"Come on, let's go see what the Clock Tower's geniuses are like."
Touko complained irritably, "So you brought me here just to be an interviewer?"
The Clock Tower, cafeteria.
"Matou, are you here to find the Clock Tower's geniuses, or its food?"
Touko, whom Shinji had dragged to the cafeteria, had a face full of question marks.
"Aozaki-senpai, do you know when the Clock Tower's geniuses gather together?" Shinji replied with a cheeky grin. "Of course it's mealtime, when they're all eating together."
Touko shot him a displeased look and grumbled, "Some of them might be off having a private meal."
"If they can afford private meals at the Clock Tower, I can't recruit them anyway."
Anyone who could afford to eat privately at the Clock Tower was either from a prominent family or the apprentice of some professor. There was no way Shinji would try to recruit them.
Touko was at a loss for words, so she could only sit down with Shinji in the corner of the cafeteria.
Shinji munched on a sandwich, his eyes wandering around the cafeteria.
After looking around, Shinji really did spot quite a few familiar faces. They were chatting in groups of two or three.
For example, Marisbury Animusphere, Lord of the Department of Astronomy, was talking with several of his students.
Actually, Shinji knew him better by another title than as the Lord of the Department of Astronomy: the first Director of Chaldea.
That man had started the trend, making the position of Chaldea Director as dangerous as the South Korean presidency.
However, since there had been no Holy Grail War in this world, Shinji wasn't sure whether Marisbury would establish Chaldea.
I suppose he probably won't.
Shinji hadn't received any indication that Marisbury intended to work with him, so it seemed the man wasn't interested in summoning Heroic Spirits.
Besides the Original Director, Shinji also saw Fat Director Goredolf Musik in the cafeteria. He was intently cutting into a marbled steak.
Counting Olga Marie, who was with her father, Shinji suddenly realized that all three generations of Chaldea's mage directors had gathered in the cafeteria.
"Would you look at that? If I summoned the Suzumura Couple, I'd have the whole set."
Shinji looked away and muttered under his breath.
"The whole set of what? Are you counting the women at the Clock Tower?" Touko asked curiously.
"Senpai, don't think I'm the kind of guy who only thinks with his lower half."
Shinji polished off the rest of his sandwich and brushed the crumbs from his hands. "All right, I've decided. I'll recruit a few guys to come to Japan. Then you won't misunderstand me anymore."
"How awful. You don't even spare the men."
Seeing the teasing look in Touko's eyes, Shinji helplessly held his forehead.
"I'm such an idiot... I shouldn't have argued with a woman about this."
Touko picked up her empty plate and said to Shinji, "Excuse me for a moment. I see my teacher."
Shinji hurriedly called after her, "Give my regards to the head of the Atollholm Family."
Touko's teacher was Inorai Barthomeloi Atollholm, Lord of the Department of Creation and one of the Clock Tower's Three Giants.
No matter how cheeky Shinji usually was, he still had to be polite to someone of her stature.
"Oh, by the way, if your Department of Creation has any promising students, please try to tempt them over. I offer generous pay, room and board, and ancient Heroic Spirits who can answer questions about Magecraft formulas."
Shinji called after Touko.
"You're trying to poach my teacher's students? Aren't you afraid she'll beat you to death?"
Touko rolled her eyes, but still gave Shinji an affirmative gesture, indicating that she'd give it a try.
"Thanks, senpai."
Touko smiled faintly, waved to him without turning around, and walked off with graceful steps.
Shinji watched her go, then rolled his neck. "Next... time to find someone."
After looking around the cafeteria, Shinji had already come up with a few candidates.
Fat Director Goredolf Musik was his top choice.
Goredolf came from a renowned family of alchemists and had a solid foundation. And despite his haughty appearance, his character was good, as the FGO plot had shown. He was someone Shinji could trust.
Perhaps because he'd spent so long joking around with Touko, by the time Shinji thought of approaching Fat Director, he had already left the cafeteria.
Shinji searched the surrounding area, but couldn't find him.
"Damn, which department was he in again?"
Just as Shinji paused at a corner in the corridor, the door beside him suddenly opened.
A mage came out carrying documents and complained angrily, "You're so demanding! Fine, work alone forever, then!"
The mage rushed out so carelessly that he nearly bumped into Shinji.
"Hey! You! Mat... Matou Shinji!"
The mage had been about to yell at him, but when he saw Shinji's face, he swallowed his words.
"Matou-senpai, what are you doing here? Could it be... you're here to collaborate with us on our research?"
The mage swallowed nervously, his expression bright with excitement.
"Collaborate on research?"
Shinji was taken aback. He looked up at the sign on the room.
"Spirit Evocation Department archive... How did I end up here?"
Shinji now understood why the other mage had asked him that.
His summoning of Heroic Spirits to make movies was no longer a secret among mages. Seeing him in the Spirit Evocation Department, the mage had probably assumed he'd run into a problem with a Magecraft formula and had come to find a solution.
