"Sakura, Fujino, I'm not asleep. Is something wrong? Come in first."
"Okay, Sis, Master." x2
Rin watched Sakura in pure white pajamas and Fujino in purple pajamas walk into the room side by side. She threw back the covers and went to the tea table nearby, picked up the teapot, and added tea leaves and water. A small magic circle appeared in her hand, and shortly afterward, steam and the fragrance of tea wafted from the pot.
Rin turned to Sakura and Fujino.
"Don't just stand there. Come sit down, Sakura, Fujino."
Rin poured each of them a cup of tea before slowly taking her own seat. Seeing the hesitation on their faces, she asked,
"Sakura, Fujino, is something wrong? Just say it. We're family."
Upon hearing Rin's words, Fujino spoke first.
"I'm sorry, Master. It was all my fault. You got so badly hurt during the day because of me."
"I'm sorry, Sis!"
Seeing Sakura and Fujino lower their heads in dejection, Rin smiled, walked over, and placed a hand on each of their shoulders to comfort them.
"It's fine, Sakura, Fujino. This isn't your fault. If anyone should be blamed, it's me for being too weak and making my little sister and disciple worry about me."
"Sis! How could you blame yourself?"
"Master! How could you blame yourself?"
"All right, Sakura, Fujino. From now on, none of us will blame ourselves. Besides, we won. Let's be happy, okay?"
"Mm!" x2
Seeing Sakura and Fujino smile again, Rin returned to her seat and began chatting with them.
As the hands of the clock on the wall reached twelve, Rin stood and said to Sakura and Fujino,
"All right, it's twelve already. Tonight's tea party is over. You should go back and sleep."
Fujino nodded, rose in accordance with Rin's arrangement, and prepared to leave. Sakura, however, spoke to Rin with some hesitation.
"Sis, can I sleep with you tonight?"
Rin froze, looked at Sakura, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"All right, but only for tonight, Sakura."
Beside them, Fujino shot Sakura a jealous glance, then looked at Rin with longing in her eyes.
"Uh... Fujino, do you want to as well? Fine, you can stay too. But let's make this clear first: once you're in bed, no moving around. You two have to behave..."
Late that night, the excited Sakura and Fujino lay on either side of the deeply asleep Rin. They gazed at her delicate, adorable profile and breathed in her scent, each speaking softly.
"Sis, Sakura loves you the most!"
"Master, you are my goddess!"
At the top of the distant Big Ben, a blonde, blue-eyed girl dressed in a sky-blue dress stared at the El-Melloi family manor with a strange gleam in her eyes. Wearing a crazed expression, she laughed wildly.
"Hahaha, hahaha, hahaha! Rin Tohsaka, Rin-chan, I look forward to meeting you! My 'Prince Charming'!"
The next morning, Rin sat in the guest hall, pondering the Jewel Old Man's guidance.
Waver entered, with heavy dark circles beneath his eyes.
Rin gave Waver a surprised look and asked curiously,
"Waver, why do you look like a panda?"
Waver's expression twisted as he inwardly ranted, Who do you think caused that? You all went out without telling me, leaving me standing there alone all night.
"It's nothing. I didn't rest well last night. By the way, Rin, aren't you planning to meet Marisbury Animusphere?"
"Hmph. When dealing with people like them, taking the initiative to visit them would mean handing over the advantage, wouldn't it? I'm already in London, so there's no rush. I'd rather he come looking for me."
"Then, Rin, do you have time today to give a lecture to the students of my Modern Magecraft Classroom?"
Rin turned toward Waver thoughtfully.
"Kenneth sent you, didn't he? Don't deny it yet. Let me guess: yesterday, I drew with Lorelei in a duel and was formally accepted as the Jewel Old Man's disciple. Then I immediately appear in your Modern Magecraft Department classroom to teach. Mm, is this meant to strengthen the connection between me and your faction in the eyes of the Clock Tower's Magi? Also, you mentioned Marisbury Animusphere the moment you came in. Is Kenneth afraid I'll be recruited by him?"
Waver said nothing. He merely took a cigar and cigar cutter from his coat, staring silently at Rin.
Rin waved her hand to indicate that he need not mind her. Once she saw Waver light the cigar and begin puffing away, she said,
"Don't worry, Waver. Unless Marisbury Animusphere hands the entire Celestial Department over to me, I, Rin Tohsaka, will remain under the El-Melloi family."
