To Become a King and a Magician 601-605

Title: Rei’s Management of Naoki

In Chaldea, the training room was rarely used.

Only Mash, Ritsuka, and Gray ever came there—because operational staff were few. And for Naoki, who operated far beyond normal human limits, ordinary exercise offered little benefit.

So, at this moment, the training room should have been empty.

But when Naoki and Gray arrived, they found someone already inside.

“Huh… Huh… Huh…”

Circling the vast training floor, Olga Marie—wearing a tight sports outfit—continued running. The sweat dripping from her body suggested she’d been at it for some time, and likely hadn’t used any Magecraft.

For a Magus, this was an extremely rare sight. At least, Naoki rarely saw Magi voluntarily training their physical bodies. The last time he’d seen such dedication was before he joined Chaldea.

“Huh… ten laps… Haah…”

Once she reached her self-imposed target, she slowed to a stop beside a chair. Marie reached for the towel on the seat to wipe the sweat from her face and neck—but as she bent down, she happened to spot Naoki and Gray standing nearby.

“Gray, Natsukawa. You two hardly ever come to the training room.”

“And you? Why all of a sudden? I asked you to join before—you never agreed.”

After drying her face and neck with the towel, Marie picked up her water bottle and took a sip. “Ugh… Hmm, no special reason—just rehabilitation.”

“Rehabilitation… Rei’s Magecraft Regeneration should be flawless. Or have you just not fully adjusted yet?”

“Something like that. Besides, I’ve been thinking it’s about time to train my body again. Otherwise, all the martial arts I learned in class will be returned to you, Teacher.”

Hearing Marie call him that, Naoki couldn’t suppress a smile. “That’s a title I miss. You still remember I was your teacher. Back then, you’d sneak into my room late at night to complain—I didn’t see a shred of respect for your instructor.”

“Ugh! That was as Director—not as your student! And I graduated from the Clock Tower ages ago. You’re not my teacher anymore either. That was just teasing, okay?”

“Yes, yes, yes, I know, Your Excellency Director.”

Seeing Marie’s flushed cheeks, Naoki waved his hand casually. “By the way, this is a rare opportunity. Want another class after all these years?”

“Eh?” Marie blinked in surprise. “A… martial arts class?”

“Yes. You still have stamina left. Revisiting old lessons isn’t bad.”

“I’ll ask first—are you going to knock me out again like before?”

“Ahahaha, no way.” Naoki shook his head. “And I’m not saying I’ll be teaching you—Assistant Gray, please take over for me.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

At the same time.

In the cafeteria, upon hearing Ritsuka’s sudden question, even Rei felt momentarily puzzled. Manaka inside her mind immediately went on alert.

【Another seductress… Let me handle it—I’ll disrupt her emotional state with mental operations】

(Wait, don’t rush)

【There’s already not enough to go around—if there are more, it’ll get worse】

(I think we’re misunderstanding—or perhaps there’s a backstory. Let’s ask for details first. From experience, ninety-nine percent of cases aren’t what you imagine.)

【Ask carefully.】

Watching Ritsuka’s nervous expression, Rei smiled gently. “That’s quite a sudden question. Why are you asking this, Fujimaru?”

“Oh, this… Ugh… Actually, Aoko-san asked me to help.” Ritsuka confessed frankly. “She said the Department Head has very close relationships with women—he often brings girls home. So she wants me to keep an eye out, in case any ‘seductive women’ show up.”

“But based on my observations of the Department Head, I find it hard to judge what counts as crossing the line by Aoko-san’s standards. So… Rei-san, as his fiancée, surely you’d know.”

【Hmm… This child is good-hearted. No threat detected.】

(Manaka, you switched gears too fast. But she really is honest—and sweet. Aoko too… why does she do things like this? Doesn’t she know we’re watching?)

Rei could guarantee that, as long as she remained in Chaldea, the scenario Aoko imagined would never happen. She had always been meticulous in managing every aspect of Naoki’s personal life.

“I understand… but I can only say that Aoko is overly worried.” Rei laughed. “As you said, Master does maintain friendly relationships with most of the women in Chaldea—but aside from me, he maintains no physically intimate contact with anyone else.”

“Eh… really?” Ritsuka sounded skeptical. “I remember the Department Head once said the Director comes to his room every midnight. That doesn’t count?”

