After that, in order to fulfill her promise to Ibaraki Doji, Yuihama bought a huge pile of sweets. Besides the ones she bought from the stalls, she even made a special trip to the convenience store and bought all kinds of candy—enough to make people worry that all her teeth would rot out.
After leaving the store, Yuihama began handing out candy to everyone.
"Mash, you worked hard today. This is your reward." Yuihama handed Mash a marshmallow.
"Thank you, Senpai Yuigahama. I'll savor it." Seeing the wrapper printed with Fou, Mash smiled happily.
"This is for Komachi! I know bananas are your favorite!" This time, Yuihama handed over a chocolate banana.
"Thanks, Yuihama-senpai. You really get me!" Komachi took the banana and said with a delighted smile. Somehow, it felt like if she used a banana as a catalyst to summon a certain high school girl known as a god, she would be plenty powerful.
"Asuna, this is for you!" Yuihama handed Asuna a piece of candy, then stuck out her little tongue. For an instant, it seemed as though oni horns had sprouted from her head before she hurried away.
"Huh? Durian candy?" Looking at her palm, Asuna wondered, Was I given special treatment?
"Shirou! Here." Yuihama directly stuffed a candied hawthorn skewer into the Youth's mouth.
"Thanks... Say, aren't you worried your teeth will hurt after buying so much candy?" Shirou asked the girl through the candied hawthorn skewer in his mouth.
"Shirou, stop nagging. It's fine! It's not like I'm eating it all in one day, and I brush my teeth twice every day! Hold these for me!" Yuihama matter-of-factly shoved the bags into Shirou's hands, then ran ahead and wrapped Yukino in a hug.
"Yukino, I'll give you half this candy." Yuihama held out the bitten apple candy in her hand.
"No, thanks. I'm not very good with sweets." Held in Yuihama's embrace, Yukino turned her head away.
"Huh? When we went out together before, didn't you say desserts were delicious too, Yukino?" Yuihama asked in confusion.
"Because they're delicious, I can't eat too much. I'm an indoors person. If I eat too much, my weight will go up frighteningly fast. Especially with Shirou's dinner later, it'll be easy to overeat..." As Yukino spoke, she seemed to grow a little dejected.
"Huh? I totally forgot! What do we do?" Yuihama said with a terrified expression.
"No, Yuihama's fat would only go there, so she'll be completely fine..." Yukino seemed to become even more depressed.
"That's not true, Yukino! I exercise every day. I'm the one who always takes Sabre for walks," Yuihama retorted unhappily.
Everyone returned to the Higashiya family home for a dinner celebrating Komachi's acceptance into International High School.
By the time they got home, it was almost seven-thirty. As the head chef, Shirou had no choice but to hurry into the kitchen and get busy again.
"I'll help." Yukino Yukinoshita walked in as she spoke. The girl tied her long hair behind her head and noticed a large and small apron hanging behind the door. The smaller one was playful pink, the kind a little girl would like, while the larger one was as plain as a certain someone. She picked up the larger one and tied it around herself.
"Thanks. Then I'll leave the salad to you." Shirou was in the middle of speaking.
Besides the Chinese cuisine prepared earlier—steamed radish balls, thick-skinned dumplings, and thin-skinned shumai—the Higashiya family dinner's specialty today was Ancient Roman-style cooking.
As two of the only ancient empires that had connected East and West, they shared the traits of inclusiveness and exchange. At its greatest extent, Ancient Rome stretched west to Spain and the island of Britain, east to Mesopotamia, south to North Africa, and north to the Danube. It spanned Europe, Asia, and Africa, turning the Mediterranean into its inland sea.
Ancient Roman nobles wore Chinese silk and porcelain, adorned themselves with all kinds of gold jewelry, favored bright red, and loved the Colosseum, sports, and opera.
When it came to food, they ate anything, meat or vegetables alike. They even had a famous dish where dormice were stuffed with pork filling, herbs, pine nuts, chili peppers, and other ingredients before being roasted. Nowadays, perhaps only Guangdong people could compare.
The deviled chicken and grilled steak Shirou placed on the table were made with authentic Ancient Roman recipes, adapted with modern kitchen equipment. They suited modern tastes better than ancient Roman food while retaining more tradition than cuisine from Rome, Italy.
