43 Chapter 42: Two new faces
(Titus's POV)
I walked down the street with Shirou and Rin by my side, heading to meet my guardian.
"By the way, Titus, I've been meaning to ask, what do you do to earn a living? I'm sorry if it's personal," Shirou inquired. Rin also looked at me, clearly interested in his question. She had been a part of my life as my acquaintance for the past four years, having met her when I was 16. I used the term 'acquaintance' deliberately because I never considered Rin a true friend. That's why I kept my private life, including my source of income, to myself.
"Let's just say mages, in general, aren't great with managing money," I replied, glancing at Rin, who avoided my gaze. "So I assist them with their financial matters, providing advice and managing accounts. I also have a degree in this field, which comes in handy."
"YOU HAVE A DEGREE?!" Shirou and Rin both exclaimed in disbelief, surprised that I was involved in a qualified profession.
"When did you get a degree, and at such a young age?" Rin asked, clearly intrigued. Shirou shared her curiosity.
Indeed, in their world, earning a degree typically involves a lengthy process of attending college and dedicating several years of study to obtain a qualification. It's a common path that many individuals take, and by the time they complete their education and earn their degree, they are usually in their early to mid-twenties. This traditional route contrasts with the shortcuts and unconventional methods I used to acquire my qualifications, surprising Rin and Shirou with my achievements at a young age.
"In the West, there are plenty of shortcuts if you know where to look. Besides, I'm quite intelligent," I said, smirking confidently and flicking my hair. Both Rin and Shirou frowned; they weren't exactly the brightest when it came to academics outside the realm of magecraft.
"By the way, do I look handsome or something?" I asked, curious about my Charmer Skill.
I didn't know why but they behaved same with me. I had expected for at least Rin to blush when she would meet me but so far I didn't see such reactions.
"You look the same to me. Ask Rin if she's impressed," Shirou suggested.
"Why me?!" Rin protested, her cheeks turning rosy. She glanced at me and then looked away. "Y-you look a little better…. both in appearance and personality."
I was taken aback by her genuine compliment. Rin rarely praised me, given her tsundere nature, but this time, she shared her honest thoughts.
"Thank you, Rin. I'll treat you to dinner at any expensive hotel or restaurant you like," I said with a smile, and she beamed, clearly delighted.
"Yay~!" Rin cheered and followed me with newfound enthusiasm.
"Titus, on second thought, you do look very handsome and—hey, wait for me!" Shirou chimed in, hurrying after us.
We eventually arrived at a building, and after knocking on the door and receiving permission, we entered. Inside, we found a woman sitting on a sofa, sipping tea. She wore a white t-shirt and blue jeans, her striking features enhanced by her long crimson hair and blue eyes. Her curvy figure was also evident through her clothes.
"Welcome, little brother. You've finally decided to show up," the woman said, addressing me.
Ignoring her, I introduced her to Rin and Shirou.
"Aoko Aozaki, my guardian who rescued me from my demise. And she's also... a groomer."
"...What?" Rin and Shirou exchanged puzzled glances.
---
"Brat, you've got some nerve calling your guardian a groomer!" Aoko scolded me, pinching my cheek.
"When I was little, didn't you used to call me your H-boy?" I challenged. Rin and Shirou exchanged disgusted glances.
Aoko met me when I was 13, a lifeless body with newly awakened memories but lacking both financial and moral support. Aoko Aozaki, the second user of true magic, took me under her wing.
Despite her own financial struggles, she treated me like a little brother and recommended me to the Clock Tower since I didn't have any family support.
On the other hand, she also referred to me as her H-boy, a reference to Hikaru Genji. Since Tohno Shiki didn't exist, I had taken that role.
"I never said anything like that! Humph!" Aoko snorted, crossing her arms.
"Let's get down to business." I steered the conversation back to the main topic, introducing Rin and Shirou to Aoko. They were surprised to discover that the famous user of the 5th magic was my guardian. However, their fanboying was cut short when they saw Aoko, who appeared goofier than the dignified lady they had imagined.
