A Ninja Like Me Only Wants to Live Off Others in the Type-Moon World

"Hehehehe... I never expected even Lord El-Melloi II to come. My old friend truly has poor judgment."

A hoarse, grating voice, as though squeezed from the depths of someone's lungs, rang out.

An elderly man in a wheelchair was pushed out by his servant. His fingers were covered in expensive rings, his face was wrinkled, and he looked like he already had one foot in the grave.

The moment he appeared, the old man directed his hostility at Lord El-Melloi II and mocked him mercilessly. "Lord El-Melloi II, you are a Lord, yet you still haven't risen beyond the Festival Seat. You truly have the nerve to show your face, especially in the castle of my respected friend, Gryphon."

"Orlock Sycamore." Lord El-Melloi II uneasily spoke the name.

Fliyou quietly explained to Higashino Kanade beside him, "Orlock is an expert in Butterfly Magecraft at the Clock Tower. He's a particularly troublesome old man."

"I am well aware of my own inadequacies. For certain reasons, I am merely holding this title on another's behalf. Please forgive me, Lord Orlock." Lord El-Melloi II did not argue and instead apologized sincerely.

"Hmph! How can a Lord bow his head so easily? You are bringing disgrace upon history itself!" Orlock seemed intent on targeting Lord El-Melloi II, growing even more displeased.

"Ohoho! There's actually a beautiful young lady here! I'm truly lucky!"

From the second floor came a delighted cry from a young man wearing a white headscarf and loose clothing unique to Japanese ascetics. One of his eyes was covered, and four pouch-like objects hung from his body.

The man leapt down from the high second floor. After landing calmly, he introduced himself. "I'm the Shugenja Jirobou Seigen Shitou. Pleased to meet you!"

Jirobou Seigen Shitou was a man whose frivolous demeanor did not suit a practitioner.

The moment Jirobou Seigen Shitou came down, he ran toward Grea. Like a shameless lecher, he boldly inspected her appearance and said with great interest, "What a lovely little face! Why hide it away?"

"Hey! Don't scare my apprentice! Aren't Japanese ascetics supposed to abstain from women?" Lord El-Melloi II hurriedly shielded Grea behind him.

"Don't say that. Avoiding women is a principle of practice, but women are my personal hobby." Jirobou Seigen Shitou laughed boisterously.

"Oh, there's a handsome young man here too? Quite pleasing to the eye, but unfortunately, he's a man."

Jirobou Seigen Shitou evaluated Higashino Kanade with a regretful tone, then turned his gaze toward Heine's younger sister, Roxanne, who was as timid as a little bird.

"I didn't expect there to be another beautiful young lady hiding here. You're so cute! Can you tell me your name? Can we get to know each other better?"

"Step back! You're frightening my sister!"

Heine stood in front of Roxanne and glared at Jirobou Seigen Shitou with displeasure.

"An overprotective brother isn't very good, you know. Your sister will end up hating you."

With his fun interrupted, Jirobou Seigen Shitou snapped back irritably.

Out of noble upbringing, Heine did not retaliate. He merely said coldly, "Unfortunately for you, Roxanne could never hate me."

"Wow! That's some confidence! Are you serious?"

Jirobou Seigen Shitou reached one hand behind his back, then threw something at incredible speed from Heine's blind spot.

"Take this!"

With a whoosh, something shaped like a spinning top flew out. After striking the wall, it hurtled toward Heine at tremendous speed.

With a sharp smack, Heine casually caught the spinning-top-like object at a speed ordinary people could not even perceive. Looking closely, Jirobou Seigen Shitou had thrown a monk's alms bowl!

"Was that Shugendo's Flying Bowl Technique?" Heine studied the bowl in his hand thoughtfully.

Jirobou Seigen Shitou said proudly, "Haha, you have a sharp eye! Master Taicho, one of Shugendo's founders, was especially skilled at it. In Japan, his fame was second only to En no Gyōja. They say that whenever he demonstrated it while collecting alms, people would applaud and make donations."

"Are Japanese monks all this versatile?" Fliyou quipped.

"He isn't a monk, but he really is versatile." Higashino Kanade recalled that when he had still been an ordinary person, he had seen Japanese monks online chanting sutras to electronic music to spread Buddhist culture. Japan truly had no shortage of weirdos.

"Thank you for allowing me to witness such a technique. As thanks, I believe it is necessary for me to return the favor."

A pale cyan Mage Crest lit up across Heine's body, and the surrounding air distorted as Mana surged through it.

"Wait, I was only joking! Don't attack!" Jirobou Seigen Shitou hurriedly retreated, but it was already too late.

"Conver—flow!"

Heine stomped on the floor, and countless flying blades shot toward Jirobou Seigen Shitou.

Those sharp flying blades had not been hidden beneath the tiles. They had transformed from the floor tiles themselves. This was the secret of the Istari Family's alchemy!

