The waitress stared in absolute shock at the girl who was rapidly devouring the massive spread of food, looking at her as if she were seeing a monster. No wonder she had ordered so much; this petite, cute girl was actually a bottomless glutton.
At the same time, the waitress looked at Yuuya with deep pity, wondering what his relationship was with this foreign girl. If he was her boyfriend, he was going to be financially ruined by grocery bills alone.
Yuuya had no idea what the waitress was thinking. After recovering from his stunned silence at Index's eating speed, he propped his cheek on his hand and raised an eyebrow at the girl who just kept stuffing food into her cheeks.
"Is this your first time? You've never eaten a cake like this before?"
"Yes! Because I have amnesia, I only have a year's worth of memories. And for that entire year, the absolute best thing I ever ate was leftover pizza that other people didn't want," Index said happily, right after swallowing a massive bite.
"However, the people in this country are so wasteful! I can find pristine food that others don't want almost every single day, and it's always food that hasn't even been touched!"
Looking at Index's happy and innocent appearance, Yuuya could easily imagine that her year of wandering must have been filled with constant hunger and fear.
'But speaking of which... finding untouched, perfectly good food every single day?'
Yuuya's eye twitched slightly. This was clearly being done on purpose. The island nation of Japan culturally valued thriftiness, especially when it came to food; finding pristine, uneaten meals thrown away in the streets every day was practically impossible.
'It's obvious. The two magicians secretly protecting her—Stiyl and Kanzaki—must be deliberately leaving food out for her to "find".'
"You pick up food that other people don't want every day? Doesn't Index have a home?" Yuuya asked, feigning innocent suspicion.
"Yes, my home is the English Puritan Church! Every Puritan church in the world is my home!" Index said with a proud smile.
"But Japan doesn't really have any English Puritan churches," Yuuya pointed out gently. "Most of the Western churches here are Catholic or Protestant denominations, and even those are rare."
"Ah... the church doesn't have a branch here?" Index was taken aback. Her vibrant green eyes were instantly filled with disappointment, but her innocent gluttony quickly pushed the sadness aside as she refocused her attention on the cake.
Realizing that the older brother who was treating her hadn't taken a single bite of his own food, she blinked and asked, "Aren't you going to eat?"
"I'm not hungry. You eat. Don't worry about me," Yuuya said with a smile, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the girl whose face was now completely covered in whipped cream.
"Alright then! I won't hold back! Mmm~!" Index happily shoved another forkful into her mouth.
Soon, the table was completely filled with empty plates cleared by the bewildered waitress. A towering stack of dishes piled up next to Index, yet she still didn't look completely full.
"Since there's no Puritan church here, Index probably has nowhere safe to go. Why don't you come to my house? I can't just leave a cute nun wandering the streets to starve," Yuuya offered.
"Hmm? No need! I'm already very grateful that you treated me to something so delicious," Index paused for a moment, blinked, and wiped the cream off her face, thanking him with genuine innocence.
"No, I insist. I'll be worried sick if you're left to wander the streets and run into bad people," Yuuya said seriously.
"Thank you for your incredible kindness, but I absolutely cannot cause you any trouble. I'm currently being hunted by dangerous people, and I'd feel terrible if I put you in danger. You wouldn't want to get involved in a magical crisis, would you?" Index said, her tone suddenly sounding much older and deeply mature.
Even when she was starving and in dire straits, she firmly believed she must never cause trouble for innocent bystanders; otherwise, even God would condemn her.
"Hmm~ Actually, I love trouble the most. When trouble comes, I just crush it. And since you said you're being hunted, I definitely can't just sit idly by," Yuuya suddenly smiled, his tone relaxed but brimming with absolute confidence. "I am a Level 5 in Academy City. The strongest tier among all Espers."
"No matter what kind of assassin it is, or whoever they send, I will help you take care of them."
Index blinked, tilted her head, and then her eyes lit up like stars.
She put down her knife and fork, placed her hands flat on the table, and asked with intense curiosity.
"Level 5?! You mean the Level 5s... the ones who possess power on par with the Saints in the Magic Side?!"
"You've heard of us?" Yuuya asked with an amused smile.
"Of course I've heard of them! The strongest Espers in Academy City are the Level 5s! Everyone in the Magic World knows that they are practically monsters of science. Are you really a Level 5?!" Index asked, her clear eyes filled with a sudden, desperate joy.
A Level 5 of the Science Side was an entity of equal strategic status to a Saint of the Magic Side. If a Level 5 from Academy City could protect her, she wouldn't have to constantly run from the evil Magicians, and the forbidden magical knowledge that could destroy the world wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. Ordinary Magicians certainly did not possess the power to defeat a Saint.
"Really. I'm the Eighth Level 5 in Academy City. The Space Master," Yuuya said confidently.
"Thank you...!" Index smiled innocently, her eyes clear and guileless. It was a heartbreaking smile of genuine hope after a year of constant heartache and helplessness.
"So, who exactly is pursuing you?" Yuuya asked knowingly, smiling to himself.
He had it all figured out. She already trusted him this much? Was it just because he treated her to a massive meal and offered her shelter? Either way, being with Index truly brought a sense of untainted purity.
"They are Magicians, but I don't know their specific cabal. However, based on their methods, they are likely from the Rosicrucian Order, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, or something similar. They are fanatics obsessed with magic, dedicated to developing completely new, dangerous magical systems. They are hunting me down for the 103,000 Grimoires sealed inside my memory."
Index spoke calmly and intelligently, detailing the lore of her pursuers. Then, her eyes drifted, sparkling as she looked at the fruit juice dispenser next to the counter.
Yuuya caught the look and immediately asked the waitress to bring another large pitcher of juice.
"I see. But don't worry, I'll protect you no matter who it is," Yuuya promised. "Once you enter Academy City, no Magician will be a threat to you. Academy City is an absolute forbidden zone for Magicians."
"Will they really stop chasing me once I get inside Academy City?" Index asked excitedly, as if she had finally found the ultimate sanctuary.
"Of course. No Magician can enter Academy City without the explicit consent of the General Board of Directors. The perimeter is monitored at all times by cutting-edge technology. Any illegal magical incursions will be immediately suppressed," Yuuya assured her.
Of course, the unspoken reality was that if the Board agreed to let them in, there would be nowhere left to run. But Yuuya had no intention of letting Aleister hand her over.
'I'll just bring Index to my apartment first. And once she's inside my territory, I'm not letting her go easily!'
"Then let's go to Academy City!" Index cheered happily, raising her hands.
Meanwhile, in a shadowy alleyway not far from the restaurant's window, two figures dressed in dark, unusual clothing had been silently watching Index eat.
Suddenly, their expressions shifted into sheer panic.
"Oh no! Index is missing!"
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