Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

The blonde girl thought this fiercely to herself, but her true feelings were actually—

Come and comfort Yu, teacher. Yu is so unhappy, he even wagged his tail. You can at least offer some comfort.

When Draco is transformed into the arrogant and haughty Roman Flower, this is how he becomes. However, his rival, Kichijoin, is not so coy at all.

Just as Novia was about to say something after seeing the two of them like this, she nuzzled her cheek against Novia's palm like a kitten, and gave the dumbfounded Draco a mocking look.

The same action that would make Draco blush like a little red man is actually taken by Kichijoin, who seems to like and accept it, showing no signs of shyness at all.

it is ridiculous.

Although I've seen my teacher and I naked and in close proximity before... and although that guy was the same, I really can't stand it, I, I—

Draco, unable to contain his anger after being provoked by Kichijoin, imitated Kichijoin's actions in a state of confusion, rubbing his cheek against Novia's other hand like a cat, while glaring murderously at Kichijoin.

At this moment, in Novia's view, the two were doing the same thing, except one had a big smile on his face, while the other was gritting his teeth with veins bulging... This is understandable, after all, Draco's personality is like that.

"Ahem." Novia coughed, then pulled her hands away from their cheeks. "We'll find some time to go to that coffee shop tomorrow, and then we'll go to the mansion to officially meet Hibiki tonight."

"The academy agrees!"

"Me too!"

"If you ask me, it would be good enough if you two could just act a little more harmonious in front of Xiao Xiang."

Novia slowly got up and walked towards the door.

"How about we leave you two some space to talk? I'll go out and take a look first."

After saying that, he walked out. At the same time, the two people present realized that their abilities had been stripped away, in other words, their strength was now equivalent to that of a normal person.

"Humph!"

After seeing Novia leave and losing the power to properly teach the arrogant Kichijoin a lesson, Draco sat impatiently in his chair with his arms crossed, seemingly lost in thought.

But Kichijou-in was no ordinary girl. Lying on the bed, she looked at the storybook in her hand and said with a cheerful tone:

"How pitiful~"

Draco was perhaps in a bad mood, and she asked angrily:

"Who are you talking about!"

"Huh? The academy isn't talking about that Emperor who screams louder than Meloshen in those moments but acts as weak as Miss Aika in everyday life. How could our Miss Draco be that kind of person? You agree, right, Miss Draco? Speaking of which, Miss Draco, do you remember what the Holy Scripture is called? You haven't forgotten, have you? Do I need to remind you... you?"

"I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget! You bastard!"

.....

As Novia stepped out of the hotel in Bunkyo Ward, she noticed that the road from the hotel to the park was lined with blooming flowers.

The intense, glaring sunlight in the morning gradually subsided in the afternoon, and the bright sunlight gently shone on people and greenery, marking the arrival of a new year.

The silver-haired youth strolled leisurely, enjoying the cityscape.

It was the beginning of January, and schools in Japan were already on winter break. The whole country was in the New Year's atmosphere. At this moment, countless people were flowing through the streets of Bunkyo Ward. Although she had no destination, Novia was happy to stroll leisurely with the flow of people.

But it wasn't just leisure; he was quietly observing. Perhaps it had become a habit. He could clearly see everything about everyone he saw, from subtle movements and slightly different tones of voice to gestures and actions while speaking. He easily memorized all of these.

On the street, some people, both men and women, came up to him and asked for his name and contact information. This was a very normal way of striking up a conversation.

After all, Novia himself had been approached by several people when he walked out of the airport with Draco and Kichijoin.

After politely declining, Novia asked them what activities they had planned for the day, and why so many students were heading in one direction.

For him, although the students were not wearing school uniforms or other decorations, he could clearly tell them by their various expressions and movements.

Then Novia learned from her friends that there was a shrine called Yushima Tenmangu in Bunkyo Ward that represented Sugawara no Michizane, the "god of learning" in Japan. Therefore, many students would go to the Tenmangu shrine near their homes during the winter break to pray for their future studies.

