Jeanne's Wonderland Dream

So the next day, in addition to participating in his usual activities as an exchange student, Shirou went to help out in the school's main cafeteria.

Although it's called an exchange activity, in reality, only those with painting expertise can actually go out and sketch together, and only those with musical talent can truly understand the music. Therefore, after meeting and discussing with different people, the exchange activity usually begins with leisurely free time.

Shirou's specialty, archery, is so advanced that it's hard to find someone who can compete with him. Even though he had previously raised his hand to challenge the two boys, now when they meet, he just stiffens up and smiles as he moves away from him.

So the young man focused all his energy on cooking, since many people were looking forward to it, and he couldn't just casually deal with them.

He started experimenting with a variety of fried foods, from meatballs and tempura to European fried fish and potato chips, and the cafeteria was packed that day. Shirou's reputation as a chef grew even stronger at Bristol School, and he also fed Artoria.

On the third day, Shirou used the school's connections to buy a large quantity of fresh seafood from the kitchen. He steamed a huge pot of vinegared rice, cleaned the sea fish, and made Kanto-style sashimi and sushi platters. The taste was at least more authentic than the Japanese restaurant outside the school.

There are also takoyaki, seafood teppanyaki, and a soup made with creamy salmon broth;

Even the seafood vendor who delivered the fish praised Shirou's cooking skills. Shirou's reputation as a chef seemed to be spreading beyond the school, and he even fed Artoria.

On the fourth day, to control the students' fat intake, Shirou prepared green foods: a small amount of bacon and a vegetable pizza. He had heard that the school's exchange program was rather unrelated to academics; instead of sports or art appreciation, it was all about tasting food.

What? Are you kidding me?

We spend so much money every year to send you to this school so that you can become social elites, not work in a Michelin tire factory!

Unable to tolerate it any longer, the "eagle dad" and "tiger mom" parents, who had come to the school specifically to observe, said after tasting Shirou's cooking that if their children could also cook like that, at least they could guarantee family harmony in the future. Even if there were problems like alcoholism, smoking, domestic violence, or infidelity, their spouses wouldn't immediately file for divorce.

That day, these parents, who had arrived in a huff, left with smiles on their faces and completely satisfied after enjoying Shirou's healthy, green, and delicious vegetable feast.

Shirou's fame seemed to spread even further among the parents' social circles, and he satisfied Artoria, although despite repeated persuasion, she was still only willing to taste the part with meat.

On the fifth day, the students at the Bristol Branch School ate a fusion meal carefully prepared by Shirou, tears streaming down their faces. They were crying because after today, they would have to say goodbye to these delicious dishes.

"Waaah, Shirou, I promise I'll come find you when I travel the world after I graduate!" the girl said, holding the boy's hand.

"Me too, me too!" the girls exclaimed.

"Baumkuchen..." Mashiro said, seemingly reluctant to part with it.

"Well, even if I leave, Aunt Susan will still cook for you, right? Don't worry about it, and keep up the good work with your manga." Shirou patted the little girl's head and encouraged her.

"Thank you, can I have one more today?" Mashiro nodded and then asked.

"Haha, so that's what you're talking about. Sure, I do it every day anyway," Shirou said with a laugh.

"Okay," Mashiro replied, and then walked towards the dormitory.

"Shirou! Would you be interested in becoming a culinary instructor in Bristol after you graduate? It's great for your physical fitness!" Principal Armstrong shook hands with the boy and then flexed his muscles as he asked.

"Haha, thank you for your kindness, Principal, but I haven't actually decided on my future path yet, so I have to decline your offer," Shirou said apologetically.

"That's a real shame," Principal Armstrong said helplessly.

Yes, the second week of the exchange program for the teenagers, their week in Bristol, ended even faster than expected; it seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye.

At the girls' dormitory, Shirou came to say goodbye to his familiar classmates and Housemistress Teacher. Although it was only a short week, the girls couldn't help but feel a little reluctant to leave, as he had made breakfast for them every morning, and it was always so delicious. However, being ladylike, they all held back their reluctance.

After all, the boy and the head maid looked so well-matched.

"Shirou, just focus on this exchange program. I'll come find you after I've finished everything here," Artoria said with a light laugh. Although she wouldn't be able to eat the boy's cooking for a while, she chose to be patient for the sake of a longer future.

"Yes, I'll be waiting for you in Chiba," Shirou replied with a smile.

"Shirou! Don't go! If you leave, who will help me with the housework? Who will help me clean the toilet? Who will make me a delicious breakfast? Otherwise, just take me with you!" Eriri lay on the ground, clinging to Shirou's legs and crying out.

Ignoring Eriri, Shirou turned to the blonde girl and pleaded, "Artoria, please continue to train Eriri well during this time as well."

