That's So Sweet (Part 2)

Now, Rovey promises that if he comes back again, he will absolutely not call Kenneth to let him know he's safe. He will go home without hesitation and send a letter by his familiar, so he won't end up sitting on the streets of London eating ice cream with a bunch of strangers.

After eating a lot of ice cream, the last few children who were passing by also had their fill. They waved goodbye to Rovey, the stranger who had treated them to ice cream and was now still eating ice cream on the roadside, and left without looking back.

"..."

Continuing down the street, eating ice cream with a blank expression while enduring the stares from passersby, finally...

After waiting for a full three hours, and when Rovey's patience was almost at its limit, Kenneth's so-called contact finally arrived.

Buzzing—!

A long, drawn-out car horn sounded from a distance, followed by a black, extended limousine pulling up beside him. The El-Melloi family crest was emblazoned on the hood. Under Rovey's relieved yet complex gaze, the driver gracefully stepped out and opened the rear door. A cute blonde girl—no, she should be called a loli—emerged, tiptoeing as she stepped out of the car.

Whether it was due to unfamiliarity or not, although the blonde girl's movements were elegant and fluid, clearly showing she had undergone specialized etiquette training, they still appeared somewhat unnatural to Rovey. The scene also seemed rather odd. After all, aristocratic etiquette is generally reserved for nobles, appearing only at Clock Tower parties or other important occasions. Who was this earnestness on the street for? Ordinary people who might find it elegant but completely oblivious to its nuances?

"It's her, isn't it?"

Upon seeing the girl appear, Rovey was almost certain that she was the person Kenneth had mentioned picking him up at the airport. So, he began to scrutinize her body with undisguised seriousness, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny, because he felt that the blonde loli's appearance seemed somewhat familiar.

Around ten years old? Her golden hair cascaded down to her shoulders, and her eyes exuded an elegance and mystery unlike that of ordinary people. She wore a dark evening gown, with black stockings on her slender legs. Her beautiful emerald-green eyes, combined with her short golden hair, gave her the impression of a cunning little elf. Although she was less than 1.4 meters tall, her every move revealed the arrogance of nobility.

Yes, I recognized them by their eyes; these are indeed Mr. Kenneth's family.

After looking him over, Rovey's eyelids twitched a few times, then he raised his hand to cover his forehead, his expression somewhat complicated. Because he recognized the girl—no, the blonde loli—who had come to pick him up; in fact, he was quite familiar with her.

The reason he didn't recognize her at first glance was simply because she was still too young and didn't quite match his memory of her. But after a closer look, he recognized her completely.

That old scoundrel Sima! Bah, it's Reines.

Her full name is Reines El- El-Melloi Archizorti. She is also a female character with a significant role in the Type-Moon World. However, her first appearance is in the Lord El-Melloi II Case Files, a story starring Weber. She is the suitable successor chosen from a branch El-Melloi Family after the El-Melloi Faction fell into internal and external troubles following the death of their teacher, Kenneth, and the destruction of their Magic Crest. She is the girl who burdened Weber with the responsibility of becoming El-Melloi II, and can be considered Weber's adopted sister.

Of course, that was how things were in the original world. Now, she and Weber certainly couldn't have the same sworn sibling relationship as before. It seemed she still maintained a strange relationship with Kenneth, being both sworn siblings and uncle and niece at the same time.

As for other matters, Rovey didn't know much. After all, he often stayed at home, skipping classes at the Clock Tower frequently, including Kenneth's. His homework was always done by Weber, and even his credits were added by Kenneth and the strange eccentric Master Yulifis of the Spiritual Evocation Department. If he hadn't consistently achieved satisfactory grades on Kenneth and Yulifis's tests, he probably would have been double-teamed and expelled long ago. Therefore, aside from using Kenneth's house as a secret hunting ground to exploit when he lacked experimental subjects, he rarely visited the Kenneth -El-Melloi Family to avoid being detained for tests. Thus, he was naturally unfamiliar with Reines had somehow been promoted from the branch family to the main family.

Only...

There's a nagging feeling that something's not quite right.

Looking at the blonde girl who stepped out of the luxury car, dressed in a gorgeous gown and clearly made a special effort, Rovey's expression became thoughtful.

