The Empty Kitchen at Midnight / Da Vinci's Disappearance ...

Even though they knew something was wrong with the world, none of them showed any panic. Instead, they worked even harder and greeted everyone they met warmly.

This isn't about showing off; it's just greed—a greedy desire to establish more connections with the people in this world. It's about wanting to hear more of their inner thoughts and to gain more likes and recognition.

The Imitation Heroic Spirits are just doing these things. Hector, who wants to hold an art exhibition, and the waiters in this Black Tea House are no exception.

The silver-haired girl probably knew this too, which is why she secretly ran away here. There are many things a person cannot do alone. Hindsight solutions can be found, but there's no going back. When real difficulties arise, there's often no way to overcome them, and no amount of trying will work.

Da Vinci advised them to give up, otherwise, in this crumbling world, no one would be able to find happiness in the end.

But... if you do what she says, will you really feel happy?

Is it really good if only I can find happiness?

If only I am happy while others continue to suffer, will they be angry? Will they resent me for abandoning them?

Does someone like that deserve happiness?

Once a person realizes these things, they cannot truly attain happiness.

Shirou looked up at the starry sky. From here, looking up through the transparent Magic Barrier, he could only see a faint light from the universe. Their time was running out.

Chapter 516 The Kitchen is Empty at Night

Meanwhile, in the café halfway down the mountain, the warm yellow lights had already illuminated the stone steps at the entrance, creating a luminous path. Although the café wasn't open, the other two members of the family had already returned.

At that moment, the sound of running and chasing came from inside, followed by an argument between the sisters.

"Don't do that! Little Saint, Shirou said we can't go into the kitchen!" The blonde girl had changed out of her young lady's uniform and was wearing a simple white shirt, which looked quite suitable and nice on her.

Beside her was a silver-haired little girl wearing a polar bear pajama set, her fists clenched, looking determined and eager to go into the kitchen and do something.

"No! Before Shirou always stayed at the shop, so it was fine since he didn't need our help. But now that he's decided to work part-time at the school, we have to learn to help take care of the café when he's busy."

Little Saint said earnestly, she was a kind and conscientious girl, very understanding of her cousin's hard work in taking care of her, and wanted to do her part for the coffee shop. Her intentions were good, but she overlooked one fact...

The blonde girl, acting as the older sister, advised, "We already help carry the dishes, and Shirou said that's enough."

As a woman from a war-torn country girl living on the border, whose French cuisine system was still incomplete, she was constantly harassed by enemy troops, and her year's hard-earned grain was harvested. It was a miracle if she didn't starve to death. Therefore, she couldn't afford to be picky about food and lived the life of an ascetic.

When she got older, after receiving divine revelation, she went to the battlefield, where she ate the unpalatable dry rations provided by the army.

During this time, the men in the army did expect her to create some unique dishes. But the truth was, she was stronger than the men, and the dishes she made were completely opposite to her fighting abilities.

Therefore, Jeanne d'Arc understands that she is really not good at cooking, a trait she inherited even after becoming Servant, and this was confirmed in Black Saber. Even with the Alter transformation, this remained unchanged.

Therefore, Lily's pure white state, as a child of a silver-haired girl, will not change in this way.

However, Little Saint, a primary school student, is always full of curiosity, imitates the thinking of top students, and is enthusiastic about learning. He is completely unaware of the cruel reality that he has an amazing talent for destroying food.

Little Saint said optimistically, "Even if we can't make complicated dishes, at least we can learn how to make drinks! The important thing is to try! To try!"

"No, making coffee or black tea requires very strict procedures and water temperature requirements," the blonde girl advised.

"If it's just instant coffee, I'm fine with it," the little girl said confidently, patting her chest.

"Really?" the blonde girl asked in surprise.

Then came a crisp, clanging sound of porcelain colliding!

"Ahhh! It fell out! Half a can of instant coffee is in the bowl! What do I do? My coffee drink has turned into coffee paste!" The little girl's voice screamed.

"Really! Little Saint, I told you not to do it. But it's okay if you fail. Although we can't serve it to the guests, we can give it to Gil later." The blonde Saintess smiled helplessly, but still comforted her sister.

"That makes sense! But I can think of another way to make it taste better. Oh, right! I'll brew some black tea with lots and lots of sugar, and then neutralize the bitterness of the coffee!" Little Saint said, his eyes lighting up.