"Yes, leave it to me! I'll definitely teach her a good lesson!" Artoria nodded in agreement.

"Eh? Shirou, aren't you on my side?!" Eriri exclaimed in surprise.

"How embarrassing! Eriri, stand up! As a mid-level maid, can't you even do the most basic manners?"

"Waaah, I'm sorry." Eriri, not daring to disobey the head maid, stood up with a mournful face.

Shirou looked at the twin-tailed girl encouragingly and said, "Eriri, although it might be tough right now, considering your future, it's definitely beneficial to undergo some special training in housework. Don't worry, Artoria is a tough teacher now; with her help, you'll soon be transformed."

Yes, under Artoria's powerful transformation, Eriri will go from a slovenly otaku doujinshi artist who wears a green tracksuit to an otaku doujinshi artist who feels uncomfortable if anything in her home is not clean or tidy, and insists on cleaning her desk, floors, and windows Gil!

"No! No!" Eriri cried out, sprawled on the ground, wildly swinging her twin tails.

The spotless floor came in handy; even if Eriri rolled around on the floor, her maid outfit wouldn't get dirty. This was truly the result of hard work.

Shirou nodded and said, "Good luck Eriri! I told Aunt Yuriko about your recent performance, and she's really happy about it."

"Damn it, Shirou, you just wait! I knew it! I knew why Mom was laughing so strangely when she called!" Eriri wiped away her tears, lowered her head, and cursed inwardly. She was determined to get revenge on that tattletale mother of hers!

"Shirou! My angel!" Aunt Susan cried out as she rushed up at a speed disproportionate to her size, causing the floor to tremble slightly.

"Ugh... I'm suffocating! Aunt Susan, that's too much!" Shirou struggled to free his head from the cook's strong arms, finally able to catch his breath.

As someone who loves cooking and hopes to dedicate her life to this profession, the recipes and cooking experience she gained in this week with a kind and generous little boy saved her at least three years of learning compared to trying to figure things out on her own by flipping through chef's magazines. How could she bear to part with this angelic boy, her soulmate?

Later, the teachers heard the commotion and came over. After some kind words and persuasion, Aunt Susan calmed down. So Aunt Susan downloaded a messaging app, added Shirou as a friend, and asked him to stay in touch.

After that, Shirou and Shizuka Hiratsuka began packing their luggage, preparing to depart for their next exchange school the following morning.

Meanwhile, on the Chaldea side...

The lights were on in the staff canteen. Since it was past lunchtime, no staff Servant had arrived, and the area was quiet.

To change her mood, Little Mo came here to make herself a cup of hot cocoa and started doing exercises from several workbooks.

"What? What! Mordred? You're studying? How enthusiastic! Have you finally realized that you Knights of the Round Table blindly follow a king like that cold-blooded woman aren't smart enough?" A mocking laugh rang out.

It turned out to be a silver-haired girl wearing black armor who walked up, followed by a silver-haired girl in white armor who looked very similar to the silver-haired girl, only a size smaller.

Little Mo looked up at the person who had arrived, and pursed her lips, saying, "Who is it? Is it Jeanne d'Arc Alter? Idiot, don't talk like you're so good at studying."

Little Jeanne d'Arc ran out first, waving her hands and explaining, "No, no, I'm very smart! It's just that my foundation in math is too weak now that I'm older, so I'm a bit bad at it!"

Little Mo patted his chest and said, "It's okay, it's okay! Da Vinci said that as long as you finish all these exercises, even a fool can get into the second year of middle school in the outside world!"

"Um... I think studying hard is a good thing. Even for me, maybe I can change my future of being bad at math. Could you give me the easiest test paper to try?" Little Jeanne d'Arc pleaded.

"Sure," Little Mo readily agreed. She didn't care if she was still a primary school student; she felt too lonely studying alone.

Jeanne d'Arc Alter asked, "Wait! Mordred, what were you talking about? Do you also have a way to go out into the world and live like that cold-blooded woman?"

"Yes! Da Vinci has already told me the method. As long as I learn all of these, I can get the Holy Grail from her, then rely on the people over there to summon it, and then use the Holy Grail to create a new Spirit Origin and physical body, so I can move around over there."

"Really? Good luck!" Jeanne d'Arc Alter patted Little Mo on the shoulder encouragingly, then turned to leave.

Young Jeanne d'Arc asked, "Hey? Now that I'm all grown up, aren't you going to study with me? You were talking in your sleep about Shirou, about dancing together with Shirou and stuff!"

Jeanne d'Arc of Arc, her face flushed, shouted as she ran forward, "Don't blurt everything out! Stop nagging! It's none of your business, you brat!"