I proposed that Aoko mentor Shirou, Rin, and Sakura with her family magecraft and implement a healing spell on their bodies.
"Hey, I have never agreed to take under anyone! What's this all about?" Aoko questioned my 'unreasonable' favor, and even Shirou and Rin looked concerned. But I silenced them with a gesture.
Aoko Aozaki, while not renowned for her brilliance, came from a prestigious mage lineage. The Aozaki family's reputation was unparalleled. Aozaki's healing magecraft was acclaimed as the most potent in the world. Regardless of how severely one might injure her, puncturing every last bone in her body, she would swiftly recover. Moreover, her spellcasting method was distinctive: she spun the magic circle to intensify her power and propelled projectiles at the speed of a bullet.
That's precisely why I requested her to impart her skills to the Japanese trio. My request was not unreasonable, considering I asked for what Aozaki already taught others, in exchange for something valuable. Additionally, I wanted them to forge closer connections with Aoko. In this world, relationships are crucial, and I aimed to facilitate meaningful bonds between them.
Anyway, to seal the deal, I took out a bank checkbook and began filling it in. "20K pounds for each of them, totaling 60K. Is that enough?" I raised an eyebrow. All three in the room were left speechless.
"Wh-wh-" Aoko stammered, turning pale at the large sum. Even Rin and Shirou gulped, astonished by my willingness to pay such an amount.
"Let's make it 100K then."
"No..." Aoko hesitated.
"Fine, how about 150K?" I suggested.
Aoko drooled, clearly tempted, but still didn't answer. Disappointed, I started to put the checkbook away. "Well then, I'll find another Aozaki. She would be a better teacher, I guess..." I began to rise, but Aoko grabbed my arm.
"Don't you fucking dare look for her!" In the end, Aoko reluctantly agreed.
---
Aoko and I found ourselves alone; I had asked the others to wait outside, as there were private matters I needed to discuss with her.
"You wouldn't go to such lengths to help someone like this. This isn't like you, brat," Aoko raised an eyebrow, her skepticism evident.
She was right. In this world, I hadn't trusted anyone, not even Aoko, but things had changed. I considered Rin and Shirou my friends now. Well, there were several reasons why I wanted to grow them stronger.
"Well, they are few people that I trust." I then looked at her, "That also include you, Aoko. Thanks for everything. I really meant it."
I wanted to trust Aoko. She was one of the few mages I knew who still held onto principles of honesty. If you've read 'Mahou Tsukai no Yoru,' where she is the protagonist, you'd know what a good person she is.
Aoko blinked a couple of times before blushing, clearly taken aback. "Y-you... You've really changed."
Well, of course. I was mentally older than her now, and I had matured significantly.
"Actually, there's something else," I said, hesitating for a moment before deciding to share my story.
Apart from Rin and Shirou, I had never talked about how I traveled back in time in my dreams, solving mysteries, and granting wishes of legends. But I had decided to trust Aoko too. There were several reasons for that. First, she had a pure heart since she had saved me out of pure kindness. Second, she was the user of the 5th true magic and had a lot of influence in all three Mage's Associations. Her help will come handy in my future activities.
"I... I don't know what to say…" Aoko was speechless, struggling to comprehend my story. Yet, she believed in me.
"Anyway, there's also the issue of the Beast of Humanity," I raised the main concern.
"I know, damn it!" Aoko frowned, clearly aware of the gravity of the situation.
I explained my plan to fight these disaster of Beasts of Humanity by creating an organization. Initially, I had considered funding Marisbury Animusphere to establish the Chaldea Security Organization, but I knew he wasn't trustworthy, especially if you've completed all the lostbelts in the game.
Why was I so concerned about the Beasts of Humanity? Well, if even one of them emerged in a world's timeline, others would follow suit until one of them destroyed that world just like in FGO. So, even though I wanted to face the Beast of Babylonia alone, I needed help in case other Beasts awakened in this world.
Hence, I intended to create an organization myself to monitor timelines for such anomalies.
