Aozaki Aoko Case File

Credits: pheonix rampant

On April 10, 1990, Aozaki Aoko arrived at Tokyo University's Komaba Campus, holding her admission letter and student ID.

 Unlike universities in Western countries, new students at Tokyo University spend their first two years at the Komaba Campus for general education courses. Only in their third and fourth years do they move to other campuses for specialized studies, depending on their chosen major.

The general education curriculum includes standard public courses as well as specialized classes tailored to either the sciences or humanities.

 As a freshman, Aoko had two years to decide her major, but she had already made up her mind. Her elective courses were all aligned with her plan to major in mathematics, saving her the trouble of deliberating over options.

After registering at the new student reception, Aoko used some less-than-legitimate methods (hint: magic) to secure special permission to live off-campus during her first year. This way, she wouldn't have to stay in the dorms with other students, allowing her greater flexibility for her magical research and spell practice.

Tokyo University strongly recommends that first-year students live in dorms, though it's not mandatory—students just need to provide a reasonable justification. However, the dorms aren't located on campus; they're school-managed apartments near the campus. From the second year onward, students are free to live wherever they choose.

If Aoko weren't a magician or arcane researcher, she wouldn't have minded living in the dorms, as the Komaba dorms offered excellent living conditions at a reasonable price. But given her circumstances, she greatly valued the freedom and solitude of living on her own, though she still frequently returned to the Kuonji estate to cook for the others.

The first day of classes didn't involve any formal lessons, just a campus orientation lecture for new students. Aoko attended briefly before growing bored and sneaking out. Rather than listening to easily accessible information from the student handbook, she found the campus scenery far more engaging.

The Komaba Campus was beautifully landscaped, with well-maintained greenery and various old, majestic trees scattered throughout. Aoko strolled to the campus's most iconic building, the Mountain complex, where she snapped a photo of herself. Then she wandered further, taking photos of the campus gardens and landscapes. She looked more like a tourist visiting Tokyo University than a new student, even drawing the attention of staff who asked if she needed assistance. A quick flash of her student ID resolved the misunderstanding, though one diligent security guard did question her absence from the orientation. Aoko had to use her magic to subtly steer the guard away.

Since she'd already visited the Faculty of Science Building No. 1 before, she skipped it this time, instead taking in the rest of the campus's beauty. She mused that the architects who designed these spaces must have been incredibly skilled. If Touko ever struggled to make ends meet as a magus (given her penchant for impulsive shopping), Aoko joked she could turn to architectural design to pay off her debts.

After exploring to her heart's content, Aoko discreetly slipped back into the lecture hall, where the orientation was still ongoing. She noticed that the bright-eyed, energetic expressions her peers had worn earlier had faded into exhaustion and drowsiness. The professor continued to drone on about campus regulations, making Aoko liken him to a history professor from a certain children's novel about a magical school—both were equally soporific.

After enduring another half-hour of this monotony, Aoko finally made it to the end of the lecture. At the professor's dismissal, the new students practically leaped out of their seats, relieved to leave the hall. Most headed straight to the dorms, but Aoko made her way to the parking lot, where she retrieved her motorcycle and rode back to her apartment.

That evening, after dinner, Aoko reviewed her semester schedule and carefully planned her first year of university life. She marked which classes could be skipped using special methods and which ones were essential to attend. The time saved would be dedicated to her magical research.

Although this reduced the time she could spend on magic compared to high school, Aoko believed her well-rounded schedule was far superior to those of mages who only pursued magical studies. Moreover, given her current power level in the Type-Moon world, she wasn't overly concerned about threats to her safety—unless she actively sought trouble. For now, enjoying her university life was her top priority.

Even her memories of university in her past life were distant and detached. Experiencing university in a different world, country, and institution promised a fresh and unique experience worth savoring.

...

Time flew by, and Aoko completed two semesters at Tokyo University. By late January 1991, she had established herself as a top-performing student. Despite her frequent absences, her academic excellence earned her admiration from both professors and peers, who speculated that her success stemmed from exceptional time management skills.

In addition to her mandatory general education courses, Aoko took challenging mathematics electives like computational number theory and linear algebra. Although achieving high marks was easy for her, she thoroughly enjoyed these classes, finding unique perspectives and insights from each professor. These courses even subtly enhanced her magical abilities.

After finishing her final exams for the semester, Aoko began her winter break. Upon returning to the Kuonji estate, she received a letter from Acht of the Einzbern family.

The letter contained two key pieces of information: first, confirmation that the Greater Grail had indeed been corrupted by Avenger, and second, news that the Fourth Holy Grail War was imminent. Acht invited Aoko and Touko to the Einzbern castle in Fuyuki City for a discussion.