Kenseth: Do You Have a Problem with Me?

"You can tell from your hairline—you must've drunk a lot of water this year."

Low EQ: Your hairline's receding.

High EQ: You've been drinking too much British water.

Crack.

The teacup in Kenseth's hand developed a crack as he squeezed it.

Chapter 45: Kenseth: Do You Have a Problem with Me?

"My hairline has nothing to do with how much hair I have. It's just my hairstyle."

Waver had just opened the office door when he heard his teacher arguing like a roaring dragon.

He didn't need to look to guess that someone had come to the Clock Tower.

"Ah, I've been here. I'm off."

Without a second's hesitation, Waver turned around and stepped out of the office, intending to close the door behind him.

Unfortunately, even Waver's quick movements weren't quick enough.

"Waver, where do you think you're going?"

Kenseth called after him.

"Uh..."

Waver's hand paused noticeably. He answered awkwardly, "You seemed busy, so I didn't want to disturb you."

Kenseth crooked a finger and ordered, "Get in here."

Waver tried to wriggle out of it. "Isn't that a little inappropriate? You and Mr. Matou are making decisions. What place does a nobody like me have in that?"

"If you keep making excuses, you can forget about inheriting my research for the rest of your life!"

"You're threatening me with that again..."

Waver sighed deeply.

Even though he really didn't want to, Waver resigned himself to walking into the office.

I'm doing this for the research.

That was how Waver convinced himself.

But he knew that was just an excuse.

The real reason was simply that he couldn't refuse his teacher's request.

Back then, everyone had attacked his research. His thesis defense had gone perfectly, and he'd answered every question they'd raised.

But those high-and-mighty traditional Mages had given him all kinds of trouble simply because of his bloodline, even resorting to personal attacks.

Kenseth had been the one to stand up for his ideas and take him on as a student—though perhaps he'd done so simply because he saw Waver's talent.

When everyone at the Clock Tower shunned, gossiped about, and humiliated him because of his meager Mage bloodline, this teacher had been the only one willing to support and protect him.

He'd never said it aloud, but he was truly grateful, and he'd never forgotten it. That trust was one of the few sources of warmth Waver had found at the Clock Tower.

So when Kenseth proposed giving up his post as head of the Department of Mineralogy to become head of the Modern Magecraft Department, and nobody could understand why he'd made that choice, Waver had been the first to stand up and support his teacher's decision.

Still, no matter how much he supported his teacher, Waver felt he had to draw the line somewhere. That line was Matou Shinji.

It was because of that guy's manipulation that Kenseth had given up the Department of Mineralogy, fourth among all the departments, and moved to the lowest-ranked Modern Magecraft Department.

Worse, every time Waver met Shinji, he ended up with a mountain of extra work.

Waver was diligent and hardworking, but he wasn't a masochist. How could he enjoy working so much that he didn't even get to rest?

In Waver's eyes, Matou Shinji was a scheming adviser who kept giving his teacher terrible ideas—and his natural enemy.

So if he could help it, Waver desperately wanted to avoid Shinji.

Especially since, not long ago in Cannes, he'd used Miss Flora to trick Shinji. That made him even more worried about how Shinji might get back at him.

"Aw, Waver, don't look at me like that~ I'm not some kind of demon."

Shinji, sitting on the sofa and sipping tea, gave him what he thought was a gentle smile.

Waver slapped the table and shouted, "Give me a break! Even a demon isn't as scary as you!"

Teacher, why did you have to drag me into this?

After grumbling, Waver secretly shot Kenseth a confused look.

You'd leave your teacher here to suffer alone?

Kenseth gave him an annoyed look.

Looks like they're both having a rough time.

Touko, who already thought of herself as office furniture, mused silently.

"Matou Shinji, you didn't come here just to swipe my tea, did you?"

Shinji had been leisurely enjoying his tea ever since he arrived. At last, Kenseth's patience ran out, and he spoke up.

Smack.

Without another word, Shinji slapped two FZ proposals onto the table.

"Here. My new work."

"Why don't you go make that yourself?"

Kenseth rubbed his completely bald forehead and let out a long sigh. "Didn't we agree from the start that I wouldn't interfere with the details of your filming? As long as you make sure your work meets the targets, that's enough."

"Because the story has roles for you and Waver," Shinji explained. "So I thought I should ask whether you'll play yourself or have someone else—Yan Qing—stand in for you."

"Wait, why are you only asking the teacher when both of us have roles?"

Waver hurriedly cut in, sensing something off.

"What are you talking about, Waver? As the face and poster boy of the Modern Magecraft Department, you'll obviously play yourself."

"Then why can the teacher have someone else play him?"

"Your teacher's a department head. He has a lot to do and might not have the time."

"..."

Waver wanted to say that he was much busier than his teacher, but under Kenseth's threatening gaze, he just couldn't bring himself to say it.

Seeing how sensible his student was, Kenseth nodded in satisfaction and picked up the proposal from the coffee table to read.

"Since you're being so agreeable, Matou Shinji, I'll take a look at how you plan to promote me."

