Chapter 8: Troublesome Life In The Clock Tower~
Touko struggled to get up from the bed, recalling the events of the previous night.
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she felt. "Beast!" she muttered.
The ordeal had lasted for a full six hours non-stop, with her biting her lips and enduring Rizel's relentless "effort" for the entire duration. It was only now, at midday, that she finally woke up.
Her entire body felt utterly exhausted. If Rizel hadn't restricted her from switching bodies, she would have already considered changing into a new one.
But Touko could only think about it because, currently, this body of hers was the most perfect one she had ever had. Besides, after such a long time of being "nurtured" by Rizel, the energy from the Third Eternal Mechanism had continuously strengthened her body, making her reluctant to give it up.
Little did she know, Rizel actually held back. After all, his stamina was now practically limitless. If he wanted to, he could continue pounding her for as long as he wished... ahem.
Touko tied her hair into a ponytail and headed to the dining area, noticing a plate of food left on the table. A wave of sweetness filled her heart.
"This demonic cooking skill is truly amazing," she thought.
Rizel had specially prepared this for her. After all, since Rizel was the only one who could consistently be up and about every day, the task of cooking naturally fell to him. Over time, Touko had become accustomed to his meals, spoiled by his cooking.
With his superior memory, Rizel had spent the past six months honing his culinary skills, and now his cooking surpassed even that of the famed Emiya Shirou.
Of course, there was a purpose behind this as well. It was part of his preparation for an upcoming encounter with a certain King of Knights.
Bam!—Two figures landed in the courtyard.
The entire mansion was under the protection of Touko's surveillance barrier, so she immediately sensed the arrival of guests while still in the dining area.
Touko stepped into the courtyard and saw a handsome young man and an extraordinary beauty. It was Rizel and Ryougi Shiki.
Seeing Rizel holding Ryougi Shiki by the waist, Touko couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
With a dissatisfied tone, she remarked to Rizel, "Tch, I was wondering why you came back so early today. So it turns out you brought a beauty along."
Touko recognized Ryougi Shiki and was aware of their relationship. Although Ryougi Shiki did not stay there most of the time, often residing at the Ryougi household, over the past six months, Rizel frequently brought her back to the mansion for short stays.
The relationship between the two could be considered as 'allies' united to deal with Rizel, but there was no doubt that both were suppressed by him.
To be honest, she could consider herself the "third wheel," but Rizel shamelessly said to them:
"I don't distinguish between the third wheel or the fourth, you are all my wings. I just want to give you a warm home."
Hearing Touko's jealous remarks, Rizel smiled and used his other arm to grab her hips as he pulled her into a hug.
"What's wrong? A Grand Mage like you eating vinegar?" he teased.
"In a few days, I'll be heading to the Einzbern family, of course, to engage in a long-awaited 1v2 battle."
Upon hearing Rizel's words, both Ryougi Shiki and Touko blushed and shyly retorted, "Tch, how shameless."
When the three of them entered the house, a familiar emissary flew in.
Rizel looked at him and realized it was an emissary of Hōseki Okina, probably here to summon him to the inner courtyard for something.
It seemed that there was some matter that required his attention. So, the three of them headed toward Hōseki Okina's office.
... ... ...
As the three walked down the corridor of the Clock Tower Academy, they encountered a tall, blonde man with an aristocratic bearing.
Rizel smiled upon seeing him. "Ah! The old man, are you going to see your fiancée again today?"
Indeed, this man was Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, known as Kay, the head of the Brand Mage Department, the Minister of Mineral Sciences, and a high-ranking professor in the Spirit Science Department.
He was the head of the Archibald family and the first of the Twelve Lords of Clock Tower.
His name alone was enough to make one wary, but in reality, he was more like a lapdog, being fond of the Minister of Spirit Science, Sola-Ui Nwazare Sofiari, whom he had already been betrothed to.
Because of the joy of seeing his fiancée, Kayneth participated in the Holy Grail War, only to have one of his own students steal the Holy Relic. To continue participating, he had to use something else as a substitute.