Unfortunately, getting genuinely wild peacock meat in Japan was troublesome. Otherwise, he could have tried roast peacock. Roasted parrots and flamingo tongues, however, were already out of the question.
The last time he went to Chaldea, Shirou had promised to come back and fill in as a chef. Caesar said that once Chaldea's Spiritron Transfer stabilized, he would have someone hunt a few and bring them back. Though it was another world, if Shirou went to Chaldea again, it wasn't as though he had no way to bring living creatures back.
"Brother, let's use these for drinks!" Komachi excitedly carried over a pile of tall wine glasses.
Mm, since they were all minors, wine was out of the question. Like a professional bartender, Shirou filled Komachi's glass with grape juice. Non-alcoholic wine did exist, but for a child who wanted to drink beverages from a wine glass, juice was still more suitable.
The pizza in the oven was ready. Roasted eggplant, fresh cheese, ham, and salmon filling gave every slice a different flavor.
Yukino, wearing an apron, brought over the vegetable salad.
Shirou took out the cake he had ordered. Once all the dishes were served, Yuihama's antics meant they could skip dessert after dinner, and the boys and girls gathered around the table together.
Komachi cleared her throat pretentiously and began her speech. "Um... thank you all for coming to this celebration for yours truly, Komachi. Please continue getting along well with Komachi and my useless Brother, Shirou."
"What kind of big shot are you? The president of some university student council?" Shirou couldn't help but quip.
"Hey, hey, can we eat now?" Yuihama urged, practically drooling. Both she and Ibaraki Doji inside her had reached their limit.
"..." Mash also stared fixedly at the food and swallowed. Ever since meeting Shirou-senpai, she seemed to have become more and more of a glutton.
"Then... cheers!" Komachi raised her drink high and called out.
"Cheers!" Everyone picked up their drinks and clinked glasses.
That night at the Higashiya family home, the girls' bell-like laughter never ceased, and they ate to their hearts' content.
There was a big-eater girl possessed by an Oni Tribe member, Komachi, who claimed sweets went into a separate stomach, and a Knight of the Round Table.
Apparently, all the Knights of the Round Table could eat a great deal. They would sit around together, roast dragons, demonic boars, sphinxes, alien creatures, and the like over a fire, then cut them apart with knives and devour them together.
So even a whole table full of dishes was eaten clean by the boys and girls.
"Waaah, I can't eat another bite." Komachi rubbed her swollen little belly and leaned back in her chair with a satisfied expression.
"Shirou, it's all your fault! Why did you make everything so delicious?" Yuihama also complained while holding her stomach.
The other girls looked at the Youth as well.
That's why... don't blame me... Shirou turned his head away and complained.
Branch School Overseas Exchange
International High School was a large-scale global private educational institution. Besides the Chiba Branch School, it had branches in Okinawa, Yanjing, Xuzhou, Jiujiang, London, Orleans, and more.
Its main campus was a top private international university that gathered elite students from every country. There was no distinction of nationality there; its sole mission was to cultivate humanity's finest talents. Its graduates could be found in every field around the world. There was even a legend that anyone who dropped out midway to work in IT could make it onto the global rich list.
The benefit of attending an International High School branch was being able to enter this university with lower requirements than outside applicants.
Therefore, when selecting principals for these branch schools, they chose people with a more international outlook.
Like the Liu clan, the Qin clan was an influential immigrant people in Japan. When the Qin Dynasty fell, they fled the chaos of war to Korea, then came to Japan from Korea. Relying on techniques such as agriculture, sericulture, and military strategy, they quickly established their status and gained a foothold. Principal Qin was one of their descendants. After years of hard work, he was promoted to principal of the Chiba Branch School, a position no less prestigious than that of an ordinary university president.
A principal's duty was naturally to cultivate and discover outstanding seeds for the main campus. Politicians, businessmen, scientists, and artists alike were not to be overlooked.
As winter break approached, the various International High School branches had a customary practice. Besides sending several exchange students to different branches every academic year, they held an event lasting several weeks whenever the school went on a long break.
This year, it was the Chiba Branch School's turn to send out an exchange group. The school needed to select outstanding students to form a team and, under the guidance of teachers, travel to overseas sister schools for cultural exchange.
