The First Day of Class
"I hope the meal is still to your liking, Fujimura-Sensei, even if Senpai isn't here to help prepare it." Sakura spoke as she put the food on the table, the food she'd prepared on her own today.
"Don't you worry one bit about that, Sakura. It looks delicious." Taiga was quick to reassure her little brother's girlfriend however, before proving it wasn't empty praise by shovelling her lunch into her mouth like a ravenous tiger.
"I agree completely." Ayako added her own two cents, having finished her own portion some time before. Her smile was full of fondness, but also contained a hint of exasperation. "And I believe we have told you so a thousand times before already. Are you just fishing for compliments or something? Because if you are, you can just say so."
"O-Oh, well…" Sakura blushed slightly at being called out like that. "I do like your kind words."
"You're the best." Ayako stated right away, placing her hand on her heart to show her sincerity. "You are kind, sweet, gentle, intelligent, beautiful, sexy, wonderful, and the way you blush when you are being complimented is just the cutest, yes, just like you are doing now, I really like that. Am I missing anything, Rin?"
"Please don't call my little sister 'sexy' in front of me." The addressed girl grumbled, her eyes half-closed and her hair in disarray, still not fully awake after being roused from her futon by the smell of lunch only thirty minutes prior. "And don't look at her with your leering eyes either."
"Oof." Ayako pouted, looking away from Sakura. "Fine, I'll wait until you have left, then I'll go down on her twice as hard."
"Fujimura-Sensei! Ayako is saying outrageous things again." Rin didn't even bother replying to the brunette, appealing directly to the highest authority present instead. Unfortunately for her however, the teacher wasn't nearly as proper and disciplined as she had hoped.
"I'm sorry, Tohsaka-chan, but I have waited too long for them to get together to get between them now." Fujimura-Sensei shrugged, having just finished her meal and wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Besides, there's no need to worry. It's not like they can get pregnant together or anyth-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Rin practically squeaked, shooting up to her feet with an outraged expression. "W-What are you even talking about?! A-Aren't you supposed to be a teacher?!"
"She is a teacher. Can't you hear her giving you all the facts?" Ayako grinned, while Sakura hid her burning face with her apron.
"Can it, Mitsuzuri!" It was safe to say that Rin was wide awake now, desperately searching the room for allies. "S-Sakura, you say something about this!"
"…I don't mind it if Ayako calls me sexy." It was not what Rin was hoping for, Sakura knew that, but it was all she could offer at the moment. "It's a bit early for s-s-sex though. Maybe later."
"…" When not even her own sister stood with her, Rin deflated, sinking back into her kneeling position at the table. "…Where is Emiya-kun when I need him?"
'RING-RING'
The sound of the house's phone going over broke off the increasingly silly discussion, as all the inhabitants and guests of the Emiya-estate turned towards the device at once.
"…Do you think that's Senpai?"
"Maybe."
"Emiya-kun did promise he'd call once he'd settled into the Clocktower. Could he have arrived already?"
"What time is it in London right now?"
"You're the English-teacher, you should know those kinds of details."
"Alright, fine. They are eight hours behind us, so since it's midday here, it should be around four in the morning there."
"You actually know?! I was just being sarcastic."
"Can somebody please just pick up the phone!?"
"Senpai usually does that. Ehm, but I suppose, in his absence, I can take over his duty."
"Yes! Wife Sakura taking charge of the house! I am in favour."
"I agree!"
"Sensei! Ayako! Don't say weird things." Sakura scolded them, before she picked up the phone and held it to her ear. "Good afternoon, this is the Emiya-residence, you are speaking with Sakura."
"Good afternoon, Sakura. It's Shirou." Came the familiar, if slightly distorted voice from the other side. "How are you? How is Ayako?"
"Senpai." Sakura smiled happily, nodding at the others. "I'm so glad to hear from you. I am well, and Ayako is too. We were just having lunch in fact. Fujimura-Sensei and Nee-san are here as well."
"Rin is there? That is good to hear. Please give her my regards."
"Senpai sends his regards." Sakura obediently told her big sister, who smiled in response, her bad mood and indignation forgotten for the moment.
"What about me?" Ayako asked immediately, pointing at herself, her eyes wide in confusion.
"Please tell Ayako I love her." Shirou laughed, clearly having heard the brunette ask her aggrieved question. "Actually, could you put me on speaker?"
"How do I do that?" Sakura asked, only having a vague idea of what a speaker was. "And what does it do?"
"Just press the button with the microphone icon. It will amplify my voice so you can all hear me, and it will make the phone pick up everything in hearing range."
"How convenient." Sakura mumbled, quickly looking the phone over, before finding and pressing the right button. "Like this?"
"Can you all hear me?" Shirou asked, his voice now loud enough for the whole room to hear.
"We certainly can!" Fujimura-Sensei exclaimed, hastily crawling over. "Hey there, Shirou! It's been too long!"
"It's barely been a day since we last spoke, Fuji-nee."
"But this is the first time you have gone on such a trip, so far away from home." The English teacher complained, her eyes going wide and dewy. "I was worried about you."
"Aww." Ayako cooed softly.
"I am fine, Fuji-nee. I arrived at Heathrow safely, and I am now in my room at the Clocktower. I am not injured, nothing has been stolen or has gone missing, and I haven't made any enemies so far."
"What's the Clocktower like?" Rin threw herself into the conversation once it turned towards something Magecraft-related, but immediately realised she was being impolite, taking a step back and clearing her throat. "I-I mean, ahem, I am glad to hear you are doing well, Emiya-kun. No doubt you'll be pleased to hear I am doing well too."
"Very pleased." Shirou's fond smile was audible to everyone present. "And the Clocktower is… Well, it's different from what I expected."
"How so?" Rin prompted him to explain, which he then proceeded to do, giving them a rundown of his day.
The arrival at the airport and the rendezvous with Lord El-Melloi. Meeting a delegation of the Edelfelt and wrecking their car –Nee-san laughed really hard when Senpai told them about that— meeting Grey, Melvin, and lady Reines, who had sent her thugs after him for some reason, experiencing their wackiness and randomness, and eventually getting a tour of the facilities.
His day had been a lot more interesting than theirs, that was certain.
"My first class is in a few hours. I'm honestly kind of looking forward to it. I wonder what my classmates will be like."
"If they're the entitled sort, the snooty nobles, please don't bother associating with them." Fujimura-Sensei advised in a grave voice. "Gramps and I could tell you many stories about how that never gets you anywhere."
"Don't kill any of them, or if you do, don't leave any evidence behind." Rin added, talking in a loud voice, as if worrying he wouldn't be able to hear her if she didn't. "You can't arrange a sponsorship for me if you're declared a criminal."
That made Senpai laugh, and Sakura giggled along with him.
"I won't kill anyone. Lord El-Melloi has been decent so far, so I cannot imagine he has bloodthirsty maniacs in his class who'll require immediate killing."
"Or they could just be very good at hiding it." Nee-san pointed out, sounding dubious that absolutely no one in a class at the Clocktower would be a dangerous, unstable person who might provoke Senpai to a fight.
"All the same. I likely won't have to fight them on the very first day. Maybe later, but surely not during at least the first week or so."
"Well, Shirou, you jinxed yourself, so now you are going to fight someone before the end of the week." Ayako sighed deeply, shaking her head. "Really, for all that you preach about peace, you really are a violent person. I mean, you're really kind and my boyfriend and I love you, but you seem to like fighting a little too much."