He originally thought that the person picking her up should be Weber or one of the servants, so why was it Reines who was sent? And... with her current restrained appearance, is she really not going on a blind date or attending a banquet?

Blind dates are out of the question. After all, she looks only about ten years old. What kind of little girl this big goes on blind dates? So... is she taking me to some high-class banquet? Could this be the surprise that Teacher Kenneth was talking about?

For a moment, Rovey was speechless.

He wasted three hours just because of a stupid dinner party? He's incredibly busy; a long-term business partner is waiting to check on him, and there are Magecraft tricks he set up before leaving that are waiting to be reviewed. It's such a waste to be delayed by these trivial matters!

However, while he was pondering, the blonde loli in front of him walked towards him with elegant steps and asked quite politely, "Hello, are you Rovey Crowley, Uncle Kenneth's disciple, who just contacted me by phone?"

His gaze fell upon Reines, who was smiling and walking towards him. Without a second thought, Rovey stood up from the bench. Overwhelmed with excitement at finally seeing her after such a long wait, he carelessly tossed the remaining ice cream into the trash can behind him. A groan followed, apparently from someone who had been blocking the trash can.

Reines: "..."

Rovey: "..."

Amid the wails of the man behind them, the two men looked at each other, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

'Why does this person seem a bit different from what my uncle described? There's something about him that's... unreliable? No, shouldn't it be more like he's unconventional? But why can't I see even a trace of aristocratic manners in him? Did I pick the wrong person?'

Rovey's series of actions plunged Reines into deep self-doubt.

"Wait a moment."

Finally, it was Rovey broke the awkward silence. He stood up, tossed a few pounds to the poor homeless man behind him, and easily resolved the matter. Then, he covered his forehead, sighed, and replied.

"That's right, it's me, a student of the El-Melloi Faction, a direct disciple of Lord Kenneth, and the current Crowley Patriarch, Rovey Crowley. Are you the person sent by Professor Kenneth to pick me up at the airport?"

"Yes, I've come to pick you up."

Having received confirmation from Rovey, Reines nodded, then suppressed her earlier embarrassment and gave Rovey a very polite and proper self-introduction.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Reines El- El-Melloi Archizolti. I am Lord Kenneth of the Mineralogy Department, your teacher's niece and also your adopted sister. You can just call me Reines."

"Alright, little sister Reines, nice to meet you. Since you're a family member of Professor Kenneth, you can just call me Rovey or brother."

Upon hearing the other party's reply, Rovey nodded slightly.

Although according to etiquette, since the other party was Kenneth's adopted sister, he should address her as Miss or Lady, he was still quite resistant to calling someone more than ten years younger than him Miss or Lady.

As for the issue of seniority?

That's not important at all.

After all, he and Kenneth were only a few years apart in age, and Kenneth was his teacher, who clearly treated him like a son.

They were essentially talking past each other; I called you teacher, and you treated me like your son.

"Yes, please guide me, elder brother."

Fortunately, Reines didn't care about seniority and, after hearing what Rovey said, she promptly called him "brother".

"Please get in the car. I will take you to the El-Melloi family to see your uncle."

After speaking, Reines pointed to the black limousine parked behind them and gestured for Rovey to get in.

"Yes, thank you for your trouble."

Under the astonished gazes of the onlookers, Rovey, who had been presumed to be a lost nobleman, actually boarded the carriage with Reines. This caused a group of women who felt they had missed a Roman opportunity to feel extremely regretful and disappointed.

Then, the black sedan slowly drove towards Mr. Kenneth's house.

Because this was Kenneth's personal vehicle, it was exceptionally spacious and had a luxurious interior. Even Rovey was riding in it for the first time.

As for how he knew this was Kenneth's personal vehicle...

The best answer is the photo of Kenneth and his fiancée Sola-Ui hanging above the driver's seat.

On the way, because of Kenneth's instructions before departure, Reines was unusually talkative. In the car, she handed Rovey a cup of black tea that she had prepared in advance. Then, while elegantly sipping the tea, Reines smiled and asked Rovey, "Brother, since you were chosen by Uncle to be his personal disciple at such a young age, you must possess unimaginable talent, right?"

