[Soon after css ended, El-Melloi II returo his office, visibly irritated, and begaing his frustrations.]

  ["I'm just the ag Lord, but I don't have the power to match the title. Instead of w about power struggles, I'd rather foy own research."]

  ["That pack of demons and monsters, magus who've pletely abahe pursuit of the Root deserve nothihan to be cursed to hell."]

  [The little girl named Gray sat quietly nearby, listening ily to his pints.]

  [Uhe other students, Gray addressed El-Melloi II as "Master," a mark of their closer bond. She was his disciple, not merely a student.]

  [As the video shifted, Gray's full appearance was revealed. Her face bore an uny resembo Artoria Pendragon.]

  Artoria: "This… this is!"

  La: "They look exactly like the king. If they stood side by side, I doubt anyone could tell them apart."

  Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Could this just be a ce?"

  Sisigou Kairi: "Maybe she's a desdant of King Arthur?"

  Rebellious Knight: "What nonsense! I'm the only legitimate child of my father!"

  "Could it be…?"

  Artoria stared at Gray's white hair and familiar features, a thought f in her mind. But she quickly dismissed it. That woman had long since passed away—this couldn't be ected.

  Darnic: "It does seem as if El-Melloi II resents the politics of the Clock Tower."

  Kayh: "Hmph, st to stir up discord."

  [After his pints, El-Melloi II took Gray along to handle some errands. As they turned a er, they actally bumped into Ft Escardos and Svin Gscheit, who were carrying a box. The tents crystals spilled onto the floor.]

  ["Great, just my luck," Waver muttered, pig himself up. "Looks like the curse struck back."]

  [For most people, it would've seemed like an i mishap, but Waver touched his head, his expression darkening.]

  ["Even if it was just an uional curse, those narrow-minded magi still seized the opportunity."]

  Darnic: "Ah, the Clock Tower truly is as toxic as ever. Not even freedom of speech is safe there."

  Iskandar: "That's ridiculous. To think curses would fly over trivial pints!"

  Tohsaka Rin: "I suddenly feel like studying at the Clock Tower isn't as gmorous as it seems."

  Waver said nothing, staring at the video with a stiff expression.

  Kayh: "…"

  Kayh's silence spoke volumes. Had the once-great Clock Tower truly fallen this far, being a haven for petty grudges?

  ["Damn it, my clothes! I've only worn them a few times, and now they're ruined," Waver grumbled.]

  [Gray, ever the dutiful disciple, offered quietly, "I'll them for you ter, Master."]

  ["Thanks. I'll leave it to you," Waver said, walking away in frustration. But as he stepped on one of the scattered crystals, he slipped and fell with a pained cry, nding awkwardly on the ground.]

  ["Are you alright, oh sacred and invioble professor of magecraft?" Ft asked, his voice filled with but also teasing.]

  ["I'm fine," Waver replied, wing. "And don't call me by that pretentious title—it's embarrassing."]

  ["But it's a respectful honorific," Ft insisted.]

  ["No, it's worse," Waver said ftly.]

  [Svin chimed in with a grin, "Would you rather I mention how you ranked fourth on the Clock Tower's 'Fantasy Objects Most Desired by Girls' list?"]

  [Ft: "See, no ill i, but it still makes people mad!"]

  [With Gray's help, Waver stumbled away, clearly annoyed. Whatever errands they had pnned for the day were now celed.]

  So-ui: "There's a voting list like that? The 'Fantasy Objects' list?"

  Tohsaka Rin: "Of course there is. It's clearly something magus obsessed with appearances would i."

  Tohsaka Rin: "But seriously, how did he even make it onto the list?"

  Illya: "Uncle Waver seems super popur with girls!"

  Iskandar: "Hahaha! Boy, it looks like your future is filled with admirers!"

  El-Melloi II: "There's nothing to celebrate about this."

  Iskandar: "Why not? Don't you enjoy being surrounded by beautiful women?"

  Illya: "Wait, do you dislike women, Uncle Waver?"

  Irisviel: "Illya!"

  Waver: "My preferences are perfectly normal!!!"

  [Ba his office, Waver colpsed onto the sofa as Gray fetched medie for him.]