As a result, he summoned Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, a servant with some skill, but his fiancée was inevitably attracted to the inherent skill (the "beauty mark" attraction) that Diarmuid possessed.
He was overshadowed by his own Servant, and in the end, he was abandoned in Fuyuki. The general situation could be summarized as a "dog licking" tragedy—nothing going right.
When Rizel greeted him, Kayneth's lips trembled slightly. "Rizel, you can call me Kayneth, Minister, not 'old man.'"
"Okay, old man! No problem, old man!" Rizel laughed.
The sound of laughter echoed, even Ryougi Shiki and Touko couldn't help but laugh.
Kayneth sighed, unable to do anything about it. After all, Rizel was his creditor.
Indeed, Rizel's gemstones were something everyone would buy, which led to many people in Clock Tower owing him debts, including Kayneth.
As the head of the Mineral Sciences Department, Kayneth's debt was the largest.
Without saying anything more, Kayneth quickly walked away.
In fact, Rizel didn't think badly of Kayneth. He wasn't chasing after the Holy Grail for some strange ideal.
Looking at his competitors, one sought shortcuts to his origins, one desired peace with a touch of humor, another was a thief... for fun. There were also those seeking revenge, and some even appeared insane. It was just like his own students and himself—nothing out of the ordinary.
He didn't regard the Holy Grail as some sort of all-powerful wish-granting device. He simply wanted to achieve victory for his fiancée's joy.
Rizel watched Kayneth leave, deep in thought.
Considering how much money you owe me, I guarantee this time in the Holy Grail War you won't come out unscathed.
Afterward, the three entered Hōseki Okina's office.
"Rizel, kid, I've contacted the Einzbern family for you. They've agreed to let you represent them in the Holy Grail War," Hōseki Okina said with a smile as he greeted the three.
"Ugh, old man, you finally did something good," Rizel smiled, sitting down on the couch with the two women.
"Heh, when have I not done good things?" Hōseki Okina grumbled.
"Oh? You did something good? Let me think, what about your disciples' situations," Rizel said nonchalantly.
"And that little Loli from the Edelfelt family," he added.
Earlier, when Rizel first entered Clock Tower, he had met Luviagelita Edelfelt at a banquet.
She was a future noblewoman with a delicate demeanor, and when she saw Rizel, she was so stunned, it was as if she had seen a divine being. She immediately declared she must marry him.
Rizel felt embarrassed as everyone around them gave him a strange look, making him feel wronged.
As a result, Hōseki Okina had immediately arranged a betrothal between Edelfelt and Rizel. For a while, Touko and Ryougi Shiki would look at Rizel as if he were some sort of pervert.
However, the good thing was that the engagement didn't require an immediate wedding, and Luvia could only marry Rizel after she grew up.
"Cough, cough, isn't that the beauty of maturation? That little girl really likes you, doesn't she? Besides, I even took her as my disciple," Hōseki Okina shrugged it off.
He could tell Rizel wasn't upset about it. After all, anyone who made Rizel unhappy had already been dealt with by him on the spot.
When Rizel first arrived at Clock Tower, every day he would challenge famous magus masters. To call it a challenge was an understatement—Rizel would just stand there, letting them attack him. Eventually, he got bored, and with a single punch, he would end it.
It was nothing more than extreme humiliation for those masters. Afterward, they would all be left questioning the meaning of their lives.
One day, a disciple from a prestigious mage family took a liking to Ryougi Shiki, who was by Rizel's side.
However, they were immediately incinerated by Rizel's fierce glare. This mage family's head had his entire mansion frozen by Rizel's breath.
It still hadn't been thawed out. Rizel's breathing had evolved to the point where his full-force words could freeze the entire planet, and no matter what method they used, they couldn't melt the ice.
Of course, the situation didn't end there. Later, the first of the Clock Tower Twelve Lords, Trambario, who was connected to this mage family, tried to hold Rizel accountable.
In the end, Rizel nearly killed him, and if not for Hōseki Okina stepping in, the Twelve Lords of Clock Tower would have lost a member.
Since then, Rizel had been referred to by people within Clock Tower with titles like "Clock Tower Demon King" or "The Tyrant."
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