This is quite normal behavior, just like how many students in mainland China visit Confucius at their schools when the college entrance examination is approaching.

However, Bunkyo Ward in Tokyo is a predominantly cultural and educational institution and residential area, and is known as the "City of Literature." It has long been home to famous writers, scholars, and politicians such as Natsume Soseki, Mori Ōgai, and Miyazawa Kenji. Notable facilities in the ward include the main campus of the University of Tokyo, the highest institution of learning in Japan, Tokyo Dome, and Kodokan. Ancient and spacious Japanese gardens such as Rikugien Garden, Korakuen Garden, and Koishikawa Botanical Garden are also located in Bunkyo Ward.

Speaking of which, after learning that it was Sugawara Michizane's Yushima Tenmangu Shrine in Tokyo, Novia remembered something else: it was a place with extremely rich spiritual veins.

In the world of Frost, which is the world after the great Holy Grail War, where everyone has the Holy Grail residing in their heart and everyone has a Servant, Yushima Tenmangu Shrine is an important spiritual vein in Akihabara City, where the protagonist, Utsumi Erise, resides.

In the first volume, if the Earth Goddess Embijan of Congo in Africa had chosen Tenmangu Shrine instead of the Roman Colosseum to launch the zombie attack, the barrier of Akihabara would have collapsed. Most of the Servants in Akihabara City who draw magic power from the spiritual veins would have been exhausted and might have been wiped out before Lucius joined the battle.

Thinking of this, Novia remembered that Lucius was the Servant who helped Eri Utsumi's grandmother, Chitose Manazuru, obtain the Holy Grail War that rewrote the world's situation, and was also Eri's spear master... It has to be said that he was quite good in all aspects, worthy of being someone who had been with him for so long.

After a moment of contemplation, Novia arrived at Yushima Tenmangu Shrine in just a few minutes. Along the way, she crossed a bridge where the antique-style streetlights cast a shimmering persimmon-colored glow on the swaying water, making it beautiful even in the daytime.

The approach to Tenmangu Shrine was packed with people, and even during the day, lanterns were lit for visitors who came to worship for the New Year. The approach was lined with stalls on both sides, offering everything from food to games like water polo fishing, with light bulbs hanging from the plastic canopy emitting a warm glow.

At this moment, Novia had the idea of ​​bringing Draco and Kichijoin here for a visit, so she decided to call the two of them—

But he was suddenly distracted by something, so the matter was postponed.

The silver-haired youth walked alone to the other side and entered the bushes.

Just as he was about to call the two of them, he inadvertently saw a pigeon with a limp, staggering from a gap in the path into the grass. It probably wasn't a wild pigeon, as it looked very clean; perhaps it had gotten lost.

So Novia decided to wait until she found the pigeon before making the call, since it wouldn't take much time anyway.

However, things took an unexpected turn. He searched for several minutes without finding it, which was really unusual. Although he hadn't deliberately used any magical abilities, he shouldn't have been unable to find it. It could only mean that it wasn't there to begin with...

He then walked to the edge of the road with a puzzled look on his face and saw an alley with a barricade at the entrance. It was probably under construction and that people were not allowed to enter.

However, this was not a problem for Novia. He crossed the blockade without hesitation and entered the narrow and sparsely populated alley. He then saw the shadow of a white dove perched in the somewhat dilapidated shrine. The shrine was surrounded by ropes that prohibited entry, and inside, the ground was covered with fallen leaves and overgrown with vigorous weeds.

But Novia had already come in, so he naturally didn't care about that anymore. He stepped inside and headed towards the white dove in the dilapidated shrine. A few seconds later, he arrived in front of the dove, which was limping on one leg. Just as he was about to reach out and pick it up—

I felt a touch that only humans can have.

Novia looked down and realized that she was right. It was indeed a human hand on the white dove, coming from the offering opening behind the dove. The owner of the hand also realized that his outstretched hand had been grasped by a stranger, so his hand trembled slightly, and he looked somewhat frightened.

