Chapter 14: The Disliked Old Man

Seeing this suddenly appearing grandfather-grandchild pair in front of him, Shinji's lips twitched slightly.

Due to the enigmatic fading of this spacetime, the head of the Aozaki family was not a magus, but his status in the Japanese magecraft world was still very high, belonging to the top tier.

Of course, just as famous as his transcendent status was his old-fashioned attitude towards magecraft.

The story of how he drove his talented heir (Aozaki Touko) out of the family due to differing philosophies was known to everyone in the Japanese magecraft world.

However, compared to this conservative and stern old man, Shinji was more interested in the woman behind him.

After all, a pretty girl was definitely more eye-catching than a wrinkled old man, not to mention that she was one of the "Four Main Heroine of Type-Moon."

In contrast to Shinji's image of being lively and even a bit unreliable, the woman following behind her grandfather exuded an elegant and dignified demeanor.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that the Aozaki patriarch hadn't died, and he had kept her by his side for guidance.

Perhaps sensing Shinji's gaze, the woman squinted her eyes and smiled sweetly at him.

Shinji also returned a friendly smile and greeted her.

"Hello..."

Before Shinji could finish his sentence, the Aozaki patriarch moved sideways, positioning himself between Shinji and the woman, as if he were some sort of harmful bacteria.

"..."

Shinji's eyebrows twitched slightly. He remained silent and just lifted his wine glass.

On the other side, the head of the Aozaki family completely treated Shinji as air. He didn't even spare him a glance, directly greeting Zouken.

"Lord Matou, it's been a while."

Zouken nodded slightly. "Lord Aozaki, I hope you're still in good health."

"Of course." Lord Aozaki answered expressionlessly. "Those disrespectful and unfilial brats who tarnish the path of magecraft are still alive. How could I die before them?"

Shinji, who was in the midst of drinking, stopped and put down his glass, looking up at the old man in front of him.

He felt like he was being roasted.

It was as if Lord Aozaki only just noticed him now. He looked down at Shinji with a gaze that made him very uncomfortable.

"Are you... Zouken's grandson, Shinji Matou? You seem young and promising."

"Thank you for your kind words, Lord Aozaki."

Shinji's words were polite and even somewhat courteous.

He wasn't a fool and could naturally sense that Lord Aozaki's words carried some other meaning. It definitely wasn't the tone a respected elder would use when praising a promising junior.

"Of course, it's not praise. You are one of the most talented young magus I've seen. The article you published in the Clock Tower journal about suggestive magecraft, and your understanding of the essence of magecraft in it, left me amazed."

"You're too kind."

Shinji gave an awkward yet polite smile, unsure if the other party was deliberately mocking him.

That paper was quite watered down. Although the viewpoints and theoretical practices in the paper were from Shinji's hands, the writing and theoretical exposition sections were mostly done by Waver.

The two of them had complementary strengths: one was exceptionally talented in practical magecraft but lacked a solid theoretical foundation, while the other had a wealth of theoretical knowledge but was unable to practice due to personal reasons.

The entire Clock Tower was aware of the situation between these two, but it was unclear if outsiders like Shinji were familiar with it.

However, Lord Aozaki didn't seem to care about the actual content of that paper. He only looked at Shinji with a look that said "I can't believe you're wasting your potential on mundane matters." It was as if he were a knowledgeable teacher instructing an apt but inept student.

"Your talent in suggestive magecraft, bounded fields, and even illusion magecraft is something ordinary people can't reach... but it's a pity."

Lord Aozaki paused for a moment, then continued with a heavy tone, "You've chosen the wrong path, investing too much of your energy in trivial matters that waste your exceptional abilities. Focus on studying magecraft properly; only then can you fully develop your talent."

"Magecraft?"

Shinji truly hadn't expected the other person to come and talk to him about this.

Lord Aozaki waved his hand grandly. "Only by dedicating yourself to the study of magecraft can you gain recognition for your abilities and become a top magus."

'Do you even know about my aspirations? Why are you so adamant that I must become an academic magus?'

Shinji wasn't quite sure how to respond to this old gentleman.

From whichever perspective he looked at it, Shinji Matou wasn't cut out for scholarly magecraft studies. Even if he had transmigrated to a parallel world where the Mysteries hadn't faded, Shinji felt he should be more of a combat magus like Kiritsugu and Bazett.

"Lord Aozaki, you are an authority in the magecraft world. I'm just a novice magus with limited experience and no expertise. I'm sure you, as a senior, wouldn't deceive me."

Although he held a low opinion of this old man in his heart, Shinji responded with a tone of a junior to maintain the reputation of the Matou Family.

"Are you implying that magus focused on practical magecraft cannot reach the pinnacle of the magical world?"

"Practical?"

Lord Aozaki shook his head upon hearing this. "Practicality implies sharing with others. Mystery is a very personal thing, something that can only be passed down within a family! As a magus, you shouldn't have such thoughts."

'My bad, this guy isn't just conservative; he should be in a museum.'

Shinji felt like giving himself a slap.

What was the point of discussing things with this living fossil who stubbornly adhered to family traditions?

Even the old fogies in the Clock Tower knew that family inheritance was unreliable these days, and it was necessary to find students to inherit their magical paths. This guy was still living in the previous version.