“Yes. After all, Marie only visits to vent—to Master. She never crosses any boundaries. At most, she asks him to stroke her hair. It’s simply her own way of relieving stress. During the day, she’s Director, burdened with responsibilities. Only at night can she let loose without caring about appearances.”

If Marie heard Rei’s assessment, she’d likely smirk bitterly.

Had she known Rei was tucked under Naoki’s covers, would she dare merely ask for her hair to be stroked? Every single time she went, she summoned every ounce of courage!

“But if you truly want to know, Fujimaru, you only need to observe the relationship between Touko and Master.”

“Eh? Touko-san?”

Ritsuka pictured the mature woman with orange hair who lived permanently in the workshop like Da Vinci.

“Why?”

“Because, from Aoko’s perspective and position, Touko is the most dangerous target. I suspect the real reason she gave you this task is so you’d watch Touko.”

“After all… for a younger sister, having an older sibling who’s brilliant—and constantly bickers with them—can sometimes be exhausting.”

-

Title: The Event Has Begun!

The second morning after the first Singularities had been successfully resolved.

Although, due to the Burning of the Human Order, normal time flow no longer exists outside Chaldea, within Chaldea itself, this was now the second morning.

As Ritsuka awoke from her bed, the searing pain coursing through every muscle made her inhale sharply.

“Oww… Oww… Oww… I was really pushed to the limit by the Department Head…”

Yesterday, because she’d asked Rei a few questions, Ritsuka had arrived late to the training room—just as Naoki had demanded. As punishment, she endured a full day of brutal training.

Long-distance running, squats, pull-ups, weighted sprints, push-ups, sit-ups… nearly every form of physical conditioning imaginable, all delivered at extreme intensity.

Because of it, last night she hadn’t even felt like eating dinner. As soon as training ended, she collapsed straight into her room and fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. Now, for the first time since then, she was awake.

“Let’s see… 8:18 a.m.—time for breakfast.”

If she could, Ritsuka would have gladly sat down and walked straight to the cafeteria. Since she hadn’t eaten dinner yesterday, she was starving. But the agony radiating across her entire body made even shifting position unbearable. If she tried standing or walking, she was certain she’d collapse onto the floor immediately.

“I’ll have to walk while holding onto the walls…”

That was the only way she could move right now.

With great effort, she grabbed the clothes laid out on the chair beside her and dressed herself. Using the bedframe to pull herself upright, Ritsuka bent forward and began shuffling slowly toward the door, gripping the wall with both hands.

The cafeteria wasn’t far from the residential area—it had clearly been designed with accessibility in mind. Even moving this slowly, Ritsuka reached the cafeteria quickly. And as soon as she stepped inside, three familiar figures came into view.

“Good morning, Senpai.”

Mash greeted Ritsuka immediately: “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, good morning, Mash… Not really. With this whole-body ache, ‘sleeping well’ is impossible.” Ritsuka gave a wry smile. “Director and Gray-san, good morning too.”

Marie immediately frowned. “Good morning—but don’t speak to me so casually, newbie. Just because you saw my vulnerable side yesterday doesn’t mean our relationship improved, got it?”

“...”

Her embarrassing side yesterday?

Ritsuka paused thoughtfully. “Ah—you mean when Gray threw you to the ground with a throw—”

“Stop! Who told you to say that—Agh… Oww… Oww…”

Before Marie, face flushed with humiliation and fury, could finish speaking, her body suddenly stiffened. She quickly grabbed the edge of the table and lowered herself into a seat.

Seeing this, Ritsuka asked cautiously: “Director… you’re also feeling sore all over?”

“Ugh… Miscalculation. You can see it…”

“In light of yesterday’s training regimen, it’s perfectly natural.” Gray said gently with a smile. “Rest well today. I’ll go prepare breakfast. Wait here for a moment.”

Ritsuka nodded vigorously. “Yes, thank you, Gray-san. But rest… I’m afraid the Department Head will pop up out of nowhere again and drag me back to the training room.”

Just imagining the scene, Ritsuka shuddered involuntarily—and a chill ran down her spine.

Gray shook his head softly. “Don’t worry. I think Big Brother won’t wake up until noon. He has other matters to attend to this afternoon. So today, Fujimaru, you can rest properly.”

