opportunity to let my mind wander without all the antics occurring in the Greyrat household. With each passing day, the difference between them and I grew larger and larger. As I became more independent, it became all the more obvious that I didn't belong here as part of their family. The earlier conversation with Taguchi served only to prove my point. Not only did I look like some bastard child, but my demeanor didn't match either of my parents. The lie of being their son was quickly become harder and harder to keep up. At this rate, running away was looking like a more tempting option.
"We didn't have you so you could so something for us. We had you so we could do something for you."
I swore to stop the people around me from crying. If I did abandon this life, Paul probably wouldn't mind, but Zenith definitely would break down.
But what if it was for their own good? That my presence was clearly only causing them pain?
Kiritsugu would have left. Archer too. Those two were pragmatic and logical, but they were undeniably heroes. Neither of them would have been keen on playing house when they could be so much more, especially if they brought only pain and misery with them.
A memory flashed across my mind, of a genuine smile made by a woman who sought nothing but a small slice of happiness in a reality that contained none of it. The thought of that smile twisting with sadness, of tears of grief flooding those azure blue eyes created an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.
I wondered where this path I was walking would lead me. It felt wrong, strange, a betrayal of the foundations that encompassed my ideals. But the fork in the road was long past me, a rocky trail already ventured that led to nothing but a cliff of sorrow.
Decisions, decisions.
Once again, the thought of the women in my previous life filled my head. They would've provided some insight on this dilemma. They were smart like that, far more than I. But alas, just like the past few years, I would need to navigate this issue on my own, for better or worse. Whatever the consequences might be, there were solely mine to bear.
"You really can see a lot from up here." In the midst of my musing, I had arrived at the hill Taguchi had pointed. It was an excellent vantage point, providing an excellent view of the entirety of Buena Village as well as the surrounding area. From up here, it was easy to see the how the land was divided into areas for different crops. Some squares of land were entirely exposed soil as the crops previously grown there were harvested for the season. It reminded me a lot of the agricultural provinces in Japan. Though unlike on Earth, the lack of mechanization and human exploitation added a certain element of mystique that I didn't mind.
I turned to the side to look at the vegetation around the path. The flora was certainly beautiful, coming in a plethora of vibrant colors that could only be matched by the most exotic of locations in Earth. They contrasted nicely with the golden canopy of the forest. The wildlife was quite exquisite as well. Butterflies of equally vivid colors congregated towards flowers while birds chirped their morning songs to greet the coming day.
The forest felt alive, teeming with all sorts of life that I knew no idea about. It certainly was far livelier than the forest around the Einzbern manor, which felt stagnant and deathly, not to mention the many horrific memories made there.
I continued walking. The scenery was almost hypnotic, letting me forget Zenith's earlier actions.
Of course, where one door closed, another opened. Letting my wander was perhaps a mistake, as I couldn't help but feel a longing in my heart. Despite the years that have passed, the memories were as fresh as ever. How could I forget? The Holy Grail War is something that engraves itself into the mind, forever a parasite. I looked to my side, and if I squinted just right, the colors of the scenery morphed into a familiar shape: the blonde King of Knights, garbed in her signature silver armor over her royal blue dress. But I blink, and the image fades entirely, replaced only by a deep pang in my chest.
Back then, it had been just her and I against what seemed like the world. While I gained allies later in the war, she had been my partner since the very beginning. This casual stroll through the woods reminded me much of our evening patrols, when the world seemingly stood still, and the silence of the night made it seem like we were the only ones in the world. Of course, I wasn't currently looking out for the supernatural in the evening, but the isolation of the forest reminded me of those memories, nonetheless.
"You would've loved this, Saber," I said wistfully, taking in the breadth of the nature around me. "We never did get to go on that date you promised…."
"She's running away! Get her!"
"Come back here, demon!"
"P-P-Please stop!"
Frantic footsteps raced towards me before abruptly stopping, and I heard the sound of a body hitting the ground. The voices were coming from deeper in the path, past the crest of the hill I was on.
"Ahhh!"
As if they had a mind of their own, my legs were already moving, the magecraft-enhanced limbs moving my body towards the other side of the hill. The forest canopy parted to reveal the blinding white light of the afternoon sun. I instinctively covered my eyes, trying to will my eyes to adjust faster to the sudden sunlight.
"Nice! You got her face!"
"You think I got it in her eyes again?"
"Nah but looks like you got some in her mouth though."
The world of white subsided, revealing a familiar scene.
