Yan Qing put down the phone and smiled maliciously.
"Master already knows."
Hearing Yan Qing's words, EMIYA smirked. "With Rider's speed, I'd say they'll be here in half an hour."
"Maybe less," Gilgamesh said excitedly. "I estimate twenty minutes."
Yan Qing, in a voice only audible to the others present, asked, "Miss Flora has been watching us for almost an hour. When do you think she'll say something?"
"Almost there," EMIYA replied in a teasing tone. "I think she's about to crack."
A little ways from where the summoned spirits were standing, a young woman dressed in a blue kimono was holding onto a casually dressed and slightly embarrassed Arturia, peppering her with questions.
Sakura, Ophelia, and Cloris stood nearby, listening to the conversation. The more Sakura listened, the more thrilled she became, while Cloris's face grew darker.
As for Ophelia, the quiet secretary had shown no obvious reaction, but her refusal to even greet Ryougi Shiki made her attitude toward the young lady quite clear.
Ryougi Shiki, meanwhile, elegantly ignored the others, clinging tightly to Arturia as she eagerly bombarded her with questions.
"Pendragon-san, do you like shopping?"
"Um, it's... alright," Arturia responded with a slightly forced smile.
"I love shopping! Every time I visit Tokyo, I go with my father to Ginza's Wako Department Store, Mitsukoshi, and even the Marion Building. All those luxury stores!"
"Uh... the most I do is wander around the shopping district in Shinto," Arturia replied, looking slightly exasperated. "Honestly, I'd rather be hunting down good food."
"Just like in the movies, a foodie! Just what I expected from Pendragon-san!" Ryougi Shiki's eyes sparkled. "I'm a huge fan of fine cuisine too, like Mizutani Sushi in Ginza. I could never get tired of it."
"I wish I could try it..." Arturia mumbled.
She'd seen that restaurant featured on food shows before; it was one of the top four sushi places in Japan.
She'd always wanted to go, but she couldn't even leave Fuyuki City.
That was why Arturia was starting to feel weary of this conversation.
Ryougi Shiki kept dropping hints about Tokyo and Kyoto, drawing her into a world of luxury she could only dream of.
Arturia couldn't care less about luxury stores, but those top-tier foods—those, she craved!
Noticing Arturia at a loss for words, Ophelia finally stepped in. "Um... Ryougi-san, are you interning with the boss?"
"Yes, I am. It's my father's request. He wants me to learn more from Shinji," Ryougi Shiki replied with a polite smile.
"Shinji... I see..." Cloris's smile had turned a bit strained.
The high-end stores and luxury restaurants didn't faze Cloris; as the heir to the Flora family, she was accustomed to them.
What bothered her was Ryougi Shiki's attitude toward Matou Shinji.
"But why... why Shinji?" Cloris muttered under her breath. "With your status, Ryougi-san, you could go anywhere, couldn't you?"
"Hmm... because Grandfather Zouken agreed to it," Ryougi Shiki tilted her head, her expression innocent.
"Grandfather Zouken?!" Cloris's voice pitched up a bit.
'I underestimated her! Since Grandfather Zouken always said he wouldn't interfere in Shinji's marriage, I hadn't even considered approaching him for support. I should have been more decisive!'
The nearby summoned spirits watched the scene, shoulders shaking as they struggled to contain their laughter.
It wasn't that they found it inappropriate to laugh, but they were afraid that if they startled the ladies, the entertainment would end prematurely.
They could barely contain their anticipation to see what chaos would ensue when Shinji returned!
However, Gilgamesh couldn't hold back any longer. He slipped out of the room and burst into raucous laughter in the hallway.
"Ahahahahaha! Shinji, I can't wait to see what you'll do now! Hahahaha...ha?"
Gilgamesh's laughter died abruptly when he spotted Shinji at the other end of the hallway, staring at him with a dark expression.
"Amusing, isn't it?" Shinji asked, grinning maliciously.
"Yes, it's very amusing," Gilgamesh admitted proudly, his kingly pride not allowing him to deny it.
"Good. Then laugh as much as you want!" Shinji raised his right hand. "By the command spell, Gilgamesh, you're going to laugh until tomorrow morning!"
In the past, Shinji wouldn't have dared to waste a command spell like this. But after several rounds of summoning spirits, he had plenty on hand. Using one or two to discipline his occasionally deranged servants wasn't a problem at all. And it's not like command spells could generate more command spells by being stockpiled.
"Ahahahaha! Shinji! Hahahahaha! You—hahahaha—jerk! Hahahaha!"
