"Shirou! It's been so long~!"
Luviagelita waved her arms as she ran toward Shirou, her ample breasts bouncing dramatically with every step. It was quite the alluring sight.
"It's been a while, Luvia-san..."
"Shirou~~~~!!"
As she cried out, Luvia smiled and spread her arms wide.
Rin Tohsaka's mouth fell open.
The blonde girl with ringlet curls practically flew into Shirou's arms, crossing the dozen or so meters between them in an instant and embracing the red-haired boy.
"Wow! It's Shirou! It really is Shirou! To think we'd meet again in a place like this... W-W-W-W-Wait! Shirou and I really are connected by the red thread of fate!"
Luvia clung tightly to Shirou with an expression of pure bliss, the dreamy look of a girl imagining herself as a princess.
A sweet fragrance drifted from her golden hair as she pressed her well-developed body against Shirou's chest without the slightest hesitation.
"Ah... Um... Luvia... It really has been a long time."
"Um... Don't you think that's enough now?" Shirou asked.
"Sorry. Just a little longer, please."
Rin Tohsaka stole a glance at Shirou and found him holding both hands awkwardly in the air, his cheeks faintly flushed.
Hmph... What's with him? He looks like he's enjoying this.
Only after Shirou repeatedly urged her did Luvia finally release him.
Once she had thoroughly satisfied herself, she resumed her usual air of an elegant young lady. Gracefully straightening her disheveled clothes and hair, she said, "It was such a moving reunion. I'm delighted that I could welcome you with an embrace, Shirou."
"If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to stay in your arms and act spoiled for another few hours."
"Well... Please spare me," Shirou replied with a wry smile.
Luviagelita Edelfelt.
She was a girl Shirou had met several years ago during a trip to Europe.
While sightseeing in London, Shirou had become separated from Irisviel and the others and gotten lost. By chance, he encountered Luvia, who had also become separated from her butler.
At the time, she was fighting a group of Magi with whom she had a grudge. Outnumbered, she had been forced onto the defensive.
When Shirou saw what was happening, he assumed a young girl was being attacked by a group of ill-intentioned thugs, so he stepped in and helped drive them off.
To repay him, Luvia showed Shirou around London and even took him to a shopping mall she had recently purchased.
Unfortunately, they became caught up in another incident there and were trapped inside the mall's Barrier. In the end, Shirou was the one who resolved the situation...
Although Shirou had known Luvia for only a single day, those dozen or so hours had been packed with danger and excitement.
When they parted, Luvia asked for Shirou's contact information and address, then gave him her own address as well.
During the Great Holy Grail War in parallel-world Romania, Shirou had given that address to Reika Rikudou and Jack the Ripper so they could seek refuge with the Luviagelita of that parallel world.
Unlike most of the Magi Shirou had encountered, Luviagelita was someone he could safely entrust others to.
"Are you here for the auction aboard the 'Mystic Eye Collection Train' as well, Shirou?"
"Yeah. I received an invitation."
"Hehe. This must be another sign of the bond between us~"
Luvia clasped her white silk-gloved hands together and fixed her gaze on Shirou's face.
"Shirou, could those glasses you're wearing be...?"
"Yeah. These are 'Mystic Eye Killers.' I borrowed them from someone I know."
Shirou adjusted his glasses as he spoke.
"I see. Just as I'd expect from you, Shirou. You came fully prepared."
In truth, Shirou had not prepared them specifically for this auction. He normally kept them at home as a precaution.
Ever since Illya learned to use her Mystic Eyes, Shirou had frequently found himself under attack.
Illya would use her "Binding Mystic Eye" to trap Shirou in his room and force him to play with her all night.
Shirou had brought the "Mystic Eye Killers" this time because he thought that even if he did not need them himself, he could lend them to Rin.
"Do they look strange on me?"
Luvia had been staring at him for so long that Shirou could not help asking.
The blonde girl shook her head. "Of course not. You look wonderful in glasses too, Shirou. They suit you perfectly!"
"Ah..."
Rin Tohsaka stared with her mouth half-open.
That was what I was going to say...
Only then did Luviagelita finally look away from Shirou and notice the black-haired girl standing beside him.
She examined Rin Tohsaka from head to toe, then slightly furrowed her elegant brows.
"Could you be Shirou's attendant...?"
"No. Um, actually, I'm..."
