Chapter 51 Night, Today's Meal for the Emiya Family
"I'm home—"
"Oh, welcome back!"
They arrived at the Emiya household. Or rather, as Shirou stepped over the threshold, he realized he'd misspoke; this was no longer the Emiya main estate.
In Snowfield, since they hadn't bought a house, Shirou and the others were currently using a hotel as their temporary base. Though it felt a bit awkward to say, everyone was essentially sharing a hotel suite. There were six suites in total, situated right next to each other. Since the war meetings were held in Shirou's room, dinner was also set in his suite, making his room slightly larger than the others.
The hotel here seemed to be the type of fancy establishment where the number of rooms didn't equal the number of suites; one suite contained three to four individual rooms. The location and selection had been handled by Rin. Shirou didn't know much about the specifics, only that the hotel building and corridors appeared quite magnificent.
"Welcome back, Senpai! You too, Saber."
"You two took way too long. If you'd come back any later, the food would've been cold... even though I actually worried for a bit back then."
As soon as they returned "home," a young girl popped her head out in delight, while the young lady—temporarily sporting twin-tails—spoke cryptic words. They held clean tableware in their hands, appearing to be harmoniously setting the table for dinner together.
Within seconds, Illya and a book-carrying Rider emerged from their rooms; one lunged forward while the other gave a nod. The lunging one hugged Shirou tightly without hesitation, actively cultivating an intimacy that made calling them "siblings" a bit of a stretch. Shirou tried his best but couldn't break free.
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Tonight's dinner consisted of pineapple grilled steak, Philadelphia cheesesteaks (sandwiches), vegetable salad, and hummus.
"Well then, itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu~"
Sakura spoke with a hint of melancholy in her eyes as she took delicate, small bites of her sandwich:
"Actually, I had thought of new dishes. But I couldn't make them for Senpai and everyone. I was originally thinking I had to have them ready to welcome Senpai back and comfort him, but in the end..."
The reason for Sakura's listlessness was simple. Sakura had the culinary skill and the heart for cooking... but she didn't have a kitchen. This was a bit too cruel for the young girl.
The hotel they had stayed in on the very first morning, which came equipped with a kitchen, was a high-end establishment requiring advance reservations. However, as they were currently navigating a difficult journey, they couldn't afford to waste time and arrangements on such personal pleasures.
As for why they were originally able to stay in such high-end places, the reason was none other than this—Rin was actually very wealthy.
Though not quite to Luvia's level, the statement "Rin is a tycoon" was a true proposition.
The sole manager of Fuyuki City, the successor to dozens of thaumaturgical patents, and the holder of the Tohsaka family estate—these were all Rin's titles. The priest who had originally managed the finances had passed away early during the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Rin truly possessed a vast fortune worthy of a prestigious noble family. If there were any constraints, it was only that her use of Jewel Magecraft turned money into a consumable that vanished like flowing water. Every single jewel was forged by burning cash. When she threw a jewel, she wasn't throwing a catalyst; she was throwing banknotes starting at 100,000 and reaching upwards with no ceiling.
However, in recent years, Rin's expenditures on Jewel Magecraft had begun to decrease, having been "contracted out." That thrifty, domestic, and essential companion provided a massive amount of capability support. Without Jewel Magecraft frantically draining the numbers, Rin became rich.
In other words... Rin was currently a wealthy woman!
If conditions permitted, Rin would never let those accompanying her stay in a dust-filled house... though it was more likely he would have cleaned the house until it looked brand new anyway.
While not as good as yesterday's hotel with its own kitchen, and far below the city's most famous "Crystal Hill," the current multi-room suite was still a top-tier hotel. Nowadays, Rin could even open six such suites in a row without triggering her "greed-induced" stinginess. T
he era of worrying about the Tohsaka family finances had passed! This was the era of restoring the glory of the Tohsaka Head!
...As long as she didn't leave Shirou's technical support, it would remain the glorious era of the Tohsaka Head.
No, wait, it would be better to call it the highlight of the Emiya Head.
Rin rubbed her forehead guiltily.
In any case, though Sakura and Rin both had the heart to cook, the current table of dishes could only be purchased from pre-selected restaurants in the city and brought back temporarily.
"I understand Sakura's feelings perfectly... but anyway, the Holy Grail War is only for a few days, right? So there will definitely be a chance later. I feel that with Sakura's skill, as soon as you can make something, I'll definitely be dying to try it."
Sakura looked up hopefully. "Really?" "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
The day of the end was still far off, but Shirou could make countless "pinky promises" when it came to important vows looking toward the future.
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As Shirou ate the ready-made dishes, he noticed something was off. He saw Illya sitting in silence, yet she would peek over from time to time as if she had something to say. Shirou noticed she was pouting, scooping up hummus as if she were sulking.
Though Shirou didn't quite understand what kind of little scheme this was, he asked compliantly, "Illya?"
Illya let out a huff and took the opportunity to say: "Shirou, listen to me. I met a Dead Apostle today, and I even lost the fight!"
"Eh?"
A Dead Apostle. A blood-sucking species, creatures that live by consuming the blood of living things, ageless and immortal, existences residing in the dark side of the world.
Though it was a bit complicated... Shirou had actually met a Dead Apostle before; he'd met an individual whose nature was terrible but whose personality was relatively friendly.
Van-Fem of the Dead-Line Pleasure Boat, an acquaintance who had, for the time being, fought alongside Shirou in an emergency. He was the manager of order in Monaco.
"Is not winning really that big of a deal? I probably don't know many Dead Apostles, so my impression might be a bit skewed. But aren't they supposed to be existences that are very difficult to challenge in the first place...?"
If it were Van-Fem, he wouldn't be someone Illya could challenge at all. His strength was terrifying. Even Shirou felt that they would need to gather Saber, Rider, and himself—all three—to ensure they could knock him down in a frontal confrontation.
"I don't know who you're thinking of, but it's absolutely not like that. Are you talking about the one in Monaco, Shirou? Someone like Shirou, who encounters an 'Ancestor' right from the start, must have something wrong with his concept of strength!"
Illya raised both hands even more indignantly. "Finally, the fact that you didn't take me with you to Monaco—I must protest that most vehemently!"
Private grudges were mixed into her words. Illya was feeling subtly high-strung.
"Anyway, if you're thinking of that kind of existence, the Dead Apostle I met today has a rank that is, at most, a subordinate of a subordinate. Yet I lost, it's just so hateful! Shirou, you have no idea how venomous that Dead Apostle's mouth is; it's practically a product of all the contempt for humanity kneaded together!"
The pure white girl opened and closed her raised fingers, making a fuss at the dinner table. To Shirou, however, this looked more like she was acting spoiled toward him.
"Right, right~ Good work, good work?"
Shirou spoke tentatively, and as expected, Illya flashed a satisfied smile and settled down considerably.
As if showing off and demonstrating a strategy that worked every time on a "dense block of wood," she transformed into a model of pride and turned her gaze toward Sakura.
"Sakura, do you have something you want to say too?"
Sakura held up a finger. She pressed that finger against her cheek and began to think.
After a while, as if a lightbulb had lit up next to her head, Sakura said in a light tone:
"As expected, I don't like Priests."
At that moment, a certain clergyman on the roadside suddenly felt a chill run through his entire body.
'Sigh, best of luck to you.'
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