A girl laid on the ground, her white cloak heavily caked in mud. She was sprawled on her back, supporting herself with one arm while the other futilely tried to shield her face. Her front was similarly smeared with mud; her white shirt was stained brown, and her face bore even more splotches of dirt.
"Hey, I got a big one here!"
Across from her were three boys, all of which seemed significantly older than her. Their legs and arms were covered in mud as well, though it was done willingly. One of the boys, the largest of the three, bent over to the side, picking up a sizeable rock. Tossing it up and down to test its weight, the boy cocked back his arm, aiming for the girl's head.
"Take this!"
The large stone flew the air. With its mass and momentum, the projectile would easily cause severe damage, especially with the girl's frail frame, if not outright death by caving in her skull.
Too bad it never reached its target.
With a practiced mental command and a flash of blue light, a nondescript dagger appeared over my shoulder and disappeared just as quickly, the weapon imperceptibly soaring through the air at supersonic speeds in a deadly straight line.
Sparks flew as steel met rock, intercepting each other's course. The stone harmlessly dropped like a fly to the side, landing in a puddle of mud and splashing its thrower. The dagger spun through the air until it embedded itself into the ground point-first before dissipating into motes of light.
"W-Wait what?" The group looked around in confusion, wondering what had happened in that brief second, until one of them spotted me slowly walking down the hill towards them.
"Hey! Who are you?!"
"Yeah! Get outta here!"
I calmly continued walking forwards, uncaring for their warnings. Reaching the girl, who looked up at me bewilderingly with a single green eye—the other covered by stained hair stuck against her face—I extended a hand towards her invitingly.
"Are you okay?"
She numbly nodded, looking at my outstretched hand with hesitation. I didn't pressure her into taking it, only calmly holding out the limb and nothing else to show I had no intention of hurting her. She was like a cornered animal, and forcing her into anything might just have its opposite effect.
Thankfully after a few heavy moments, she placed her hand in mind. Nodding at her choice, I hefted her up onto her feet.
"O-Ow!"
Her left leg wobbled, and she immediately collapsed, sending her flying backwards. Fortunately, I was still holding onto her, so getting down onto one knee, I gently lowered her onto the ground in a sitting position.
"Your left ankle is sprained," I noticed, looking at the ugly purple discoloration on the joint. "You must not have noticed it because of the adrenaline."
"Adrenaline?" she asked, tilting her head inquisitively.
"Hey, don't ignore us!"
I shot an apologetic expression at her.
"Sorry, this will just take a second." Standing up, I turned around and took a few steps forwards to face the three bullies. They all looked livid, clenching their teeth in frustration and glaring holes at me.
"Did you guys want something?"
"Why are you helping her?! She's a demon!"
I raised an eyebrow. Demon?
I looked back at the girl behind me. Her eyes widened in fear, and she started trembling, bringing her arms towards herself and shying away from me.
I peered closer at her. There were no ram horns sprouting from her green hair, nor did were bat wings sprouting from her back. Neither did she look like a certain executor priest.
Hooves maybe? I looked down.
Nope.
It was a far cry from trying to drag me through fire and brimstone to the depths of hell.
Judging from her tearful expression, she was afraid of what I was going to do next. I knew that look all too well, the face of someone who had been betrayed and hurt over and over. She was scared that I would betray and abandon her after learning of what she was.
"Demon? I don't see a demon," I answered, looking back at the boys. "You shouldn't be throwing around such words so nonchalantly."
They looked flabbergasted. "What do you mean she's not a demon?! Look at her!" one of them said, angrily pointing his finger at the girl behind me.
"I don't see a demon," I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "In any case, I believe you three have overstayed your welcome. Please leave."
"Pffft!" Almost immediately, laughter erupted among them as their angry expressions morphed into a mix of incredulity and amusement. One of them bent over his waist, loudly laughing as he slapped his thigh repeatedly. In contrast, I continued standing across from them with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh man, that's good. You're like, what, four?" He gestured to my small stature. "Look, if you wanna stay with that demon, then you're no better than her!"
I sighed in exasperation. "Why does it always turn out this way?" I lamented.
"The girl can't run anymore! Just beat him, and we can see how long she can hold her breath underwater," one of them called out. The three boys fanned out, surrounding me in a semicircle. They were significantly larger than me, tall enough to almost blot out the sun from my perspective. However, I could tell they were inexperienced—they were children, after all. For all their bravado earlier, none of them moved closer to me. They looked at each other uncertainly, seeing which one of them was brave enough to start a fight. In contrast, I merely stood between them, unfazed at their little display.
