Volume 1: The Fourth Holy Grail War
Chapter 3: Fantasy Life Simulation (Part I)
The apartment had fallen into a comfortable silence.
Outside, the lights of Fuyuki City shimmered beneath the night sky, their reflections dancing across the calm waters of the river.
To most people, it was nothing more than another ordinary evening.
Ren knew better.
Within a few short days, this peaceful city would become the stage for a battle hidden from the eyes of ordinary people.
Seven Masters.
Seven Servants.
A ritual stained by blood, ambition, and countless regrets.
The Fourth Holy Grail War had not yet begun.
Yet before its first battle had even been fought…
Its history had already changed.
Ren slowly drew the curtains shut, blocking out the city lights.
His gaze lingered on the dark fabric for a moment before he let out a quiet breath.
Ryuunosuke Uryuu was dead.
Caster would never answer his summons.
Dozens of innocent lives that should have been lost had unknowingly been saved.
The world had already stepped away from the future Ren remembered.
“You’re thinking again.”
Artoria’s calm voice pulled him from his thoughts.
She sat quietly on the sofa, having exchanged most of her heavy armor for lighter garments better suited to resting indoors.
Her silver-white cloak lay neatly folded over the armrest, while Rhongomyniad stood against the nearby wall.
Even without anyone touching it, the sacred lance radiated a faint, almost imperceptible divine presence.
Ren smiled awkwardly.
“Is it that obvious?”
“You’ve been staring out the window for several minutes.”
“I have?”
She gave a small nod.
“What is troubling you?
The Holy Grail War?”
“In part.”
Ren walked over to the dining table and pulled out a chair.
“There are…
other things I need to prepare before then.”
Artoria watched him in silence as he sat down.
Ren closed his eyes.
“Status.”
The familiar interface unfolded before him.
══════════════════════════════
Inventory
Items
• Apartment Key
• Smartphone
• Wallet
• Identification Documents
• Bank Card
• ¥7,950,000
• ¥50,000 Cash
Rewards
• Fantasy Life Simulation
Qualification (Epic)
══════════════════════════════
His attention settled on the final entry.
The reward had remained untouched ever since Astra Horizon granted it after history diverged.
Artoria followed his gaze.
“…Is that the reward you mentioned earlier?”
“It is.”
“And you intend to use it now?”
“I think I should.”
Ren leaned back slightly.
“Astra Horizon specifically recommended using it before the Holy Grail War begins.”
“Do you know what it will do?”
“…No.”
He answered honestly.
He remembered the prototype story from another life.
He knew a simulation related to Fairy Britain existed.
But that knowledge was no longer something he could rely on completely.
This world wasn’t following someone else’s script anymore.
It was his reality.
The moment Artoria had answered his summons instead of Diarmuid…
The future had begun to drift.
Astra Horizon itself differed from the original system in countless subtle ways.
Assuming everything would unfold exactly as before would only lead to mistakes.
Ren reached toward the floating interface.
The moment his finger touched the reward—
The Inventory dissolved into countless particles of light.
A different window unfolded in its place.
Its silver-blue frame resembled a night sky filled with countless stars.
══════════════════════════════
Astra Horizon
Fantasy Life Simulation
Qualification Accepted.
Preparing Synchronization…
══════════════════════════════
The notification lingered only briefly before another appeared beneath it.
══════════════════════════════
Notice
Simulation Time and
Real World Time are
Independent.
Your physical body will
remain protected during
the simulation.
Memories, experience,
and eligible rewards
will synchronize upon
completion.
Proceed?
YES / NO
══════════════════════════════
Ren read every line carefully.
His body would remain here…
Only his consciousness would enter the simulation.
That answered one of his biggest concerns.
He wouldn’t disappear from reality while undergoing the process.
“…So that’s how it works.”
He murmured quietly.
The sound of footsteps approached.
Artoria stopped beside him.
“If you enter this simulation…”
“You’ll lose consciousness?”
“It appears so.”
She looked at the floating interface for a moment before turning her attention back to him.
“Then I shall remain here.”
