Shinji Matou at Your Service

Lorelei didn't pay attention to their expressions and continued her assessment:

"During my negotiations with Caules, his calmness and wit complemented the impulsive personalities of Svin and Flat. Together, they make a rather effective team. As for their mindset, you don't need to worry— their opponents aren't human, but monsters lurking in the shadows of humanity. Dealing with these creatures won't be a psychological burden."

"Wow, monsters! Sounds exciting!"

Flat whistled.

"Leave them to me! I'll tear them all apart!"

Svin unconsciously licked his claws.

"You two... Vampires aren't as easy to deal with as you think," Caules sighed, his demeanor becoming more and more like his teacher's.

When he first joined the class, he admired these brilliant seniors. Now, all that remained was a deep sense of helplessness.

The trip on the Mystic Eyes Collection Train showed him how vast the world was and how small he was in comparison. The only reason he came along was to prevent these two from provoking something terrifying in a moment of recklessness.

"The ones you've encountered are special cases. Most vampires are quite easy to deal with. Their weaknesses are obvious, and with your learning abilities, you'll soon master how to defeat them," Lorelei explained, noticing Caules' concerns.

"The special cases, as well as those on the level of the Dead Apostles, will be handled by me and my servants. Defeating monsters is the duty of heroes."

This was Lorelei's true reason for heading to Fuyuki.

The queen of the Clock Tower was proud and confident, but her pride and confidence weren't blind. She had a clear understanding of her abilities.

With proper preparation and the right equipment, she feared no Dead Apostle of the 27 Ancestors and could even potentially win in a one-on-one battle. However, that was the limit of what she could achieve. Defeating more would only be possible if her enemies collectively lost their wits.

The issue was that most Dead Apostles of the 27 Ancestors had vast networks of subordinates and were rarely alone. Trying to defeat one on her own was a fool's errand. To counter these vast forces, she formed the Brigade. Her current fame wasn't just due to her achievements but also the efforts of her brigade and nearly two thousand years of Barthomeloi accumulation.

This method had its drawbacks. More people meant a bigger target, making it easier to be detected and infiltrated. With her current status, the moment she began mobilizing her forces, half of the Mystic World would know, and the Dead Apostles would react accordingly— either rallying their forces to confront her or going into hiding.

The Japanese government wouldn't sit idly by either. Conducting operations on their soil? They could tolerate small-scale skirmishes, but a large-scale war would not be allowed. Otherwise, they might resort to extreme measures. In the end, the result would be the death of some expendable forces and both sides withdrawing.

That was not what Lorelei wanted. She and the entire Barthomeloi family sought the complete eradication of vampires, especially their family's nemesis, the White Wing Lord. She didn't want to let this opportunity slip away.

At other times, even if she knew where they were, there might not have been much she could do. The Dead Apostles of the 27 Ancestors were ancient beings, some hundreds or even thousands of years old, and exceedingly cautious. Even if she had joined forces with someone like Shinji, eliminating them wouldn't be guaranteed— as per the Mystic World's rule of "three kill one," meaning it takes three beings of the same level working together to truly eliminate someone if they're determined to escape.

But this time was different. Lorelei now had a new option— servants, powerful heroes from history who descend to the present from the Throne of Heroes. Even without their full combat capabilities, just one unnamed servant had been able to block her; who knows what kinds of feats those legendary heroes, who had once been invincible in their eras, could achieve?

Of course, she knew she couldn't rely solely on herself and her servants. That's why she approached Waver. Not only for his analytical and deductive abilities but also for the servants that surrounded him. The contributions of these New Age individuals were worth expecting. Plus, her relationship with Waver was not close enough for anyone to suspect she was using him as cover. This provided the necessary security.

Waver, who had once been in a similar situation (refer to the Garden of Sinners arc where Lorelei followed him secretly, thinking Shinji was dead), quickly deduced her intentions. He sighed deeply and lit a cigarette.

"Why does this feel more troublesome than the last Holy Grail War?"

"Sorry."

Lorelei, in a rare display, adopted a humble posture.

"It's fine. I've already gotten used to being dragged into various troubles. This isn't particularly special."

Waver took a deep puff. Some people complain when faced with problems, while others actively seek solutions— that's the difference between failures and successes. Waver belonged to the latter. At this moment, he wasn't troubled by his problem students anymore; instead, he was focused on analyzing the situation.

"There are four Masters— you, me, Gray, and Shinji. Both you and Shinji are almost on par with servants. Gray, Svin, and Flat together count as one, and we have that True Ancestor princess. Even if the vampires claim the remaining four Master slots, we won't lose. No way all four of them are Dead Apostles."

"Shinji isn't coming."

"What? No Shinji? You—"

Lorelei's sudden comment made Waver drop his cigarette. Luckily, he still had enough sense not to reveal Shinji's true identity.

"—You guys leave. I need to talk with Lady Barthomeloi alone. Gray, Caules, Svin, keep an eye on Flat. If he dares eavesdrop, his semester credits are going to zero."

"Eh! Eh! Eh! Eh! Eh~~~~~~~~~~"

Amidst Flat's loud complaints, the group, including Faker, left the workshop, leaving only Waver and Lorelei. Waver finally asked without reservation.

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't want him to know I've come to Fuyuki. And I don't want to rely on that vampire's power."

Lorelei lowered her eyes, avoiding Waver's gaze.

"Lady, this is not the time to be acting on emotions."

"I know, I understand— but at least until things reach that point, I don't want him to know."

"You're being—"

Waver wanted to persuade her further, but when he saw her biting her lip, looking completely unlike the regal queen she usually was, all his words turned into a sigh.

No matter how high one stands, once they fall in love, they stop being themselves.

If she didn't have feelings for Shinji, why would she always silently clean up after him? If she didn't love him, why would Lord Barthomeloi, with their strict ways, tolerate him using their resources while staying distant? If she didn't care about him, why would she be so concerned about the women around him?

Shinji, you truly are a man of deep sins.