After half a minute of standing, it was the boy on the right that started the fight who mustered up the courage to step forward. He ran towards me, right arm cocked back. Before reaching me, he planted his left foot into the ground, extending his fist towards my face.
Even if he hadn't telegraphed the strike so obviously, its insultingly slow speed would have made it all too easy to evade. The punch had little force behind it too, using only his chest and arm muscles as opposed to the entirely of his body by putting his entire weight behind the strike. With his undeveloped frame, it wouldn't have taken much to stop him. Not to mention he didn't even punch straight, curling his arm to the side as if he was avoiding my nonexistent guard. By angling his fist, he subconsciously leaned to the side, shifting this weight almost entirely on one foot.
I pivoted to the side, letting the arm glide past me. Grasping onto the overextended limb with both hands, I used his own momentum and lack of balance against him, spinning him around and gently pushing on the back and launching him towards the space between the two other boys.
The other two remained standing still in the initial positions, unable to register what just happened as their friend stumbled past them before he finally lost his balance and fell onto his stomach.
They feebly looked at each other before coming to some sort of silent agreement before slowly advancing on me with measured steps.
In response, I did nothing, perfectly content to let them come to me.
With a cry of exertion, the one on the left quickly charged at me, planting on one step and twisting his body as his other leg rose towards me. I ducked underneath it, my small stature coming in useful as I felt the hairs on my head graze his leg. However, just before it could completely pass over me, I grabbed his foot. The boy awkwardly shuffled around on the sole foot on the ground, hopping around as he desperately tried not to fall down. With almost contemptuous ease, I spun him back around and pushed him softly as I did with the first boy, sending him straight into the first boy, who had just recovered from my counterattack. Not expecting his friend to barrel into him, both of them ended up in a tangle of limbs as they both fell over into the mud puddle.
I looked at the last boy, who was suddenly looking a lot less confident.
"Uh, whatever, let's just go guys!" he said to the boys behind him.
"Hell no! We at least tried. Get in there!"
"Yeah man, you totally got this!"
Cringing at the responses, he looked back at me, then back at his friends, then back to me. Muttering some sounded like some kind of prayer, he slowly moved towards me, eyeing my movements—or lack thereof –carefully.
Closing the distance, he stepped forward and threw a punch—at least this one was straight—but just like the previous time, I pivoted and let it go past me. Before I could grab it, he quickly retracted the limb and cocked back his other arm, sending another strike. Almost like I was seeing it in slow motion, I lazily raised my own arm to parry his limb, slapping it to the side. Before he could recover, I casually butted my foot against his own, the light blow robbing him of his foot. I watched him fall down to one knee in front of me, and kneeling down so we were eye-level, I looked at him evenly in the eyes with nothing more than a blank yet disapproving look on my face.
At the same time, I saw a familiar rock heading towards me from my periphery, the same one that I had blocked earlier. Quickly looking, I saw one of the bullies in a throwing position, having just launched the stone at me. The mud-caked projectile flew towards me, threatening to split my head open.
Catching it like a baseball, I slowly brought the rock forwards so the boy in front of me could clearly see it. With a flex of reinforced fingers, the offending stone shattered in a shower of dust and pebbles. All the while, my face remained empty, not a hint of emotion leaking from the mask.
The boy's eyes trembled in fear, and tears started to pool in his sockets. Sensing that he did not need any more convincing, I stood back up, turning my head towards the other two children.
"Well?"
They quickly got the message, and all three hastily started to run back towards the direction of the village. Seeing them disappear over the crest of the hill, I gave my full attention to the girl behind me, who was looking at me with a fearful expression.
My lips curl upwards to defuse her anxiety. "Sorry, I had to make sure they wouldn't bother you again. Don't worry, I won't hurt you." That statement would have been far more believable before the unfortunate encounter. "I'm guessing you can't walk?" asked, gesturing towards her sprained ankle.
"Y-Y-Yes…" she said, meekly nodding.
"I see."
This situation was an unfortunate predicament. I didn't really know any medical magecraft or any healing magic of this world. My skillset was a bit more… specific.
"I know a healer who can probably fix your ankle. If you would like, I can take you to her." I distinctly recall Zenith's healing magic she used on me when I was younger. I know she said not to be a busybody helping others, but surely she would take exception to this, right?
"U-Uh… um…" I could see hesitation and wariness flashing in spades across her face. If she truly wished it, I would have left her alone, but seeing as she was physically injured, I wanted to help as much as I could.
