On the way, the three of them had a brief conversation, and Chen and Hoshiguma gained a deeper understanding of Shirou.
A man who could be called an ace sniper actually had the heart of a close-combat fighter.
…Surprisingly, that was quite reasonable.
They often heard casters envy the guards who could swing their swords so stylishly, and likewise heard guards envy casters who could use arts.
This kind of situation usually came from a bit of burnout toward one's own profession.
Or rather, people tend to envy what they cannot have.
After all, a normal person's energy is limited. It is difficult to master multiple combat styles at the same time, at most one can branch out a little.
For example, both Hoshiguma and Chen were fairly decent at unarmed combat.
But in Shirou's case… his close combat did not seem weak either. At a basic level, he could exchange a few moves with Chen.
Although Chen was not going all out, it was not something an ordinary person with a sword could manage to fight her evenly.
Still, these were minor matters. Right now, they had something more important to deal with.
What exactly was the purpose behind Wei Yenwu suddenly summoning Shirou for a meeting?
After parking the car, the tension that had just faded returned to all three of them.
Especially Shirou. He had already started imagining the scene in his head.
A dragon… or rather, Mr. Wei Yenwu, wearing a suit, holding a pipe, with a gloomy expression as he questioned him about "why."
As for the topic, he had no idea. He genuinely did not know why he had suddenly been called in.
"Relax, Old Chen and I are here."
Standing beside Shirou, Hoshiguma said.
It was not just empty comfort because she saw him nervous. What she meant was that she would stand on the same side as him.
Of course, that was on the premise that this was just Wei Yenwu making things difficult for no reason.
As a seasoned veteran… or rather, an experienced employee, Hoshiguma wondered if there had been some kind of conflict between Wei Yenwu and Penguin Logistics' boss, and that Shirou, as the middleman, was being called in because of it.
Although that did not quite match Wei Yenwu's personality, what if the boss of Penguin Logistics had really used rap to scold Chief Wei into questioning his life?
A bold hypothesis, carefully verified.
"It will be fine. At worst, Shirou, you can just go up and give him a couple of slashes."
From the back seat, Chen said as she put away her two swords.
"That would not be a good idea, right?"
Hearing Chen's suggestion, Shirou felt that was probably the most dangerous option. He had no intention of leaving Lungmen yet.
All of his social connections were here. As for outside at most he could barely count Rosmontis from Rhodes Island.
"I was just joking. Even if you really tried, you might not be able to hurt him."
Fastening her swords at her waist, Chen replied.
She carried them out of habit, not because she was preparing for a fight between the two.
After all, Wei Yenwu was the one who had taught her how to use a sword. She did not believe she could match him in that regard.
"Is it really okay to say things like that here?"
Shirou complained. They were basically right beneath the man's headquarters, were they not? Was it really fine to say such things?
Still, Chen clearly did not have a great opinion of Wei Yenwu. Shirou tentatively attributed it to frequent work conflicts between them.
Most of the movies and dramas Penguin Logistics had shown him featured similar situations.
If you added a bit of blood relation into the mix, it would become even more like a TV drama.
Hm? Wei Yenwu was of the dragon race, and Chen was also a dragon?
Shirou suddenly felt like he had imagined a cliché B-grade movie plot.
"Are you spacing out? We are heading up."
After adjusting her belt, Chen started walking, then noticed Shirou standing there in a daze and called out to him.
"Got it, I am coming."
Startled by her sharp voice, Shirou reflexively straightened his posture and followed.
It could not be helped. When Chen was in work mode, her voice was loud and carried a strong sense of authority.
Having sat near her desk before, Shirou knew this very well.
Inside the elevator, the three did not talk much. The surveillance cameras above were not for decoration.
More importantly, Shirou himself did not speak after entering, so the other two also did not feel like talking.
It was not nervousness. Rather, Yith had once mentioned that when entering the home or office of an important figure, speaking less was the best choice.
You never know whether something you consider unimportant could become a fatal weapon in someone else's hands.
