I'm Not A Master, I'm A Director (Type-Moon Fanfiction) - Chapter 44: You've Drank Too Much

Despite having dinner with Touko that evening, nothing significant happened between them. As Shinji had mentioned earlier, the dinner was merely a bribe to persuade Touko to accompany him to the Clock Tower.

Touko was not pleased with Shinji trying to win her over with just a meal. After all, she was one of the contemporary world’s top crafters of magical tools. She believed that her worth was worth more than a single dinner, maybe at least two!

This indicated that Touko, in addition to being knowledgeable in magecraft, had a rather limited perspective.

Inviting Touko to the Clock Tower was not a random decision but the result of careful consideration. Shinji had two primary objectives for this visit.

The first was to inform Kayneth and Waver about the shooting of Fate/Zero and discuss preparations for the filming schedule.

The second was to strengthen collaboration between the various magus families, so they would contribute to Shinji’s entertainment empire.

However, Shinji was well aware that these magus families were not to be underestimated. After the success of FSN, they might have some ulterior motives. Taking Touko along was a precautionary measure to discourage any of these magus families with hidden agendas.

It wasn’t that Touko had any exceptional qualities, but her presence symbolized Shinji’s attitude: “If you push me too far, I’ll collaborate with native Japanese magus instead!”

As a wandering magus who had traveled the world, Touko understood the implications of Shinji’s choice. Still, she agreed to be part of his strategy, considering the luxurious dinner as a bonus – an all-expenses-paid trip to England.

In this world, Touko wasn’t under the Mage’s Association’s restrictions, so she could freely enter and exit the Clock Tower.

“The air in this country is as terrible as ever.”

Shinji, dragging a suitcase, walked through the streets of London. He looked up at the misty sky and commented.

“Yeah, it’s gloomy all year round,” Touko, who followed behind him, nodded in agreement. “The high humidity here affects my craft as well.”

“It really is miserable.”

Shinji chuckled nonchalantly.

Upon arriving in England, Shinji didn’t head directly to the Clock Tower. Instead, he took a stroll around the city to check on FSN’s promotional work. After enjoying a leisurely meal at a restaurant, he finally set out for the Clock Tower, located in the outskirts of the city.

People often have misconceptions about British cuisine, and the jokes about “British dark cuisine” are as prevalent as those about French cuisine.

However, if you’ve lived in the UK for a while, you’ll realize that British food isn’t as terrifying as people commonly think. Many of the bizarre dishes attributed to British cuisine, often joked about online, are things that even many British people don’t eat, and some might not even know about them.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that British cuisine is exceptionally delicious. When compared to French or Italian cuisine, British food might not have the same gourmet appeal. British desserts, on the other hand, are known to be quite good and are famous across Europe.

But like most British dishes, these desserts are often laden with butter, to the point of being greasy, which may explain why there are so many overweight people in the UK.

In consideration of their health, Shinji hardly indulged in British desserts, merely nibbling on a small piece of biscuit.

“Even so, I find them quite heavy,” Shinji said with a touch of resignation, smacking his lips.

At this point, Shinji and Touko had already entered the outskirts of London, and in the distance, a building similar in style to Big Ben was emerging through the fog.

In truth, the location of the Clock Tower wasn’t extremely remote, but due to the wards set up to discourage people, there weren’t many pedestrians on the streets. Instead, Clock Tower magi hurriedly passed by the two of them.

“What a waste,” Shinji complained as he felt the familiar magic of the wards. “Using the energy of the ley lines for something like this is pointless. It would be better to use it to summon Heroic Spirits.”

Touko pushed up her glasses and replied somewhat sarcastically, “You know, for those old folks, ‘preserving mystery’ is the most important thing.”

“If that’s the case, then they shouldn’t admit ordinary people with magical potential as students every year,” Shinji sneered. “Maintaining a balance between hiding and revealing, they’re really masters of being contradictory.”

Touko shrugged. “There’s no way around it. Those old men have a flexible moral bottom line when it comes to ‘preserving mystery.’ After all, there’s no one left to inherit their magecraft, so maintaining secrecy has lost its meaning, hasn’t it?”

It was clear that both Shinji and Touko had little respect for the old fogies at the Clock Tower. They chatted and made their way toward the headquarters of the ancient institution.

It was tea time, and the streets were filled with students from the Clock Tower who had no classes. Some of them sat alone in a corner, quietly working on assignments, while others gathered with their companions, sipping tea and chatting.

As Shinji passed by, many students greeted him:

“Hey, Shinji. You’re back.”

“Long time no see, Mr. Matou.”

“Hello, Mr. Matou.”

…

“You’re quite popular,” Touko remarked to Shinji, who was waving at people. “Unlike me, no one recognizes me anymore.”

“That’s because, School Director, you graduated several years ago, right? I was here just last year.”

Shinji boasted proudly.

Before Shinji could bask in his popularity, someone deliberately raised their voice and heckled him, “Matou, are you back at the Clock Tower to pick up girls again?”

Shinji widened his eyes and said, “How can you make baseless accusations like that!”

“What baseless accusations? I saw you harassing one of the Atroholm girls last time, huddled together in a corner doing who knows what,” the accuser continued.

Shinji blushed and argued, “Is striking up a conversation with a girl considered ‘picking up girls’?— ‘Picking up girls’— how can you call it that when this genius is just expressing his admiration for the ladies?”