"Don't worry, she's very nice. She's the husband to the knight of this village. She's the most skilled healer I know." I curled my lips upwards once again to try and soothe her worries.
The statement wasn't necessarily a lie. Zenith was the most skilled healer I knew in this world. She was also the only healer I knew, so the candidates for that title weren't plenty.
"E-er… okay…"
Not much of a talker, huh? She almost reminded me of Sakura.
"Hmm, you can't walk, so would you be comfortable with me carrying you?"
A heavy blush adorned her small pale cheeks.
"C-C-Carry me?!" she stammered out. "I-I-I-I'm not s-s-s-sure…"
"Well, I can't really leave you here while I go get help." I pointed out. "It might take some time, but I can build a cart of some sorts. I just need to gather some wood in the forest," I suggested. Making a rudimentary hand-pulled cart shouldn't be difficult. I could change the shape of any sticks I find using alteration and patch them together with reinforcement.
"U-Um… that might be too hard…" she denied.
"Hmm, then we're at an impasse." What else could I use? The thought of conjuring Vimana crossed my mind, the absurd thought giving me a mental laugh as I continued deliberating. Did I have a flying sword I recorded somewhere? Hmm, this would require some meditation.
"Um… it's fine… You can just leave me…"
I glanced down at the girl. Was she so scared of me that she would rather sit here immobilized than accept my help? Well… I couldn't really blame her. However, for something as trivial as this, even a fake such as I would suffice.
"Sorry, but your injury will only get worse if you attempt to walk on it, and it could get dark before your parents come here and get you help. You'd most likely be seeing the woman I was talking about anyway." As far as I knew, Zenith was the only healer in this area, so any medical services were assigned to her automatically.
Well, this left me quite stumped. For once, I wished Berserker were here. Illya did say he could turn into a car, and while I thought she was joking, it was always hard to tell with her…
"Um," she started, suddenly finding the ground next to her far more interesting. "You… you can carry me..."
I raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I don't want to pressure you." I could always sprint to her parents' house and inform them of the situation. With some reinforcement, it wouldn't take long in the slightest. The issue is that this girl might question how I got to her house so fast.
"It's… It's fine. Just please be gentle..."
"Of course," I answered. I knelt, facing my back towards her. She leaned forward, tentatively placing her hands onto my shoulders. I slowly stood up, making sure not to startle her, though I still felt her grip tighten almost painfully. I hooked each of my arms underneath her thighs and slouched forwards. "You okay?"
"I'm... I'm fine… Are… are you sure you can carry me all the way?"
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just let me know if you need a break." I nodded towards the path I came from. "There's a stream on the way there. We can take a short break to clean you." The girl was positively filthy, and from the way mud was caked onto her skin and in her hair, they had been harassing her long enough for the dirt to have dried and hardened.
We were the same height, so carrying her was a bit awkward. Normally I wouldn't have the strength or stamina to do so in this body, but I could discretely reinforce my body slightly to take most of the strain. This could serve as good practice for my magecraft anyway. "Ready?"
She nodded, and I slowly started marching back towards my house.
The walk back was completely silent. I wasn't much of a talker in the first place, and from what I can gather, this girl wasn't very social either. From my initial impressions, she was quite shy and quiet, and that stutter of hers made her lack of talking skills apparent.
Still, I didn't mind. It was only an issue if she found it so.
"U-Um… what's your… name…?"
Apparently she did.
"Shirou," I answered. "Emi—Actually, just Shirou is fine."
"S-Shirou…" she said, testing the word on her tongue. She nodded after a while before suddenly seizing up. From our proximity, I could feel her shivers of fright against my back.
"You don't need to tell me your name," I deduced. The comparison to Sakura was an apt one; her constant anxiety in our interactions made me all the sadder at what had transpired in the past that made her like so.
It was a sad thing. Children should be children, and giving an innocent girl such deep scars early in her life was an unforgivable crime.
Her hand gripped my shoulder harder. "It… fine… I'm… Sylphiette," she quietly said. I had to applaud her bravery. I knew people who were afraid to confront their fears, and this girl was out doing them at her tender age.
"A pleasure to meet you, Sylphiette, though I wish it were under better circumstances."
Unfortunately, the conversation died at that, and the awkward silence returned, the rift between us remaining present. Unfortunately for Sylphiette, I didn't have the skills to maintain an amicable conversation between us the entire way back.
"Um Shirou, why… why did you help me?" Ah, it seemed that I wouldn't need to take the initiative after all.
