Reborn in Type-Moon: Starting by Adopting Sakura - Chapter 29

They climbed out of the car and walked through the gates of the estate. Even in land-scarce Tokyo, the Reiroukan family had managed to maintain a spacious front lawn. A small girl with long black hair sat cross-legged in the grass, her hands flowing through motions like a routine. Threads of black silk slithered around her, weaving themselves into intricate shapes that slowly began to resemble the outline of a bird.

Irisviel's eyes went wide. She recognized that spell immediately—it was the same spell she had taught Yuu years ago.

Before she could say anything, the girl spotted them and jumped to her feet, running over with obvious excitement.

"Yuu! You're finally here!" she called out, her face lighting up. "Look what I can do now—I can make it fly all by myself!"

Reiroukan Misaya stood there with obvious pride, eager to show him just how much her training had paid off.

Irisviel tilted her head slightly, one finger tapping against her chin as she watched the girl's spell. Then, almost casually, she raised her hand near her shoulder and began weaving silver threads into the air. Within seconds, she'd formed her own bird—sleek and gleaming like liquid mercury. The silver creation let out a sharp cry before diving down, its talons ripping straight through Misaya's black silk bird, shredding it to pieces.

Irisviel gave Yuu a look that wasn't quite a smile, then turned to face the now-scowling Misaya. "That's a lovely attempt, little one, but this is how that spell is meant to be used."

Yuu watched the two of them size each other up, noting the way Misaya's jaw had set and how Irisviel's smile had that slightly too-sweet scent. But honestly, he felt a sense of relief. His timing couldn't have been better, arriving right when Misaya happened to be practicing magecraft in the front yard.

Because the truth was, that particular spell was one of Irisviel's specialties. When he'd taught it to Misaya months ago, he hadn't exactly asked for permission first.

In the world of magecraft, passing along someone else's spell without their approval was a serious breach of etiquette. It didn't matter that this spell wasn't one of the core Einzbern family secrets—it was still fundamentally rude. Most magi would take serious offense to something like that. The more prideful ones might even declare a blood feud over it.

That's exactly why he'd brought Irisviel here to the Reiroukan estate today. Better to clear the air now before any misunderstandings could fester. And judging by her reaction, it looked like he might actually get away with it. Irisviel didn't seem particularly angry—more like she was enjoying the chance to show off a little.

And being as perceptive as she was, Irisviel had immediately grasped why he'd brought her here today. She'd given him that knowing look before decisively crushing Misaya's silk bird with her own creation.

"This is how you use this spell," she'd said.

That single line had solved everything. By phrasing it that way and demonstrating the spell herself, she'd effectively taken ownership of Misaya's instruction. If an Einzbern was teaching Einzbern magecraft, then no one could raise any objections. Yuu had been prepared to launch into a whole explanation and apology, but he hadn't expected Irisviel to be quite this thoughtful about the whole situation.

Misaya, on the other hand, was clearly not having any of it. Her pale legs flashed beneath her skirt as she darted around to Yuu's other side and latched onto his arm like a territorial cat.

"Who exactly is this woman?" she demanded, her voice carrying a tone far too serious for someone her age.

"I'm Yuu's secretary," Irisviel replied sweetly.

"Hmph." Misaya's snort was surprisingly dignified for a girl her size, though the pink flush in her cheeks somewhat undermined the effect. "Well, Yuu happens to be my fiancé."

Irisviel's eyes went wide for a moment, but Misaya wasn't finished. She tightened her grip on Yuu's arm and glanced at him with those intense red eyes of hers.

"You're absolutely not allowed to go around flirting with other women."

"......"

After the initial shock wore off, Irisviel's expression melted into a doting, big-sister smile. “Ara, how adorable.”

Most people would have been intimidated by that kind of patronizing response from an adult, but Misaya held her ground. Apart from Manaka, there really wasn't anyone who could make her back down once she'd made up her mind about something.

She pressed closer to Yuu's side, practically wrapping herself around his arm. "Yuu, you need to tell this bad woman just how deeply in love we are." She paused, then added with the air of someone making a great concession, "Though I suppose... if you really wanted to bring her in, I might not be completely opposed to the idea."

Yuu reached over and gave her head a firm rub, his knuckles working through her hair like he was trying to drill some sense into her skull. "Where in the world did you pick up that kind of talk?"

"Ow—owww!" Misaya grabbed at her head, trying to escape his grip. "That hurts!"

It wasn't long before the Reiroukan family head arrived home, and Misaya immediately transformed back into the picture of a well-behaved young lady.

Yuu made the introductions, presenting Irisviel to their host, and they were graciously invited into the main residence. The head of the Reiroukan family was a man of cultivated tastes—someone who appreciated the finer things. His afternoons were typically devoted to magecraft research, but come evening, he enjoyed unwinding with quality alcohol.

Seeing Yuu appear at his door, he'd immediately extended an invitation to join him for the evening.

Yuu wasn't particularly fond of alcohol, but when he did indulge, he preferred quality—something like a Lafite '82 or a Romanée-Conti '79. Irisviel seemed perfectly comfortable with the idea of drinking, which was helpful since refusing would have been considered rude.

"Sorry for dropping by without any warning," Yuu said as they settled into the elegantly appointed sitting room.

"Please don't apologize," the Reiroukan head replied, his speech carrying that formal, almost poetic quality that old Kyoto families were known for. "Your company saves me from the melancholy of drinking alone." He had a deep appreciation for classical traditions, and he was already reaching for a bottle that looked like it cost more than most people's monthly salary—a genuine Romanée-Conti.

After they'd shared a few rounds, the Reiroukan head leaned back slightly and asked, "Yuu-san, in all your travels across Japan, have you encountered any particularly beautiful towns that most people haven't discovered yet?"

Yuu considered the question while swirling the wine in his glass. "Fuyuki comes to mind. Ocean views, mountains wrapping around three sides, and the Mion River cutting right through the middle, separating the old district from the new." He paused, studying his host's expression. "Any particular reason you're asking?"

A slight chuckle escaped the older man. "Nothing too exciting, I'm afraid. Summer's approaching, and several schools I'm involved with need to finalize their camp locations. There's this elementary school in Kannonji that's been going in circles for weeks now, and somehow the decision landed on my desk." He shook his head with mild exasperation. "Honestly, you'd think they were planning a military campaign instead of a children's summer camp. The whole thing's become rather embarrassing."

Given the Reiroukan family's extensive business network throughout Tokyo, their involvement in educational institutions wasn't particularly surprising.

"Fuyuki would work perfectly for a summer camp," Yuu said. "Just make sure they avoid it for any winter activities. That could get... complicated."

"Oh?" The Reiroukan head studied Yuu's expression, reading between the lines, then gave a small nod of understanding.

Still, it was hardly a pressing matter. The decision was ultimately his to make.

"Well then, I should probably head out. Don't want to wear out my welcome."

"Hmm?" The Reiroukan head blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Yuu-san, I assumed you'd come here with something particular in mind."

He'd been anticipating some deeper conversation, some request or proposition, only to have Yuu announce his departure so casually.

"Not really. I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd drop by to see how you were doing."