Chapter 62: Gaiden – The Wise Life of the Mato Family
Located in Miyama Town, Fuyuki City, Japan, stood a Western-style mansion.
The morning at the Mato household began energetically—not with the gloomy aura of a mage’s workshop, but with the savory aroma of miso soup and the sweet scent of rolled omelets wafting from the kitchen.
“Hm, the bonito broth has steeped perfectly. And the grilled salmon is just right—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.”
A boy wearing an apron deftly prepared breakfast.
With neatly swept-back, bluish curly hair and a tall, sturdy build, he was the de facto head of the house: Mato Shinji.
It had already been over a decade since he had been reborn as Shinji.
For some reason, the soul of Kay—who in his previous life in Britain had spent his days feeding people and surviving the Magic Realm like a beast—had settled into the body of the eldest son of a mage family, a boy devoid of any Magecraft circuits.
“Big brother~♡ It smells so delicious this morning!”
At that moment, a girl with violet hair tied back suddenly poked her head around the corner and stepped inside.
It was Shinji’s younger sister, Mato Sakura.
Humming a tune, she approached him and subtly pressed her ample chest—straining against her school shirt—against Shinji’s arm.
“…Sakura. Get away from me while I’m cooking. And wash your hands before you eat.”
“Eee~ You’re so cold. Your pretty, lovely little sister is giving you a morning greeting full of love, and you can’t even let your heart race a little? That indifferent side of you is just… so cute. Hehe.”
Sakura whispered into Shinji’s ear, wearing a charming yet dangerous, devilish smile.
Perhaps it was because a branching point had shifted her original fate; having grown up under Shinji’s care, she had developed a personality akin to a certain playful AI.
“Stop rubbing your chest against my arm and go eat. I even prepared your favorite dessert today.”
“Yeees~ I’ll enjoy the meal, big brother♡”
Shinji let out a light sigh and untied his apron.
Though he occupied the body of a mundane man without a single circuit, he had applied the hellish training etched into his bones from his previous life to this physique. He had mastered the art of breathing, walking, and the extreme control of muscle contraction and relaxation.
As a result, Shinji’s body had become a powerhouse. Even without magic, he was capable of punching through concrete walls and leaping three stories high from a standing start—a true physical monster.
Later, during the morning rush at Homurahara Academy.
As Shinji walked through the gates, the female students' gazes were locked onto him. Between his bluish curly hair, sculpted features, a mind that never relinquished the top rank in class, and his status as the overwhelming ace of the archery club, he was the total package.
Shinji was the school’s most popular boy—the quintessential "perfect son."
“Kyaa! Good morning, Shinji-senpai!”
“You’re literally glowing today…!”
Shinji responded to the girls' greetings with a gentle smile as he made his way to the classroom.
For a man whose mental health had been shredded by the emotionally volatile sisters of the Round Table in his past life, this peaceful, sweet high school existence was the definition of tranquility.
“Hey, Mato. Your popularity is hitting the ceiling again this morning.”
As he opened the classroom door, a black-haired girl with twin-tails sitting by the window spoke up, her arms crossed and her tone brusque. It was the head of the Tōsaka family and the school’s idol, Rin Tōsaka.
“Tōsaka. Why are you so grumpy this morning? Did you oversleep and miss breakfast?”
“Wh-who says I missed it! It’s just… that carefree look on your face is annoying.”
Rin turned her head away with a huff, but the tips of her ears were tinged red.
Rin knew very well that Shinji lacked Magecraft circuits. However, she was also the only person who had witnessed him casually throw a ball during P.E. that sailed clear over the school fence and embedded itself deep into a tree on the mountain behind.
A man with physical abilities rivaling a Heroic Spirit, achieved without a shred of magic.
Despite being deeply entrenched in the world of magi, Rin felt an intense curiosity and a growing fondness for Shinji, who enjoyed his youth as a complete ordinary person.
“You look hungry. If you’re up for it, want to have lunch together later?”
“Heh…”
“Not interested? Fine then.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested. Your bento does taste good, after all.”
“Oh? So you actually liked it last time?”
“Unlike your seaweed hair, your cooking skills are actually impressive.”
“My hair is a complex, you know! That actually hurts!”
“Hehe, what are you talking about?”
“Senpai~♡ Let’s eat lunch on the rooftop today!”
Just then, Sakura followed Shinji into the classroom. She clung tightly to his arm and shot a provocative, triumphant smile toward Rin.
“Oh my. Tōsaka-senpai was here too? It’s so sad that you have to buy bread from the cafeteria every day. How pitiful. I’ll be taking full responsibility for my brother’s lunch, so please don’t be too jealous, senpai. Hehe.”
“…What? Sakura, are you quite finished?”
A vein popped on Rin’s forehead.
“Who are you calling jealous?! You two aren’t even blood-related—don’t you think it’s disgusting to be clinging to each other like that at school?!”
“Oh my, oh my~ Since we aren’t related by blood, doesn’t that mean we can develop a much… stickier relationship? Tōsaka-senpai, you’re such a stiff honor student, maybe you just don’t understand the adult world~?”
