Misaki Town Full of Memories

Misaki Town.

North Gate Station.

After more than ten years, returning to her hometown, even though Magus didn't have much moral ethics, Touko's heart was still slightly touched.

"Compared to the last time I came back, this place has really changed a lot, at least this station wasn't here before."

Compared to Misaki Town in her memory, the current Misaki Town undoubtedly felt somewhat foreign to Touko. After all, more than ten years was too long, and too many things could change, especially in this era of rapid economic development, a developing city like Misaki Town was even more prone to change.

High-rise buildings, roads and stations, factories and shopping malls... every day new things appeared, and every day old things disappeared, like a large eater with a very strong digestive ability, while maintaining rapid digestion, it also kept eating.

"In that case, even though I don't know if he's still around, I plan to look for my old familiar first. Want to come? Shiki."

Touko looked towards Shiki behind her.

The reason she returned to Misaki Town this time was partly because Naoki had previously asked her to investigate the movements of Misaki Town residents over the past half year, especially regarding the church. This aspect had already been resolved through some of her old friends in Misaki Town.

And the other part was for personal revenge.

Naoki, who could be said to be a humanoid Gundam, Shiki with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, a two-thousand-year-old Phantasmal Species golden wolf, plus herself as a Grand-ranked doll maker—if they wanted to take revenge on a Magician, this lineup should be more than enough, right?

As additional information, Shiki herself asked to come along, saying she had a strange dream and felt she could kill many interesting things here, so she came.

Hearing Touko's question, Shiki only replied indifferently, "Whatever you want."

"Then let's go. But it's been more than ten years, I also don't know if Beowulf is still there or not?"

The golden wolf—Beowulf.

A true Phantasmal Species that Touko once found by chance in the remote mountains of Europe, an ancient monster of two thousand years, the natural enemy of Magus who could negate all Magecraft. Back then, to deal with him, Touko used her long hair collected over twenty years to make a contract with him.

Although after being defeated by her younger sister, Aozaki Aoko, Touko voluntarily terminated the contract and left him in Misaki Town, for more than ten years she had never returned to see him. But before parting ways at that time, Beowulf said that he would always be Touko's familiar and could be summoned at any time if needed. And his lair in Misaki Town was the former school building that Touko used as her base.

Another name—

"Second Branch of Garan no Dou?"

Several dozen minutes later, after painstakingly recalling memories that were no longer very clear and finally arriving at the place she remembered, the first thing that caught Touko and Shiki's eyes was a crooked signboard with words written on it.

'This must be Beowulf's carving with his own claws.'

Touko had taught Beowulf letters; after all, during their early days as partners, because Beowulf was illiterate, there were many problems.

But what does this Second Branch of Garan no Dou name mean? She only opened Garan no Dou in Mifune Town last year, why did one appear here too? Who told Beowulf?

And just as Touko felt doubtful, a series of rather hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from inside the old school building, followed by a flash of golden light that instantly appeared in front of the two of them.

"This smell... Touko!"

After sniffing Touko, the true form of the golden flash—a blond-haired teenage boy who looked about fourteen or fifteen years old—immediately smiled like a child.

"Touko, you're back? It's really been a long time since we last met."

"Ah... um... it has been a long time, Beowulf."

Pushing up her glasses, Touko looked at Beowulf in front of her, and the memories of more than ten years ago instantly resurfaced.

"It's been more than ten years since we last met, I didn't expect you to still be here, I thought you had left a long time ago."

"Kusajuro is here, so of course I'm here too." Beowulf said with a smile.

'Kusajuro... ah, Shizuki Soujuurou, that person is still here too?'

Another familiar but slightly strange name, indeed, once you return here (hometown), old things will gather one after another.

Hometown.

It's really a troublesome place, but not entirely troublesome either.

Touko smiled self-deprecatingly.

"By the way, Beowulf, what's the meaning of this signboard?"

"Ah, this one."

Beowulf patted his chest with a proud face.

"This is a gift from Aoko, she said it can attract customers."

"Customers?"

"In human society, it seems everything needs money, so at Aoko and Kusajuro's suggestion, I started working part-time. Any problem, as long as it's a difficulty, they can come to me to solve it, and in return, I'll ask for a little reward."

Oh, a jack-of-all-trades shop.

Over these ten years, Beowulf actually started doing this kind of thing? And it was at the suggestion of Aoko and Soujuurou?

"Then what kind of requests do you usually receive?"

"Strangely, not many people come to ask for my help, only occasionally someone comes, and the requests they make to me are things like hoping to pass exams, hoping tomorrow's love confession will go smoothly, and they call me the Golden God of the Old School Building."

"....."

This is probably what they call the seven wonders of the school or something, completely regarded as an urban legend.

But judging from this, Beowulf's true situation should not be fully revealed to the general public of Misaki Town; it is estimated that there must be some secret work from Aoko and Alice.

After all, if the existence of a historical ancient Phantasmal Species is announced to the public, the impact on the mysteries would definitely be enormous.

"By the way, why did you suddenly come back, Touko? If I remember correctly, before you left last time, you had already decided never to return."

"This, half of the reason is because of that foolish disciple of mine, the other half is because of myself, and this is also the reason I'm looking for you." Touko took off her glasses, switching her personality to the one more familiar to Beowulf, "Beowulf, you once said that as long as I wanted, you would always be my familiar, right?"

"Of course."

"Then, are you interested in once again challenging magic—challenging Aozaki Aoko?"

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

At the same time.

North Gate Station, not long after Touko and Shiki left.

Dragging a red suitcase, Aoko stretched her body vigorously.

"Hah~ Misaki Town, it's been a long time!"