"Hey now." Senpai sounded quite put out at her comment. "I never start anything, and I do not enjoy fighting at all. I would be perfectly happy if I never had to fight anyone ever again."
"If you say so, dear." The brunette drawled in a voice that conveyed she didn't believe a word of what he said.
Ayako was obviously just teasing, but Sakura wondered if there wasn't a core of truth in her words as well.
But that wasn't important right now.
"I'm glad you have safely arrived, Senpai, and that you had a good day." She smiled tenderly, knowing that while he wouldn't be able to see her smile, he would hear it in her voice. "It's been pretty boring here honestly, though I suppose that just means everything went well. Fujimura-Sensei and Nee-san are here to eat lunch, and they even stayed the night."
"They did?" Senpai sounded surprised, which was logical, since neither of them tended to do that. "Why?"
"They insisted on having a conversation with us yesterday, one that lasted quite long." Ayako explained slowly, her smile slipping off her face. "After that stunt you pulled, they wanted an explanation from us. Thanks for that by the way."
"No problem." Shirou replied cheekily. "I hope it all went well?"
"I was going to say it was about time you took your shot, Shirou, but then I heard it was the girls who took the initiative." Fujimura-Sensei huffed, looking proud yet disgruntled. "Looking back though, I don't know why I was even surprised, you wimp."
"Ouch."
"Just treat them right, Shirou. I didn't raise you to treat your girls badly."
"I will treasure them for as long as they will have me." Shirou's voice was full of conviction, and caused Sakura and Ayako to blush.
Not everyone was so happy though.
"Well, I don't like this at all!" Rin made her opinion known, bravely ignoring the cross looks of the other girls in favour of glaring at the phone. "It wasn't enough to seduce my sister, but you had to take her best friend in the deal as well. Do you really think that is acceptable, Emiya-kun?"
"If we are all fine with it, I don't see why it wouldn't be." Shirou's voice remained entirely calm and pleasant, which was more than Sakura could have managed in the situation.
"But it just isn't done!" Rin protested, gritting her teeth. "It goes against every social convention and it… it's just not elegant."
"Magi shouldn't be talking about social convention to begin with, Tohsaka-san." Shirou pointed out gently. "And yes, some people will not like it, but the three of us have already decided we will accept and ignore their scorn. As for elegance, well, I don't know anything about that and I don't believe I care much for it either."
"I… You- You can't just take my baby-sister in your… your… your harem!" Rin protested again, her increasingly shrill tone conveying how seriously she was taking the matter.
"That is such an unfortunate word." Shirou's grimace was clearly audible. "I am not dominant, Tohsaka-san. This is a relationship we all entered willingly and may leave whenever we want. This was a choice we made together, and I ask that you respect that."
"But that's-"
"Tohsaka-san." Fujimura-Sensei's voice was calm but firm, and enough to break off Rin's budding rant. "May I suggest you continue this discussion on a later date, when you have cooled off and Shirou is back, so you don't have to shout over the phone."
For a moment, it seemed like Rin wanted to protest, but after a second, and with a glance at Sakura, she wilted, sitting back down at the table and nodding slowly in agreement.
It seemed she had remembered that she was still on thin ice when it came to her relationship with Sakura, and backed down.
"Fine." She mumbled.
"We will talk about this when I get back." Shirou confirmed kindly. "Until then, please bear with it, Rin."
"Yeah, yeah, I will. Sorry for overreacting, Emiya-kun." She apologised, still sounding moody, but at least not angry anymore. "Now tell me more about the Clocktower."
Sakura let out a breath of relief when the subject changed again, resolving to make something delicious for her sister in thanks for dropping the matter.
She always talked a lot about tofu. Sakura knew several good tofu-recipes. It shouldn't be too difficult to prepare some.
They talked for a while longer about all kinds of things, the Clocktower at the forefront, though they also spoke of Lord El-Melloi, the man's other apprentice, Grey, the different departments and their enmity, and the varying factions around the institute, before the time came to hang up again.
"I'll call again tomorrow, at the end of the day." Shirou promised. "I'm sure I will have a lot to tell you after my first class is over."
"Tell us whether you got in a fight." Ayako jeered playfully from the background. "And whether you won."
"I won't get into a fight, Ayako."
"Oh? Wanna make that into a bet?" Ayako challenged him. "I say you will get into a fight before the week ends. You say you won't. The winner gets a lap pillow from Sakura. No cheating."
"I accept this bet. Just don't get jealous when you see me laying my head on Sakura's lap while you have to sit on the floor."
"Right back at you!" Ayako laughed confidently.
"Oh my, how exciting." Sakura still held the phone with one hand, but she clasped the other to her breast in exhilaration.
"You don't even care they decided this without your input, do you?" Rin asked dryly, unable to gather the energy to get worked up again.
"I'm always happy to give out lap pillows to brave victors, Nee-san."
"Ugh."
"Thank you, Sakura." Shirou laughed. "Well, I better get ready for class. I'll call again tomorrow."
"Bye, Senpai."
"Good luck in class, Shirou."
"Please be careful."
And with those last pleasantries exchanged, Shirou hung up again.
"Uwah, he's fine!" Fujimura-Sensei was the first to speak up after the call, pumping her fist with her usual exuberance.
"Fortunately." Sakura smiled, feeling very relieved that was the case.
With how much they'd been talking about the Clocktower as if it was some kind of dark pit, Sakura had been rather worried about her Senpai, that he would be swallowed up by the darkness the moment he set foot in London, so hearing that he was fine was a relief indeed.
Yes, she knew her fears weren't exactly rational, but even so.
The Clocktower was a dangerous place. She hoped Shirou was keeping his good spirits up in there.
Shirou put down the phone with a smile, feeling significantly happier than before.
No matter the situation, talking with his girls always improved his mood. When he heard their voices, it was as if all his stress just fell away. By the end of the call, he felt strengthened and invigorated like never before, ready to take on the day and everything it might throw at him.
He wondered if this was what knights felt when a lady gave them her favour.
Still, despite his newfound vigour, it was only around seven in the morning. Since he had to be in class at nine and it was only a five-minute walk to the lecture hall, he would have to find something else to do for the next two hours or so.
The first thing he did with his available time was reinforcing and improving the defences of his room. He'd already created Bounded Fields and Wards that were meant to protect against intruders and eavesdroppers, but now he also ensured that people couldn't use Magecraft within their boundaries, that would block any spells cast from outside, that could physically throw someone or something out of the room when he desired so, that would prevent creatures such as Dead Apostles from even getting near, and several more.
Shirou didn't realise it, but once he was done, his room had become one of the most heavily protected and secure areas of the entire Clocktower. Defences and protections that would have taken most other Magi months, perhaps even years to erect were created and applied in minutes at most.
If any Magi had been present for it, they would have reacted with awe, with exasperation –though that was reserved for Tohsaka Rin only– or with frothing jealousy, but to Shirou, it was nothing much. He didn't even realise the significance of his actions as he sat down to read one of the books Grey had given him the previous evening.
It was a book meant for beginning Magi, those who were only just starting their career at the Clocktower, and it did really start from the very beginning, down to explaining what Magecraft was and how it differed from Magic, before moving onto the more specialised subjects of Runes and Formalcraft.
It was an interesting book, and easy to read too, and time practically flew by. Before Shirou knew it, it was half-past-eight, and it was time for him to head to Lord El-Melloi's classroom.
