4th day "Partner"/5th day "New life" (Scene 1)
I'm worried about Saber's body, after she was wounded so much.
"More importantly, Saber.
…Um, are you all right? The wound you took from Berserker was pretty bad."
"…? My body is just as it appears.
That wound was certainly one that would have led to my defeat, but it was not fatal. I finished healing it about an hour after Berserker left."
"Huh… then, you're completely healed now…?"
"Of course. But I am not back up to my normal condition yet.
Berserker's hit was a simple one, so it could be healed easily, but the wound made by Lancer's Noble Phantasm is different.
That lance must bear a special curse as the wound from him is not completely healed yet."
"―――――"
…Not completely healed, huh?
It doesn't look that way, but Saber isn't one to talk about her pain.
As long as I am fighting alongside Saber, I should pay attention and worry about her body.
And then.
I hear the sound of something heavy falling at the door.
"Huh?"
I turn around, wondering what it was.
There…
is Tohsaka with a big bag at her feet.
"Huh―――?"
My mind freezes.
Tohsaka, who supposedly went home, is at my dojo, and she's wearing normal clothes for some reason, and why does she have that big bag―――?
"…Huh? What are you here for, Tohsaka?"
"I just went to go get my stuff from my house. It's natural, since I'll be living here from now on."
"Wha…!!!!?
L-Live… you mean you, living in my house…!!!?"
"That's what cooperation means. …What did you think our talk was about earlier?"
"Uh―――――Uh."
I'm so surprised I can't speak.
Something. I have to say something back, or something terrible is going to happen, but my head will not function.
"Where is my room? If you don't have one prepared, I'll choose one myself."
Still, the unexpected invader mercilessly continues the discussion.
"Ah――― hold on, that's―――"
Isn't this bad, morally?
Look, Tohsaka is the idol at my school. Just having her in my house will cause a panic, so having her live here would be crazy and Fuji-Nee would kill me. Or maybe she's planning to drive me insane to reduce the number of Masters…!?
"Oh, why don't you prepare a room for her as well? Your Servant takes up space unlike my Archer, so you should give her a place to sleep. Well, I wouldn't mind if you guys shared the same bed."
Sharing the bed… that means sleeping in the same bed, right?
"Of course I won't! What are you saying while I'm not saying anything!? I wouldn't do such a thing, Saber is a girl…!"
"―――You're missing the point, but oh well. That's what Shirou says, Saber.
He says he doesn't like to be in the same room with a girl."
"……"
Not moving,
Saber makes a difficult face.
"That is not good, Shirou. Servants are to protect their Masters. The hours of sleep are the most crucial time for protecting you, so I cannot protect you unless I am in the same room."
"I'm in more trouble even if you say that! What are you thinking, are you two really girls!?"
"……"
"……"
Why?
Why are you two looking silently at me like that?
"…Hmm. Servants are Servants, so there's no need to treat them as humans. But I guess it's useless to tell Shirou that."
"――――"
My mouth, about to protest, stops.
The weird feeling I had when talking with Tohsaka in the living room returns.
―――Actually.
I've figured out the cause of this feeling.
"…Hold on, Tohsaka. Since when did you start calling me by my name?"
"Oh, am I? I wasn't really conscious of it, so it must have been a while ago."
"…It was. I think you've been calling me that for a while."
"I see. I'll be careful if you don't like that, but don't you like it?"
Tohsaka says so plainly, without realizing what I'm feeling.
…Geez, it's just like you said, Issei.
I think Tohsaka Rin is a real devil.
"…Fine. Call me whatever you like. I don't care, whichever you prefer is fine."
"Really? Then I'll do that."
"Rin, please do not end the conversation. We have not come up with a solution to the matter of the room for Shirou and I."
"Oh, of course, of course. But it'll be hard to stay in the same room with Shirou acting like that. There's no point in treating a Servant like a human, but why don't you give up since Shirou doesn't want it?"
"That is incorrect. Shirou only said it would trouble him, and he did not say he did not want it."
"Well then. What do you say, Shirou?"
"―――――"
Hold on.
Why, after only a day, does she keep on calling me Shirou like I'm a cat she found?
…No, that's not the problem, but Saber's room is.
"Shirou, I will ask you again. It is a Servant's duty to guard you while you sleep. I believe you understand your position as a Master."
Uh… even if you glare at me like that, I can't do it.
"…No. I'll prepare a separate room for Saber.
Um, I'll try to prepare one as close to mine as possible, so please be happy with that."
"―――――"
"S-Scaring me won't work! As a man, I won't surrender to you on this. Saber, you should understand your situation better…!"
"Huh? That is why I am trying to protect my Master as a Servant―――"
"No, I mean about yourself…! Geez, if you don't understand, that's fine! If you say any more, I'll make you obey using my Command Spell…!"
I breathe out hard and intimidate Saber.
"…It is troubling if you use your Command Spell for such a thing. Our future is doomed if you use one of the three rights to order me not to protect you."
"Yeah. I'm sure Shirou would be the first and the last Master to do that."
Don't be stupid. I don't want to use it for this either.
"…I understand, I will follow my Master's plan. But what will you do when you are attacked by an enemy? Servants such as Assassin will close in without letting their presence become known. In such cases, will you be able to protect yourself until I arrive?"
"Well―――"
I can't claim I'll manage.
I was able to against Lancer, but that luck won't repeat itself.
"That would be impossible. This house has a boundary field that alerts us if an enemy enters. We won't be able to avoid a raid, but we should be able to detect a surprise attack. In that case, you would be able to protect him before he was attacked, so you can just go ahead and stay in a room you like."
"…That is certainly true, but…"
"How about next to Shirou's room? You're fine if she's not in your room, right, Emiya-kun?"
She pronounces the "Emiya-kun" ostentatiously.
"Tohsaka, that's just sophistry, you know?"
"It's a sound argument because I'm making it for your sake. Well, which room should I choose?"
Tohsaka walks to the house with her bag, as if telling us the conversation is over.
She looks cheerful like a student picking her room on a field trip.
"……"
"―――"
Perhaps because her actions are so selfish.
Saber and I just see her off with blank amazement.
We return to the main building.
First of all, I should show her around the house so she can choose her own room.
"This is the Japanese-style room. The back side has common rooms like the living room and the bathroom. And if you follow the open corridor to the outbuilding, you reach the guest rooms… It looks like Tohsaka went that way."
I explain as I walk.
Saber follows me silently without nodding. I'm not sure if she's listening or not.
"The map of the house is fine. Where is Shirou's room?"
"My room is this way. It's somewhat back there."
"Then please guide me that way. I must talk to you privately."
"Talk to me privately……?"
So she doesn't want Tohsaka to hear it?
Tohsaka is in the outbuilding, so I think this place is okay, but she is a Master after all.
Someone could overhear us, so the open corridor is no place to talk secretly.
"Here. This is my room."
"Wha―――this is Shirou's room?"
"Hm?"
Saber is surprised the moment she walks in.
"What? I don't think there's anything here that should be too surprising."
"No, there is nothing here to surprise me, as there is nothing here. Is this really your room, Shirou?"
"There's no point lying to you. I only come here to sleep, so it's natural there's nothing here."
"…I see. I was surprised. I thought you were a more assorted person."
Saber enters the Japanese-style room and touches the wall to check the feel of it.
It is a soft gesture, as if she understands the object's memory just by touching it.
"…I'm relieved. This is a desolate room, but that does not mean it is treated badly. This is a simple but warm place."
"Warm? …Well, I guess so. I don't know if it's how the house is built, but this place is cool during the summer and warm during the winter. My father always said I took the good room."
"Yes, the room is the reflection of its owner, so I was worried about your spirit. But this will not change my impression of you now."
Saber says this with relief, but I don't understand what she wants to say.
"So? What did you want to talk privately about?"
"I have two things. Both are something I would like to keep a secret between us."
"Well, I don't mind if you say so, but tell me what it's about. I can't tell if it's something good or bad."
"They are both bad. At the very least, it is something I do not want other Masters finding out."
"Hm."
Judging by her expression, the bad thing must be our weakness.
"…… I see. I see what you mean. I'll listen seriously, so go ahead."
