The Train's Invitation

Gray gave a weak reply.

"Is that so? Do you like it?"

"Like..."

"Gray, would you like to do another round? This time, let's go straight to my house—no, your future house."

"Really, really, is it okay?" Gray asked softly.

"Certainly."

Rovey still had a smile on his face, Aozaki Touko, who had experienced such a thrilling ride in the back seat, also thought that this little girl seemed really interesting.

That's understandable, actually.

Children are naturally curious and eager to experience new pleasures.

Although Gray is obedient and sweet, her personality was largely formed in that repressive environment. While there's nothing wrong with being gentle, sometimes happiness is the most important thing.

After going around in circles, the initial fear of her new life and new world was left behind at some unknown intersection, and the distance between her and Rovey seemed to have shortened a bit.

Seeing this, Rovey also felt that his idea was very successful.

After all, as a teacher and Gray's future guardian, in addition to imparting knowledge and magic, he also had to answer questions and provide guidance.

Moreover, he was also very curious to see what kind of girl he had raised would grow up to be.

"Alright, Gray, now introduce yourself again. My name is Rovey Crowley. Next is your mentor and guardian. You can call me Master, or Rovey, okay?"

Rovey wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Okay, okay, Master!"

Gray nodded.

"Great, very energetic! In that case, one more lap! Forget all your troubles! Grab the wheel, Gray!"

"Yes, yes!!"

"—Night Wolf Dies Nine, Golden Speed!!"

Boom!!

He floored the accelerator and roared away again.

Shortly after, on a highway in the suburbs of London, the Department of Law, who had just caught up, was diligently searching for traces of Aozaki Touko's vehicle along the route when—

Before he could even look to his left, a black lightning bolt flashed right past his eyes. The driver had no time to react, and by the time he stopped the car, the black lightning had already disappeared.

"... Team leader, Captain, that just now looked like the vehicle Aozaki Touko was riding in."

The teammate next to him cautiously reminded him.

"...I see."

"So, should we still pursue them?"

"Chase what? Are you going to chase after exhaust fumes?"

The man sighed helplessly, "Forget it, let's call it a day. Anyway, the Crowley Patriarch is back, and the rest is none of our business."

"Clear!!"

The sky gradually turned yellowish-brown, until it became somewhat dark.

A black sports car, somewhat wrecked, was parked in front of the gate of a manor in the suburbs of London.

The old butler, who had been preparing to receive him for hours, almost didn't recognize the car he had arranged when he saw it in this state. However, upon seeing Rovey emerge from the vehicle, he still approached with utmost respect and greeted him.

"Young Master, you're back."

"Okay, I'm back. Go and arrange dinner first, and then make room for the guests."

Upon seeing the familiar butler, Rovey pointed to the sports car behind him and gave his instructions.

"Yes."

Upon hearing Rovey's instructions, the butler gave a meaningful look to the gray-haired girl who had just gotten out of Rovey's arms, then nodded very respectfully without asking any further questions.

However, just as he was about to leave, Rovey couldn't help but ask him, "Where are Reines and Sakura? I haven't seen them anywhere. Are they already asleep at this hour?"

To this, the old butler replied, "No, young master."

"Miss Reines and your adopted daughter have gone to London with Miss Sola-Ui for a tea party, so they will be back a little late."

"I see..."

"Should I contact them and call them back for you?"

"No need. It's fine for the two of them to go to London for a while. I'm relieved to have Mrs. Sola-Ui taking care of them. Let them have their fun and then come back on their own."

Rovey rejected the butler's suggestion and directly took Gray's hand to lead her to choose a room. As for Aozaki Touko, he told her to wait in his study first, and that any important matters could be discussed there.

Aozaki Touko naturally had no objection to this and went straight to the study to wait for Rovey.

Although it was called choosing a room, all the rooms in the Crowley Family mansion were extremely minimalist in style, with little decoration other than beds, tables, and other standard living furniture.

Even Kenneth, who had stayed at his house many times, criticized him for not paying attention to his appearance, but he was too lazy to make changes, or rather, he didn't want to put too much effort into this meaningless place, so he ignored it.

So it doesn't really matter which room Gray stays in.

Moreover, Gray didn't have much luggage, or rather, she had none. Apart from Kay in the birdcage, all she had left was her clothes, which were soaked with sweat.

Holding Kay in the birdcage, Gray stood at the door of her room, looking at this dwelling, which could be described as "luxurious" compared to her previous wooden house, and rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

"Is this... where I'll be living from now on?"

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, you'll be living here for a long time to come, so it's fine to treat this place as your new home."

Rovey smiled and replied, "Besides me, only the two girls of the same age I told you about live here. The housekeeper and the others each have their own private apartments, so you can stay here without worry."

Excluding Lev, who sleeps on the floor, and Aozaki Touko, who just arrived, this large villa had been uninhabited until recently, before Rovey returned. Therefore, most of the rooms inside had never been lived in.

"Anyway, let's go inside first. You must be exhausted after all this trouble, right?"

The two took a bus from Wales back to London early in the morning, and because the bus did not go directly into the London, they walked a long part of the journey.

Because of his Reinforcement Magecraft, Rovey didn't feel too tired, but a girl like Gray couldn't. This stretch of road was indeed a considerable challenge for her. Although Rovey carried her for a long time along the way, relieving her physical fatigue, the mental exhaustion was not so easy to dispel. Not to mention writing a report for Kenneth at the Clock Tower and driving at high speed for about three hours, Gray was already feeling drowsy.

Since there were no suitable women's pajamas for children at home, and Sakura and Reines weren't around, Rovey naturally couldn't do the perverted act of taking things without asking. So he took out two of his own large clothes and draped them over Gray, so she could have a change of clothes to rest in.

