Chapter 183

The blonde girl thought this fiercely to herself, but her true feelings were actually--

Come and comfort Yu, Teacher. Yu seems so unhappy, he even wagged his tail. You can at least offer some comfort, right?

When Draco is transformed, he becomes the tsundere Rome Flower, but his rival, Kisshouin, is not so coy.

Just as Novia was about to say something after seeing the two of them like this, she nuzzled her cheek against Novia's palm like a kitten, while giving the dumbfounded Draco a mocking look.

The same blushing that Draco would have caused Kisshouin to do, appears completely natural and acceptable to her, without any hint of shyness.

That's ridiculous.

Although I've seen my Teacher and I naked and in close proximity before... and although that guy was the same, I really can't stand it, I... I--

Draco, unable to contain his anger after being so provoked by Kisshouin, imitated Kisshouin's actions in a state of confusion, rubbing his cheek against Novia's other hand like a cat, while glaring murderously at Kisshouin.

At this moment, in Novia's view, the two were performing the same action, except one had a broad smile on his face, while the other was gritting his teeth with veins bulging... This was understandable, given Draco's personality.

"Ahem." Novia coughed, then withdrew her hands from their cheeks. "We'll find some time to go to that Coffee Shop tomorrow, and then tonight we'll go to the Western-Style Mansion to formally meet Xiao Xiang."

"The academy agrees!"

"Me too!"

"If you ask me, it would be good enough if you two could just act a little more harmonious in front of Xiao Xiang."

Novia slowly got up and walked towards the door.

"How about we leave you two some space to talk? I'll go out and take a look first."

After saying that, he walked out. At the same time, the two people present realized that their abilities had been stripped away, in other words, their strength had been reduced to that of a normal, equivalent level.

"Snort!"

After seeing Novia leave and losing the strength to properly teach the arrogant Kisshouin a lesson, Draco sat impatiently in his chair with his arms crossed, seemingly lost in thought.

But Kisshouin was no ordinary person. Lying on the bed, she looked at the storybook in her hand and said with a cheerful tone:

"How pitiful~"

Draco was perhaps in a bad mood, and she asked angrily:

Who are you talking about!

"Huh? The academy isn't talking about that Emperor who screams Melusine in those moments but acts as weak as Miss Aika in everyday life. How could our Miss Draco be that kind of person? You agree, right, Miss Draco? Speaking of which, Miss Draco, do you remember what the Holy Scripture is called? You haven't forgotten, have you? Do I need to remind you... you?"

"I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget! You bastard!"

As Novia stepped out of the hotel in Bunkyo Ward, she noticed that the path from the hotel to the park was lined with blooming flowers.

The intense, glaring sunlight in the morning gradually subsided in the afternoon, and the gentle sunlight shone softly on people and greenery, marking the arrival of a new year.

The silver-haired youth strolled leisurely, enjoying the City.

It was the beginning of January, and schools in Japan were already on winter break. The whole Japan was in the New Year's atmosphere. At this moment, countless people were moving along the streets of Bunkyo Ward. Although she had no destination, Novia was happy to stroll leisurely with the flow of people.

But it wasn't just leisure; he was quietly observing. Perhaps it had become a habit. He could clearly see everything about everyone who came into his view, from subtle movements and slight differences in tone of voice to gestures and other mannerisms. He easily memorized all of these.

On the street, some people, both men and women, approached him to ask for his name and contact information; this was a fairly normal way to strike up a conversation.

After all, Novia himself had been approached by several people when he walked out of the airport with Draco and Kisshouin.

After politely declining, Novia asked them what activities they had planned for the day, and why so many students were heading in one direction.

For him, although the students weren't wearing school uniforms or any other decorations, he could clearly tell them apart by their various expressions and movements.

Then Novia struck up a conversation with one of her friends and learned that there was Shrine called Yushima Tenmangu Sugawara no Michizane Bunkyo Ward that represented Japan, the "god of learning" in Japan. Therefore, during this winter break, many students would go to the Tenmangu near their homes to pray for their Future studies.