"Stop! We'll do these things according to the recipe, okay? Wait!" Before the blonde girl could finish speaking, the energetic girl had already run out.

"Oh no! The sugar spilled out! The black tea is submerged! Is there any hope of saving it if I stir it? The black tea has turned into a sticky, honey-like paste!" Little Saint cried out again!

Accidents kept happening in the kitchen, causing the little girl to scream repeatedly.

"I told you not to do it anymore, just give up! We don't have the talent for cooking!" The blonde girl ran up and grabbed her sister's shoulder, trying to persuade her.

Little Saint resolutely declared, "Now is not the time to give up! As long as I stand on Orléans soil, France has not yet lost! Oh, right! I heard from Little Jack that there's a powerful culinary True Magic here—using curry makes anything taste delicious. I'll go get it!!"

The little girl broke free from her sister's hand and dashed back into the food storage room.

"Hey? Wait a minute! Little Saint, who does this child take after? So reckless and clumsy. What will Shirou do when he comes back and sees this? Let's clean up first..." The blonde girl complained as she frantically found a mop and rag.

"It looks just like you..." Shirou, who was already standing at the entrance of the coffee shop, couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Around the time the coffee turned to mush, he had already returned to the coffee shop, and given the current state of the kitchen, he really didn't know whether he should go in or not.

After all, besides cleaning, there might also be issues like food tasting. He thought about it for a moment and decided to back out. He had to go to school to register the next morning, so he decided not to open the shop and just go to bed.

After a three-second moment of silence for the madam, Shirou put away the sign by the door, walked past the noisy kitchen, and went back to his room so as not to disturb the girls.

After that, a fire was lit on the counter, and something was cooking in a small pot, emitting a strange smell and constantly changing color.

"Curry, curry! Great True Magic, make it delicious! Spicy curry, rich coffee paste, sweet black tea syrup, all mixed together, then stir three times."

I don't know what's going on, but the viscous liquid in the pot keeps changing color, from gray to black, and then from black to a deep purplish-black, bubbling and churning. There seems to be something inside that looks like a tormented human face; it's a scene straight out of hell.

"Oh, Lord!" The blonde girl's eyes widened, she clasped her hands together, left the kitchen, and went to pray to the night sky. Even though the food in the pot was meant for Gil, she still felt a pang of pain in her heart, condemning herself and feeling ashamed before the Lord.

"Waaah, my eyes are burning... Oh well! I'll give them to Gil to try tomorrow and see." Little Saint rubbed his eyes, which were stinging from the smell, put the lid on, turned off the stove, and ran out.

In the dead of night, in the deserted kitchen, a sound came from the pot on the counter. It seemed as if something was hitting the lid, trying to escape.

"Waaah... Let me out... Let me out!"

Chapter 517 The Disappearance of Da Vinci

At six o'clock sharp, Shirou got up for breakfast. The kitchen, which had been a mess last night, had been cleaned up and there was nothing scary on the stove, so it seemed to have been disposed of. Shirou nodded with satisfaction and began to prepare breakfast for today.

As is customary, students would start passing by around 7:00 a. m., so he had to make the most of every minute.

Today is a limited-time event for Chinese-style noodles. Shirou took out the fermented dough and ingredients from the refrigerator and quickly made meat buns and meat-filled bread with skillful techniques, placing them in the steamer and oven respectively.

The dough is then kneaded into two thin, elongated layers and fried in oil Later Jin brown.

Then she started making breakfast and bento boxes for her three younger sisters: fresh soy milk rich in protein, a poached egg, a fried dough stick, and freshly steamed buns.

After the girls get up, they will eat by themselves. Shirou will go out, put the bread on the counter outside, open the door, and begin the morning bread business.

"Huh? He's gone? How could he be gone?!" came the voice of the silver-haired little girl.

"What happened?" The two older sisters in the family came over and asked when they heard the noise.

"My coffee paste, black tea syrup, and special curry are gone!" Little Saint said, feeling wronged. She had searched the entire kitchen but couldn't find the pot where she cooked the curry.

"Huh? Did the kid cook last night? It must have tasted so bad that it affected business, so Shirou threw it away," Black Saber said with a wicked grin.

