A special surprise?
Sanjiro was briefly stunned.
As the saying goes, to conquer a woman, you must first conquer her stomach.
He had integrated six thousand years of human history, culinary traditions from every nation and era, into his own personal cuisine.
Even just a small portion of that skill was enough to make even the most determined dieting girl abandon all restraint.
Is she planning to repay me?
No, no, don't overthink it—that would be illegal behavior!
Sanjiro feigned confusion and asked, "What special surprise?"
"You'll find out later~"
Illya gave a sweet smile.
For some reason, the first time she saw this boy, she felt a deep, soul-level sense of familiarity.
That's why she shamelessly kept showing up to mooch food.
Even her best friend Kirina found it strange.
Now, when the academy asked for nominations of ordinary people to participate in the grandest welcome ceremony, Illya instantly realized this was a golden opportunity.
If he really got chosen, it would be an earth-shattering surprise!
After all, King Artoria and the King of Heroes were both top-tier popular Heroic Spirits. Any normal person who met them would faint from excitement!
"Alright then, I'll look forward to it," Sanjiro nodded.
What a cute little angel!
That angelic smile alone could sweep away all worries.
I wonder what kind of surprise she's planning for me? Don't tell me it's the classic apron-only welcome, standing by the door asking—
"Sanjiro-oniichan, do you want dinner, a bath… or me?"
No, no, that's too evil. That kind of fantasy deserves to be executed on the spot!
Kirina's big eyes sparkled with golden stars. "The King of Heroes is coming too? I wonder if he'll take me in as his little sister."
So rich! Super rich! The richest!
The King of Heroes had long become a symbol of wealth.
His Noble Phantasm, Gate of Babylon, was the gateway to the Golden Capital.
Within it lay an infinite trove of treasures!
"Heh, if the King of Heroes does give you money, I'll be the one to hold on to it first!" Sanjiro replied calmly.
Though that guy was so arrogant it made him want to punch him...
Always yelling Mine! Mine! It's all mine! about the world's wealth...
In truth, he was quite generous with those he considered his own people.
"Hmph, don't even think about it!"
Kirina ground her teeth.
Every New Year when she received red envelopes, someone would say I'll keep this safe for you, and she'd never see that money again...
======================
The Next Morning
Four days remained until King Artoria, Mordred, the King of Heroes, and other Heroic Spirits arrived.
The entire Academy City was caught up in a festive frenzy.
Sanjiro, however, wasn't the least bit concerned. After all, he was just an ordinary nobody.
No fame at school, nothing to worry about.
Then his good buddy Julian walked over. "You, do you yearn for power?"
"No, I yearn for money," Sanjiro answered flatly.
This guy's getting more into mysterious theatrics lately…
"Such mortal desires… then allow me to fulfill it. I've prepared a special surprise for you," Julian said, adjusting his glasses.
As the heir of the Ainsworth family, he had naturally caught the attention of the top brass at Fuyuki Academy.
When the school asked for student representatives to welcome the Heroic Spirits, he didn't hesitate to recommend his best friend.
He even gave up his own nomination slot for Sanjiro.
As for welcoming Heroic Spirits? He honestly didn't care at all.
"What is it?" Sanjiro asked again, a little bewildered.
Illya saying she had a surprise was one thing. But you, a dude, also have one?
"You'll find out soon."
Julian adjusted his glasses again, maintaining a mysterious air.
Even though Sanjiro was just a normal person, he always seemed unfazed no matter who he was in front of.
Julian couldn't wait to see his expression later—touched to tears, willing to die for him!
"Tch, forget it then."
Sanjiro was growing more and more speechless.
Two people in one day saying they had a surprise for him? Did they coordinate this?
Whatever. It probably wasn't anything important—just some kind of gift.
At that moment, he spotted another familiar classmate—Rin Tohsaka.
She wore a cool and elegant expression, full of noble lady vibes.
Her shapely legs wrapped in black stockings once again drew countless stares.
Hmm, if I hadn't seen her all flustered at the supermarket before, I might've been fooled by this act.
Guess even rich ladies can be broke...
Wait—why is she walking toward me?
Sanjiro was surprised and waved to greet her. "Yo, Lady Rin, good morning~"
"Good morning."
Rin gave a textbook noble smile, but it looked a little stiff.
After watching the Oldest King video, she realized Ishtar looked exactly like her—and the nameless one was a bit like Sanjiro.
Which made her feel like she was the one confessing. And then rejected mercilessly with the insult "You're just a monkey."
However—
In her dreams recently, he started appearing more and more.
Sometimes jumping high on the sports field.
Sometimes just sitting on a chair, smiling at her.
Sometimes lying on the grass beside her, shoulder to shoulder, in an intimate pose...
Each scene felt unbelievably real. So real that she could recall them perfectly upon waking.
Oh my god!
This is too weird. Am I cursed?
Rin decided to give him a huge favor—to completely rid herself of this strange situation.
She looked at him seriously. "I owe you a favor from before. I'll repay it soon."
"Uh, no need to be so formal," Sanjiro quickly waved his hand.
It was just a couple of discount coupons—was that really worth so much gratitude?
"Hmph, you don't have to accept it, but I must repay it. Just wait for this lady's surprise!"
Rin snorted lightly and walked away in her usual proud manner.
Her heart was already pounding.
If I stayed there any longer, something would definitely go wrong…
Sanjiro was left scratching his head.
What's with this lady's tsundere act?
Could it be because she looks exactly like Ishtar, so she's embarrassed and shy?
Even when he walked down the street, he could hear people whispering as they looked at Rin,
"Totally identical..."
"She must be the goddess reincarnated..."
He could only apologize in his heart.
Sorry, but this really isn't my fault. If you want to blame someone, blame that bastard Alaya. If that bastard hadn't kept exposing things again and again, none of this would've happened.
"So why are there three people giving me surprises? You guys really didn't plan this together?"
Sanjiro's mood was very complicated.
One person is fine. Two is manageable. But three? That's overkill!
He was starting to feel the winds of an oncoming storm!
Ding-dong~
Sanjiro felt his phone buzz. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen—
[Your followed content creator has uploaded a new video! Come check it out!]
"What the—speak of the devil! It's only been a day!"
Sanjiro felt like his peaceful daily life was about to be completely ruined by that heartless, evil boss.
You just want to turn me back into your tool, huh?! God, can't you fleece someone else for once?
Let's just see what kind of video it is this time—
[Side Story of "The Oldest King" — "Flower of the Underworld"]
[This side story tells what happened after Nameless severed the bond between gods and humans, from the perspective of the underworld goddess Ereshkigal!]