At that moment, Lainas, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, took the initiative to push it open and enter.
"Is that so? Then thank you very much, Miss Rin Tohsaka. My brother will surely be delighted to hear it."
"Oh! Lainas, good morning. You don't need to call me Rin Tohsaka. Just call me Rin, like Waver does. Are you coming with us today?"
"Good morning, Rin. I still need to train diligently to inherit the family crest, so I'm afraid I can't accompany you."
"What a shame. Then, Lainas, please take good care of my little sister and disciple."
"Of course! Rin, making guests feel at home is precisely my duty as the El-Melloi heir."
When Rin heard Lainas put particular emphasis on the word "heir," she laughed and walked to the door. Turning back to Lainas, she said,
"Hahaha, don't worry, Lainas. Your brother could never hand the El-Melloi family over to an outsider like me. Don't ever have such uncomfortable conversations again. Sakura and Fujino are in your care. Let's go, Waver."
After Rin and Waver left, Lainas remained where she was and muttered quietly,
"That's hard to say. If one of my relatives marries you, perhaps my brother really will place the El-Melloi family in your hands..."
Readers, feel free to join the group and chat with me: 953736220
Book recommendation: "There Won't Be Any Problems With My Romance With Chika Fujiwara"
The Clock Tower and Gry.
The Clock Tower was a small town in the suburbs of London, composed of more than forty student dormitories and over a hundred teaching buildings. At the center stood the Clock Tower's original school building. The entire Foundation Academy was disguised as a university, while the smaller academies were disguised as university-affiliated facilities. Each had its own district, and beneath the buildings lay the research areas of Magi, centered around workshops and libraries. Naturally, to ordinary people, it was merely a "museum of legitimate origin." Yet in its deepest reaches was a special area known as "Under the Bridge"—a prison—which held many Magi designated for sealing by the Association because their "talents were too exceptional and therefore dangerous."
Rin and Waver strolled through the Clock Tower campus. From time to time, Rin examined the ancient buildings around them. Looking at these structures, most of which had been preserved since around the second century AD, she could not help but feel moved. As expected of the highest institution in the magecraft world!
Before long, following Waver, Rin arrived before a small building at the edge of the campus. This was the Modern Magecraft Classroom founded by Waver.
Because Kenneth had survived the Fourth Holy Grail War, Waver, whom Kenneth had accepted as his disciple, had not followed the path of the original story. Due to his "poor" aptitude for magecraft, Waver had initially received little attention after returning to the country with Kenneth. His clumsy display of magical talent had even made him a laughingstock within the El-Melloi family for a time.
Kenneth, who had come to fully understand Waver through the Holy Grail War, naturally did not care about the opinions of mediocrities. In the face of countless doubts, he resolutely promoted Waver to become his teaching assistant and aide. With Kenneth's support, Waver soon began to reveal his talents. In just two years, while serving as a teaching assistant in the Spiritumancy Department, he thoroughly demonstrated his gifts as an educator.
Afterward, Waver became a star teacher at the Clock Tower, admired by numerous students. He successively served as a Class A Lecturer in the Spiritumancy Department and the Mineralogy Department. Then, three years ago, at Kenneth's suggestion and through his own efforts with Kenneth's assistance, he successfully became the Department Head of the Modern Magecraft Department and founded the Modern Magecraft Classroom.
Rin followed Waver into the small building before them and arrived at his office.
Gry, who was cleaning Waver's office at the time, happily prepared to greet Waver when she saw him enter. But when she noticed Rin walking in behind him, she froze in place in fear.
Gry still vividly remembered the night she had gone to the airport to pick Rin up. From the moment Rin got into the car, she had stared fixedly at Gry as though she wanted to eat her. Seeing Rin again today, Gry could not help feeling afraid.
Rin looked at Gry, who stood there trembling like a frightened little squirrel while staring at her. Feeling mischievous, Rin quickly walked in front of Waver, shot him a glance over her shoulder, then put on the expression of a wicked old wolf and slowly approached Gry.
Gry trembled as she watched Rin draw ever closer. She could not stop herself from backing away until her back hit the wall.
Rin planted a hand against the wall beside Gry, then reached out and lifted Gry's chin.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really do look alike! Are you afraid of me?"
Gry watched Rin, who was nearly pressed against her and staring at her playfully. Her eyes filled with tears, but she did not dare close them.