"But you need to be at least a Pride-Ranked Mage yourself, along with support from two Lords," Aoko said, explaining the complicated mage hierarchy and the roles of the Lords.
Mages in Clock Tower were divided into seven ranks.
1. Grand: Crown= Touko Aozaki
2. Brand: Color= Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald
3. Pride: Law= Zouken Matou
4. Fes: Festival= Bazett Fraga McRemitz
5. Cause: Open= Ritsuka Fujimaru
6. Count: Eldest Child
7. Frame: Youngest Child
Mages in the Clock Tower were categorized into seven ranks, with Grand being the highest, a rank only held by Touko Aozaki, Aoko's sister. On the other hand, the Lords were families responsible for the management of Mystery in the modern age, akin to the rulers of the World of Magecraft.
I knew I wouldn't achieve these ranks immediately, given my current strength as a mage. However, I wasn't overly concerned, as I had foreseen reaching these ranks after my third main mission through my Odin's eye.
"I see," I said, rising from my seat. "I'll be asking for your help, and you can also rely on me more."
"Heh, don't worry, boy! Just drop by occasionally for drinks with your big sis!" Aoko said, casually patting my back.
I smiled and nodded. After a couple of seconds of silence, we shared a heartwarming hug. At first, it was genuinely heartwarming, but then my hands slipped to her butt, giving the mounts a gentle squeeze, and I suddenly became aware of her attractive figure.
"Brat! You've really grown up if you're getting so bold!" Aoko said, her cheeks flushed, though there was a hint of anger in her eyes.
"Don't forget how you used to touch me everywhere when we bathed together," I retorted, knowing she had a playful side too. She blushed even deeper, clearly surprised that I remembered those childhood antics.
"Hehe, anyway, goodbye," I said, planting a kiss on her forehead and giving her a playful squeeze before parting ways.
Leaving her room, I left Aoko blushing and stunned. I couldn't help but entertain the thought, 'Maybe I could pursue something with her too.' Considering my ambitions for a family in the future, the idea crossed my mind.
"Titus, you really shouldn't be spending money like this. I don't like it," Shirou expressed his concern as we walked together. He was right; I should have consulted them before making such decisions. To them, it might have seemed like unnecessary favors they didn't ask for.
"Things have changed. Right now, strength is what we need most. You'll understand my reasoning in the future," I sighed, trying to explain my actions.
"Okay, don't worry," Shirou smiled reassuringly. "We're here for you."
"Yeah, and now that something threatens our world, we all have to fight," Rin added, her determination evident.
I chuckled and nodded, feeling grateful for their support. They were truly exceptional people.
As we continued walking, Shirou suddenly brought up a strange topic while Rin walked ahead. "Hey, Titus... Have you noticed something unusual about Sakura?"
"Sakura?" I furrowed my brow, puzzled. "No, why?"
"She sometimes... How should I say this... She acts like a different person, or maybe it's just my imagination," Shirou said, his tone slightly wry. "Never mind, forget I mentioned it. Let's keep going."
"Hmm, that's odd," I muttered, feeling a sense of unease, though I pushed the thought aside for the time being.
---
I stood in front of a shrine in Japan, different from most shrines, as it was meticulously maintained and appeared as though it had existed for a thousand years. This was Tamamo-no-Mae's shrine, the place where we used to live.
Entering the shrine, I found it empty. Although there were a few structural changes, the shrine had retained its original style.
"Takeru-sama, is that you...?" I heard a voice, and turning around, I saw a shrine maiden with long pink hair and purple eyes. She wore her hair loosely tied in a low tail with a golden accessory and had low pink fox ears with earrings. Her attire was that of a shrine maiden with floral prints, and she wore sandals.
Recognizing her, I called her name, "Yae Miko?"
"Takeru-sama!" With those words, she leaped into my arms, hugging me tightly and shedding tears. It was an unexpected reunion.
---
We moved to her private room to talk.
You might know her as an Electro Character in Genshin Impact. However, in the Nasuverse, she was a kitsune who, after Tamamo's death, had taken over her shrine and grown from an ordinary fox spirit into a formidable presence.