Clearly, in Shirou's mind, Wei Yenwu perfectly fit the image of an important figure. So the moment he saw the cameras, he consciously fell silent. Even his posture mimicked Chen and Hoshiguma—standing straight with both hands behind his back.
If Yith saw this scene, he would probably just say Shirou was overthinking things.
"Ahem… what Old Chen said earlier was just a joke, do not take it seriously. When facing Chief Wei, just relax a bit, do not overthink it. If something really happens, Old Chen and I will handle it. You are our subordinate now."
Seeing that the elevator was about to arrive, Hoshiguma lowered her head and spoke softly to Shirou.
From every standpoint, she should be on Wei Yenwu's side. But Shirou had not shown any major issues in his behavior so far…if anything, he could be considered a model citizen of Lungmen.
Strictly speaking, although Shirou was first noticed by Swire, Hoshiguma had interacted with him more, and now he was technically Chen's subordinate.
However, Shirou's focus was still more on his old workplace, Penguin Logistics, as well as the Fuyuki Shop he had founded himself.
The relationships were… quite complicated.
"I understand."
Facing Hoshiguma's final reminder, Shirou nodded to show he got it.
At the same time, he tried to make his expression look a bit more serious.
After stepping out of the elevator and walking a short distance, the three stopped in front of a room that clearly belonged to someone important.
Chen did not speak. She simply raised her hand and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Wei Yenwu's voice came from inside.
As Chen pushed the door open, Shirou seemed to think of something and immediately held his breath.
Hm… no smoke came out?
He had originally expected a cloud of smoke to pour out the moment the door opened, but that did not seem to be the case.
"You two came along as well?"
Seeing the three enter, Wei Yenwu was not surprised.
After all, Shirou was currently their subordinate and had been performing well in the Guard Department. Aside from his somewhat over-the-top performance on his second day during field duty, there was nothing particularly unusual about him.
So when Wei Yenwu suddenly called for a meeting with Shirou, it was only natural for the two of them to find it strange and follow along.
"Although Shirou is only nominally an newbie, we are still his superiors. There should not be any problem with us coming along, right?"
Standing straight, Chen spoke expressionlessly.
"That is understandable. However, I did not call him here for matters related to the Guard Department. I have other things I want to discuss with him."
Looking at Chen, Wei Yenwu reached into his pocket as if to take something out, but after glancing at Shirou, he seemed to recall something and ultimately chose not to take it out.
It would not be good if someone reported him.
"CanI take that as a hint for us to leave?"
Hearing Wei Yenwu's words, Chen replied directly.
If it was a personal matter, it would actually be more troublesome.
If it was not related to the Guard Department, then it was a private matter. That meant their identity as "Shirou's superiors" was useless here.
In other words, they would have to leave.
"No, you can stay. What I am about to discuss is also something the Guard Department needs to pay attention to."
Facing Chen's hostility, Wei Yenwu did not react much. He simply opened a drawer, took out a sheet of paper, and activated the projection screen beside him.
"Hmm?... Huh!?"
Seeing the suddenly appearing projection screen, Shirou was momentarily puzzled.
First, he marveled at the advanced technology that allowed a screen to appear in midair. Then he was shocked to see that what appeared on it were several hand-drawn sketches.
Although somewhat rough, Shirou recognized the items in the drawings.
Kanshou and Bakuya, Rho Aias, Caladbolg, Excalibur… various hand-drawn Noble Phantasms were all displayed.
Most of them were weapons he commonly used, so he recognized them at a glance.
As for the rest, even if he could not identify them immediately, they still felt familiar.
Even though they were just simple outlines, all the essential features were there.
"What are these?"
Although Chen did not recognize most of the weapons, she did recognize the dual blades, the longbow, and that sword.
But why was there a flower among a pile of weapons? It looked completely out of place.
"It seems you recognize the weapons in these drawings."
Ever since displaying the projection, Wei Yenwu had been observing Shirou's reaction.
He had received this information from his subordinates yesterday, marked with the words "Red Devil."
It had not been difficult to investigate. There were already rumors circulating in the slums, and Wei Yenwu knew that the spine-chilling title referred to the Shirou standing before him.
