Chapter 204: The El-Melloi Classroom

Chapter 204: The El-Melloi Classroom

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

The voice was getting closer, from above and descending, accompanied by increasingly obvious tremors. If you listened closely, you could even discern the voice spiraling downwards.

It seems someone had tumbled down the stairs, all the way from the third floor to the first.

Just as Shinji came to this conclusion, a person came tumbling out of the stairwell.

To Shinji's surprise, this young man, not much older than Shinji himself, sprang up from the ground the moment he hit the floor, seemingly unaffected by the fall from the upper level.

The young man, having regained his footing, wasted no time in brushing off the dust on his clothes, and looked up to shout, "You barbarian, you bumped into me again."

"Sorry, it's because you're too short, I didn't see you," the apology came with a distinct lack of sincerity.

The other young man was also a teenager, but in contrast to the first one's slender build, he was considerably taller. Standing side by side, the difference between them was as stark as that between a professional basketball player and an ordinary person.

"Do you want to fight?" the shorter youth glared, raising his fist.

"I don't want to be accused of bullying the weak," the taller one taunted, crossing his arms.

"Who's the weak one is yet to be seen," the shorter one threw a punch.

Though the punch seemed to miss, the moment it was thrown, the air in front of it suddenly solidified, as if an invisible lead ball had been thrust forth, hurtling towards the taller youth's face.

The tall young man remained motionless, and a sound of indistinct meaning escaped his lips. The air projectile, as if encountering a sturdy wall, was deflected and bounced back.

Coincidentally, this solidified air bullet, upon colliding with the magically reinforced ceiling of the school building, was redirected and its trajectory now aimed straight at Shinji's forehead.

Shinji sighed helplessly and raised his empty left hand, shattering the air bullet. For someone like him now, even a real lead bullet could be crushed with a single palm strike, let alone this magically conjured air projectile.

It was only then that the two young men, the taller and the shorter, noticed Shinji's presence in the entrance hall and quickly ceased their confrontation.

"I'm so sorry, really sorry about that."

"Apologies, I didn't notice, are you alright?"

"It's fine," Shinji smiled, not taking it to heart.

Compared to when the Fourth Holy Grail War had ended, Waver had undergone significant changes. His stature had grown from under 170 cm to over 180 cm, his round face had become more angular, and his once-short hair now reached past his shoulders, though traces of his youthful features still lingered around his eyes.

As Shinji closed the door, he greeted Waver.

"Hey, long time no see."

Waver looked up at the sound, abruptly standing up from his chair, visibly surprised.

"Shinji Matou?"

"It's me."

"How did you - where's the professor?"

Shinji didn't immediately answer, first activating a few rune seals, then speaking.

"Lord Kenneth is still in Japan. He asked me to come over in advance to prepare for his return a few days from now. You know many don't want to see him here."

"I see."

Waver nodded in understanding. Even just taking over the El-Melloi classroom for a time had drawn the ire of many, let alone being the head of a faction. Shinji had not announced his visit ahead of time, likely to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

"What are you planning to do? Is there anything I can assist with?"

"First, I need to gather intelligence. I've already made arrangements for that. As for you... Just provide me a place to stay for the next few days, so that you don't get kidnapped or worse."

The news of Kayneth's impending return had caused quite a stir. As the source of this information, Waver would undoubtedly face immense pressure, and Shinji was here to prevent this pressure from turning into tangible threats.

Kayneth had warned Shinji more than once that the factional struggles within the Clock Tower were as treacherous as the conflicts between nations, and due to the hidden and unique nature of magecraft, the level of cruelty was even higher - it was all too easy for someone to simply disappear without a trace.

That's why Shinji was here.

As one of the most important investments for the Matou family in the next 20 years, anyone who dared to harm Waver would have to answer to Shinji.

=====

Support Me At /AbsoluteCode