To evade the flying blades, Jirobou Seigen Shitou leapt upward in a hurry. Though he was not particularly tall, he jumped all the way onto the crystal chandelier at the top of the hall, effortlessly crossing a distance of seven or eight meters.

Having escaped the blades' range, Jirobou Seigen Shitou let out a breath of relief. But as he wiped his sweat away, he suddenly realized that everyone below was staring at him in utter astonishment.

Following their gazes, Jirobou Seigen Shitou discovered that his alms bowl had somehow returned to his hands. Inside it lay ten pounds and a lifelike stone rose created through alchemy.

Not only that, the flying blades formed from stone had descended as well. They danced like scattered petals, and stone roses landed in everyone's hands. Though they should have been as heavy as rocks, they were as light as real roses.

More like the dead than the dead themselves, more like the living than the living themselves.

Having once served as a gravekeeper, Grea could not help but marvel at the wonder of alchemy when she saw this scene.

Higashino Kanade examined the rose in his hand and inwardly admired Heine's methods as well.

He was already so handsome, and his techniques were this flashy too. When it came to picking up girls, Higashino Kanade was willing to call Heine his senior.

Jirobou Seigen Shitou fell from the chandelier and slammed heavily onto the floor. It was not because Heine had used some method to attack him, but because he had already admitted defeat in his heart. He really was inferior to Heine.

While Jirobou Seigen Shitou was sulking to himself, Heine put aside their previous conflict and extended a hand toward him. "Though Roxanne is out of the question, I do not mind having tea with you."

"I'm not interested in men, but since you're so handsome, young man, I suppose it isn't impossible."

Jirobou Seigen Shitou somewhat unwillingly took Heine's hand, and the farce finally came to an end peacefully.

Just then, rhythmic clicking footsteps echoed out. Everyone turned toward the entrance in unison.

As though he had seen something, Orlock said with an annoyed expression, "So she came after all? Drawn here by the scent of rare treasures."

"Looks like I'm the last to arrive!"

A noble and beautiful young woman entered. She had golden spiral curls and wore an extravagant blue-themed dress. With the imposing presence of a Valkyrie, she was followed by two bodyguards in black suits.

It's you! Lady Crane! Higashino Kanade cried inwardly.

He had already forgotten most of the original plot, so Lady Crane's arrival was truly an unexpected delight.

Lady Crane's real name was Luviazael Edelfelt. She came from a famous Finnish Magus family and specialized in Jewel Magecraft.

What Higashino Kanade remembered best about her, however, was how she had fought Tohsaka Rin at the Clock Tower over Emiya Shirou. Two Magi—one used Baji Quan, while the other used wrestling—to show everyone what close-combat spellcasters were. It was then that Higashino Kanade remembered the titles Devilishly Muscular Rin and Lady Crane.

"A truly extraordinary figure has arrived." Lord El-Melloi II voiced what everyone present was thinking.

"Hmph! She is merely a hyena drawn here by the treasures my friend left behind!" Orlock looked at Luvia with even greater disgust.

The Edelfelt Family, also known as the "Most Elegant Hyenas," was deeply despised by the old-guard Magi of the magecraft world.

In the eyes of those old-guard Magi, the Edelfelt Family was nothing more than an upstart that had risen during the Renaissance. Not only did the family lack historical foundations, but rather than pursuing the Root through its own efforts, it openly interfered in magecraft disputes and snatched away precious treasures one after another.

In the eyes of most Magi, though the Edelfelt Family was powerful, it was still merely an upstart that had risen through plunder and deserved to be scorned.

"I am delighted to receive such an assessment from Lord Orlock, though compared to hyena, I prefer the word hunter." Luvia elegantly placed a hand over her chest, then retorted without losing her manners.

"Still, since you came all this way, could it be that your family's inherited Mage Crest has developed a problem? Our Edelfelt Family may not have a long history, but it is still better than certain families whose Mage Crests are so old they stink."

"You sharp-tongued little girl!" Orlock's gaze was as sharp as a blade, and he sneered. "Your Edelfelt Family came all the way here too. Could it be that you noticed a problem with your own Crest and came to have it repaired?"

"No, no, no! Though I am not particularly talented, do I look like the kind of person who would carelessly damage her own Mage Crest? I came here merely to add such superb restoration techniques to my collection, so that my family may carry them forward in the future."

Through Luvia and Orlock's exchange, Higashino Kanade noticed something as well.

Most of the people here seemed to have come to repair damaged Mage Crests. Setting aside everyone else, take Lord El-Melloi II's group for example.

The previous Lord of the El-Melloi family, Kaineth, had been struck by Emiya Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet in Touki City. His Mage Crest had been ruined, with ninety-eight percent of it damaged. A major reason the El-Melloi family had declined to the point of nearly being expelled from the Clock Tower was the damage to its Mage Crest. So it was understandable that Waver, the second Lord El-Melloi, wanted to obtain the restorer's inheritance.

