In one of the fifth-grade classrooms at Homurahara Academy Private Elementary School.
A group of eleven-year-old students chattered about various topics—what they ate for breakfast, how great last night's anime was, or what happened at home. Even something as simple as being barked at by a neighbor's dog could spark a conversation among these kids.
But among them, two children stood out as slightly unique.
"Good morning, Miyu."
"Hm, good morning, Illya."
In the two seats at the back of the class near the window, Illya and Miyu greeted each other as usual.
"You're late today, Illya."
"Ugh… I overslept a bit. The blanket was too cozy."
It was autumn now, and the chilly mornings made people want to linger in bed. Kids usually wouldn't get up unless woken, except for the highly disciplined ones like Miyu and Gray.
After setting down her schoolbag and pulling out the books for the next lesson, Illya turned to Miyu. "By the way, when I got here, I heard there's a new teacher—an foreigner."
"Yeah, I know. She was recommended by Naoki-san."
"Eh? Someone Natsukawa-san knows?" Illya was a bit surprised. "Didn't Natsukawa-san and Gray go on a trip abroad? Is she someone they met there?"
Miyu nodded. "A Greek woman they met in Romania. She ran out of money while traveling and asked Naoki-san for help. Now she's been recommended to teach here to pay off her debt."
"Ugh… Why does it suddenly feel like Natsukawa-san's image turned shady?"
"Really? Naoki-san is a good person."
Miyu didn't quite understand Illya's thinking. Naoki was a kind person who had saved her and her brother, allowing them to live peacefully now. How could Illya see him as shady?
"I'm not saying Natsukawa-san's a bad guy. He used to bring gifts to my house all the time. When he came back this time, he brought souvenirs from Romania and England too… It's just that his behavior sometimes gives off a villainous vibe."
"I don't really get Illya's thinking."
"Haha… Fair enough, you don't think like a kid at all. Oh, if you know who the new teacher is, does that mean you know her name?"
Miyu nodded. "Yes, her name is—"
"Alright! Alright! Kids, settle down!"
Fujimura Taiga's loud voice burst through the door as she made her entrance. She slammed on the brakes, stopping confidently at the podium, and smacked the desk hard. "This is a bit sudden, but today, our class is getting a new teacher—Natsukawa Tamako-sensei, please come in!"
"Y-Yes!"
Outside the door, Atalanta, wearing a slightly ill-fitting teacher's uniform with her cat ears and tail hidden by Magecraft, entered the classroom shyly. She turned to face the adorable children in the class.
"Kids, nice to meet you. I'm your history teacher from now on, Natsukawa Tamako."
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
At the Natsukawa Residence.
"At this moment, Atalanta should be smoothly starting her life as a teacher."
At the Natsukawa family villa, Naoki glanced at the wall clock while thinking.
Becoming a teacher at Homurahara Academy's elementary school—that was Naoki's suggestion to Atalanta. Since she loved children, being an elementary school teacher would be a perfect fit. Though he considered making her an international volunteer, Naoki was genuinely worried that if she saw war-torn children, she might lose control and unleash her Noble Phantasm on the battlefield.
For now, Atalanta shouldn't face such things. She could gradually come to terms with them after living in this world for a while.
Across from Naoki—
"You had me arrange an identity for a Servant who gained a body. You owe me another favor, Naoki." Luvia said, slightly annoyed.
Atalanta's teaching position at Homurahara Academy was arranged entirely by Luvia. Needless to say, for her, any problem that could be solved with money wasn't a problem.
For the record, the name [Natsukawa Tamako] was given by Naoki. Saying "Atalanta" might cause issues, so a pseudonym was better.
"So, why'd you call us here this time?" Luvia asked.
"Well, I need some help—specifically, Rin's help." Naoki looked at Rin, standing behind Luvia in a maid outfit. "I want to borrow Fuyuki City's leyline for a bit."
Rin frowned immediately. "The leyline? For what?"
"To set up a Mana-draining ritual on it. Don't worry, it's not much—just like taking a glass of water from the Pacific Ocean daily."
"Hmm… That amount's fine, but what do you need leyline Mana for?"
"To finish my puppet. The preliminary work is mostly done; just two or three final steps remain. For that, high-quality Mana is essential. I could supply it myself, but maintaining it 24/7 is exhausting. Using the leyline makes it much easier."
Naoki was, of course, talking about the Logos React—or rather, the Greater Holy Grail hidden inside it.
The Logos React was a Mystic Code capable of sealing even a Holy Spear, so housing the Greater Holy Grail was no issue. Beyond hiding the Grail, Naoki had another goal.
Namely, using the Greater Holy Grail as a Mana source for the puppet.
For that, Naoki needed Mana to activate the Greater Holy Grail. Not much—just enough to get it running. Once operational, the Grail could automatically absorb Mana from the surrounding atmosphere, keeping the puppet functional.
After thinking silently for a while, Rin nodded. "Fine, this weekend I'll go with you to the Great Cavern. I'll supervise while you set up the ritual."
"Is that level of caution necessary? We're old friends."
"A Magus's verbal promise is completely unreliable."
Fair enough.
Naoki shrugged. "This ritual might last a while, so I'll pay you monthly."
"Money!?"
At the mention, Rin's eyes lit up. "How much?"
"Depends on your standards. Since I'm borrowing from Fuyuki's leyline manager, and I hate owing favors, let's settle it with the money you need most. I just extorted a ton from Old Man Jewel."
"Well then… I won't hold back!"