Shirou and His Fellow Passengers / Shirou and Director Marie...

"Hmm... for example... being associated with death."

"Damn it!" Waver seemed to realize something and covered his face in anguish.

"Let's have something else," Mr. Frederick interrupted the unpleasant topic, pouring drinks for the two of them. "It must have been the journey we took that gave you such terrible ideas."

"Ah, Syria food just won't go well with my stomach," Waver said.

Shirou didn't refute this. He took a sip of his drink, leaned back, and looked around. The reason he made that assumption was because he had already seen many familiar faces here.

She resembled the red-haired British lady I met on the passenger ship.

The same USA Marine Corps was also on the passenger ship.

And there was the old man I met at the Hotel Phoenix, a man with a ferocious beast hidden inside.

Shirou even saw, unexpectedly, someone with an even more special identity, someone with a unique connection to both him and Waver.

To be honest, it seems the key figures involved in this incident have all been assembled...

Chapter 1213 Shirou and his fellow travelers

At this moment, in the dining car of the Mystic Train, apart from Shirou and his two companions, there were thirteen other people sitting there.

As Mr. Frederick said, they belonged to different classes and different countries. He began to study them. If judged by the standards of the clock faction, they were aristocracy, democracy, and centrism, which prioritized research.

Sitting at a table opposite them were three men. He guessed they were solo travelers, correctly categorized and placed there by the dining car waiter. Shirou mentally tried to label them.

A red-haired Italian man in his thirties, with a frivolous, unruly beard, was casually picking his teeth.

Democracy.

Opposite him was a thin, upright old Englishman with the face of a well-trained professional servant, capable of serving as a butler in a noble castle.

Aristocracy.

Next to the Englishman was a middle-aged man of mixed Asian and descent with spiky hair, sunglasses, and a beard. He was wearing a black leather jacket and had a large leather suitcase on the table. He was a Magecraft prop salesman, trying to sell his products to the people on the bus.

Yes, a businessman who prioritizes his own interests, a centrist.

The Italians talked about how they wanted to do something big on this trip, and they went on and on about it.

"You're sure to be a huge success," the Asian man wearing sunglasses flattered him with a heavy nasal tone, trying to persuade him to buy something.

Italians make gestures casually.

"Of course," he said confidently, "It's just a matter of time."

The British male servant looked aloofly out the window, seemingly unwilling to join in this pointless exchange of business pleasantries.

Shirou's gaze continued to sweep over them.

At a small dining table, an elegant young lady sat upright. She had straight, smooth, light golden hair, blue eyes with a haughty and assertive gaze, and a devilish smile on her lips.

Her hands were adorned with rings. Her sable coat was pushed back over her shoulders. A small, expensive black brimless hat.

She was giving orders to the waiters in a clear, polite, yet utterly domineering tone.

"After lunch, put a bottle of mineral water and a large glass of citrus juice in my room. For dinner tonight, I want a stewed chicken, without any other seasonings, just a little salt, and some steamed fish."

The waiter replied respectfully, "As you wish."

She nodded solemnly and stood up. Her gaze met Shirou's, and she swept her eyes over him with the indifferent detachment of a noblewoman.

"Lord El-Melloi," Mr. Frederick said softly, "After the previous genius of the Mineralogy Department died unexpectedly in the Holy Grail War, the El-Melloi lineage fell apart, and the last remaining person decided to inherit the name El-Melloi."

Shirou nodded. He knew this young lady, unlike the man beside him, who was family to her in a parallel world.

At this moment, Waver Velvet, who was standing to the side, looked over there, his eyes reddening.

"It seems you all know very well that she is a well-known figure," Mr. Frederick shrugged.

Shirou agreed.

Rin El- El-Melloi Archizorti, the heir head of household the El-Melloi family, one of the twelve Clock Tower families, is a girl in her teens. Because the Fourth Holy Grail War did not occur in this world, there is no Lord El-Melloi II, and many things have changed.