"Yes. First of all, I would like you to forgive me for not being able to accomplish the first obligation of a Servant."
"Hm? The first obligation of a Servant?"
"To tell you of my identity. Have you not heard about it from Rin?"
"Tell me your identity―――oh, you mean your real name."
Servants are heroic spirits.
Their identities are heroes, famous in every age.
They hide their identities and the scope of their power with their class names.
A Servant's real name is something that should be kept hidden.
But it is also something the Master must know.
Because if one does not know which hero the Servant is, he does not know the Servant's potential.
Master and Servant are one.
They won't be able to fight fully if one keeps a secret from the other.
―――Well, that's just how it would be if I were a normal Master.
Even if I knew Saber's real name, I wouldn't be able to come up with an effective plan. Most of all, I don't care about it.
"Hm. I'm fine with that, but why?"
"This is what I believe is for the best. No matter how hard you try to hide my name, there are many ways to take the information from you.
Since your magic resistance is not high, mental intervention would be simple if the enemy was a superior magus. I would like to prepare for that, and not have my real name within your knowledge."
"Oh, I see. That's right. I would give it right away if they used suggestion on me. All right, keep it a secret in that case."
"It helps me if you say that. …But then, I am not someone that famous. I should be a few ranks below Berserker, and it would not do too much even if my name were revealed…."
Saber murmurs in regret.
…That's bit unexpected. Saber has some human characteristics, and she regrets being inferior to Berserker.
"Isn't that alright? A trump is a trump because it's hidden. Your Master is weak like this, so I understand that you have to try everything.
…And Berserker, he's unfair.
There's nothing to be ashamed of. And―――from my point of view, you aren't inferior. You had that big wound, yet you were exchanging blows straight on."
"You are right. I suffered defeat last night, but the result should be different once my wound heals."
"Right? Okay then, that's the end of the first matter.
What's the second one about?"
"Yes, about that… this probably is not something we can solve.
We Servants maintain our body using the magical energy transferred from our Masters. That is why Servants require a Master. But―――"
"…I'm an incomplete Master, so I don't have enough magical energy for you to maintain your body?"
"No. It is not a problem if I receive even a small amount of magical energy from you. But I am not receiving any magical energy from you. The spiritual connection we ought to have is not present."
"―――"
So that means…
I, as the gasoline, am not sending any fuel for Saber to work as an engine?
"Saber, that's…"
"It is not your fault. I believe something happened during my summoning. Some fault occurred, and the line that should have connected was not connected."
"―――Some problem during the summoning…"
When Saber appeared, it wasn't anything like a summoning.
It was just an accident.
Since she was summoned like that, it'd be strange if there weren't anything wrong with her.
"…Hold on. Then what's going to happen? Since you can't replenish your magical energy, will you disappear?"
"Yes. If I use up the magical energy I have, I will not be able to stay in this world."
"I have battled three times already since my summoning.
My healing ability is a regeneration magic, so magical energy consumption will increase if I take damage. …Let me see, I used about ten mature magi's worth of magical energy last night."
"―――"
I'm astonished.
Magical energy is reduced every time she fights and there's no way to restore it.
If she already used up that much magical energy, how much longer can she stay in this world―――?
"Do you understand, Master?
So I must try to use my magical energy as little as possible. If no magical energy is provided, I must sleep and suppress my magical energy usage."
"Sleep… um, will your magical energy replenish if you sleep?"
"…I do not know. But at the very least, I will not consume any magical energy while I am asleep.
So I wish for you to allow me to sleep as much as possible. I will not be able to constantly protect you, but I would like you to understand that this is a measure necessary for us to win."
"Oh―――"
I sigh with relief.
…Thank God. If that's all it is, I'll accept all she wants.
"Of course that's all right. You can rest when you get tired. If that allows you to stay longer, that's so much better."
"Then I will sleep often from now on, so please do not leave the house while I am doing so. If you are attacked somewhere far from here, I will not be able to come and protect you immediately."
"It would be a different story if I could leap through space, but Servants with such an ability are rare.
To call me from a distant place would require backup from the Command Spell, so I would like for you to try to stay near me."
"…Hm."
As much as I'd like to do that, I can't nod.
I can't imagine living with Saber, and most of all, I have my own life as well.
"…I'll try. But are you sure that's all?
If you sleep, you―――"
"It should not be a problem. I cannot be certain since this has never happened to me, but I did not fight even seven times last time. Even if I do not defeat them, other Servants defeat other Servants."
"I see. So not everyone has to fight all the other Servants. If all goes well, we can end this war pretty easily."
The only people I am going to fight are those with inhuman attitudes.
I'm sure that not all of the seven Masters are like that.
Tohsaka is ready to fight, but she would follow the rules of the magi.
So the five remaining Masters―――if they all have humane attitudes, I won't have to fight.
Saber said she didn't even fight seven times last time, so this time―――
"Huh?"
Hold on.
Even fight… seven times… last time?
"Hold on, Saber. Um, was it Saber too last time? No, I mean, were you in the last Holy Grail War as well…!?"
"This is the second time I have participated in the Holy Grail War.
I was Saber too at that time. There are heroic spirits that attribute to several classes, but I only correspond to the class of Saber."
"―――――"
Tohsaka mentioned…
That out of the seven, Saber is the most powerful Servant.
And this girl is saying she has become that twice in a row.
"Then… did you remain until the end last time?"
"Of course. I had no constraints last time, so I did not fall to any Servants."
Saber says this as if it's just something natural.
That makes me realize even more,
that I have been given a sword I do not deserve.
"…Geez. Then you must be full of complaints with someone like me as your Master."
"I only fulfill the duties given to me. If I can obtain the Holy Grail, I have no complaints about my Master."
"I see. That's a relief, but still―――"
She was undefeated last time, but she has already suffered two wounds this time.
In her condition, unable to replenish magical energy, she always has to think about her remaining magical energy.
The result of a battle with such a burden was…
…That image of her covered in blood.
"―――――"
That image is engraved in my mind.
The image of a girl smaller than me, covered miserably in blood.
"Shirou, such regret is useless."
"Huh―――?"
Saber's voice brings me back.
When I raise my head, Saber's expression is serious.
"It is not as if I suffered no defeat.
I am your Servant now because I did not fully win. I am used to taking wounds, so it is not something you should mourn over."
"Used to…? Even wounds close to fatal?"
"Yes. To wield a sword means to take injury as well. That should be the same for you too. There is no reason for just me to avoid harm."
"That's―――true. But are you saying that you don't mind getting hurt?"
"If it does not result in death. If I die, I will not be able to protect my Master."
"…What is that? So you're saying you don't mind getting hurt to protect your Master?"
"That is the role of the Servant.
…Rin's words are certainly correct. There is no need to treat Servants as humans. We are a tool to protect our Master. You must understand that."
Saying so, Saber walks to the sliding screen.
Beyond it is the side room.
This room was enough for me, so I never used it.
"I will be getting some sleep. I will wake up at dinnertime, so please let me know if you are going outside."
She quietly opens and closes the sliding door.
――We are a tool to protect our Master.
You must understand that―――
"…What is that?"
That pisses me off.
But I can't call out to her, so I just consider her words in my mind.
I sit on the porch and look up at the blue sky absent-mindedly.
I'm not like Saber who went to bed already during the day, but I need rest too.
Even though my nausea has gone away, I still feel terrible.
And on top of that, my shoulders are heavy from all the unexpected developments.
"―――――Phew."
I take a deep breath and look over the yard.
I've heard what I needed to hear, but the fact that I still don't know anything doesn't change.
My Senpai as a magus, and an official Master, Tohsaka is…
"Hey, do you have an extra cushion? And a beaker and a protractor?"
…Is intently searching my house for things.
"…You can take the cushion in the next room.
But a normal household doesn't have beakers nor protractors."
"Huh? I can't believe it. A magus should always keep experimental tools around."
Leaving that complaint, she goes back to the outbuilding busily.
"…I guess she's serious."
I take another deep breath.
I guess it has already been decided that Tohsaka is going to stay at my place.
When I went over there earlier, there was a sign that said,
"Remodeling in progress: Do not enter"
on the door of the best room in there.
