As a Ninja, I Only Want to Live off Others in Type-Moon

"Farewell!"

Higashino Kanade rose to leave again, but Aozaki Touko hurriedly grabbed him. With bitterness in her heart, she said, "Fine, five million it is. I'll pay half as a deposit first and give you the rest in three days."

"Fine."

Aozaki Touko sat back down unhappily, stirring her coffee with one hand as she grumbled inwardly, What a shrewd man. I thought anyone who could be friends with Shiki would be as easy to bully as Kokutou. He really is a Magus.

During her days scraping by in Kan'mu City, Aozaki Touko had often withheld the wages of her honest employees as their unscrupulous boss. Her shamelessness and black-heartedness had reached remarkable heights; cheating, swindling, and trickery were all second nature to her.

"Wait a moment."

Higashino Kanade took out his phone and made a call. It connected shortly afterward, and a pleasant female voice came through.

"Hello, Kanade's clone. What is it?"

"Hello, is this Luvia? I have an urgent matter to handle. Lend me five million dollars first... What? I don't have to pay it back? What's the price... No, no, I'm still underage. We can talk about that in a few years. Transfer the money first. I'll pay you back."

Higashino Kanade hung up with some mental exhaustion. Since becoming closer to Luvia, he finally understood Second Uchiha's troubles.

Being too handsome really was a sin!

"Cards welcome." Aozaki Touko smiled as she pulled out a card reader and held it out to Higashino Kanade.

Higashino Kanade took out the bank card Luvia had prepared for him and swiped it. His account immediately lost 2.5 million dollars.

"I like doing business with generous people like you. If you ever need dolls or magecraft tools in the future, feel free to come find me."

"I'll come back in three days to pick up the goods. Goodbye."

Higashino Kanade drained his coffee in one gulp, then left with decisive efficiency.

Aozaki Touko felt delighted. Having just made a huge sum of money, she planned to enjoy her coffee a little longer.

Suddenly, a violent explosion erupted at the entrance of the café. The shockwave shattered all the nearby glass. Sitting by the window, Aozaki Touko managed to deploy a defensive magecraft tool in time and emerged completely unharmed.

"What happened?"

Aozaki Touko calmly tidied her disheveled hair and walked out of the café to assess the situation.

Wails and sobs rang out without end. Blood and chunks of flesh were everywhere, while sirens and fire engines could be heard approaching from afar.

Judging from the traces left by the blast, this sudden terrorist attack had clearly been man-made, and its target was undoubtedly Higashino Kanade.

The attack had killed three people and injured more than ten, yet Higashino Kanade was nowhere among the victims. There was not even a trace of him at the scene.

"Interesting. No wonder he acts so arrogantly. It seems he has no fewer ways to save his life than I do." A teasing smile appeared on Aozaki Touko's face, and she grew even more curious about the man who claimed to be Ryougi Shiki's friend.

On the other side of London, inside a mansion owned by Luvia's family, Higashino Kanade was using Quantum Butterfly Reading when his brows suddenly furrowed.

Luvia, beside him, noticed something was wrong and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Kanade?"

"I was careless. My Shadow Clone was taken out. Magi really are a bunch of inhuman lunatics." Higashino Kanade cursed disdainfully.

Since his duel with Olga Marie, Higashino Kanade had survived more than fifty assassination attempts. He had killed the vast majority of those who came after him, handing their corpses over to the system for recycling.

After seeing the Magi's determination to eliminate him, Higashino Kanade had spent these past few days hiding in a mansion under Luvia's name that had been converted into a Mage's Workshop. He used Shadow Clones to attend class and visit the library. Today, he had also sent a Shadow Clone to trade with Aozaki Touko for safety's sake.

Ordinarily, even if Higashino Kanade fought using a Shadow Clone, the chances of something going wrong were very low.

Because of the Sharingan, Higashino Kanade could see the Mana within a person's body. He could recognize any Magus approaching him at a glance. That was why he had been able to counterkill his attackers the moment so many assassination attempts began.

But this time, Higashino Kanade had encountered a Magus devoid of humanity. That Magus had hypnotized an ordinary person's child, had the child approach Higashino Kanade while carrying a bomb, and then detonated it from afar. That was why Higashino Kanade had suffered this unexpected setback. He had underestimated the threat posed by ordinary people.

The whole world is against me. It looks like I can't stay in this world for long. I need to leave as soon as possible. Higashino Kanade murmured inwardly as he closed the Grimoire in his hands.

It had been nearly a month since he came to the Clock Tower. Just yesterday, Higashino Kanade had finished reading every book in the Clock Tower library. To help him, Luvia had even sent over her family's precious collection for him to copy.

Yet even several million books, along with dozens of Magus corpses, had been insufficient to upgrade the Gold Treasure Chest into a Diamond Treasure Chest. The difficulty of upgrading it was unprecedented.

"Looks like I'll have to find a chance to send Waver into the Forbidden Library." Higashino Kanade rubbed his chin as he thought. "By my count, the Mystic Eyes Collection Train should be arriving soon. Why haven't I heard anything about the invitation? Aren't my Jewel-level Mystic Eyes attractive enough?"