This was followed by a series of incomprehensible phrases like “magecraft exchange” and “fluid transaction,” causing everyone to burst into laughter.

The streets were filled with a festive atmosphere.

“It’s clear that you’re quite popular,” Touko teased from behind.

“Cough, these kids. They’re just jealous of me,” Shinji seemed to forget the fact that he was younger than these students.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they learn about the harsh realities of life,” Shinji muttered at a volume only he and Touko could hear. “I’ve remembered those who were heckling. I hope they won’t choose the Modern Magecraft Theory curriculum, or I’ll show them what endless homework is like.”

Slap!

Suddenly, Touko grabbed Shinji’s shoulder, leaning in and asking, “That’s quite an evil revenge plan. But I have a question I’d like to clarify.”

“Please go ahead.”

A drop of sweat formed at Shinji’s temple, and Touko’s grip on his shoulder made him feel uneasy.

“Earlier, that person mentioned the Atroholm family. It couldn’t be the same Atroholm family that I know of, could it?”

“Well— I’m not very clear on the surnames of those magus families. Anyway, it’s getting late, so let’s hurry to the Clock Tower…”

Just as Shinji tried to escape, Touko grabbed his head directly.

“You rascal, you actually found your way to my teacher’s house because of a girl!”

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

After Shinji swore to the crystal chandelier at Kayneth’s house that there was no substantial relationship between him and the Atroholm girl, Touko finally released him, and the two continued on their way to their destination—the Clock Tower’s Modern Magecraft Theory department.

Bam! Bam!

“Kayneth! I’m here to visit!”

Without anyone announcing his arrival, Shinji unceremoniously bangs on Kayneth’s office door.

“Shinji Matou!! How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that!!!”

Kayneth, who was busy grading student papers, saw an uninvited guest and his temples started pulsating as if he had a migraine.

However, Shinji seemed oblivious to Kayneth’s constipated expression. He swaggered into the office and plopped himself onto the couch, eyeing Kayneth’s office as if it were a noble’s opulent reception room, rather than a teacher’s workspace.

As one of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower, Kayneth’s office was far from what one might expect of a teacher’s workspace—it was more like a luxurious meeting room of a noble.

Shinji ran his hand over the sofa’s armrest, mentally estimating how much this antique furniture could be worth.

As for the lord, whose forehead was pulsating with visible veins, Shinji had already disregarded him.

Seeing that Shinji continued to ignore him, Kayneth inhaled deeply to calm his irritated state of mind.

“Professor…”

The student standing near Kayneth’s office trembled, unsure how the normally suave Kayneth had suddenly turned furious.

In order to not become the outlet for the professor’s frustration, the student tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

“Hmph.”

Even though Shinji’s actions infuriated Kayneth, he hadn’t reached the point of venting on the student.

He gave a cold hum and then addressed the student, “I have a guest right now. I’m postponing your thesis guidance until tomorrow morning. By the way, go find Professor Waver, and tell him I need to speak with him.”

“Alright.”

The relieved student rushed out of the office as though he had received a pardon.

“Hey, Shinji, don’t push it too far,” Touko prodded Shinji with her elbow, whispering a reminder.

Her impression of Kayneth was actually positive; he was one of the few Lords at the Clock Tower she didn’t dislike, much like her own teacher. Unlike the Kayneth from Fate/Zero, who was both a Lord and a prodigy, this world’s Kayneth, while exceptionally talented, hadn’t earned the title of prodigy. In the environment of the Decline of Mystery, his talents, though outstanding, were not enough to set him far apart from most magi.

For Kayneth, this turned out to be a good thing; he wasn’t as arrogant and dismissive of others as his counterpart from Fate/Zero, who was celebrated for his bloodline and ethereal reputation. Instead, Kayneth valued the individual talents of each student and recognized that talent went beyond bloodline and name. It was Kayneth who had recognized Waver’s remarkable talent in magical theory and accepted him as his apprentice, even though Waver’s bloodline was unremarkable.

This open-minded approach endeared Kayneth to many Clock Tower students. He was a strict and serious scholar when it came to academics, yet warm and approachable in his daily interactions.

It was this flexible style that made Clock Tower students appreciate Kayneth, and it was something that impressed Touko.

In response to Touko’s reminder, Shinji remained nonchalant.

“It’s fine. Kayneth and I go way back; he won’t mind.”

“Nonsense. If I minded, you would have driven me to an early grave.”

Kayneth retorted with annoyance, placing the teapot with tea leaves on the coffee table.

Touko noticed that the teapot had no water in it and was about to ask if he had forgotten when Shinji extended his hand.

“That’s nice. I always prefer the black tea here. It’s top-notch.”

Shinji casually placed the canister of black tea into his pocket, and then poured water into the teapot from a bottle.

Snap

With a snap of Shinji’s fingers, a small flame flickered at the bottom of the teapot.

“???”

Touko was left with a puzzled expression as she watched Shinji’s familiar gestures.

Kayneth, on the other hand, had grown accustomed to it.

“You’re still the same, never drinking the local water in England.”

“No need to state the obvious. The water here is too high in calcium; drinking too much will make you go bald.”

Shinji emphasized his point with a glance at Kayneth’s forehead.

“Looking at your hairline, it’s clear you’ve been drinking a lot this year.”

Crack

The teacup in Kayneth’s hand developed a crack.