This is quite normal behavior, just like how many students in mainland China visit Confucius statues at their schools when the college entrance examination is approaching.

However, Tokyo Bunkyo Ward in Tokyo is primarily a cultural and educational institution and residential area, earning it the reputation of "the capital of literature." It has long been home to famous writers, scholars, and politicians such as Natsume Soseki, Mori Ogai, and Kenji Miyazawa. Notable facilities within the ward include the main campus of Japan University of Tokyo, the Tokyo Dome, and Kodokan, among others. Ancient and expansive Japan gardens such as Rikugien Gardens, Korakuen Garden, and Koishikawa Botanical Garden are also located in Bunkyo Ward.

Speaking of which, after learning that it was Sugawara no Michizane's Yushima Tenmangu in Tokyo, Novia remembered something else: it was a place with extremely rich Leyline.

In the world of Frost, after the great Holy Grail War, where everyone has the Holy Grail residing in their heart and everyone has Servant, Yushima Tenmangu is an important Leyline providing the Akihabara City, where the protagonist Utsumi Erice, resides.

In the first volume, if the Earth Goddess Embijan of Congo in Africa had chosen Tenmangu Shrine instead of the Roman Colosseum as the location for launching the zombie attack, the barrier around Akihabara would have collapsed. Most of the Servants in Akihabara City who draw magic power from the spiritual veins would have been exhausted and might have been wiped out before Lucius even joined the battle.

Thinking of this, Novia remembered that Lucius was the Servant who helped Utsumi Erice's Grandmother, Manazuru Chitose, obtain the Holy Grail War Servant rewrote the world's course, and was also Erice's Spear Techniques Teacher... It has to be said that he was quite good in all aspects, worthy of being someone who had been with him for so long.

After a moment of contemplation, Novia arrived at Yushima Tenmangu in just a few minutes. Along the way, she crossed a bridge where the antique-style streetlights cast a shimmering persimmon-colored glow on the swaying water, making it beautiful even in daylight.

The approach to Tenmangu day, lanterns were lit for visitors coming to worship for the New Year. The approach was lined with stalls on both sides, offering everything from food to games like water polo fishing, with light bulbs hanging from the plastic canopy emitting a warm glow.

At this moment, Novia had the idea of bringing Draco and Kisshouin here for a visit, so she decided to call the two of them.

But he was suddenly distracted by something, so the matter was postponed.

The silver-haired youth walked alone to the other side and entered the bushes.

Just as he was about to call the two of them, he inadvertently saw a Dove with a limp, staggering from a gap in the path into the grass. It probably wasn't a wild Dove, as it looked very clean; perhaps it had gotten lost.

So Novia decided to wait until she found the Dove before making the call, since it wouldn't take much time anyway.

However, things took an unexpected turn. He searched for several minutes without finding it, which was really unusual. Although he hadn't deliberately used any Magecraft abilities, he shouldn't have been unable to find it. It could only mean that it wasn't there to begin with...

He then walked to the edge of the road with a puzzled look on his face and saw an alleyway with a barricade at the entrance. It was probably under construction inside, so ordinary people were not allowed to enter.

However, this was not a problem for Novia. He crossed the blockade without hesitation and entered the narrow and sparsely populated alley. He then saw the shadow of a White Dove perched in the somewhat dilapidated Shrine. The Shrine was surrounded by ropes prohibiting entry, and inside, the ground was covered with fallen leaves and overgrown with vigorous weeds.

But Novia had already come in, so he didn't care about that anymore. He stepped inside and headed towards the White Dove in the dilapidated Shrine. A few seconds later, he arrived in front of the Dove, which was limping on one leg. Just as he was about to reach out and pick it up—

I felt a touch that only humans can have.

Novia looked down and realized she was right. It was indeed a human hand on the White Dove, coming from the offering opening behind White Dove. The owner of the hand also noticed that his outstretched hand was being held by a stranger, and his hand trembled slightly, showing some fear.