Novia immediately let go. He hadn't expected that someone else would have seen the limping pigeon and even found their way here.

He couldn't help but think that this was a kind of luck.

Perhaps out of curiosity about who the other person was, Novia bent down and looked towards the altar, and then saw a red-haired, orange-eyed girl who was also bending down and looking in this direction with a blank expression.

256: Gudako: Feelings have blossomed (7k)

It was the beginning of January, and schools in Japan were already on winter break, with the whole country in the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

With only about ten days of winter break finally arriving, Fujimaru Ritsuka thought that since she was also a student, she should go to Tenmangu Shrine to pray like everyone else.

So he said goodbye to his family early in the morning and came to Bunkyo Ward, which is some distance from his home, intending to visit Yushima Tenmangu Shrine.

After all, Sugawara no Michizane is recognized as the 'god of learning' in Japan for many years, and many people will go to worship him for the sake of their studies and future.

Fujimaru Ritsuka strolled leisurely through Bunkyo Ward, enjoying the scenery at her leisure. The road from the park near her home to Bunkyo Ward was filled with flowers she had seen since childhood, and even the intense morning sun had gradually become milder.

In the past, when Fujimaru Ritsuka was still a child.

The six years of elementary school passed in the blink of an eye. As a child, she often thought, "I probably won't have any more experiences in my life where time disappears in the blink of an eye."

However, those six years in junior high and high school passed much faster than when I was younger.

In a busy yet meaningless life, the past feels like a distant memory.

The girl would sometimes wonder, "Could this all be a dream?" It was all just a dream.

The real me is still a child, just taking a nap when I'm tired from studying. Once I truly wake up, will everything change so quickly and leave me feeling helpless?

Unfortunately, that's not actually the case. Fujimaru Ritsuka is already seventeen years old and will be graduating soon after this winter break. She hasn't decided whether to continue her studies or get a job yet.

In fact, given her middle-class family background and location in Tokyo, she has no need to worry about her finances as long as she avoids being scammed or starting a business. Moreover, to be honest, Fujimaru Ritsuka has a clear understanding of her academic situation; getting into a university like the University of Tokyo is completely impossible for her, and she will likely only get into an ordinary university at best.

However, Ritsuka's parents never forced her to do anything. They simply treated her with excellent upbringing, which fostered in her an incredibly gentle personality and an ability to accurately understand others' feelings. As a result, although she was someone everyone at school could talk to, she didn't have any very close friends.

The girl, who was simply admiring the scenery of Bunkyo, spent more than an hour to reach Yushima Tenmangu Shrine. The approach to the shrine was packed with people, with nearly a hundred stalls gathered together, and correspondingly, the number of people participating in the festival was also extremely large.

The sound of drums matched the festive atmosphere, and although it wasn't so crowded that it was difficult to walk, it was very lively.

The shrine was filled with cheerful music. Although court music was playing, each stall played its own favorite tunes, including rock, metal, anime songs, and classical music, creating a very mixed environment.

The heat of the first day of the new year, combined with the daytime light and the set-up lights, made it look like some kind of concert.

Even though she was surrounded by groups of people, Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't seem out of place at all. After all, there were just too many people, and no one would pay special attention to someone they didn't know.

For the next few tens of minutes, the girl enjoyed the celebration to the fullest, eating and buying some things.

Not long after, feeling a bit tired, Fujimaru Ritsuka decided to rest nearby. Then she saw a white dove limping along the ground. Strangely enough, despite the large number of people, no one accidentally stepped on it. Then, in the girl's sight, the limping white dove turned into the alley that was cordoned off.

Perhaps out of curiosity, or perhaps out of pity, Fujimaru Ritsuka immediately ignored the warning of the cordon and entered the alley. She then saw the dilapidated shrine surrounded by ropes that were 'forbidden from entering' in reality, and at the same time, she saw the white doves sitting there.

