Chapter 21

### Chapter 3

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"Teacher Levi Mcdowell, please come to the student council office immediately after hearing this announcement."

"Repeating, Teacher Levi Mcdowell, please come to the student council office immediately after hearing this announcement."

Levi, who had just finished packing away his empty lunch box and was about to wander around the school to help digest his meal, suddenly heard the voice from the loudspeaker.

The Second High School was no different from other academic-oriented schools; most students generally treated their teachers with respect and politeness. The only person who would dare to summon a teacher in such a commanding tone over the intercom was the student council president, who appeared elegant and graceful to the students but had a personality like a little devil.

Since he had nothing else to do, Levi was happy to go to the student council office. If Rin Tohsaka was looking for him at this time, Levi guessed it must be related to the Holy Grail War. Although he had indirectly participated in it ten years ago, in terms of understanding the rules and history, he definitely couldn't match Rin, who came from a famous magical lineage.

Rather than reading those biographies that Al had found from somewhere, which seemed more like novels, it would be much more convenient and quick to get information directly from an expert.

Levi thought that since he and Rin had already formed an alliance, she wouldn't be so petty as to withhold any inside information, right?

As he looked out the window at the scenery, Levi slowly made his way to the student council office at a leisurely pace.

"Too slow!"

It took him about ten minutes to cover the short distance. As soon as Levi pushed open the door, the first thing he heard was Rin's angry complaint.

"I was about to have the announcement repeated if you were five seconds late!"

"Although I'm a teacher, I haven't sold myself to you, the student council president. For non-work requests, just be glad I came at all."

Ignoring Rin's dissatisfaction, Levi walked straight to the conference table, pulled out a chair, and lazily slumped into it. He knew very well how much the girl in front of him enjoyed mischief. If he showed any sign of urgency, she would probably start teasing and mocking him.

"Hmph! Acting so relaxed in front of me? Do you think I don't know why you're participating in the Holy Grail War? Isn't it just for your lolicon wife?"

"If you offend me, you might not get the Holy Grail at all."

As expected, the girl named Rin Tohsaka could never face anything straightforwardly. No matter what, she always had to beat around the bush, either coldly mocking or sternly lecturing others, but in the end, she would still offer help. At first, Levi had tried to correct her stubborn personality, but after much effort, he ended up with a deeper understanding of the phrase "a leopard can't change its spots."

"Hey, what do you mean by 'lolicon wife'? Even if you're my student, I can still sue you for defamation. Emiya is clearly an adult."

When it came to Emiya's age, Levi couldn't ignore it. If this young lady ever got the idea to spread rumors in class or elsewhere, the trouble it would cause would give Levi a headache just thinking about it.

"An adult? Ha ha, would you dare take her to register for marriage? If you dare, I guarantee your name, Levi, will be on the front page of tomorrow's newspaper."

That was exactly what Levi was worried about. Although he was known as a kind teacher at school and maintained good relationships with the students, even having a student like Okazaki Tomoya who was more like a friend, Levi had never invited any student or colleague to his home. He was concerned about Emiya's appearance, which always looked like a ten-year-old.

Even though he could use illusions to change her appearance, in her cursed and unstable state, any unexpected incident could reveal her true form. Even if he wasn't taken to court, others might misunderstand him as having some special fetish.

"Alright, alright, I was wrong. Miss, please get to the point and let me off the hook."

Hearing Levi's words, Rin smiled smugly. This was her ultimate trump card. Whenever she argued with Levi, bringing up Emiya's age always made this man, who wouldn't even let a child, admit defeat.

"Ha ha, remember not to be late next time."

Since her goal of making Levi admit his mistake had been achieved, there was no need to dwell on it. After all, as Levi had thought, she wasn't as calm as he was when it came to the Holy Grail War.

"Okay, I won't be late."

"Alright, did you go to the gymnasium today?"

"The gymnasium?"

Because he had two classes in the morning and preparation time, Levi hadn't left the teaching building at all. Besides, even if he had free time, the gymnasium wasn't his usual hangout.

"You probably haven't been there yet, or you would have come to find me already. Your nose is sharper than a dog's, and you could even detect my Servant."

Rin was still upset that her Servant had been discovered by Levi. She knew this man was very capable, but it always made her uncomfortable that he didn't openly tell her.

"Rin, haven't I already apologized? As the student council president, can you be magnanimous and tell me what happened in the gymnasium, okay?"

Seeing that Levi was still avoiding the issue of his abilities, Rin decided not to press further. She pouted and continued.

"After you left this morning, I had to go to the gymnasium to get equipment for the first period physical education class. That's where I found a magical barrier set up by a mage."

"Barrier? What's its effect?"

Although he wasn't a mage, Levi wasn't unfamiliar with such terms and immediately grasped the key points.

"This kind of barrier is usually set up with various curse marks and powered by magical energy. As for its purpose, from the students approaching the gymnasium, it seems to be absorbing life force and converting it into the mage's magical energy."

Rin raised her hand, signaling Levi to wait before he could speak.

"You can rest assured, the mage who set up the barrier is probably a novice. The barrier's power is very weak. The students whose life force is being absorbed will only feel tired, and they can recover with some rest, without any significant harm to their bodies. Otherwise, I wouldn't have waited until now to call you."

Levi knew that Rin wasn't the kind of mage who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Despite her tough talk, she was still a kind and soft-hearted girl who wouldn't ignore the danger to her classmates.

"Understood. If it's driven by those curse marks, destroying them all should remove the barrier, right?"

The more powerful the magic, the more complex the preparation required, and the more complex the structure, the easier it is to destroy. The magic Rin learned and Emiya's magic were different in name but the same in essence.

"Exactly, that's why I called you. I investigated during the break, and those curse marks are very hidden. The magical fluctuations are too small, and there are too many of them. With your ability to detect even hidden Servants, it will be much more convenient."

Rin waved her hand, admitting straightforwardly that she was not as good as Levi in this area. This showed that she was also very concerned about the safety of her classmates. Otherwise, with her personality, even if she sought help, she wouldn't admit it so directly.

"Alright, I'll give it a try."

Levi nodded decisively. Then he thought of another question.

"By the way, is it really safe to leave that barrier alone for now?"

"The more life force it absorbs, the stronger the mage's magical energy becomes, and the barrier's effect will increase. But at the current rate, it won't change much within a day."

For Rin, that level of mage was not worth mentioning.

However, this barrier did have its unique aspects.

"I understand your thoughts. I also agree to wait until after school, when all the students and teachers have left, to dismantle the barrier."

This was also Rin's own plan to minimize the danger to her classmates.

"Although it's a weak barrier, its nature is quite malicious. Even among mages, it wouldn't receive a good evaluation. The person using it at this time is probably one of the Masters participating in the Holy Grail War."

Mages provide the magical energy that allows Servants to remain in the real world.

To engage in battle, they need a huge supply of magical energy. For a weak mage to gain victory in the Holy Grail War, using special means is not uncommon in the history of the war.

Next, Rin took out a school map and marked the locations of the curse marks she suspected were in the gymnasium.

After they finalized their plan, Levi left the office. His next destination was the principal's office. It would be best to minimize the danger as much as possible. All he needed was a temporary excuse to prohibit the use of the gymnasium.

Deceiving the old, nearly retired principal, who was already half-blind, was something Levi was always very good at.