Novia immediately let go. He hadn't expected that someone else would have seen the limping Dove and even found their way here.

He couldn't help but think that this was a kind of luck.

Perhaps out of curiosity about who the other person was, Novia bent down and looked towards the altar, and then saw a red-haired, orange-eyed girl who was also bending down and looking in her direction with a blank expression.

256: Gudako: Feelings have blossomed (7k)

It was the beginning of January, and schools in Japan were already on winter break, with the whole Japan in the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

With only about ten days of winter break finally arriving, Ritsuka Fujimaru thought that since she was also a student, she should go to Tenmangu to pray like the Crowd.

So he said goodbye to his family early in the morning and came to Bunkyo Ward, which is some distance from his home, intending to visit Yushima Tenmangu.

After all, Sugawara no Michizane Japan is widely recognized as the 'God of Learning' in Japan for many years, and many people will go to worship him for the sake of their studies and Future.

Ritsuka Fujimaru strolled leisurely through Bunkyo Ward, enjoying the scenery at her leisure. The road from the park near her home to Bunkyo Ward was filled with flowers she had seen since childhood, and even the intense morning sun had gradually become milder.

Back when Ritsuka Fujimaru was a child.

The six years of elementary school passed in the blink of an eye. As a child, she often thought, "I probably won't have any more experiences in my life where time disappears in the blink of an eye."

However, those six years in junior high and High School passed much faster than when I was younger.

In a busy yet meaningless life, the past feels like a distant memory.

The girl sometimes wondered, "Could this all be a dream? It's all just a dream."

The real me is still a child, just taking a nap when I'm tired from studying. Once I truly wake up, will everything change so quickly and leave me feeling so helpless?

Unfortunately, that's not actually the case. Ritsuka Fujimaru is already seventeen years old and will be graduating soon after this winter break. She hasn't decided whether to continue her studies or enter the workforce.

In fact, given her middle-class family background and location in Tokyo, she has absolutely no need to worry about her finances as long as she doesn't get scammed or start a business. Moreover, to be honest Ritsuka Fujimaru has a clear understanding of her academic situation; getting into a university like the University of Tokyo is completely impossible for her, at best she'll only get into an ordinary university.

However, Ritsuka's parents never forced her to do anything. They simply raised Ritsuka with excellent manners, which fostered in her an incredibly gentle personality and an ability to accurately understand others' feelings. As a result, although she was someone everyone at school could talk to, she didn't have any very close friends.

The girl, who was simply admiring the scenery of Bunkyo, spent more than an hour to reach Yushima Tenmangu. The approach to the shrine was packed with people, with nearly a hundred stalls clustered together, and the number of people participating in the festival was also enormous.

The sound of drums matched the festive atmosphere; although it wasn't so crowded that it was difficult to walk, it was very lively.

The Shrine was filled with cheerful music. Although court music was playing, each stall played its own favorite tunes, including rock, metal, Anime songs, and classical music, creating a very mixed environment.

The heat of the first day of the new year, combined with the daytime light and the set-up lights, made it look like some kind of Concert.

Even though she was surrounded by groups of people, Ritsuka Fujimaru didn't seem out of place at all, since there were just too many people and no one would pay special attention to someone they didn't know.

For the next several tens of minutes, the girl enjoyed the celebration to the fullest, eating and buying some things as she went.

Not long after, feeling a bit tired, Ritsuka Fujimaru decided to rest nearby. Then she saw a White Dove limping along the ground. Strangely enough, despite the large number of people, no one accidentally stepped on it. Then, in the girl's sight, the limping White Dove turned into an alley that was cordoned off.

Perhaps out of curiosity, or perhaps out of pity, Ritsuka Fujimaru immediately ignored the warning of the cordon and entered the alley. She then saw the dilapidated Shrine surrounded by ropes that were 'forbidden from entering' in reality, and at the same time, she saw the White Dove sitting there.