"…Yeah. The outbuilding's pretty far away, so there's no problem."
Just having Saber around causes some tension, so if Tohsaka was near me too, I wouldn't get any peace.
Anyways, there's some distance between us. Even if we are connected by a hallway, it's just like a house next door, so nothing should happen unless I go there myself.
…Oh, but we'll see each other at meals.
And we only have the one bath, so we'll have to decide how to use it. No, thinking about that, Saber is a girl, too, so―――
"Idiot, what am I thinking…!?"
Shaking my head, I lie down in the corridor.
"―――Phew."
I sigh once again and stare up at the sky.
Maybe I'm tired, but doing all this makes me sleepy.
"Man, just―――"
…Do what you like. Becoming desperate, I close my eyes.
…Maybe that comment helped.
I fall asleep the moment I close my eyes.
Later, Saber, Tohsaka, and I are in the living room.
I just woke up.
Saber was in this living room,
and Tohsaka just finished her remodeling.
By the way…
This was the guest room a few hours ago.
And now…
"Shirou, how do you use the air conditioner?"
The scene I saw when I was called was…
…This.
"…Man."
How can I put this… I think I may have allied with a terrible person.
"……"
I can't calm down.
These two are complete outsiders.
I rarely have guests at this house, so that must make the situation even stranger.
No, first of all.
The appearances of these two don't really fit this Japanese-style house.
"……"
Well, it's about seven o'clock now.
Even though we're all in the living room, all of us staying quiet like this is not good for my mental well-being.
"If you two don't mind, I'd like to talk about what to do from now on."
"Hold on. I want to decide on something before that. All right?"
"Uh―――sure. What is it?"
"About dinner. Shirou, you live alone, right?"
"…? Well, yeah."
"Then you have cooked for yourself, right?"
"Of course. I'll get hungry if I don't eat."
"I see. Then I have a proposal. How about we take turns preparing dinner? We'll be living together for a while, so that should be helpful, right?"
"…Hmm. You're right. I was thinking of continuing as usual, but if you're going to be living here, you're just like family. It's normal for you to cook, and it'll be easier on me too."
"Then it's decided. So, let's say it's Shirou's turn today.
It's late already, so let's have our meeting after dinner."
"Huh? Well, I don't mind taking turns for dinner, but what are we going to do about breakfast? Will we be taking turns too?"
"Oh, breakfast's fine. I don't eat breakfast."
"―――What's that? Don't be ridiculous. You won't grow if you don't eat breakfast."
"Mind your own business. Don't cut into my lifestyle.
…Anyways, you'll be preparing dinner! I won't talk unless you cook something good, okay?"
Tohsaka glares at me irritatedly.
"…All right. I'll make something… Saber, you're eating too, right?"
"Certainly, if you will prepare some for me. Food is an important source of energy."
"All right. Then be good, you two."
I grab the apron and go to the kitchen.
Fortunately, there's about three people's worth of ingredients in the refrigerator.
I started cooking rice when I woke up, so it should be done in about half an hour.
I glance at Tohsaka and Saber from the kitchen.
"…Hm."
They look like they'd prefer western meals over Japanese food.
It's unlikely that Saber, let alone Tohsaka, will understand the tastes of tofu and natto.
"No, more importantly, Saber might not be able to use chopsticks."
I ponder this for a second, but I can't help it.
There's only a limited range of dishes I can make with what's in the fridge.
Anyways, there's some tofu.
After thinking for a bit, I decide to make some deep-fried tofu. For soup, I'll make miso soup with seaweed and tofu.
I have some chicken, so I'll make teriyaki out of it and make that the main dish.
I drain the water off the tofu, season the chicken, and cut the Japanese white radish while I'm at it to make salad. I grate the white radish, cook some green peppers―――
"Are your plans from now on determined, Rin?"
"Who knows? I can't say much since I don't have any information, but I think it's most important to find out about the other Masters.
There are four more Masters. I want to search for them without them realizing I'm a Master, but it probably won't go perfectly."
…Hm.
I told them to be good, so what's with that dangerous conversation?
Can't they see that I'm busy making dinner for the three of u―――no, they aren't even looking.
"Tohsaka! Not four, five! The only Masters we know are you and me!"
I yell, holding the big pot for the deep-fried tofu.
"What are you talking about? You, me, and Ilyasviel makes three. Did you already forget about Berserker?"
"―――Oh."
…Oh yeah, that girl is a Master too.
Berserker was so strong that I forgot, but still―――I can't believe a girl that small is a Master who mercilessly tried to kill us.
"I understand. You're you, so I bet you didn't see her as an enemy. It's fine, so concentrate on the cooking. It'll be a problem if I can't judge how good you are."
"Uh?"
I don't know how my cooking skill affects her, but what she says is correct.
The preparation will be done soon, so I should concentrate on finishing dinner now.
"Ilyasviel… you must mean Berserker's Master.
"Rin, you seemed to know her."
"…Yeah, I know her name. Einzbern is a magus family lineage that has almost made it to the Holy Grail a few times."
"…So they are well-accustomed to the Holy Grail War?"
"I would think so. I don't know about the others yet, but I can't be wrong in saying that Ilyasviel is our biggest obstacle. Usually, Berserker is a class chosen to strengthen a weak hero.
It takes sanity away as compensation for strengthening the hero, but to control such an 'insane Servant' requires enormous amounts of magical energy.
For example, if you became Berserker―――"
"I would not be able to talk like I am doing now. Removing all roles as a collaborator and specializing in battle is how Berserker is. But that is like subduing a wounded lion. A normal magus will not be able to control it."
"I'll bet. A normal magus cannot control Berserker even when some minor hero becomes it.
But Ilyasviel summoned a top-grade hero, made him Berserker, and controlled him completely.
…It's irritating, but her ability as a Master is on a completely different level."
"…I feel the same way. Our current problem is that this exact Master is after us."
"Yeah. My Archer hasn't healed enough to return to battle. How about you, Saber? Is your injury okay now?"
"…It will not be a problem if I am to fight normally, but I am not healed enough to fight Berserker.
The injury from the battle against Berserker is healed, but it seems it will take longer to heal the wound I received from Lancer."
"I see. Then I guess all we can do is wait and see for now."
"I have a suggestion about that. I hear Archer has sharp eyes. Would it be wise to have him keep watch around the house?"
"That's what I've been planning to do. I'll have him keep watch on the roof, so we should know right away if anyone strange is approaching this place. This house has a boundary field that warns of intruders, so our defenses are perfect.
…Though, if Berserker comes and attacks us, all we can do is run."
The two are continuing on without me.
"―――"
I'm a bit annoyed.
I'm making dinner, so why are they talking without me?
First of all, Tohsaka is too friendly with Saber.
…Well, it's true that Tohsaka isn't that friendly with me, so it helps if Saber talks to her, but――――
"―――Hm?"
The face reflected in the glass of the kitchen cabinet looks disappointed.
…That's weird. Why am I angry?
"―――All right."
I prepare the dishes for the three of us and put the prepared dinner on the tray.
I move to the living room.
"Geez, don't talk about dangerous stuff during dinnertime."
I put the tray in front of Tohsaka.
"Huh? What are you angry about, Shirou? Oh, should I have at least helped carrying it out?"
"I'm not angry. But weren't you not going to be friendly?"
I glare at her.
Tohsaka goes "huh?", and after that…
…Makes a frightening smile.
"We were just deciding on the structure for cooperation. Don't worry, I won't steal your Saber."
"―――!"
I can tell my face is blushing.
I can tell what I'm angry about after Tohsaka tells me.
"Y-Y-You―――"
"Oh, was I mistaken? Then I'm sorry, Emiya-kun."
"Guh, you…… oh, just keep talking!"
I retreat to the kitchen to get the rest of the food.
…Uhh, she really got me.
Tohsaka is still smiling and Saber is expressionless as always.
…Man. I'm really worried about whether we can continue with this member…
In that way, dinner starts.
"―――――"
I'm silent.
With what happened earlier, it annoys me to talk to Tohsaka, and I'm too embarrassed to even look at Saber.
"……"
Saber eats dinner silently.