At another large dining table sat the British Red-haired Miss I had met earlier, along with two other people. One of them was a tall, slender woman with white hair, wearing a white cotton coat, red eyes, and a doll-like, delicate face.

"Illya? No..." Shirou almost cried out in surprise, then shook his head softly, "She looks a lot like her, but it's not her..."

The woman's face actually only resembled Illya's by three or four points. The reason Shirou had such a misconception was probably because of their similar demeanor, especially when Illya was expressionless, she looked six or seven points similar to this woman.

She was listening to a third person speak.

He was a tall, thin, smiling, ruddy-faced, elderly Asian man with white hair. Judging from his attire, he seemed to be of Chinese descent. His English was very good, but it had a distinct Beijing accent, a clear and characteristic intonation.

He continued speaking without any indication that he would stop to take a breath or pause.

The tone was like a retired driver from old Beijing giving you a tour guide, while this was the newly opened Silk Road High-Speed Rail.

"... I got bored staying at home alone, so I came out to travel the world. I went to a strange place before, but there was one thing it wasn't as good as China: the food was terrible. I've eaten all over China in my life, and let me tell you, the Manchu Han Imperial Feast included steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roast duck, roast chicken, roast goose, roast pork, roast duck, soy sauce chicken, cured meat, preserved eggs, small sausages, dried meat, sausages, assorted cold dishes, smoked chicken belly, steamed eight-treasure pork, glutinous rice stuffed duck, stewed pheasant, stewed quail, braised assorted dishes, braised goose, pheasant, rabbit breast, vegetable dumplings, silver fish, steamed mustard greens, braised duck kidneys, roast duck strips..."

Just then, the train rushed into the tunnel. The old man's voice was drowned out.

Otherwise, Shirou felt he could probably keep up this stand-up comedy routine for another half hour. The key issue is that the old man... if you're reciting dish names in front of a bunch of foreigners, they won't understand a word.

Shirou then turned his gaze to a nearby small dining table, where Marine Corps sat alone. His eyes were fixed on the back of the Red-haired Miss's head.

They're not sitting together? Have they still not made up after arguing?

You've already taken one train?

Well-mannered British ladies are very reserved; wherever they go, they never forget to be careful and cautious in everything they do, and their demeanor and appearance are very important.

His gaze shifted to the other side of the carriage. Further away, against the train wall, sat a lone old man with a goat's face, wearing round-framed glasses and black clothes, with a broad, expressionless face. Was he a clergyman? A clergyman from the place where Magecraft gathered?

The trains here are truly full of hidden talents; won't the Church of the Holy See and the Clock Tower end up in a fight?

Frederick noticed Shirou's thoughts and said with a smile:

"Don't be nervous, my friend. That's not Executor, nor is it a monster from the Burial Agency. He's just a peaceful, ordinary old man. Although the Mage's Association and the Church of the Holy See don't get along, sometimes we have to learn how to get along with people we don't like, don't we?"

Chapter 1214 Shirou and Director Marie

"Hmm..." Shirou thought of a certain annoying priest again. His grudges and affections with Tohsaka were inexplicable, including the hatred for his father's murder, but the priest also fulfilled his responsibilities as a senior brother and guardian. It was really complicated.

Seeing that Shirou remained silent, Mr. Frederick assumed he still had concerns, so he patted Shirou's arm reassuringly, indicating that he could rest assured that even if a fight broke out, it would only be a matter of fists and feet.

"Haha, in order not to disturb the elves in the ancient passage the train is passing through, a magic-suppressing zone has been set up inside the train, suppressing the release of magic to the lowest possible level. No one can use Magecraft normally."

"I see. Indeed, if it is this ancient road, there is a high possibility that some powerful spirits, who could fight against the gods in the age of gods, are still sleeping there. If they release their magic and are seen as a threat, they will seek out and attack. Especially in this kind of terrible weather with heavy snow, it would be terrible if it caused a snowstorm." Waver nodded.

