Chapter 28

"Go to meet your Master?"

For a moment, Shirou Emiya couldn’t think of what to do with him, so Levi decided to simply go and meet Rin Tohsaka first and think about it later. After all, mental labor was never something he enjoyed, and standing there waiting for the giant to come and cut him down with a sword was not his preferred option. He would rather leave the headache to Rin to deal with.

"…Yeah."

The strange Servant girl seemed to still be fascinated by the spectacle of the dead coming back to life. After a moment of contemplation, she finally nodded.

Once the decision was made, action followed swiftly. Without waiting for Levi’s response, the girl floated up into the air and flew out of the already narrow and now even more dilapidated parking lot like a butterfly.

"Hey! You two…"

The girl had already left, and only then did Shirou Emiya struggle to his feet as if coming back to life. Levi, not bothering with his nonsense, followed the girl out of the ruins of the Bohmyoza.

---

Levi and the black-haired girl, one in the air and one on the ground, had already left the Bohmyoza about two kilometers away. Even at this distance, he still couldn’t sense Rin’s presence. Levi sighed at the slowness of the Student Council President and was also a bit uncomfortable with the awkward silence between him and the girl. He thought for a moment and decided to try to break the ice.

"Hey, you’re flying so high, aren’t you afraid of showing too much?"

As soon as he spoke, it had the desired effect. The girl flying in the air quickly pressed down on her skirt, then looked around as if afraid someone else might see. She then landed in front of Levi with a whoosh.

"Uh… I was just joking. Your skirt is so long, and it’s so dark, I didn’t see anything."

The girl faced Levi for the first time. Even though she was a beauty who could turn a pure young man into a fool, her angry eyes were still uncomfortable. Levi hurried to defend himself.

His words weren’t entirely wrong. Although the dim light didn’t hinder his almost night-vision-capable eyes, her skirt was too long, and the thick petticoat inside meant that he could only see layers of fabric, except for her small feet in white socks.

"Hmph!"

The girl thought about her attire and realized that the man was just joking, even if it was a rather inappropriate one, it wasn’t enough to make her truly angry.

Seeing that the girl wasn’t angry, Levi couldn’t help but remember what he had seen earlier and asked another question out of curiosity.

"Why aren’t you wearing shoes? Aren’t you afraid of getting dirty?"

From the brief glimpse he had, Levi didn’t notice any dust on her white socks. He then realized it was probably due to some kind of magical barrier, similar to the one Ewen had.

He hadn’t expected magic to have such a convenient use. Wouldn’t that mean you don’t even need to take a bath? If that’s the case, why does Ewen spend so much time in the bathroom every day? Could it be because she’s sealed, making it impossible to maintain her magic for long periods?

Levi’s mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts, but his eyes seemed to still be fixed on the girl. The sudden question left her at a loss for words, and her fair cheeks turned a rare shade of light red, a bashfulness that was almost as charming as a goddess of the moon. Unfortunately, Levi’s thoughts were already on Ewen, and he didn’t notice.

"I… I rarely wear… so… so…"

In fact, this Servant girl, with her innate noble and ethereal aura, was a true princess. She had been raised in luxury from a young age, and even after leaving her homeland, she still lived a leisurely and comfortable life under the care of her attendants. Due to the concerns of her attendants and her own personality, she rarely stepped out of her home except for occasional times.

Familiar with certain aspects of modern society, she knew that her situation would generally be called a NEET in modern times, meaning 'Not in Education, Employment, or Training.' This term, which originated in the UK in the late 1990s, is now used to describe 'hikikomori.' Although the essence might be a bit different, her situation did fit the NEET image.

Her silence towards Levi wasn’t due to innate arrogance or a dislike of speaking, but rather a lack of social interaction. With this deficiency, she was even more unwilling to be seen as a NEET, someone who spends their days at home without purpose.

"Is it because you don’t have the habit of wearing shoes? You look like you’re from ancient times, is it a custom from your era?"

Levi, in his self-righteousness, said something that would have disgraced a teacher. He remembered reading books about people not wearing shoes in the past, but he forgot that it described the primitive era when humans used stone tools and chased small animals across the mountains. Even after entering civilized society, some people still didn’t wear shoes for convenience, but they were usually hardworking farming families.

The girl clearly came from an ancient noble background and couldn’t possibly be the reason Levi thought. Fortunately, there were no students from the middle school present, or Levi’s reputation would have been ruined, even if he wasn’t a history teacher.

"Yes, that’s right."

Seeing that the other party had provided an excuse for her, the girl breathed a sigh of relief, not having to admit she was a NEET.

"Magic is really convenient."

Levi sighed again. If Ewen knew that Levi’s resentment over not being able to learn magic was due to such trivial matters, she would probably drain his blood in anger.

"By the way, I don’t know your name yet. Levi McDowell, your Master’s teacher."

Levi suddenly remembered he hadn’t introduced himself. However, he didn’t expect the girl to reveal her name. Even if he didn’t know much about the Holy Grail War, he knew that Servants were often famous figures from legends. Knowing a Servant’s identity could help find their characteristics and weaknesses based on legends or history. How many people would be as foolish as Shirou Emiya, revealing their Servant’s information to the enemy?

The Servant girl was clearly not as foolish as Shirou Emiya, but to Levi’s surprise, she actually answered the polite question.

"Hakurei Reimu, my class is Caster (Magician)."

"Oh? Is that so? Looking at you, you do seem more suited to being a Caster."

Seeing the girl, who called herself Hakurei Reimu, be so honest, Levi could only admire her. He didn’t think she was as arrogant and foolish as Shirou Emiya. The peaceful yet mysterious energy she emitted made her seem extraordinary.

"Suitable? Why?"

Perhaps Levi’s casualness broke through Reimu’s social barriers. She tilted her head in confusion, looking at Levi in a way that made her seem like an ordinary little girl rather than an untouchable moon goddess.

"Because with your clothes, it would be strange to get into a physical fight, right? Ha ha."

Thinking of the girl in her elaborate palace attire engaging in close combat with a Berserker, Levi couldn’t help but laugh.

"Is that so? Hehe…"

Reimu clearly thought the same thing. Imagining her clothes getting all messy and having to get close to that sweaty giant, she couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Hearing her laugh, Levi realized how beautiful her voice was. He marveled at how the heavens seemed to have bestowed all the best things upon her without reservation.

"Your voice is so beautiful, why don’t you talk more? It’s easier to make friends that way."

Perhaps it was Reimu’s teenage appearance that made Levi unconsciously use the tone he used with his students.

"Friends…"

The girl lowered her head thoughtfully.

She was a lonely girl, much like Ewen. When he first met Ewen, she was also proud and silent, but deep down, she longed for closeness with others. If not for that, he probably wouldn’t have won the heart of the noble vampire so easily.

"Sure, come visit me when you have time. Rin knows where I live."

Levi generously invited Reimu to his home, thinking that two such similar girls, Reimu and Ewen, might become good friends.

"But for now, let’s go find your Master. She’s probably already starting to get angry."