Just as Rin Tohsaka was about to explain, Luvia rested a hand against her chin and shook her head.
"My apologies. That was rude of me. You aren't Shirou's attendant... No, certainly not. I can sense it."
Rin Tohsaka gave her a curious look.
Luvia proudly puffed out her chest and continued, "I can feel it, you see."
"It may only be a sixth sense, but the moment I saw you, I knew you were no ordinary person."
"Even if it is merely intuition based on a first impression, for one who practices Magecraft, such intuition is a well-founded form of precognition."
Rin Tohsaka smiled. "Not a prediction, but precognition? Then your intuition must be quite impressive."
"And... I can tell that your intuition has never failed you before. Am I right?"
"Oh my... Is that your intuition speaking?" Luvia asked.
"Indeed. If we both acknowledge that we feel the same thing, then there's nothing strange about it.
"Because I also..."
"Possess remarkably accurate intuition. Correct?"
Luvia and Rin Tohsaka gazed at each other, then smiled in perfect understanding.
Watching them, Shirou felt a wave of relief.
Just as he had expected, Rin and Luvia would make wonderful friends.
It looked as though this would be a pleasant train journey after all.
"Forgive me for asking, but are you Chinese?" Luvia asked.
"Why would you think that? Ah... Could you tell?"
"Yes. Your stance and breathing alone reveal that you have a remarkably solid foundation in martial arts."
"You can tell all that just by looking? You're quite impressive yourself... I assume you've studied martial arts too."
"But your guess was wrong. I'm Japanese and practice Chinese martial arts. Though I'm not entirely Japanese by blood. I'm one-quarter foreign."
"I see. This is quite the unexpected encounter... Since we have such a rare opportunity, let us take the chance to become better acquainted."
Luvia extended a hand toward Rin Tohsaka.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Luviagelita Edelfelt, and I come from Finland."
"May I ask your name?"
Rin Tohsaka accepted her hand and replied, "Of course. My name is..."
At that moment, the long whistle of a train echoed across the abandoned platform, interrupting the girls' conversation.
By the time they recovered from their surprise, thick fog had already enveloped their surroundings.
London might have been known as the City of Fog, but this was not its usual gray haze. It was a white mist imbued with some form of Mystery.
Moreover, the platform that had held only the three of them moments earlier was now occupied by more than a dozen figures.
They were likely invited guests as well, figures of varying shapes and sizes standing silently throughout the station.
"It's here...!"
An ancient steam whistle sounded as a beam of light pierced the mist.
Elegant wheels emerged upon the tracks.
Next came a smoke-shrouded locomotive, its majestic form gradually revealing itself in full.
Its dark-gray body resembled a warship sailing across a sea of fog, traveling over ground where no tracks existed.
"——————"
The train slowly came to a halt. Its elegantly decorated doors opened outward like a line of Knights offering a formal salute.
Shirou was the first to step forward, with Rin Tohsaka and Luvia following close behind.
The car they entered appeared to be intended for guests.
A fresh, fruity fragrance filled the air. At the center of the lavishly decorated car stood a large table piled high with colorful fruit.
Shirou and the others found seats in a corner, then observed the guests boarding behind them.
Now that they knew everyone aboard was a Magus, this was an excellent opportunity to observe the wider world of Magecraft.
As it turned out, the passengers were an extraordinarily bizarre collection. There seemed to be someone of every imaginable kind.
A gentleman with the head of a lizard, an elephant dressed in a kimono, a little girl accompanied by a raven whom another little girl called "Professor"...
The car soon filled to capacity.
Everyone remained silent until Luvia suddenly asked in a low voice, "Shirou, how many auctions have you attended before?"
"This is my first. What about you?"
"It's my first as well. Oh my... We truly are bound by fate!"
Rin Tohsaka retorted inwardly.
That has nothing to do with fate...
Still, Luvia-san was certainly aggressive. Could this be a cultural difference between East and West?
For a Finnish girl to pursue a boy so openly... Something like that would be unthinkable in Japan.
But considering how outstanding Luvia herself was, what exactly did she see in him?
Well, Shirou is exceptional in just about every way. I'll admit that much... But does everyone really have to act as though they've been bewitched?
I don't understand.
Rin Tohsaka sank her teeth viciously into an apple, skin and all.