Just as Higashino Kanade was thinking, his phone rang. He checked it and saw an unknown number.

"Hello, this is Uchiha Kanade."

"Uchiha, it's me! Me! Do you remember me? I'm that beautiful girl from your class, Yvette L. Leyman!"

A lively, sweet voice came from the other end of the line.

After thinking for a moment, Uchiha Kanade recalled the pretty girl who, along with another student named Flat, was known as one of the Department of Modern Magecraft's two greatest scourges, and who aspired to become Waver's mistress.

"What do you want?"

"Um, Uchiha, have you heard the rumors about the Mystic Eyes Collection Train?" Yvette asked tentatively.

A smile curled at Uchiha Kanade's lips. He had cast such a large net, and at last, the fish had taken the bait.

"I've heard a little. Why?"

"Actually, someone from the Mystic Eyes Collection Train asked me to contact you today. Would you be interested in having your Mystic Eyes appraised and leaving a record aboard the Mystic Eyes Collection Train?"

PS2: After thinking it over, I decided not to delete it. After all, you paid for it. Curse me if you want; I'll just write what I want to write.

PS: The following content is free.

First of all, I really didn't expect the previous chapter, which was only meant as a transition, to spark such a huge discussion.

I don't know what your idea of God Eater is, but I merely wrote about a parallel world and got accused of cuckolding myself.

When I usually read Type-Moon novels, the protagonist conquers Saber of the King, Tohsaka Rin, and Matou Sakura, yet after reaching Chaldea, he still has to face Heroic Spirit Shirou. I don't see many people cursing that.

I definitely won't write disgusting cuckolding plots, nor will I use things like Shadow Clones for that. I thought the previous chapter was perfectly reasonable. It fit the plot logic. A parallel world should look like a parallel world. The protagonist only needs to live a good life in his own world.

Some people said I could write something about the protagonist being unique, like having the protagonist exist in every parallel world. I think that would be ridiculous, and I'd definitely get cursed for writing it too.

Quite a few people have cursed this book so far. To those who think I'm an idiot, all I can say is that this book simply isn't for you. I write novels to please myself too. If I don't like what I'm writing, I definitely won't be able to continue.

I'll delete comments about God Eater and such, because I think they're slander, just hate for the sake of hate. I don't think any normal person would connect parallel worlds to NTR plots. Marvel has so many parallel worlds, and the relationships between its male and female leads are complicated as hell. I don't see anyone saying anything about that.

That's all I have to say. These past few days, my thesis has been driving me crazy. I already don't have much time to write, and I still had to make time to explain myself. I'm exhausted too.

Dr. Hartless

After preparing for so long and offending so many people, Higashino Kanade had done it all for a ticket to the Mystic Eyes Collection Train.

Now that the ticket had come to him on its own, Higashino Kanade wanted to agree immediately. But for the sake of his plan, he still had to put on an act.

"I'm not particularly interested in the Mystic Eyes Collection Train. If you don't have a reason persuasive enough for me, I won't go." Higashino Kanade sounded calm and casual, as though he were responding to an ordinary banquet invitation.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't hang up yet. Let me explain."

Yvette's voice on the other end turned flustered. She gathered her thoughts and hurriedly explained, "The Mystic Eyes Collection Train is the most authoritative organization for appraising and auctioning Mystic Eyes. If you have your Mystic Eyes appraised, you'll receive the most authoritative result. Your value will definitely increase several times over!"

"But the bounty on my head in the assassin world would increase several times over too. Why would I do something that just invites trouble?" Higashino Kanade questioned.

"Wait, wait, I'm not done explaining! The Mystic Eyes Collection Train is also the most authoritative and fair Mystic Eyes auction organization. Its auction items generally sell for extremely high prices, while the train only charges a small handling fee. Afterward, it even replaces the seller's eyes with an ordinary pair for free. Don't you want to exchange your Mystic Eyes for a huge fortune when you're old?"

"..." Higashino Kanade deliberately remained silent, as though hesitating.

Yvette hurriedly struck while the iron was hot. "I've seen your file, Uchiha. You've been short on money ever since your parents died, haven't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to fight in the Middle East at such a young age, and you certainly wouldn't have become a servant for the Hyena Family."

This proved that the Edelfelt Family's reputation had already become so foul that it seemed every Magus wanted to smear them.

Higashino Kanade's voice on the phone was not quiet, and Luvia, sitting beside him, revealed a murderous expression when she heard that.

Luvia was angry too. The magecraft world was survival of the fittest. Every family had plenty of dark history, so why did everyone insist on dragging the Edelfelt Family through the mud? It was unfair!

"Shh..."

Higashino Kanade signaled for Luvia to stay quiet, then put on a slightly excited tone. "Go on."

"You only need to come aboard the Mystic Eyes Collection Train, have your Mystic Eyes' grade appraised, and leave a record. If you ever want to exchange your Mystic Eyes for money in the future, you can contact the Mystic Eyes Collection Train. The train will definitely send you a ticket immediately and auction your Mystic Eyes for an enormous sum. So? Are you interested?"