"No... no, that's not true! It may taste terrible, but it's still good for Gil! And the longer curry sits, the better it gets!" Little Saint retorted.

"Curry tastes better because the spices settle over time, but everything you make is awful. It will only get worse if it settles further, so you might as well throw it away," said Black Saber.

"No way! You idiot! You idiot!" Little Saint angrily waved her little fists, spun around, and charged towards Black Saber.

"Hmph, you can't hit me. Kid, you should just give up." Black Saber held down Little Saint's head, preventing her from taking another step forward.

"Waaaah... Shirou would never do such a thing," Little Saint said, feeling wronged.

"Shirou probably put that pot away. You can ask him for it after school today," the blonde girl comforted the girl.

"Okay, I know. Shirou is working right now, and I'm a good girl, so I won't bother him." The little girl obediently sat down and began to eat the delicate breakfast that Shirou had prepared for her in front of her.

"Huh?" Shirou looked inside in confusion; he didn't see any curry in the picture.

Just then, another guest arrived, so Shirou had to put the matter aside and continue with his work.

"Please give me a red bean bun and a latte, to go."

"OK."

"Four meat buns! And some special soy milk."

"Just a moment please."

The portion of pasta and cakes, reduced by half, was quickly devoured by the school's students, female teachers, and the wives of nearby residents.

Thank you for your patronage. Welcome to visit us again!

At nine o'clock in the morning, Shirou changed into a casual suit and headed towards the school on the mountain.

At that moment, he knocked on the door of the principal's office.

"Please come in." At this moment, a middle-aged woman's voice came from inside, sounding somewhat unfamiliar.

"Hello, I am Shirou Emiya." Shirou pushed open the door and walked into the office where Principal Attila and Da Vinci had been yesterday. The first thing he saw was a female teacher with gray-black hair wrapped in a black scarf and wearing reading glasses. She had an elegant demeanor, but also a somewhat rigid and authoritative air about her.

"Why are you being so polite, Shirou-kun? We've only met less than 24 hours ago," the middle-aged woman said to Shirou in a familiar tone.

Shirou scanned the room and found no one else there. Principal Attila and Da Vinci, who was in charge of teaching, were nowhere to be seen. The woman in front of him seemed to know a lot of things, but he didn't remember seeing this teacher before.

He began, still puzzled, "That? Yesterday I was here having tea with the Dean of Students and the Principal... At that time..."

"Haha, what are you talking about? Are you nervous on your first day as a teacher? It's just that you had tea with me, the principal, and the other teachers, right?" The middle-aged woman pushed up her glasses and looked at Shirou with amusement. "Are you still angry because I dragged the other teachers along and forced you to come and work at the school?"

"Eh...no, since I've already agreed, I must take responsibility for my choice and dare not have any complaints." Shirou looked at the middle-aged woman with surprise. Indeed, compared to the outlandish Da Vinci, she was more in line with the world's standard view of a female teacher.

"Alright then, could you please brew me a nice cup of black tea first? Then we can talk more slowly," the middle-aged woman requested with a smile, sounding quite like a certain genius.

"Ah... um, please wait a moment." Shirou's eyes flashed with surprise as he replied.

However, this time he confirmed that the woman was none other than the headmaster whom Da Vinci had previously replaced. Regarding Da Vinci's unusual behavior yesterday, Shirou seemed to understand something, because this small world was on the verge of collapse, and it was very likely that the omnipotent genius had chosen to leave.

This world was created by Black Saber to give all beings like her human bodies and allow them to enjoy a life in the human world that they don't belong to, a life they envy and are jealous of.

Therefore, the Holy Grail and the power of the world altered people's memories, allowing Servant and spirits to enter the academy through a substitution setting, and to live in place of certain beings.

Under the influence of the world's power, a small number of the original inhabitants living here had some of their memories altered, yet they continue to live their lives as before. Meanwhile, in the academy within the smaller world, their identities are lent to a portion of the spirits.

Now that Da Vinci has left the small world, the school cannot be without a head of students, so a replacement is needed. Therefore, the person who was originally the head of students was brought back to the academy, inherited some of his memories, and continued to maintain the operation of the academy within the small world.

Shirou brewed the black tea, poured it into a white ceramic cup with an ornate pattern, and handed it to the former headmaster.

"Um... Teacher, think back to when we first met, what happened? Do you really think I'm suitable to be a teacher at your school?" Shirou asked tentatively.