I let her words linger in my mind. The answer was on the tip of my tongue, words that I had recited so easily in the past. In fact, I had said them to Zenith earlier. It was only now, when I was forced to confront the results of my actions, with memories of my past life and where it had ended up flashing through my head, that I paused, reconsidering my answer and what it truly meant.
"You needed help. There is nothing more to it than that. There is nothing wrong with helping others."
In the end, I gave her the same words I had spouted so freely before. There was no lie in what I had said. Even if the foundations of my resolve were cracked and broken, the truth they upheld was still absolute.
"Even… even someone like me?"
I glanced at her questioningly.
"What do you mean? What's wrong with you?" There didn't seem to be anything wrong with her from my perspective. Maybe a bit shy and timid, but there was nothing wrong with that. Oh god, was she actually going to drag me to hell?
"That… that I'm a demon…" She subconsciously clenched harder onto my shoulders. M-my dad is half-elf… but they call him a demon… and I'm his daughter, so I'm a demon too…!" I felt tear drops fall onto my back, and Sylphiette's words slowed down until she was nearly forcing them out by the end. Just as before, I didn't comment on it, letting her have her dignity as I processed what she had said.
I hadn't noticed earlier, but the girl on my back was indeed an elf, or at least partly so. Her large, pointed ears and pale skin was definitely typical of the elvish race in typical fantasy. Of course, I couldn't look back to confirm my thoughts, lest I embarrass her further.
It also brought into question why her father was being called a demon. From what she was saying, it seemed that she was using demon to refer to a race of beings rather than something evil. In that case, referring to an elf as a demon seemed fairly contrarian. I was no expert in the supernatural, but elves and demons were almost always distinguished from each other, and in some respects, were on nearly opposite ends of the spectrum. Well, I was ultimately an outsider, so these specific nuances to the history of the world and its politics were unknown to me. Still, from Sylphiette's distress, it was obvious that being a demon was looked down upon here, and even if it wasn't in the correct sense of the word, I can't imagine that being called a demon as a child did wonders for her either.
"And what about you? What do you think?" I rebutted.
"I… I don't k-know… It's hard for my parents… E-everyone looks at them weird… but my d-dad… he hasn't done anything wrong…!" Ah, the crime of being born. It was a topic I was all too familiar with.
"He sounds like a good man."
"H-H-He is!" Ah, that her excited. "He's a-always nice to me… He treats me and my mom well… He's s-super s-strong too but he always p-plays with me still…"
"It's a man's duty to shoulder the burdens of the world. As long as you and your mother are there at his side, I'm sure your father would bear it gladly." People were fragile creatures. Their bodies were soft and easily broken. Their resolve and determination could be undermined with nothing more than a single word. Elves, demons, humans, it didn't matter. All living creatures fell under that rule. And yet, people persevered all this time, simply because they were never alone. I'm sure Sylphiette's father must have struggled to endure the constant scrutiny and judgement of those around him, just as I'm sure that when he came home to his smiling wife and daughter, the hefty weight on his shoulders vanished into nothingness.
"B-but… that's… that's so sad…" Her head drooped down until it rested on the base of my neck, and I could feel the wetness of her face against my bare skin. I clenched my teeth, chiding myself for making a young girl like Sylphiette cry. She didn't need to hear any of this. All she needed were some comforting words and a promise that everything would work out.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. You shouldn't have to learn this so early."
I felt Sylphiette raise an arm to wipe away the tears on her face. "It's… okay… So as long as I love Papa… he'll be okay…?"
I nodded, staring at the distant horizon as I struggled to control the flood of emotions threatening to drown me. "He's strong because of you, Sylphiette. Don't cut yourself short. Any decent father values his children, and I'm sure a father like him loves you with all his heart."
Sniffles rang out from behind me, and Sylphiette's voice hitched in her throat as she quietly sobbed on my back.
"Even… e-even if I'm different from Momma and Papa…?
"Good parents love their children no matter what. Do you have bad parents, Sylphiette?"
"No!" she protested, the outburst the loudest I've heard the girl since I met her. "They're… t-they're the best!"
I almost smiled at the immediate response. This girl truly treasured her family. I could respect such strong feelings.
"Then you have your answer."
Her weeping intensified, and before long Sylphiette was crying uncontrollably. The entirety of my back became damp as she planted her face into it, smearing mucus and tears all over it. Her bawls were muffled due to her pressing her mouth against my shirt, but her wails reached my heart, nonetheless. I didn't even realize I had subconsciously started digging my fingers into her thighs, holding the poor girl closer to me.