Her gestures are elegant, and I can't possibly imagine she was swinging around a sword.
And, well, how should I put this….
"…Hmm. …Hmm, hmm."
She nods every time she eats something she hasn't eaten before.
Her gestures are strange.
It must be her way of expressing that it's good.
By the way, she is able to use the chopsticks.
On the other hand, Tohsaka is…
"All right, I'll win…!"
She clenches her fist after taking a bite.
"Fufu, wait until tomorrow, Emiya Shirou…!"
She shakes her clenched fist.
"―――――"
God.
Have I done something bad?
"Um, about what you guys were talking about."
"Hm?"
The two both raise their heads.
"―――"
Hold on. Hold on hold on hold on hold on.
Even one of them is enough to tense me up, so they shouldn't both react.
"What are you referring to?"
"…About what to do from now on. You guys were talking about it while I was cooking."
"About searching for other Masters for now?"
"Yeah, that. I was wondering what exactly you were going to do?"
"Well… we can only look for them slowly.
Oh, yeah. Can you at least sense other magi's presence? It'll be easy if that's the case."
"No. I went to the same school as you for two years and I still didn't realize you were a magus, Tohsaka."
"Just as I thought…. Well, that's fine. The others would be hiding their presence, so it should be impossible to find them from their traces anyways.
How about you, Saber? I hear Servants can detect other Servants."
"I can somewhat, but only when they are using their abilities nearby. In my case, I can only detect them within about a two hundred meter radius."
"I see. Then we'll have to wait for their actions or find some place where it seems strange. If a Master acts, their traces should remain. So that means we are going to try to find those."
"―――So, are you saying we should search throughout the town?"
"No, you shouldn't do that. They'll be searching too, so that'll tell them right away that you're a Master."
"For now, we shouldn't take the initiative until we are prepared.
Go through life as you were and don't let them know that you're a Master.
Hide the Command Spell so no one will see it.
Try not to go to desolate places.
Come home before dark.
And, what else…"
"Please try to take your Servant with you when you go outside. Can Archer guard you, Rin?"
"I guess he can do that much. I'll have him ready in spirit form, so it should be okay. The problem is―――"
"My Master."
"Right. Are you listening, Shirou? Take Saber with you when you go anywhere. It's our rule to stay out of people's sight, but some idiot might attack us in the middle of the day.
Have Saber with you in case of things like that."
"―――All right. I'll try."
I respond without interest.
I understand what she's saying, but I'm resistant to being with Saber all the time.
I feel nervous talking to Tohsaka, but Saber makes me even more nervous.
…No, it's wrong to say I'm nervous.
I'm just bad at talking with Saber.
"What is it?"
"―――Nothing. I'll give you more, so give me your bowl."
"No, I am fine. It was very good, Shirou."
"―――!"
I look away before I realize.
…I can't even look at her normally, so how can I stay with her all the time?
"Oh, it's no good, though. Saber can't become a spirit, so she won't be able to follow you to school."
"School…? Are you a student, Shirou?"
"That's right… Oh, Saber isn't a student, so she can't enter the school…. She'll just have to stay here while I go to school."
"…Can't you not go to school, Shirou?"
"I can't. If you want me to live normally, I have to go to school. And there's no danger at school. There aren't many places with that many people."
"But…"
"It's all right, Saber. I'll be at school too, so I'll back him up in case of emergencies."
"I'm saying there won't be any emergencies."
So I declare.
"…I understand. If Master says so, I will obey."
Saber nods, though she looks discontent.
The night wears on.
It seems Tohsaka has prepared and taken her bath while I was cleaning up after dinner.
Geez, it seems she's really selfish from her first day here.
"…I should seize the initiative from now on…"
I know that, but seizing the initiative from her seems really difficult.
"…Man. On the subject of difficulties, there's one more that's giving me trouble…"
No, rather, the main problem.
Tohsaka will understand if I talk to her, but this person doesn't seem to understand however much I talk to her.
"…Saber, huh? I know she's not a bad person but…"
Saber is back in her room.
Tohsaka should be resting in her room in the outbuilding.
I'm the only one in the living room.
There's still time until bedtime, so I should talk to Saber.
…Honestly, I have to get over my inability to talk to her, or I'm worried about our future.
First of all, ignoring her being a Servant and all, she is a girl from a younger age.
There are a lot of things I'll find out from talking to her, and most of all…
"…I have to get used to her, or Tohsaka will constantly make fun of me…"
Yeah, that's troubling.
It's troubling, so I should be able to talk to her more lightheartedly.
I return to my room.
Next door, past this one small sheet, is Saber's room.
"…Saber, are you awake?"
"I am awake. Is something wrong, Master?"
Opening the sliding screen silently, Saber enters.
"―――Uh."
I hold onto my heart, pounding from having her actually in front of me.
…Calm down. I'm just going to talk to her as a Master.
"Shirou? You do not look so well. Have your wounds opened up?"
"Uh―――no, that's not it. I'm fine already. Are you fine?"
"Yes, there is no problem. With my current condition, it should take some time to fully heal, but I am still above my average. I should be able to match anyone other than Berserker."
Saber declares so.
It's not confidence or boasting.
She is probably just telling the truth.
"―――――"
I have no response.
Saber's statement should be encouraging to a Master, but I―――I don't want such a slender girl to fight.
"Um… I'll ask you something. Don't you have any other objective other than fighting? You're in this time, so don't you have anything else you want to do?"
"Other objectives…? I do not have any such things. Servants are only summoned to fight.
Any other objectives are useless. Your statements are misdirected."
I thought so.
I'm pretty much asking one who was summoned to fight, not to fight.
It's not that I want to tell her that.
Well, how should I put this―――Saber is lacking in humanity.
It would be fine if she were only going to fight, but she's in front of me as an actual person.
So I can't allow her to just fight.
If Saber is actually here, I have to have her do something she enjoys.
"Hey, Saber. Servants are heroes from the past, right? So―――"
I stop myself before I ask her what she was like before.
'―――I cannot tell you my real name.'
Saber said that before as a secret between us.
So even if I asked her about her past, she wouldn't answer.
"Shirou? It is not good to stop what you have begun to say. I shall answer if it is necessary."
"―――No, forget about it. I was just about to say something stupid."
I say that, averting my gaze.
…It really was something stupid.
I shouldn't have been interested in Saber's true identity, and she refused because she couldn't tell me.
If I bring it up again, it will only prove that I'm a no-good Master, repeating a useless question.
"……"
But what else is there to talk about besides that?
If I can't ask about Saber, the only thing that remains is about me.
…That would be even more meaningless though.
"―――Hm."
Now, I'm just gonna do what I want.
If I can't ask about her true identity, I'll get ready to have her look at me strangely, and I'll ask about things such as what she likes and what she wants for breakfast and―――
"Shirou. If you do not have any questions, may I ask you?"
"Huh―――you can, but what?"
"About yesterday. You were cut by Berserker while trying to save me. You remember that, is that correct?"
"I remember… what? You want to continue this morning's conversation? I know it was a thoughtless action, so don't remind me about it. It makes me feel sick."
"I feel the same way. But I feel that I must ask you to understand.
Why did you stand up to Berserker?
Did you not understand what might happen to you if you approached us?"
"That's―――"
I knew that.
I understood that I'd be killed if I approached.
But I didn't try to save Saber out of optimism that I'd be safe while doing so.
…Back then, all I thought about was saving Saber.
I didn't care about what would happen afterwards.
At that time, the most important thing for me was saving Saber.
…Probably, it was just that my fear of not being able to save Saber was greater than my fear of getting killed.
"…Sorry, I've forgotten.
It happened in an instant, so I don't know what I was thinking. I was probably confused. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to do something so suicidal."
Perhaps because Saber's eyes were so serious.
I don't tell her the truth. I just say something to get out of this situation.
"…So in other words, you automatically tried to save me?"
"――It wasn't automatic. I told you, I was confused.
If something like that happens again, I'll probably be trembling."
"I see. That is normal for a human. No human would try to save another while ignoring their own life.
Even heroes should be no exception to that."
"So―――if someone like that exists, they would be lacking something.
If he continued with that missing thing, only tragedy would await."
