Chapter 15 An Ordinary Stroll, Followed by Someone Getting Anxious
In this fake Holy Grail War, the Saber class is referred to simply as "Saber" for the sake of distinction. However, regarding the previous war, there was much more to consider.
"I say, Miss Saber?"
Saber was treading forward step by step. The corners of her angel-like lips were slightly curved, and she cradled the object in her hands against her modest chest. Because she was so engrossed in this, she failed to react to the question.
The way Saber hugged the lion toy tightly, as if terrified it might fall and break, reminded Shirou of a raccoon holding a marshmallow.
"Saber?"
Only after the second call did she react, raising her head with a start.
"Do you have any objection to going back now to regroup with everyone and plan our next move?"
"Shirou has grown into a mature and reliable gentleman; I believe there is no harm in leaving this decision to you."
"I'm honored, but there's no need to flatter me specifically... If Saber has any wishes, please do speak plainly."
Looking closely, one could see she was walking sometimes fast and sometimes slow, sometimes ahead of Shirou and sometimes behind—overall, she was circling around him. And she herself didn't seem to notice.
Resigned, Shirou made the call: "Then let's head back and regroup now. I'm a bit concerned about Rin's investigation."
It wasn't officially afternoon yet, but starting the trek back at midday meant they'd return to the hotel at a reasonable time.
'Even though you say 'as I please,' could you please not look at me with those reluctant eyes that say 'is it over already?'' Shirou suppressed the urge to comment and switched his mindset back to Holy Grail War mode. Simultaneously, Saber completed the switch automatically.
"I understand."
She responded with earnestness and a sense of etiquette. The two took a turn following the map in their unfolded tourist brochure. Though it required passing through several sparsely populated alleys, this route was the shortest path back to the hotel meeting point.
In less than an hour, Shirou and Saber had marched no less than ten kilometers at a brisk pace; neither felt fatigued. At this rate, they would be back at the hotel just as afternoon began.
As the distance closed, Shirou's thoughts regarding their next steps became clearer.
Heroic Spirits related to death. The monster Heroic Spirit calling himself "Alcides." Gilgamesh. Enkidu. The Fanatic. Jack the Ripper.
There were six Servants known to Shirou and the others. The remaining seven were completely unknown.
The "Forest Servant" he asked Rin to track was undoubtedly Enkidu. Aside from him—or rather, her—there was no way to contact the Servant of Death right now, and the other four couldn't be found at all. No one was coming to find Shirou; the entry point into the Holy Grail War was currently severed.
"Saber, if we can't find a single Servant, I might consider meeting the one in the forest. What do you think?"
Saber was still cradling her lion with one hand, but her dignified, gallant movements felt even more natural than before. There was a peculiar aesthetic beauty to the "Lion = Half of Self" vibe.
Hearing Shirou's words, Saber wasn't overly surprised, merely unfurling her slender brows.
"Before answering that, allow me to ask a prerequisite question—Shirou, who told you there was a Servant in the forest?"
Right.
Since Shirou hadn't told anyone else about the source of his information, it was only natural for them to be suspicious of that mysterious source first. Faced with an unavoidable question, Shirou could only answer honestly.
"I'm not saying I can't tell the others."
"Mm."
"I also think it might not be appropriate to do so."
"Mm."
"But, until the Holy Grail War ends, please keep it a small secret from Rin. I beg you."
"Hm?"
"It was Luvia."
Shing! An auditory hallucination of freezing air rang out. Saber's gaze pierced Shirou painfully.
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The time shifts back to the early morning when he was still with Illya.
"Shirou, what I am about to say is the result of the investigation you commissioned. It includes some inside information. You must listen carefully."
Luvia had told Shirou three things. Two of them were: the detailed address of the Kurouoka residence; and the existence of a Heroic Spirit in the forest. Up to that point, her tone was normal.
Then came the third thing...
"Those fellows actually didn't agree! They didn't agree, you hear!?"
"...Excuse me, Luvia-san, could you back up a bit? For example, who didn't agree to what?"
"They just didn't agree!?"
Here was Luvia-san, uttering incomprehensible words.
"Although my position in the team could be considered the leader, matters aren't decided just because I say so; in the end, the majority opinion prevails. If they don't consent, I'm completely helpless!"
He could practically feel her pounding the table in frustration, her heartfelt sorrow soaring into the sky.
'She couldn't have been drinking wine, could she?' From his experience as a butler, Luvia-san became much more "passionate" after drinking.
"I really tried. I tried so hard to lobby them so I could join up with you...
The result was everyone laughing at me, saying I was abusing my public office for private gain!? They even said I couldn't compete with a 'muscle gorilla' and that it's better to give up. I know that from their perspective, since no Servant was summoned from the Holy Grail War, it's perfectly safe and nothing to worry about—but they actually don't understand your temperament at all, Shirou!"
A massive volume of words crashed down at once. Shirou didn't know how to reply for a moment and could only comfort Luvia-san over the phone. He could tell she had tried very hard. Though he understood nothing else, there was definitely effort.