Ren blinked.
“…You don’t have to.”
“I do.”
Her answer came without hesitation.
“If your body cannot defend itself…”
“Then someone must.”
There was no dramatic declaration.
No knightly oath.
She simply stated it as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ren couldn’t help smiling.
“Thank you.”
For a brief moment, Artoria’s expression softened.
“We are companions now.”
Her voice remained as calm as ever.
“A knight does not abandon someone entrusted to her care.”
Ren chuckled quietly.
“I suppose arguing with the King of Knights would be pointless.”
“It would.”
The corner of her lips lifted ever so slightly.
The atmosphere inside the apartment became noticeably lighter.
Ren looked at the floating interface one last time.
There was no reason to hesitate.
He had chosen to change fate.
That path wouldn’t become easier simply because he wished it to.
“…Proceed.”
The words left his lips calmly.
Immediately, the interface responded.
══════════════════════════════
Fantasy Life Simulation
Initializing…
Synchronizing…
Preparing Initial Parameters…
══════════════════════════════
The apartment slowly disappeared.
Not in darkness…
But in light.
The floor beneath his feet dissolved into countless stars.
The walls faded.
The ceiling vanished.
Soon, Ren found himself standing within an endless expanse where galaxies drifted like scattered jewels across an infinite sky.
There was no wind.
No gravity.
No sensation of movement.
Only absolute stillness.
Time itself seemed meaningless here.
Then—
A voice echoed throughout the endless cosmos.
It carried neither warmth nor coldness.
Neither age nor gender.
Its existence felt ancient beyond comprehension.
══════════════════════════════
Simulation World Selected.
Nasuverse
Historical Reconstruction
Fairy Britain
Age of the Fairies
Synchronization Successful.
══════════════════════════════
As the final line disappeared, the stars before Ren began to shift.
The darkness slowly parted.
A vast landscape emerged from the sea of light.
Towering forests stretched beyond the horizon.
Ancient rivers wound through untouched valleys.
Mountains pierced the heavens, while colossal trees rose high enough to brush against the stars themselves.
This wasn’t Britain.
Not the Britain recorded in history.
This was Fairy Britain.
A land born long before mankind ruled the surface of the planet.
An age where Mystery still reigned supreme.
Ren silently took in the breathtaking sight.
“…So this is the Age of the Fairies.”
Even knowing it was only the beginning of a simulation…
The world before him felt completely real.
Before he could admire it any longer, another interface slowly appeared.
Unlike the previous notifications, this one resembled an ancient stone tablet suspended in midair.
══════════════════════════════
Fantasy Life Simulation
The choices you make
will determine the
foundation of your life
within this world.
Please choose carefully.
══════════════════════════════
Ren instinctively straightened.
His expression gradually became serious.
“So…”
“It starts now.”
The stars around him dimmed slightly.
Another selection window slowly emerged from the void.
The first decision awaited him.
Volume 1: The Fourth Holy Grail War
Chapter 3: Fantasy Life Simulation (Part II)
The ancient stone tablet hovered silently before Ren, its weathered surface etched with symbols that seemed older than history itself.
Unlike the clean interfaces Astra Horizon usually displayed, this one felt…
primitive.
As though it didn’t belong to the system.
Or perhaps, the system was merely borrowing the rules of this ancient world.
Ren slowly exhaled.
“So this is where it truly begins…”
A soft ripple spread through the endless sea of stars.
The stone tablet lit up.
══════════════════════════════
Fantasy Life Simulation
Every choice made within this
Simulation will shape your
starting point.
Greater challenges carry
greater opportunities.
Please choose wisely.
══════════════════════════════
Ren’s eyes swept across the message before it faded.
Another tablet slowly emerged.
══════════════════════════════
Simulation Difficulty
Simple
A peaceful life.
Lower risks.
Lower rewards.
──────────────
Ordinary
A balanced life where fortune
and danger coexist.
──────────────
Difficult
A harsh life filled with
countless hardships.
Final rewards significantly
increased.
══════════════════════════════
Ren smiled helplessly.
