Jeanne touched her stomach gently. Although she didn't yet feel hungry, she hadn't eaten anything at all yesterday. She definitely needed food today.
Otherwise, that incident might repeat itself.
Remembering it, Jeanne felt her cheeks grow warm and quickly stole a glance toward Shirou Emiya.
If it wasn't for him, she thought shyly, I'd probably still be passed out somewhere.
Shirou had no reason to refuse Fiore's request either.
Besides, buying groceries was something he was good at. Being stuck idle in Yggdmillennia's villa, unable to help with anything, had left him deeply uncomfortable.
He'd tried helping the homunculi tidy up the villa but had been politely rejected.
As they'd put it:
"We can't possibly allow our savior to exhaust himself."
He couldn't find it in himself to refuse their heartfelt gratitude. Now that he had a chance to be useful, Shirou genuinely felt relieved.
"Since Jeanne-san seems to have something she'd like to discuss with you, Emiya-san, you can talk things over during your trip," Fiore had suggested pragmatically.
As the decision-maker, Fiore naturally prioritized efficiency. With Jeanne's Heroic Spirit physique and Shirou's own near-Servant constitution, gathering and transporting several days' worth of provisions for the villa would hardly pose any difficulty.
Thus, the two left the Yggdmillennia villa behind and set off towards the town of Trifas.
Trifas remained as tranquil as ever, showing no signs of the fierce battles that had recently unfolded nearby.
Despite the terrifying war that had secretly taken place just a short while ago—
Despite the countless thunderous explosions that had echoed throughout the night—
No ordinary residents had noticed any abnormalities. The Fortress of Millennia stood on private land surrounded by years of eerie rumors; few approached it willingly. Combined with the extensive concealment methods set up by Yggdmillennia, nobody knew the castle had been reduced to ruins, nor that war had come so terrifyingly close to their peaceful lives.
Of course, it helped greatly that many residents of Trifas were already subtly connected to Yggdmillennia, and the incident had been covered up by news outlets as a simple gas explosion.
Thus, this great battle remained buried quietly in darkness.
Life in Trifas continued peacefully, with ordinary people completely unaware that anything had changed.
Under such circumstances, Shirou and Jeanne walked leisurely down the bustling streets.
"Come, take a look!"
"We don't cheat anyone—these goods are definitely worth buying!"
"Tourists, step right up! You won't find treasures like these anywhere outside medieval Europe!"
"Try some traditional Romanian delicacies—you haven't really been here unless you've tasted them!"
Between buildings, small stalls popped up here and there, their vendors enthusiastically calling out to Jeanne and Shirou as they passed.
Maintaining its medieval charm, this lively town had become a tourist hotspot. Alongside elegant storefronts stood these simple stalls that provided the right amount of bustling atmosphere without overwhelming the senses.
Though Shirou and Jeanne didn't yet know precisely where to find the ingredients they sought, there was still plenty of time before lunch. There was no need to rush.
The Yggdmillennia villa wasn't in immediate need of food, after all.
Soon enough, Shirou and Jeanne arrived at stalls brimming with fresh vegetables, fruit, and various foodstuffs.
Jeanne's eyes sparkled with interest as she carefully examined the produce on display.
Shirou, noticing her earnest expression, approached the vendor first.
"How much for these vegetables?" Shirou asked naturally.
He was used to dealing with stall merchants. Back in Fuyuki City, Shirou had usually handled grocery shopping himself—at least until Sakura began regularly bringing ingredients whenever she visited, or joining him on his shopping trips. It had been a long while since Shirou had gone shopping alone like this.
Though this place certainly wasn't Fuyuki, and most residents couldn't be expected to understand Japanese, Fiore had anticipated this. She'd given Shirou a small enchanted booklet engraved with magecraft. When carried, the booklet translated the user's speech into any local language. It covered nearly every language in existence, enabling Shirou to communicate freely with the people of Trifas.
Jeanne, of course, had no trouble either. The Holy Grail had already provided her with necessary linguistic knowledge.
Shirou had also been given funds by Yggdmillennia. To most magi, money was rarely an issue—except perhaps for certain once-wealthy families who'd had to resort to selling precious gems merely to survive.
Not that gemstones were cheap by any means.
"N-no, no!"
Jeanne realized Shirou was intending to buy something simply because she'd been staring intently at the food, and quickly shook her head, flustered. Her face reddened slightly as she waved her hands, embarrassed.
"I was just marveling at the abundance of food in this era. Even though I've seen it several times now, it still amazes me," Jeanne explained quickly.
Unlike Artoria Pendragon, Jeanne's Heroic Spirit body required minimal sustenance. If she hadn't been summoned into a human vessel, Jeanne wouldn't have needed food at all.
"Is that so…?" Shirou murmured thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. He sifted through long-forgotten memories from books he'd once studied.
"Ruler, you used to grow your own food, didn't you? It makes sense that you'd appreciate how precious food really is."
Jeanne was originally a simple village girl who'd helped tirelessly with farming chores at home. She knew firsthand how difficult cultivating food was.
"That's part of it," Jeanne admitted softly, smiling warmly without denying Shirou's deduction.
"But the main reason is that, in the era I lived in, food was incredibly precious. Many wars were fought over grain alone. Seeing how abundant food is nowadays truly fills me with joy from the bottom of my heart."
She felt sincere happiness at the thought that most people in this modern era didn't have to suffer the hardships of starvation she'd once known.
Shirou saw Jeanne gazing fondly at the bustling crowd around them, her eyes filled with gentle warmth.
She genuinely felt happy for the peaceful, prosperous lives these people enjoyed.
Shirou knew Jeanne's history well, and exactly how tragic her end had been. Thinking about such a fate, his heart ached deeply.
She'd been only nineteen at the time of her death.
But seeing Jeanne's earnest happiness, and her heartfelt expression of gratitude for the world's abundance, Shirou himself felt a deep sense of joy. A quiet smile unconsciously formed on his lips.
After all, he himself was someone who took true joy in seeing others find happiness.