"Shinji-kun, you look very tired," said Shiki, noticing Shinji propping himself up on the table with one hand, her tone full of concern.
"Are you okay? Was last night's encounter that rough on you?"
"Not really... It's just... kind of... hard to explain..." Shinji rubbed his temples, unsure of how to respond.
How could he even begin to explain that his current state had less to do with last night and everything to do with encountering a certain black tyrant after returning home this morning?
"It's hard to imagine Shinji-kun being troubled by anything," Shiki tilted her head and remarked. "You're the type of guy who can insult those old geezers while standing on their necks. What could possibly worry you?"
"That doesn't count! It's not like I enjoy breaking the backs of those stubborn old men," Shinji retorted with a wry smile.
"Honestly, Shinji-kun, I wish you could do exactly that. Those old fossils are long overdue for a wake-up call," Ryougi Shiki gave him a thumbs-up. "Always going on about the Ryougi family, as if their own assets were even a fraction of ours!"
"Speaking of money..." Shinji recalled something Arturia had complained to him about and glanced at Ryougi Shiki. "Shiki-san, your lifestyle is a bit different from Arturia and the other Servants. They're confined to living in Fuyuki City and can't just head off to Tokyo for lavish shopping sprees like you can. So, I'd appreciate it if you'd tone it down a bit in the future."
As a port city, Fuyuki wasn't too bad in terms of development, but it couldn't quite compare to major cities like Tokyo, especially in terms of luxury and consumer appeal.
Even though Arturia and the others weren't exactly envious to the point of bitterness, it was clear they felt a little irked by the disparity. Otherwise, Arturia wouldn't have mentioned it to Shinji at all.
Shiki, being sharp as ever, immediately understood what Shinji was hinting at. Realizing her oversight, she quickly apologized. "Sorry, Shinji-kun. I didn't know about Pendragon-san's situation."
Shinji nodded. "It's fine, just… keep it in mind from now on."
He didn't suggest that Shiki apologize to Arturia directly.
His main point was for Shiki to be mindful of her behavior and avoid flaunting her privileged "heiress" image in ways that could rub others the wrong way.
Moreover, there was no need to make a big deal out of it—Arturia wasn't trying to pick a fight with Shiki anyway.
Her gripe with Shinji had more to do with a new addition to their household: a certain "black knight."
Thinking about the sudden appearance of another version of Arturia in their home made Shinji feel a headache coming on.
Unlike EMIYA, who often complained about meal preparation and the grocery budget, Shinji was more concerned about the irreconcilable tension between the two Saber variants.
Even with just that brief encounter during breakfast, Shinji could already tell that these two would never get along peacefully.
"I need to come up with a way to separate them... at least until they've had time to adjust to each other," Shinji muttered with a sigh.
He looked up at Shiki, who was still smiling warmly at him, and felt his headache intensify.
'Why is all this happening at once? Just when I thought having the Ryougi family's heiress in my company was dramatic enough, now my household has an extra black Saber too. Is this some cosmic punishment for how quiet my New Year's celebrations were the last couple of years?'
With that thought, Shinji lost all desire to continue his conversation with Shiki. He casually waved her off, directing her to report to his secretary instead.
After she left, Shinji picked up the resume Shiki had submitted and began mulling over how to best assign her within the company.
In the short term, having her act as his assistant seemed like the simplest solution, but that wouldn't work long-term.
The Ryougi family hadn't sent their second daughter to Shinji just to have her serve as his assistant forever; they were clearly grooming her as a potential spouse.
The problem was, Shinji had to pretend not to be aware of the Ryougi family's intentions and treat her as just another employee.
After all, the Ryougi family had never publicly declared that Shiki was meant to marry him. Thus, Shinji had to act oblivious.
"Figuring out how to deal with Shiki-san really is a headache... Hmm... a degree in Business Administration from Tokyo University..."
Shinji's eyes gleamed as he examined her credentials. "Not exactly training for a trophy wife... Is the Ryougi family keeping their options open for the family head? Or is this Shiki-san's own choice?"
"It feels like a waste to make such a talented person a mere placeholder... Maybe I could have her take over as my secretary?"
On second thought, that might not be the best idea—Ophelia would probably explode with anger if Shinji dared to replace her.
He was satisfied with his secretary's work and didn't see any reason to upset their current dynamic.
"Should I let Shiki-san work as an ordinary employee first and train her for the management team later?"
That didn't seem quite right either. She had explicitly said she wanted to intern as his assistant...
"This is tricky..."
