Chapter 706
The moment their eyes met, the temperature on the previously peaceful street seemed to drop several degrees.
"..."
Leinys's small shoulders trembled.
The strongest True Magic User to inherit the Fifth Magic, "Primary Colors".
The Great Witch who reclaimed the First Magic, "Meinst".
If they were to fight in the Clock Tower, the consequences would be unimaginable...
The girl looked at Shirou with pleading eyes, but heard him say something.
"I'm relieved that Aoko and Arisu are still on good terms."
"Where do they look like they're on good terms?!" Leinys couldn't help but think to herself.
Shirou then asked, "Speaking of which, why did Aoko and Arisu end up here?"
"Something came up, I'll explain in detail later. Besides, Shirou, are you free after this?"
Shirou nodded. "Yes, I've finished my business with the Department of Mineralogy."
"Very good."
Aoko Aozaki grabbed Shirou's arm and turned to Gray, saying...
"Excuse me, could I borrow Shirou for a little while?"
"Ah, that..."
Gray seemed a little flustered, and hurriedly hid her face in her hood.
"Please go ahead."
Leinys answered for her, giving a very polite smile.
After nodding to each other, the three left.
Leinys and Gray watched them walk away.
Gray murmured, "They're really incredible people... Are they Shirou's lovers? I need to try harder too."
Looking at the energetic young woman, Leinys couldn't help but sigh, "It's truly a blessing to know nothing."
By the time Shirou, Aoko, and Arisu returned to central London, the sun was already setting.
Whether it's the London Tower Bridge, completed after the Industrial Revolution, or Westminster Abbey, which has a history of over a thousand years, they were all gradually and equally stained red.
The pedestrians, all wearing overcoats, cast elongated Shadow that seemed to crisscross as if being washed across the cobblestone pavement.
It seems that Aoko and Arisu came to London for something else, which has little to do with Magecraft.
They had just arrived in London when they heard the news of Shirou's appearance here, so they made a special trip to the Clock Tower.
Since there was nothing else to do at the association, they left the Magecraft City, located on the outskirts of London.
Walking through the bustling city, Arisu silently linked arms with Shirou's left arm, while Aoko walked on Shirou's right.
"Why did word get out that I'm at the Clock Tower? Aoko, you're not doing something criminal, are you?"
"No way! Shirou, you have absolutely no self-awareness. You're a big celebrity at the Clock Tower now!"
If the Magecraft world had a gossip media outlet like the Sun, today's headline would be: "Nameless" Shirou Amamiya visited the Clock Tower the other day...
"I really hope it doesn't affect my normal life," Shirou muttered.
"Today is a workday in Japan. The fact that Shirou is here means you've made up your mind, right?"
Aoko said this, a sly smile appeared on her face, Arisu also looked over.
Shirou nodded and said, "Yes, after graduating from high school, I decided to pursue a career related to Magecraft."
"Shirou..." Arisu blinked.
Aoko said with a smile, "Want to be my follower?"
"No." Shirou refused immediately.
Aoko shouted, "Why!?"
Shirou said, "Because Aoko doesn't seem like the kind of boss who can pay wages on time."
Even working for Sister Touko is much more reliable than working for Aoko.
Aoko Aozaki's face turned deathly pale. "Ugh! To actually mention my sister in front of me, Shirou's really gotten quite something... But I can't refute him at all."
"And I'm planning to start my own business," Shirou said.
"Oh, I thought Shirou was the type of person who would work for someone else."
"I didn't expect you to be so ambitious. I'm starting to see you in a new light." Aoko looked surprised.
Shirou scratched his cheek. "Well, I have something I want to protect, but that might be a bit of an exaggeration... Anyway, I want to try a little harder."
Arisu Kyōnoji broke her silence and said softly, "Shirou, if you need any help, just let me know."
Shirou replied, "I understand, thank you, Miss Arisu."
A few years ago, Arisu's father won the family succession battle and was successfully elected as the chairman of the Kuonji Group.
In other words, Arisu Kyōnoji of the chairman of a multinational corporation, and she is much busier than before.
Shirou didn't intend to trouble Arisu, but he verbally agreed nonetheless.
"Um."
Arisu nodded.
A barely perceptible ripple of emotion surfaced on her beautiful, doll-like face, and she pressed her slender body even closer to the boy, somewhat pleased.
