In the Mage's Association, "Grand" was a very special rank. It was awarded to magi who had made tremendous contributions to magecraft. Over the long history since the Clock Tower's founding, only a handful of magi had ever achieved the rank of Grand.
Being awarded the title of Grand was practically the highest honor a magus could receive. Even without any tangible rewards, the value attached to the rank far exceeded what ordinary people could imagine.
"Hmm... I think I've heard about this~"
Hearing that, the blond boy frowned. He finally stopped lying on the table like a salted fish, crossed his arms, and fell into thought. "Going by the timing, the coronation of the Grand should be happening soon. What could have made Teacher Touko rush back to Japan? It'd be troublesome if she missed the coronation."
"I happen to have heard some news. Do you want to know?"
Just then, a messy-haired, green-haired boy walked over. He plopped himself down on the blond boy's desk and put on a mysterious expression. "Luke, if you buy me a deluxe lunch, I'll tell you the news. How about it?"
"If it's worth it~"
The blond boy smiled and shrugged.
"I heard that Teacher Touko has already been stripped of her right to inherit the Magic User's mantle!"
The green-haired boy mysteriously raised one finger. "Apparently, the current Magic User passed the Magic Crest down to Teacher Touko's younger sister—and it's a sister with absolutely no foundation in magecraft~"
"That's way too absurd~"
The blond boy rolled his eyes. "Is there anyone in this world more suitable to inherit magic than Teacher Touko? In every respect, Teacher Touko is practically flawless. Why would they pass it over to the better candidate and choose a younger sister with no foundation in magecraft instead?"
"That's right. Your claim is far too absurd."
The black-haired girl beside them nodded in agreement.
"I don't really believe it either~"
The green-haired boy spread his hands helplessly. "But according to the information I got from my family, it shouldn't be false. The Magic Crest of the Fifth Magic really was passed down to Teacher Touko's younger sister."
"...Hmm~"
The blond boy tilted his head back and thought for a moment before asking, "I still can't imagine Teacher Touko being stripped of her right to inherit the mantle of Magic User. Do you have any evidence to support that?"
"I heard that the Magic User of the Fifth Magic is about to die!"
The green-haired boy smiled, his gaze turning cold. "When he was close to death, he invited a priest from the Holy Church to witness the inheritance of the Fifth Magic. Teacher Touko's trip back is to see the Fifth Magic User off on his final journey."
"...If the Fifth Magic User dies, then as long as Teacher Touko wants to, she could easily seize the Magic Crest of the Fifth Magic back, right?"
The black-haired girl understood the implication.
"Exactly. Once the Fifth Magic User dies, Teacher Touko can easily take the Magic Crest back. That much is practically certain."
The green-haired boy's eyes gleamed with excitement as he stroked his chin. "Maybe after a while, we'll hear that Teacher Touko killed her sister and seized the Magic Crest."
"Ah... That really is absurd~"
After hearing him out, the blond boy narrowed his eyes, his tone completely flat. "What you're saying is nothing but malicious amusement. It has no value at all. I'm refusing to buy you lunch~"
"Hey... I'm telling the truth~"
Chapter 87: The Counter Guardian Is Definitely Not a Loli
The sun was setting, and the sky was dyed with a smear of crimson.
Beneath the rosy light, the people in the city had finished a day's work and begun heading toward various entertainment venues to dispel the fatigue they had accumulated throughout the day.
At that hour, a group of foreigners with extraordinary bearing walked along the streets, drawing the attention of everyone they passed.
An elegant silver-haired, red-eyed noblewoman; a beautiful Princess in a black dress; a handsome blond knight; a cold and loyal black-haired knight; a beautiful girl with the air of an idol; and an adorable, innocent-looking blond loli.
To the people, the scene was too dreamlike. This was especially true in such a small countryside city. Foreigners were already a rare sight, let alone foreigners who were all so beautiful they looked as if they had stepped out of a painting.
"Is this your hometown, Touko?"
On the street, Irisviel held onto Touko's arm and looked around curiously. She was very curious about the place where her wife had been born and wanted to see what kind of land had raised Touko.
"Yeah. It's just changed so much that I can barely recognize it."
Aozaki Touko nodded slightly, then smiled helplessly.
She was not lying. She had not returned to Misaki City for a very long time. The last time she had come back, she had not properly explored the city either. She had basically stayed at home for a while before heading to the Clock Tower in London to study magecraft.
Compared with the Misaki City in her memories, the Misaki City of today had changed beyond recognition in many places.
Misaki City had once been little more than a rural town. However, with the real-estate boom, it had begun undergoing sweeping reforms. New buildings had sprung up one after another, along with all kinds of supporting facilities.
Still, once the real-estate bubble burst, this newly developed city would probably fall silent again.
"Individual humans may be weak, but as a collective, their ability to change the world is truly extraordinary. Otherwise, they would never have parted ways with the gods."
Altrouge's scarlet eyes swept over her surroundings as she sighed sincerely.
Ordinary humans were extremely weak. A mere wave of the hand could create a wind strong enough to kill them with ease. Yet their ability to transform the world had allowed them to occupy its mainstream.
"...I won't deny that, but it also comes with certain dangers~"
Aozaki Touko smiled gently.
If one day the various countries began throwing Nuclear Bombs at each other, or if some lethal virus were accidentally released, those were all possibilities.
For a ready example, based on the current understanding of Dead Apostles and the human body, combining the two would make it easy to develop a virus capable of bypassing the human immune system.
In other words, if she wished, she could use the influence of the Umbrella Corporation to create a terrifying scene similar to a zombie movie in a very short time, completely destroying the intricate social system of humanity.