"So, you helped maintain the new original proper human history..." I muttered.
Before my death, I had entrusted her with wealth and the task of preserving the records of proper human history.
But since both Tamamo and I died early, she had to remove our records. It was a difficult decision to frame Tamamo as a demon fox for both of us, but the threat of the Beast of Humanity was far worse.
"I... I was there when both of you were impaled by arrows... And I couldn't do anything. What's worse, I ran away when I saw that demon," Yae frowned, her eyes filled with guilt.
I comforted her, knowing that Draco was something not even Tamamo and I could defeat, let alone a tiny fox spirit like her at that time.
(AN: I have decided to call the Whore of Babylonia as Draco.)
"There's something else that Lady Tamamo-no-Mae hid from you," Yae Miko revealed. "Actually, she cursed the child in her womb before her death. She knew she couldn't match the Whore of Babylonia, so she cursed her child, knowing that it would be absorbed by that Beast."
So, Tamamo had projected the unborn child into her belly by placing curses on it. These curses had been transferred to Draco, preventing the Beast of Humanity from emerging immediately. Unless Draco fully matured into a proper Sodom's Beast, it wouldn't pose a threat to the timeline.
Now I understand why the Beast hadn't matured yet.
"I don't blame her. She did what needed to be done. It was my job to stop the Beast in the first place, but I failed," I sighed. "Tamamo loved her upcoming child more than me. I know how hard it was for her to make that decision."
The Whore of Babylonia was an alien that possessed the role of Beast through me. It was my responsibility to fight that monster, but instead, I let my two wives suffer and deal with it. Nero had sacrificed her life, and Tamamo had sacrificed her child to resist the Beast.
But I could only move forward.
"Anyway, the thing is..." I explained my plan to Yae Miko, the formation of an organization to combat the Beast and other threats to the timeline. I asked for her support, and she agreed.
With my Odin's eye, I could sense that she was several times stronger than me. Emitting a bright red color, she was likely at least Level 70 or so. After all, she was almost a thousand years old. Her support would be crucial in terms of raw power, and I wouldn't need strong mages for protection.
Yae Miko's smile brightened.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing, I'm just glad that Takeru-sama hasn't given up and has developed a committed plan. Lady Tamamo was really concerned. She even asked me to offer my body to lift Takeru-sama's spirits."
"Is that so…" I replied, my thoughts wandering to what Tamamo might have said. Considering my sex drive, I wouldn't be surprised if she had made such a request.
Taking a closer look at Yae Miko, I realized that she was a stunning beauty. She shared some similarities with Tamamo, like her pink hair and fox ears, but she had a different, mature allure. It seemed age had brought about a noticeable change.
As I pondered this, the atmosphere around Yae shifted. Graduating from being gloomy, she suddenly licked her lips and eyed me with predatory intent in her cold eyes. She got up and sat on my lap, her soft hips making contact with my thighs. According to my cultural senses, it was apparent that she wasn't wearing underwear. She then hugged me gently, placing her head on my chest.
"What's going on?" I asked, to which Yae Miko lifted her head.
"I'm not giving up on Takeru-sama being my 'first' mate. Lady Tamamo has given her approval, and I believe I deserve something after a thousand years of service," Yae Miko smirked, clarifying her intentions. I would be a total idiot if I didn't get her hints.
"It's still not enough. You need to 'earn' me." I said, not backing down. I might have been flustered if I were a young virgin, but I was a grown man mentally and already a husband of two women, albeit still a virgin in my current body.
"Hehe, then I will work hard for my Takeru-sama~!" Yae replied with a smile and placed her head on my chest again, expressing affection. "I've missed your warmth. I remember sleeping on your lap when you weren't tossing with Lady Tamamo."
I turned beat red from embarrassment. I only treated Yae as my house pet, never really minding her presence during my and Tamamo's sex time. But who would have thought my house pet would grow into such a stunning woman and then come for my dick?
'Well, it can't be helped,' I shrugged and embraced the kitsune, enjoying a heartwarming moment. We talked for the rest of the day.
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