The apartment that Weber rented was not far from the neighborhood where the Modern Magic Department was located. Just a few minutes' walk along the Thames River embankment, and then a few minutes' walk south across the London Bridge built by Queen Elizabeth II of England, who was said to be proficient in the super magic "National Alchemy Array", and through a gray area where people of all races mixed together and the black market and underground order prevailed, you would come to a neighborhood called Druid Street.
Druids, originated in Greece, are a general term for a kind of magician prevalent in Celtic, British and other Western European civilizations. This group of people are mysterious, proficient in divination, meticulous in sacrificial rituals, and good at calendar, medicine, astronomy and literature... At the same time, they are also synonymous with law enforcers, bards, and explorers. Of course, they are best at magic related to nature. Cuchulainn and Merlin, who are famous in Celtic history, are also considered to be members of the Druids.
In London, if a block with such a name has nothing to do with magic, the Magic Association will not allow it. I don't know if it is because of the name "Druid", this street has a naturally generated "enchantment". No matter how noisy the outside block is, once you step into it, it will immediately return to tranquility, as if you have entered a different world. Because of this, although the houses here are old and the public security is not good, there are still many magicians who are willing to choose to live here. Weber, who prefers quietness to movement, is one of them.
Turning into a fork in Druid Street, a reddish-brown building came into view. This was the apartment that Weber rented.
To be honest, Weber's apartment was really terrible. The lush creepers and overgrown weeds were laughable. The reddish-brown brick walls and chimneys were full of cracks, and whenever the wind blew, debris would fall down. Conservatively speaking, the history of this building was more than 100 years old. If we were not conservative, we could say it had gone through the industrial revolution. Shinji seriously doubted whether he could knock it down with a full-strength punch - it was not because Shinji was strong, but because the building was too dilapidated.
Open the door and enter the lobby which also functions as a stairwell. The spiral staircase in the center leads to the first, second and third floors. Behind the door on each floor is the rental house. Next to the lobby is an area for the administrator. The administrator is an old lady who rests leisurely in a rocking chair in the afternoon before dusk.
Waver helped Shinji to go through the temporary check-in procedures. The room was located next to Waver, so he could break through the wall at a critical moment. As for the repair fee, it was not Shinji's turn to pay anyway. This was El-Melloi's property, and Kenneth would not let him pay.
I walked up the stairs to the second floor and opened a door that was no different from the surrounding ones. A gust of dust mixed with a strange smell blew in my face, choking me and making me cough.
The interior of the room was completely like a cheap apartment. Although it was relatively spacious, the clutter in the room wasted the space. The things thrown around had basically nothing in common. From piles of books, an old-looking desk, to moldy leftover bread, and several home game consoles that looked frequently used, there was everything, making the room feel uncomfortable and crowded.
Overall, this is a room suitable for a dead or abandoned house.
Shinji casually drew a wind rune and blew the window open, blowing out the dust. He complained, "It was like that in the office, but it's so miserable here. Are you pretending to be cool, El-Melloi II?"
"It's only natural to tidy up your workplace," said Waver nonchalantly. "Also, please don't call me by that name. I don't deserve it, and it will cause all sorts of problems if others hear it."
El-Melloi II was a title imposed on Weber by Reinice, who inherited the El-Melloi faction, after Kenneth died in another world line. Now that Kenneth is alive, Weber will naturally not get this title. And no matter which world line it is, Weber doesn't like this title.
"Yes, yes." Shinji's perfunctory attitude made it hard to believe that he had listened. "Although I don't mind messy rooms, your room is too messy. How about cleaning it up a bit? It will be a good opportunity to test the housekeeping skills of the maid."
"No, maybe I won't be able to find things if I tidy it up." Weber shook his head. Many people whose rooms have been dirty for a long time will have such concerns when they clean up.
"But you're putting me in a difficult position." Shinji said with a wry smile, "If someone invades your room, they'll damage things if they move around. These rubbish are fine, but if they damage the game console, cartridges, and discs..."
"Stop, you win - Walnut."
Upon hearing this reason, Waver immediately changed his attitude. Shinji's suitcase opened, and the mercury maid returned to her human form and spoke in Japanese.
"Master, please give the order."
Kurumi is the name Weber gave to Mercury Maid, which originated from the classic cute maid manga "Steel Angel" created by the Japanese cartoonist group Keishunkan. The heroine Kurumi (くるみ, Kurumi) is a robot controlled by an angel, and her setting is very similar to Mercury Maid.
The comic has been published in Shonen Ace, a magazine owned by Kadokawa Shoten, a Japanese publishing giant, since 1997. Every issue of Shonen Ace is delivered by Matou’s staff from Tokyo to London, and any new games or handheld consoles are also delivered. This is why Weber and Shinji still have such a good relationship after not seeing each other for a long time. The friendship between otaku is so strong.
"Clean up the room and I'll tell you where to put your things."
"learn."
The maid who received the order immediately started cleaning, but the style of the painting is a bit strange.
Walnut's upper body remained unchanged, holding a broom in one hand and a mop in the other. His lower body turned into liquid and stretched out seven or eight tentacles, which were rolled up with rags, wastebaskets, basins, and various books and sundries. The two otakus were dumbfounded.
"This... This... How can I put this..."
"Well, at least it's very efficient. One person can do the work of four or five people. In this respect, it is indeed an excellent dress, worthy of being the masterpiece of Mr. Kenneth."
"Yes, if we keep going like this, the room will be ready in another ten minutes. Oh, I suddenly find this style of painting quite appealing. After all, magicians create much more exaggerated things than this."
"Indeed, it seems that my life will be much easier in the future."
"To celebrate the good life, let's play some games."
Shinji said as he opened his suitcase, which was divided into two layers. The first layer contained the Mercury Maid, and the second layer contained his own luggage.
"This time I brought several new games, including internal versions that have not yet been released to the public."
"Ooooh, let me see... Advanced Grand Strategy 98!!!"
Seeing the game box on the top shelf, Weber almost burst into tears. That was the favorite game of the emperor he served, and it was also the game he bought when he first entered the house.