July 2003.
Even in midsumr, London stayed cool. The highest temperatures barely reached 25°C, and the daily average hovered around 15°C—cool enough that one needed to bundle up at night.
Still, in the courtyard of this elegant mansion on Sulla Street, the atmosphere was anything but chilly.
Reines focused her magic into her fingertips, preparing to command her Mystic Code, "Volun Hydrargyrum," to strike the figure before her. But just as her well-prepared attack made contact with Shiomi, it lost its edge, slipping entirely from her control.
With nothing more than a simple gesture, extending his index finger, Shiomi parried her assault using a subtle spell.
"Not bad. In that case—"
Emboldened by the exchange, Reines prepared for another strike, her fla-hued Mystic Eyes glowing with even more intensity. But the surge in power disrupted her control over her Magic Circuits. She winced, eyes clenched shut in pain, and reached into her pocket for the special eye drops she always kept on hand.
Through her barely opened left eye, she caught sight of Shiomi approaching. He extended his finger once more, this ti touching her forehead.
A faint glow emanated from his fingertip—an energy like the gentle awakening of spring, quiet and restorative. It flowed into the nerves linked to her Mystic Eyes, dispelling the burning heat from the overload.
Her mind cleared again.
"That's enough for today's practical lesson. Pushing further won't help you," Shiomi said, retracting his hand and walking to the edge of the courtyard.
A table and tea set waited in the shade. He casually poured himself a cup.
"What a sha, ending so soon?" Reines remarked with a trace of regret.
But it was just for show.
Reines El-lloi Archisorte knew her limits. Even with the aid of her specially formulated eye drops, she was in no shape to continue channeling her Magic Circuits today.
"You're really sothing, though, teacher—able to suppress my Mystic Eyes when they overheat." She sat across from Shiomi with a curious smile. "The more I see, the more convinced I am that my brother made the right call in hiring you."
Shiomi remained impassive. "It's not particularly difficult. The issue is that during an overload, you can't spare the attention to manage it yourself. And Lord El-lloi II isn't exactly suited to this kind of task."
Moreover, Reines wasn't one to easily trust others. In a state of overload, the only one she would allow near enough to apply corrective Magecraft was her tutor.
Naturally, Shiomi had only earned that level of trust in the last two years.
"That move you used to stop Trimmau's attack just now—is that the sa one you used to kill my brother?"
As they transitioned from training to rest, Reines posed the question again. The "Trimmau" she referred to was her rcury maid, ford by further rewriting her personality through Volun Hydrargyrum—her most prized Mystic Code.
From the start, Reines had no grudge against Tenkei Shiomi for killing Kayneth. As a child, she was just another overlooked mber of the Archisorte branch, never soone a prodigy like Kayneth would bother noticing. Their connection was purely one of blood.
Over ti, as their trust grew, Reines beca genuinely curious about how exactly Shiomi had killed Kayneth.
When Kayneth's body had been returned to the Clock Tower, the autopsy only reported that he died from a cursed blade piercing the heart. The curse had rendered El-lloi's Magic Circuits useless, leaving no chance for recovery.
But from 1999 to now, four years later, Reines had never once seen Shiomi wield a weapon.
If anything, he resembled a textbook Magus more than a combatant.
And the official after-action reports from the Holy Grail War—shrouded by competing interests—remained vague and contradictory. No matter how many tis Reines reviewed them, she couldn't piece together a clear picture of Kayneth's final monts.
"That was just a rune ant to disable weapons," Shiomi replied, silently counting in his head.
The twenty-sixth ti.
Since becoming Reines's tutor, this was the twenty-sixth ti she'd asked that question, and Shiomi still had no intention of revealing any real details.
"I figured."
Reines had studied Rune Magecraft as well. Exceptionally gifted, she had already noticed that while they were using the sa runes, the results from Shiomi's hands were on an entirely different level.
"There's no difference in the Magecraft itself. The difference is the caster," Shiomi said, raising an eyebrow. "You've never been in a real battle. You lack experience. Don't worry about it."
Reines sighed. Another evasive answer.
She had asked El-lloi II before, but his replies were always along the lines of, "That man is among the most exceptional Magi."
"More importantly, Miss Reines," Shiomi said, "I'd like to take a week off starting next week."
His work as Reines's tutor was about as intense as being a lecturer at the Clock Tower, and the pay was generous—it was obvious Reines was serious about keeping top talent close.
"Oh? You want ti off? Sothing going on at ho?" Reines asked curiously.
She was already quite familiar with Shiomi's daughters. She hadn't yet decided if she should consider them friends, but the connection was growing.
From what she knew, Sakura was only studying the basics of general and individual foundation classes, taking standard Magus course exams. Caren, on the other hand, had been recomnded to attend El-lloi II's lectures.
It was now July. The Clock Tower would soon begin its sumr recess. Reines had assud the break would start in August, so she didn't expect Shiomi—who rarely took leave except on formal holidays—to suddenly ask for a full week.
"Sothing like that," Shiomi said, setting down his teacup. "I've got to go out with my wife for a bit. We won't be leaving the UK, so a week should do."
Reines rested her chin on her hands and gave Shiomi a suspicious look.
She knew Shiomi was married, but she had only seen his wife—Aesc Shiomi—four or five tis over the years. Despite her clearly Western features, she had a Japanese na.
It was mysterious on every level.
"It's nothing serious. El-lloi II needs to investigate sothing," Shiomi added. "If you're curious, just ask him."
Catching the unmistakable glimr of curiosity in Reines's expression, Shiomi smoothly redirected her attention—and quietly made a ntal note to send El-lloi II an apology later.
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