Although she asked with a smile and a hint of flattery, Reines also wanted to test the waters of this young man who was completely different from what she had imagined. She also found it utterly unbelievable that an outsider like Rovey had been chosen by Kenneth to be his personal disciple.

In the world of Magus, lineage is of paramount importance. Anyone who has attended Kenneth's lectures can be called a student; a disciple is someone who has received specialized instruction and training, and many people in the El-Melloi Faction can also be called disciples. However, the title of a personal disciple is not something that can be established casually, because Magus can usually only establish one in his lifetime, and the status of such a disciple is comparable even to that of his own blood relatives.

Sons, daughters, and members of the same clan are merely the continuation of bloodlines, but direct disciples are extensions of one's own magical path. In the future, they will inherit all of their teacher's magical legacy and imprints to continue exploring the magical path. In other words, as long as nothing unexpected happens, the Rovey in front of us will definitely be the successor of the El-Melloi Faction. He will inherit everything about Kenneth's magical path and continue to explore the path to the Root.

But this was the only thing that puzzled Reines. If Rovey was merely a disciple on whom Kenneth placed high hopes, she could understand that Rovey might be exceptionally talented, but to directly make him her personal disciple was going too far.

After all, Kenneth was not yet thirty years old, and he had no offspring yet. With his talent and bloodline, the child he had with the daughter of the Spiritual Evocation Department Lord, Yulifis, would definitely be a genius as well. After all, the path of magic is based on the accumulation and inheritance of bloodlines.

The child born to the daughter of the ninth-generation Lord of the Mineralogy Department and the Lord of the Spiritual Evocation Department, who is also beyond the ninth generation, is undoubtedly incredibly talented, possibly even surpassing the current Kenneth.

But...

Even so, even though he knew this all along, Kenneth still chose an outsider like Rovey instead of his own child to inherit his magic. He didn't even give his child a chance to compare with him, because he felt from the beginning that his descendants could never surpass Rovey. So he only left him the title of family head and handed over the title of school leader to Rovey. This was something that Reines couldn't understand at all.

What extraordinary feats and achievements has this young man made that have earned him such attention from his uncle, a genius who is considered one in a century, leading him to make such a decision?

At the time, the entire family considered Kenneth's decision to be utterly insane, causing a great uproar and a huge commotion, which Kenneth forcefully suppressed. Later, Kenneth's teacher and future father-in -Spiritual Evocation Department, Yulifis, personally intervened, going to Kenneth's home to demand an explanation. However, shortly afterward, Kenneth changed his tune, remaining silent and tacitly approving of Rovey, an outsider, inheriting the position that originally belonged to his grandson.

This incident caused a huge uproar, but after the two Lord intervened, the matter was completely quelled, and no one dared to say anything. Because Reines was still young at the time, she was also curious about what had happened, so she personally asked the parties involved.

"This is... a long story."

Upon hearing Reines's curious question, Rovey paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

This might seem extremely strange to others, but he, as the person involved, knew it all too well. Because this was the true beginning of his connection with Kenneth.

At that time, it was more than a year after he came into this world. He claimed that he needed to adjust his mindset because of the death of his parents, but in reality, he stayed at home to improve himself, cramming on knowledge of magic and alchemy, and began to study the mysteries in the Law Book.

Later, because he didn't go to class or leave home for a year, the teacher personally came to his door.

Since Kenneth was the Mineralogy Department, and Crowley's main business was alchemy, Kenneth had a good personal relationship with their family. The original owner of this body was Kenneth's disciple, but not his direct disciple.

Because of his parents' passing, the Crowley Family lost the support of a top Magus. In addition, he skipped school for a year and a half, which made his teacher Kenneth worried that he might become decadent and degenerate due to the pressure. So he went directly to his home to find him and wanted to bring him back to class.

However, at that time, Rovey was researching the angelic mysticism system with his powerful assistant, whom he had recruited from the other subjects of the Clock Tower. Having also deciphered some of the Hallcraft, Rovey naturally didn't have time to return. But he couldn't possibly let Kenneth see the * Law Book * or what he had been secretly doing. Otherwise, something terrible would definitely happen, and he might even be Sealing Designation.