Unfortunately, Lord Aozaki didn't seem to sense Shinji's impatience. He continued to lecture Shinji with a slightly pained expression, as if he were a knowledgeable teacher imparting wisdom to a talented but misguided student.

"Shinji Matou, I greatly appreciate your talent. You are still young, and there is hope for correction. Concentrate on the study of magecraft now, and with your talents, you can certainly progress further on the path to the root than even your grandfather..."

What's the point? Isn't it still impossible to reach the root?

Shinji resisted the urge to roll his eyes and tried to lift the corners of his mouth.

Even this man couldn't become a magus at the moment. Shinji estimated that there wouldn't be anyone left to truly complete the path of a magus in the future.

Moreover, even if Shinji were genuinely interested in the root, he wouldn't lock himself away to study it. He would prefer going to the market with Rin and attending to his sister. Who knows, he might get closer to the root that way.

Given the current state of the world, Shinji had deep doubts about that.

In any case, from Shinji's perspective, he'd rather pursue what he enjoyed doing rather than channel his limited life and energy into an endless path. So, he wouldn't change his plans just because someone said a few things, even if that person was the head of the Aozaki family.

"Um... Lord Aozaki."

Seeing that the other person was still incessantly speaking without stopping, Shinji finally couldn't bear it and spoke up, "I don't believe that the root represents everything a magus should be."

Although Shinji tried to soften his tone as much as possible, Lord Aozaki's expression still wasn't very pleasant.

In the eyes of this old man, the root was everything, and magus should pursue the root; otherwise, they were heretics!

With a displeased glance at Shinji's side, Lord Aozaki turned to Zouken Matou, "Lord Matou, I think you should consider having another grandson, instead of investing the resources of the Matou Family in someone who will never yield any returns."

Well, that was a high EQ statement.

Shinji felt that if he translated Lord Aozaki's words using a low EQ perspective, it would be something like, "Why don't you just discard this disobedient grandson?"

"Anyway, Shinji isn't inheriting the Matou Family's magecraft. He can do whatever he wants," Zouken Matou said with a chuckle, leaning on his cane.

For this grandfather-obsessed grandson, nothing was more important than supporting his own grandson.

Discard Shinji? Impossible.

Only someone as stubborn as Lord Aozaki would dispose of a highly talented heir for the sake of some ideology.

It could be said that Lord Aozaki and Zouken Matou's philosophies toward younger generations and magecraft were completely worlds apart.

Lord Aozaki tried a few more times to persuade Matou, but seeing that he was just dodging, he could only leave in frustration.

"Goodbye to you both."

Throughout the entire interaction, Aozaki didn't say a word. When her grandfather left, she first gave a slight curtsy to the Tohsaka grandfather and grandson, then quickly caught up with him.

Shinji swore he saw the Aozaki heiress give him a thumbs-up as she turned away.

"Root doesn't represent everything."

Suddenly, a somewhat sarcastic voice came from behind Shinji.

He quickly turned around and saw a woman with glasses and a single ponytail of Touko hair, smiling at him.

She hurried over and stood right next to Shinji, teasing, "Looks like the little prodigy from the Matou family is overflowing with confidence."

"It's just a difference in paths, Touko-san."

Shinji shrugged, casually responding.

"Do you know me?"

The woman's mouth curved with interest.

Shinji nodded, "Of course, Touko-san is one of the Idols I admired when I was studying abroad, the story of your amazing feat kept being mentioned in the story I read."

Touko waved her hand, laughing, "Oh, come on. Compared to you, who've had your way with all the women in the Clock Tower, I still have a long way to go."

Blugh—

Shinji sprayed out his drink.

"Is that what those idiots have been spreading?!"

Shinji decided that next time he returned to the Clock Tower, he'd cement some people's legs and throw them under the London Bridge.

"Who knows," Touko spread her hands, saying casually, "but anyway, you managed to get under that stubborn old guy's skin. I'm quite pleased about that. If you ever need anything, feel free to find me, and I'll give you a discount."

Saying so, Touko handed a business card to Shinji and then left.

'Even though they're sisters, their personalities are quite different.'

Watching Touko's retreating figure, Zouken Matou rubbed his chin and commented.

"With the option of her obedient sister against her rebellious self. No wonder that rigid old man gave up on her and chose the younger sister."

"Shinji, have you noticed something?" Zouken Matou asked with a hint of gossip.

Shinji just smiled faintly, pocketing the business card.

"My grandson, are you interested in her?"

"Yes."

Shinji admitted.

But before Zouken could say anything, Shinji continued, "Touko-san is quite skilled at making magical props. I've wanted to commission her to create props for movies for a while, but I've never found a way to contact her."

"What? I thought you were interested in the girl herself."

Zouken Matou disappointedly lowered his head, thumping his back with his hand.

"Ah, when can I hold my great-grandchild? Even though you were so proactive in England, why did you become so conservative after returning to Japan?"

Shinji's disheveled hair blew up in exasperation. He didn't want to talk to this endlessly chattering grandfather. Just as he was about to head to the food section to get something to eat, he heard the slightly elevated voice of Lord Aozaki coming from not far away.

"How strange."

Lord Aozaki pointed at Aozaki Touko, squinting his eyes as he said, "I don't recall this being a place for stray dogs to beg for food."

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