“It doesn’t really give me much of a choice.”
If this had merely been a game, choosing the safest route might have been sensible.
But Astra Horizon had already made one thing abundantly clear.
Everything he accomplished inside this Simulation would eventually become his own.
Knowledge.
Experience.
Power.
Even certain treasures.
The Fourth Holy Grail War was only days away.
Every advantage mattered.
Without another thought, Ren reached toward the final option.
“I choose…”
“…Difficult.”
The moment his fingertip touched the tablet, the surrounding stars trembled.
They did not explode into brilliant light.
Instead, they slowly drifted farther apart, revealing an even deeper darkness beyond.
A quiet notification appeared.
══════════════════════════════
Selection Confirmed
Difficulty
✔ Difficult
Historical Variance Increased.
Reward Synchronization
Efficiency Improved.
══════════════════════════════
The message vanished almost immediately.
The second choice appeared.
══════════════════════════════
Choose Your Destiny
Son of Destiny
(Gold)
Favored by destiny from birth.
──────────────
Lord of the Plane
(Purple)
One born to stand above others.
──────────────
All Living Beings Are Equal
(White)
An ordinary existence within
an extraordinary age.
══════════════════════════════
Ren studied the choices carefully.
He recognized them immediately.
Compared to the prototype…
Only the wording had become clearer.
“…Son of Destiny.”
The choice practically radiated opportunity.
Perhaps in another situation he would have questioned whether something so obviously valuable hid an equally dangerous price.
But this was Fairy Britain.
A land where survival itself was uncertain.
If he wished to change the fate of that world…
Then beginning with the greatest potential wasn’t arrogance.
It was preparation.
“I’ll choose…”
“Son of Destiny.”
Golden light flowed across the stone tablet.
Instead of blinding brilliance, it resembled warm sunlight breaking through the clouds after a long storm.
══════════════════════════════
Selection Confirmed
✔ Son of Destiny
Synchronization Complete.
══════════════════════════════
Without pause, the next selection appeared.
══════════════════════════════
Choose Your Background
Saviour
(Gold)
A child destined to shoulder
the hopes of many.
──────────────
Become a King
(Gold)
Royal blood flows within you.
──────────────
Knight Family
(Blue)
Born into a household devoted
to honor and duty.
══════════════════════════════
Ren quietly folded his arms.
Each option represented a completely different future.
A king inherited authority.
A knight inherited responsibility.
A saviour…
Inherited neither.
Instead, they earned both through their own actions.
He found himself smiling.
“That suits me better.”
He had never desired a throne.
Nor did he believe blood alone qualified someone to lead.
If he wanted to save others…
Then he’d rather do it by his own choices.
“I choose…”
“Saviour.”
The world answered.
Warm golden light descended from above before quietly sinking into his body.
Unlike before…
Ren actually felt something.
Not strength.
Not power.
Rather…
Resolve.
As though the world itself had acknowledged his decision.
The fourth selection appeared.
══════════════════════════════
Choose Your Race
Human
(Blue)
──────────────
Fairy
(Blue)
──────────────
Monster
(Purple)
Warning
Your race may influence
future Synchronization.
══════════════════════════════
This time…
Ren didn’t immediately make his choice.
Instead, he reread the warning several times.
“Future Synchronization…”
That confirmed his suspicion.
The race he selected here wasn’t temporary.
Once the Simulation ended, part of that existence could become his own.
Fairies possessed extraordinary affinity with Mystery.
Monsters enjoyed overwhelming physical ability.
Either choice would make surviving Fairy Britain considerably easier.
But…
What happened afterward?
The Nasuverse wasn’t kind to beings that fell outside the proper order.
Ren recalled Alaya.
The collective unconscious of humanity.
The force that unconsciously guided mankind toward survival.
If he intended to travel beyond the Nasuverse one day…
To worlds entirely different from this one…
Remaining human would provide the most stable foundation.
He wasn’t looking for the easiest beginning.
He was preparing for the longest journey.
Without another moment’s hesitation…
“I choose…”
“Human.”
The tablet gave a faint pulse.
