After repeatedly emphasizing his name and confirming that Rosmontis had remembered it, Shirou finally pushed the cake he had just moved over back in front of her.
"Emiya is a bad person."
After taking the cake back, Rosmontis pulled it closer to herself and looked at him with aggrieved eyes.
"I am the one who treated you to this cake. Besides, if I were a bad person, I would not be taking you around to look for someone."
Faced with her aggrieved gaze, Shirou's lips twitched slightly as he complained.
Do not do this. The shop assistant is already looking at us suspiciously.
"…Hmm, that is true. So Emiya is a good person?"
After Shirou's reminder, Rosmontis finally realized that everything she had eaten and drunk so far had been paid for by him.
And just now, he had also been working hard to take her around to look for someone.
"Do not phrase it as a question here. Besides, generally speaking, no one would say that they are a good person. That would only make them seem even more suspicious."
At that point, Shirou sighed.
He did not think that he was a good person. He was….
Just as Shirou was recalling the past, he suddenly felt as though a hand was patting his head.
Because there was no hostility, Shirou did not react immediately.
When he looked up, Rosmontis in front of him was holding her drink with both hands, and there was no one else around him. He also had not heard any footsteps just now.
Was it his imagination?
"What is wrong?"
Rosmontis placed her empty cup beside the plate and asked when she saw Shirou looking around.
"It is nothing. Do you still want to eat?"
After coming back to his senses, Shirou looked at the empty plate and cup in front of Rosmontis and asked whether she wanted to order more.
"No. If I eat too much, Doctor Kal'tsit will scold me."
Rosmontis shook her head and refused this somewhat tempting suggestion. She still wanted to try other desserts.
However, her rational side told her that if she ate too much, she would probably be scolded harshly during her next checkup.
It was even possible that she would be made to eat healthy meals.
Although she did not remember the taste of the other food in the cafeteria, if she really tried to recall it, the only thing she could think of was that healthy meal.
…It was better to forget it.
"Doctor Kal'tsit?"
After hearing Rosmontis' words, Shirou thought for a moment.
Earlier, when she saw him checking the inhibitors, she seemed to have asked whether he was also an infected.
The word "also" meant that Rosmontis herself might be infected.
What a troublesome matter.
The more Shirou came into contact with people, matters, and things outside of Penguin Logistics, the more he saw the harshness of this land.
"Mm. Although Doctor Kal'tsit always has a blank expression, she cares about everyone very much."
After hearing Shirou repeat the name, Rosmontis gave a brief explanation.
"From what you are saying, it seems that you like this Doctor Kal'tsit very much?"
Shirou asked. After learning more about Rosmontis, he began to view her situation more seriously.
Although she could be somewhat troublesome like a child, most of it was not her fault. It was simply because she forgot things.
"Mm. Not only Doctor Kal'tsit. Amiya, Blaze, Outcast… I like everyone at Rhodes Island."
Rosmontis listed several names or codenames that Shirou did not quite recognize. In the end, since she could not remember clearly, she simply used "everyone at Rhodes Island" to summarize.
"I see. Then I should put in more effort to help you find that big black cat so that you can go home."
Looking at Rosmontis' innocent and simple expression, Shirou thought of Illya, who also had long silver-white hair.
However, he did not have the thought of treating Rosmontis as Illya. That would be disrespectful to both of them.
At most, he would just put in a little more effort to pay attention to her, like he did with Rope.
"Mm."
Rosmontis nodded, then jumped down from the chair and tidied up her clothes.
"Do not just remember your clothes. Your face is also covered in cream."
Taking out a piece of tissue, Shirou wiped Rosmontis' mouth. After taking care of children for so long, it had become a habitual reflex.
"Is it done?"
Rosmontis did not refuse Shirou's help. After he put the tissue back on the table, she asked.
Shirou briefly checked the place where they had been sitting to make sure that nothing had been left behind. Then he checked whether anything had gotten on Rosmontis.
With his eyesight, he could almost finish all of this in an instant. A quick glance was enough. Staring intently at a girl was an impolite behavior.