On the way there, Shirou looked around a bit, at the decorations and the other people standing around. The halls of the department were not as empty as they'd been the night before, but they weren't busy either, not by a long shot. There were some frazzled looking people walking around here and there, and several slick-looking people standing around in groups, discussing matters Shirou had little interest in, but it was absolutely nothing compared to the hecticness of his former middle-school.
Was he still too early perhaps? Had he not read the time correctly?
Now unsure about his punctuality, Shirou tried opening the door to Lord El-Melloi's classroom, and found it unlocked. After hesitating for a moment, he entered.
"There are still thirty minutes until class begins." An irate voice snapped when he stepped inside. "I believe I have told you all often enough that I need time to prepa- Fujimaru?"
The voice interrupted itself once the owner's eyes fell on Shirou, and the redhead saw that the voice belonged to Lord El-Melloi himself. The man had been writing on the massive chalkboard that had been attached to the front wall of the room but had turned around to speak some irate words.
It seemed Shirou was indeed too early.
"Lord El-Melloi." Shirou greeted the man back, bowing to an appropriate depth for greeting a senior teacher. "My apologies. I had not yet heard that premature entrance wasn't allowed."
"Yes, of course." The man nodded stiffly, before waving towards the benches on the other side of the lecture hall. "Just sit down somewhere for now and keep quiet while I prepare the lesson. Please remember for next time that I do not want anyone in my classroom until ten minutes before class commences. Grey is the only exception to this, and I will not have any arguments about it."
Shirou could respect that and nodded his acquiescence, before he turned towards the benches. There, he noticed the small, hooded form of his impromptu tour guide sitting at the front row, right next to the wall, looking like she was attempting to merge with her seat.
Lord El-Melloi was no longer paying attention to him, having resumed writing something on the board, so Shirou went over to Grey instead.
"Good morning, miss Grey." He greeted the girl with a smile, bowing again, this time to the depth fit for a fellow student. "I hope you are well."
"Yes, good morning to you too." Grey softly greeted him back, the face shifting upwards for a moment, allowing him to see the bags under her eyes, bags that showed she clearly hadn't slept enough. "You look well-rested, mister Fujimaru. Did you go to bed early?"
"No, but I do not need to sleep much anyway." Shirou explained, once more grateful for that blessing, as he would have looked the same as the poor girl now otherwise. "Might I suggest an early night for you today?"
"Can't." Grey resolutely shook her head. "I have too much work to do. I must help Sir with his duties, or he won't have time to sleep at all."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"
"No. I don't think there is."
It was a blunt refusal, but Shirou couldn't say he was surprised. Neither Lord El-Melloi nor Grey knew him at all and had little reason to trust him with something important. As such, Shirou accepted Grey's answer with a nod, before sitting down next to her, keeping a respectable distance that was nevertheless still in hearing range.
Grey was clearly not in the mood to talk however, so Shirou didn't talk either, letting the girl doze off for a bit while Lord El-Melloi continued writing on the chalkboard.
Shirou eyed the equations and sentences that the lord was writing down, not really able to make much sense of it, though they did manage to rouse his curiosity.
'Modern Magecraft Theory'?
What did that even mean?
It probably wasn't anything related to modern technology –there weren't any electrical applications present in the hall, and he would have noticed if Lord El-Melloi had been writing anything about electrics– but then what part of this lecture would be 'modern'?
Was it perhaps a class that focused on addressing the weakening of Magecraft? How to cope with the fact that every generation became weaker than the last, until Magecraft might disappear entirely?
Or was the simplest explanation true and was it simply a class that focused on recent findings in the Moonlit World? The newest spells, latest breakthroughs in Runes, stuff like that?
There were so many possibilities, yet none of them seemed right.
Fifteen minutes went by without anything of note happening, but then, when the clock struck ten to nine, the door of the classroom opened again, and Shirou turned to look at the newcomers.
The first people to enter the hall were two boys who seemed to be around Shirou's age, though probably a bit older.
The boy walking in front was tall and lean. He wore expensive-looking clothing, fancy shoes, and a wristwatch that seemed made of gold. His tread was confident, his eyes glimmered with intelligence, and there was an air of competence about him.
His most striking feature however was his utter handsomeness.
The boy's face was akin to an artist's masterpiece, with graceful, yet sharp features that were perfectly symmetrical and proportional. His hair was curly and blonde, meticulously combed and cut to compliment his features, while his body was lean and slightly muscled.
In short, he looked like one of those ideal princes from the storybooks. A perfect example of youthful good looks that could capture the heart of any maiden.
The handsomeness was offset however by the utterly apathetic expression on the boy's face, that held none of the warmth that ideal prices were known for. His face, for all its perfection, could have been carved out of stone.
The other boy was almost the complete opposite. He was a lot shorter and looked much frailer than his companion, with gaunt features, very pale skin, white hair, and eyes that had bags under them that were at least twice the size of Grey's, but despite that, the boy was smiling widely, as if greatly enjoying the very fact that he was still alive.
They were followed closely behind by a cute girl with pink hair with purple tips, wearing a well-fitting outfit that could only be described as 'gothic Lolita'. She was staring at Lord El-Melloi with a predatory expression, though she stared with her left eye only, as the other was covered with a star-shaped eye-patch that hid…
…A modular Mystic Eye?
Shirou blinked once as his own eyes revealed that, yes, this girl actually had an artificial Mystic Eye in her right eye-socket that could be swapped for another if she so desired. From what Shirou could see, the Mystic Eye she had in now had something to do with fire, and wasn't very powerful, but the mere possibility of swapping Mystic Eyes was enough to make him wary of the girl all the same.
That, coupled with the dog-like smell from the handsome boy and the almost repulsive smell from the frail boy, suggested these were not people to take lightly.
All three newcomers had been looking at Lord El-Melloi when they came in, but the handsome boy's gaze quickly shifted towards Grey, and then to Shirou sitting next to her. For a moment, the clear, blue eyes widened in shock, before the apathetic expression crumbled to make place for pure fury and unadulterated rage.
The dog smell intensified, an ashen scent mixing in with it, and the handsome boy rushed at Shirou with a speed that would have been overwhelming to any normal man or Magus without significant physical enhancements.
To the redhead though, the handsome boy might as well have been walking through concrete.
To the boy's credit, he did not attack, or indeed show any sign of overt aggression at all. He stopped well out of Shirou's reach, and kept his hands balled at his sides as he glared at the golden-eyed teen.
"What do you think you are doing harassing miss Grey, you cretin?!" The boy barked, the girl in question being rudely awakened by the sudden noise. "She doesn't want anyone sitting next to her, so why don't you account for her wishes?! Were you trying to sneak up on her while she slept?!"
"Nothing of the sort." Shirou assured him immediately, unable to feel angry in the face of the boy's obvious concern for Grey. "I am new here, and miss Grey showed me around yesterday. I was only looking for a familiar face."
The handsome boy blinked, before looking at the white-haired girl in askance. He choked slightly when she nodded, the anger in his expression being replaced right away with embarrassment.
"My apologies!" The boy slammed his hands together and bowed deeply. "I assumed the worst of you without proper cause. I should have refrained from making such a hasty judgement!"
It was a very quick change of heart, far faster than would be normal, and the apology was surprisingly sincere too, for someone who was clearly a noble and should have an innate dislike of even talking to peasants like Shirou.
It was almost suspicious, if it hadn't been for the fact that Shirou got the feeling the boy was apologising more to Grey than to him.
