Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 875 - : Going to School

"Brother, aren't you ready yet? It's almost 6:40!"

On a chilly winter morning, Sakura's voice echoed through the large Matou household.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. I'll be in front of you in three seconds."

As he spoke, there was a series of quick thuds from slippers hitting the floor, followed by a sliding sound as Shinji glided down the stairs. Just before he touched the decorative piece at the turn, he pushed off, hovering briefly in mid-air before landing steadily next to the shoe rack. He took his schoolbag from his sister.

"Sakura-chan, do we have to go to school?"

"We absolutely must go," Sakura insisted with a firm nod.

"Your attendance this semester is already risky. If you keep skipping, you might get held back."

"If I get held back, I get held back. Then I could be in the same class as my dear sister and enjoy another year of the protagonist's school life buff in a Japanese high school," Shinji said nonchalantly.

"Brother, I'm being serious. I'm not joking," Sakura said, trying to look stern.

"Alright, let's be serious then. At school, I'm considered a genius and have certain privileges. As long as I rank in the top three in all subjects at the end of the term, I won't be held back even if I skip the whole year."

This wasn't a lie; Shinji had negotiated this with the school since junior high, and it had never been an issue.

"But you didn't meet the requirement last time."

"That was a fluke—I forgot to prepare for the English exam. Just thinking about it makes me angry. I mean, I spend at least three months a year in England, can chat with Western journalists, and can even play the ukulele on a guitar. I'm fluent in both British and American English, yet I can't do well on a Japanese English test. Where's the justice in that?"

Indeed, Japanese English exams are notoriously difficult.

"If something goes wrong again, I'll—uh, I'll just steal the exam answers beforehand. Yeah, that's what I'll do!"

So far, Shinji had never cheated on an exam, not even once. His scores were entirely based on his ability. Of course, it wasn't that he was a genius, but because he had an advantage.

Ten years ago, the crystal left by Scáthach contained all kinds of knowledge, providing Shinji with a solid foundation. After stepping into the realm of the Third Magic, his mental abilities, memory, and learning capacity greatly improved. Combined with memories from his past life and what he learned in the El-Melloi classroom, dealing with Japanese high school exams was a piece of cake—except for Japanese English, which was second only to India's in difficulty. It was only because of this that Shinji even considered cheating.

"Brother!"

Sakura said unhappily, "Did you forget what you used to tell me when I was little? You said that a student's main job is to study. If you're not at home, I don't mind, but since you're back, you have to go to school—unless you were lying to me before?"

"Absolutely not," Shinji quickly shook his head. He genuinely wanted his sister to go to school for her growth.

"I just think that with the Holy Grail War approaching, there's a lot to take care of."

"Can you tell me what exactly needs to be taken care of?"

"Well, the Greater Grail—"

"We have Justeaze-sensei and Touko-san for that."

"Monitoring the stations, airports, and other major transport routes."

"Fujino-nee-san and Kirie-nee-san are on top of that."

"Handling emergency response plans—"

"You've already prepared for that, haven't you?"

"Then there's—"

"What else?"

Sakura's delicate face broke into a smile, a satisfied yet slightly pressing expression.

"Nothing."

Shinji honestly couldn't think of anything else.

When he first realized the ritual was about to begin, he had been very anxious. But after returning home, he found that over the past few years, he had already completed all the necessary preparations. There wasn't anything left that required his attention.

Even that baffling move by Heartless was a surprise to Shinji, but it was equally unexpected for everyone else. Even the Einzberns, who had been monitoring the Greater Grail, would probably need about a week to make their way from their headquarters to Fuyuki. And as for the others, they were likely in the same situation.

In other words, Shinji was currently in a state of having nothing to do. No wonder Sakura was pulling him to go to school, though he couldn't quite see the connection.

"Why do I have to go to school just because there's nothing to do?"

Could it be that the famous saying from anime was true?—In Japan, no matter what major event occurs, as long as the world hasn't ended, the school is still open, and the students aren't dead, they have to go to school.

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

Thinking about this, Shinji felt a wave of helplessness wash over him, leaving him feeling disheartened.

"Because I want to go to school with you, is that not okay?"

Sakura looked up, her eyes sparkling like amethyst, full of expectation. Shinji couldn't resist that look at all. He slung the schoolbag over his shoulder, poked Sakura lightly on the forehead, and whispered.

"You should have just said that from the start. Let's go."

"Mm! Let's head out."

Sakura touched the spot where she had been poked, giggling with joy. Watching from the second floor, Kirie couldn't help but be speechless.

"Does she need to be that happy?"

"She does. If it were me, I'd be just as happy," Fujino replied earnestly.

"Ah, it's because you're all like this that he keeps stringing you along—We should team up and give him the cold shoulder!"

"Who was it who was so excited yesterday, fluttering around him, and then sneaking up at 3 a.m. trying to sneak into his room?"

Fujino glanced at Kirie with a half-smile, causing her momentum to falter immediately.

"Yes, it was me. So what? I'm not as young as you, barely in your twenties, and even younger than Sakura. I'm already in my late twenties. If I don't take action soon, I'll be old. Who knew I'd get caught by Rider? So close yet so far! Honestly, do Servants even need to sleep?"

"Servants exist through magical energy. As long as the supply is sufficient, they don't need to eat or sleep."

Medusa's voice came from the shadows in the hallway. It seemed she preferred staying in the dark rather than the light.

"Sorry, Kirie-san, I didn't know it was you last night."

"It's fine. I'm used to it by now. I always get caught in the end anyway."

Since Kirie began her night raids, the times she successfully snuck into Shinji's bed could be counted on one hand, and those were only in the early days when no one was on guard. After she tried a few times, both Sakura and Fujino began setting up defenses to prevent her from sneaking in.

"I've come to realize that you're all so smart, and I'm just a fool."

With that, Kirie slumped over the railing, looking dejected.

"Is Kirie-san alright?"

Medusa asked quietly. She had only been summoned recently and wasn't used to the Matou household's daily routine yet.

"She's fine," Fujino replied calmly.

"She's always like this; she'll be okay in a bit."

"Shouldn't we follow after them?"

"No need. Although Shinji is clumsy, awful at handling relationships, and both greedy and cowardly, there's one thing no one doubts—he genuinely cares about us. He wouldn't risk our safety. If he says it's okay, then it's okay."

It was this care that had tightly bound the girls' hearts, keeping them hopeful even in the face of uncertainty.

"Let's just let them have some time alone today."