In the end, Shinji decided to have Shiki work as his assistant for a while and then try sending her to an acting class.
If she had the talent for it, making her an actress could be a perfect solution.
Investing in her career would not only serve as a diplomatic gesture to the Ryougi family but also help create some distance between her and other potential "rivals" in the chaotic drama that seemed to be forming around him.
"That's the plan, then."
Jotting down a few notes in his notebook, Shinji set aside Shiki's resume and picked up another report: the pre-order sales data for the third Heaven's Feel DVD and VHS release. The numbers were staggering—more than enough to make other film studios envious.
By now, the Fate franchise was well on its way to becoming a top-tier IP. As long as Shinji could maintain the quality of the series, it had the potential to rival Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Shinji's next goal was to separate the Fate series from Fate/stay night, focusing primarily on developing Fate.
This might upset some fans and cause some short-term pain, but it was a necessary move to diversify the franchise and explore new avenues for growth and profit.
Staying confined to Fuyuki City was simply not a viable long-term strategy.
This applies not only to the Fate series but also to Type-Moon as a company.
"We've reached the limit of what we can achieve by focusing solely on Fuyuki City. We need to quickly come up with a way for the Servants to step out of Fuyuki and—"
BOOM!
Before Shinji could finish his sentence, a thunderous explosion shook the building. The report he was holding slipped from his grasp.
"What the hell?! What's going on?! Is this a terrorist attack?!"
Rushing to the window, Shinji looked down and froze in disbelief.
Below the Type-Moon company building, the courtyard was in complete disarray. Broken stones and chunks of concrete were scattered everywhere, while thick black smoke filled the area.
The scene looked like a battle had taken place between Autobots and Decepticons, followed by Thanos and the Hulk rolling around for good measure.
"Sorry, Master,"
Out of the smoke walked Arturia, her face smudged with dirt. She wiped the sweat off her brow and looked up at Shinji with an innocent expression.
"That dark-clad... version of me challenged me to a duel. I tried to convince her not to, but... well, it didn't work."
"Arturia Pendragon!"
Shinji roared furiously, "Do you even believe what you're saying?!"
<+>
A Few Days Later
Shinji, dressed impeccably in a formal suit, entered Waver's office.
"Here you go."
A young blonde girl set a cup of tea before Shinji, smiling sweetly. Her careful, deliberate actions made Shinji chuckle softly.
He hadn't expected this little "devil" to have such a docile side.
Hearing his laugh, the girl flinched slightly, her movements becoming even more nervous.
"Is there something wrong, Matou-san?" she asked timidly.
"You didn't put anything strange in this tea, did you?" Shinji asked casually, picking up the cup.
"Of course not! I would never do something like that!" The girl frantically waved her hands, as though afraid Shinji might suspect her of foul play.
"Do you know me?" Shinji asked, taking a sip of the tea.
It was fragrant and smooth, without any odd flavors.
"Yes, you're Matou Shinji, the star pupil of Lord Kayneth, the Clock Tower's prodigy, the pride of the Department of Modern Magecraft... and a world-class film director."
The girl counted off his titles on her fingers, detailing his background with precision.
Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Kayneth's student? Is that what they're saying?"
"Don't forget who your thesis advisor was! As far as the world is concerned, you're obviously his protégé!"
Waver had just entered the room in time to catch this and chimed in loudly.
Shinji shrugged. "I only chose him as my advisor because he wouldn't make my thesis a pain to get approved."
Waver's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably. "Show a little respect for your mentor, will you?!"
Seeing Waver so frustrated made Shinji's mood improve immensely, sweeping away the gloom he had been feeling over the past few days.
"Welcome back, Waver-nii!"
The blonde girl's eyes lit up at the sight of Waver. She immediately ran over and clung to his arm like an affectionate little bird.
"Reines, you don't need to entertain this guy. He's only worthy of drinking slop," Waver said coldly.
"Now, now, Waver-nii, don't be like that. Isn't Matou-san your guest?"
"An unwelcome one," Waver replied, giving her a gentle pat on the head. "Now go on, I have business to discuss."
"Okay, Waver-nii!"
Reines nodded cheerfully and skipped out of the office.
Shinji watched the scene unfold with amusement. When Waver finally took his seat, Shinji couldn't resist teasing him. "She's a fine girl, Waver. Is she your fiancée?"
"Pffft—!"
Waver spat out his tea in shock.
"How do you know about that?!"
His roar of indignation echoed throughout the office.
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest posted chapter, please go to my Patreon[1]
Current Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 228: The Enthroned Arturia[2]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl
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