Many people are unaware that late-night eateries, like the Midnight Diner, have an unwritten rule: they only serve regulars. When strangers walk in, the owner usually ignores them. Don't misunderstand; the owner isn't being cold or impolite, they simply don't know how to handle unfamiliar faces.
The patrons at these places usually eat whatever is available without making specific requests. When faced with someone they don't know, the owner doesn't know how to welcome them, so they just put on a blank face. The kinder ones might prepare a sign explaining the house rules.
On the counter of the Grievance Pavilion, there is a wooden sign with the following rules:
Feel free to express any grievances.
Please come alone.
If you see someone you know, pretend you don't recognize them.
Don't spread what you hear here; forget it as soon as you leave.
At first glance, it might seem strange, but given the name Grievance Pavilion, it makes perfect sense.
The Grievance Pavilion is a place where anyone, be they a hero or a rogue, can come and vent without being questioned about their background or past. As long as you're willing to talk, everyone here, including the owner, will be a good listener and won't spread what they hear.
It's worth mentioning that this sign was what kept the regulars coming when the store first changed its name and owner. New patrons, upon seeing this sign, gradually joined the ranks of the regulars, and the reputation of the Grievance Pavilion spread silently but swiftly, much to the surprise of the new owner, Hiroshi Kamiya.
Don't be mistaken; Hiroshi Kamiya is an alias for Shinji Matou. To avoid being tracked by intelligence agents, Shinji and Arcueid couldn't use their real names, which also allowed Shinji to play with some references.
However, this time Shinji didn't play with his voice actor reference but rather one related to Arcueid. Arcueid's earliest voice actor, Hitomi Nabatame, is most famous for voicing Kazusa Touma from the renowned White Album series. Since Kazusa is part of the White Album trio, Shinji naturally became Haruki Kitahara, the only male in that trio.
Shinji came to Hokkaido to evade spies sent by various forces. Initially, he just wanted to find an inconspicuous place to lay low, study magic, venture into Mooncell, and wait for the storm to pass. Running a Midnight Diner was a complete accident.
One day, they were attacked by a horde of hostile lifeforms—disorder programs—in the Spirit Particle Construct World. Although each lifeform wasn't strong and could be easily destroyed with a single shot or claw, their sheer numbers made them overwhelming. Surrounded and frustrated, Arcueid decided to call it a day, and Shinji initiated a forced logout.
It was still dark outside, and Arcueid didn't want to sleep, so Shinji suggested they go out to find something to eat. They ended up at a midnight diner. To be honest, the food wasn't great. Shinji barely ate a few bites before giving up, but Arcueid, with her natural physique, devoured everything without hesitation.
While Arcueid was engrossed in eating, Shinji, with nothing else to do, began to observe his surroundings.
Shinji had known about the fame of midnight diners in his previous life because of a popular manga that was later adapted into films and TV dramas.
After crossing into this world, Shinji tried it out of curiosity but was sorely disappointed.
"Nowhere near the midnight snacks Sakura-chan used to make—a complete waste of time," was Shinji's evaluation before he went abroad for his food Vlog, back when he was more of an eater than a cook.
This time, if it weren't for the lack of other options, he wouldn't have brought Arcueid to such a place. But after observing for a while, Shinji changed his mind—it was the right choice; he should have come earlier.
It wasn't that he lowered his standards, but rather his perspective had changed. He remembered a comment from his previous life: "In a midnight diner, you don't savor the food, you savor the vicissitudes of life and human warmth."
Even though he had lived two lives, he didn't have the experience to appreciate the subtleties of life's flavors. But now, having stepped into the realm of the Third Magic, he could draw power from thoughts and emotions and thus sense those hidden melodies behind lives, whether humble, ordinary, or brilliant.
At that moment, Shinji had a new realization.
Among the five remaining magics, only one is related to the human heart and emotions—the Third Magic. Thoughts turned into power, hearts creating miracles. Without fully understanding the human heart, one could never truly complete the Third Magic. Thus, no matter how hard the Einzberns tried, they could never reach the level of a Magician. For Shinji to complete the Third Magic, he too had to delve deeply into the human heart.
Where is the human heart found? In the lowest layers of society, the more you are among the common folk, the more you can see the full spectrum of life—midnight diners being a prime example.
Zelretch had once told him that magic, unlike magecraft, wasn't about diligence, environment, or even talent. The key was a sudden flash of enlightenment. Without enlightenment, even someone with the exceptional talent of Zepia couldn't unlock the door to magic. With enlightenment, even a mediocre student like Aoko Aozaki could become a Magician.
Like the sudden enlightenment in Buddhism, when it happens, a mortal can become a Buddha; without it, even a great monk is just a monk.
Of course, such things are rare and unpredictable. Shinji could only think about it, but if there was an opportunity to perfect his magic, he wouldn't pass it up. If he truly became a Magician, the Holy Grail would be nothing. He could easily create one by hand to give to Justeaze, another for Rin Tohsaka to fulfill her wish, and a final one for Lorelei, hosting the Holy Grail War right at the Clock Tower's main campus. He could live his life like the Old Man of Jewels, using the world as his chessboard and all beings as his pieces.
Not satisfied? Upset? No problem, challenge me at the Clock Tower, solo or in a group, your choice.
Arrogant? No, not at all. Magicians have that kind of confidence. The Old Man of Jewels and Aoko Aozaki did the same and never suffered for it.
In the Nasuverse, figures like Gilgamesh, Shirou Emiya, and Sieg aren't the real cheats; the true cheats are the Magicians, beings of limitless potential.
Of course, these were just Shinji's fantasies, with an almost zero chance of coming true. But that didn't stop him from trying to understand the human heart and perfect his magic.
Initially, he roamed the streets, observing various lives. Later, he found this inefficient and bought an old, long-standing midnight diner in a mixed area to start his life as Haruki Kitahara.