eliciting their fondness as he allowed them to playfully mess around with him.

Tomorrow, he could transform into a handsome uncle (Dilf) with an authoritative and powerful presence, teasing Morgan from behind and making her all soft.

The day after tomorrow, he could become a charming and sunny sixteen-year-old youth (Ikemen).

One Artorius, multiple ways to play. Fulfilling every girl's dream perfectly. Morgan's fondness for him would increase threefold.

In the end, Morgan still preferred him in his handsome youth (Ikemen) form.

Not for any other reason but for nostalgia. It was in this form that Artorius, with confidence, appeared before her years ago for the first time, then plunged a dagger into her belly.

The chaos, arrogance, and madness of his had ensnared Morgan, and she couldn't free herself even now.

'He likes mature older women, and he also likes childish young girls. He's really... well... should I try some other way?' Morgan unconsciously looked towards the homunculus area. Then her gaze shifted to Scathach.

'Creating a younger version of myself, or perhaps making a puppet body like Scathach?'

Thinking this, Morgan moved closer to Artorius.

"Did you say anything boring to that kid?" Morgan pretended to be casual. "She seems pretty happy, she doesn't even care that her spaceship was dismantled."

"Nothing much, just some words to amuse a child..." Artorius said casually. "I told X that the mission to defend the Earth and eliminate the Artoria Species is entrusted to her. After saying that, the kid left happily."

"As always, deceiving girls, fufufu~" Morgan chuckled, not realizing that she included herself in that statement. "Even the Artoria from a parallel world is played by you."

The once-turbulent witch, now completely tamed and often played around with by Artorius, teased in a half-joking manner.

"Who will you bring next time? Maybe another me from a parallel world?"

"Hmm... who knows, maybe not. Perhaps Morgan from another world is not an evil witch, but a saint."

"Hmph, first make sure you don't lose your way during the next drift..." Morgan said irritably.

As they exchanged those words, the surrounding researchers were busy preparing numerous testing instruments and equipment.

Maybe Morgan was just joking, but for Artorius, those words couldn't be completely taken lightly.

With Morgan and Vivian's help, Artorius began a series of tests and examinations.

The most important was to understand his 'drifter' constitution.

After careful thought and contemplation, the assumption that he traveled to another timeline because of the summoning of the Holy Grail was not quite accurate. There was a high probability that the cause was himself.

But if the cause was himself, how could he integrate into the Holy Grail System, become a Servant, and acquire various Skills and Noble Phantasms? Was it due to his Third Magic or something else?

No matter the reason, this time, his 'drift' took only a moment, and then he came back with no problems, even gaining some advantages.

But what about the next time? The time after that, and the time after that?

Who could guarantee that there wouldn't be any problems every time?

Even if there were just slight problems, if they were to accumulate, they could lead to the downfall of the empire.

For example, if he kept bringing back parallel world Artoria, the empire's food supply would quickly be insufficient.

So, for the sake of the empire's treasury and food security, a comprehensive understanding of Artorius's physical structure and his drifter constitution was necessary. That's why he came here, for this examination.

"Relax, it won't hurt much."

Vivian guided Artorius to sit in a chair, as she said this, she gently kissed his cheek. This earned her a laugh from him.

After laughing, Artorius looked at Morgan.

"If next time, I really bring back the parallel world version of you..." Artorius cautiously asked. "What would you do?"

As he said that, a metal helmet with many tubes was placed on Artorius's head by Vivian. It looked like the kind used for electrotherapy in a mental hospital or a youth internet addiction rehabilitation center.

"Kill her."

Morgan answered without hesitation and pressed a button. A strong electric current instantly spread throughout Artorius's body, making his brain, his soul, and everything feel tingling and uncomfortable.

"..."

'This thing really is a goddamn electrotherapy device.' Artorius sighed in his mind.

Vivian turned to Scathach on the other side. The latter was looking at the data on the magic monitor and nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, it's related to you, more precisely, your soul."

Scathach glanced at Artorius, who was a bit impatient as he removed the helmet.

"Soul?"

"Yes, it's your soul, Artorius. Your soul's purity isn't enough."

Scathach tossed a printed document to Artorius, who casually handed it over to a researcher nearby since he couldn't make sense of it himself.