After all, summoning Heroic Spirits was right in the Spirit Evocation Department's field of expertise.
"Matou-senpai, which professor are you looking for?"
The mage grabbed Shinji's hand and shook it vigorously, like an overexcited fan who'd just met his idol.
"Well, I'm just here to look something up."
Shinji waved a hand and discreetly pulled his own free.
"Who were you so angry with just now?"
"Well..."
The mage glanced toward the back of the archive, then explained, "Our group's research project is to analyze the formula you use to summon Heroic Spirits, senpai. But that person keeps saying there are things we haven't considered and making us redesign everything. She talks as if she already knows the answer... I'm sorry!"
When the mage saw Shinji watching him with an amused expression, he quickly apologized.
As far as he was concerned, Magecraft on the level of summoning Heroic Spirits had to be a highly confidential formula passed down through a family.
It was one thing for his team to study it in secret, but openly saying they intended to analyze it in front of Shinji was another matter.
"You want to analyze it, huh... Good luck with that."
Shinji patted the mage on the shoulder and walked into the archive.
He wasn't particularly concerned about the mage's team trying to analyze the Heroic Spirit summoning formula.
Even setting aside whether they could recreate the Holy Grail War system, the amount of magical energy needed to summon Heroic Spirits was beyond what a mage could provide.
Even Shinji couldn't shoulder that immense burden. The seven Servants currently in Fuyuki City were able to remain in the world because they used the magical energy of Fuyuki City's Ley Lines. Shinji, their Master, merely acted as a conduit.
If the Spirit Evocation Department tried to summon Heroic Spirits by force, there would be only one result: they'd be drained dry by the Heroic Spirits.
"I'm just looking around. You don't need to attend to me."
Shinji said this as he entered the archive.
"Understood."
The mage replied with some disappointment, then left the archive.
The Spirit Evocation Department's archive was filled with towering stacks of books and parchment files. Under the dim lighting, the atmosphere felt oppressive.
Shinji didn't stop to browse the documents. Instead, he headed straight for the back of the room. He was curious about the "that person" the mage had mentioned.
A long-haired girl sat at a wooden desk, continually writing something and muttering to herself.
"Cú Chulainn's abilities with Rune Magecraft are clearly being underestimated. That's completely at odds with his legendary image... In other words, he should have another Spirit Origin that's good at Rune Magecraft but not at spearmanship... Holy Grail Summoning only summons one facet of a Heroic Spirit..."
The girl's brown hair fell in a disheveled mess over her shoulders. A large black eyepatch covered one eye, making it difficult for her to see.
Suddenly, the girl stopped writing and raised her head, confused.
"Who's there?"
Since Shinji was standing on the side of her eyepatch, the girl could only make out a blurry silhouette.
"Are these your research notes on Heroic Spirits?"
Shinji picked up a sheet of paper from the desk and asked with interest.
The girl didn't know how to respond. After a long while, she finally nodded.
"Impressive..." Shinji murmured.
The information on the draft was disorganized, but Shinji could still see that the girl had some original insights into the study of Heroic Spirit summoning.
She had not only predicted that a single Heroic Spirit could have different forms of Spirit Origin, but had also analyzed how the evolution of legends affected a Heroic Spirit's Spirit Origin.
As expected of a future star of the Spirit Evocation Department. She had real potential.
Shinji studied the long-haired girl, the curve of his smile growing wider.
The girl looked at Shinji with her uncovered left eye. Her excitement was impossible to hide, even in the dimly lit room.
"What's your name?" Shinji asked gently.
The girl parted her lips and answered in a voice barely louder than a whisper. "O... Ophelia. Ophelia Phamrsolone."
"The Phamrsolone family from Germany?"
Shinji rubbed his chin and asked a question he already knew the answer to.
"Y-yes."
Ophelia nodded, her face turning red.
"Why do you want to study Heroic Spirit summoning?"
"My family's long-held wish is to make contact with demons... I thought that since even fictional Heroic Spirits can be summoned, I might be able to use that to summon... demons..."
Ophelia's voice grew quieter with every word. She was already bracing herself for Shinji to laugh at her.
Instead, Shinji reached out and touched her long hair.
"Hmm?"
"That's an interesting idea, and you've got your own original perspective," Shinji said gently. "You're really impressive."
"Thank you..."
Ophelia's cheeks turned crimson, and she nodded stiffly.
"I'm looking for a secretary. Would you be interested?"
"Huh?"
Ophelia's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Shinji to say something like that.
"If you want to refine a summoning formula, wouldn't it be easiest to observe Servants up close?"
A wicked smile spread across Shinji's handsome face. His gentle, magnetic voice was like that of a demon tempting someone to sign a contract.
"Interested, rising star of the Spirit Evocation Department?"
"I've only just enrolled..." Ophelia quietly corrected him.
"So, what's your answer?"
Ophelia stared blankly at Shinji.
Before you continue