“Hooray!”

No training? That was wonderful! Even though she knew skipping exercise might cause problems later, with her body half-dead from pain right now, Ritsuka absolutely did not want to train!

But…

“Why did the Department Head only wake up at noon? Did he oversleep?”

“That…”

At the mention of the topic, Gray’s expression tightened slightly. He awkwardly turned his face away. “Well… hmm… he just slept too long. Big Brother does tend to oversleep.”

“The Department Head is truly lazy. Aoko-san said before he didn’t come to help because half of him just wanted to be lazy.”

“Ahahaha…”

Gray, still facing away, let out a helpless sigh.

(Sister Rei… she said she didn’t want to, but she completely ignored me. Honestly, Big Brother has no idea how to refuse her.)

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Not long after.

As Gray predicted, throughout the entire morning and into noon, Naoki did not appear anywhere in Chaldea. It wasn’t until after lunch—around 1:30 p.m.—that he finally showed up in the control room, looking as if he’d just rolled out of bed.

“Good morning, everyone… Hoam~~~~”

“Good morning, pal! It’s already afternoon!”

Roman scolded Naoki as he yawned. He scanned him from head to toe, then gave him an “I-know-what-happened” look. “Got exploited again?”

“Yes. As agreed. My back is killing me.”

“You two really have a blissful married life. Now I’m starting to wonder—if Chaldea used soundproof materials during construction, was it really for the sake of secrecy… or because of this?”

“My situation ten years ago wasn’t like this. We had shift schedules. Now, only Rei shares my bed like this.”

Shift schedules?!

(I’m so jealous of you, Department Head Natsukawa!)

(Better yet—this revelation is sensational!)

(Does he actually have a harem? Where’s he from?)

(Most likely he’s joking. The Department Head is barely twenty—he couldn’t possibly have a harem.)

(True…)

(That’s an eighteen-year-old high schooler’s fantasy.)

After exchanging several knowing glances, the staff in the control room shared a collective look of disgust toward one person—then returned to their work.

Meanwhile, having finished teasing Roman, Naoki turned serious and focused on the mission: “How’s the status of the Singularities? Have we investigated the next one?”

“Fairly well. Aside from the first Singularities we’ve already resolved, the second one—the one with the smallest fluctuation—has also been analyzed. My plan was to let Fujimaru and the others rest for two more days, then begin o… p… e… r… Hah?”

Roman stopped mid-sentence. His face instantly twisted into disbelief.

Below, the staff monitoring CHALDEAS via Sheba mirrored Roman’s stunned expression, staring at the screen.

“This…?”

“What’s wrong, Roman?”

“Natsukawa… Look at this!” Roman urgently pulled Naoki over. “Besides the six existing Singularities, now… two new ones have appeared?!”

-

Title: It’s Definitely Super Safe There

To date, Chaldea has observed a total of eight Singularities.

Fuyuki and France.

Excluding the two already resolved, six remain.

But now, through Sheba, it was clearly visible: above the crimson CHALDEAS, two new points of light had appeared. Analysis from the control room confirmed reports identical to those of known Singularities.

【Two new Singularities have emerged】

This was instantly understandable to everyone in the control room. And once they grasped the implications, the same feeling surfaced in every heart—

—Fear.

They had only just completed two Singularities—and now two more had appeared. Recalling Naoki’s earlier words—that Singularities were created by the final enemy Chaldea must confront on its path to repairing the Burning of the Human Order: King Solomon—a terrifying thought took root in many minds.

Could it be… that he could generate Singularities at will? Even if one was resolved, he could immediately spawn another?

If so, would their mission to repair the Burning of the Human Order—ever truly end?

“Everyone, calm down.”

Naoki’s voice suddenly echoed throughout the control room. Like a freezing wind cutting through summer heat, it instantly cooled the anxiety gripping every soul.

With both hands braced on the commander’s table, Naoki stared at the reports before him. After a long silence, he spoke again.

“I believe these two new Singularities were not created by King Solomon.”

“Eh?” Roman frowned. “Why do you say that?”

“Has there been any major event in Japan significant enough to alter the course of human history? And not just one—but two?”

At Naoki’s question, Roman fell silent. Others in the room quickly accessed Chaldea’s databases and began investigating.