"No problem. Take your things. Let us go."
"Mm."
Rosmontis did not have many belongings. Most of them were with Blaze, and the remaining important items were in the pouch at her waist.
If one really had to say, the thing most likely to be lost was the terminal in her hand. Although there was a backup in her room, she had just recorded many interesting things and did not want to lose them.
Carefully, Rosmontis stored the terminal in the specially designed pocket on her coat meant for it, fastening it securely before finally feeling at ease.
As the two walked along the street, this time Rosmontis did not wrap her tail around Shirou's hand. Instead, she properly held his hand and followed him.
There were many people nearby, and being stared at the whole time earlier had made Rosmontis feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"Sigh… Rosmontis, where do you think that big black cat might be right now?"
Seeing that Rosmontis had slowed down, Shirou thought she might be getting tired.
However, Rosmontis had simply been focusing on the scenery of Lungmen since Shirou was leading the way, which caused her pace to gradually slow.
After all, from her perspective, it was not easy to search for someone.
"…A place that sells alcohol?"
After thinking for quite a while, Rosmontis gave such an answer.
"Could it be a drunkard?"
After hearing her answer, Blaze's impression in Shirou's mind had already dropped into the negatives.
"It cannot really be said that way… but saying it like that does not seem wrong either, so is Blaze a drunkard?"
Rosmontis originally wanted to defend Blaze but judging from several impressions, calling Blaze a drunkard did not seem entirely incorrect.
However, she still felt that something about it was a little strange, so she asked Shirou.
"I was just speaking casually. Do not go pointing at someone and calling them a drunkard in front of others."
Seeing that she seemed to have taken it seriously, Shirou hurriedly warned her.
At the same time, he began to seriously consider whether Rosmontis was deliberately sharp-tongued or just unconsciously so. From some of her descriptions, that Miss Blaze seemed to have… quite a few shortcomings.
However, it was more likely that Rosmontis simply remembered the flaws, and Shirou tried his best to think in that direction.
Still, he could not help but wonder who had taught this child.
Although he was not really in a position to say that, since he knew that some of his own occasional honest remarks could be quite hurtful.
Exusiai and Croissant could testify to that.
"Mm, I understand."
Seeing Shirou's serious expression, Rosmontis nodded. Then she suddenly remembered something and continued, "Also, the reason we came to Lungmen this time seems to be because Blaze said she wanted to see what Rhodes Island's Lungmen office looks like."
Rosmontis also remembered that Blaze had mentioned wanting to bring some alcohol back from Lungmen. If alcohol had not been brought up, she would not have recalled this.
"The office… you should have said that earlier."
Shirou did not know whether to laugh or cry. It turned out that all the time he had spent wandering around this district with Rosmontis had been in vain.
Earlier, he had also confirmed that Rosmontis did not have any communication devices on her. Although the terminal in her hand could be used to make contact, operating it on Lungmen's network was somewhat troublesome.
And she did not understand how to use it.
She had probably only just remembered. Considering Rosmontis' condition, Shirou could not really blame her.
"Do you know where the office is?"
Suppressing the urge to complain, Shirou asked Rosmontis.
"Here."
Rosmontis took out her terminal, opened the important work records, and flipped to the address of the Lungmen office for Shirou to see.
"It is not in this district. It seems closer to the lower city."
Aside from the route between Penguin Logistics' dormitory, the supermarket and the commercial district, the place Shirou was most familiar with was the lower city, also known as the slums.
After all, many of the documents he had read earlier contained related information. For the sake of safety and to avoid trouble, Shirou had memorized it carefully.
"Is it close to here?"
After putting away the terminal, Rosmontis asked.
If it was far, she could go by herself. Shirou had already taken good care of her, and she did not know how to repay him.
However, in Shirou's eyes, Rosmontis' words meant something different.
He thought she was simply tired from walking, since her pace had slowed earlier.
"It is not far. We will be there in no time. If you are tired, I can carry you."
Adjusting the position of the bag on his back, Shirou crouched down in front of Rosmontis.
"…Alright."
