Chapter 710

Liddell raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I tell you? I was a little worried because you didn't come to my concert last night, so I came to check on you..."

Arisu said calmly, "If you want to confirm, you can just make a phone call."

Well~

Liddell played with the ends of her hair, her eyes darting away.

Sure enough, there was something else going on, Arisu thought to herself.

Just as she was about to press for more information, the woman on the bed yawned and sat up.

"Whoa... Haa~ What time is it? Can you guys be a little quieter?"

Aoko Aozaki stretched out a big yawn.

Two plump fruits swayed on the branch, boasting of their superiority as women.

***********************************************

Shirou: "..."

Arisu: "..."

Liddell: "..."

The room fell silent. Aoko blinked her sleepy eyes and finally noticed the extra person in the room.

"Hey! Liddell Riddell!? What are you doing here?"

Aoko picked up her bra to cover herself and asked in surprise, "What about last night's concert!? I even bought tickets for section A... Ah, I forgot to go last night!"

"Even you're like this... Ugh, that's enough, whatever happens at the concert."

Because the seafood donburi I had last night was so bad, I've decided to take a two-year break from activities.

"Huh? What kind of stupid reason is this to decide to stop the activities?! Apologize to the god of music! What do you take your fans for?"

"Tsk... this guy is still so annoying."

Liddell said with a look of disgust, "Music has never mattered to me. Fans are just worker ants that offer tribute to me."

After the concert, I always feel unbearably lonely. Even when the spotlight is on me, no one wants to see the real me.

The Pink Witch's aura underwent a dramatic transformation; just moments before she had been full of energy, but now she exuded a heavy, melancholic, and dark aura.

"Anyway, I just don't get anything in return. I see myself as a beggar, the lowest of the low, mistaking myself for the protagonist. I'm just a clown."

A sudden change in mood can catch you off guard.

Shirou and the others did nothing, yet Liddell was sunk by its own hand and could never be rebuilt.

"Has she always been like this?" Shirou asked softly.

"An excessive sense of self-awareness is, in a way, a quality of an idol, isn't it? Liddell is more suited to be an idol than Magecraft."

Aoko put on her underwear and tore off a band-aid to cover the hickeys on her neck.

"Anyway, please enjoy. You probably haven't had breakfast yet."

Shirou returned from the tea room with freshly brewed black tea and small rice crackers.

"... Thanks."

Liddell took small sips of the scalding hot tea without any hesitation, glancing at Shirou out of the corner of her eye.

"I was wrong to say you're 'useless except for your lower body and fighting.' You've got good eyes, Shirou."

"Well... I was just a little harsh, I think I said something a bit too harsh."

Well, he's actually a pretty understanding guy...

Just as Shirou was thinking this, he heard Liddell speak.

"If a big star personally visits, serving tea and snacks is barely acceptable."

But you should break up with her as soon as possible. This kind of black tea is far from good enough; it can't possibly satisfy Arisu.

... I take back what I said earlier, this woman really is a nuisance.

"By the way, when do you plan to put your clothes on?"

Liddell stared at the red-haired boy who was still only wrapped in a bath towel.

"I understand your excitement and exhibitionist desire to show off your figure after meeting me, the most popular super☆ England teen idol on Earth, Miss Liddell..."

"But isn't it about time you put your clothes on?"

Do you think I wanted this?

Shirou said irritably, "You sat on my underwear."

Liddell sprang up from the sofa.

Liddell put the ceramic cup back on the coffee table and cleared her throat.

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic."

"You didn't come here specifically to cause trouble, did you?" Aoko, eating her sandwich with a surprised look.

It's surprising that a five-star hotel serves sandwiches for breakfast, which is truly a testament to England's reputation as a culinary wasteland. However, the sandwiches were quite delicious.

I have a request.

As soon as Liddell opened her mouth, Arisu frowned uneasily.

"Could it be that they're going to use Fairy Tale Monster again...?"

"I'd like to borrow the Giant of the Bridge 'Thames Troll'."

"Aren't you awake yet? Do you want to go home and take a nap?"

This was the first time Shirou had seen Arisu so harsh towards anyone other than Aoko.

On one hand, Liddell was her childhood friend; on the other hand, perhaps this request was simply too much.

One of the three strongest Fairy Tale Monster possessed by Arisu Kyōnoji, Giant of the Bridge "Thames Troll".

One of the world's most numerous golems, created by the first witch.

In another world's Holy Grail War, Shirou once encountered Caster Avicebron, whose golem "Crown of Wisdom" had unlimited growth potential and could turn an entire planet into paradise within days if left unattended.

