Shinji Matou at Your Service

With Shinji's promise in hand, Waver felt a great deal of relief and, after agreeing on the delivery time, got up to leave. Shinji had only promised to provide combat equipment; Waver still had other preparations to make himself, like arranging classes, organizing personnel, packing, and so on. With only three days left, time was tight.

Shinji remained seated on the sofa in the same position until Waver closed the door behind him. Then, he finally stood up, a hint of apology crossing his previously sincere expression.

"I'm sorry, Waver. There's another reason I recommended Caules—the mastermind behind this will disguise himself as Caules and stay close to you. While it's not impossible to expose him, doing so would make it much harder to catch his fox tail later. His disguise ability is only second to Touko's Cinderella. Instead of letting him lurk in the shadows, it's better to keep him where you can see him."

With his chin propped on his hand, sighed, somewhat helpless.

"I originally wanted to use this opportunity to help Waver help him for the last time, but it seems like that's not going to happen. Things never go as planned. No, it's not time to give up yet. I can make some modifications to the equipment. Your supposedly perfect disguise will become your greatest mistake."

A smile brimming with lethal intent curled on his lips.

"Come to think of it, your existence is also a threat to the Holy Grail War. Although you weren't supposed to interfere according to the original plot, my intervention has already changed things. Now I have another reason not to let you off. If I remember correctly, you were kidnapped by fairies once. How interesting, I also have some teachings from the Fairyland. Let's see whether your Fairy Privilege is stronger or my Wisdom of Dún Scáith is superior. Since you've made your move, it's time for me to respond."

As he spoke, Shinji picked up his phone and dialed a number that had been dormant for three years but had recently been reactivated.

"Hey, Touko, it's me."

"I can't return for now; I have two troublesome matters to deal with and might need your help."

"Rita Rozay-en, one of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, is a good friend of yours, right?"

"Don't ask how I know, just tell me if you can contact her."

"As long as you can reach her, I want you to ask her to ensure Waver's safety on the Mystic Eye Collection Train."

"Remembering your exploits from back then?"

"Hahaha, that Rozay-en lady has a big heart, becoming friends with you after you messed up her event. That's true love right there. When will you introduce me? I'd like to meet someone with taste as good as mine—no, as good as a vampire's."

"Relax, relax, even though I do some moonlighting as a Dead Apostle hunter, your friend is different."

"Yeah, it's three days from now."

"Not sure if it'll be in time? No worries, do your best. I have other preparations too."

"That's it for now. I need to call some other people. Bye for now~"

Since the Mystic Eye Collection Train began operating, there have been disturbances, but all were swiftly crushed by the train's powerful measures—except once.

In the 1980s, Touko and the Lugh Beowulf caused a disruption, leading to the cancellation of the auction. But that incident was suspicious in itself.

Before Touko's incident, the train only operated in Northern Europe. Afterward, its route expanded to all of Europe, making it seem more like a business expansion than a disruption.

Even more interesting, the train's special sponsor list included a notable name: Rozay-en Eye and Glasses Shop. This name remained as a sponsor until the Lugh Beowulf left Touko during the events of Mahou Tsukai no Yoru.

This was Shinji's most crucial evidence for suspecting a connection between Rita Rozay-en and Touko.

With this promise from the train's owner, Shinji could finally be at ease—if Touko managed to contact her friend in time.

Rita Rozay-en, the Fifteenth Seat of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, is a rare second-generation Ancestor—meaning she inherited her castle and status from a blood-related Dead Apostle.

A woman who claims to be an artist, she has peculiar hobbies even among Dead Apostles and is a hedonist who does as she pleases. Because of her similar nature, she became good friends with Touko. Like Touko, as long as the situation is interesting enough, getting her help isn't difficult.

However, her character is even more twisted than Touko's. Despite being a hedonist, she is perpetually unfulfilled, leading her to be trapped in boredom, indulging in decadent pleasures day after day. It's not uncommon for her to shut herself away for ten days to half a month. As Touko mentioned, three days might be cutting it too close.

Fortunately, Shinji has other connections.

"Hey, Kenneth, it's me, Shinji. Long time no see."

"Well, we've been in touch, but we haven't talked about this kind of stuff, so it feels like it's been a while."

"Don't worry about it, don't worry about it, I'm just talking to myself."

"Hey, hey, don't be so heartless. We've known each other for ten years. I know this is your experiment time, and I wouldn't disturb you if it wasn't important."

"Your star student Waver is in trouble."

"Don't worry, you don't need to step in, and it wouldn't be suitable for you to anyway. Just let me pick something from your treasure vault. You wouldn't mind, right?"

"I knew it, you're getting more generous with Waver. Ah, I wish I could have taken a picture of how smug you were back in the day."

"Alright, alright, I'll spare you the embarrassment."

"I'll come by at noon for lunch. I just found something good."

…

"Hey, young lady, it's me. You don't have any other afternoon tea appointments, do you?"

"Great, save it for me. I need your help with something."

"I'll explain when we meet. If we're lucky, I might even bring you a big gift."

…

"Hey, it's me. I need a batch of weapons."

"There's no time to place an order. I need them in a day. I'll come by and pick up whatever you have."

…

"Hey, I need two miniature satellite positioning devices, the latest model."

…

After making nearly ten calls, Shinji finally set down his phone.

The people he contacted ranged from high-ranking lords of the Clock Tower to mercenaries on the battlefield and double agents navigating both the mystical and mundane worlds. These were the connections he'd accumulated over ten years. Though he rarely needed to use them, when the time came, they could unleash tremendous power. Now, that power was starting to show.

"Can you and your Servant withstand this? The inaugural head of Modern Magecraft Theory, once a major figure in the Clock Tower, now a renegade, Dr. Heartless."

Veteran powerhouses and new-generation monsters are about to clash in a fierce showdown on the stage known as the Mystic Eye Collection Train.