Rin leaned her face beside Gry's and stuck out her tongue, licking away a tear at the corner of Gry's eye.
"Are you afraid I'll eat~ you~ up~?"
"Ah!"
Finally reaching her limit, Gry screamed, shoved Rin away with all her strength, and hid behind Waver. She clutched helplessly at his coat, hoping for his protection.
"All right, Rin. Don't take it too far."
"Okay, okay! Still, Waver, don't you think your disciple is adorable like this?"
Waver thought about Gry's earlier display and unconsciously nodded. Then he immediately came to his senses and hurriedly shook his head in denial.
Just then, the office door was pushed open again, and Luviagelita Edelfelt entered. She wore a blue dress and had her hair styled into two drill-like braids.
"So you really are here, Rin Tohsaka!"
"Oh, Luvia. Long time no see."
Luvia looked at Gry, who was hiding behind Waver, trembling and secretly peeking at Rin. She unfolded the fan in her hand and used it to cover half of her pretty face.
"Still as fond of such bad taste as ever, Rin Tohsaka."
Years ago, Luvia had already crossed paths with Rin when Rin traveled to Finland to collect Holy Relics. At the time, Luvia had refused to accept Rin's reputation as a genius and challenged Rin as soon as Rin arrived in Finland.
Just as in Rin's battle with Lorelei, although Luvia could contend with Rin in hand-to-hand combat during that duel, her magecraft was utterly crushed by Rin in every respect.
After the duel, Luvia's nightmare began. Would a little devil like Rin let Luvia off so easily? While Rin remained in Finland to deal with the excavation of Holy Relics, Luvia was continuously ordered around by Rin as though she were a servant. From then on, the name Rin Tohsaka became Luvia's nightmare.
"Oh, you've grown bolder. Luvia, you wouldn't have dared speak to me like that before."
"Tch. Don't think I'm still the same as when I was little. I'm not afraid of you anymore!"
Rin looked at Luvia, who was feigning composure, and revealed a wicked smile.
"If you aren't afraid, Luvia, why don't you dare look at me?"
"I...!"
If it had been Luvia from a few days ago, her reaction upon seeing Rin again would have been to challenge her once more. But after Rin's battle with Lorelei, Luvia had also realized that the gap between herself and Rin had widened yet again.
Rin put away her wicked smile, walked over to Luvia, and gave her a hug.
"Luvia, I'm done teasing you. I'm really happy to see you again here!"
Held in Rin's embrace, Luvia watched her warily. She had thought Rin was about to play some new trick, but upon hearing Rin's words, she froze before extending her arms to hug Rin in return.
"I'm happy to see you again too, Rin!"
Suddenly, Waver's office door opened again, and several of Waver's students rushed in like a swarm. They noisily asked Waver,
"Professor, we heard Rin Tohsaka came today. Where is she? Where?"
Yvette L. Leyman pointed at Rin, who was hugging Luvia, and shouted to her companions,
"Look, she's over there! The legendary genius, Rin Tohsaka! In the flesh!"
Rin released Luvia and looked at the students crowding around her like they were gawking at a giant panda. Her eye twitched as magical energy surged in her hand.
The veins on Waver's forehead also bulged. He grabbed Yvette by the head, lifted her straight into the air, and threw her outside. Then, before Rin could get angry, he chased every student out, leaving only Gry, Rin, and himself behind.
Waver looked at Rin awkwardly and scratched his head.
"Sorry, Rin. That was embarrassing."
Having already calmed down, Rin did not care about what had just happened. She merely looked Waver over with amusement.
"Waver, the arm strength you showed just now was quite impressive. Interested in learning boxing from me?"
Gry froze. An image emerged in her mind: Waver was teaching class, then Flat asked a strange question. Waver's clothes burst apart to reveal a muscular body, and he viciously punched Flat so hard that he flew through the ceiling. A chill ran down her spine.
"No. Absolutely not..."
Group number for this book: 953736220
Color-Ranked Magus—Red.
Rin followed Waver slowly toward the office, exhausted.
In the classroom just now, Rin had felt as though she had entered a kindergarten. Faced with the endless torment of the little brats below the stage, she had been left mentally and physically exhausted.
Waver pushed open the office door, then froze in the doorway. Rin, following closely behind him, crashed straight into his back.
"Waver, what are you doing?"
Waver ignored Rin and instead asked the person inside the room.
Before you continue