"―――――"
Her deep green eyes are trying to tell me something.
…I take that and…
"―――You're persistent, Saber. I told you I was just confused. I'm scared of death too. I can't be a saint.
…If something like that happens again, I'll save myself before you."
…I deflect it with heartless words.
"That is good. It should be no problem if it was just a misinterpretation on my part. Yes, you certainly are a coward. If you do not make any mistakes, you will become a proper magus."
"Hey. What's with that? Do I look like a coward?"
"Yes, very much so. Mostly the part where you try your best to accept the situation you are in. Such wisdom is sometimes called as cowardice. It is the same as saying that a man without fear cannot be wise."
She must be relieved.
Saber says this, smiling a bit.
"―――――"
That gesture is so lovely and elegant.
Because of it, I cannot think of anything else to say, and we end up staying in the room together a while.
…And night falls.
It's not like I need to talk to Saber or Tohsaka, so bedtime comes as usual.
It's eleven o'clock.
The lights in the house are turned off, and the people in it sleep to prepare for tomorrow.
……
…………
………………
"―――――I can't sleep."
I open my eyes, still on my side.
It's the room I've grown accustomed to sleeping in, but it's different today.
"…Geez. Why can I―――"
It's so quiet, so why can I hear Saber's breathing in the next room?
No, I know. If it's so quiet, it's only natural for me to be able to hear what's going on in the next room, and being able to hear her sleeping makes me imagine her sleeping.
"…Ugh, dammit…! I can't sleep like this…!"
I'm tired of this hell.
I climb out of the futon trying not to wake Saber, and I retreat to my usual place.
"…Thank God. I thought Saber would notice, but she must be pretty dull."
Or maybe she just sleeps deeply.
I wonder for a moment whether she can really protect her Master like that, but there's no danger now.
If Servants are connected to their Masters, she should wake up when her Master is in danger.
"Tohsaka… seems to be asleep."
The lights there are off.
She must be defiant, or just adaptable.
Tohsaka must have gotten used to this place in just a day.
"…Well, it really does help having her around and all."
Yeah, it helps, even if it's troubling sometimes.
For example, the bandage wrapped around my hand.
"Hide the Command Spell, huh? I didn't realize until she told me."
The Command Spell a Master bears appears somewhere on their arm.
In my case, it is on the back of my left hand.
I can't hide it with my clothes, so I'm hiding it with a bandage, even though it looks unnatural.
"…It's winter, so I'll wear something long over it."
Tohsaka has hers around the middle of her right hand, or somewhere like that.
They say the Command Spell is different for each Master, but I don't think I'll ever see Tohsaka's Command Spell.
The shed is silent.
This is the place where Lancer cornered me yesterday.
And where Saber appeared.
The door is still open and the inside is dark as if denying anyone's entry.
But this darkness is familiar to me.
The old building that I used to play in, the place you could call my real room, stands silently in the cold winter night.
…I enter.
I close the door to shut out the outside air, and turn on the old stove.
"Yeah, I considered skipping it just for today, but I shouldn't. Father would get mad at me if I skipped it two days in a row."
I sit in the middle of the shed and take a deep breath.
…Training should be continued without rest.
Magic is mental training for me, so I shouldn't neglect it for minor reasons.
"Phew―――huh."
…I adjust my breathing and begin my training.
Inside my head is the usual image.
The image of the sword that appears in my empty head.
"―――――"
I ignore it and clear my mind.
Once I let magical energy flow through me, it's the usual practice of "strengthening".
The strengthening magic, which I succeeded at for the first time in a few years after being attacked by Lancer.
I have to repeat it before I forget it, and make sure I master it, or it'll be a waste.
"―――Trace, on."
I half-close my eyes and release the contents of my lungs.
―――Right now, this is all.
Everything goes away once I'm concentrating on this. The Holy Grail War, Saber, Tohsaka…
If I empty my mind and forget all the doubts I have, I should be able to sleep tonight―――
I feel the white sunlight upon me.
There must be a draft. I feel a cold wind and slowly wake up.
"Huh… it's the shed―――"
I pick my body up and shake my sleepy head.
"I see, I fell asleep here yesterday."
After yesterday's routine―――after the training to create another sensation within me, I must have been too lazy to return to my room.
"It must still be before six. …Damn, I should prepare breakfast."
I fold up the blanket, straighten up the things I failed to "strengthen" yesterday, and head back to the house to wash my face.
"―――It's cold."
When I leave the shed, it's really cold outside.
Fuyuki City is warm during the winter, but the top of the mountain on this side has the chill of a normal winter.
"Oh, there's some frost… I should do something about the lawn soon."
The sound of breaking ice.
There is frost on the ground and footprints are formed as I walk.
So.
I wash my face with freezing water and pull myself together.
"――――All right."
I'm wide awake now.
Now that I'm awake, all the things I don't want to think about, like the situation I'm in, come straight to mind.
"…Oh yeah. I shouldn't be washing my face so calmly……"
It's five to six.
There are a ton of things I have to do, but I should return to my room and check on Saber first.
"…Yeah. I guess I left the room without saying anything, so I should explain things to her."
I'll be troubled if Saber misunderstands things.
…It's my daily routine to go out to the shed at night, so she should understand if I explain.
"After explaining things to Saber, I should make breakfast. …It seems Tohsaka won't be eating, so I should just add Saber's share."
Oh. In that case, I should go and buy more ingredients for the additional people. I should note that before I forget.
"…Hm? I'm sure I'm forgetting something…"
What could it be?
It feels like I'm forgetting something really important―――
"Gah, it's six. I have to hurry or I won't make it."
Well, if I can't remember, it can't be anything important.
"―――――"
I quietly open the door.
The room is just like it was yesterday.
There's no sign of Saber waking up in the middle of the night and searching this room.
I guess she didn't realize that I escaped the room last night.
"…That's kind of a letdown. I thought Saber might notice."
Or did she need sleep so much that she couldn't notice?
"…I see. That must be what she means when she said she needs to sleep frequently."
That must be why she's sleeping as close to me as she can, so she can come to me in case something does happen.
"……"
Either way, it won't make much difference where I go if it's within the house.
I can detect intruders from the boundary field.
I should be able to protect myself for about a minute with that, and Saber should be able to come save me in a minute wherever I may be in this house.
"…That's right. And if it's the shed, there'll be plenty of places to hide."
Anyways, I shouldn't be scolded at for what I did last night.
I was considering explaining this to Saber, but it seems there's no need for that. And I don't think I should wake her up either if she's asleep.
"Saber, I'm going to prepare breakfast. I'll prepare some for you, but you don't have to get up if you're tired.
I'll come get you later, so rest until then."
I call out to her and quietly leave the room.
There's no one in the living room.
I open the refrigerator and consider what I should make for breakfast.
And then.
"―――Mornin'. You're up pretty early."
Tohsaka comes in, looking like she's in a really bad mood.
"T-Tohsaka…? What, did something happen…!?"
"Nothing. I'm always like this in the mornings, so don't worry."
Tohsaka crosses the living room like a ghost.
"Hey, are you all right? You don't look all right."
"I'm telling you, don't worry, I'll wake up when I wash my face. …Uh, how do I get to the bathroom from here?"
"You can take that hallway. There's a bathroom in the hallway by the entrance if you're going to wash your face."
"Oh yeah, there was one there, wasn't there?"
I'm not sure how much she heard, but Tohsaka waves her hand and leaves.
And then.
Just as Tohsaka disappears into the hallway, I hear a bell informing me of a visitor.
"Shirou―――? Someone's here―――?"
I hear Tohsaka's voice from the hallway.
"Oh, don't worry about it! Only my friends come at this time!"
It'll be Sakura arriving at this time.
Sakura has a spare key, so I shouldn't need to go to the door.
"…Geez. She never listens, even though I keep telling her she doesn't need to ring the bell."
Sakura is like a member of the family, so she can come in when she wants.
But she's polite, and she only comes in after saying "excuse me".
That must be one of Sakura's good points, but if she's considerate all the time, she'll―――
"――――"
Hold on.
Sakura… is… at my house…?
"…!!!"
I run through the hallway.
Scolding myself for my stupidity comes later.