Jeanne d'Arc puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction and said, "What! I want to get to know that guy named Shirou too! I know he's a great cook, and he's Illya and Chloe's older brother! I want a brother like that too. If that's the case, I'll study hard and then go study in a different place."

"Mash..." Gudako, who was behind them, seemed to be pondering some serious question.

"What? Gudako-senpai?" Mash asked in confusion.

"Why do I always feel like Chaldea is some remote, isolated rural place? All the Servant we train seem to want to run away?" Gudako asked, puzzled.

"Huh? Because this place is in the mountains. And it's remote and there's nothing here." Mash said matter-of-factly.

"Ah, now that you think about it, it's true." Gudako with a sudden realization.

Chaldea, the universal Human Order Preservation Institution, Chaldea a research institution located on an iceberg in Antarctica, far from the world. It is an institute that gathers researchers from all fields, including Magecraft and technology, to observe the world.

Everything is for the purpose of protecting this world, a world whose full picture cannot be known through Magecraft and whose overall situation cannot be measured by science alone. It is a special organization established to prevent the extinction of humanity.

In order to protect the world, one must rely on the power of Servant who are the guardians of the world.

And the Servant, driven by their own desires or beliefs, responded to the Master's call here.

"What a silly girl! Although studying is indeed important, there are obviously shortcuts, aren't there?" At this moment, Jeanne d'Arc of Arc Alter sneaked into Da Vinci's workshop with a wicked smile, opened the cabinet and sure enough, there was a golden cup inside.

She quietly picked up the Holy Grail, placed it inside her chest, and walked toward the teleportation device with a sly smile.

The smug silver-haired girl had no idea that her every move was being watched.

"Hey? Is it really okay for Da Vinci to just let Jeanne d'Arc of Arc go like that?" Little Mo frowned and asked the black-haired woman.

"Well, since she's so eager to go, let's send her there as a scout. After all, putting aside her personality and her tendency to charge around and start fires, she still possesses the strength of a top-tier Servant," Da Vinci said, shrugging.

"It's really annoying to see people resorting to these kinds of schemes and tricks all the time. But only a straightforward, wicked person like me would fall for it," Little Mo said with a smile after a three-second moment of silence for Jeanne d'Arc of Arc.

"Waaah, I want to study too. I really don't want to end up like me when I grow up." Jeanne d'Arc Lily made up her mind to change her future. At such a young age, she already saw two unsatisfactory futures for herself.

"Found it!" Jeanne d'Arc Alter connected to the FGO system and found the pillar of light that was summoning her. The silver-haired girl grabbed the largest pillar of light and rushed into it, responding to the summons.

So, the girl, clad in black armor, held a flag that fluttered in the same direction as her long silver hair.

Jeanne d'Arc of Arc, appearing in what she thought was her coolest pose, closed her eyes, waved her palm, and said coolly.

"Hmph! You actually managed to summon me, you're quite a wicked human. Although I don't have time to play with you, as payment for summoning the witch, just tell me what you wish for. Like wanting revenge for being bullied by someone, or wanting to teach someone a lesson, like burning their fur off, things like that, I'll do for you."

But it was completely silent outside, and several minutes passed without any response.

"Hmm?" Jeanne d'Arc opened one eye and looked around. She found herself surrounded by a desolate, dark forest; apart from the leafless, black, withered trees, there was nothing else around her...

Chapter 170 Jeanne d'Arc's Wonderland

"Why? Why!!" Jeanne d'Arc Alter cried out in despair. She had practiced in her room more than a dozen times, designing the coolest entrance, but the most crucial Master was nowhere to be found.

"Pfft, Jeanne d'Arc Alter, why do you think an omnipotent genius like me would place the Holy Grail in a place that's so easily accessible?" Da Vinci said with a laugh.

"What! You swindler, did you trick me?! Be careful, I'll burn your paintings when I get back!" Jeanne d'Arc glared at the 3D image of Da Vinci and shouted angrily.

Da Vinci smiled, displaying his intellectual superiority, and said, "Unfortunately, that summoning pillar of light that you mistook for a compatibility indicator was actually a specially designed teleportation array in the shape of a pillar of light, and it's a one-time use one. If you want to leave here, you can't leave without resolving this crisis."

"What do you want to do?" Jeanne d'Arc of Arc asked warily.

"Of course, as a partner of Chaldea, I wouldn't be so heartless. So, whether it's the teleportation array back to Chaldea or a way for you to stay in this world and find Shirou, I've prepared everything for you. Of course! There are conditions." Da Vinci said, revealing a Mona Lisa smile.

"What?! When did I say I was going to find Shirou?!" The silver-haired girl grinned angrily, then said awkwardly, "But... well, since I took something from your cabinet, it's not like I can't do you a favor, of course, it's just a side thing. So, tell me what you want me to do?"