After a moment of hesitation, Shirou gave a wry smile:
"It's okay, Luvia-san. I didn't expect any extra help anyway. Just for you finding all this intel for me, I should remember it for a hundred years. You didn't do anything wrong; you can be more optimistic."
"Shirou..."
"And, whether there's support or not, what I must do hasn't changed. I think I understand that you wanted to support me, and just having that sentiment is enough to make me happy."
"Ugh, you saying that only makes me more worried!!"
Finally, whether she was truly appeased or not, a weary Luvia-san put down the phone. Before hanging up, she said:
"I will persist in persuading them. Wait for me. ...I will make sure the strongest faction in this Holy Grail War forms around you!"
With the strongwoman's grand declaration, the phone disconnected with a beep.
"Succubus?"
Illya, who had been listening nearby, murmured airily.
Shirou gave her a light chop on the head, causing her to clutch it. Although he didn't know where she picked up that concept, in Shirou's opinion, the way Illya looked when her Magic Circuits were fully active was much more like a succubus.
.
.
.
"It was pretty much like that."
"I see."
Shirou confessed everything with raised hands, hoping for Saber's leniency. Saber's gaze, if not icy, could only be described as chilly.
"I can understand that Shirou isn't thick-skinned enough to accept all this with a clear conscience. Rather, Luvia Edelfelt suddenly providing support you don't understand makes you feel quite apologetic yourself."
Saber spoke very reasonably.
"In that case, we should say you're on the border between innocent and guilty... Innocent... no, guilty after all."
'My life is over. We've already fast-forwarded to the sentencing phase.'
Noticing that Shirou had begun to daze off while reviewing his life, Saber let out a breath as if giving up.
"Fine, it's not for me to comment on this. I will tentatively accept the matter of the negotiations with Luvia Edelfelt. Then again, why keep it a secret from Rin?"
"That's because, given things have already turned out this way, I felt... it might be better for her mood if I only show her the results. After all, 'the process can be washed away by the results,' or something like that?"
"Are you aware of how terrible that answer is, Shirou?"
That seemed to be the wrong answer.
Saber's gaze, which had just softened, moved past "chilly" and reached "disdain." Only the lion held in her left arm remained as before.
"Yes, sorry. My mistake."
He would definitely find a time to be honest with Rin soon.
Even as he sincerely listened to the lecture, Saber seemed relentless. She stood heroically atop a high stone and began a serious, righteous speech:
"Shirou, you absolutely must not become a person who looks like a playboy, like that Red Archer!"
'The Red Archer's reputation takes another hit.'
Ah, perhaps in some unknown place, he'd be called a "Don Juan" by others anyway, so it didn't matter—let him be. Shirou didn't want to deal with that guy's affairs.
"Moreover, when Taiga obediently handed you over, she strictly charged me never to let Shirou become a delinquent!"
That weird phrasing—"handed you over"—was the first time Shirou had heard it! Was asking Luvia-san for help really a matter of such gravity?
"That only proves Shirou's bad habit of unconsciously attracting others hasn't changed at all after all these years. You should reflect properly!"
'Mind reading!?'
Trapped in a lecture hell.
It took who-knows-how-long to climb back from the eighteenth level to the first. Saber took a sip of water and stepped down from the stone, satisfied.
Taking this opportunity, Shirou—maintaining a face of "listening with rapt attention"—reached out and pointed to the road on the right.
It was an alley leading to a T-shaped corner. It was called an alley, but it was actually quite spacious; one could look up from inside and see the upper portions of skyscrapers separated by great distances.
Before this, Shirou and Saber had successfully passed through three alleys. This was the last one. Once they walked out the other end, only a stretch of straight road remained to get back to the hotel.
Saber, now content and her anger dissipated, gave an "Mm-hm" of understanding and followed Shirou into the alley.
The shadows blocked by the road sign formed a boundary line separating two worlds. This line was left behind by the two of them.
The blonde girl suddenly became quiet, and Shirou couldn't help but worry again: "What is it, Saber? Still sulking?"
"No, that matter is over."
Saber tilted her head as if even she was puzzled.
"I was just suddenly thinking of something else—how is Luvia Edelfelt so well-informed about the situation of this Holy Grail War?"
"With the power of the Edelfelt family, it shouldn't be hard to gather this information."
"No, there is a subtle difference. How should I put it..."
Saber closed her eyes to organize her words. She expressed the sense of incongruity accumulating in her heart.
"—It was a bit too fast."
At the same time, Shirou also felt something.
It wasn't the same thing Saber felt, but a "sense of danger" experienced thousands, even tens of thousands of times.
Shirou turned his palm toward his back.
A blue arc of light bloomed in the palm facing backward.
From the azure flash, a cold glint grew. The white short sword loosely covering his back flickered tentatively, then a subtle force caused his fingertips to sway for a fleeting moment.
Something was knocked into the air and drifted down to the ground ahead with a ting.
That tiny object had an exterior crushed into a lump by the impact; only the cylindrical tail remained intact. It had become worthless scrap metal.
But that didn't matter. No one would collect it to use again. From the moment it was specially processed, it was only responsible for one "shot" that exhausted its lifespan.
—A sniper bullet lay silently on the alley's floor tiles.
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