"Anyway, don't worry, even if you use it, it won't cause any harm. A small knife is much more useful," Mr. Frederick said with a smile.

Behind the priest sat two women, or more accurately, a girl and a woman. The younger girl, probably only a teenager, was leaning forward, engaged in lively conversation with the woman opposite her.

The woman opposite him looked to be only 25 or 26 years old.

Both of them were dressed exquisitely. The girl had beautiful long silver hair, with a braid on one side, and large amber eyes that exuded an arrogant air. She paid great attention to her image, and her clothes were impeccably styled.

If it weren't for having a strict guardian, she would likely be a serious young lady who always remembers to uphold the family's pride.

The woman was wearing a very tight-fitting short black top and skirt, a navy blue satin jacket, and a stylish little navy blue hat. She had her long blonde hair piled high like a loaf of bread and wore frameless glasses.

He appeared to be the girl's attendant, but judging from his intellectual and charming demeanor, he might also be her tutor.

Mr. Frederick followed Shirou's gaze.

"That's the heir to the Lord of Celestial Mechanics," he said softly. "Poor little lady, her father disappeared in a Holy Grail War several years ago."

Olga Marie Asmirette Animsfia, a proud, assertive, and short-tempered girl with long silver hair, is the daughter of the Lord of Celestial Mechanics. If she were in the world of Chaldea, she would be the director of Chaldea, though she sacrificed herself long ago.

In that world, Shirou, as Servant, never met her in person, only heard her name and saw her photographs. If she hadn't driven Gudako out of the central control room, Gudako might have died in her Master's explosion.

Unfortunately, her physical body also perished there. Her soul Spiritron Transfer to Fuyuki City in the Singularity via spirit particles, where Professor Lev, who had awakened as Demon Pillar, used the Holy Grail to create a spatial connection, linking Singularity F with the Chaldea Control Room. Ultimately, she was sucked into the Galeas star model in the Control Room, and her soul was torn to molecular scale by the Galeas, which was equivalent to a powerful black hole. She was ultimately declared dead.

Shirou had investigated Lev's suspicious behavior toward Director Marie.

I truly hope that in this world where the magic is waning, the girl can live a happier life, even though her life seems destined to be tragic in any world.

Magecraft have declined in this world, and the Clock Tower's influence has weakened considerably. However, Magecraft school still exists at the Clock Tower in England, though it's not as open as it used to be. Waver used to be unable to get in even if he tried to pay money. So, he doesn't know the specifics.

Shirou joked that there might be Hogwarts, that he would probably be Gryffindor, and that Waver would be Ravenclaw.

Waver quipped that his talent was only good enough for Hufflepuff. But in this world, he might have a chance at Ravenclaw, since... this was an era where even geniuses struggled to unleash their full potential.

Whether it's a grenade launcher, a sniper rifle, or a Mauser pistol, if the range is limited to within one meter, then the difference is negligible.

"That's hard to say. Don't even mention it, just thinking about it gives me a stomachache! I shouldn't have gotten on this bus with you." Waver's face darkened again, just like yesterday.

However, due to the inertia of history, Kaineth still died, and the Lord of the Celestial Sciences still disappeared.

However, at least Marie had a trusted lady by her side, but without Lord El-Melloi II to support her, all the pressure fell on Rin's shoulders. It was truly a cruel twist of fate.

At this moment, the young German man Caules, and his employer Mr. Old John, entered the dining car and sat down at an empty table. The latter sat facing Shirou, and Shirou began to study that unpleasant face for the second time, paying particular attention to the feigned compassion in the brows and fierce little eyes.

Waver noticed Shirou's concern.

"Are you really that concerned about that wolf in sheep's clothing?" he asked.

Shirou nodded. Even if he was old, he was still a highly experienced, incredibly cunning, and ruthless wolf. And every wolf is meant to kill.