══════════════════════════════
Selection Confirmed
✔ Human
Synchronization Stable.
══════════════════════════════
The fifth and final standard selection emerged.
══════════════════════════════
Childhood Encounter
Ancient Ruins
(Purple)
A forgotten inheritance awaits.
──────────────
Swordsmanship Legacy
(Purple)
A path forged through steel.
──────────────
River God Encounter
(Gold)
A meeting that may alter
the course of destiny.
══════════════════════════════
The corners of Ren’s lips rose slightly.
“So that’s still here…”
Of all the choices presented so far…
This one possessed the greatest hidden value.
Not because it guaranteed power.
But because it opened a door that would otherwise remain forever closed.
A single encounter.
A single decision.
One ripple capable of changing an entire lifetime.
His answer came immediately.
“I choose…”
“River God Encounter.”
The moment his choice was confirmed…
The silence of the cosmos was interrupted by the distant sound of flowing water.
Gentle.
Clear.
Ancient.
For only an instant, Ren caught sight of a winding river flowing between mountains before the vision disappeared.
The tablet quietly acknowledged his choice.
══════════════════════════════
Selection Confirmed
✔ River God Encounter
Special Event Registered.
══════════════════════════════
Ren waited.
Surely…
The Simulation would begin now.
Instead—
Everything froze.
The stars stopped moving.
Even the faint current of light flowing through the endless void came to a complete halt.
“…?”
A final tablet slowly emerged.
Unlike every interface before it…
Its frame resembled weathered stone wrapped in emerald vines and ancient roots.
It felt less like a creation of Astra Horizon…
And more like something borrowed from the Planet itself.
══════════════════════════════
Astra Horizon
Additional Synchronization
Innate Blessing
One final selection
is available.
══════════════════════════════
Ren narrowed his eyes.
“This wasn’t part of the original…”
The tablet unfolded one last time.
══════════════════════════════
Innate Blessing
Gaia’s Embrace
(Unknown)
???
──────────────
Divinity (C+)
(Gold)
A fragment of divine grace
rests upon your soul.
──────────────
Elemental Control
(Purple)
Exceptional affinity toward
the world’s elemental
foundation.
──────────────
Warrior’s Talent
(Blue)
Your aptitude for martial
disciplines greatly improves.
══════════════════════════════
His gaze stopped on the first option.
Gaia’s Embrace.
No explanation.
No description.
Not even Astra Horizon could identify it.
Only three simple question marks.
That alone made Ren hesitate.
Every other blessing had a clear purpose.
Divinity would strengthen his compatibility with sacred mysteries.
Elemental Control would greatly aid magecraft.
Warrior’s Talent would sharpen his combat ability.
But Gaia’s Embrace…
Was unknown.
He closed his eyes.
Then a thought surfaced.
If Astra Horizon couldn’t identify it…
Then perhaps…
It wasn’t because the blessing was incomplete.
Perhaps it existed on a level beyond what Astra Horizon was allowed to explain.
A faint smile crossed his face.
“I’ve already decided to walk a path no one else has.”
“So…”
“I’ll trust my instincts.”
Ren raised his hand.
“I choose…”
“…Gaia’s Embrace.”
The instant the words left his mouth—
Silence.
Complete.
Absolute.
The countless stars scattered throughout the endless void ceased to shine.
The ancient river vanished.
Even the stone tablets dissolved without a trace.
There was no explosion.
No divine light.
No triumphant fanfare.
Only a single, indescribable sensation.
It felt as though something unimaginably ancient…
Had quietly opened its eyes.
Not toward the Simulation.
Not toward Astra Horizon.
But toward Ren himself.
The feeling lasted only a heartbeat.
Then…
Everything returned to normal.
The stars shone once more.
The silence was broken.
As if nothing had happened.
Only one new line appeared before Ren.
══════════════════════════════
Synchronization Complete.
Beginning Fantasy Life…
══════════════════════════════
The world of stars shattered like glass.
Ancient Fairy Britain awaited him.
To Be Continue…
2,421 Word Count Only This for now