Shirou Emiya Stands on Terra Chapter 21

Several Knights of the Round Table personnel walked towards the criminals who had already fallen to the ground, handcuffed them, and then began a simple inspection.

Shirou wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but he felt as if he was also surrounded.

"Thank you for your heroic assistance, sir—did you think I'd say that? You're under arrest too!"

Swire smiled as she looked at Shirou, though Shirou felt like he had seen her somewhere before.

It looked like the faces of the Penguin Logistics members from that morning, that kind of half-smile that looked terrifying.

"Um... can I ask why?"

Shirou meekly raised his hand to ask. He hadn't done anything that would get him arrested, right?

"Do I even need to ask? A civilian suddenly attacking an Infected, what do you think this is, some kind of hero game? One wrong move and you'd be dead! Look at your right hand! If it weren't for the Knights of the Round Table intervening, that shot could have given you a massive burn!"

Upon hearing Shirou's question, several '!' marks appeared on Swire's forehead. She walked up to Shirou, pointing at his face, moving closer with each word she spoke. Shirou was forced to lean back.

"Um, I understand. I'll be careful next time."

Shirou looked at Swire in front of him, raising his hands to show he understood.

"In any case, you'll come to the Knights of the Round Table to give a statement, and let a doctor check your condition."

Seeing Shirou with his hands raised, looking like he'd do it again next time, Swire retracted her hand and sighed.

26 Knights of the Round Table

Longmen, Knights of the Round Table Interrogation Room.

"Name."

Swire took a sip of her coffee and asked Shirou, who was in front of her.

"Shirou Emiya."

Shirou, sitting opposite her, was a bit nervous. This was his first time in a place like this. How should he put it, it wasn't as scary as he imagined?

"Gender?"

Swire tapped on her tablet and continued to ask.

"...Male."

Shirou didn't understand why they were asking something so obvious, but he replied with the mindset of answering whatever the Knights of the Round Table asked.

"Age."

"Ten... twenty."

He had originally wanted to say seventeen, but then Shirou remembered that the identity his boss had gotten for him seemed to be for a twenty-year-old, so he answered according to the identity to avoid more problems.

"Race."

Swire didn't pay attention to Shirou's hesitation. In her opinion, it wasn't strange for someone to get their age wrong at the dividing line between nineteen and twenty.

"Siracusa."

Siracusa didn't have many obvious characteristics, and Shirou happened to fit them, so the Emperor had directly assigned him the race of Siracusa.

The main reason was that Shirou really didn't have any obvious characteristics, and the Emperor didn't know what race this guy was, so he could only pick the closest one.

"First, why were you at the Dagu Mall?"

Swire didn't pay too much attention to Shirou's race, as Shirou didn't have any obvious characteristics and wasn't a criminal, so there was no need to pay too much attention.

"Um... I was buying something."

Shirou thought they would immediately question him about why he confronted the criminal, but the first question was about why he was at the mall.

He truthfully stated his main purpose for going to the mall.

"Bought a backpack? Do you have the receipt?"

Swire's eyes glanced at the brand-new side backpack Shirou was wearing. She recognized the brand; it was from a store in the Dagu Mall.

"Yes, it's here."

Shirou rummaged through his backpack and handed a receipt to Swire.

"Hmm... it matches."

Swire casually took a picture of the receipt and then returned it.

"So, why did you rush towards the criminal at that time?"

Swire placed the tablet in front of Shirou. It showed a surveillance camera feed of Shirou rushing towards the criminal, who was just throwing a fireball.

"Because I saw him lock onto a mother and child and charge at them."

"So you charged at the Infected with your bare hands? Should I call you reckless or ignorant? There's a limit to how much you can tempt fate!"

Upon hearing Shirou's answer, Swire got a headache. She felt like this guy was definitely the type of person who put everything else before themselves.

She had seen plenty of people like that, most of whom didn't live long.

"Uh... I'll be careful next time."

Shirou knew he was in the wrong, as he had interfered with the Knights of the Round Table's affairs, especially as a civilian.

"You want a next time?"

Swire stood up, slammed the table, and yelled at Shirou.

"Oof."

Shirou's ears hurt a little from Swire's sudden shift to loud-speaker mode.

