Chapter 2: Returning to the Clock Tower
Confirming that no one was casting their gaze this way, Shirou's right hand flickered slightly, and as if by magic, he produced a blanket and draped it over Rin.
Watching the peaceful sleeping face of the girl beside him was, for Shirou, a pleasure in itself. At Shirou's current level of existence, unless he harbored some specific obsession or ambition, there were very few things in this world left that could truly interest him. Because he possessed absolute control over his own strength, Shirou was able to go about his business without rush or anxiety, maintaining a steady and unhurried pace.
Although Shirou knew that the waters of the Moon World were actually quite deep, even with his current level of attainment, he would find it difficult to cope when facing some existence outside the normal parameters. What concerned Shirou the most were the Outer Gods among the Great Old Ones. Such existences existed within the Moon World, and due to the chaos of the world, it was difficult for Shirou to judge whether those beings were already lurking within it. If an Outer God were to arrive, Shirou could not guarantee his ability to contend with them. Of course, if it were an entity on the level of Azathoth, who controls the multiverse, then he would be utterly doomed.
Currently, Shirou's base strength was enough to crush a star with a casual gesture and to roam within the scope of the solar system. If he utilized the "Simulated Creation Figure: Avesta," depending on the strength of the enemy, he could project it onto himself to reach a degree of power capable of destroying a galaxy.
Imagining the future in his mind, Shirou gazed at the sea of floating clouds through the small window. Time flowed by slowly.
"Hmm... mmm... Shirou..."
The girl's long eyelashes trembled slightly, her cheeks flushed, as if she were having some strange dream. As she slowly drifted out of her slumber, Rin hurriedly looked beside her; finding that Shirou was still there, she set her mind at ease and continued to hold his arm.
The blanket covering her had slipped off at some point. Shirou reached out to grab it, draped it back over Rin, and asked as if making idle chatter.
"Did you have a nightmare?"
"Eh... this... this..."
Rin's face flushed red instantly, and she stuttered, unable to say anything coherent. Seeing that she was unwilling to speak, Shirou did not press for details and continued to look out the window at London, which was becoming increasingly clear.
"Looks like we're almost there."
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London.
This city, crowned with the name "City of Fog," had changed drastically after ten years of development. Walking on the neatly paved cobblestone paths, Shirou and Rin wove through the bustling crowds. The air was filled with the greasy scent of fish and chips, and the exhaust fumes from double-decker buses—one of the symbols of London. Gentlemen in waterproof jackets, women wrapped in scarves or shawls, and children chatting loudly as they boarded the bus—they all moved through this city of fog with various purposes.
It was said that London's population was about eight million. Just looking at the number, there wasn't much of a concept to it; after all, they were basically all unrelated strangers. People of all stripes spent most of their day in the forest of brown or gray buildings, and this scene seemed like the end-point for stars.
"I feel a bit hungry."
Rin tugged at Shirou's wrist and led him toward a snack shop. When it came to street food, stereotypes were always projected into one's mind: small kiosks that provided supplies for travelers in ancient times, or mobile vendors on street corners that were convenient and affordable. In the field of food studies, most research focused on developing countries, showing interest in food supply, food safety, and nutritional intake related to street food, and even areas such as urban employment and the division of labor by gender. In recent years, street food in some developed countries had begun to find new paths; new food concepts, new management images and strategies, and even new lifestyles were slowly bubbling up in the corners of some big cities.
"Whoa, this Scotch egg is super delicious!"
Rin looked at the British snack in her hand with eyes sparkling. Shirou took another one from Rin and tried it.
"Mm, it's quite good indeed."
In general, it was a soft-boiled egg wrapped in meat paste coated with powder, then covered in egg wash and breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden. It could be eaten hot or cold, and when eating it, one could pair it with salad, sauce, or fries, offering a very versatile flavor profile.
Whenever he mentioned food, Shirou always felt as if Saber's eyes were staring at him. He had clearly been intimate with Saber for a few days, yet here he was running out to be lovey-dovey with Rin—a peculiar sense of impropriety arose. He really had to buy some local delicacies to bring back; otherwise, if Saber found out that Shirou had eaten so happily here without bringing her any food, she would definitely throw a tantrum.
They strolled through several shops with Rin—whether it was the rich, juicy, and fragrant "perfect" burgers, seafood-series lobster rolls, fried shrimp and potato balls, or the high-calorie, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside fries with cheese and thick gravy, the variety of delicacies made one reluctant to leave.
The two ate as they walked toward the direction of the Clock Tower.
"By the way, Rin, what are your plans after high school ends? Are you going to college, or doing something else?"
Looking at the River Thames, the two stepped onto London Bridge together.
"This... I haven't really decided yet."
"Isn't the Clock Tower quite good? I heard it's the largest mage organization in the world," Shirou said with a hint of teasing.
Hearing Shirou's words, Rin looked toward the building whose silhouette had already appeared with a sense of sentimentality. When Rin was in elementary school, her father, Tohsaka Tokiomi, would often go to the Clock Tower to socialize and reminisce with some local nobles. Influenced by this, she had developed a vague, hazy longing for the Clock Tower. If things had followed the normal trajectory, Rin would likely have studied abroad at this place that held her father's memories.
However, there was one fact: the Clock Tower might be the most popular mage organization, but it was not the strongest.
"The Clock Tower, the Wandering Sea, and Atlas are the three major academies of the Mage's Association. Among them, the Clock Tower should actually be the weakest."
"Oh? Why does Rin think that?" Shirou was curious about this.
Shirou's impression of the Clock Tower was now quite faint; after all, walking inside the Clock Tower was as casual for him as walking in his own backyard.
"I learned all of this from the books my father left behind," Rin said. "However, there are still few descriptions of the other two mage organizations in them, and I've only learned a little bit about them."
But that was enough for Rin to clarify the structure and relationships of the mage world.
While chatting, they had already arrived before the main gate of the Clock Tower.
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