"...It sounds good. I can go have them appraised. But let me make this clear first: I currently have no intention of auctioning off my Mystic Eyes for money. I hope the people aboard the train won't forcibly detain me."

"Why would they? The Mystic Eyes Collection Train is an auction organization with an exceptionally good reputation. It never engages in forced transactions. My family has worked with the Mystic Eyes Collection Train for many years. I guarantee you'll be fine." Yvette patted her chest as she assured him.

"I only trust myself. I'll defend my interests in my own way." Higashino Kanade's voice was exceptionally cold, exactly like that of a mercenary who had spent years walking the line between life and death.

"Yes, yes! I believe in Uchiha's strength too. When will you come pick up the train ticket? I'm waiting at the Clock Tower."

"Just give the ticket to Waver. I'll get it from him. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."

Higashino Kanade was about to end the call when Yvette's anxious voice sounded again.

"Wait, wait, wait! There's one more thing I need to tell you!"

"What is it? If you want to recruit me, forget it. I'm living quite comfortably with the Edelfelt Family."

Recently, many major families had tried to recruit Higashino Kanade. Even Lords had extended olive branches. He instinctively placed Yvette in that category.

"No, no. Although my family wants to recruit you too, this really is something else. Someone wants to meet you through me," Yvette hurriedly denied.

"Who wants to meet me? I won't go unless you tell me their name."

"Yvette, let me speak with him for a moment."

An unfamiliar male voice came through from the other end. A moment later, a man began speaking.

"Hello, Uchiha. You may call me Dr. Hartless. Considering you have not been at the Clock Tower long, you probably do not know me. However, you should be familiar with another of my titles. I am the former head of the Department of Modern Magecraft."

Higashino Kanade raised a hand to his forehead as he tried to remember. The name felt very familiar, yet he could not recall where he had heard it. The only thing he was sure of was that this man should be a character from the story.

"What do you want with me?" Higashino Kanade responded calmly.

"Some matters are difficult to explain over the phone. Why not meet in person?"

"No. My Mystic Eyes are worth so much. What if you merely want to lure me out, kill me, and dig out my Mystic Eyes?"

"Haha, Mr. Uchiha, you are worrying too much. Although I enjoy collecting Mystic Eyes, I also know which Magi cannot be provoked."

"Words alone are no proof. I cannot trust you."

"Then let us discuss something else first." Hartless suddenly changed his tone. "I specially investigated your background and discovered something."

"What?"

"I discovered that your past experiences should all be fabricated, and that your true first appearance should have been in Stripped City a month ago." Hartless lowered his voice, speaking uneasily like someone sharing a secret with a friend. "You are not human. You are a Phantasmal Species, aren't you?"

Higashino Kanade frowned, wondering who had betrayed him.

Only Waver and his students, Luvia, and Fliyou the "Astrologer" knew his secret of being a Phantasmal Species. Excluding the first three, that left only Fliyou, who had been forced to sign a Self-Forced Geis.

"Did you kill Fliyou?" Higashino Kanade asked probingly.

The Self-Forced Geis was an exceptionally vicious contract. Even Emiya Kiritsugu only dared exploit loopholes in contracts to scheme against others. For the sake of his inherited Mage Crest and his life, Fliyou presumably would not have dared sell the information to someone else.

"Yes." Hartless spoke leisurely. "Your background was fabricated flawlessly. You must have spent a great deal of money on it. If I had not made a special trip to your former hometown and used Mystic Eyes of Past Sight to confirm it, I would likely have been fooled by your forged documents too."

"Then I followed the trail to the places you had recently visited. I used Mystic Eyes of Past Sight to investigate the ruins of Stripped City, then spent some effort capturing someone who had experienced the incident firsthand: Fliyou, who murdered his teacher. After interrogating him, I learned all the information."

"Tracking down the truth took me half a month, but you are indeed worth spending that much time investigating. If you do not wish for your true information to appear on the desks of the Clock Tower's Lords tomorrow, would you please come meet me?"

Trap

Higashino Kanade let out a long breath. He had to admit that there were truly formidable people among Magi, the very best among them.

For example, this Dr. Hartless. When Higashino Kanade believed there was absolutely no chance his identity could be exposed, Hartless had slapped him in the face after only half a month of investigation. Though his conclusion was wrong, it had come remarkably close to the truth.

"You're impressive. Since you worked so hard to investigate my identity, I can come out and meet you."

"To meet a living Phantasmal Species truly is an incomparably great honor." Hartless sounded delighted, then respectfully asked, "How about tonight? There is an abandoned castle in the outskirts of London. Please come alone. Do not tell anyone else about this matter. Let it remain a secret between us, all right?"

"Fine. See you tonight."

"Then I shall await your arrival."

Higashino Kanade hung up. Luvia leaned close with an amused tone. "What's wrong? Were you threatened? This is the first time I've seen your expression look so awful."

Higashino Kanade held out a hand in front of Luvia, then viciously flicked her forehead.

"Ah!" Luvia clutched her forehead in pain.

Higashino Kanade said irritably, "You think too highly of him. He's just a villain who thinks he has everything under control, yet he wants to threaten me? How naive."