Thinking about it, Nero decided not to dwell on the matter.
Love at first sight was always driven by attraction, and true feelings developed over ti. Even arranged marriages required a period of adjustnt, so it made no sense to consider being drawn to soone's appearance as a lesser form of romance.
Logically speaking—
She had grown up without ever experiencing love before, so she wasn't quite sure how to handle it. She had been a little anxious, but after talking with Eiji, she felt much more at ease.
For a mont, neither of them spoke, and they simply enjoyed the warmth of the hot spring in silence.
"By the way, Nero, do you know about the Seven Unbelievable Legends of the Academy?"
Eiji suddenly recalled sothing, and his expression gradually turned peculiar through the misty steam.
"Hmm, I know a little, but not all of them."
Nero snapped out of her thoughts and pondered for a mont. "Speaking of which, one of the legends actually involves you. It says that anyone who sees the divine smile will end up bending their preferences. I've heard it's quite accurate."
"Uh… has the student council ever compiled statistics on how many students have been 'bent'?"
"That would be a privacy issue, right? What kind of student council would keep records on sothing like that? Besides, whether they bend or not is their personal freedom. I wouldn't interfere in such matters."
"What about the other legends?"
"The others, huh…"
Nero furrowed her brows in thought, as if struggling to recall.
"There's one about the music room emitting beastly howls at night, another about the hidden self shrouded in mist, a treasure that can grant any wish… and also, if you wander around campus too late at night, you might accidentally stray into another world. As for the last two, I don't rember."
Wait, hold up.
What the hell?
That's a lot of information!
Eiji had never paid attention to this sort of thing before. He had only just learned about the legend of the divine smile yesterday, so these new stories hit him like a ton of bricks.
The beastly howls from the music room were whatever—nothing imdiately strange about that.
But the hidden self shrouded in mist? Now that sounded interesting.
Given that this world had so many Heroic Spirits in an obscured state, and even Eiji himself had spent fifteen years in a dormant spirit state, there was a good chance this legend carried so real significance.
A treasure that can grant any wish? Isn't that basically the Holy Grail?
Even though there shouldn't be a Holy Grail in this iteration of the Type-Moon Academy, Eiji had searched various places before. If even soone like Aoko Aozaki could seamlessly integrate into this world, it wouldn't be surprising if figures related to the Holy Grail War started showing up later.
And wandering too late at night could lead you into another world?
What kind of "another world" are we talking about?
It was unlikely to be the work of magi—those who upheld the secrecy of mysteries wouldn't openly manipulate a school like this. Could it be the realm of fae?
Surely they didn't an different parallel worlds within the Type-Moon multiverse… right?
"Where did these Seven Unbelievable Legends co from? How accurate are they?"
"Who knows? They just gradually ford over ti. No one really bothers verifying them."
Nero didn't seem to care much.
Eiji suppressed his growing curiosity and chose not to react just yet.
Even without solid proof, his instincts told him that Type-Moon Academy was bound to be at the center of sothing much larger—a major focal point of change.
Aoko Aozaki's arrival was likely just the opening note of this transformation.
"Enough about that. Eiji, you saw my body—don't you have any thoughts?"
"It was fantastic!"
"Hmm! More complints, please!"
"But… I don't feel particularly motivated~"
"Hmm… then I shall grant you the privilege of admiring up close!"
"… Is this so kind of tornt?"
"Even I get shy, you know!"
"Then how about you admire instead?"
"On it!"
A while later, the two of them left the hot spring room one after another.
***
"Pardon , but did you and the young lady… do it?"
Mata Hari, the maid, took advantage of a mont when no one else was around to stop Eiji and ask in a conspiratorial tone.
So direct.
"Completely pure."
Eiji answered nonchalantly.
Nero had ultimately decided not to rush things. Though she had been practically drooling, she had restrained herself, and Eiji had no reason to push the issue.
"I see. That's good, then."
Mata Hari let out a breath of relief, then straightened up and spoke seriously.
"If you truly intend to be with the young lady, I suggest you et with the chairman of the Roman Financial Group first."
With that, she turned and left.
The chairman of the Roman Financial Group?
Isn't that Grand Founder Romulus?
Could it be… he's a doting father?
That would be troubleso.
Eiji silently muttered complaints to himself.
***
That Night.
At the Minamoto residence.
Raikou had returned early from the shopping district today, bringing back so leftover desserts from the store. Apparently, the shopkeeper had given them to the employees as a bonus.
"Ali, I heard you had a sword match at school yesterday and won?"
After dinner, the family of three enjoyed their desserts while chatting.
"Yeah, yeah! Brother, when did you even learn swordsmanship? You even beat the captain of the Kendo Club!"
Souji chid in eagerly—she had been curious about this since yesterday but had forgotten to ask.
"It was just a fluke."
Eiji waved his hand dismissively. "Didn't I practice swordsmanship a little when I was a kid?"
It was true—he had picked up a sword for a couple of years when he was younger. But later, his focus had been on searching for connections to the Reverse Side of the World, so he hadn't trained seriously in a while.
"So, just from dabbling for two years, you managed to defeat a national champion? Since when was my brother this talented?"
"Don't underestimate your brother, little Souji!"
"But isn't that great? As long as Ali stays healthy, I'm happy!"
Raikou was as cheerful as ever, simply beaming at Eiji.
"But since you're so skilled in swordsmanship, I actually have an acquaintance whose family is looking for a good sword instructor. Would you be interested?"
"Too much hassle. Pass."
"I heard she has several beautiful daughters~"
"Wait a minute, Mom! Isn't Brother already dating soone?"
Souji was stunned.
What kind of mother actively sets her son up like this?!
"Mind the wording—he was found by his girlfriend."
"A daughter-in-law should be chosen carefully!"
Raikou clasped her hands together, putting on a pleading expression. "She's a good friend of mine, and when she heard Ali was amazing with a sword, she asked to introduce you. For my sake, please~?"
"Alright, fine. It's the weekend tomorrow, so I'll go take a look."
Eiji nodded, then added, "Just to be clear, I'm not the type to chase after girls. I never take the initiative. I stay pure and virtuous—everyone can vouch for that!"
The golden rule of a 'non-player'—Never chase! Never refuse!
No matter what happens, no matter how many girls gather around , it's never my fault!
Eiji was beginning to understand how this worked.
"Ali is the best!"
Raikou cheerfully hugged him again.
***
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