After several minutes, a hesitant voice spoke up: “Department Head… if it’s World War II… isn’t Japan also a crucial part of that?”

“That’s only one. And World War II didn’t occur on Japanese soil. These two newly emerged Singularities are located within Japan?” Naoki said, zooming in on the locations of the two new Singularities.

“Moreover, the locations of these two Singularities…”

Having visited Japan multiple times, Naoki held a clear mental map of the country. If his memory served him right, the two new Singularities were situated—one in Tokyo, Japan, and the other… in Mifune City.

Naoki didn’t know what had happened in Tokyo—but if it was Mifune City, it was almost certainly connected to certain people there.

Of course, this was only speculation. To confirm it, the most direct method was—

“Roman, the analysis of the second Singularities is nearly complete.”

“Understood.”

“Then from now on, begin analyzing the two newly emerged Singularities. Focus on identifying the historical eras in which they occurred. Set aside Tokyo for now. But if it’s Mifune City, I may recognize the situation simply by knowing the era.”

Naoki’s confident tone made Roman narrow his eyes slightly. “So confident? Are you that familiar with the place?”

“When I went to Japan, I stayed at my fiancée’s house there.”

“...”

There’s another one?!

Does your fiancée live everywhere?!

If looks could kill, Naoki would be dead right now. Remember—Chaldea was full of single staff members. Hearing that a man barely twenty years old had so many fiancées… how did he even dare?

The murderous glares couldn’t be hidden.

Envy, jealousy, and outright hatred now filled the eyes of every unmarried male staff member. Seeing several personnel glaring daggers at him, Naoki merely looked away and pretended not to notice.

But emotions were emotions. The professionalism of Chaldea’s staff remained unquestioned—they swiftly began analyzing the general conditions of the two new Singularities.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“Eh?! Go home?!”

A few minutes later.

Ritsuka rushed into the control room after receiving an emergency meeting alert—and the moment she stepped inside, she heard Naoki drop the bomb on her.

“Go home… You mean back to Japan?”

“Yes, more specifically—back to Mifune City.” Naoki replied, displaying the current CHALDEAS status to Ritsuka. “These two Singularities appeared suddenly moments ago. In Japan, two Singularities have emerged consecutively—in Mifune City and Tokyo. And the Singularities in Mifune City occurred in the year 2015.”

2015.

Right now!

“Although this is only a hypothesis, I suspect Mifune City within this Singularities hasn’t been affected by the Burning of the Human Order. It’s like an oasis in the middle of a desert—no anomalies have manifested.”

“In fact, although it resembles a Singularities and has been classified as one, what we call an ‘anomaly’ depends entirely on comparison. If we consider the outside world—devastated by the Burning of the Human Order—as ‘true history,’ then Mifune City, untouched and intact, naturally becomes a ‘Singularities.’ That’s how I interpret it.”

Listening to Naoki’s explanation, Ritsuka nodded slowly: “So… what does that have to do with me going home?”

“As implied: since this location is a ‘Singularities,’ we can send you there via Spiriton transfer. Consider it a vacation after completing the first Singularities. Why not take this chance to return home and see your parents?”

“Eh?!”

“Eeeh—?!”

Roman’s shocked cry drowned out Ritsuka’s gasp.

“Wait, wait, Natsukawa—you’re seriously considering letting Fujimaru go to that Singularities alone? Without any equipment? Not even Mash or Akuta accompanying her?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“No! Absolutely not!” Roman slammed his fist on the table. “It’s too dangerous! After all, it’s still a Singularities! If she encounters danger—”

“Relax. I can’t guarantee safety anywhere else—but within Mifune City, I can assure you Fujimaru will face absolutely no danger.”

Naoki spoke with absolute certainty.

“And I understand your concern, Roman. After all, three capsules are available. If Fujimaru wishes, she can bring Mash along with her. This is also a valuable opportunity for her. Isn’t that right, Roman?”

“A chance for Mash to leave Chaldea… and truly step into the outside world.”

-

Title: Free-Falling from 3,000 Meters

Thirty minutes later.

Watching Ritsuka and Mash fully clad in operational uniforms, Naoki pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s just a home visit. I already said you didn’t need to wear combat gear… Roman, you’re overreacting.”