Eventually, Sylphiette started to calm down, but she still let out the occasional sniffle. "My ears are longer than Papa's… and my hair… it's different from my parents," she started. "People say it's the color of e-evil, but Momma and Papa said there's nothing wrong with it."
Evil? This little girl? I couldn't even begin to imagine how that particular rumor came about.
"You're not evil, Sylphiette. And don't worry about your hair being different. Your parents gave birth to you out of love. You, as you are, flaws and all, are a result of that love. They wouldn't want you thinking of yourself like that." I craned my head backwards, looking at her for the first time since I started escorting her back home. Her face was covered in dried snot and tears, and her eyes were puffy and red from her crying. I pushed her further up my back, letting me carry her with one arm. Her head was closer to mine, and with my free limb, I reached backwards, bringing my hand to her forehead. Sylphiette looked confused at what I was doing, warily looking at it. My fingers flashed forward, and the serious look Sylphiette was sporting crumbled like dust as I gentle flicked her forehead. She brought her hands up, eyes shut closed until she opened them after a moment, realizing that she wasn't hurt. Sylphiette was stunned, unsure what to make of the gesture. In response, I continued staring at her evenly. "You're special because you're their daughter. Never forget that."
My message stunned her, and her eyes widened as the struggled to process my words. Satisfied, I turned away from her. Perhaps it was a bit of a convoluted method, but I had to brighten her spirits somehow. Even if she didn't understand now, she eventually would in the future. But for now, this was enough. Someone like her shouldn't have that kind of look on her face. It was depressingly unfitting.
"I… I see… Thank you…" The shocked Sylphiette finally recovered, uttering only a few quiet words. However, I could tell from her tone that the worries that plagued her were gone for now. It was to be expected; people didn't change off a single conversation. She would need to be reminded time and again until the lesson was engraved onto her brain. Perhaps this trip to her home could serve another purpose as well.
I flinched in surprise when I felt a sudden weight on my shoulder, and I looked to the side only for my vision to be filled tufts of verdant green and pools of emerald. Sylphiette's eyes pierced mine, my own widening in shock, and my feet involuntarily stopped moving as my breath caught in my throat. I opened my mouth to say something only to realize no words would come out, and I wondered at how much a little girl managed to root me in place.
She slowly blinked, drowsily shutting her eyes closed before resting her head in the crook of my neck, letting out a purr as satisfaction as she nuzzled her head against mine.
"So… warm…"
This girl… we only met half an hour ago!
Well, I guess it couldn't be helped. The afternoon sun was right above our heads, and Sylphiette must have been tired from trying to escape those boys earlier. At the very least, if she trusted me enough to take a nap while on my back, then my goal of helping alleviate her anxieties was complete.
The walk continued in silence, mostly due to my sole companion being fast asleep as I carried her back to the village. Eventually, we managed to reach the small river that cut through the village. It was the primary water source here, and I've accompanied Zenith to it many times to fetch water for the house. This particular bend of the stream was further out than what I was familiar with, so it would be up to Sylphiette to guide us from here.
"Hey, you awake?" I asked gently. I softly nudged her awake with my head, watching as Sylphiette lifted her head up and slowly opened her eyes. She wiped her face, groggily panning her head from left to right. I could feel the gears turning in her mind as an expression of puzzlement crossed over her youthful face as she processed the unfamiliar environment around her. Then her eyes landed on mine, our faces barely a few centimeters from each other, and the pale skin beneath the patches of dirt on her face began to turn a brilliant shade of crimson.
"S-S-S-S-Shirou…!"
She started squirming on my back, and I sighed as I kept a firm hold on the girl, not wanting her to fall down and hurt herself further.
"Yes, that's my name."
Careful to make sure I didn't stumble and drop the panicking girl, I slowly walked over to the river shore. I knelt down, dropping her onto a sitting position. Sylphiette didn't protest, the blush on her cheeks still in full effect as she avoided eye contact with me.
"Wait here."
I stepped away from her, I went into the nearby bushes, disappearing from her sight. I wordlessly held out a hand, blue light coalescing into a small shape above my palm. Half a second later, and I was carrying a wooden bowl back to Sylphiette.
"Looks like someone forget this. How convenient."
The girl looked confused, and I was worried she didn't believe me. Oh well, it was a minor thing; she would probably forget anyway.
I dipped the bowl into the stream before bringing it over to Sylphiette. I held it up over her head, and she recoiled as the cold liquid dripped down onto her head. Already, the dried mud that blemished her hair was beginning to dissolve and break away, revealing more of the crown of green tresses underneath.