First, the boy immediately jumped to her defence with a single-minded focus, then he apologised right away when she indicated he had made a mistake.
Was he perhaps looking at…?
"No harm was done." Shirou waved the issue away. "Fujimaru Shirou, or Shirou Fujimaru here in England, I suppose."
"Svin Glascheit." The handsome boy, Glascheit, introduced himself, looking relieved that Shirou was willing to let the matter go so easily. "Nice to meet you, mister Fujimaru."
"The pleasure is all mine, mister Glascheit." Shirou responded politely, happy that things had settled down again, even if it was only because of Grey's presence.
"Flat Escardos." The frail boy was next to introduce himself, stepping up with a positively devious smile. "The pleasure is all yours. I hope you'll find your time here very interesting."
"I have no doubt I will, mister Escardos." Shirou replied, resolving to stay cautious of this one. Escardos was far too similar to that trouble-maker Melvin in both physical appearance and apparent demeanour for him to be comfortable with.
"Yvette L. Lehrman." The gothic Lolita with the modular Mystic eye went last. Unlike the boys, she stayed at a polite distance, refusing to come closer, though she had a blinding smile on her face and her voice was peppy. "The most important thing you need to know about me is that I am Lord El-Melloi's concubine. Other than that, my business is none of your business."
"Miss Lehrman!" Lord El-Melloi's irate voice cut in. "Do not tell such blatant untruths in the classroom!"
"Right, right! I'm sorry, darling. I meant I am Lord El-Melloi's future concubine." Lehrman quickly amended, purposefully misunderstanding what the man said.
"A pleasure to meet you, miss Lehrman." Shirou smiled, deciding to just ignore all the weirdness and oddities.
"Say," Escardos suddenly stepped up again, leaning in uncomfortably close as he studied Shirou like he might study a peculiar insect. "I heard you got the prof's sponsorship because you helped him catch some bad guys. Is that true?"
"Yes." Shirou nodded.
"Cool." Escardos smiled widely, and Shirou got the impression the boy was furiously hoping for a repeat performance sometime soon. For something to be broken in a violent manner.
Another psychopathic amusement-seeker. It seemed that Shirou had been spot on when he had compared Escardos to Melvin earlier.
"Alright, that's enough." Lord El-Melloi's voice again cut through their conversation, sounding more and more harried every time he spoke up. "Get to your seats. Fujimaru, listen to Svin and sit somewhere else, Grey doesn't like it when people sit next to her. Flat, no troublemaking in my lessons. Lehrman, behave yourself and don't tell lies to newcomers again."
"Why do you call them Svin and Grey and Flat, and me 'Lehrman'?! Call me by my first name too!" The aggrieved demand from the lolita was summarily ignored by all present, and Shirou found himself pulled into a seat next to Escardos.
"So, I heard you captured five Sealing Designees?" The troublemaker continued his previous line of questioning, keeping his voice down to not disturb Lord El-Melloi again.
"I did." Shirou confirmed, resigning himself to having to entertain the frail boy for a while.
"Awesome." The grin on Escardos' face could have split his head in two if it got any wider. "Man, I wish I had stories like that. I've lived inside the Clocktower all my life, and nothing cool ever happens here. It's only the political stuff, which makes my head hurt, and if there are fights, they are always somewhere where I can't see them."
"How unfortunate." Shirou commented in a neutral voice.
"It is! The only fights I ever see take place in the Arena. Don't get me wrong, those fights are awesome, especially if the Vice-Director is participating, but regulated fights just aren't as satisfying, you understand?"
"Perhaps I do."
"And that is why I have no choice but to live through the tales of others." Escardos grinned widely, before leaning in even closer. "Now spill the details!"
The frail boy proceeded to grill Shirou about his fight with the Sealing Designees, demanding to hear every salacious detail about the fighting, the bloodier, the better. The redhead answered every question as politely as he could, and Escardos at least had the grace not to ask anything too invasive.
Meanwhile, the rest of the students began trickling in, increasing in number as the hour neared nine.
Most of them looked perfectly ordinary, if a bit overdressed in Shirou's opinion. They did not carry Mystic Codes, they had no odd tattoos or other markings on their skin, they had the appropriate number of limbs, and there were no signs of obvious hostility between students. Nothing like he would have expected from a classroom full of Magi.
The only thing that could be considered odd at first sight was the sheer variety of age-groups.
There were teens that looked to be Shirou's age or slightly older, but there were also pre-teens, people well in their twenties or thirties, and several people who had their first grey hairs.
Shirou even saw two or three seniors who looked well over retirement age, just mingling with the rest of the students, talking with the teens as if the age-gap wasn't even there.
There was also a very clear hierarchy in the group. Some of the students were obviously higher in ranking than the others, as they had a crowd of followers around them and got a wide berth everywhere they went. Other students appeared to be at the bottom, as they either gravitated on the outer edges of a crowd surrounding the popular students, or stood mostly alone at some distance from the rest.
Strangely enough though, there seemed to be no resentment between them. The ones who were higher in ranking didn't sneer at the ones below them, and the lowest-ranking students were still treated with a measure of respect.
The only one in the classroom who did have sneers directed at him from many of the students and about whom Shirou had already overheard several mocking whispers was none other than Lord El-Melloi himself.
Shirou was really starting to wonder just what Lord El-Melloi had done to warrant such loathing from the rest of the Clocktower. Certainly, just being in a lot of debt and having no talent wasn't reason enough for such utter hatred?
Grey had said that it was because Lord El-Melloi had the nerve to push back against the system and achieve things despite his lack of talent and power, but was that enough to have the Magi of the Clocktower, who prided themselves on their rationality, spit fire in his general direction like this?
...Apparently, it was.
It was obvious that the man himself had noticed the sneers, and that he could hear most of what they said about him, but he didn't react, remaining cool and calm despite the contempt aimed at him from his own students.
Shirou had to respect that grit. The Lord certainly had come a long way from the boy his father had described as 'whiny and insecure'.
"I'm sure it is all very interesting what you are discussing," Lord El-Melloi's dry voice then cut through the discussions and arguments in the lecture hall, before he continued. "But as you might observe for yourself, the clock has struck nine. Please move to your seats and pay attention to the lesson."
It appeared that students at the Clocktower were far more disciplined than normal students, or at least more disciplined than the students at Shirou's school, as everyone still standing seemed to teleport into their seats the moment Lord El-Melloi demanded it, and not a sound was made afterwards.
Even the students who had sneered at the man behind his back apparently weren't willing to directly challenge a teacher in his own classroom.
"Thank you." Lord El-Melloi nodded, his expression carved from stone, though not unkind. "As some of you might recall, we left off last week at the lecture 'New Influences on the Moonlit World', in which I explained that newfound knowledge, often from the mundane world, can interfere strongly with age-old Magecraft, almost always in a negative way. In order to limit or possibly even negate that interference, a significant overhaul of the old ways is required. Failure to do so may result in the weakening or perhaps even the complete loss of the affected Mysteries and Magecraft."
Shirou raised an eyebrow in surprise at the topic, and he was far from the only one. Many of the students looked flabbergasted, and several narrowed their eyes in irritation, most likely insulted by the notion the mundane world had any kind of influence on them at all.