It had been spread by some Ursus-infected individuals, who regarded him as their protector.
Wei Yenwu had only known that such a person once existed, someone active in Ursus, who had disappeared three years ago.
However, compared to the outside world, he knew a bit more.
It seemed that Ursus had once sent a large army to encircle and suppress him. In the end, a powerful attack triggered an avalanche, burying the pursuing army along with several Emperor Baldes.
After that, Ursus had not been able to recover his remains, yet he never appeared again, vanishing completely.
Every weapon shown here had been used by Shirou before. Comparing it with known intelligence, Shirou's combat style also matched that person's.
After confirming all this, Wei Yenwu had directly contacted Chen and asked Shirou to come for a "chat."
Of course, he had not informed that Emperor fellow but judging by his nature once he noticed Shirou was here in his office, he was probably already on his way.
As for what they would talk about…
That depended entirely on Shirou's reaction.
"I recognize some of them… actually, I recognize all of them."
Looking at the images, Shirou felt puzzled.
After all, there were some Noble Phantasms there that he had never projected in this world.
For a moment, his mind wavered. The suspicion he had been harboring seemed to be confirmed.
It seemed that he was not the only one who had come to this world?
"Let me guess…are the weapons on there all yours?"
Seeing Shirou's reaction, Wei Yenwu continued.
"…They are not mine. They are all borrowed."
On this point, Shirou was very clear. Even Kanshou and Bakuya, as well as the longbow, belonged to Archer, not to him.
Everything he had was borrowed.
"Borrowed…?"
Hearing Shirou's answer, Wei Yenwu frowned slightly.
That response was unexpected.
"Yes, borrowed."
Shirou nodded in affirmation, while already thinking about how to ask where Wei Yenwu had obtained this information.
He had a rough guess, but what if he was wrong?
That guy had faked his death more than once.
"…"
Hoshiguma and Chen, standing nearby, listened to the exchange and glanced at each other.
Could someone explain what these two were even talking about?
Out of nowhere, a bunch of hand-drawn weapon sketches were shown, and then they started talking about borrowing.
They could not understand any of it.
Could they speak in plain terms?
Still, Shirou's expression did not look too good.
"Is that so? Then, do you know about the Red Devil of Ursus?"
Whether those weapons belonged to Shirou was not the important part. What mattered was the relationship between Shirou and the "Red Devil of Ursus."
Both possessed those weapons. Even if Shirou was not the Red Devil himself, he was definitely connected to that person.
A protector of Ursus's infected, now arriving in Lungmen—what was his purpose?
What Wei Yenwu feared was not the man's strength, but Ursus.
A single person from Ursus was not frightening. What was frightening was someone who possessed both immense power and a strong backing.
And Shirou happened to have both.
"I have heard about it from Penguin Logistics. As of now, they are only known to be missing."
Wei Yenwu's words further confirmed Shirou's suspicions.
"Oh? Is that really so?"
Wei Yenwu looked at Shirou with a meaningful gaze.
"Yes."
After thinking briefly, Shirou nodded.
However, that gaze made him uncomfortable. It felt as if he was being seen through.
"So you do not know that person? Or… you are that person yourself?"
Glancing at the time, Wei Yenwu estimated that people from Penguin Logistics would arrive soon, so he went straight to the point.
"Huh? What do you mean, 'that person'?"
Faced with the sudden and strange question, Shirou froze for a moment, then tried to process its meaning.
Was Wei Yenwu suspecting that he was the Red Devil himself?
If his guess was correct, then… he could barely be considered that person.
But it was only a guess. He truly did not know that individual.
Besides, that person had disappeared three years ago, while he had only arrived here a few months ago. He had never met them.
The timeline did not match at all.
But the matter of crossing worlds was not something he could just openly explain, which made things troublesome.
"I have made myself very clear."
Wei Yenwu tapped the desk with his finger. Without his pipe, thinking through such complicated matters was irritating.
"… "
The three people standing before him all wanted to shout that his explanation was not clear at all and it was nothing but riddles.
Unfortunately, they could not say that.