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"Giddy-up! Giddy-up!"
The coachman's shouts and the crack of his whip echoed from outside the carriage.
"They still use these things in this day and age?" Haru remarked, taking in the carriage's interior with a sense of wonder.
It seemed horse-drawn carriages were the preferred mode of transport within the Clock Tower, the extravagance of the carriage reflecting the status of its owner.
Haru, of course, was currently riding in the most luxurious model available, a vehicle apparently reserved for the highest echelons of the nobility—
—It was a good thing Britain still had a tradition of horse-drawn carriages. Otherwise, This kind of ride entering a modern metropolis would undoubtedly draw a crowd and land them on the front page of every newspaper...
Arcueid was leaning against the carriage window, gazing out at the modern cityscape.
Suddenly, her eyes widened. She pointed at a shop, then turned to Haru, her voice filled with a child's innocent curiosity. "Hey, hey, Haru, what's that person in front of the cake shop doing?"
Haru followed her finger...
In front of the shop, a staff member in a thick Mickey Mouse costume was making a series of comical gestures, surrounded by a gaggle of children. Their parents, urged on by their offspring, were filing into the shop to make purchases.
"He's dressed as Mickey Mouse, promoting the shop—" Haru explained after a brief glance.
"Oh? So that's what they call promotion?" Arcueid said, a look of sudden understanding on her face. She propped her chin on her arm, her crimson eyes fixed on the cake shop, which was slowly receding as the carriage moved on.
Haru shrugged, his expression impassive. He was already used to Arcueid's wide-eyed wonder at the mundane.
Though her memories contained detailed information about modern society, it was all just—data. Having never seen these things in person, she was endlessly curious about everything.
Of course, after extensive tutoring from both Haru and Altrouge, she'd at least learned not to ask if the chocolate wrapper was edible.
Haru leaned against the window on his right, his gaze distant as he looked out at the scenery, his mind, however, was racing, simulating the fusion of the Second Magic and his own spatial authority.
The carriage moved at a steady pace.
Though they were in the suburbs, this was still a major international metropolis. The heavy traffic kept their speed to a crawl, barely ten kilometers per hour.
In truth, if not for Arcueid's desire to see the sights of London, Haru would have never chosen to travel by carriage.
Just as the carriage was about to enter the city proper, another carriage approached from the opposite direction.
The figures within the other carriage were reflected in Haru's vacant eyes as the two vehicles passed each other.
A moment later, Haru, his thoughts returning to the present, frowned slightly, recalling the figure he'd just seen. "Looks a bit familiar…"
"Hey, hey, Haru! Let's go eat that!"
Just as Haru was lost in thought, Arcueid wrapped her arms around his neck, pointing out the window at a crowded snack shop, her voice filled with glee.
"Catering?" Haru turned his head, looking at the shop's sign and reading it aloud.
———
Inside the snack shop, Haru and Arcueid sat side-by-side at a long counter facing the window.
"Om nom!!" Arcueid, clutching the wrapper in both hands, took a large bite out of her 'Ham's Redemption Sandwich' and began to chew with relish.
Diced pork leg, seared on a griddle, was placed in a warm flatbread, topped with butter and cheese, then rolled up with salad. The flatbread was similar to a hand-pulled pancake, and the pork was reminiscent of Turkish kebab.
"I've been had. Who said British food was all terrible?" Haru said, chewing on his sandwich, a look of genuine enjoyment on his face.
The flavor was excellent, shattering his preconceived notions of British cuisine.
As far as street food went, it was even better than a hand-pulled pancake.
"Hee hee!" Arcueid reached out, snatched the sandwich from Haru's hand, and took a large bite. Her own wrapper was already lying in the nearby trash can.
Haru's lip twitched.
Utterly helpless against the glutton beside him, who seemed to have a particular fondness for his… saliva, he could only silently create a replica using the Fourth Magic.
Fortunately, having tasted the sandwich earlier, and with his incredible sense of taste, he'd been able to identify all the ingredients and create a perfect copy. The next second, the sandwich was once again snatched by Arcueid.
"I'll let you have your fill!" Haru turned his head, his expression impassive. He reached out, his hand gently cupping her swan-like neck, and leaned in, kissing her rosy lips.
"Mmmph~~ Mmmph!!"
As their lips and tongues intertwined, Arcueid dropped the sandwich in her hand and slowly wrapped her arms around Haru's neck.
"Way to go, lad!!"
"Heh heh, that's how you gotta train a girlfriend."
"Come on, come on! On the house if you two can keep that up for twenty minutes!"
The British patrons around them, far from being scandalized by the couple's passionate display, were completely unfazed. Under the influence of a suggestion spell, they only saw an average, love-struck couple sharing a passionate kiss.
Good-natured glances and teasing remarks were exchanged.
Time drifted by as they explored.
At 6 PM London time, having sampled every specialty snack shop in the city, Haru and Arcueid returned to the Clock Tower, smiles on their faces.
It was a good thing Arcueid was a foodie and not a shopaholic. Otherwise, the world might have been set back a few hours.
Returning to their suite at the Clock Tower, and with some time to spare, Haru informed the Barthomeloi family that he was ready to head to the Clock Tower to receive the magical data.
"My deepest apologies, Your Excellency. After a full day, we have only managed to collate about a twentieth of the magical data," a middle-aged, blond man named Kellar said, leading Haru towards a secret room in the Clock Tower.
"Kayneth's report mentioned as much. I understand," Haru said, following Kellar at a leisurely pace.
After all, this was an organization with a two-thousand-year history.
Compiling the research data from their archives would require nearly a hundred 'literary research' type mages working around the clock.
And the reason for the limited number of personnel was the need for secrecy.
In other words, this was the Clock Tower operating at full capacity.
Since they were doing their best to fulfill his request, Haru couldn't very well blame them. He could only inwardly curse the Clock Tower's inefficiency.
Just then, a figure emerged from the academic building directly opposite Haru. It was the same, somewhat familiar face he'd seen in the passing carriage that morning.
Shoulder-length, reddish-orange hair cascaded down her back. Her delicate, expressionless face was framed by a pair of black-rimmed glasses. She wore a white shirt with a black bow at the collar, and a wine-red, feminine suit jacket.
She looked exactly as she had that morning. Yet now, Haru's brow furrowed deeply, a look of surprise on his face.
"A doll?"
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