"Take Astromancy for example, the study of the heavens, the universe, and Fate." Lord El-Melloi continued, ignoring the cross looks sent his way. "Now that the mundane craft of Astronomy had made incredible progress over the last decades, deciphering comet-paths, calculating orbits and distances of stars, even finding planets that might be similar to Earth, long-standing Evocations and assumptions made by Astromancers both ancient and recent have been proven completely untrue. This has had a severe impact on the potency and power of their Mysteries. As such, it is necessary to review their old Arias and knowledge to keep those Mysteries and Magecraft working properly."
Progress in the mundane world could actually interfere with fields of Magecraft? Shirou was fascinated by the idea, and not at all surprised that the narrowed eyes he had noticed before became open looks of hostility now. It started with two or three students, but as their teacher kept talking on about the amazing progress of the mundane world and how it impacted the Moonlit World, more and more students became visibly upset.
"You might be able to get away with using the old systems for small Mysteries and Enchantments," Lord El-Melloi's voice became even graver than before, and he looked pointedly at a brunette on the second row. "But use any form of greater Magecraft with only outdated knowledge, and you might give yourself a fate worse than death. Any questions?"
Several hands immediately shot upwards, and the boy who was selected first made no effort to hide his animosity.
"How can you say that the mundane world has any influence on us?!" He almost snarled, face red from anger. "Those savages have been non-factors for centuries, no, millennia! But you say they are important?! How can you even begin to explain such a claim?!"
"Mister Crowlam, I believe your family is a leading one in the department of Zoology, is it not?" Lord El-Melloi inquired, before continuing when the boy nodded. "Then you should know that the mundane world has discovered more about animals, species, origins, and evolution over the past two-hundred years than your family has over its entire existence of, I believe, around a thousand-and-a-half years. I suggest you first find out about DNA and its uses, and then you may come back to me to rant about 'savages'. You might find an entire world will open before you."
"But how does that work?" A red-haired girl inquired, looking intrigued rather than hostile. "I mean, it's good for the mundanes that they obtained so much knowledge, but that shouldn't actually change anything, should it? I mean, the world itself did not change in response to them gaining the knowledge, did it? The paths of the comets in Astromancy haven't become any different now that the mundanes have deciphered them, so why does it matter to our Magecraft?"
"An excellent question." Lord El-Melloi nodded, his expression softening a bit. "It is true that it should not matter whether people know the truth or not, as the world does not change in either case, but just like a Mystery being known to too many people makes it weak and useless, so too does knowledge being wide-spread have its influence on the World, on Gaia."
"So it matters more how many people know it, rather than what they know exactly?" The redheaded girl continued her questioning.
"In a way." Lord El-Melloi nodded. "The correctness of the knowledge matters of course, nonsense cannot become fact no matter how many people believe it, but what you say is also true. Where in the past only a select few experts and doctors knew how a human or animal body functions, now every man, woman, and child in the Western World is aware of basic biology. That means the Inner World will inevitably shift drastically in response. The people of the Zoology-department would do well to realise this and account for it."
The way the Crowlam-boy scoffed and turned away upon hearing the Lord's words indicated quite clearly that he was not planning on doing anything of the sort.
Well, that was his loss. Shirou wasn't going to bother with someone too arrogant to recognise good advice that was freely given. Rather, he was listening carefully, taking notes of everything Lord El-Melloi said. He would review it himself later, and he would give them to Rin as well. No doubt she'd appreciate them even more than he.
He had heard Lord El-Melloi was considered one of the best teachers of the Magus Association, and the man was certainly living up to his name. He spoke slowly and clearly, passing over the easy parts of his lecture quickly and slowing down whenever there was something difficult, always making sure everyone could follow him.
He certainly was better than any teacher Shirou had had before. Not that those teachers had placed the bar very high or anything, but it was impressive nevertheless.
It was also clear now why the department was called 'Modern Magecraft Theory', as everything seemed to be focused on the modern world and how Magecraft interacted with those modern times.
Shirou did wonder though how Lord El-Melloi dealt with the fallout of his lessons. The lecture had been going on for an hour now, and at least half of the class was showing signs of outrage and anger.
Some were more discreet about it than others, and some had nigh-perfect poker faces, but to Shirou, whose sensory-abilities had increased so much he could read people almost flawlessly, it was clear as day that they were seething.
No one seemed to be at a level of anger that would have them act in reprisal towards Lord El-Melloi –Shirou would have had to intervene if that happened– but if this was the standard for the man's lessons, he couldn't see how no one had tried to put a stop to them yet.
Something to ask the man, or Grey, about later, he supposed.
"And that concludes the matter of the interference electronic devices can have on electro pulse-based sensory Magecraft." Lord El-Melloi finished his lecture after another hour. "That wraps up today's lesson. We will continue discussing the subject during the next lecture."
With those words, the man turned away from the students and began packing his things.
Now dismissed, most students left the hall immediately, a fair number of them muttering angrily about 'presumptuous new blood', 'mundane-lovers', 'new families', and 'falling standards.' In short, everything you'd expect from insulted Magi.
A second group of students stuck around to ask the Lord questions about his lecture. Contrary to what his rather abrupt dismissal earlier might have suggested, he answered them patiently and kindly.
The last group of students, consisting of Grey, Glascheit, Escardos, and Lehrman, hung around at a distance, staying out of earshot but still within the classroom.
It was this group Shirou went to stand with.
"Hey, Shirou." Flat Escardos greeted him enthusiastically, slapping him hard on the shoulder, before immediately retracting his arm and nursing his hand. "Ouch! Eh, I mean, how was the first lecture? Fascinating, right? Isn't Waver the best teacher around?"
"It was very interesting indeed." Shirou answered truthfully, smiling apologetically as Escardos cradled his wounded hand. Slapping him anywhere usually resulted in pain for the slapper. "And Lord El-Melloi teaches very well."
"He does, doesn't he?" Escardos grinned, looking proud as if he'd just given the lecture himself. "When he speaks, everyone just has to pay attention to him, he's that good."
"Like how you spent the lesson doodling in your notebook, folding paper planes, and annoying me?" Glascheit scoffed, glaring at Escardos, who didn't seem repentant at all.
"Haha, I'm sort of an exception."
"Couldn't you at least have bothered someone else?"
"Terribly sorry, le chien, I did consider leaving you alone and annoying someone else, but the people around us were looking so delightfully angry and offended I just couldn't disturb them. It was fantastic."
"Yes, about that." Shirou turned towards Grey and Lehrman, ignoring the boys, who had begun squabbling. "Is it normal for Lord El-Melloi to make so many people in his class angry?"
"No." Grey immediately and forcefully denied it. "That usually doesn't happen. Days like today are an exception, and it's not Sir's fault at all. It's only because people can't accept that what Sir says is the truth that they become so angry."
"Indeed." Lehrman agreed wholeheartedly, placing a hand on her heart. "Today was certainly an exception. My beloved Waver usually isn't glared at so much."
"Then what's so different today?" Shirou frowned, wary of any changes to the normal routine.
Grey made to answer him, but Lehrman quickly talked over her.
"For some reason, my beloved decided that he would open today's lesson to everyone who was interested." She explained, looking puzzled as to the Lord's motives for this action. "With his excellent reputation for guiding students to greatness, it isn't surprising that so many jumped on the chance. I think most of them won't be coming back though. Frankly, I can't figure out why my dear Waver even did this."
Behind the Lolita, Grey rolled her eyes ever so slightly, before she discreetly pointed at Shirou with a finger, giving him a piercing look.
The meaning behind it was clear enough. Lord El-Melloi had done this for him. He hoped that, by allowing entrance to many students at once, he could conceal Shirou between them. Hide a tree in the forest so to speak.
