Aozaki Aoko Case File [163]

Credits: Ethan Johnson

When everyone was cheerfully making some noise, Artoria had already quietly eaten half the food on the table.

It was Aoko who noticed this. When she tried to take a piece of wagashi to taste, she saw a slender but strong hand snatch it away at a speed that left an afterimage. The owner of this hand was silently and quickly chewing and swallowing various dishes.

Aoko glanced at Artoria with a subtle expression and realized that she had underestimated the power of the king's appetite.

In Artoria's era, Britain didn't have New Year feasts as a tradition, but the King of Knights did not reject events that offered an abundance of food. She refrained from participating in any conversations and instead focused entirely on tasting every dish with the seriousness of a warrior on the battlefield.

Aoko quietly called Sella over and asked her to bring more food. Artoria, who had sharp senses, noticed Aoko's actions. Although her hands didn't slow down, a rare blush appeared on her face, making her look unexpectedly adorable.

...

Early on the morning of the second day of the New Year, Touko Aozaki revealed true form and was still sound asleep, seemingly unable to wake up before noon. The Aozaki sisters' parents had already returned to the family's main residence after breakfast.

Artoria was in the garden of the house practicing swordsmanship with a wooden sword. Having regained a physical body, she found new growth opportunities. Her recent duel with Karna had given her some insights into her swordsmanship skills.

On New Year's Day, the town of Misaki held a festival similar to a temple fair. Normally, Aoko wasn't very interested in such activities, but since there were so many children around this year, some reliable adults secretly urged everyone to go together. Aoko eventually decided to put on a Yukata and check it out.

The last time Aoko went to a festival was when she was about eight or nine years old, accompanied by her parents. She still remembered how Touko, who had just achieved some success in the magecraft at the time, came to mock her for being a childish little girl who was interested in such things.

Although Aoko had memories of her past life, neither her past self nor her current self had any real experience of Japanese festivals. She had been genuinely looking forward to it back then. However, after nearly getting lost in the crowd, her enthusiasm for such events had diminished—until today.

"Ugh, my head hurts," Touko muttered as she came downstairs in her pajamas, still half-asleep. She hadn't yet noticed that she was wearing children's pajamas. "What happened yesterday…?"

Aoko looked at Touko with a strange expression, wondering how someone whose soul had materialized could still drink themselves into amnesia.

"Looks like I'll need to be more careful about reducing my physical capabilities in the future…" Touko grumbled as she took the clothes Leysritt handed her and went to the bathroom next to the dining room to change.

"We're going to the festival tonight," Aoko said after taking a sip of coffee. "Make sure you're ready."

"Alright!" Touko agreed without hesitation, surprising Aoko. Had Touko, after becoming a Magician, somehow returned to her innocent roots?

Meanwhile, Alice quietly enjoyed her lunch, showing no interest in the Aozaki sisters' interaction. The reliable adult who had suggested the festival outing was, in fact, Alice herself. She had secretly mentioned it to Aoko earlier and explicitly asked her not to tell anyone.

"How long can you stay outside?" Aoko asked casually.

"…About twelve hours at this level," Alice replied after some thought. "Technically, I could last longer, but it would be quite uncomfortable."

"The Witch of Yumina has it tough," Aoko commented. "That Witch of Coal—is she different from you?"

"Riddell's lineage is much thinner," Alice explained. "Her path is also different from mine; she didn't inherit the Fragment."

"I remember the Witch of Botany once contested your claim as the first heir," Aoko said. "Want me and Touko to help you put them in their place?"

"That's unnecessary." Alice snapped her book shut, clearly not wanting to continue the topic.

"Got it," Aoko nodded. "Just know that if you ever want it, I'll help you reclaim what's yours."

Alice didn't respond, but her expression softened slightly. By this time, Touko had finished changing back into her adult form and was now devouring her lunch. No matter how quickly she ate, her behavior remained graceful—a skill that Aoko had to admit she couldn't yet match compared to Touko and Artoria.

Given the large number of people going to the festival, Aoko unhesitatingly modified a repelling barrier spell. She adjusted the density of visitors within the festival area and set up some filtering conditions. These criteria included appearance, personality, and moral character, temporarily excluding anyone who didn't meet Aoko's standards. These individuals would only remember wanting to attend the festival after Aoko and her group had finished their visit.

This spell was a masterpiece of bounded field. Apart from Touko and Alice, even Artoria and Irisviel didn't notice the barrier's effects.

Speaking of bounded fields, Touko had recently returned to the Clock Tower to search for Souren Araya but hadn't found him. When Aoko learned about this, she guessed that Souren might have gone back to Mifune City to stir up trouble again. However, without Touko's help designing the Ogawa Apartments this time, Souren would likely find it much harder to reach the Root by faking cycles of life and death.

The festival in Misaki Town featured many fun attractions, such as goldfish scooping and dart-throwing games, as well as various local snacks and toy stalls.

Illya and Caren, holding hands, had already gone to scoop goldfish. Aoko noticed Caren sneakily use some newly learned magecraft to tamper with Illya's scooping net and then delightfully watch Illya struggle.

Meanwhile, Stark, the talking crow, was very interested in a food stall selling fried tempura. Perched on Aoko's shoulder, it kept chirping at her to buy some. Aoko eventually bought a large box and fed the pieces to Stark one by one.

Alice was standing by a mask stall with the twin maids, Kohaku and Hisui, discussing which masks would suit each member of their group. It seemed they planned to buy one for everyone.

Everyone was having a great time. Even the reclusive witch could find joy in the mundane pleasures of common folk, which filled Aoko with a sense of accomplishment.

However, there were always some disruptive elements that clashed with the flow of society.

A strange coffin carried southward along the ocean currents from the Kuril Islands, finally washed ashore in Japan. Inside lay an eerie man shivering uncontrollably.

Ps: Kono Dio Da!