I have to get to the entrance and make her go home before she sees Tohsaka―――!
"Haa… haa…!"
I reach the entrance, out of breath.
But it's too late.
There…
"―――――"
…Is Tohsaka, greeting the guest, even though I didn't ask her to,
"――――Huh?"
and Sakura, just standing there, surprised.
Sakura is at the door, and Tohsaka is in the hallway.
With an indescribable tension, the two look at each other.
"Good morning, Matou-san. Are you surprised to see me here?"
Tohsaka asks, as if looking down on Sakura from the hallway.
"―――Tohsaka… Senpai."
Her face asks why.
Sakura looks up at Tohsaka with fear in her eyes.
"―――"
Damn it.
I can't call out to them.
They are ignoring me and staring at each other.
There's no room for me to say anything.
All I can do is to think how to explain things to Sakura, but before I can think up a good explanation….
"Senpai… what is this…?"
Sakura looks at me as if asking for help.
"Yeah. Well, it's a long story――"
"It's not long. I'm just staying over here."
Clearly.
She cuts off my sentence and just states the point.
"…Senpai, is that true?"
"The short answer is yes. There are circumstances, so I have her staying here now.
…Sorry, I forgot to tell you and surprised you."
"P-Please don't apologize, Senpai. …Um, I was certainly surprised, but that's fine. But what you said, you really―――"
"Yes, this is what Shirou and I have decided. The head of the household, Shirou, decided, so that's how it is.
You understand what this means, right, Matou-san?"
"…Understand what?"
"It seems you have been taking care of Shirou up to now, but this means he doesn't need that anymore. It'll be a bother if you come here, and it's for your sake not to come here."
"―――――"
Sakura looks down and falls silent.
After a brief moment of silence…
Suddenly,
"…I don't understand."
Sakura states so in a clear, small voice.
"Uh―――huh?"
"…I said, I have no idea what Tohsaka-Senpai is talking about."
"H-Hey Sakura―――"
"Excuse me. Senpai, I'll be using the kitchen.
Sakura enters the house with a bow and goes into the living room, ignoring Tohsaka.
"Wha――――"
Tohsaka is standing there, astonished.
The same goes for me too. This is the first time I've seen Sakura act like that, so I don't know what to say.
…No, that is surprising, but something else was unexpected too.
"Hey, Tohsaka. How did you know Sakura was coming over to my house? I don't remember telling you about it."
"Huh―――? Oh, I heard about it before somewhere. It's just a coincidence.
But I'm surprised. Is she always so energetic here? She's totally different from when she's at school."
It must have been really unexpected, as Tohsaka says this with disappointment.
That must mean Tohsaka knows Sakura pretty well.
Sakura seems to have known Tohsaka, so they must have had a friendship I didn't know about.
…Well, that aside.
"No, I'm surprised as well. That's the first time I've seen Sakura be so snappy. She's just the way she is at school when she comes to help around here. I'd say this is a special case."
"―――Hmmm, I see… this is bad, I never knew Sakura was so perverse. I should have let you explain things."
She's right.
I would have been able to explain things better than the merciless Tohsaka.
"What's done is done. But what's bad about it?"
"Of course it's bad. This place might turn into a battlefield. I warned Sakura so we can keep unrelated people away from here, but it seems it'll be harder to get her out now."
"You were warning her? I thought you were tormenting her."
"Hey! Did you say something!?"
"Just an honest opinion. Anyways, about Sakura. What should we do? I don't think she'll go home now.
…I'll make it clear now. I won't allow Sakura to get involved."
"We'll just have to do something. So, does Sakura only come in the mornings? Or are you using her during the evenings too?"
"Don't word it to be misinterpreted. She always comes in the mornings, but not so much for dinner."
"I see. Then it would be every day from now on."
"Huh? Every day? What is?"
Tohsaka sighs at my response.
After that.
Tohsaka remains in the living room and Sakura begins to prepare breakfast in the kitchen.
I feel uneasy about leaving Sakura and Tohsaka together in the living room, but I'm not stupid enough to forget about Saber.
It seems Sakura is angry about Tohsaka being here, so things will only get worse if Saber comes out now.
Because of that, I decide to explain the situation to Saber.
"…So, that's the situation.
Sakura―――oh, the person here right now is called Sakura. She's not a magus and she's just a normal girl, so we can't have her involved in the Holy Grail War. If I can help it, I want her to stay away from this place without learning anything―――"
No, I didn't come here to consult her on how to get Sakura away from here!
"Well, Sakura is acting strangely this morning.
Tohsaka is the reason, but I don't want to shock her even more. Well, Sakura is already surprised that a stranger's here. I think it will get worse if you come out, so… wait, I'm not insulting you, am I, Saber…?"
"No, I understand what you are saying. So I should remain here, yes?"
"―――! Yes, that would really help! I'll come back as soon as I see Sakura out, so let's have breakfast then."
Saber nods silently.
Wow, thank God Saber is so understanding.
All right.
I'm worried about the living room too, so I should hurry back there.
"―――Shirou."
"What is it, Saber?"
"You do not need to explain such things to me, but you should calm down a bit. Your actions are a bit strange."
"Huh―――am I panicking?"
"Yes. If you are to return to the living room, you should calm down beforehand."
Saber advises me in her usual tone.
So.
The everyday breakfast begins as if nothing has happened.
"Here you go, Senpai. How about you, Tohsaka-Senpai?"
Sakura is handing out the rice bowls, just like her usual self.
I don't know what happened while I was gone, but the tension between the two has disappeared.
Well, at least on the surface.
"…Okay. I'll have some."
After pondering for a moment, she takes the bowl from Sakura.
Sakura smiles and starts to set up the miso soup and other things like the fried eggs.
Tohsaka watches her with a complex expression.
"Tohsaka. I thought you weren't one to eat breakfast?"
"I'll eat whatever's prepared. That's only polite, you know."
I don't know what's bothering her, but she glares at me and picks up her chopsticks.
"…Well, I guess it's good for you. Itadakimasu. And sorry to make you prepare breakfast, Sakura."
"No, this is my job, so please don't worry about it. Then I'll have some too."
"What a wonderful position you are in. What kind of king are you, making your junior prepare your breakfast? Well, I'll ask about that later and just eat breakfast for now."
――
――――
――――――
――――――――Gah. No conversation.
"―――――"
It's not that terrible a mood, and anyway, it's always like this during breakfast.
Sakura and I aren't talkative, so it's natural for our meals to be quiet.
So, why is it that our breakfasts are always loud?
"…?"
Hold on.
Something's clicking in my head……
"Senpai? Um, was the fish seasoned too strongly…?"
"No, it's fine. But I feel like I'm forgetting something."
What is it?
I try to conclude that if I can't remember it, it can't be important. But I feel like that would be a terrible mistake.
I feel uneasy, as if I'm ignoring a disease that could kill me if left untreated.
"―――Oh well. It probably isn't important."
I forcefully make myself understand.
―――And then…
"Morning. Man, I slept in."
Fuji-Nee enters with loud footsteps.
"―――――"
I see.
It's not that I couldn't remember.
I just wanted to postpone the problem by forgetting about it.
"Shirou, food."
Fuji-Nee sits Japanese-style in her usual seat.
The two's greetings are in strange unison.
"Here you go, Sensei. It's not much, but please have some."
Sakura gives her a bowl with her usual smile.
"Mm?"
She receives the bowl from Sakura and tilts her head.
She knows something is wrong, but she can't tell what it is.
Fuji-Nee quietly starts to eat.
And after finishing one bowl of rice, she quietly whispers in my ear.
"…Hey, Shirou. Why is Tohsaka-san here?"
"That's because she's staying here now."
I explain things to her truthfully.
"Oh, I see. Tohsaka-san sure does some strange things."
"Yeah, she's a weirdo. She keeps a mask on at school."
"I see, so she's staying here, huh?"
She understands and takes a sip of her miso soup.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'STAYING HERE', SHIROU!!!!?"
The table is thrown up.
Fortunately, Sakura is on the other side and Tohsaka has already moved out of the way, so it seems I'm the only victim.