Lehrman continued speculating about Lord El-Melloi's motives and wailing about his lack of trust in her for a few more minutes, before Glascheit and Escardos joined them again, having finished their argument for now. Glascheit was the first to speak up after that.
"Mister Fujimaru, are you perchance free for the lunch break? We always eat together after one of sir's lectures, so we wondered if you might want to accompany us?"
"Certainly." Shirou agreed immediately, seeing a chance to gain more information.
"Excellent. We'll just have to wait until sir finishes then."
"Lord El-Melloi will accompany us?" Shirou blinked in surprise at the alien notion of a teacher going out with his students. In Japan, the very thought would have been preposterous.
"Yup." Escardos nodded with that perpetual smile of his, blind to Shirou's shock. "He always comes with us, especially if we go to his favourite café. He's been mentoring us for so long that we are basically friends."
"Sir is very kind to us." Grey nodded when Shirou looked at her for confirmation. "I don't know if we are friends, but we do have lunch together often."
"I'm only coming if my darling Waver comes as well." Lehrman made her intentions clear, placing her hands on her sides in a stern motion, before she smiled brightly. "If he does, lunch will be my treat today."
"Well, how could I refuse such generosity?"
Lehrman eeped in surprise when the subject of their talk suddenly appeared behind her, his dry voice startling the rest of the group as well, except for Shirou and Grey, who had seen the man coming.
"We shall go to my favourite place, which, for the record, is not a mere café, but a proper tearoom." The teacher went on, giving a pointed glare towards Escardos. "Remember that."
"Yessir." Escardos saluted in a way that could be considered mocking, though he sounded uncharacteristically serious, the perpetual smile suddenly not being so perpetual anymore.
"Good. We shall spend the lunch break there, but after that, everyone must return to their duties." Lord El-Melloi's eyes swept across the group, before they focused on every member separately. "Some of us must do research into Mystic Eyes with our families." Lehrman straightened her back. "Some must perform physical tests with their stellar Magecraft." Glascheit nodded sharply. "Some must help their mothers with political tasks." Escardos smiled sheepishly. "And some must come to my office to discuss several matters." Grey lightly nudged Shirou, who nodded in understanding.
"Let us be off then."
"C-Curse you, woman. My progenitor will avenge m-"
"Your progenitor will die the moment he shows himself to me."
The Dead Apostle got no chance to give a response or otherwise react to the coldly delivered statement, as wind blades powerful enough to sever mountain tips shredded him into pieces small enough to be buried with a teaspoon.
After close to a year of rampaging across the globe, spreading death and terror wherever it went, the monster, that had killed half-a-dozen experienced Enforcers in the last month alone, came to its ignoble end on the tops of the Italian Alps, torn apart by the natural disaster in human skin that George Wesley now called his boss.
Lorelei Barthomeloi had pursued the creature with utter relentlessness, and when she'd cornered it, destroyed it without mercy, not even allowing it to finish its dying threats.
She was every bit as harsh and effective as her reputation suggested.
Wesley, together with three dozen other Enforcers, had been accompanying her for the past couple of weeks now on a trip through all of Northern-Europe, hunting down inhuman creatures wherever they went. They had vanquished close to fifty major monsters so far, Dead Apostles, Wraiths, Ghouls, cursed spirits, and many more, and this particular bloodsucker, now no more than ashes on the ground, was just the last in a long line of creatures to try and fight the Queen, only to lose pathetically.
In a way, Wesley almost had to admire its bullheadedness in trying anyway.
Not that he was going to admit that out loud! The hatred of the Barthomeloi-family towards non-human creatures was well-known, and Lorelei Barthomeloi took that hatred to frightening levels. If you confessed to admiring such creatures for any reason whatsoever in her presence, an immediate dismissal from the job was the best you could hope for.
As such, he decided to do what came naturally to him, and kept his eyes firmly fixed on the most appetising sight of the entire room, one that took away any desire to run his mouth.
The woman's firm, appetising butt.
One of the main reasons he was here, in a small fortress on one of the highest mountains of Europe's most well-known mountain range, accompanying the Queen on her hunt alongside her own, hand-picked warriors.
There were plenty of other reasons too of course, for him to have come along on this journey. For one, she paid very well, better than almost any other employer on the market. Furthermore, being part of her team, even if only on a temporary basis, meant access to the very best treatments by the very best healers at the Clocktower and stays at the best hotels in Europe with the expenses all taken care of, all while the workload was positively tiny, considering the Queen's fondness for rampaging through enemy territory while doing all the hard work by herself.
Excellent working-conditions to be sure, but Wesley was a born man of culture, so while he appreciated the salary and the other benefits, his main motivation was to be allowed to behold the Queen and her divine body in all her glory.
Strong yet lithe, with powerful thighs and curves in all the right places, she was beautiful no matter the circumstances, but when she was out fighting, using powerful strikes, lightning-fast attacks, and flurries of punches and kicks in-between her immensely powerful spells, all while dressed in clothes that, well, didn't restrict her movements in the slightest, so to speak, that raw appeal was increased tenfold or more.
It wasn't just combat though. Added to that was the fact that the Queen was not a morning-person. The sheer contrast between her dominating presence during a fight and her half-awake and unkempt look in the mornings was immense, and the resulting gap-moe was simply divine.
That Wesley had once caught a glimpse of her while she was headed to the baths, wrapped in only a fluffy towel, was the icing on the already delicious cake.
In short, she was an extremely appetising woman who had to be properly appreciated, and since no one else seemed to be appreciating her properly, Wesley would gladly take care of it himself.
He was of course more than aware that he was a filthy pervert and that he was perhaps a little too interested in a woman far above his station, but he wasn't harming anyone, so he didn't feel like stopping any time soon.
He wasn't interested in her as a person –she was far too straightlaced, too serious in all things, and too intense in human interactions for him to be interested in her in a romantic way– but that body… Oh man, that body.
It was to die for, and he spent every possible moment admiring it.
Frankly, it was a miracle she hadn't caught on to his blatant ogling yet. A miracle he was appropriately grateful for, considering she'd tear him to pieces if she did find out.
Which was another reason he wasn't romantically attracted to her at all. He would constantly have to fear for life and limb with every action he took, and that was not the basis for a healthy relationship.
Lorelei Barthomeloi should just get married to a cool, handsome fellow who had skin thicker than an elephant's and enough power to not fear her moods. That would be the best if you asked him.
But nobody asked him, so he just kept his mouth shut and his eyes fixed on her bottom.
Wesley was startled out of his… 'contemplations' however when Barthomeloi started moving again. She cautiously moved across the room until she arrived at the gory mess she had left, and, yes! She bent over to inspect the remains of the Apostle she just destroyed!
For a few, precious seconds, George Wesley was the happiest man in the world, and he tried to imprint the image into his memory forever.
Then she straightened up and turned around, and Wesley immediately returned to staring at the wall across from him. He wasn't nearly as interested in her chest as he was in her butt, not to mention that she'd see him stare.
"Enforcer Wesley. The Apostle is destroyed." The Queen stated, spitting the word 'Apostle' out as if it was a curse. "Gather the rest of the men. Verify nothing abnormal is left in this hovel."
"As you wish." Wesley didn't bow, she had made clear early on that she didn't like that, but he did straighten his back, before turning around to follow through on her orders.
"Before you leave," Barthomeloi's voice froze him in place however, and his heart skipped a beat at the fact she held him back. She had never stopped him after giving him an order before, and for a moment, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "Why did you accompany me again?"