So, in a moment of inspiration, he took a portion of the Hallcraft conjecture data that he had extracted from the Law Book, packaged it into his own patent from Aleister's ideas, and handed it over to Kenneth, saying that he had not wasted his time, but had gained new insights and research directions, so he was very busy and could not go back to class.

Kenneth initially scoffed at this, refusing to believe that Rovey had only just reached the [Cause] stage at the time, could have any brilliant ideas. He thought Rowe should just honestly inherit the family's Alchemy and the El-Melloi Faction's Alchemy Magecraft; blindly researching would only be a waste of time.

Then, the groundbreaking concept of the Hallcraft, proposed by Aleister in the Law Book but which had remained undiscovered until today, was ruthlessly slapped in the face Kenneth Rovey.

This made him realize that he had been presumptuous.

After all, Kenneth was no ordinary person; he could naturally see the value of this thing. This idea, if not groundbreaking, could be described as revolutionary. If this data and research succeeded, it would be a major breakthrough that could compensate for the weaknesses of Magus except in positional warfare. By turning magic circles into their own sanctuary, they could set them up anytime, anywhere, as long as they had enough materials and equipment. Although there would be some reduction in power, they could set them up and activate them in almost a very short time, thus achieving 60% of the effect of Magus being in Magic Workshop.

Then, Kenneth stopped urging Rovey to go back. Instead, he himself didn't want to go back and started staying at the Crowley Family to work with Rovey on this groundbreaking idea.

Then, without the guidance of the * Law Book *, Kenneth struggled to achieve his goals no matter how hard he tried. While the theory of Hallcraft had a framework, breaking through it would be a task requiring generations of work. Just as he was preparing to buy the project from Rovey at a high price and hand it over to the Crowley and El-Melloi factions for joint research, Rovey, wanting to get rid of him quickly, had to extract more information from the Law Book, supplementing Hallcraft with much of the spiritual and Alchemy knowledge. This transformed what Kenneth considered a century-long task requiring generations of accumulation into something achievable within their own generation.

Looking at the dense, ingenious data and information that Rovey had produced, Kenneth slapped his forehead and exclaimed repeatedly, "Crowley, you're a genius! How could you have come up with such a solution and such an improvement? How come I didn't think of that? I realize I may have misjudged your talent in some areas!!"

Originally, Rovey intended to hand this over to Kenneth and send him on his own to figure it out, but Kenneth was simply too outrageous. He could see that this was a super project no less significant than Aozaki Touko's achievement of "Replicating the Enki Plate," a research project that, once completed, could even allow one to directly reach the "Grand Rank." He had to admit that, compared to other research on Volumen Hydrargyrum for further breakthroughs, this Hallcraft was more likely to propel him to that rank. However, while Kenneth's arrogance made him feel inferior, he never intended to claim the project for himself. In fact, when Rovey offered it to him, he was severely reprimanded by the other party.

"You idiot! You just handed over such a groundbreaking project like that? Do you know what that means? Do you think I'm jealous of this? Or do you think I can't reach Grand Rank without it?!"

Although he was tempted, Kenneth didn't take it. Instead, he provided Rovey with countless resources to help him. In the end, in order to obtain this Hallcraft, he simply made a decision that went against his ancestors.

"Since you are my disciple, I won't take advantage of you. However, the Hallcraft can be a significant achievement for a Grand Rank. So, become my personal disciple. Once you become a member of the El-Melloi Faction, this El-Melloi Faction will belong to them. Conversely, once you become one of my people, I can help you with your research and refine it together. Rest assured, this achievement belongs to you; I won't take it away. You only need to prioritize selling the patent rights of the Hallcraft to El-Melloi. I will absolutely not take advantage of you, and if you need any materials or resources, you can always obtain them from my family. I will cover all research costs."

Then, by a twist of fate, Rovey became Kenneth's personal disciple, receiving preferential treatment from El-Melloi and no longer needing to attend classes. He was given full credits, and all he had to do was focus on his research and solve this project—that was more important than anything else. Kenneth even said that once he had completely perfected the Hallcraft, Rovey would be qualified to inherit his school. (The implication being reaching the Grand Rank.)

