Shirou and the Chinese Old Man / Shirou and the Noises in the Middle of the Night

"On this train??" Shirou frowned. Mr. Frederick had just said this place was safer than anywhere else.

"Who knows? Maybe at the next stop, maybe he's already on the train. He could be European, Middle Eastern, Asian... maybe even in the room next to mine. My life is in danger, sir. You know, I'm a man who takes good care of myself. I have to be prepared for anything; that's the secret to longevity." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small automatic pistol, showing it to him.

In this magic-free zone, on a fast-moving train, a pistol is indeed the perfect tool for an old man.

Shirou could imagine the old man sitting in his room, facing the door, ready to pull the trigger the moment someone knocked and he didn't give a satisfactory answer.

Old John said coldly, "I'm not the kind of person to be careless. But I never think I have too many cards to play, and I need to ensure my own safety. You two are suitable candidates. All you need to do is escort me to London, and I'll give you a generous reward, sir. It will be a large sum of money. There's no better job than today, I guarantee it."

Shirou stared at the old man thoughtfully for a few minutes.

Old John's face was expressionless; it was impossible to fathom what was going on in his mind.

Shirou had been trying to convince himself to protect an old man, even if he was utterly wicked, but in the end, Shirou still couldn't convince himself.

"I'm sorry, Mr. John." Shirou stood up.

The man shrewdly observed Shirou, then glanced at Waver, who also seemed indifferent. Moreover, he needed more than just a clever mind; he required someone who was both intelligent and skilled in martial arts, capable of fighting thugs, and preferably proficient in some fighting techniques. He then turned his gaze back to Shirou.

"Let's name a price," Old John said.

Shirou shook his head.

"You don't understand, sir. Money isn't the most important thing to me. My current savings are enough to meet my needs. I will only take on cases that interest me."

"You certainly have a lot of patience... well..." Old John held up two fingers and said, "Two million US dollars! Surely that should interest you?"

"No." Shirou looked towards his teacher, seeking his opinion.

"I agree too," Waver replied in a hoarse voice. He didn't have a good feeling about money. In his previous life, he was used to being heavily in debt. He was also a man who could spend hundreds of millions at the drop of a hat. Although his assets were negative, he did have ten zeros at one point.

He sold his possessions and stayed up all night writing papers to earn prize money. By the time he could no longer write, he could probably pay off the El-Melloi family's debts, not even including the Magic Crest he had mortgaged.

"Young man, if you're too greedy for something, you won't get it. I know what something should be worth. Two million US dollars, no more," Old John said.

"Me too, Old John. How about we take out that thing that got you chased?" Shirou abandoned the honorific and said to the old man. The old man must have some very important treasure, Shirou suspected it might be Gem Shard.

"Heh, sir, do you think I would keep such an important treasure on my person knowing I'm being hunted?" Old John pressed.

"In that case, we have nothing more to say. And I don't like your eyes, Old John. Even being in the same room with you makes me feel disgusted."

After saying that, Shirou left the dining car.

Old John's eyes widened in fury. He was about to explode in anger, but when he thought of what had happened to him, his gaze darted left and right, and he held back.

The old man remained calm despite being in dire straits, though his face darkened, he gritted his teeth, and his features became even more repulsive.

Chapter 1216 Shirou and the Chinese old man

At 8:40 p. m. that evening, as the Mystic Train was about to arrive at a secluded station hidden by trees, the magically formed tracks beneath its feet turned into fluorescent light and disappeared. The train slowly floated to a stop fifty centimeters above the ground.

This is the transfer station for the Mystic Train, where trains from other places also arrive and transfer carriages.

The world of Magecraft is always full of wonderful mystery and technology combined. However, there are still some old-fashioned Magecraft who can't accept electricity, just like steam cars don't belong to the realm of technology.

Of course, they can't be willful even if they want to be in this Mystic Train. Without magic, they need electric lights for illumination and lighters for starting a fire, otherwise they would be reduced to living like they did in the 18th century.

The train was scheduled to depart again at 9:15. On the platform, the train staff were helping to connect the new carriages from Greece.

It was terribly cold, and it was snowing heavily outside. If it weren't for the platform roof providing shelter from the snow, I'm sure everyone would have gotten half a pound of snow on them.

At this moment, Mr. Frederick came over, followed by a train conductor. He smiled and said:

"Shirou, your luggage has been moved, young man. You can get a good night's sleep tonight. No one can bother you."

"Oh? Where am I moving to?" Shirou asked.

"Move to compartment number one, Mr. Frederick's original room," the train conductor quickly agreed.

Frederick winked at Shirou, indicating that this was not his problem.

"I was the one who made him change it like this. I went to the new carriage with Mr. Frederick."

Waver didn't like staying in this carriage, so he gave room number one to Shirou and then went with Mr. Frederick to the newly added Greek carriage.

"My stomach will hurt if I stay here."

Hearing Rin's voice gives Waver a stomachache.