This is a long way from the approach to the sanctuary and is a restricted area. Because we've entered a secluded path and are surrounded by lush, dense forests, it feels incredibly far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Without much thought, the girl stepped forward and stood before the Dove that was limping on one leg, staring straight at it.

"Let there be light," the Lord whispered, and light appeared.

For some reason, Ritsuka Fujimaru suddenly remembered the ancient sacred words of the Missionary belonging to the Church.

However, she wasn't particularly interested in any of that. She just felt that this limping Dove seemed to have flown back and forth in the skies during the human era, circling and soaring. Humanity continued to grow and prosper on the ground, but all of that seemed irrelevant to the White Dove.

No matter when or where, the sky is no one's private property. It aspires to great heights and, in the ancient and natural sky, constantly flaps its wings with all its might... A certain sound rang out, and the White Dove was struck, lost its balance, and slowly and cruelly fell to the ground.

Even so, until the very end, the White Dove continued to flap its wings, straining its eyes to look at the sky or the earth, as it plummeted into the endless ocean.

This dreamlike scene now faintly appears in the girl's mind, and the fallen White Dove is the one limping before her, yet there are subtle differences...

"Did I suddenly have such a wild idea? This could easily be a novel..."

Ritsuka Fujimaru shook her head, not paying much attention to her sudden idea, then pulled up her sleeve and aimed her right hand at the White Dove in the cave, intending to rescue it.

I felt a touch that only humans can have.

The girl looked down and realized she was right. It was indeed a human hand holding hers, coming from the offering opening of the White Dove. The sudden attack made her tremble slightly, but the hand that was holding her quickly let go, which made Ritsuka breathe a sigh of relief.

I didn't expect anyone else to have seen this Dove... What a coincidence!

With the same thought as Novia, Ritsuka Fujimaru down to look at the offering opening, and then saw Novia bending down and looking in their direction as well.

In that instant, the orange-haired girl felt as if she had been reborn, unsure whether it was a good or bad thing.

This change just happened suddenly.

The world she saw seemed to have transformed into something entirely different.

The rising Rising Sun, shining through the horizon, can be faintly seen slowly ascending above the world.

The Shrine emerging from the darkness, the old talismans piled up in the corner, the dust accumulated on the ground—everything was exactly as it had been just moments before.

However, to the girl, everything seemed different.

Although there were at least slight differences, everything became bright, new, and as if shrouded in a hazy light.

"Wow..."

It was a very unbearable feeling, so Ritsuka Fujimaru's face suddenly turned red.

The silver-haired man in front of me... well, it's not a matter of whether he's good-looking or not. Of course, if you had to say he's handsome, he certainly is.

But more important than looking good is the natural warmth and joy that comes from within, which is why a young girl blushes.

"Did you come here because you saw this Dove?"

Novia blinked.

Seeing her face reflected in his ocean-like eyes only intensified Ritsuka Fujimaru's Shame.

This was the first time Ritsuka Fujimaru realized that she seemed to be developing some unusual feelings.

"Yes, that's right..."

The orange-haired girl felt her ears getting hot; if she were diagnosed with some new type of fever, she would probably accept it immediately.

"Could you tell me your name? My name is Novia."

"That's true. I should introduce myself. My name is Ritsuka Fujimaru." Ritsuka Fujimaru, whose mind had been preoccupied with White Dove, began looking around. "By the way, are you also a student here to pay your respects?"

"Visiting a shrine... you could call it that, but I mainly came here to look around."

"Oh, is that so? By the way, since you're here to worship as well, this Shrine, though old and dilapidated, is still part of Yushima Tenmangu. How about you worship here?"

"This... will do too."

It was unbelievable for the girl to be so enthusiastic towards a complete stranger she had just met... but she didn't feel there was any danger in it; on the contrary, she was quite happy.

The orange-haired girl then calmly walked outside the Shrine to carry out her expected duties, her movements flowing smoothly and naturally.