First Meeting with Director Ken

Clock Tower Headquarters, Ulysses Classroom.

Today was the large lecture held by Luphreus Nazelie Ulifis, Lord of the Spirit Evocation Department. Li Mo seemed to have stumbled into good fortune—he had encountered the very thing that interested him most as soon as he entered the Clock Tower.

The Lords of the Clock Tower taught classes as well. At the headquarters, there were twelve classrooms under their names, each connected to different spiritual veins for the Lords' study and teaching.

The first twelve days of every month were when the Lords each held their lectures. The rest of the time naturally belonged to the lecturers under them, though most lecturers did not teach at headquarters, instead holding classes in their respective departments.

So anyone who talked about studying all Twelve Departments had no idea how much time and energy was wasted rushing between twelve different places across London!

Li Mo had arrived late. Britisang had happened to mention it while they were having breakfast together, and he had hurried over in a fluster.

The Lords' classrooms were all enormous, much like tiered lecture halls at a university.

When Li Mo arrived, there were not many people in the classroom, which made him breathe a sigh of relief after rushing there out of breath.

That was right—after spending a few days in a wheelchair, he was finally able to walk again!

With a foolish grin, Li Mo headed straight toward the back and found himself a seat near the rear.

"You there, kid. Get up and sit in the back!"

The moment he sat down, an exceedingly loud voice suddenly rang out from beside him.

Li Mo turned in surprise, and once he saw who had spoken, his expression became extraordinarily colorful.

"D-Director Ken?"

Short golden hair, slicked-back hair, paired with a long Western-style teacher's robe...

That was right. The person who had surprised Li Mo was none other than Kaineth El-Melloi Archibald, the tragic Lord from the Holy Grail War whose fiancée had fallen for his own Servant!

Kaineth frowned, his gaze sweeping back and forth over Li Mo as he said sternly, "Where did you come from? I've never seen you at the Clock Tower!"

And what was this "Director Ken" supposed to mean? He was a Lord. How dare this kid address him like that?

Li Mo, however, did not care. Britisang had specifically told him before that within the Clock Tower, he did not need to care about anyone's attitude!

Of course, except for that mysterious Dean...

Li Mo's expression turned serious as he said, "Hello, Teacher Kaineth. I'm Li Yuan, a new disciple taken in by Lord Britisang of the Department of Lore.

I'll also be studying under your Mineralogy Department in the future. Please take care of me!"

After all, he might need to attend the man's classes in the future. It was better to be respectful.

Kaineth's expression changed. Britisang's newly accepted disciple?

It seemed there had indeed been such a matter, but Li Mo had only arrived at the Clock Tower yesterday, and Kaineth had not seen him in person before.

Kaineth gave a couple of dismissive humphs, his expression softening slightly as he said, "Fine, then sit here. When Teacher Reus begins the lecture, try not to make any noise, understood?"

After all, this was a department directly under the Dean, and Britisang had also been a Lord for decades. Though Kaineth was a genius, he knew where he stood.

The Clock Tower might have three major factions, but even Bartholomello, which valued aristocratic principles the most, would not dare show even the slightest contempt toward the Department of Lore. The reason for that was far more than simply Britisang's family belonging to the neutral faction.

Though he was only Britisang's disciple, Kaineth could not show him no courtesy at all.

Director Ken stopped picking on Li Mo, but Li Mo was stunned after hearing his words.

This... was tsundere behavior, wasn't it?

In the mushroom's works from his previous world, Director Ken had only been an exceedingly proud tragic character. Who would have thought he was actually a tsundere?

But tsundere was an attribute...

Only pretty girls could be called tsundere, right? Like Rin Tohsaka?

As for those who were not good-looking?

There had been a saying in his previous world—perhaps something like, ugly people were more likely to make trouble...

Not to mention that Director Ken was a man...

Li Mo grumbled inwardly, but he put on an obedient appearance as he turned around and took out the magecraft notebook and quill Intres had prepared for him.

As for why he was not using a modern fountain pen, it was probably just the fashion of the Clock Tower...

In any case, according to Intres, the Clock Tower's quills had all undergone magecraft processing. They would not be easily damaged and could be used for a long time.

Li Mo had just set down his pen when an elderly man with white hair and beard entered through the doorway and walked directly to the podium.

Luphreus Nazelie Ulifis, Lord of the Clock Tower's Spirit Evocation Department. His son, Bram Nazelie Sophiali, was the next Lord of the Spirit Evocation Department. As for his daughter...

Naturally, she was Kaineth's fiancée, Sola Nazelie Sophia, who had been utterly infatuated with Kaineth's Servant Lancer, Diarmuid.

Reus carried an enormous book and gently placed it on the lectern. After looking around, he nodded in satisfaction and said, "Today, I will be discussing the Holy Grail Ceremony of Japan's Three Great Families."

The Holy Grail Ceremony?

Li Mo was stunned. Were the Lords' lectures this substantial? They were starting right off with the Holy Grail?

Reus paid no attention to the people below and continued, "According to the Clock Tower's records, the Greater Grail in the Holy Grail Ceremony is publicly described by the Three Great Families as an 'omnipotent wish-granting device' capable of fulfilling any wish.

How is it done?

Their method is to imitate the summoning magecraft of our Spirit Evocation Department, summon Servants, and then initiate a Holy Grail War.

Simply put, they summon Servants and have them slaughter one another. After a Servant dies, its magical energy gathers within a prepared Holy Grail vessel, which is then used to activate the final Greater Grail."

At that, Reus stopped speaking. With a light wave and tap of his hand, the book before him flipped its pages automatically, stopping on one page before becoming still again.

Kayneth, however, suddenly grew interested. His excited voice rang through the classroom. "Professor, can the Third Magic mentioned by the Three Great Families really be achieved?"

Reus turned his head. Seeing his future son-in-law, he nodded with satisfaction and replied, "The Third Magic truly exists.

But the Holy Grail Ceremony conducted by the Three Great Families? Heh, they're merely a few minor families from the Far East. How could they possibly accomplish it?

As for the Einzbern, who inherited the Third Magic, it is still unknown whether anyone among them can wield it anymore."

Kayneth did not mind. His eyes lit up as he eagerly asked, "Then, Professor, has anyone from our Clock Tower ever participated in the Holy Grail Ceremony?

If there is another Holy Grail Ceremony, could we send someone to take part and gather data?"

Before Reus on the podium could answer, Li Mo, seated beside Kayneth, felt his mind short-circuit.

This...

Could Kayneth's participation in the Fourth Holy Grail War have started because of this class?

It seemed that both generations of the Spirit Evocation Department had screwed over Director Ken...

First, the father's lecture had planted the seed of participating in the Holy Grail War in Kayneth's mind. Then the daughter fell in love with a Servant and stole his Command Spells...

Although theirs was only a political marriage, judging from the scene where Director Ken used a Command Spell to force Lancer to commit suicide for Sola, he definitely had feelings for her...

On the stage, Reus began answering Kayneth's question, while Li Mo below could not help feeling both amused and helpless.

If Director Ken figured all this out at the moment of his death, he would probably want to crawl out of the underworld and bite those two to death...

Political marriages really were a terrible idea!