Aoko rolled her eyes. "Hey, don't show off your love in the street."
"No," Arisu coldly denied.
This was something that Aoko Aozaki only realized for the first time after the three of them started dating:
Arisu Kyōnoji actually loves to act cute.
She never cared about other people's opinions, so even in a crowded street, she could still hold Shirou's arm, expressing her goodwill through small details.
Aoko could never do that.
She certainly didn't care about the stares of passersby—but it was still incredibly embarrassing.
Walking side-by-side with a younger lover, clinging to their arm like a little bird on a crowded street, is just too embarrassing!!!
"..."
Aoko glanced at the two of them out of the corner of her eye.
Shirou has that silly, grinning face. Is he really that happy to have his arm around Arisu?
I feel a bit uneasy.
I'm your lover too, so why did you leave me behind and enjoy your time alone with Arisu?!
Aoko decided to ruin the atmosphere between the two.
"Speaking of which..."
"Stop talking, I have a feeling Aoko has ulterior motives."
As expected of Shirou, his Instinct truly sharp; he sensed my malice immediately.
Aoko muttered to herself, ignoring him, and continued, "Those two girls were quite cute."
"Yeah?"
"Those two are definitely interested in Shirou."
Aoko said this, she looked at Arisu meaningfully.
"... Is that so, Shirou? Do those two girls have feelings for you?"
Arisu stared intently at Shirou, who nervously shook his head.
Aoko feigned a resentful expression and said, "Compared to us, who are more than ten years older, it's better to have younger girls closer in age... for Shirou."
"Is what Aoko said true?"
Her friend's inflammatory remarks made Arisu Kyōnoji's mood noticeably worse.
"Of course not. Even though almost ten years have passed, Miss Arisu is still the same as when we first met—"
Absolutely nothing has changed.
The Eternal Witch, Arisu Kyōnoji.
Even if it's twenty, thirty, or a hundred years from now, her appearance, temperament, and tone of voice will remain unchanged.
Modern civilization and human society cannot shake her in the slightest, but that is precisely what makes her unique charm stand out.
Yuzhu 'Arisu pupils widened slightly. "Shirou, what you're talking about is..."
Shirou said, "My feelings for Miss Arisu are still the same as when we first met—"
By the way, I fell in love with Miss Arisu at first sight.
"...!!"
Arisu Kyōnoji's fair cheeks suddenly turned bright red.
"Uh? Is that so... Shirou... fell in love with me at first sight?"
Sigh... But this is the first time I've ever heard of something like this...
Shirou scratched the back of his head. "Because I'm really embarrassed!"
Moreover, if I were to say it, it would be seen as having ulterior motives towards Miss Arisu, which is why I helped repair the heater at the mansion back then."
When Shirou first moved into the mansion, he was disliked by Arisu.
The event that thawed the ice between them was when Shirou repaired the fireplace in the front hall of the mansion.
He certainly didn't do that to please Arisu; she had fallen asleep reading in the cold front hall, Shirou couldn't bear to watch, so he helped with the repairs.
But in retrospect, his actions did win over Arisu.
Arisu asked shyly and nervously, "Is it... okay to say it now?"
Shirou affirmed, "Of course, because Miss Arisu is now my woman."
"Waaah!"
Arisu quickly lowered her head, hiding her face, which was already hopelessly burned, in the shadow of her black hair.
"You've become quite adept at dealing with Arisu n't Shirou?"
"Who do you think you're benefiting from?"
After successfully calming the witch down, the boy looked at the red-haired True Magic User on the other side.
"You said those sweet words to Arisu, don't you have anything to say to me?"
Aoko asked with a teasing expression.
Shirou tilted his head and thought for a moment, "Unlike Miss Arisu, Aoko has changed a lot over the years."
The first thing that caught her eye was her bright red hair.
That wasn't hair dyeing.
Rather, it was a result of the change in the nature of Aoko Aozaki became True Magic User.
As for other aspects, the changes are actually very small.
Like her sister, Aoko will always look around twenty years old, no matter how much she gets older.
Only Shirou knew that Aoko had matured slightly compared to the past—both in her face and body.
"Really? I'm so sorry to have become an auntie."
"Aoko muttered."