Chapter 518 Principal Ah's Advice

"Of course, although you initially came to the school to apologize for your sister's mistake, I could tell from your attitude that you were a sincere and upright young man. Even just in terms of ability, you are not only good at cooking, but also fluent in multiple languages and knowledgeable. You are fully capable of being a teacher at this school."

"I have high hopes for you, Shirou, so don't feel any pressure. Just treat it as a trial in life. Of course, I will do my best to help you. If you encounter any difficult problems, don't hesitate to come and discuss them with me." The middle-aged woman elegantly sipped her black tea and said with a kind smile.

"Yes... thank you," Shirou replied. At this moment, the lady seemed to possess memories from her time at the academy, meaning that Da Vinci's memories had been transferred into her.

The middle-aged woman said half-jokingly, "Of course, I'm also looking forward to your black tea. If you don't find drinking tea with an auntie like me too boring, that would be great."

"No, how could I dare?" Shirou could only agree with a smile.

"Then it's settled. I look forward to seeing how you perform Shirou-kun. Cooking skills, foreign customs, social skills, even how to be a good person—there are definitely things only you can teach the students. Give it your all!" the headmaster continued.

"In this day and age, there is already an overabundance of college students, and exam-oriented education has almost reached its limit. Even the young ladies in our school, if they want to study, can't just learn some traditional things; they must make some changes."

"Your tea-making skills, Shirou-kun, are a rare and valuable skill that many people would envy. In short, I'm counting on you to take care of my students." The middle-aged woman bowed her head to Shirou and said pleadingly.

Shirou thought to himself, 'What should I do? This auntie is far superior to Da Vinci.'

There are still many things that are uncertain. First, the woman before them possesses memories of what happened to Da Vinci. Second, she doesn't have magic; like the other faculty members, she's just an ordinary person. Third, such a change is definitely not an isolated case; something must have happened elsewhere in this small world...

This morning, nothing seemed amiss with the three girls in the house. It seemed the curry Little Saint made last night had somehow gone missing. However, when he went into the kitchen for breakfast this morning, he found that someone had already cleaned it up, probably one of the older sisters.

Da Vinci, who was now the head of the department, is gone, and Attila, who was the principal, has left. It's unknown what the current principal is like.

Just then, light footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a click. Someone opened the door and came in.

"Oh, Principal, you must be tired from your work. Welcome back. Just now, Shirou-kun made us some delicious black tea." The middle-aged woman stood up and said to Principal Attila as he entered the room.

"Hehehe, black tea, a drink originating from China, how civilized! Shirou, please." Attila, with his white beard and hands behind his back, walked into the room.

"Yes, yes." Shirou saw the small, rather strangely Christmas-themed headmaster and felt a little relieved. At least not all the Servant in this school had disappeared.

"Hehehe! Tonight we'd like to hold an induction celebration for Shirou. Could you please go and inform the teachers in the other office buildings?" Principal Attila sat down, looked at the middle-aged woman, and said with a smile. Then she looked at Shirou and said, "Shirou-kun, please sit down. I want to talk to you about some things to keep in mind at work. This is advice from a male senior like myself."

"Ah... I understand. Then Principal, please have a good talk with Shirou." The middle-aged woman nodded with a knowing look and walked out. After all, this was a church-run girls' school, and male teachers certainly needed to be mindful of many things.

Especially in a country like Japan, where interests are highly valued, and in a church school where many things involve religious beliefs, there are certain things that might be inconvenient to say in front of women. This isn't meant to be prejudiced or discriminatory, but it might be considered impolite to say them in front of women.

For example, praising Saint Martha for her unyielding spirit, her ability to subdue a dragon with a single punch, and her heroic qualities, making her more manly than any man, would likely not please the other person.

The female head of student affairs expressed her understanding. After all, women don't want men to hear their comments about men or their private conversations with their best friends.

"Huh?" Shirou looked at Attila in surprise, thinking to himself, "So that white mustache she had under her nose wasn't just for laughs?!"

After the female headmistress's footsteps faded into the distance, Attila put down her teacup and asked, "Shirou, what are your plans regarding Da Vinci's departure?"

"Attila, do you know anything about this? What message did she leave for you?" Shirou asked. Da Vinci must know something that Shirou hadn't considered.