  ["Ah, of all the Clock Tower Lord, I'm the only one who gets tripped up by curses," he muttered bitterly.]

  [At that moment, a sharp voice echoed from nowhere. "Add!"]

  [Gray immediately opened her cloak, revealing a strange magical artifact, a Rubik's Cube-like object tained in a small birdcage.]

  [The voice beloo this se Mystic Code, named Add.]

  Kayh: "A talking Mystic Code? Iing. It seems to possess self-awareness."

  Darnic: "A fasating creation. Its sciousness must be the result of advanced magecraft."

  Artoria: "That thing feels… uling, somehow."

  Rebellious Knight: "It's disgusting. Just looking at it irritates me."

  ["Enough out of you," Gray said, giving the birdcage a firm shake to silence Add, causing it to faint inside.]

  [Moments ter, Waver's shoes were stolen by his adopted bck cat, who darted off with them. As Waver chased after it, he tripped and fell again, further dirtying his clothes.]

  ["Great, my first pair of shoes bought with Clock Tower money, ruined!" he mented dramatically.]

  [Gray, as always, forted him. "I'll them too, Master."]

  [But Waver, in a moment of rare frustration, muttered about devising a spell to get back at the mischievous cat.]

  [The day, Waver overslept due to staying up te, and Gray had t him out of bed and help him wash his face.]

  [By the time they reached css, it began to rain. Waver seized the opportunity to cel the lessoirely.]

  Iskandar: "Hahaha! Boy, you're shaping up to be a rather ueacher!"

  Kayh: "…How embarrassing. Being cursed and undone by a cat. Unbelievable."

  Waver stared bnkly at the s, his face burning with embarrassment.

  [The video transitioo a darker se. Waver had taken the injured bck cat back to his office to care for it. He stayed up all night tending to it, despite its worsening dition.]

  ["You really don't seem like a magus," Reieased upon hearing about the situation. "This is why you 't get ahead, Waver."]

  [Despite Waver's best efforts, the cat didn't survive. He buried it in the garden outside and silently stared at the grave.]

  ["If I were a prus, I could've healed it," he muttered bitterly. "I'm always missing opportunities. I just don't have the strength."]

  [As he stood there, he suddenly recalled Iskandar's defeat to Gilgamesh in the Fourth Holy Grail War.]

  Iskandar: "Boy, your passion is one of yreatest strengths. Don't lose it."

  Kayh: "g for a cat like this… you truly don't act like a prus."

  Kiritsugu Emiya: "Something about this feels… wrong."

  Irisviel: "What do you mean?"

  Kiritsugu Emiya: "I 't pinpoint it yet, but I have a bad feeling."

  [Gray approached Waver to sole him, but he turned atly.]

  ["Gray, don't let me see that face of yours," he said, his tone sharp but not cruel.]

  [Gray lowered her hood, her faentarily hidde, as she walked away, there was a faint smile of relief.]

  ["I'm sorry, Master, but… I'm gd my face bothers you," Gray murmured quietly.]

  ["Really…"] Waver sighed.]

  [Suddenly, a faint meow echoed nearby. Gray's head snapped up. "Did you hear that, Master?"]

  ["You must be imagining things," Waver replied, shaking his head.]

  [But Gray insisted, "No, I heard it clearly."]

  [Moments ter, Waver caught sight of his own refle. His shadow… had transformed into the shape of a cat.]

  [The video paused abruptly.]

  ---

  [Question: What is the story behind the cat's meow and the reflected cat form that Gray saw?]

  ---

  Chihiro: "It's a curse! Waver's been cursed!"

  [Ding! Chihiro answered part of the question correctly. Reward: 1 Saint Quartz.]

  Waver: "Of course it's a curse! It's always a curse!"

  Kayh: "Hmph. Do you wao expiails of this curse?"

  Kayh: "This is a malicious curse desigo bind the life of the pet to its owhrough this link, any harm inflicted o reflects bato the owner. If the pet dies, the same fate befalls the owner."

  Kayh: "Waver is an idiot. He assumed it was retribution for his minor squabbles, but iy, someone deliberately pced this curse on him to kill him."

  [Ding! Kayh answered the question correctly. Reward: 5 Saint Quartz.]