At the previous international kyudo competition, International High School had not only achieved great success, but also produced a "Genius with the Eyes of an Eagle." It had truly made quite a name for itself.
Then the legendary archery duel between the girl and the Youth was uploaded online, sparking public discussion. The organizers even called specifically to thank them, making Principal Qin feel immensely proud.
"So, since you've cultivated such an outstanding talent for the school, how can we not take him out and let the other branches see him? Don't you agree, Teacher Hiratsuka?" Principal Qin, wearing round sunglasses, rested his chin on his interlocked hands atop the desk and asked with a smile.
"..."
Thus, at noon, Shirou was caught by Shizuka Hiratsuka on his way to the Service Club and called to the office. Since it was lunchtime, the other teachers had gone out to eat, leaving only the two of them in the office.
Shizuka Hiratsuka explained the situation to Shirou.
"Why? Do I have to agree to go abroad with you?" Shirou asked Teacher Hiratsuka in confusion.
"This is for the glory of the school. You'll get extra credits and a bonus too. It's a great thing, right? On a grander scale, it's even an activity that promotes world peace! Though it really is a hassle..." Shizuka Hiratsuka said words she didn't believe herself, pursing her lips and lowering her voice.
"You admitted it's a hassle yourself!" Shirou quipped.
"Please! This time, I bragged to the principal. I already guaranteed that Shirou is my best student and my proudest disciple, and that you'd definitely agree." Shizuka Hiratsuka grabbed the hem of Shirou's clothes.
"The principal complimented you a few times, and you got carried away, didn't you?" Shirou brushed away the teacher's hand.
"Please, Shirou! I'll be going with you too, won't I? I originally wanted to save my first trip abroad with a man for the person I'd go on my honeymoon with! Please!" Shizuka Hiratsuka grabbed the Youth's hand again and pleaded with a pitiful expression.
Because there aren't any other teachers here, has this woman decided to throw away even her dignity?
"I must refuse. In the end, I really don't have the spare time. And that cutesy act doesn't suit you at all, Teacher..." Shirou shook off her hand again. During this break, he had to find a way to clear out the Monsters.
"Is that so... Shirou, as your teacher, I've already made such a huge concession and asked for your help. Don't push your luck! If you don't agree today, don't even think about leaving this room!" Shizuka Hiratsuka grabbed the Youth's shoulder with one hand, while the other stood ready to snap her student's neck. The iron-fisted teacher had finally revealed her true nature.
To live or to perish, that was the question.
"Shirou, agree to it." At that moment, his phone vibrated intensely, and Da Vinci's voice suddenly sounded by his ear. Judging by Shizuka Hiratsuka's expression, she had not noticed anything unusual, as though Da Vinci had used some special method.
"...All right. But once we get there, you can't arrange activities for me on your own like last time, Teacher. Otherwise, even I'll get angry." Though he didn't yet know Da Vinci's intentions, Shirou temporarily agreed to Shizuka Hiratsuka's request.
"Hahaha! I knew you'd agree. As thanks, once we get there, I'll treat you to the local cuisine!" Shizuka Hiratsuka laughed loudly and patted the Youth on the back.
"That proposal isn't too bad. Then I'll be leaving first." Shirou nodded.
After leaving the office, Shirou found somewhere empty and opened his phone.
Da Vinci connected directly to the phone and opened a video feed.
"Da Vinci, what's going on? Why did you tell me to agree to take part in the overseas exchange?" Shirou asked.
"This trip is a perfect opportunity to clear out some of the Monsters in the foreign-dimensional spaces overseas. More importantly, we've detected several powerful magical energy signatures. There are two cases in China, one in Britain, and one in France. We suspect they're Demonized Heroic Spirits like Perseus," Da Vinci said.
"Then we have to act. But if I go with the school, I won't be able to move freely, let alone investigate those places, will I?" Shirou said.
"No. Actually, the TYPE-MOON Company is also one of the sponsors for this event, so don't worry about travel arrangements when the time comes. Besides the mission, I'll also arrange a pleasant trip for you." Da Vinci gave her trademark smile.