"…Ma'am?"
Wesley furrowed his brow in confusion. He had joined the trip primarily because of the money, and she knew that. She couldn't know about his 'other motives' either, because then she'd have killed him already. So what exactly was she asking?
"Whenever I move to deal the finishing blow to whatever accursed creature we are dealing with, you volunteer to accompany me immediately." The look she gave him wasn't suspicious, but it was definitely inquisitive. "You don't stand to gain anything from it, you are not paid extra, so why do you insist on coming along every time?"
Oh.
Oh boy.
What on Earth was he supposed to say now?
The truth? Yeah, no, he'd first be forced to explain why he was even interested in her butt and then she'd kill him.
But what kind of lie would be able to satisfy her?
"…I like to watch."
It was the best he could come up with on such a short notice, as he didn't dare stay silent for too long, lest she became actually suspicious of his motives and maimed him in some way.
He could only pray it was enough.
"To watch?" She pursed her lips ever so slightly in response to his words, before she nodded once. "I suppose watching accursed creatures die is satisfying."
"Yes, certainly, absolutely." Wesley nodded so quickly his neck popped, but he barely noticed it in his relief over being let off the hook so easily. "Very satisfying."
"Indeed."
"I will gather the men now." Wesley stated resolutely, perhaps cutting her off but not caring about that in his hurry to get away. "By your leave."
He sped away, and as he ran, he resolved to never take such chances again just to stare at a woman's butt. Especially such a dangerous woman.
Oh, who was he trying to kid?! He knew he was going to continue like before, no matter the risks. His obsession wouldn't be suppressed that easily.
Remaining in the room, looking ever so slightly bemused by the behaviour of her underling, Lorelei Barthomeloi took one last look around, and then slowly placed a hand on her behind, wondering why she felt like someone had been staring at it.
Even if there had been another Dead Apostle in the room, hungering for her life, certainly it would have looked at her throat, where her blood would be easiest to drain from?
Had there been something else in here that craved her flesh? Then how had she missed that? And why was the feeling now gone?
Odd.
Lunch with Lord El-Melloi and his favourite students turned out to be a peaceful affair; or at least, mostly peaceful.
Glascheit constantly scolded Escardos for his improper behaviour, Lehrman was openly flirting with Lord El-Melloi, and Grey seemed at a loss what to do about it all, oscillating between trying to calm Glascheit and Escardos down, scolding Lehrman, and talking with Shirou.
Lord El-Melloi made no such efforts though and spent most of the meal conversing with Shirou alone, discussing the first lecture, Shirou's impression of it, and his upcoming schedule.
"Most of my students have many other things to do besides my lectures. They have lectures at other Departments, they do research on their family-Craft, pursue their own projects, and many more things I am not allowed to know." Lord El-Melloi told Shirou over a cup of coffee, purposefully avoiding any mention of Magecraft or the Clocktower, as they were currently sitting in a mundane tearoom that was filled with other customers. "As you are new here, and you have no contacts or family, you have no such responsibilities, yet."
"Yet?" Did that imply he would have such responsibilities in the future?
"You are talented enough to join just about any research-group you want once you establish yourself and do some networking." Lord El-Melloi explained. "You aren't necessarily obligated to do anything, as your family has no contracts or agreements with any other families, but it is strongly advised nevertheless to join a group if you wish to achieve anything of note. That, or gain an apprenticeship under a Lord higher in rank than me. Those are the easiest ways to gain access to resources and recognition, for yourself and for your family."
Well, since he didn't care for research, resources, or recognition, and the Fujimaru-family didn't exist, Shirou didn't think he'd put an awful lot of effort into networking. Nevertheless, he did pay close attention to what the Lord said, as Rin would undoubtedly find it all very useful.
"I can help you make contact with several groups and teachers that you could learn a lot from, and who you would find… perhaps not entirely sympathetic, but at least palatable." The teacher went on, taking another sip of his coffee. "If you are interested of course."
"…I am." It would be useful for Rin if nothing else, and he might find some unexpected benefits in it if he kept an open mind.
"Then I will endeavour to help you as much as I can." The Lord promised, finishing his coffee and reaching into an inner pocket for a cigar. "That is enough out of me though. Is there anything you wish to discuss?"
"Well, now that you mention it…"
"Yes?"
"How should I go about getting someone else an apprenticeship here at the Clocktower?"
Shirou hadn't known how Lord El-Melloi would react to his, rather sudden, question, but the man just nodded as if he'd already expected something of the sort.
"A family member of yours?"
"No, just a friend."
"Must be a good friend." Lord El-Melloi rubbed his chin for a moment, before nodding once. "If this person is skilled enough, I might take them on as an apprentice myself, provided I have the time. If they want someone else to sponsor them instead of me, you'll have to go and ask other Lords or team-leaders."
"I understand." Shirou nodded. He could do some more scouting for possible sponsors for Rin, but he had Lord El-Melloi as a fall-back option. That was a pretty good outcome. "You agreed to my request pretty easily. I thought it was a lot of work to take on an apprentice?"
"It is, but if it means you will be on your best behaviour to ensure your friend obtains that sponsorship, it will be a small price to pay."
"…I see."
That was rather devious. Lord El-Melloi couldn't afford to have an apprentice run wild, and since he had little to threaten Shirou with, he tried rewarding him for good behaviour instead.
Shirou was completely fine with that though. He had no intentions of acting out anyway. Not at the Clocktower at least.
That concluded their business talk. The small group spent a few more minutes at the tearoom, making small-talk and getting to know each other better –or what went for small talk in Magus-circles– before Lord El-Melloi put an end to it.
As she had promised, Lehrman paid the bill, before bidding them all goodbye and rushing back to the Clocktower on her own, shouting back she was already late, ignoring Lord El-Melloi's irate call that she should have said so sooner.
Glascheit and Escardos were still squabbling, but the teacher was finally getting involved in the matter, and unlike Grey, Lord El-Melloi's scolding seemed to make an actual impression on them.
In the meantime, Shirou came to walk next to Grey.
"That was a fun lunch." He smiled at her as they walked over the street, a little bit ahead of the other three. "It was very… enervating."
"…"
"I genuinely had fun." Shirou repeated, unable to suppress a smile as Grey palmed her face, pressing her hands over her eyes. "And it was quite useful too. Lord El-Melloi told me a lot about the Clocktower."
"…Sir deserves better students." Grey grumbled after a moment. "Your opinion of him must have gone down now that you have met… them."
'Them' referring to Escardos, Glascheit, and Lehrman.
"Not at all." The redhead assured her quickly, holding up his hands in a soothing motion. "I accepted Lord El-Melloi's sponsorship because he seemed kind and trustworthy, and since I arrived here, he has only proven more that he is indeed so. There is nothing that has happened so far that lowered my opinion of him."
Grey splayed her fingers in response to his statement, peering suspiciously at him. "Really?"
"Yes, really."
That seemed to improve her mood considerably, and she removed her hands from her face to give him a cautious smile.
The rest of the trip back was a lot more peaceful than the lunch itself. With Escardos properly scolded, Glascheit no longer saw the need to keep as close an eye on him as before, and came over to speak with Grey instead.
The white-haired girl didn't quite seem to know how to handle the handsome boy however. His stuttering and strangely intense behaviour around her, something Shirou recognised as an infatuation, seemed to put her ill-at-ease.