“This is standard protocol.” Roman declared firmly. “After all, it’s still a Singularities. I will not allow them to go without proper preparation!”

Naoki sighed and shrugged. “Fine, fine—do as you wish. Anyway, I doubt there’ll be any combat there—so, Fujimaru, Mash, let me reiterate the situation of the Singularities you’re heading to.”

“This Singularities is located in a city called Mifune in Japan. Its temporal era is 2015, synchronized with Chaldea’s subjective time. I don’t think I need to explain the details of the place—Fujimaru has lived there for over ten years; she knows it far better than I do, who only visits once a week.”

“At the same time, there is no mission this time. You don’t need to retrieve the Holy Grail, nor fight any enemies. Your only task in this Singularities is simple—‘rest.’”

“Fujimaru, take good care of yourself there. Reunite with your family and assure them you’re safe. As for Mash, until now you’ve only known the outside world through my stories or data logs. Now is a rare opportunity to step into the real, modern world. Do whatever you want—enjoy yourself.”

Standing there, listening to Naoki’s pre-mission speech, Ritsuka and Mash fell silent for a moment—then smiled.

“I understand, Big Brother. Thank you so much for giving me this chance.”

“Then I’ll go home and have fun, Department Head… Ah, but what if my family asks about what I’m doing here?”

“Hmm… Tell them you work for a foreign company. After all, Chaldea has many overseas organizations. I’ll send you a list of names later—just pick one.” Naoki chuckled. “Your rest period will last two days—exactly one weekend. We’ll use Spiriton transfer to retrieve you at noon the day after tomorrow. Be ready beforehand.”

Ritsuka and Mash nodded, then stepped into their respective capsules.

Giving Roman a signal that he could initiate the Spiriton transfer, Naoki glanced at the remaining empty capsule—this time, Hinako was not participating. Though expected, Naoki felt he should speak with her about this behavior.

Outside operations, she needed to build relationships with Fujimaru and the others. Despite the vast generational gap between a woman thousands of years old and a teenage girl, it wasn’t impossible to bridge. Women could become close simply by talking.

(Ugh… But I don’t really get this. I’ll ask Rei and Gray later. What’s it called again? ‘Girl’s club’?)

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The Spiriton transfer didn’t take long.

For Ritsuka and Mash, the sensation of being submerged in fluid vanished almost instantly.

In its place came the feeling of free-falling through the air.

No—correction.

After opening their eyes and clearly observing their current situation, Ritsuka was certain—

She was plummeting through the sky!

“Wuaaaaaaahhh?! Why are we in mid-air?! Parachute! Is there a parachute?!”

“We didn’t bring equipment like that, Master!”

【Hmm… Did we miscalculate the coordinates? Or was this intentional?】

Roman’s voice crackled through Ritsuka’s bracelet.

【Current altitude: three thousand meters. You’re continuing to fall. Without any protection, you’ll hit the ground and become paste.】

“Department Head, help us!”

Like grasping a lifeline, Ritsuka screamed for help.

【Ugh… Even if you beg, I can’t fly down and save you immediately. What if we perform an emergency Spiriton transfer right now to retrieve you?—Idiot, Natsukawa! That would cause massive disruptions! The calibration required to enter and exit a Singularities takes at least one or two minutes. By then, Fujimaru and Mash will already be dead.】

Roman’s voice cut in sharply.

【But Mash should be fine—she’s a Demi-Servant. The problem is Fujimaru.】

“Department Head, don’t say things like that! Isn’t there any way to save us?!”

【I’ll ask Da Vinci if she can send you parachutes immediately—Wait, hold on! There’s an emergency! I’m detecting a powerful Mana signature rapidly approaching you!】

“Eh?!”

The sudden alert from Naoki jolted Ritsuka and Mash.

Mana reaction? At an altitude of three thousand meters?

【Right in front of you. You should be able to see it by now.】

“Yes, I see a fast-moving object flying through the air.”

Following Naoki’s direction, Mash quickly spotted the source of the Mana signature.

By appearance, it looked like an aircraft—but unlike any plane Mash had ever seen. Moreover, there shouldn’t exist a golden, gleaming aircraft anywhere in this world.