"That's most of it. Here, you can clean the rest of your hair. I'll make a rag for your face."
I handed her the bowl of water, and she started washing her hair by herself. Meanwhile, I gripped my pants, holding a portion of the fabric near the opening for the leg. With a sharp pull, the cloth tore easily, catching Sylphiette's attention.
"Shirou?"
I grunted again, and a small portion of the clothing came off my leg as a strip of fabric.
Destroying clothing—perhaps I was a rebellious child all along.
"You didn't have to do that… Won't your parents get m-mad?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm sure they'll understand."
By now, Sylphiette had finished washing her hair. I plunged the makeshift rag into the stream, bringing it back to the girl and holding it out to her.
"Sorry that this is the best I can do," I said apologetically, giving her a sheepish expression.
"T-thank you…" Sylphiette took my offering, pressing the wet cloth against herself. Her face, marred with splotches of grime and mud, noticeable brightened—figuratively and literally—as the elvish girl continued wiping herself. I was content to just sit next to her, leaving her to her own efforts as I blankly took in the surrounding area.
It was… peaceful. Not surprising considering very little of little actually occurred in this world. Admittedly, most of my trips outside of the house had a specific intent, whether it was to train or to help Zenith. Going outside of my accord like this, with only a vague idea of what to do… it wasn't entirely unpleasant. One part of me felt like this excursion was a waste of time, that I could have been doing something else. Helping Sylphiette was good, yes, but she was ultimately only one person. Perhaps in some way, there was another group of people I could have encountered that needed me more, or maybe even if I spent time focusing on improving my abilities right now instead of accompanying her, the fruit of my labors could help me save even more people in the future.
It was not an incorrect assumption. It was also a dangerous line of thinking. Archer had fallen into that trap once, and he had made me swear not to fall into it as he had.
For now, this current situation was fine. Helping others with these menial problems was simply one aspect of being a hero.
Of course, this was only the calm before the storm. Sooner or later, I would be called to fulfill my duty, and the climax of my journey would begin in earnest.
"S-Shirou?"
The soft-spoken girl next to me prodded my shoulder, jolting me out of my reverie. Sylphiette looked like she had been looking at me for quite some time, her head cocked to the side in confusion. I coughed awkwardly, embarrassed at losing myself in my thoughts at a time like this.
"Sorry, I was thinking of something else. You're all done?"
"Um, yes. I feel a lot better now. T-Thank you!"
"You're welcome, though I didn't do much. It was you who did all the cleaning. All I did was carry you." Actually, now that I looked at her more, she missed a spot.
I grabbed the piece of cloth from her hand, bringing myself closer to her. Ignoring her cries of "S-S-S-Shirou?!", I tenderly cleaned a stray patch of dirt near her eye. I backed away, standing back up and circling the sitting girl as I checked her head for any missed areas.
"Looks like you're all clean. Feel any better?"
"Y-Y-Y-Yes!"
Oh dear, her stuttering was getting worse.
"I'm afraid you'll need to clean your clothing back at your house or maybe even Zenith will even wash them for you?"
"Zenith?"
"The healer I'm taking you to." Once again, Sylphiette's face twisted into a strange expression, looking at me oddly before nodding in acceptance.
"Zenith…" Her countenance was scrunched in thought as she pondered. "She's a healer… But Papa said the only healer around here is…" Her face lit up as realization struck her like a lightning bolt. "You're talking about Zenith Greyrat! You're Sir P-Paul's son!"
I wryly grinned at her excitement. "Correct. Good deduction," I praised.
"It's n-nothing. I'm just remember what Papa told me from before."
"Your father knows about Paul and Zenith?" I questioned.
Like clockwork, she gave me an odd look.
"Papa goes on patrols with Sir Paul sometimes… They talk to each other about stuff, and P-Papa talks about his day when he gets h-home…" Ah yes, I remembered Paul bringing up his patrols some time ago. What a coincidence that I would meet the daughter of the man he fought alongside with. Hopefully he didn't say anything about me, but knowing Paul, he probably vented his frustrations to his fellow man, and naturally Sylphiette's father would tell his family what Paul had said. Unfortunately, his stories probably painted me in a negative light, and now that Sylphiette's discovered my identity, her impression of me would now be twisted.
It was unfortunate, but that was life.
"I see. Perhaps it will be your turn to tell him a story when you return to him later."
"Ah, I was going over to him earlier… Mama told me to give him his lunch…"
"Before those boys chased you, right?"