Rosmontis had originally wanted to refuse, but she felt that Shirou gave off a sense of familiarity. After hesitating for a moment, she accepted his offer.
She wrapped her arms around Shirou's neck, hooked her legs around his back, and pressed her whole body against him.
"Hold on tight."
Shirou's hands supported the back of her knees, applying a bit of strength to prevent her from slipping.
After confirming that everything was secure, Shirou immediately set off at a brisk pace, carrying Rosmontis toward the direction of Rhodes Island's office.
At that moment, Shirou had already forgotten that his bicycle was still parked at the pharmacy.
However, even if he had remembered, he probably would not have used it.
Behind him, Rosmontis adjusted herself into a slightly more comfortable position, then rested her head on Shirou's shoulder.
"…Emiya, the thing you picked up in the shop just now was medicine for Oripathy, right?"
With nothing to do while being carried on Shirou's back and with the surrounding gazes feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Rosmontis pulled up the hood of her coat and asked him.
As she spoke, Shirou could clearly feel her breath brushing against his ear.
It felt a little ticklish, but still within a tolerable range.
"Yes. You understood that… Rosmontis, you are quite clever."
Shirou himself did not fear the infected so he did not think it was a big deal for others to know that he was carrying medicine for Oripathy.
He also did not care about the looks from strangers. If they chose to keep their distance out of fear that he might be infected, that suited him just fine.
Originally, he had wanted to say that Rosmontis could recognize the medicine at a glance and praise her for being knowledgeable.
But after thinking about it, that would also imply that she was very familiar with Oripathy medicine because she frequently came into contact with it.
So Shirou quickly changed his wording.
"I use it often, so I know."
Rosmontis did not mind such things at all. Among the people she knew, most of them used inhibitors, so she did not consider it something difficult to talk about.
"…"
Compared to Rosmontis' openness, Shirou felt much more conflicted.
He did not dare to linger on this topic, worried that he might say something inappropriate and hurt someone's feelings.
"Ahem… tell me about Rhodes Island. I am a bit curious."
After thinking for a moment, Shirou decided to shift the conversation toward Rhodes Island.
Mainly because he had already heard enough about the black cat's embarrassing stories. It was time to change the subject.
"Rhodes Island? Let me think…"
Hearing that Shirou was interested, Rosmontis tried hard to recall what she knew about it.
"Rhodes Island is a pharmaceutical company. There are many people there researching Oripathy. Doctor Kal'tsit is one of the leaders, and Amiya is the leader of Rhodes Island."
Rosmontis pieced together what she could remember and explained it to Shirou.
It was not convenient to take out her terminal to check right now. Otherwise, she would have been able to explain it more clearly.
"The leader? Then what about you?"
Shirou was also curious about Amiya, especially since Rosmontis had kept mixing up his name with hers earlier.
However, since he was currently talking with Rosmontis, he tried to steer the topic toward her instead.
"I am an elite operator of Rhodes Island. I mainly handle relatively difficult missions. Blaze is also an elite operator."
Rosmontis thought for a moment before answering.
"…What? Is Rhodes Island not a pharmaceutical company? Why are operators involved now?"
Shirou stopped walking and voiced a question from the depths of his thoughts.
From what Rosmontis had said earlier, Rhodes Island was a pharmaceutical company where many people worked on solving the problem of Oripathy.
But now she was suddenly saying that she was an elite operator, and even Blaze was one as well.
The shift was too abrupt and Shirou could not process it immediately.
"It is a pharmaceutical company, that is correct. But some problems need to be solved through other means. Some operators receive treatment while also helping Rhodes Island handle certain tasks."
Although she did not understand why Shirou reacted so strongly, Rosmontis still gave a brief explanation.
"…I see. So some of Rhodes Island's operators exchange work for treatment of Oripathy?"
After the explanation, Shirou roughly understood.
After all, it was a pharmaceutical company focused on Oripathy.
Most patients were infected individuals, meaning they could use Originium Arts.
So having armed personnel did make sense.
…Even Shirou himself felt that this conclusion sounded a little strange.