Abnormality In Type-Moon: Madness Of Animeverse

"Hold out your hands."

Shiina Kasha and Ai Hayasaka obediently extended their soft, pale hands, placing them in front of Roy.

Both of them looked at him with eager anticipation.

Roy, in turn, stared back at them with just as much expectation.

"…"

"…"

"Where's the line?"

Roy furrowed his brow, visibly displeased as he glanced at the two of them.

"The line?" Shiina Kasha's expression was one of pure confusion.

Ai Hayasaka froze for a moment, her lips twitching slightly before she forced a flawless smile.

"Master, please test our magical potential!"

Roy nodded in satisfaction.

Shiina Kasha's cheeks twitched as she drew in a deep breath.

"M-Master... please test mine as well!" The raven-haired girl spoke so fast it sounded like rapid-fire, as if she could barely withstand Roy's unwavering gaze. Her face flushed crimson, even her ears turning bright red.

Only then did Roy nod approvingly and take their hands in his.

For a brief moment, Ai Hayasaka wondered if this was all just a ploy to hold their hands.

But then a warmth flowed from where their hands connected, coursing into her arms and spreading throughout her body. Startled, she focused intently on any internal reactions.

However, after a few moments, all she felt was the warmth circulating within her. There wasn't any notable change in her body at all.

A sense of unease began to rise in her heart. Instinctively, she glanced up to gauge Roy's expression.

His brow was furrowed tightly.

That expression—so different from the joy one would expect when witnessing the birth of a magical apprentice—was almost alarming.

Shiina Kasha also began to sense something amiss, her face growing pale.

Before long, Roy withdrew his hands.

"…Well?" Shiina Kasha's voice was stiff as she asked, her unease barely concealed.

Ai Hayasaka remained silent, simply watching Roy.

"There's no sign of magical circuits," Roy said bluntly, cutting straight to the point like a knife.

"No magical circuits means... we can't use magic?" Shiina Kasha asked again, unwilling to give up.

"Exactly. Magical circuits are the foundation for all magic. Although the systems and terminology might differ in various regions, this basic requirement doesn't change. And magical circuits are innate. You can't increase them through hard work. Since I couldn't detect any magical circuits in either of you, it means you'll never be able to use magic."

His words were like a dagger, slipping in clean and sharp.

And then twisting, leaving them gutted.

The two girls, thoroughly defeated, slunk away.

A short while later, they returned, having put their inner garments back on.

Disappointed as they were, life still had to go on.

Under Ai Hayasaka's guidance, Shiina Kasha gradually learned the duties of a servant.

The Aozaki residence was enormous, and cleaning it was no small feat. Even for two experienced workers, finishing it in a day would be difficult, let alone one teaching the other.

Ai Hayasaka wasn't actually a maid who handled physical labor. As the personal maid to a young lady of high status, her responsibilities were more delicate and refined. Yet, she handled the chores effortlessly, as if she had done them all her life.

Roy couldn't help but consider asking Rin Tohsaka if he could take Ai off her hands.

In the front yard of the estate, beyond the lawn, there was a small vegetable garden. It contained winter crops like radishes and potatoes, vegetables that could still grow in the colder months.

Ai Hayasaka stood at the edge of the lawn, her gaze fixed on the little garden with a probing look.

"What's wrong?" Shiina Kasha wiped the sweat from her forehead and walked over to her, puzzled as she noticed Ai's unwavering stare at the garden.

"The Aozaki family must be quite prestigious here in Fuyuki City. So why would they grow vegetables in their own yard?" Ai asked, her voice filled with confusion as she eyed the garden.

She hadn't seen anything like this at the Tohsaka household.

Shiina Kasha blinked, taking a moment to process the question.

For an ordinary family, it wasn't unusual to grow seasonal vegetables in their yard. But considering how vast the Aozaki estate was and how valuable land was in Fuyuki City, it did seem a bit odd. Wasn't it beneath their status?

"If there's space, why not use it?"

Roy stepped out into the corridor, catching their conversation, and replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"But wouldn't people of similar status laugh at them for it?" Ai asked, still unconvinced.

"They wouldn't."

Roy sat down at the front of the corridor, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Because everyone does it. All the magicians in Fuyuki City, and maybe even across the world, are likely doing the same thing."

Ai found herself at a loss for words.

This was far from the aristocratic image she had in her mind.

Shiina Kasha didn't seem to care much, though—her family wasn't particularly high-class to begin with.

"Ai, this world is nothing like the one you used to live in."

Roy gave Ai Hayasaka a meaningful look. "Ten years ago, a curse erupted, and a fire ravaged the entire world for over a year. Now, think about what remained after that inferno."

"…A curse."

Before Ai could respond, Roy answered his own question.

"Today, the reason humans haven't ventured out of the base cities isn't just because the wilds are overrun with monsters. It's because the land outside is covered in curses. These curses don't just pollute the mind—they corrupt the land, making it uninhabitable, unfit for farming, and incapable of sustaining life."

"The land that's suitable for farming now is only usable because magicians have purified it. Only then can it be used for crops and homes. But the problem is, there are too many curses and too few magicians. The imbalance has left food resources severely lacking, which is why magicians hold such an exalted position."

"Now, do you understand why refugees are treated so poorly?"

Ai Hayasaka and Shiina Kasha fell silent, their faces thoughtful.

If even food was scarce, it made sense that they, as refugees, had been allowed to stay.

Only now did they realize how merciful it was for Fuyuki City to take in such useless people, people who were only good for cooking.

"Sparing you refugees, bringing you into the city, and feeding you was the result of Rin Tohsaka's struggle against the Magic Association."

With that, Roy stood up and went back into the house.

To have managed such negotiations with the stubborn, profit-driven elders at the Association's branch was no small feat. The elders couldn't care less about the fate of refugees, and who knew how much Rin Tohsaka had to sacrifice to secure their acceptance.

The only reason the Tohsaka estate didn't have a vegetable garden of its own was because Rin was too busy to tend to one.

Ai Hayasaka and Shiina Kasha remained in the yard, speechless.

Any lingering resentment they had over being treated as refugees, stripped of dignity and proper status, evaporated in an instant.

Nightfall.

Ai Hayasaka and Shiina Kasha had both gone to bed.

Even Okita Souji had been ordered to rest.

Roy lay on the large bed in the master bedroom, his eyes wide open, hands gripping the sheets tightly. Sweat poured from his body like rain.

His entire body was wracked with pain, as if flames were burning him from the inside out. He writhed on the bed, unable to move, his slender frame twisting in agony.

At first, Roy clenched his throat, trying to suppress the sound. But eventually, he couldn't hold it back anymore, and a low growl escaped his lips, echoing through the room.

Heavy thuds and the sound of flesh hitting the walls followed soon after.

It wasn't until the middle of the night that the torment finally subsided.

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