After Lynch made arrangements with Aozaki Touko, he set off to ‘raise’ funds for making puppet dolls.
How he did it wasn’t mentioned, and Aozaki Touko didn’t know, but she could somewhat guess that the source was definitely not legitimate.
The reason she thought this wasn’t due to malicious speculation, but simply because she had obtained actual evidence.
That was the first batch of funds Lynch provided.
One million Japanese Yen, and four gold bars.
Although she couldn’t be considered a local bigwig in Miyako City, for her own safety, Aozaki Touko had always paid attention to the prevailing winds in Miyako City.
With her abilities, she naturally knew that the largest Yakuza group in the area had been robbed a few days ago, and that the collected criminal records had been reported to the local police station.
In fact, Aozaki Touko even knew that this incident had alarmed the biggest local power, the Ryougi Family, which was the last vestige of the four great demon-exterminating families of the island nation.
This was because that Yakuza group provided a large amount of ‘protection money’ every year, essentially making them a force under the Ryougi Family’s protection.
Now this force had suffered a heavy blow.
Although the criminal data sent to the local police station was ultimately suppressed by the combined efforts of local bigwigs, it still caused the Ryougi Family to lose face.
Therefore, the Ryougi Family had recently been investigating this matter, attempting to find the mysterious robber.
Furthermore, as a demon-exterminating family, the Ryougi Family naturally understood some supernatural methods.
Although different from the magic system, they still possessed relevant knowledge.
Moreover, the ‘demons’ they exterminated could be evil spirits or malevolent Magi.
This was also the reason Aozaki Touko chose to stay in Miyako City; with the Ryougi Family as the local power, Magi dared not cause trouble.
Of course, this was only limited to ordinary Magi.
If some big shots or incredibly disruptive individuals were to enter, the Ryougi Family, this local power, would also be reduced to nothing.
When Lynch handed the ill-gotten gains to Aozaki Touko, she realized that Lynch was very likely the mysterious robber who had plundered the local Yakuza.
However, Aozaki Touko didn’t care and said nothing.
Instead, she actively helped Lynch cover up the matter, preventing the Ryougi Family from finding Lynch through these stolen funds.
There was no other way; a collaborator like Lynch was an extremely rare commodity.
With a very good relationship between them, their needs and interests aligned, they had a very high degree of mutual trust, and there was no need to worry about mutual backstabbing like other Magi.
He was truly a miracle in the magical world.
It was still the same saying: a person who could make Aozaki Touko genuinely consider marriage was, without a doubt, a 99% new, exquisite item in the mysterious world.
Such a partner must be cherished and well-protected.
After all, compared to that 20-year-old young man, she, who was already nearing thirty, had to take good care of her junior.
Nine PM, Fuyuki City, Kotomine Church.
Kirei Kotomine emerged from the restroom.
Undoubtedly, this man had just taken care of his personal business, and it was due to an irresistible urge.
This was already the seventh time he had dealt with the issue today.
The reason for it all was the extra-spicy mapo tofu he had eaten at a Chinese restaurant in Fuyuki City at noon today.
Yes, after a few days, Kirei Kotomine finally decided to follow the psychological counseling advice of that mysterious traveler from Todai University and try something he had never attempted before.
Although he couldn’t go to Todai University to taste the authentic Sichuan-Chongqing flavor for now, he could go to a local Chinese restaurant and ask the owner for authentic Todai Sichuan-Chongqing style extra-spicy mapo tofu.
It wasn’t the kind of localized mapo tofu in Japan that had a noticeable sweetness, but one made strictly according to the Todai Sichuan-Chongqing taste.
Thus, an extra-spicy mapo tofu made according to Todai CD taste allowed Kirei Kotomine to experience a completely new, unprecedented flavor, and it also gave him a completely incomprehensible new experience.
The moment the spicy, savory, and fragrant taste entered his mouth, Kirei Kotomine, who had never been stimulated by spiciness and had only eaten bland foods before, was stunned by the strong flavor.
The endorphins and dopamine produced by the spicy stimulation converged, making Kirei Kotomine, who had never experienced much joy or sorrow, feel as if a new world had opened up to him.
Was this delicious?
Kirei Kotomine didn’t know.
But what Kirei Kotomine did know was that at that moment, he craved more such stimulation.
So, Kirei Kotomine began to eat ravenously, devouring it like a storm, and after finishing one plate, he was still not satisfied and ordered two more before stopping.
Moreover, he didn’t stop because he couldn’t eat anymore.
Kirei Kotomine was a martial artist who maintained his training habits and a regular lifestyle, a classic disciplined person.
How could such a Kirei Kotomine have a small appetite?
The only reason he didn’t continue eating was simply that his stomach and intestines couldn’t adapt to such sudden strong stimulation and immediately went into protest mode.
And this protest mode continued for an entire day.
By now, it was nine PM, and it was Kirei Kotomine’s seventh trip to the restroom.
Undoubtedly, such an experience would be terrible for a normal person, and some would even go to the hospital.
However, Kirei Kotomine was not normal.
Although the day-long ordeal had left Kirei Kotomine somewhat weak, there was a light in his eyes.
Unlike his previous lifeless, dull-eyed appearance, the current Kirei Kotomine was as if he had opened the door to a new world, finding a brand new solution to life, leaving him with an endless aftertaste, heading towards an unspeakable path.
“Indeed, Mr.
Lin was right.
For someone like me, the true spiciness from Todai University is what I need.”
“Such an experience, such sensations, such stimulation…
Ah…
It’s truly…
unprecedented…”
“Moreover, this is only from a Chinese restaurant in Fuyuki City.
If I could taste authentic Todai Sichuan-Chongqing style mapo tofu, I would surely have an even better experience.”
“Also, Mr.
Lin said that when I go there, I must try the local hotpot, and that hotpot will definitely be even better than mapo tofu.”
“Hmm…
If I have the chance, I must go and see.”
At this moment, Kirei Kotomine made up his mind.
Standing outside the church, looking up at the night sky, his expression was firm and devout, like an ascetic who had found faith, about to embark on a pilgrimage.
Then, in this very situation, Kirei Kotomine suddenly froze, then looked into the distance with a puzzled gaze.
In that direction, in the suburbs on the other side of Fuyuki City, Kirei Kotomine suddenly sensed a violent magical fluctuation.
It seemed something had happened over there?
After a slight hesitation, Kirei Kotomine prepared to inform his father, Risei Kotomine, and then go to investigate—he had to help his teacher monitor the situation in Fuyuki City, because his teacher, Tohsaka Tokiomi, had gone to Europe earlier today to visit the Edelfelt Family and discuss the adoption of Tohsaka Sakura into that family.
Naturally, during the period when Tohsaka Tokiomi, the spiritual pulse administrator of Fuyuki City, was away, the supernatural incidents in Fuyuki City would naturally be managed by his disciple, Kirei Kotomine.
The place where Kirei Kotomine sensed the magical fluctuation was the Matou Residence in the suburbs.
Because this mansion had suddenly been attacked, and the attacker was a person wearing very high-tech Iron Man battle armor.
That was Lynch, who had used the Iron Man Tohsaka Tokiomi character card.