If we were to use Hogwarts as an analogy, this man would be from the same house as Voldemort —a cunning and treacherous Slytherin who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

When the coffee was served, Mr. Frederick stood up. He had started eating before Shirou and Waver came in and had been sitting for a while now.

"I'm going back to my room, young man." He picked up a bottle of wine, smiled at Shirou, and said, "Come talk to me later."

"Okay," Shirou replied, sipping a glass of fruit wine.

By this time, the other passengers who had finished their meals had also left. The exquisitely beautiful silver-haired girl, who resembled a doll, walked over to Rin and helped her leave. It seemed that she was still Rin El- El-Melloi's maid in this world.

The Red-haired Miss pushed her chair back, nodded to the old man from China, and got up to leave.

The American Colonel also stood up and followed her out.

The waiter carried a money box, moving from one table to another, collecting payments. The Chinese old man seemed quite unhappy with the waiter's practice of accepting tips, muttering and swearing in Chinese.

"What do they think they're carrying in their car? Almost fifty RMB a bottle and they want a tip? Even Evian and Fiji don't cost that much!?"

"That's right. They should, as you say, supply this place with water for free," the priest with the goatee stood up and agreed.

"Really? Looks like you're the only one who understands things here." The old man found someone to chat with and happily walked away with the priest.

The priest, bored and facing hostility on the train, ended up hanging out with the Chinese old man. He was probably the only one there who didn't object to his identity.

Olga Marie had already left. Now only Shirou, Waver, the old man, his employee Caules, and the English valet remained in the dining car.

Chapter 1215 Shirou and the Beast Old Man

The old man spoke a few words to his employees, then Caules stood up and left the dining car with his valet. Next, the old man also stood up, leaning on his cane, but instead of leaving with them, he unexpectedly sat down in the chair opposite Shirou.

"Could I borrow a light?" the old man asked, his voice gentle and slightly nasal. "You can call me Old John."

Shirou nodded slightly. He reached out to Lord El-Melloi II, took a lighter from him, and offered it to the man. The man, however, did not take it.

"I suppose," he continued, "That I had the privilege of speaking with Shirou Emiya, the detective who has been quite active in Europe lately. Is that so?"

Shirou nodded again.

"You understand correctly, sir."

Before the man spoke again, Shirou noticed those cold, shrewd eyes that were scrutinizing him.

Over the years, he has traveled around Europe as a detective alongside Holmes, maintaining a low profile in secular circles, but he has made a name for himself in Magecraft circles. On the other hand, Waver, who failed to become Lord El-Melloi II, remains relatively unknown.

After all, without a platform for him to showcase his talent in Magecraft research and teaching, such a genius in a specific field would indeed be easily buried.

"In our country, it's customary to conduct business openly, so I'll be frank, sir, I want to hire you for my protection."

Shirou raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Sir, we have a mission to complete now. As you know, we just arrived in Istanbul and are heading straight to London."

"Yes, of course, I know that. But one deal is a deal, and two deals are also a deal. Sir, there are two of you, you can do it together, which means you can earn a lot more money. Much more than the task you mentioned." He repeated in his gentle, persuasive voice, "A lot more money."

Shirou and Waver exchanged a glance, remained silent for a minute or two, and then Shirou said, "What do you want me to do for you, Mr. John?"

"Shirou, I am a person of standing in the Magecraft world. However, those in high positions inevitably have enemies. My trip this time was a bit too hasty and I was unprepared, so now I have a troublesome enemy."

"Is there really only one enemy?" Shirou countered.

"What do you mean by asking this question?" Old John asked sharply, his eyes wide.

"Sir, in my experience, when someone is in a situation like yours, it's usually not as simple as just having one enemy."

Shirou's answer seemed to comfort Old John. In such a life-or-death situation, he needed a wise man.

He quickly replied, "Uh... yes, I appreciate that about you. One enemy, or perhaps more, but that doesn't matter. The most important thing is to ensure my personal safety."