"Now I have a difficult task for you. You have been transported to an alternate world connected to Paris. Although the black mud Heroic Spirit there do not seem to have any intention of harming humans for the time being, they are in a way very troublesome," Da Vinci said.

"Black Mud? Was he a companion of that cunning, dark-skinned archer from last time?" Jeanne d'Arc frowned.

"So if you want to live in Shirou's world, you'd better work hard. By the way, because the enemy is troublesome and there are many Servant, I suggest you don't rush in. Shirou will arrive in Paris tomorrow, so it's Akechi to act together then." Then Da Vinci changed the subject, "Of course... if you manage to gain the upper hand with Jeanne d'Arc Alter, he might be impressed and praise you quite a bit."

"Praise?!... No! I already said! I'm just out for fun! But I'll still go in and check things out first. If there's nothing particularly remarkable about them, I'll just take care of them myself." With that, Jeanne d'Arc raised her flag and disappeared into the dense forest.

"Da Vinci, is it really okay for this guy to go in alone?" Mordred asked, frowning.

"It's alright, it's alright. In terms of defense and tenacity, there are only a few Servant who can surpass her. Even if four or five Servant ganged up on her, she could still escape. Besides... she said she was going to burn my paintings, we can't just pretend we didn't hear that," Da Vinci said with a smile.

"Wow...he's speaking the truth." Mordred scoffed, deciding to add him to the list of treacherous Magecraft she needed to be wary of.

"Senior Mordred! Don't worry about me now that I'm all grown up, she's very resilient. Let's focus on our studies instead!" said Jeanne d'Arc Alter Christmas Lily, a silver-haired little girl dressed in white armor, with great enthusiasm.

"Senior?! You called me?" Little Mo exclaimed in surprise, looking at Jeanne d'Arc (Lily).

"Yes, because Mordred- senpai, she's the one who taught me how to do my homework, right? Don't you like me calling her that?" Jeanne d'Arc Lily asked, her big, innocent eyes wide with sincerity.

"No... no, just call me that! You have good taste! Since you're my senior, there's nothing I can do. Yes, little Jeanne d'Arc, if you don't understand anything, I'll ask you." Little Mo patted her chest and said boldly. Who would have thought that she, Mordred, Knights of the Round Table, would be called a senior?

"Okay, Mordred, Mordred-senpai. But I think I'm fine with everything except math. Also...senpai, you misspelled that English word," Jeanne d'Arc Lily reminded her.

"Hey?!" Little Mo exclaimed in surprise.

"Mordred..." Mash, who had been watching silently from the side, covered her face in anguish.

"She really is an idiot, even more idiotic than an elementary school student. But I like silly girls too," Gudako said with a smile.

Indeed, they had heard such comments from Merlin: "While it can't be said that all the Knights of the Round Table were idiots, Mordred was certainly an incurable idiot."

Jeanne d'Arc emerged from the bushes, only to find herself in a strange forest, surrounded by magical mist that obscured the distant scenery. There seemed to be no strange monsters, yet she felt an eerie sense of unease, as if she belonged to a world outside reality.

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm going to be late for my date!" Just then, a voice came from not far away, getting closer and closer. Looking into the distance, a pair of purple and white rabbit ears could be seen on the slope, bobbing up and down as they approached.

Gradually, the figure of the newcomer came into view. Beneath the long ears was a bewitchingly handsome man with long silver hair, wearing a white robe and black trousers. He was hopping and skipping towards them like a rabbit, his head down.

Merlin Rabbit, with long ears like Fou's, was looking at the pocket watch as it hopped forward.

"Hey! Wait a minute! Aren't you that cold-blooded female Magecraft? Where are you going?" Jeanne d'Arc called out to Merlin, who looked a little strange.

"A cold-blooded woman? Although I was just a phantom pulled here in a dream, and I've only been here for a little over two weeks, which one are you talking about? Is it a girl like a high-and-mighty flower? A fairy like Snow Woman? Or a lady who plays with cold-blooded animals like snakes?" Merlin Rabbit tilted her head and hopped around in place as she asked.

"..." Jeanne d'Arc clicked her tongue; she somewhat regretted calling out to the rabbit!

"Ah, now that you mention it, Miss, you're quite adorable. Could it be that your name is Alice?" Merlin Rabbit said with a frivolous and handsome smile after seeing the girl's face clearly.

"Who is that? That's enough! Burn you alive!" Jeanne d'Arc shouted, raising her flag.

"Wow, violent opposition! Banning fires in the forest, what a terrifying madwoman! I'm not talking to you anymore! I'm late! I'm late! I'm going to be late for the tea party! I'm going to get killed by those two girls!"