"But if there's a group of students there, what if they get dragged into it and end up in danger? It would still be more convenient for me to act alone." Shirou said worriedly.
"With the world's protection and Chaldea's support, nothing will happen! Besides, moving as a group makes it easier for me to arrange helpers to assist you. Don't even think about messing around alone. Last time, we only barely managed to transfer the damage from your shattered Saint Graph onto the pseudo-Saint Graph because of the Holy Grail and your special constitution."
"To deal with those Blackened Heroic Spirits, we need a thorough plan." Da Vinci saw through Shirou's thoughts and warned him.
"I know. But if I'm fighting Blackened Heroic Spirits without powerful helpers, they'll only hold me back. I suggest we don't suddenly pull in people with no combat experience as Support," Shirou reminded her.
"Shirou, you're really a good guy. You don't need to worry about that. In fact, this world changed after Perseus broke through its protective barrier. There's much more I can do now, and Chaldea has resolved the crisis of being attacked, so we can mobilize more resources to help you. Just look forward to it. A genius like me will definitely arrange suitable assistants for you." Da Vinci smiled mysteriously.
Before Departing for Shinjuku
Da Vinci wore a mysterious smile. It felt as though even if he asked, she would only brush him off.
"Is that so? All right, I understand." Shirou frowned and could only nod in agreement.
After the call ended, Shirou went to the Service Club and told his companions about it.
"Huh? So Shirou, you really are going abroad after all?" Yuihama exclaimed.
"Well, I'll be leaving during winter break this time and coming back before school starts," Shirou explained.
"I see. Then we can still hang out before school begins. That's not too bad." Yuihama muttered, letting out a relieved breath.
"I understand, Shirou-senpai! I'll travel with you." Mash stood up and said that she had plenty of money and could pay her own way abroad without any problem.
"Unfortunately, Mash, you have another mission, so you must stay behind." At that moment, Da Vinci's hologram appeared directly in the classroom.
"She appeared!" Yuihama jumped in fright.
"Honestly, Da Vinci, don't just suddenly show up like that. It's scary," Asuna complained.
"Sorry, but a genius needs a little impact when making an appearance." Da Vinci smiled.
"That's not impact. That's a scare," Yukino quipped.
"Da Vinci, what is my mission?" Mash looked toward Da Vinci and asked.
"Mash, Gudako's side has made some progress. When the time comes, you may need to return to Chaldea and assist her. So leave matters in the other countries to Shirou. As for the Monsters in this country, I'll need the few of you to clear them out for now. Of course, Chaldea will cover the travel expenses," Da Vinci said.
"Gudako-senpai! Has she been doing well lately?" Hearing news of her senpai, Mash asked nervously.
"Ah... if anything, she's been having a little too much fun. Enough to make me jealous. In any case, I'll notify you when the time comes." Da Vinci sounded somewhat displeased.
"I understand. I'll be ready for the call at any time!" Mash agreed crisply.
"Huh? Then can we go traveling too? Great! Let's go to Okinawa! Or Guam! We can swim there, though that would already count as going abroad, wouldn't it?" Yuihama said with a grin.
"Yuihama, we're not going sightseeing," Yukino reminded her.
"It's fine to have a little fun on the side, right? Come on, Yukino, please?" Yuihama hugged the black-haired girl and acted cute.
"Mm... if it's just for one afternoon..." Unable to resist the dango girl, Yukino could only agree.
"That's great! Then we absolutely have to buy clothes for the trip! Asuna, let's go shopping after school!" Yuihama said happily.
"Sure. Mash can come too, right? I'll help you pick out some nice clothes." Asuna smiled.
"That's right. Mash is so cute, we definitely need to dress her up properly," Yuihama added.
"Yes, I think Mash would actually suit cat ears. Something like a fluffy white cat with long pointed ears." Yukino also leaned in with great interest.
"Really? I think Mash would suit dressing up as a dog better. Look how obedient and well-behaved she is," Yuihama discussed.
"Why not try them all?" Asuna said with interest as well.
"Huh? Huh?" Mash felt as though she was going to be treated like a toy, yet she was also a little expectant inside.
"By the way, Shirou, what kind of clothes are you planning to buy for going abroad?" Yuihama turned to the Youth and asked.
Before you continue