She nodded. "I dropped Papa's food…" Sylphiette seemed genuinely disheartened at the prospect of her father going a day without lunch. I raised a hand, the temptation to reach over and pat her head flooding my mind, words of comfort to tell her everything will be fine on my lips. At the last second, I reigned myself back in, deciding only to give her an apologetic look.
"There might be some left over food. Perhaps if you're fast enough, you might be able to bring him back some before he comes back home."
Her eyes widened, stars replacing her pupils as she excitedly smiled at me. "R-Really?! You mean it?!"
I coughed awkwardly, unsure what to make of the timid girl's sudden burst of enthusiasm. "Yes, really."
Her smile was dazzling, the curve of her lips bright enough to outshine the sun above our heads. My heart almost skipped a beat at the genuine happiness she exuded, and I couldn't help but feel glad that the despondent little girl from earlier was nowhere to be seen. Of all the people I've ever met, Sylphiette was a nice breath of fresh air, her naivete and innocence sparking a welcoming flame inside of my chest.
"Well, like I said, we still have to be quick about it. Now then, shall we get going?"
She nodded twice. "Yes, yes!"
I turned around, crouching and letting the injured girl climb onto me. I wordlessly looked back at her, the unspoken question on my lips. Sylphiette simply smiled, nodding her head to show she was ready. We set off without another word, a comfortable silence settling between us as we started the journey back to the Greyrat household.
It was a familiar sight.
"The first time you leave the house on your own, and you already get into trouble."
I suppose that my life wouldn't be complete without a bunch of people, usually women, being outright pissed as me.
"Master Shirou has always been exceptionally stubborn and is prone to ignoring suggestions, at the cost of himself even."
Really, who could have foreseen this?
"…You're all overreacting. Somal is fine. Shirou didn't do anything wrong."
It must have been a cold day in hell if Paul of all people was defending me.
"He got into a fight, Paul. Take this seriously."
From Zenith of all people. Now I really don't understand what's going on with him.
"Eh, they'll be fine. Boys get into fights all the time."
"He still shouldn't have been in a fight! He could've gotten hurt!"
It wasn't really a fight.
"But was it really a fight? Shirou doesn't have a scratch on him, and those boys aren't hurt either. Trust me, they're just embarrassed they got roughed around by a kid barely half their size. Not like they haven't been getting a little rowdy lately anyway."
"Ugh, you're still missing the point."
"Or maybe you need to accept things and move on."
When I had arrived with Sylphiette in tow, the three residents of the house were standing shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the entrance to the house, barring my entry and forcing me to confront them.
Unsurprisingly, the group was on the verge of imploding. Zenith's face was set in an angry scowl, and her arms were crossed, only accentuated by the rapid tapping of her foot against the ground. Her eyes were on Paul, blue eyes simmering with annoyance and frustration at her husband. Paul, in contrast, was nonchalantly leaning against the guardrail of the porch. His cool, unconcerned demeanor wasn't deterred in the slightest from Zenith's fiery words and attitude. His eyes panned over to me, then to the girl on my back, and I could see something click in his brain. He didn't frown at my presence, choosing only to remain impassive as he endured the brunt of his wife's verbal assault.
As always, Lilia was on Zenith's other side, her expression stoic as always. I nodded to her, a gesture the maid returned. I pitied her current position, but from the way Zenith turned back to me, I'm sure she would be sharing similar sentiments very soon.
"So, when I said to go explore and have fun, did you think fighting the local children was what I meant by that?" Disappointed and resignation were heavily laced in her words, and I knew that the upcoming argument would not be pleasant.
I firmly returned her gaze, stopping just in front of the porch as I took in the sight in front of me. All three members of the Greyrat household had gathered in this spot to wait for my arrival. Zenith obviously was leading the mob, though I was more curious about the other two. Lilia held a curious expression on her face, eager to find out just what had happened. Apparently, news spread fast in the small village.
Paul was trying his best to hide it, but he was almost interested in the events of the afternoon. The man was as dishonest as ever.
"You should hear him out first," Lilia advised.
Zenith looked at her, sighing as she realized the wisdom in the maid's words before returning those spotlights back at me. Her scrutiny paused for a slight moment on the passenger on my back, and her eyes quickly narrowed at the injury to her foot. Considering her adventuring experience, I had no doubt that she had already assessed Sylphiette's sprained ankle and decided it wasn't anything to be worried about. She placed her hands on her hips instead, and I couldn't help but be reminded of Saber doing that exact pose in exasperation during her lectures.
"Well? Shirou, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Somehow, a part of me would've preferred that instead.
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