"No go away, I have an emergency to deal with," Shinji muttered coolly, flicking his collar.
Even though he'd dealt with Gilgamesh decisively, he couldn't shake the anxiety about the situation he was likely about to walk into.
"Whatever," he reassured himself, "I've got luck on my side. Haven't heard of any dimension-hopping comedian dying in a love war yet."
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Shinji opened the door to the room.
"Everyone, I'm back."
The moment he entered, he could sense the odd atmosphere in the room.
He quickly raised the bag he was carrying. "I brought snacks. Let's all have some."
He'd hoped that snack-loving Arturia would break the ice, but instead, he was met with her wistful gaze.
"Master, I want Mizutani sushi…"
"So do I," Shinji replied with a resigned shrug. "Too bad they don't do takeout or delivery."
Mizutani Sushi was famous for its no-compromises approach. The chef only served what he prepared; customers couldn't even order. It was strictly dine-in only. If takeout were an option, Shinji would have made sure to bring some back for Arturia. Preservation wasn't an issue—he could use imaginary-number magecraft to keep it fresh for two days at least.
"Strange, where's Gil?"
Enkidu, noticing the absence of Gilgamesh, seemed puzzled.
"Oh, he's out in the hall... polishing his performance," Shinji replied with a hint of irritation while handing Arturia some snacks. "They say people who laugh more are luckier, so he figured he could use some extra practice."
Just then, Ryougi Shiki stepped in front of Shinji, giving him a formal greeting. "Hello, Shinji-kun. I'm here to report in. I'll be relying on you from now on."
With a refined, serious look, Shiki's handsome face framed by smooth black hair that hugged her ears, and her elegantly tailored blue kimono made her look impeccably proper.
Her figure was somewhat slender compared to Sakura, Cloris, and the other shapely girls, but she still easily outshone Arturia's flat, androgynous physique.
"Hello, Shiki… Ryougi-san." Shinji replied with a polite smile. "How did you get here so soon?"
"My father told me to start my internship as quickly as possible," Shiki said smoothly. "I didn't have much to do at home, so I came over."
"And how long do you plan to intern with me?" Shinji continued, ignoring the questioning looks from Cloris and the others.
"My father didn't specify, so I'll probably be around for a while." Shiki didn't seem too concerned about the duration.
"Alright… let's get you settled into the office and familiarized with the work environment."
Shinji couldn't exactly leave this young lady unattended, so he decided to bring her directly to her new workstation.
He gestured to Cloris, indicating he'd speak to her later, then led Shiki, his new assistant, along with his secretary, Ophelia, up the stairs to his office.
"Coward," Cloris muttered with a disgruntled huff as she watched Shinji's back.
Pretending not to hear, Shinji rode the elevator up, bringing his two lovely subordinates to his office.
After unlocking the door with his keycard, he placed his belongings on his desk.
"Wow, so this is my new workspace? It's very nicely decorated. You've got good taste, Shinji-kun," Shiki remarked, looking around curiously before walking toward a slightly smaller desk beside Shinji's.
At that moment, Ophelia, who had been silent the whole time, stepped in front of her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ophelia's single visible eye gave off a frosty gleam.
"Arranging my desk, obviously," Shiki replied matter-of-factly.
"That's my desk," Ophelia retorted.
"But shouldn't the secretary's desk be outside the office?" Shiki asked, puzzled.
Shinji scratched his head, explaining, "I don't have an assistant yet, so Ophelia has been acting as both secretary and assistant, which is why her desk is inside."
"Oh, I see…" Shiki opened the office door and gestured to the unused desk outside. "Well then, Phamrsolone-san, why don't you move your things out there? I'm here now as Shinji's dedicated assistant, so if you have a lot to carry, I can help."
From a practical standpoint, Shiki wasn't wrong.
Secretaries usually managed scheduling and guest access; anyone wanting to meet with Shinji would first go through the secretary.
An assistant, on the other hand, directly supported the boss with tasks like preparing materials and finding information.
Some assistants even handled personal errands.
So, in general, the secretary's desk would be outside, and the assistant would be closer for easy access.
Whether Shiki was just following protocol or subtly taunting Ophelia was anyone's guess. There was no way for Shinji to tell from Shiki's expression.
'If it's the former, she's simply naive. If it's the latter, she's hiding her sharpness well. Either way, this won't be easy…'
Regardless of Shiki's intentions, her words carried a cutting force, and Shinji could feel the temperature in the room drop sharply.
<+>
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