"S-So mother and I managed to complete a spell that enhances the hamstrings specifically with our Beast-Craft, which will increase our running speed by at least three percent, t-t-though I a-am s-sure y-you aren't i-interested in that."
"But I am." Grey mumbled, cringing as Glascheit forcefully changed the subject. She seemed to be under the impression Glascheit was talking down at her, and she didn't know what to do in response.
Shirou, who had been silent ever since Glascheit had come over, so as to not to get in the way of any flirting, winced at the mess the handsome boy was making. His flirting was clumsy, and Grey seemed even denser than Shirou himself, which was nota good combination at all.
Once they returned to the Clocktower, Escardos and Glascheit –who looked like a kicked puppy now that he had utterly failed to increase his closeness with Grey– left for their own activities, while Shirou and Grey accompanied Lord El-Melloi to his office.
Once there, Grey took place in a corner of the room, while Lord El-Melloi sat down behind his desk and Shirou was directed to a chair directly facing the Lord.
"Well then, mister Fujimaru, there are a few more matters I must discuss with you." Lord El-Melloi began. "First of all, the matter of helping Reines with her project."
"She said she would be busy this week." Shirou recalled from their conversation the previous day.
"Indeed, but she has gone ahead and made a schedule already for when you can tutor her." The Lord huffed, handing him a file that indeed contained an agenda on which exact times and dates had been marked, starting the following week. "Do not worry, she has taken care not to have your appointments overlap with my lectures, and she'll send someone before the first appointment to show you the way to her chambers."
"…Very well then." Shirou agreed with a sigh, wondering how he'd been roped so quickly into teaching a Magus-noble about lightning-spells.
Well, he knew how. The noble had decided it and he couldn't refuse without making trouble for his sponsor.
He was doing it for Lord El-Melloi, not for Reines. He just had to keep that in mind.
"And then there is one other matter." Lord El-Melloi continued, sounding grave. In the corner, Grey seemed to shrink in on herself, and Shirou felt an involuntary shiver go down his spine.
"Lorelei Barthomeloi wants to speak with you. She has invited you to a private audience at her earliest convenience."
Shirou, despite his enhanced and Reinforced brain, needed more than half a second to process what the man had just said.
Lorelei Barthomeloi had summoned him.
Lorelei Barthomeloi. That was the Vice-Director of the Clocktower. The woman who was also known as 'the Queen'. The head of the Barthomeloi-family, the uncontested rulers of the Magus Association and the most powerful clan around, period.
The most powerful person of the Clocktower, in political and magical power, wanted to speak with him?
…
That was an unmitigated disaster in any and every way!
Outwardly, Shirou tried to keep his poker face up, but on the inside, he was pulling his hair out and screaming in utter frustration and despair as his every hope of keeping a low profile was flushed down the drain.
One day! He couldn't even last one single day!
Instead, he was invited, or rather ordered, to a private audience with the most important and most observed woman in the entire Clocktower.
He was used to his plans going awry, but this was special, even for him.
"This audience will take place soon." Lord El-Melloi looked vaguely apologetic, but his voice was steady. "She is currently on a trip, but it won't be long before she returns. By then, you must be ready to face her."
"Ready to face her?" That sounded like he was going to fight her, but Shirou would assume for now, for the sake of his mental health, that that wasn't the case.
"One does not act as they please in front of the Vice-Director. There are strict rules and customs on how one should behave in her presence. From here on until the audience, I will try to teach you those rules and customs." Lord El-Melloi glanced over at Grey, before turning back to Shirou. "Grey will pretend to be Lady Barthomeloi as we try to enact the audience here in my office."
"Hah?"
"What?!"
Shirou was surprised by the plan, but not half as much as Grey, who had apparently not been informed of her upcoming acting role beforehand. She jerked in shock, her mouth falling open as she stared at Lord El-Melloi with eyes full of incredulous horror.
"It is not ideal, but it's the best I can do for now." Lord El-Melloi had a vaguely apologetic expression on his face again, but it was clear he wouldn't budge. "There are no other options."
"…If you say so, then I will believe you." Shirou sighed after a moment, reasoning lord El-Melloi had no reason to lie about this, before turning towards his fellow student in askance. "As you alright with this, miss Grey?"
"...Yes." The white-haired girl replied in a whisper, before she shook her head and resolved herself. "I mean, yes! If it helps Sir, I'm happy to participate."
"Thank you, Grey." Lord El-Melloi nodded appreciatively, also well-aware that the girl was pushing herself for his sake, before he started the impromptu lecture. "During an audience with a higher-ranking individual, it is important that you find a balance between deference and defiance. Too much deference and you lose respect. Too much defiance, and you risk insulting someone."
"How do you find the right balance?"
"Through a mixture of instinct and experience. Normally, Magi are trained in this by their families. They have plenty of time to learn how to balance deference and defiance before they encounter anyone of significant rank. It is almost unprecedented for an inexperienced, new student to immediately be summoned to meet the Vice-Director herself."
"Almost unprecedented?" Shirou was almost afraid to ask.
"A girl was once summoned on her third day at the Clocktower for an audience with the Vice-Director, now over a hundred years ago. She had been caught attempting to steal the Crests stored in the General Vault. She was sent to the Dissection Department and vivisected alive over the course of three weeks."
"Great." Shirou deadpanned. "But I didn't steal any Crests, so why does she want to speak with me?"
"I didn't say? Lady Barthomeloi had something of a personal grudge against Vincent Balefor, one of the Sealing Designees you captured. When I brought him to the Clocktower and told her the story, she decided she wanted to talk with you herself."
"Oh." So the meeting wasn't because of something he'd done today or yesterday, or something to do with his identity, but because he'd done her an indirect favour? That was something of a relief. "Is that good or bad?"
"I imagine that depends on you. If you manage to impress her, this might be the best thing that'll ever happen to you. Mess up in any way and you'll lose favour with the Barthomeloi-family."
"That doesn't sound so bad."
"It means a massive majority of Magi here will never even dare to interact with you ever again. You will become an outcast as anyone who might have spoken with you will stay away out of fear of upsetting the Barthomeloi."
"…Right. That does sound bad."
So not only did he have to deal with the Vice-Director herself and the spotlights that would put on him, but he also had to make sure he would conduct himself properly all the while, lest his mission to save Illya and help Rin get her entrance into the Clocktower would become infinitely more complicated, if not impossible.
…Great.
"Now, Shirou, please step outside of the office and come back in two minutes, in the way you would enter Lady Barthomeloi's office. Pretend it's the real thing. Grey, come here and sit in my chair. Pretend you are the Vice-Director of the Clocktower who is about to speak with a Magus who has only recently arrived at the Clocktower, someone far below you in standing. Give it your best shot. Action!"
I will conclude the chapter here. It's a bit shorter than usual, but this was a good place to break off. The chapter is about the first day of class, and this is pretty much it.
The focus of this chapter is of course Shirou meeting the gang. The lesson around it is just extra fluff that doesn't really matter because I'm not going to do anything with it anymore because Nasu (the writer) never provides any information on how his Magic Systems work.
Also, one more scene about Wesley being a pervert towards Barthomeloi. Why was that there? No idea, I just wanted to show what she had been up to and why she isn't present at the Clocktower during this chapter.
The meeting between Lorelei and Shirou is coming too, just hold on to your hats a bit longer.
My thanks to my usual betas and to my newest two beta-readers, LukeSky and Cali.
Ted takes a rocket to space to kick some billionaires in the face. Goodbye.