This is a long way from the approach to the sanctuary and is a restricted area. Because we have entered a secluded path and are surrounded by lush, dense forests, we feel incredibly far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world and its lights.

Without much thought, the girl stepped forward and stood in front of the pigeon that was limping on one leg, staring straight at it.

"Let there be light," the Lord whispered, and light appeared.

For some reason, Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly remembered the ancient sacred words of the missionaries belonging to the church.

However, she wasn't particularly interested in any of that. She just felt that this limping pigeon seemed to have flown back and forth in the skies during the human era, circling and soaring. Humanity continued to grow and prosper on the ground, but all of that seemed irrelevant to the white pigeon.

No matter when or where, the sky is no one’s private property. It aspires to great heights and, in the ancient and natural sky, it keeps flapping its wings with all its might... A certain sound rang out, and the white dove was struck, lost its balance, and slowly and cruelly fell to the ground.

Even so, until the very end, the white dove continued to flap its wings, straining its eyes to look at the sky or the earth, as it plummeted into the endless ocean.

This dreamlike scene now faintly appears in the girl's mind, and the fallen white dove is the one limping before her, yet there are subtle differences...

"Did I suddenly have a wild idea? This could easily be a novel..."

Fujimaru Ritsuka shook her head, not paying much attention to her sudden idea. She then pulled up her sleeve and aimed her right hand at the white dove in the cave, intending to rescue it.

I felt a touch that only humans can have.

The girl looked down and realized that she was right. It was indeed a human hand that had grasped her hand. It came from the offering mouth of the white dove. The sudden attack made her tremble slightly, but the hand that had grasped her quickly let go, which made Ritsuka breathe a sigh of relief.

I didn't expect that someone else would have seen this pigeon too... What a coincidence!

With the same thought as Novia, Fujimaru Ritsuka bent down to look at the offering opening, and then saw Novia bending down and looking in their direction as well.

In that instant, the orange-haired girl felt as if she had been reborn, unsure whether it was a good or bad thing.

This change just happened suddenly.

The world she saw seemed to have transformed into something entirely different.

The rising sun, shining through the sky, can be faintly seen slowly ascending above the world.

The shrine emerging from the darkness, the old talismans piled up in the corner, the dust accumulated on the ground—everything was exactly the same as before.

However, to the girl, everything seemed different.

Although there were at least slight differences, everything became bright, new, and as if shrouded in a hazy light.

"Wow......"

It was a very unbearable feeling, so Fujimaru Ritsuka's face suddenly turned red.

The silver-haired man in front of me... well, it's not a matter of whether he's good-looking or not. Of course, if you had to say he's handsome, he certainly is.

But more important than being pretty is the natural warmth and joy that comes from the heart, which is why a young girl blushes.

"Did you come here because you saw this pigeon?"

Novia blinked.

Seeing her face reflected in his ocean-like eyes only made Fujimaru Ritsuka feel even more ashamed.

This was the first time Fujimaru Ritsuka realized that she seemed to be developing some unusual feelings.

"Yes, that's right..."

The orange-haired girl felt her ears getting hot; if she were diagnosed with some new type of fever, she would probably accept it immediately.

"Could you tell me your name? My name is Novia."

"That's true. I should introduce myself. My name is Fujimaru Ritsuka." Fujimaru Ritsuka, whose mind was originally filled with thoughts of white doves, began to look around. "By the way, are you also a student here to pay your respects?"

"I guess you could call it a shrine visit, but I mainly just came here to look around."

"Oh, is that so? By the way, since you're here to worship as well, this shrine may be old, but it's part of Yushima Tenmangu Shrine. Why don't you worship here?"

"This... will do too."

It was unbelievable for the girl to be so enthusiastic towards a complete stranger she had just met... but she didn't feel there was any danger in it; on the contrary, she was quite happy.

The orange-haired girl then calmly walked outside the shrine to carry out her expected duties, her movements flowing smoothly and naturally.