And perhaps Ritsuka and Mash weren’t mistaken—the moment the golden craft drew near, shimmering golden ripples appeared around it—

【I’m reading multiple Mana signatures! This power… is it a Noble Phantasm?!】

*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*

As Roman’s voice rang out, golden star-like projectiles erupted from the ripples and shot toward Ritsuka and Mash!

Without hesitation, Mash grabbed Ritsuka’s hand, pulled her tightly into her arms, and instantly summoned her shield—placing it directly in front of them.

*KLANG!*

The impact was brutal. With no ground beneath them, no anchor point, no resistance—just one strike was enough to send Mash’s shield spinning wildly out of her grip!

(Great—)

Mash’s face turned pale.

And at that exact moment—

【Fujimaru, Mash—shout my name as loudly as you can. I believe the person in that aircraft won’t attack you.】

“Eh? Really? Department Head, don’t lie to me!”

【True, true. If my guess is correct, the person aboard that aircraft… knows me. Saying my name aloud should be perfectly safe.】

Hearing this, after exchanging glances, Ritsuka screamed with all her might:

“NATSUKAWA NAOKI—!”

*SWOOSH!*

Almost the instant the cry ended, every golden star projectile vanishing mid-flight. Their falling bodies were suddenly wrapped in glowing chains, yanking them forcefully upward toward the deck of the golden aircraft.

Bouncing hard against the metal floor, Ritsuka couldn’t help rubbing her sore backside.

At that moment, a pair of golden boots slowly approached. Looking up, Ritsuka saw a blonde woman with twin braids, clad in ornate golden armor—yet strangely, her upper torso was exposed, wearing only a delicate undergarment.

“I believe I heard my master’s name just now.”

The blonde woman gazed down at Ritsuka and Mash with cold, unreadable eyes.

“Explain why you uttered my master’s name, outsiders.”

-

Title: The Strongest—in a Certain Sense

“Master?”

Hearing the term from the blonde woman before her, Ritsuka and Mash paused for a moment, then asked hesitantly: “Um… the ‘Master’ you mean—is that the Department Head?”

“Department Head?”

The blonde woman slightly furrowed her brow. “Who exactly is this ‘Department Head’ you’re referring to?”

【That’s me, Angelica—Fujimaru, activate the projection on your bracelet. Let me speak to her directly.】

“Ah, got it!”

Ritsuka immediately pressed her bracelet, and a glowing screen materialized on the deck between them, revealing Naoki’s face.

Seeing the image, Angelica swiftly dropped to one knee on the floor. “Natsukawa-sama.”

【Hmm… It’s been a while, Angelica… No, correction—I saw you just last month when I returned to Mifune City.】

“Yes.”

(So she really is someone the Department Head knows… By the way, here’s another beautiful blonde woman who treats the Department Head as her Master. Could he have a thing for this type? Rei-san has the same traits too.) Ritsuka thought.

After glancing at Mash and herself once more, Angelica turned back to Naoki and asked: “Since Natsukawa-sama appeared in this manner, does that mean these two are your guests?”

【You could say so. You see, I’m currently stationed at Chaldea. They’re both subordinates of mine. They came here to visit their families—but according to calculations, they should’ve materialized in a narrow alley. Somehow, they ended up in mid-air.】

“As for that.” Angelica explained, “I believe it was caused by the numerous Noble Phantasms I’ve deployed.”

【Noble Phantasms you’ve deployed? What’s going on in Mifune City… Well, given the circumstances, it would be strange if nothing were happening. Tell me your situation here, Angelica. And also, update me on Shiki and Atalanta.】

“Understood.”

Angelica proceeded to recount everything that had recently transpired to Naoki.

It had begun about two weeks ago. Shiki—who was currently under Angelica’s service—suddenly ordered her to extract a large portion of her Noble Phantasms from her collection and scatter them across all of Mifune City. Using the city’s ley lines, she constructed an invisible barrier encompassing the entire urban area.

Though she didn’t understand why Shiki had done this, Angelica obeyed without question. Afterward, Shiki even commanded her to conduct periodic aerial patrols.

“That’s essentially the situation.”

“Additionally, Ryougi-sama and Atalanta-sama have experienced no unusual events. Currently, Atalanta-sama has just finished teaching. As for Ryougi-sama, since giving me that order two weeks ago, she has remained inside the main residence.”

