Abnormality In Type-Moon: Madness Of Animeverse

"This is troublesome? How so?"

"I suppose I haven't told you yet—I'm not part of the Aozaki family. I'm just a guest staying here. Essentially, I'm an outsider."

Roy answered Shiina Kasha's confusion directly, laying bare the reality of his situation—he was living under someone else's roof.

"Back at the refugee shelter, the reason that guy gave me face and handed you over wasn't out of respect for me. It was because of the real owner of the Aozaki family. He was simply hoping that by going through me, he could establish a connection with those sisters."

Roy wasn't the true master of this mansion. He was merely a guest placed here by the actual owner.

On the surface, the magicians of Fuyuki City treated him with great courtesy, but it was all superficial. They only showed him respect because of the mansion's true owner, hoping to use Roy as a bridge to establish a relationship with the Aozaki sisters. Otherwise, they wouldn't bother with him at all.

There were likely countless people in the Magic Association who despised him, jealous of the favor he had received from the Aozaki family.

"If I went to Atram and asked for a servant, he wouldn't refuse," Roy continued after a brief pause. "But the cost of doing that… you're aware of it, right?"

The cost, of course, would be personal favors.

Not just Roy's favors, but more importantly, those of the Aozaki family's true master.

Shiina Kasha hadn't expected things to unfold this way and was caught off guard.

The price wasn't impossibly high, but it wasn't insignificant either. Involving the master of the Aozaki family—who wasn't present and held an extraordinarily special status—just to help a refugee? And not even one of their own servants, but rather a friend of a servant?

To put it bluntly, what made them think they deserved such treatment?

"Kasha, do you know what your friend has been going through at Atram's house?"

Seeing Shiina Kasha furrowing her brows, clearly hesitant, Roy thought for a moment and then asked.

"…No, he refused to tell me anything."

Shiina Kasha snapped out of her thoughts and, recalling the earlier conversation, shook her head.

She had actually asked him several times. After all, if she was going to help, she needed to know the details.

But no matter how much she pressed, Aki Tomoya wouldn't reveal what he had experienced. Each time the topic came up, he clammed up completely, his face filled with terror as he begged her for help.

She found it strange, but seeing the overwhelming fear on his face, she couldn't bring herself to push further.

"Is his life in danger?"

"I don't know. He just looked really worn out."

"Hmm…"

Roy let out a thoughtful hum.

"Fuyuki City has certain protections in place for refugees. Magicians, as their masters, are forbidden from harming their servants without cause. But, of course, there are plenty of magicians who ignore the rules when it suits them... If he's only looking exhausted, then it seems his life isn't in immediate danger."

The person who enacted this law was none other than Rin Tohsaka, the mayor of Fuyuki City. She had done everything she could to treat the refugees with compassion.

"How about this—I'll check in on Aki Tomoya for you and see what's really going on. After that, we can decide what to do. How does that sound?"

"That would be ideal."

Shiina Kasha's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.

"So, what do we do? Should we head to his house to investigate?"

"No need to go to such trouble."

Roy smiled slightly and waved his hand in front of him.

In an instant, a thin silver line appeared before him, opening up like a pocket and revealing a dark, chaotic space within.

Reaching into the void, Roy rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a small, motionless yellow bird.

Shiina Kasha stared closely and realized it wasn't a real bird but a brass model, lifelike in appearance. Its eyes were lenses, resembling tiny cameras.

Roy inscribed several runes on the bird's body and injected it with magical energy. Immediately, the brass bird began to flap its wings and flew out the window.

The moment it left the window, the brass bird vanished completely.

"What is that?" Shiina Kasha asked, watching the spot where the bird had disappeared with a hint of envy.

"It's a simple familiar I made."

Roy explained, "I inscribed invisibility runes on it, and since it's made of metal, it doesn't have any life energy. Its eyes function like cameras, making it very useful for sneaking around and tracking things."

Just as he finished speaking, Roy snapped his fingers.

In the next instant, a transparent image materialized in the air between them, hovering midair.

The image displayed an overhead map of Fuyuki City, gently swaying from side to side—it was the brass bird's point of view.

The bird flew across the sky for a short while before honing in on its target, a luxurious villa in an upscale residential area. It swooped down toward the mansion.

"Not bad, even in a place like Fuyuki City, this Middle Eastern upstart could afford such a grand residence."

Roy clicked his tongue in awe, his expression clearly envious.

"Are you really just going to dive in like that? Isn't there some kind of barrier in place?"

Shiina Kasha was on edge as she watched, her heart pounding. The Aozaki estate had a barrier, so it was only natural to assume others would too.

And it was only now that she realized, Roy was still just a low-ranking magician, while their opponent was a fully ranked one. Roy wasn't even on the same level when it came to magical prowess. Wasn't this kind of infiltration risky? Couldn't they get caught?

"Hah, it's fine."

Roy waved a hand, chuckling softly.

"Atram's family was originally a bunch of nouveau riche from the Middle East. Before the disaster, they only used magic as a hobby or a means of self-defense. It was only after the catastrophe that they began to take magic seriously, but they've only been studying for about ten years. Their magical prowess is third-rate at best. As for their barrier? I could get past it with my eyes closed."

"Isn't he a ranked magician?"

"Bought and paid for."

"…"

For a moment, Shiina Kasha was at a loss for words.

That's even possible?

Magicians were supposed to be warriors who fought against magical beasts, an essential force for eradicating curses. Magical prowess and combat ability were paramount. How could someone buy their way into a rank, knowing how dangerous the job was?

And how could such an important position within the Magic Association be up for sale?!

"The Magic Association has been like this for ages, deeply entrenched in its web of profit. Yet, they still act all high and mighty. Rin Tohsaka mentioned it before, didn't she? The Association has long been rotten to the core."

As Roy spoke, he skillfully guided the brass bird through the gaps in Atram's barrier, easily avoiding its detection.

He wasn't exaggerating.

Atram's barrier was laughably subpar, riddled with flaws. It couldn't even begin to compare to the thirteen-layer full coverage barrier at Ryuudou Temple. If Roy were physically present, he could have genuinely slipped past it with his eyes closed.

"Got it—down in the basement, huh… oh."

Roy maneuvered the brass bird through the mansion's interior with ease. Despite the mansion's size, it didn't take long to find Atram's magical workshop, unsurprisingly located in the basement.

But the moment the bird's view entered the basement, Roy couldn't help but grimace.

Beside him, Shiina Kasha's face instantly paled.

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