What about the others, then? Had their Mage Crests also developed problems, prompting them to come here?

A round of applause interrupted Higashino Kanade's thoughts. Everyone looked toward its source and held their breath in unison.

On the platform of the second floor stood an elegant Eastern woman, smiling at everyone.

She had lustrous black hair that reached all the way to her ankles. Dressed in an elegant yuzen silk furisode kimono and wearing intellectual-looking black-rimmed glasses, she was a gentle Japanese beauty.

Yet everyone held their breath not because of her beauty, but because of her identity.

"I never expected even someone from the Department of Law and Politics to become involved in this." Lord El-Melloi II's expression darkened.

The Japanese beauty was named Adashino Riri, and she belonged to the Clock Tower's thirteenth department, the Department of Law and Politics.

Unlike the traditional departments of professors and disciples that explored magecraft, the Department of Law and Politics was an exceptionally worldly department.

The Department of Law and Politics did not seek to reach the Root. They specialized in the world's laws and the balance of power. In the world of ordinary people, they moved among the power structures of various nations and had deep connections with the United Nations. In the hidden world, they represented the law, punishing Magi who broke Clock Tower rules through iron-fisted methods while maintaining the balance of power between Clock Tower factions.

In short, it was an organization everyone hated but no one could do without.

"I apologize for keeping everyone waiting."

The moment Adashino Riri spoke, everyone fell silent.

"I am from the Clock Tower's Department of Law and Politics. I have been appointed as the administrator of Gryphon Ashburn's estate. My name is Adashino Riri."

Fliyou, beside Higashino Kanade, began sweating from his forehead. Regret appeared on his face as he muttered, "Why? Why did it have to be her?"

"Then, I shall reveal Gryphon Ashburn's final words."

"—What is the angel's name?"

"Those who are asked yet cannot answer must be stripped of their angel."

"Whoever holds my angel shall be the inheritor of my estate."

After reciting the three lines, Adashino Riri closed the letter.

Everyone present looked puzzled, then took out the invitations they had received and opened them. New words appeared on the original invitations.

"Asalia."

Higashino Kanade saw the word on Fliyou's letter, the closest one to him. It was a term he could not understand.

"Please enter the rooms prepared for you according to the angel name assigned to each of you. There are metal plaques outside the doors, so please confirm them before use. During your stay, the Ashburn family's servants will be responsible for your meals. Until an heir is chosen, I shall remain in the castle. I look forward to working with you all."

After speaking, Adashino Riri bowed to everyone.

Though the Department of Law and Politics had a terrible reputation, its fairness was acknowledged by everyone. With Adashino Riri's supervision, the others could relax and proceed with selecting an heir.

Just as everyone let out a breath of relief and prepared to return to their rooms to rest, Orlock raised his hand.

"Miss Adashino, I have a question."

"Please speak, Lord Orlock."

"Before this contest officially begins, shouldn't we remove any irrelevant persons?" Orlock's skeletal finger pointed at Higashino Kanade, who had been standing around idly for quite some time. Everyone's eyes gathered on him.

"I heard it all. This child named Uchiha was not invited by my old friend. He slipped in on his own. For the fairness of this competition, shouldn't non-participants be thrown out?"

Orlock revealed a sinister smile as glowing blue butterflies appeared around him. "If Miss Adashino cannot bear to do it herself, I can handle it for you."

"Master!"

"Brother!"

Grea and Roxanne both looked toward their elders immediately. They could not bear to see such a young child as Higashino Kanade come to harm, but neither Lord El-Melloi II nor Heine stepped in to stop it. They simply chose to watch.

"Indeed, according to the rules, the presence of unrelated persons would affect the contest and compromise its fairness." Adashino Riri nodded, then smiled at Higashino Kanade. "You adorable little one, though I do not know which family you belong to, please leave. The Ashburn family's servants will escort you down the mountain."

"Don't you think you have gotten something wrong?"

Higashino Kanade's gaze was somewhat lazy. Perhaps because he had gained some strength and no longer cared to pretend, he did not cautiously play a role in the Kara no Kyoukai world this time. Instead, he showed everyone his true attitude.

"I am not one of the irrelevant persons that old man mentioned. I am the servant of the great Lord Fliyouga. Isn't that right, Fliyou?" Higashino Kanade looked over with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

At that moment, Fliyou was like a debtor evading his creditors, hurriedly hiding behind a statue for fear that Higashino Kanade would look at him.

Fliyou was already beginning to regret it. He had come to make money, not make enemies. By bringing in an unrelated person like Higashino Kanade, he had not only offended Orlock, but all the contestants as well. After all, no one wanted an extra opponent lurking outside the competition.

As for Higashino Kanade saying that he had not come for Gryphon's inheritance and merely wanted to broaden his horizons—who the hell would believe that?