"Let the Counter Guardian worry about that~"
Altrouge flicked her long hair and looked completely unconcerned.
"The Counter Guardian doesn't have emotions like worry."
Aozaki Touko smiled with some amusement.
She recalled some strange settings from her previous life. Gaia was a dazed and adorable loli, while Alaya was a scheming loli with an extremely high level of self-awareness. The two even had a very good relationship.
In reality, however, the Counter Guardian of this world was merely an unconscious directional force. Alaya was the Counter Guardian responsible for humanity's continuation, while Gaia was the Counter Guardian responsible for Earth's continuation. Neither possessed any strange personality.
Therefore, if anyone had any bold ideas, it was best to strangle those thoughts at once.
"Judging by its behavior, it does seem a little cowardly~"
Altrouge spoke with complete bluntness.
"Hmm... It does seem a little like that."
Aozaki Touko smiled, then her expression suddenly turned cold.
A figure suddenly appeared not far away from her. It was a strange red figure that watched her with emotionless eyes, weighing whether she posed any threat like a machine.
It's rare for Touko to come home. Don't disturb her~
A gentle female voice quietly rang out. Then an invisible force swept across the space, and the strange red figure vanished. In its place stood a woman who resembled the incarnation of a perfect female.
She looked at Aozaki Touko and blinked. Pressing her index finger to her lips, she said softly:
Shiki will come to find you soon~
With that, she turned around and disappeared.
"Touko, what's wrong?"
Irisviel looked at Touko's cold expression and warily scanned the surroundings. However, she found nothing unusual, nor any existence that could be called an enemy.
"Nothing... I just thought of something unpleasant~"
Aozaki Touko took Irisviel's hand in hers and shook her head with a gentle smile. "Come on, let's visit Grandfather first~"
As she spoke, she led Irisviel toward Grandfather's cave. She had no intention of explaining the strange phenomenon that had just occurred.
Seeing this, Altrouge frowned and stared in the direction Touko had been looking. She more or less understood what Touko had been facing.
It was the Counter Guardian they had just been discussing.
Chapter 88: That's Right, I'm Touko's Wife!
Outside the cave.
Grandfather looked at the people outside his door, surprise rarely appearing on his cold face.
At that moment, four True Ancestor Dead Apostles had gathered before his Magic Workshop. All of them were extremely powerful beings among the True Ancestor Dead Apostles: Altrouge, the actual leader of the Dead Apostles; the Primate Killer, who possessed absolute authority to slaughter humans; and the Black and White Knights, whose strength was likewise formidable.
If an uninformed magus saw this lineup, they would probably think that Aozaki Touko had come to take revenge on him. After all, he had toyed with Aozaki Touko's life, tasked her with inheriting the Fifth Magic, and then ruthlessly stripped it away.
To a magus, such a thing was even more cruel than murder.
"...Touko, you really know how to surprise people~"
The Fifth Magic User sighed.
Even he had not expected such a powerful lineup. Nor had he expected that his great-granddaughter would possess such outstanding social skills.
"To surprise a Magic User is truly an honor for me."
Aozaki Touko shook her head with a smile before entering Grandfather's Magic Workshop and returning to the place where she had once studied magecraft. Altrouge and the others followed her into the magus's Magic Workshop without the slightest hesitation.
"..."
The Fifth Magic User did not react to this. He merely turned and walked into the Magic Workshop with a cold expression. He did not stop these unrelated people from entering. Although the Magic Workshop was a private place for an ordinary magus, he did not seem to mind.
"..."
After taking her seat, Aozaki Touko swept her gaze across the desk before her. The Grimoires she had once placed there had already been closed again, and someone had even thoughtfully left a label on them.
"Why did you come to see me first? Could it be that you wanted to take a longer look at this dying old man?"
Grandfather looked at Aozaki Touko, his voice turning cold again.
Logically speaking, if Aozaki Touko's first destination after returning to Misaki City was not the Aozaki Household, it should have been the Kuzuki Western Mansion. Visiting him definitely would not have been her first choice.
After all, Aozaki Touko did not feel much familial affection for him. Their relationship had always been straightforward: that of heir and successor.
Any other emotions were completely meaningless.
"...Is that not allowed?"
Aozaki Touko countered, then continued on her own. "Regardless of what feelings I have toward you, Grandfather, the fact remains that you educated me in magecraft. I came to see you and accompany you through the final part of your life out of gratitude. Isn't that only natural?"
She was not lying. During the time she had studied in Grandfather's Magic Workshop, whenever she had questions, Grandfather would answer them honestly as long as he knew the answer. His attitude had been extremely cold and impersonal, but judging only by what he had given her, there was absolutely nothing to criticize.
"Is that so? I understand~"
Grandfather nodded. "That's right. If we're only talking about what I've given, then what I've given you, Touko, should be far more than what I've given Aoko. Based on that, your coming to see me is perfectly reasonable."
"Exactly~"
As she spoke, Aozaki Touko turned her gaze toward Irisviel, then toward Altrouge. The corners of her lips lifted slightly.
"This time, I brought my family and friends to visit you, Grandfather."
As soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere fell silent.
Grandfather suddenly found himself at a loss for words. He knew that Irisviel was Touko's wife, but what did Touko's gaze toward Altrouge mean? Could she actually be her wife too?
"...I, I am~"
Nearby, Altrouge's cheeks flushed as she opened and closed her mouth, but she could not get anything out. It felt as if anything she said would be wrong.
"Hello, Grandfather. I'm Touko's wife. My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern~"
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