Waver gets a stomachache if he hears footsteps passing by.

He didn't want to get too entangled with the little devil; past experience told him it would never end well. But the thought of her facing the intrigue and factional struggles of the Clock Tower alone filled him with a deep unease.

Shirou shrugged. Well, what could he say in a situation like this?

Mr. Frederick tried to smooth things over by saying:

"That's fine. Waver is moving back, while Shirou others are going directly to England, so it's better for you to stay in the direct train car. I'm going to Finland, so the new car is perfect for me. It'll just be Waver and me in this car, it'll be incredibly quiet. Right, Waver?"

"Hmm," Waver agreed. As long as he could avoid having too much contact with Rin, that would be good.

Frederick gazed at the pure white world covered in snow outside and exclaimed, "What a beautiful night! The locals say it hasn't snowed this much in many years. I hope we won't be hindered by the Snow Spirit and wind spirits on the ancient road."

"Are the elves there very ferocious?" Waver asked.

"No, they're usually quite quiet. But in this kind of weather, the elves get very excited, and you never know what they might do," Mr. Frederick said.

"Ugh, this is so unreasonable! Can't we just leave here already?!" Waver complained, thoroughly annoyed.

At 9:15, the train departed the station on time. Shirou didn't want to stay and listen to Waver's complaints, so he stood up, said goodnight to the two of them, and walked back to his carriage along the aisle.

This carriage, which had just completed its journey to London, was at the front of the train, connecting to the dining car. It was now the second day of the journey, and the cramped space fostered a sense of closeness, as if the barriers of national borders were being broken down.

The US Colonel I met on the ship was standing in his cabin door talking to Caules.

Upon seeing Shirou, Caules immediately stopped what he was saying, looking quite surprised.

"Hi, Emiya," he called out, "I thought you had already left. You said you were getting off today, right?"

"Hey, Caules, you've misunderstood me," Shirou said with a smile. "I remember, when I said that, the train was leaving Istanbul, so I didn't make myself clear."

"But, buddy, where's your luggage? You took it." Caules asked in confusion.

"I've moved to another private room; I happen to know one of the directors here," Shirou said with a smile.

"Oh, I see." Caules nodded knowingly; in short, he could have the room all to himself now.

He continued talking to the Americans, while Shirou walked along the aisle.

Two doors away from his private room, elderly Old Boss Li was standing and talking to the priest with the goat-like face.

Old Boss Li expressed his interest in the countries he would be passing through, such as Hungary and Romania. He added that he would have really liked to visit if his son-in-law's eldest grandson hadn't insisted he come to Hong Kong to play with him.

"Brother, it's a peaceful place, it's called Romania, but it doesn't really have much to do with Rome, and it wasn't under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Roman Empire before, so some unsettling things have arisen there."

The priest was telling the old man from China various ghost stories, including vampire legends from the Balkan Peninsula.

The priest was Swedish. He appeared to be a missionary sent to Istanbul by the Church of the Holy See, not a combatant, and was probably a marginal figure exiled by the Church.

Therefore, Shirou's retelling of these stories was full of errors, and in many places he even confused the legendary vampires with the Dead Apostle.

Old Boss Li was just listening to the story, but he seemed to sympathize with the priest, after all, he was a Daoist priest who was sent to open a Daoist temple next to Shaolin Temple. Every day, there was probably a bunch of shirtless, muscular bald men running around his door.

As he was talking, the priest yawned.

Old Boss Li rummaged through his bag and handed the man a magazine.

Shirou's eyes widened in surprise. The cover featured a dark-haired woman in a bikini, and it was in Japanese!

"Brother, take a look. I brought quite a few with me. I picked them up while traveling. They're free," said Old Boss Li, patting the priest on the shoulder.

"Thank you, you're such a kind person." The priest didn't seem to be feeling well; he hesitated for a moment, then accepted the magazine and went back to his room.

Old Boss Li nodded to Shirou in a friendly manner, as if asking, "Do you want one too?"

Chapter 1217 Shirou and the Noise of Midnight

Shirou waved his hands repeatedly.

While it's true that major Japanese cities have some of the most comprehensive garbage collection systems in the world, with even the trash kept spotless and unwanted items left there for anyone who needs them, and even sinks provided for cats and dogs to use, you can buy a toilet seat instead of picking up magazines!

What's going on with this old Chinese man finding pornographic books in Japan and then reading them on the train to Europe?

After the elderly clergyman left, Old Boss Li turned to Shirou and began to speak.

"What a pitiful foreign monk. He's Swedish, yet he's looked down upon here, and now he's being looked down upon on his way home. At home you rely on your parents, but when you're away from home you rely on your friends. Young man, don't you agree?"

"Hmm." Shirou nodded, but he quickly regretted his decision.

Old Boss Li held onto Shirou tightly, and once he started talking, he couldn't stop.