“You… you impudent little vixen…!!”
Sparks of magical energy crackled from Rin’s fingertips, while a dangerous, demonic glint flashed in Sakura’s violet eyes. The air in the classroom shifted instantly into a powder keg ready to explode.
“Ahh, I’m already hungry. Sakura, what did you pack for side dishes today?”
Shinji completely ignored the fierce catfight, sitting at his desk with a serene expression and resting his chin in his hand.
As soon as the lunch bell rang, the rooftop transformed into an invisible battlefield for the two girls.
“Here, senpai! Say 'ah'~♡ I made these heart-shaped rolled omelets specially for you!”
Sakura held up a piece of yellow omelet with her chopsticks, pressing it right against Shinji’s lips. She leaned in so close that her chest was nearly brushing his shoulder.
“Hey, Mato! Eat this before you eat that!”
Suddenly, Rin appeared from the other side with fierce momentum, thrusting her bento box forward.
“Tōsaka? You actually brought a bento, huh?”
“It’s not like I *never* make one! You just nag me so much about it!”
Rin blushed, delivering a textbook tsundere response.
Sakura beamed a sweet smile at Rin, though her eyes were radiating pure murderous intent.
“Tōsaka-senpai? My senpai prefers the Japanese food I make much more, you know?”
“What?! My cooking is a hundred times better than your meager vegetable sides!”
Shinji let out a deep sigh as he watched the war of nerves. A memory from his previous life flickered through his mind.
Back in Britain, hadn't the sisters fought bloody battles every single day to claim him?
But this was the rooftop of a school in peaceful Fuyuki City. Instead of clashing blades, they were wielding bento boxes. This wholesome version of a battlefield was almost cute by comparison.
“Alright, I’ll eat. Nom.”
Shinji alternated between Sakura’s omelets and Rin’s Chinese-style pork stir-fry.
“Hoh. Sakura, you used a bit less kelp stock and added a pinch more sugar, didn’t you? The sweetness is nice. And Tōsaka, this meat is cooked perfectly. The spice blend is quite good too.”
“Uh… oh, really?”
“Hehe, I’m so glad it suits your taste, senpai!”
The two heroines instantly flushed, their expressions turning blissful at Shinji’s sharp yet generous gourmet critique.
“However… this amount is nowhere near enough to fill me up.”
Shinji pulled a massive bundle out of his bag.
Thud!
He placed an enormous five-tier Chinese-style lunchbox on the bench—the kind of thing you'd see at a military banquet.
“Here, try this too. I found some time this morning to make Mapo tofu over rice and some special Kkanpunggi. You have to eat heartily to truly enjoy your youth, right?”
“Eh?! Sen-senpai? When did you make all this…!”
“Mato… what exactly are you? When did you even have time to cook all this?!”
Shinji popped a piece of fried chicken into each of their mouths. The temperature was perfect, the batter was crispy, and the juices and sauce exploded in a fantastic harmony.
Sakura and Rin widened their eyes, chewing the chicken with expressions of pure ecstasy.
The culinary initiative had shifted entirely to Shinji. The two heroines completely forgot about their own bentos, accepting the food he fed them like baby birds—completely tamed.
Once again, the sisters' weight continued to climb.
After school, having flawlessly completed his archery club activities, Shinji walked home as the streets were dyed crimson by the setting sun.
Naturally, Sakura had her arm firmly locked around his right, while Rin walked on his left, claiming that they just happened to be heading in the same direction while stealing frequent glances at him.
“Senpai, what should we have for dinner? The Chinese food at lunch was great, but today I’m craving a slow-simmered stew♡”
“Sa-Sakura! Have you no shame? Always pestering your brother to cook for you! Mato, if you want, I could help out, though.”
“Let’s just buy some groceries and make omelet rice today. Tōsaka, do you want to come over and eat?”
“Wh-what?! To your house?! Mato, are you… are you trying to make a move on me?!”
Rin’s face turned as red as a tomato. Meanwhile, Sakura’s eyes grew cold.
“Senpai? As your sister, I find it difficult to allow an outsider into our sweet little nest for two.”
“What do you mean 'for two'? Ah, I should make some french fries for Father’s drinks too. I think potatoes were on sale…”
With the girls' bickering serving as background music, Shinji continued walking, meticulously studying the supermarket flyers.
Eventually, they arrived at the Mato residence and stepped inside.
“You’ve returned? You’re a bit late today.”
“S-Scáthach-sensei…”
“Aunt Scáthach…”
“Did you finish early today? No after-work drinks?”
The guardian of the Mato family and the woman who had changed Shinji’s destiny: Scáthach.
“There was one, but I just came home. I felt like drinking here tonight.”
“I’ll have to prepare more snacks then. Tōsaka, come on in.”
“U-um, excuse me.”
“Ugh, I couldn’t monopolize big brother again tonight…”
Kay, now living his third life as Mato Shinji.
Today, too, his daily life was peaceful.
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