Waver picked up the other proposal. Resigned to his fate, all he wanted now was to figure out how busy he'd be.

But once he'd read the proposal, Waver was completely stunned.

"Shinji..."

Waver set down the proposal and silently lit a cigar.

"Hm?"

"We're friends, right?"

"Of course."

"Then why are you setting me up?!"

Waver suddenly sprang up from the sofa and grabbed Shinji by the collar, shaking him hard.

"I steal the teacher's relic and oppose him in the Holy Grail War?! There's no way I'd do something like that!"

Facing the frantic Waver, Shinji said seriously, "Waver, calm down. It's just a movie proposal. Anyone who looks for real life in a fictional story has to have something wrong with them."

"Then don't use real names!"

"Matou Shinji! You really do have a problem with me!"

Kenseth's expression was just as unpleasant after reading the proposal.

In fact, it would've been strange if he'd looked happy.

His fate in the script was beyond miserable. First, his own Servant cuckolded him. Then someone beat him until he was half-paralyzed, leaving him dependent on a wheelchair. In the end, someone schemed against him so thoroughly that he couldn't live or die, and he only managed to die thanks to Saber's mercy.

If anyone could smile after going through all that, there'd definitely be something seriously wrong with them.

What was more, Kenseth felt Shinji's script was taking a jab at his own embarrassing past.

Kenseth gritted his teeth. "Matou Shinji, if you have a problem with me, just say so. There's no need to go about it in such a roundabout way."

"I don't have a problem with you," Shinji said bluntly. "I wrote it that way to fit the overall tone of the story. Didn't you see how much worse off my own family is?"

"..."

Kenseth realized he couldn't really argue with that.

It was true. If his own misfortune was personal, the Matou Family was a coffee table stacked with cups of tragedy and dishes of disaster.

Since Matou Shinji was willing to mock even his own family, Kenseth realized there wasn't much he could say.

The other guy had already stabbed himself six times, leaving three holes through his body. If Kenseth, who'd only been stabbed in the back, complained too loudly, he'd look like he was deliberately playing the victim.

Nearby, Waver puffed away at his cigar. He believed Matou Kariya had met that fate in the script because he'd teamed up with Waver to pull one over on Shinji.

All things considered, the "overall tone" Shinji had mentioned was complete bullshit. Waver had every reason to believe Shinji had written it that way on purpose.

Unfortunately, before Waver could warn his teacher, Kenseth spoke first.

"Even if it's for the tone, my fate is still far too miserable, isn't it? I get beaten half to death by a mercenary and end up in a wheelchair! I'm a Lord of the Clock Tower! Don't I deserve to save some face?!"

Kenseth tried to salvage a little dignity for his fictional self.

"Isn't it normal for a Mage who focuses on theory to lose to someone who specializes in real combat?" Shinji shrugged. "Besides, what's so bad about a wheelchair? Legs are just decoration. People at the top wouldn't understand."

"Then you try using a wheelchair! And who are these people at the top? Is there anyone at the Clock Tower above me?"

Shinji pointed at the ceiling. "Sure. The Director."

"Who knows if that old codger isn't already in his coffin?"

Although Kenseth claimed not to care, his voice had unconsciously grown quieter. He was saying the boldest things in the most timid tone.

The Director hadn't shown his face in years, but everyone still feared him instinctively.

Kenseth glanced at the proposal again, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face.

"Matou Shinji, you're not leaving anytime soon, are you?"

"Of course not." Shinji nodded. "FSN's about to get a wide release in Europe and America. I'm planning to stick around until the first round of box-office results comes in. That'll be the perfect time to poach a bunch of Mages."

"Be careful when you poach them. Don't get beaten up by their teachers," Waver reminded him irritably.

"Don't worry. I'll absolutely respect their right to choose." Shinji drained the rest of the tea in his cup.

"Fine. I'll think it over and give you an answer later."

Kenseth nodded slightly. He rested a hand on the proposal and gently rubbed it.

"Then that's settled." Shinji patted his backside as he stood up. "Oh, Waver. Let everyone know that after the movie comes out, we'll hold a meeting."

"Got it."

Although Shinji hadn't said who "everyone" was, Waver knew he meant their collaborators.

Before leaving, Shinji kindly said to Kenseth, "Hey, Kenseth, I really recommend you stop drinking British water. If your hairline keeps receding like that, you'll end up looking like a tea egg instead of a lemon head. That won't look any better than you in a wheelchair."

"You little punk! Get out! Don't think you can do whatever you want just because we're collaborators!"

As Kenseth roared, Shinji shrugged, took Touko along, and left the office with a grin.

"So, junior. Where are we going now?"

Touko glanced at the sky outside, which had grown completely dark, and asked helplessly.

"If you hadn't said that last thing, we might've been able to crash at the Modern Magecraft Department for the night. Now we'll probably have to sleep in the school courtyard."

"What are you talking about, senpai? The night's only just begun."

Shinji took Touko's hand and headed down the corridor toward the depths of the Clock Tower.