Shirou now knows the whole story of Old Boss Li's family. Everyone on the bus who understands English knows!

The old man's surname is Li. He and his wife are actually from Beijing. However, their son-in-law is a British Magecraft who settled in Hong Kong, so he later went there and came into contact with the world of Magecraft.

He already knew some of the breathing techniques of Tai Chi and possessed some physical abilities. Then he came into contact with a foreign Magecraft in Hong Kong and became curious about this world. After his wife grew old, he began his solo journey around the world.

Sometimes he goes to famous tourist attractions in the real world, and sometimes he tries to sneak into the world of Magecraft. This time, he found a way and got on this train.

Old Boss Li then shared his opinion on the Turks, saying that the carpets made by the locals are indeed well-made, in fact, no less than authentic Persian carpets, but they are just as expensive as the marble they sell to China.

Shirou chimed in, but the topic has already gone off track, hasn't it, sir!

Just then, the door next to them opened, and the thin, pale-faced male servant got up from inside. Shirou glanced inside and saw Old John sitting upright on the bed, one hand hidden inside his coat, his sharp eyes fixed on the door.

That hand was definitely holding a gun.

He also saw Shirou, and his expression changed; he became so angry that his face darkened.

In fact, the thing about him that intrigued Shirou —such as the news about the Gem Shard —was that he had heard Shirou Emiya and his group were collecting such treasures.

The old man knew Shirou's identity as the holder of the Power Gemstone, so he wanted to hire Shirou as his bodyguard. He had met Moriarty and knew the whereabouts of a Power Gemstone fragment. If he could escort him back to London, he could indeed help Shirou obtain that fragment. In any case, that wasn't what he needed.

However, the treasure he possessed was far too sensitive, and he hesitated. If his identity were exposed here, he might not even survive to see London.

The old man placed his hand on the handle.

Bang! The door slammed shut.

"That old man had a terrible attitude, he was a real menace. My room was right next to his, and there was even a connecting door between them. What god did I forget to pray to before I left home?"

Old Boss Li stood behind Shirou, muttering to himself.

"..." Shirou didn't doubt how bad Old John really was, but the old man in front of him wasn't much better. Of course, if he wasn't an oddball and a chatterbox, he would probably be considered a very nice old man.

Seeing Shirou's attitude, Old Boss Li assumed that Shirou didn't care about Old John's matter, so he pulled Shirou aside to talk to him, looking quite serious.

"Really! He's acting strangely. I've always had a pretty good hunch, especially when it comes to bad things."

"Oh, how so?" Shirou's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

"Last night, I blocked the door connecting his room with my travel bags. I kept hearing him turning the doorknob. Plus, he looked so respectable, like a kind-hearted person, but his eyes were fierce and menacing."

I've seen that kind of guy before, back in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year, when he led forty or fifty thugs to the Guan Di Temple to snatch the first incense offering. Let me tell you, that guy has definitely killed someone, he's no good. He's either a murderer or a train robber, I bet you it!"

"Sir, you can't joke about this. You must remember that European nobles value their reputation highly," Shirou advised.

Old Boss Li said in a mysterious way:

"Of course, I can't guarantee anything. I don't know if my premonition will still be accurate once I'm abroad. But I have a feeling that something is going to happen, some ominous thing is going to happen... And that young German guy, he's so polite, I never expected him to become that guy's personal secretary, how can he stand it? Sigh... This world is really getting harder and harder."

The US Colonel and Caules were walking towards them along the aisle.

"Let's go to my private room," Caules said. "We haven't finished talking tonight. I want to understand what the point of your policy toward Syria is, besides seizing oil and engaging in geopolitical maneuvering with Russia..."

"It's true that the higher-ups' actions are domineering, but while pursuing national interests, we also take into account managing world order. Perhaps you think the United States is too greedy, but if my country collapses, the entire world economy will collapse along with it..."

They walked over and continued down the corridor toward Caules' room.

Old Boss Li said goodnight to Shirou.

Shirou went into his room, room number one, the one next to Old John's. He took off his clothes, lay down on the bed, read for half an hour, and then turned off the light.

Several hours later, Shirou was awakened.

A loud scream came from next door, almost a shout, like the frantic roar of a trapped beast struggling for its life. At the same time, a rapid ringing of a bell rang.

Shirou sat up abruptly and turned on the light. Only then did he realize that the train had stopped; it had probably arrived at its station.

The shout startled him. Shirou remembered that Old John was in the next room; had he really been assassinated?

He got out of bed and opened the door. Just then, the train conductor hurried down the aisle and knocked on Old John's door. Shirou left his door ajar and peeked in.

The conductor knocked a second time. A bell rang and a light came on from another door a little further away. The conductor turned his head and glanced at it.

At that very moment, a dry voice came from Old John's room, speaking in Nigerian language: "It's nothing, I pressed the wrong button."

"Yes, sir." The train conductor hurried off again to knock on the door of the other compartment, which was lit up.