However, in terms of sheer mystery, "The Giant of the Bridge" far surpasses "The Crown: Light of Wisdom".

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Arisu's collection already contains a large number of monsters that could easily create Singularity if not handled properly, and the "Giant of the Bridge" is one of the three pillars at the pinnacle of this monster system.

Shirou was strongly opposed to lending such a dangerous item to just anyone.

Aoko asked curiously, "... Anyway, may I ask why?"

She knew very well that although Liddell was willful, she also had her own sense of propriety.

She wouldn't make such an unreasonable request unless there was a specific reason.

My life is being watched.

Liddell said with a nonchalant expression, "The previous... Lord, Achelot, is planning to retire next year."

Because she has not yet decided on her successor, a civil war is currently breaking out within the family over the issue of who should inherit the position.

As the most outstanding candidate for the next Lord, I was naturally attacked by the other heirs...

So I want to borrow the power of the "Giant of the Bridge"—to use that power to defeat them all, physically.

Lord Achelot is getting old and a new head of the family is about to be appointed. Shirou seems to have heard similar rumors from Leinys before.

To be honest, Shirou originally thought that witches were beings who never aged, because Morgan and Arisu were like that, but it seems that this is not the case.

Witches cannot exist in the human world forever.

Morgan, of course, needs no introduction. She is a descendant of the Witch of the End, a Divine Era Magus, and Great Mother- ranking fairy. Lifespan is meaningless to her.

Arisu is a direct descendant of the True Magic User (Yumina), making her a special being, almost like a pure-blooded witch, even among witches.

Aside from these two special cases, even witches of the Lord rank age.

In addition, Achelot's family lineage is descended from the Witch of Soot, which only rose to prominence during the Industrial Revolution. It has a history of only a few hundred years and is the youngest of the Twelve Lords.

After listening to Liddell's explanation, Aoko asked:

"You say you're under siege, Liddell? You didn't just declare war on the other heirs and their supporters at the family meeting, did you?"

"..."

An awkward silence fell over the room.

Liddell paused for a few seconds, then ignored Aoko's words and continued.

"Although they are just a third-rate rabble, their numbers and power are undeniable."

It seems that dealing with them on my own isn't as easy as I thought."

Liddell's father (stepfather) appears to be the owner of a multinational corporation and is extremely wealthy.

But no matter how rich they are, they're still just ordinary people; they can't possibly beat the nobles of the Clock Tower, can they?

Capitalism really does make people lose their minds, Shirou secretly thought.

"So, Achelot's other heirs are now after your life? Has it escalated to this point?"

"Yes."

Liddell smiled sweetly, clearly indicating her approval.

"If things continue like this, either I'll die—or I'll kill them all."

They're all relatives, yet they're fighting each other. The internal strife within a large family is truly terrifying... Shirou thought to himself.

"..."

Arisu's expression turned serious.

Although not being able to lend the "Giant of the Bridge" was a matter of principle, she probably didn't want her few friends to die a violent death.

At this point, Shirou asked, "Haven't you considered having Bartholomew intervene as a mediator?"

The oldest lineage in the Clock Tower, Bartholomew, who was in charge of the Department of Law, in addition to the twelve other disciplines.

Bartholomew was not only the head of the Three Great Noble Families, but also the leader of the aristocratic faction.

The Spirit Evocation Department (Ulysses).

Department of Mineralogy (Kischur).

Botany Department (Yumina).

Department of Zoology (Chimera).

Department of Celestial Bodies (Animsphere).

And Bartholomew, who nominally led them, half of the Twelve Lords were members of the aristocracy.

Aside from the Lord Bricissan (who is also the headmaster of the Clock Tower), who has not appeared for hundreds of years, Bartholomew is undoubtedly the top of the Clock Tower.

In fact, this generation's Lord, Bartholomew, did indeed have the title of "Queen".

"If they can't decide on an heir, and it even escalates to the point of fratricide... why not let the leader of the aristocratic alliance intervene?"

Liddell gave Shirou a deep look, somewhat surprised that this poor boy from the Far East knew so Clock Tower.

She patiently explained, "Bartholomew will not act except at crucial moments, because their actions would have a huge impact on the Clock Tower."

Furthermore, their authority is absolute, and any action they take must be flawless.

If, despite possessing such authority, a flaw is still left unaddressed, then the 1500-year-long reign will be in vain.

Liddell paused for a moment.

Therefore, Bartholomew would not casually intervene in the issue of succession among the "mere" Twelve Lords.

Let those below fight it out; the "Queen" will maintain this attitude and stance from above.

In this way, no matter who ultimately comes to power, Bartholomew's ruling position as the leader of the alliance will never be shaken.

"How annoying, politics..."