"Wow! Wow! Are you Shirou Amamiya-kun? I can't believe the Legend of the Clock Tower has graced us with his presence! What an honor!"
Everyone turned, and an excessively flashy, star-shaped eyepatch entered their view.
The girl who had abruptly appeared was around the same age as Shirou and the others. Her pink hair appeared to be dyed, and she wore a Lolita outfit that looked utterly out of place aboard a steam train.
With her snow-white dress covered in frills, she looked less like a Magus and more like some kind of internet idol.
The most striking feature of her innocent, adorable face was the ribbon-decorated eyepatch covering one eye.
"Another girl you know?" Rin Tohsaka whispered.
This one seemed even more over-the-top than Luvia...
Shirou innocently shook his head. He had never met her before.
"And you are...?"
The eyepatch-wearing Lolita girl cheerfully seized Shirou's hand, prompting an audible click of Luvia's tongue.
"Mm-hm-hm-hm! It may be presumptuous to introduce myself only after being asked, but I'm one of the 'Mystic Eye Girls' who are all the rage these days!"
"I am Yvette L. Lehrman, of the Mineralogy Department, Kischur!"
"As members of the prestigious Lehrman family, renowned for our Mystic Eyes, it is only natural that we are regulars at the Rail Zeppelin auctions! Click!"
A flood of unfamiliar terminology suddenly poured from her mouth.
The Mineralogy Department, Kischur...
Why did that sound familiar...?
Seeing his bewildered expression, Yvette smiled. "I'm Professor Kayneth's student."
"Ah...!"
Shirou finally remembered.
The Mineralogy Department. Wasn't that the department controlled by the El-Melloi faction, led by Kayneth Elmero Archibald?
Shirou did not know much about the Clock Tower's internal structure, but he knew that Lord El-Melloi presided over the Mineralogy Department.
"I see. So you're Kayneth's student."
The girl clasped Shirou's hand tightly and gave him a sweet, adorable smile.
"That's right! Professor Kayneth is always telling me about your heroic exploits!"
"I was so moved when I heard those stories. You were unbelievably cool!"
"To be honest, I'm a huge admirer of yours. I've wanted to meet you for the longest time————"
"Why tell such an obvious lie?"
"...Huh?"
"There's no way Kayneth would casually talk about me to outsiders."
The eyepatch wearing girl's smile froze.
After returning to the Clock Tower, Kayneth would never speak carelessly about Shirou, since he needed to conceal the truth of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
That did not mean Kayneth would refuse to discuss the experience altogether, but at the very least, he was not frivolous enough to tell his students about it.
"Why did you approach me?" Shirou demanded.
The atmosphere grew tense, and both Rin Tohsaka and Luvia turned serious.
"Ahahaha, you saw through me~"
Yvette released Shirou's hand. Staring at his face, she muttered, "...You're even more impressive than I expected."
"You really are..."
Luvia was just about to rise and confront her when Shirou stopped her.
Since he intended to keep a low profile, he did not want to cause a disturbance on the train.
Yvette admitted, "I'm actually a spy planted near Professor Kayneth."
"And, of course, investigating what Professor Kayneth experienced in the Far East ten years ago is part of my job."
Rin Tohsaka and Luvia both looked stunned.
As young Magi who aspired to join the Clock Tower, they had naturally heard rumors about its vicious factional struggles.
There was the Aristocratic faction led by Lorelei, the Democratic faction led by Trembelio, and the Neutral faction led by Meluastea.
Since Kayneth's El-Melloi faction belonged to the Aristocratic faction, the girl was most likely a spy for either the Democratic or Neutral faction.
Shirou had no interest in the aristocrats' infighting. His only concern was whether the Holy Grail War remained secret.
"How much have you uncovered?"
"I can't tell you that, but~"
The pink Lolita gave him a playful smile.
"Shirou Amamiya, the claim that you're a living legend at the Clock Tower... that part was no lie♡"
"As a special reward for seeing through my act, I'll tell you something. There's no point trying to keep a low profile on this train."
"After all, everyone in this carriage... every single one of them may look as though they're casually going about their own business…"
"But they've actually been watching you in secret from the very beginning."
"!!"
The girl's flippant words fell like a spark into hot oil, instantly setting the atmosphere ablaze.
No one said a word, but Shirou could sense the agitation spreading among the Magi seated throughout the carriage.
Shirou fell silent.