"Ahhhhh! W-W-W-W-What are you doing, Fuji-Nee!? This is miso soup, cooked rice, and food cooked in pot! It'll be hot if you spill that on me―――hey, why are we having food in a pot for breakfast anyway…!?"
"Shut up! What are you thinking, Shirou!? What kind of love-comedy are you in, letting a girl stay over? No, it's not even funny!"
"I'm not trying to make anyone laugh…! No, more importantly, this is hot! I'll get burned! Sakura, get me a towel!"
"Here you go. I've prepared a cold towel, Senpai."
"Thanks…! Whoa, a piece of chicken fell in my shirt, and a hot one too―――!?"
"The towel comes later. Listen up, Shirou. Are you saying this seriously!?"
"Of course. You know I'm not one to joke like this.
Anyways, I'm letting Tohsaka stay here. I'll listen to complaints, but I won't change my mind."
"I object! I don't know what you're up to, but I can't allow it! Onee-chan won't allow you to live with a girl your age!"
Fuji-Nee roars.
…Well, I guessed it.
Fuji-Nee is my guardian and a school teacher.
I don't think I can escape such a situation with merely a hundred beatings from the shinai, or even from a real sword.
But I guess you could say it's ill fortune that I have to push through with this.
"You have to. I don't have any bad intentions, and we're not like that. I could just say we got into an accident, and I ended up letting her use a room here as a result."
"SHUT UP! I CAN'T ALLOW IT!!!!
I won't allow her to stay here! I don't know Tohsaka-san's circumstances, but make her go home at once!"
Damn, she won't even listen.
Crap, I guess she isn't someone I can convince…!
"Sensei. You say you would not allow me to stay here, but I have already spent a night here."
And then.
Tohsaka says those words, like pouring cold water on Fuji-Nee.
"―――Huh?"
"I said, I was allowed to stay here yesterday.
No, I stayed here from Saturday evening, so I have stayed here for two nights, to be accurate. I have borrowed the room in the outbuilding, and my luggage is already there.
How about it, Sensei? Looking at things objectively, it seems that I am already staying here."
"―――――"
Fuji-Nee's face goes pale.
"S-S-Shirou, what have you done…!? Do you know what would happen if Kiritsugu-san found out about this!?"
"I bet he'd be happy. He'd say something about a man's resourcefulness or whatnot."
"Ugh… I feel the same way. Kiritsugu-san was really indulgent with girls… I see, so you inherited that, you idiot!"
Fuji-Nee grabs my collar and shakes me around.
…Well, the inheritance aside, it was Father's belief that girls should be protected.
I don't go around telling people that like Father did, but I do believe he was right.
But…
"What? Do you need help?"
I think a man would have to be tough to recognize that cold-hearted person as a girl.
"…Please. I can't do anything about the situation. I have high expectations of your political skills."
I say, while being shaken.
"Okay. Then I'll settle this immediately."
Tohsaka, who was only watching from a distance, comes to stand directly beside Fuji-Nee.
"Fujimura-Sensei. Only screams will come out of Emiya-kun even if you shake him, so please stop. Well, breakfast might come out too."
"Hmph… what, that serious face doesn't scare me, Tohsaka-san. As a teacher and as Shirou's guardian, I can't allow you to stay."
Fuji-Nee lets go of me and confronts Tohsaka.
It must be her natural instincts.
She must have thought Tohsaka would get her if she kept concentrating on me.
"Why is that? There are many students that are boarding at our school. Is it not our school policy to encourage the students' independence?"
"What, even if you use difficult words, you still can't stay. You can't get independence from staying in a place like this.
This place is a dream house. It prepares meals for you, prepares baths for you, and is always clean without you doing anything. You'll be corrupted if you stay in a place like this."
"…Fuji-Nee."
That statement is problematic, coming from a teacher.
"And as a rule, only students living far away can board at someone's house. Tohsaka-san's house is farther from school than here, but it's not like you can't go to school from there, right? Even Sakura-chan commutes from that area, so there's no need to stay here."
"But my house is undergoing complete remodeling right now.
It is an old building, so it's getting a bit unsteady. I was thinking of staying at a hotel until the remodeling is done, but when I explained the situation to Emiya-kun as he happened to pass by, he said I could use his house rather than waste money."
"Hm… that does sound like something Shirou would say."
"Yes. I was surprised by the idea coming from Emiya-kun, with whom I am not too well acquainted. But staying at a hotel is indeed costly, and most of all, unstudent-like. So I thought it would be more beneficial for me to stay at Emiya-kun's house instead."
"Hm… Hmmmm."
Fuji-Nee groans.
Since Tohsaka's answer and attitude are so student-like, it seems that as a teacher supposedly, Fuji-Nee cannot object.
"I understand your situation. But isn't there a problem? You are a girl and Shirou is a boy, so I don't know what could happen if the two of you stay under one roof."
"What do you mean by that, Sensei?"
"Uh… um, well, Tohsaka-san is pretty, and Shirou is a guy, so I thought I wouldn't like it if a mistake got made…"
"There won't be any. My room is on the edge of the outbuilding, and Emiya-kun's room is the room by the shed. It's more than thirty meters away. I believe there won't be any problems with this much distance between us."
"Y-Yeah, the outbuilding can be locked, so it's like a separate house, but…"
"Right? Or are you saying you don't trust Emiya-kun? You said earlier that you are Shirou's teacher. Then, I believe you know his personality better than I do. If he was the type to make that sort of mistake, I would not stay here."
"How dare you, Shirou is a gentleman! He wouldn't make a girl cry!"
"Then it should be fine. I trust Emiya-kun too. I knew I could stay here safely."
"Hmmmmmm."
The intensity in Fuji-Nee disappears.
…I guess it's decided now.
There are lots of things to follow up, but I bet Tohsaka can get through those.
So I guess Tohsaka officially has citizenship in my house now….
―――And so breakfast ends.
As expected, Fuji-Nee gave in after being talked down by Tohsaka.
In conclusion, we decided to try to keep it a secret at school, and to have Fuji-Nee look after us at home.
With that decided and with more people around the house, Fuji-Nee happily goes to school.
We finish breakfast, and I go to talk to Saber before I leave.
Saber, as expected, calmly says,
"Please obey Rin at school.
Please consider me necessary when you are in danger. That will allow me to feel Master's danger."
And she goes back to her room.
And it's time to go to school.
"Let's go, then. I'm not used to this area, so show me the shortest way to school."
Beside me is Tohsaka Rin in her school uniform.
…The feeling is fading, but having Tohsaka in her uniform makes me tense.
I can't stay calm going to school with the prettiest girl in school, and on top of that…
"Senpai. I finished locking up the house."
Sakura is with us today.
As a member of the archery club, Sakura usually goes to school with Fuji-Nee.
But she stayed in the living room today, and was waiting for me to clean up after breakfast and go to school.
"What? You gave Sakura a spare key?"
"Yeah. She won't do anything bad, and she's been helping me for a long time too… yeah, when I put it like that, I can't really give you a key. You won't mind, right?"
"…I don't mind, but what is that supposed to mean?"
"Because you would do something bad. And I bet you won't have any problems without the key. I'm not crazy enough to do anything unnecessary."
"―――Oh, I see. Yes, as you say, I have no need of such a thing!"
Tohsaka looks away.
Maybe I'm just getting used to it, but I'm starting to think this gesture of Tohsaka's is interesting too.
"……"
"Hm? What, Sakura? If you're done locking up the house, let's go.
Tohsaka is with us today, so I want to leave early."
"Yes, you're right. If you say so, I will."
Sakura says so in a dispirited voice and follows after us.
…Geez.
Sakura has looked somewhat cheerless ever since Fuji-Nee lost to Tohsaka this morning.
Fuji-Nee assented, but Sakura must not have.
"…I guess I'll have to talk to her about it…"
That's right. I'll need to find an opportunity as quickly as I can, and make Tohsaka and Sakura be friends―――
The hill road is full of students.
It's past seven thirty in the morning. This is the time most students go to school.
So…
It's natural for me to be met with odd stares if I'm walking with people who stand out so much.
"……"
Did she forget something?
Tohsaka has been quiet like this for a while now.
"What's wrong, Tohsaka? You've been acting weird since around the road on the hill."