Lord Yulifis, Kenneth's mentor, after seeing this concept, said little about Kenneth establishing a successor. Instead, he was extremely envious of his student for finding such a heir. Once this technique was truly completed, the El-Melloi family's status would rise to an indescribable level, making it easy for them to surpass Yulifis. Therefore, he understood Kenneth's actions, as he himself would have done the same.

After all, a mere bloodline descendant is enough to inherit the family line; how can they compare to a successor of the demonic path?

Then...

Because of the urging and encouragement from these two, Rovey had to report on his research progress regularly. This forced Rovey to devote a significant portion of his energy to studying the Magic Temple through the "Law Book," instead of focusing on restoring the angelic formula with his assistant. As a result, the Guardian Angel formula, which should have been completed long ago, was directly mixed with Alchemy and used without any testing, and it even made its first appearance in Fuyuki City.

If his assistant, who stayed at home, knew that he had acted so recklessly, she would definitely scream out loud.

"So that's how it is..."

"Making the Magic Workshop portable and simplifying the Hallcraft... Just hearing about it makes one yearn for it... Being able to create your own grand Magecraft during the Cause stages of your career, elder brother, your talent is truly extraordinary..."

Upon hearing that Rovey had created Magecraft that amazed Kenneth during the Cause Period, Reines's face showed a thoughtful expression.

At this moment, she could fully understand her uncle's actions and realized that Rovey was completely different from someone with some talent like herself; he was a true genius no less than Kenneth.

The Hallcraft, just hearing about them makes one yearn for them. If only I could be like him, wouldn't that be...?

"Oh, are you interested in my Magecraft, Reines?" Rovey asked.

"Yes, of course. After all, it's a spell that even my uncle praised. As Magus, I naturally want to see it with my own eyes." Reines nodded in agreement. Hearing such a grand Magecraft that transcends the norm, any Magus would be filled with longing.

"I see..."

Seeing the uncontrollable longing in Reines's eyes when she mentioned the spell, Rovey smiled slightly, then lowered his head and said softly to her, "Since you're interested, I can teach you... However, Hallcraft are indeed not easy to master. If you want to learn them, you may have to put in some effort and also have some talent."

"Huh... what?!"

Upon hearing what Rovey suddenly said, Reines, who was sitting next to her, was slightly taken aback. She was so surprised that even the composure and elegance that she had been wearing on her face disappeared in the face of Rovey's sudden words, and the black tea in her hand spilled out.

"Ah! I'm sorry, elder brother, I..."

The scalding hot tea spilled onto her slender hands and beautiful dress, the intense heat bringing her back to her senses. Reines, sitting beside her, realized her lapse in composure. She picked up her teacup again, looking at Rovey somewhat awkwardly, her expression filled with apprehension, fearing her actions might have left a bad impression on her brother.

"It's okay..."

However, Rovey simply smiled at this situation, not surprised at all, because he had noticed Reines's awkwardness and restraint during their first meeting. He took it as Reines being nervous about meeting him for the first time and naturally didn't pay it much mind.

He then slowly extended his broad palm and gently grasped Reines's small hand, which had been scalded by the red tea. He then silently recited a spell. "Fortunately, Angel of Healing, whose spirit is the gentle breeze that flies from the mountain, and whose golden robe shines like the sun. Dispel the pain, Raphael."

As the incantation was silently chanted, a gentle breeze suddenly rose beside my ears, even though I was inside the closed car.

Then, to Reines' astonishment, her scalded hands and calves were completely healed in just one breath, without any pain.

"Brother..."

Reines looked at Rovey in surprise, then looked at her fingers in disbelief. To her, everything that had just happened seemed like an illusion. If it weren't for the stains still on her dress, she would have really thought she was dreaming.

After all, she had seen healing Magecraft before, but she had never heard of anything like Rovey's ability to heal wounds completely with just a light touch.

Is this... a miracle?

Although she knew it was impossible, Reines still had this idea.

On the other side, Rovey took out a tissue and wiped her skirt, then reached out and touched her little head, asking gently, "Does this stop hurting, Reines?"

"Yes, thank you, elder brother!"

Reines nodded slightly, reverting to her normal self. Even her previous disguise seemed to have been blown away by the gentle breeze, completely gone. Her bright emerald eyes, along with the gaze within them, were now completely captivated by Rovey's deep eyes.

"Brother, what was that just now..."