For Tia, the best news was that Ryougi Shiki had gotten her past memories back. After all, Tia still needed Ryougi Shiki to get the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception as quick as possible.
So Tia carefully looked at Ryougi Shiki right in front of her, but it was only for a split second, which left Tia extremely disappointed.
But it also gave her hope. Kokutou Mikiya really was the key to unlocking the secrets of Ryougi Shiki. Otherwise, Ryougi Shiki wouldn't have had that change happen at such a coincidence.
"Tia, you're back. You were gone all night just to bring someone back?" Ryougi Shiki asked Tia as she walked over, but her eyes were fixed on Kokutou Mikiya.
"Y-You, hello, I'm Kokutou Mikiya, nice to meet you," Kokutou Mikiya didn't have any problems and normally greeted Ryougi Shiki.
Ryougi Shiki also replied, "Hello, I'm Ryougi Shiki, nice to meet you."
She kept that smile on her face as she said it.
"Are you here because you're interested in me, or interested in my house? Come in," Ryougi Shiki said, turning around and walking back. It was as if Ryougi Shiki had seen many people like Tia and Kokutou Mikiya before.
Ryougi Shiki did the same thing she did when Tia first came. She simply chatted with Tia and Kokutou Mikiya for a few words, and then led them home.
But now, Kokutou Mikiya was different from everyone else.
"Ryougi Shiki... Miss, can I call you that?" Kokutou Mikiya walked right up and called out.
"Just call me Shiki, you don't need to add 'Miss'," Ryougi Shiki said casually.
"Really? Okay then, Shiki... Have I called you that before?" Kokutou Mikiya suddenly said.
"How could you? This is the first time we've met," Ryougi Shiki turned to Kokutou Mikiya, her expression a little strange. "Why would you ask that?"
"Um... I don't know," Kokutou Mikiya scratched his head, then looked at Tia, thinking about how to bring up the topic of the Mystic Eyes.
Seeing this, Ryougi Shiki ignored Kokutou Mikiya and continued to lead the way, getting ready to take Kokutou Mikiya to a new room.
"If that's your pickup skill, it's a pretty bad one," Ryougi Shiki suddenly stopped as if she had thought of something, turned to Kokutou Mikiya and said, her expression and tone looking normal. But after saying that, she suddenly felt strange, "Huh? What's wrong with me?"
"What's wrong?" Kokutou Mikiya immediately asked, worried.
"Nothing, I just feel like I felt something I've never felt before," Ryougi Shiki said. "Let's go, the place you'll be staying is further inside."
Tia and Kokutou Mikiya followed Ryougi Shiki deeper inside. Along the way, they met many people wandering around Ryougi Shiki's big house.
Tia suddenly wondered if even these people couldn't fill this big house. If Ryougi Shiki really welcomed everyone without refusing, then wouldn't this place be filled up quickly? After all, Tia hadn't seen anyone who came here to stay ever leave.
"A place to stay? Are there a lot of people living here?" Kokutou Mikiya suddenly asked.
"Of course, a lot of people like to stay at my house, so my house is always expanding. You can only see such a small part from the outside, but new rooms are always being built inside, in the part you can't see," Ryougi Shiki said.
Tia was stunned by Ryougi Shiki's words.
What did that mean? They're building new rooms in the part we can't see?
Is this space huge? So huge that they can expand rooms without end?
An unease grew in Tia's heart, and the entire Ryogi family's house suddenly seemed strange.
Is this just my imagination? Lancelot!
Tia couldn't help but call out to Lancelot in her mind.
"Master, I'm always here. The Ryougi Shiki house has no problems. I already checked it all out, otherwise I wouldn't have said anything. The rooms being expanded are indeed further inside, but this isn't a place that can be expanded without end. They can build at most a dozen more rooms before they completely fill this space," Lancelot said in Tia's mind.
"Really? Guess I was just thinking too much?" Tia frowned, but for some reason she suddenly thought of another place.
The Great Ooku.
The maze from the Great Ooku event, the Third Beast L known as Kama, the rival of Kiichi Houchi, the Third Beast R.
That's right, in the Great Ooku event, after Kama turned into the Third Beast, he ran and hid in the Great Ooku of the Tokugawa Iemitsu era in Japan. He was pretty sneaky, and knew that if he was too flashy it would lead to the Counter Force finding him, so he laid low and slowly ate away at the entire Tokugawa Ooku.
But Kiichi had seen through everything long ago. Just for fun, she helped Guda, along with the help of Kasuga no Tsubone (possessed by the Indian goddess Parvati, who in turn possessed Sakura Matou and became a Pseudo-Servant), Yagyū Munenori, and other Servants. They saw through the various tricks Kama had set up and broke through the Great Ooku. Kasuga no Tsubone also realized under the Noble Phantasms of 1001, Mata Hari, and other Servants that she was the real master of the Great Ooku, not Kama, who was taking her place. This denied Kama's universe from the roots.
And Ryougi Shiki's house, which was constantly expanding, suddenly gave Tia a similar feeling.
"Master, don't think so much. I can't sense any trace of a Beast at all. This place is completely different from the Great Ooku you're thinking of," Lancelot said in Tia's mind again, "If you don't believe me, I can take you to see the so-called inside when I get a chance. Then you'll know."
"Okay," Tia nodded.
Since Lancelot said so, Tia could only believe him.
But Tia's suspicion made Lancelot himself start to doubt this place. Before Tia could bring it up again, he ran to investigate again.
Kokutou Mikiya was still constantly talking to Ryougi Shiki, trying to find things to say, while Tia's thoughts had drifted far away.
Because Lancelot had come back after investigating again, and he really had brought bad news.
(End of chapter)
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