"Huh…? I thought so, am I weird?"
"No, you're not weird, but that reaction is weird."
"Senpai, that explanation is contradictory. I don't think Tohsaka-Senpai is asking about that…"
It seems Sakura knows what Tohsaka wants to ask about.
"Hm? What does Tohsaka want to ask about?"
"Everyone is staring at Tohsaka-Senpai, so she thinks there might be something wrong with her. Isn't that right?"
"T-That's right, but am I acting weird to your eyes as well?
That's strange. I was tired, but I did my hair and there shouldn't be any wrinkles on my uniform. …I slept in a new place, so do I have dark circles around my eyes!?"
"What are you yelling at me for?
It's not my fault if you can't sleep in an unfamiliar place, and even if you do get dark circles, they're nothing much. Don't worry about it."
"How dare you! Girls care about their looks from the moment they're born.
Geez, I've always tried hard to look perfect at least on the outside, but I guess that came to an end today…!"
"So, what are you yelling at me for?
I don't know why you're weird, but it's definitely not my fault. Take it out on something else."
"You're mistaken, Tohsaka-Senpai. You're beautiful today as always.
Everybody is staring at you because you're with us today. You have never come to school with anyone else before."
"Huh…? So I'm getting this treatment because of something so small? …I should be more careful. I thought I had this school thing mastered since I've been here for ten years now, but there are still some mysteries to it."
Tohsaka ponders seriously.
What kind of a person are you just to ignore praise like "you're beautiful as always"?
"…I don't get you. Of course there'll be a commotion if you go to school with someone. All the more so if it's a male student."
"Right. But Tohsaka-Senpai isn't one to care about such matters. That's why there have never been any rumors about men."
"I see… that's good. That means that there's only one victim who got deceived by her looks and got devastated."
I talk secretly with Sakura while following Tohsaka, who has a puzzled expression.
We go through the gate, still with people staring at us.
We will be going our separate ways once we enter the building, so I only need to endure the stares for a bit longer.
"…Heh. A troublesome guy even shows up in the morning."
Tohsaka murmurs.
Before her is a familiar face, coming through the students.
"Sakura!"
"Uh… Nii-san."
Sakura trembles a little.
Shinji must not see us, as he goes straight to Sakura.
"Why didn't you come to the dojo!? What are you doing, skipping it without my consent!?"
Shinji raises his hand.
I…
"Yo, Shinji. Working hard in the mornings, huh?"
…Catch his hand and greet him.
"E-Emiya…!?"
You―――I see, you went to Emiya's house again, Sakura!?"
"…Yes. I went to help Senpai. But, that's…"
"Your responsibility as a junior? You're so unrefined. You shouldn't care about a guy who hurt himself. Don't worry and just do as I say."
Shinji lowers his hand.
…I have no reason to hold his hand if he's not going to hit Sakura, so I let it go.
"But what about you, Emiya? Is it so much fun to trouble us? Sakura is a member of the archery club, so could you stop forcing her to do things that'll make her skip practice?"
"―――Hm."
I can't object against that.
Since I haven't stopped Sakura from coming to make breakfast, that does mean I'm restricting Sakura's time in the morning.
"That's not true…! I'm helping Senpai by my choice. Aren't you going a bit far, Nii-san?"
"Too far? That's you, Sakura. So what if Emiya doesn't have parents? He says he's fine alone, so you can leave him alone. Someone like Emiya would feel more comfortable that way."
"Nii-san…! …That's terrible…"
"―――Heh, fine. Don't go to Emiya's house from now on. You didn't come to the club when I told you to. You were prepared for this kind of a punishment, right?"
"―――――"
Sakura gasps and freezes.
Shinji tries to grab Sakura forcefully―――
"Good morning, Matou-kun. Sorry for eavesdropping, but that was a pretty interesting conversation right there."
"Huh―――Toh… saka? Why are you with Sakura?"
"It's nothing unusual.
Sakura-san is an acquaintance of Emiya-kun, and I'm an acquaintance of Emiya-kun, so we all came together this morning. Didn't you notice?"
"Wha―――a-an acquaintance of Emiya…!?"
"Yes. I know him well enough that we'll be coming to school and going home together from now on. So, I'm thinking of making friends with Sakura-san too."
"With Emiya…!!!!!?"
Shinji glares at me.
…I must be just imagining that I felt more than enmity there.
Well, I haven't been doing well with Shinji lately, but I don't remember doing anything to make him resent me that much.
"Ha, that's ridiculous. That's a bad joke, Tohsaka. There's no way you'd be with Emiya.
…Oh, I see. You must have a misunderstanding. It's true that I was friends with Emiya a while ago, but we're detached now. So there isn't much point in that approach, you know?"
"Is that so? I'm glad to hear that. I didn't have the slightest interest in you."
"―――Wow."
I pity Shinji.
If that was me, it would be traumatic enough that I wouldn't recover for a while.
"―――You."
"And, Matou-kun? About that conversation earlier. The morning practice of the archery club is open participation. I've never heard that you need permission to be absent. I'm sure Fujimura-Sensei and Ayako don't know of such a rule either."
"Uh―――shut up! An older brother can do whatever he likes with his sister! Don't poke your nose into our family affairs!"
"Yes, I feel the same way. So isn't it wrong for you to say such things about Emiya-kun's household? Geez, you're rowdy so early in the day, Matou-kun."
"―――――!"
Shinji takes a step back and glares at me and Sakura.
"――All right, I'll forgive you for this morning.
But it won't happen again, Sakura. If something happens again, I'll make sure you understand your position."
Saying what he wants, Shinji runs away to the school building.
Yeah. He definitely ran away after losing to Tohsaka.
"…I'm sorry, Senpai. Nii-san, um… was rather rude."
Sakura lowers her head apologetically.
She must be apologizing to Tohsaka as well.
"No, it was good exercise. My mind went up a gear, so I'm finally up to par now. I love arguments."
"And I should be the one apologizing. I think I did a bit too much. He has his position to think of, so I shouldn't have done that in front of everybody, you know?
If Matou-kun is feeling down, cheer him up.
Tell him he doesn't have to learn from experience, and that he can come at me again."
"Ah――yes. If he doesn't learn from experience, please talk to him again, Senpai."
Sakura must be relieved, as she smiles cheerfully.
Tohsaka is looking away, bashful.
"You too, Senpai. Um, please try not to get mad about it.
You're the only friend Nii-san has."
"I know. It's impossible not to get mad, but I knew he was that kind of a guy as soon as I got to know him.
Well, I know we'll get to know each other better someday, so I'll be patient with him."
"Yes―――please give him your best regards, Senpai."
Sakura bows.
…Yeah.
If I do get really mad at Shinji, it'll be because he's not satisfied with such a wonderful sister.
"Then, Senpai, let's do our best today."
Sakura goes to the first year hallway.
We walk up the stairs and enter the second-year hallway, and…
"Whoa!?"
…Run into the student council president.
"W-Why are you with Tohsaka, Emiya Shirou!?"
I see. You are full of enmity too, for a different reason.
"Oh, good morning, Ryudou-kun. What kind of a greeting is 'whoa' supposed to be?"
"Guh, I had a bad feeling when I woke up, but I never thought things would go in such an unpropitious direction―――! Ah, come here, Emiya! You'll be poisoned if you stay so close to Tohsaka!"
Issei forcefully pulls on my hand.
After looking silently at us, Tohsaka heads to Class 2-A as if nothing has happened.
"Heh, go ahead. No one's going to stop you."
"……"
Tohsaka silently passes by us.
And then…
"Shirou, rooftop during lunch."
She mutters that so Issei would not be able to hear it.
―――It's lunchtime.
Since the events of this morning, Issei has avoided me, treating me like a traitor.
"…I guess I joked around a bit too much."
I contemplate my actions for a moment.
He asked me why I was with Tohsaka this morning.
"We got close during the holidays."
Answering like that was bad.
I think the problem is how we became close, but I couldn't explain that, and Issei walked away dizzily.
"…Well, I guess it's fine. I'll have to do a lot of things alone for a while."
It's good to have less people involved.
Well, what I should do right now is―――
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