No wonder he had felt people staring at him from time to time, even while he was waiting on the platform.
So that was it... He had already been marked.
"Hey, you..."
Ignoring Luvia's protesting glare, Yvette casually sat down beside Shirou.
"Are you sure about this? Won't you make enemies of everyone here?" Shirou asked.
Yvette fiddled with her star shaped eyepatch, completely unconcerned.
"It's fine, it's fine~ Magi are creatures who become enemies of everyone else from the moment they're born anyway."
Shirou believed the girl might still prove useful, so he did not drive her away.
"You said I'm famous at the Clock Tower. What exactly did you mean?"
He was deeply frustrated. He had gone to such lengths to control the flow of information, yet had it all been for nothing? Had everything about the Holy Grail War already been exposed?
The girl tilted her head.
"It's an open secret at the Clock Tower."
"The Aozaki sisters and the Kuonji Witch are hiding a lover they share in the Far East."
"Ah..."
So he was not famous because of the Holy Grail War?
That was what she meant by a living legend...
Shirou was left speechless, while Yvette laughed brightly.
"Hehe... No one cares about some small scale Magecraft ritual in the Far East except my boss."
"What everyone really cares about is the scandalous relationship between you, the Aozaki sisters, and the witch."
"You managed to win over both Aozaki sisters even though they can't stand each other. Even that aloof First Magician, the princess of the Kuonji family, has fallen for you…"
"If that doesn't make you a legend, what would!?
"You're about the same age as me, yet you've already built such an outrageous harem~"
"Come to think of it, these two must be the newest additions..."
The eyepatch wearing girl cast a meaningful glance at Rin Tohsaka and Luvia.
"...Gulp."
The two of them swallowed nervously.
Yvette covered her mouth and gave them a seductive smile.
"No, that can't be right... The difference in their quality as women is far too great."
"You... You really are rude!"
"Exactly!"
Luvia and Rin Tohsaka slammed the table and rose at the same time.
They really were remarkably compatible, Shirou thought.
Yvette paid no attention to either of them. She leaned closer to Shirou and asked, "So, how about it? Will you tell me about your affairs with the Aozaki sisters and the witch?"
"Of course I won't."
"Aww~ Don't be so stingy. Tell me! Do the four of you have a foursome when you meet in secret?"
"You actually managed to make the Aozaki sisters reconcile in bed... That's incredible! Did you study the Art of the Bedchamber or something? Teach me!"
Shirou fell silent.
Despite her adorable appearance, the Lolita girl casually tossed out one outrageous term after another, including "foursome" and "Art of the Bedchamber." It made Shirou's scalp crawl.
For the sake of Rin and Luvia's education alone, Shirou wanted to throw her out of the train window immediately.
Just as he was about to tell Yvette to quiet down, a sudden chill swept over him.
"Shut that noisy mouth of yours... you dog of Meluastea."
"!"
Yvette's face turned deathly pale, and she quite literally lost her voice.
Shirou turned around.
Standing there was an emaciated old man with white hair and a white beard, as gaunt as a dead tree and leaning on a cane.
He wore glasses, while jewels covered his chest and fingers. Yet rather than looking luxurious, he resembled a corpse entangled in gemstones. He left an overwhelmingly bleak and lonely impression.
Nearly twenty leading Magi from various fields occupied the carriage, but the old man's aura was utterly unlike anyone else's.
His presence existed on an entirely different plane.
"Lord Eulyphis... He actually came!?"
Someone let out a trembling gasp.
The old man before them was one of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower, ruler of the Department of Spiritual Evocation and the Clock Tower's King of the Dead.
He was Kayneth's mentor and father in law, Rufleus Nuada-Re Eulyphis.
"So you are... Shirou Amamiya...?"
The old man gave an intensely contemptuous snort, scrutinizing the red haired boy with his murky gray eyes.
The boy, however, remained entirely unfazed by the oppressive gaze and met it without fear.
At that moment, however, Shirou failed to notice something.
Two girls slightly younger than him stood behind the Lord, silently watching him as well.
One was Reines Archisorte, a girl from a branch family of El-Melloi who had accompanied her uncle to the auction as his attendant.
The other was Olga Marie Animusphere, the daughter of a Lord. Her father, another member of the Aristocratic faction, had sent her as a perfunctory gesture to appease his superior.
***
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