"Could you be more specific?" Artorius continued to ask with a confused tone. "What do you mean by 'not enough purity'?"

"It's about your connection and bond with this world..." Scathach replied in a relaxed tone.

According to her explanation, Artorius quickly grasped the current situation.

His 'drifting' ability wasn't something that suddenly appeared later in life; it was innate. It existed even before he was born in this world.

"Do you still remember? Your soul didn't originate from this world. It came from another world. That incubus accidentally discovered your soul and then created a backup savior in case Artoria failed."

"We didn't pay much attention to how you arrived in this world before, but now it seems..."

"A drifter huh...?" Artorius furrowed his brows. "But I have no recollection of this..."

"Not having memories of it is quite normal." Morgan chimed in. "Because it's clear that you died during your first drift. Traveling between worlds isn't feasible without a robust physique."

Morgan's tone carried a mix of amusement and mockery. Artorius couldn't help but roll his eyes, even though he couldn't dispute her.

Despite being powerful being capable of charming a multitude of women right now, during his first 'drift', Artorius was just an ordinary human.

In his past life, the modern lifestyle had kept his body in a state of mediocre health, with various issues accumulating. It was expected that if left unattended, when he reached around the age of sixty, they would all erupt together, potentially leading to a situation where he'd end up in the ICU.

Given this physical condition, it wasn't too difficult to understand how he could collapse due to the drifting phenomenon.

While Artorius pondered, the surrounding researchers began rearranging various equipment. It seemed the tests were over.

"So, what's the conclusion?" Artorius inquired, observing the scene. "What's the plan for the future? How do we address this drifting issue? Should we intervene or let it develop naturally?"

"It's quite simple..." Morgan said with a snap of her fingers, teleporting Artorius, herself, and Vivian to her sleeping chamber.

"What?"

Artorius was taken aback by his aunt's sudden action.

Particularly unsettling was his aunt's alluring and seductive smile, making Artorius feel even more perplexed.

'What's going on? We were just discussing medical matters, so why are we undressing now?'

He'd never heard of this kind of treatment approach before!

"What's the meaning of this, Morgan?" Artorius questioned, a bit surprised and somewhat exasperated.

"Well, My dear nephew..."

Morgan seemed quite content, and so was Vivian. In fact, Vivian seemed even happier than Morgan.

The reason being that, as relayed by her newly arriving 'daughters' after their travel from the late 20th century, His Majesty the Emperor treated them in various intriguing and often inappropriate ways.

What else if not sex, sex, and sex? Various bizarre roleplays, bizarre positions, and bizarre costumes. This deeply irked Vivian.

Her daughters, the gentle and delicate maidens, had somehow encountered a man like Artorius and seemed utterly clueless about his charm.

Several times, whenever she met Artorius, she had the urge to shout—"Let them go, whatever problem you have, take it out on me!"

And now, the practical opportunity had finally come.

Stockings or fishnet tights, black, white, flesh-colored, cotton, nylon, silk, and an array of costumes as well as props.

'...Artorius, you've completely corrupted this fairy through and through.'

Observing Vivian beside her, wearing an expression of blissful, foolish happiness, Morgan couldn't help but think with a mix of emotions.

While Morgan and Vivian's relationship was naturally strained, they were still profoundly connected as archenemies.

The Lady of the Lake was undoubtedly a benevolent being, but a fairy was still a fairy—kind yet chaotic.

Fond of pranks, lies, and teasing, they were phantasmal species as free as the wind.

However, after Artorius's teaching, Vivian had undergone a complete transformation, becoming a 'rule-abiding' character.

She worked diligently every day, eagerly anticipating Artorius's nightly visits, finding happiness in experiencing womanhood.

The feeling of unrestrained impulse, the essence of a fairy, was no more. It was unclear whether this change was for the better or worse.

"Yahoo~"

As Morgan contemplated, Vivian had already taken the initiative, and her familiar routine with Artorius had begun.

Seeing Vivian in the lead, the witch didn't wait any longer. She joined the fray and answered Artorius's question earlier.

"The solution is quite simple."

"Strengthen your connection to this world."

"The more you're linked to this world, the tighter, deeper, and inseparable the bond becomes."

"Once that happens, random drifting phenomenon won't occur anymore."