"Um, Rovey..."

Wearing, or rather draped in, the blue-green robe that Rovey used to wear, Gray curled up in bed with a somewhat restrained expression.

"What's wrong, Gray?"

As Rovey was about to leave, he turned back and gently patted her little head.

"Um, could you stay here with me for a while? I can't sleep..."

Gray was filled with anticipation, but also a little reserved.

After all, this was her first time leaving the village to live outside, so she naturally felt scared and uncomfortable. Now, the only person she could rely on was her new master, Rovey, this very magical older brother.

"OK."

Upon hearing Gray's request, Rovey smiled and then sat down by her bedside.

"Since you can't sleep, would you like to hear your big brother tell you a story?"

"Is it really possible?"

Gray's eyes held a hint of anticipation.

Long ago, before she became King Arthur's Shrine Maiden, her mother would tell her stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table every night to lull her to sleep.

But since the change happened, she has never heard from it again...

"Of course."

Seeing that Gray was interested, Rovey gently turned on the dim bedside lamp, tenderly covered her with the blanket, and then pondered what kind of story he could tell.

The Law Book?

No, what the hell is that?

After a moment's thought, Rovey decided that it wouldn't work to talk about King Arthur, as Gray, a girl from the Gravekeeper Village, would be tired of hearing about him. So, he suggested talking about the Epic of Gilgamesh instead.

That doesn't seem to work either; the story of the King of Heroes isn't suitable for children.

Stories, stories...

It should be a heartwarming fairy tale.

"Hey, I've got it."

After a moment's thought, Rovey began to recount a story that had left a deep impression on him, based on his own memory.

"It's a story about a great king, a story about an ordinary person, a story about a doctor who saved the world..."

He read it softly, slowly telling the story.

When the text read about King Solomon's test against the Queen of Sheba, Gray gently closed her eyes, her thoughts drifting into a peaceful dream, leaving only steady breathing.

Rovey this piece of unofficial history as he knew it. He remembered that in this world, Solomon was tricked by David and thus forced into Queen of Sheba, but it didn't matter anymore...

After all, only what is accepted by everyone is official history. If the story he knew were to be spread, it wouldn't be considered unofficial history; it would most likely be regarded as factual history. Therefore, it's perfectly sufficient for him to know the truth himself.

Seeing that Gray was fast asleep, Rovey turned off the bedside lamp, gently stroked her soft little head, covered her with a soft blanket, and then got up and left the room, leaving only one sentence behind.

"Goodnight, Gray, sweet dreams."

Chapter 127 The Train's Invitation

Night fell, and darkness descended completely.

In the Crowley Family's study.

"Hmph~"

At that moment, a red-haired woman was sitting unceremoniously on Rovey's desk, humming Nursery Rhyme of unknown origin. She casually flipped through the books Rovey Wei had arranged on the bookshelf, trying to pass the time.

Thinking of her interesting junior, Aozaki Touko couldn't help but smile.

After all, that guy always claimed to be a champion of gender equality, and even when facing beauties like herself and Scáthach, he never overstepped his bounds or did anything offensive, and he showed no mercy when beating up beauties like the King of Knights. However, he was exceptionally gentle with children, which once made Aozaki Touko wonder if this strange guy, like her foolish little boy who had a thing for his little sister, had some unknown, strange fetish.

But on second thought, given Rovey's behavior and my understanding of him, that guy wouldn't be so depraved; he probably just likes kindness and beauty...

After all, innocent children are indeed rare treasures in this world. Even the seemingly cold-hearted King of Heroes seems to be exceptionally tolerant of children.

So she must be overthinking it, after all, even she herself really likes Sakura, that talented and interesting girl.

If it weren't for her unique Imaginary Numbers Constitution, which made it truly impossible for her to provide the most suitable instruction, there would be no need to abandon her own talents to learn her puppet and soul Magecraft; that would be a complete waste. As for the only runes she could teach, that guy Rovey was far more proficient in them than she was. She had only mastered five or six Primordial Runes, while he had already learned them all—truly a monster.

"Well..."

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh.

It's just that the conditions don't allow it, otherwise Aozaki Touko would have insisted on taking that cute and quiet girl as her apprentice and training her today.

Soon after, in the cozy, white room next door, seeing that Gray had finally fallen asleep, Rovey said goodnight and then quietly got up and left the room.

—Crunch!

The wooden door to the study was pushed open from the outside.

Rovey, who returned a little late, immediately spotted the red figure in the study. He greeted Aozaki Touko, who was sitting at his desk reading a book.

Good evening, Aozaki-senpai.

"Hmm, good evening. You're finally back? Isn't it a bit too early to tell a six-year-old girl stories from the Bible?"

Aozaki Touko smiled, completely unconcerned that Rovey had left her standing there for more than half an hour. Obviously, she had already gone to the door to look for Rovey herself, otherwise she wouldn't have known what they were talking about.

To this, Rovey Wei smiled slightly, and then, while speaking, took off his coat and hung the coat and suitcase on his coat hanger.

"Whether it's the fairy tales of Andersen and the Brothers Grimm, or Aesop's fables, some fairy tales are not actually fairy tales, but rather stories that can make people reflect. For a girl like Gray who has never been exposed to any stories other than the King Arthur legend, it would be good to tell her some stories with a sense of reality, at least to let her understand the outside world."

"However, the bigger reason is that I have forgotten other fairy tales and my mind is full of all kinds of magic books. The stories I know are all from William Shakespeare, the Bible, Homer, and other literary classics that have more Magecraft significance or historical fame."

After tidying up his belongings, Rovey picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of black tea into the white porcelain cup in front of him. He then drank it all in one gulp without any regard for his image, before glancing at the seemingly sad Aoko in front of him.