Shiki hasn’t left the house?

【Hasn’t she gone out for her nightly walks anymore?】

“No, not once since then. Given Ryougi-sama’s nature, this is highly unusual.”

Not merely unusual—it was an anomaly on par with a shift in natural law. For context, Shiki had maintained her nighttime strolls for nearly twenty years. She’d leave at least five nights a week; spending entire nights away was commonplace years ago. Only after formally assuming leadership of the Ryougi family six years prior had she slightly curtailed her habits.

After a brief silence, Naoki spoke.

【Angelica, please take Fujimaru and Mash back to the Ryougi residence. There are several things I wish to discuss directly with Shiki—Forgive me, Fujimaru, Mash. I promised you rest, but it seems I’ll need to borrow a little of your time.】

“It’s fine, Department Head. After all, this appears connected to the Burning of the Human Order. This isn’t the time to relax.”

“I agree with Senpai. Please don’t concern yourself with our feelings, Big Brother.”

【I don’t think it’s that serious. I simply want to ask a few questions.】

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

A few minutes later.

The Ryougi Residence.

Seated on the Vimana that had landed before the gate, and carried gently down by Mash after leaping from the aircraft, Ritsuka stared at the grand mansion ahead—and her eyes widened. “This is the Ryougi residence?”

【Yes. The Ryougi family were once among Japan’s four great demon-slaying clans. But they changed professions long ago. Now, they’re a local power controlling both the underworld and legitimate society of Mifune City. In essence, there’s no place in Mifune the Ryougi family can’t reach. Perhaps even the school you attended for years was secretly funded by them.】

“So they’re incredibly wealthy…” Ritsuka asked curiously. “By the way, the Department Head mentioned you return to Mifune once a month… What do you actually do when you come back?”

【You know Atalanta is my fiancée. Naturally, I return to visit her. I can’t just abandon her because of Chaldea’s affairs. But if I must be honest—the reason I come here is only half about Atalanta. The other half… as you see now—is coming to the Ryougi residence.】

【Shiki, the head of the Ryougi family, and I… have been close friends for a very long time. Back then, when I was studying Puppet Magecraft, Touko and I temporarily lived in Mifune. That’s when I met Shiki. I spent those days risking being stabbed by her daily.】

(Can you call that “close friends”?)

Hearing Naoki’s words, everyone in Chaldea—including Ritsuka and Mash—exchanged bewildered expressions.

【But I didn’t stay long in Mifune. I was quickly recalled by my master, Kayneth. After that, the Misaki Incident occurred, and then I was thrown into a parallel world by the Old Man of the Jewel. When I returned, there was the Holy Grail War ten years ago… Since then, I rarely came back. Only after my duties at the Clock Tower stabilized did I begin returning roughly once a week each month.】

“The Department Head is really busy…”

【Fairly so.】

“We’ve arrived.”

At that moment, Angelica, leading the way, suddenly stopped before a door. She raised her hand and knocked softly, then pushed the door open just enough to slip inside. Kneeling within, she bowed deeply. “I have returned, Ryougi-sama. Two guests from Natsukawa-sama have arrived. I’ve brought them.”

*SWOOSH!*

Accompanied by a soft whisper like a breeze from within, the half-open door swung fully open from the inside. A dojo stood revealed before Ritsuka and Mash. In its center sat a stunning woman with long, flowing black hair cascading like a waterfall, dressed in an elegant kimono, seated upright as if in deep meditation.

Opening her eyes and gazing toward the doorway, the woman smiled faintly. “Hard work on patrol, Angelica. And… you two are Natsukawa’s guests?”

“Ah… Yes! I’m a student… Ugh… of the Department Head. My name is Fujimaru Ritsuka. Pleased to meet you.”

“I am Mash Kyrielight. It’s my honor to meet you for the first time.”

For some inexplicable reason, under the gaze of the woman before them, Ritsuka and Mash simultaneously felt as though they were standing before a princess of incomparable nobility. Unconsciously, they stiffened.

“Fujimaru Ritsuka… and Mash Kyrielight?”

Rising gracefully from the dojo floor, the woman approached them.

“Welcome to the Ryougi residence. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Ryougi Shiki, head of the Ryougi family.”