"Hmph, anyway, you saw the culprit on the second floor and wanted to take them hostage, so you jumped down from the second floor, right?"

Swire sat back down in her chair, leaning back against the backrest.

"Yes."

Shirou rubbed his still-sore ear, silently thinking to himself how loud this Swire in front of him was.

Swire, naturally unaware of Shirou's thoughts, tapped on her tablet and showed him the screen.

It was the moment Shirou had blocked the flames head-on with his right hand.

"Although you were checked and there's nothing major, you're really brave to block a spell like that. Is your brain full of muscle? Can't you dodge?"

Swire said this to Shirou with a smile. Everything before this was a minor issue; Shirou's action was the most dangerous.

"Ahaha..."

Shirou didn't explain, only offering an awkward laugh, which added quite a few "!" marks above Swire's head.

"And the cloth wrapped around your right hand, you said it's something important, right?"

Swire took a deep breath and asked.

When Shirou was being examined, the cloth on his right hand caused a small commotion. Shirou was briefly suspected of being an Infected concealing his identity. Fortunately, there was nothing under his right hand, and the reason it was wrapped was simply that it was something very important that he had to carry with him.

Damn it, I wish you'd put it in your bag! Don't you know wrapping it around yourself can easily cause misunderstandings? Swire wanted to yell this at Shirou but held back.

"Yes, I'll find a way to carry it later and won't wrap it around my right hand anymore."

Shirou hadn't expected things to be this serious. He had simply carried the Holy Shroud with him in the way that was most convenient for him.

At home, it mainly interfered with his cleaning and cooking, so he kept it in his room. When he was out, he basically always wrapped it around his right hand.

Even Penguin Logistics and the others didn't know about this. If they did, they would probably suggest Shirou find another way to carry it.

"That's good, then the problems are almost cleared up."

Swire put away her tablet and tapped a few times, confirming there were no major issues. All that was left was a simple wrap-up.

This was originally just a formality, so Swire didn't delve too deeply into many things, like why his landing posture from the second floor was like squatting on a toilet, didn't his legs hurt?

Or how a piece of cloth could block a spell.

There were many questions she could have asked, but Shirou wasn't a criminal, so Swire respected his privacy.

"It's over?"

Hearing that it was finally over, Shirou finally relaxed a little.

Although Swire's attitude just now was more like a chat than an interrogation, Shirou was still a bit unaccustomed to the atmosphere.

"Not yet, we just need to complete the basic information."

Swire tapped her fingers on the table, drawing Shirou's attention.

"You came to Longmen about a month ago, right? What made you, someone from Siracusa, come all the way to Longmen?"

Swire put the tablet aside and asked.

"For work."

Shirou had been specifically instructed by the Emperor to say it was for work if anyone asked why he came to Longmen. They would handle everything else on their end.

"Oh? Then where do you work?"

Swire's eyes sharpened because Shirou's file didn't mention his occupation.

So, if his occupation wasn't the problem, then he was lying.

"I'm currently employed at Penguin Logistics."

The moment Shirou finished speaking, he saw the gazes of the Knights of the Round Table personnel recording the information and Swire turn towards him, their expressions incredibly complex.

27 This is the only thing I won't forget

"Penguin Logistics?"

"He looks so normal."

"What a shame for such a fine young man."

The three Knights of the Round Table personnel recording the information whispered amongst themselves.

"???"

Shirou was completely bewildered, not understanding why the Knights of the Round Table personnel were reacting this way.

Could it be... that everyone at Penguin Logistics is very familiar with the Knights of the Round Table?

But why did their tone sound a bit off?

"Are you from Penguin Logistics?"

Swire looked at Shirou, who handed her his Penguin Logistics ID, with a confused expression.

Looking again at Shirou's clear eyes, untouched by the harshness of society, she felt a pang of pity.

She figured it wouldn't be long before this person became as crazy as the others at Penguin Logistics.

"Sigh."

Thinking this, Swire sighed with regret.

What a good person he seemed! Though a bit impulsive, his willingness to help others – if only he were part of the Knights of the Round Table, how great that would be!

Why did he have to be with Penguin Logistics?

"Um... is something wrong?"

Seeing Swire first ask if he was from Penguin Logistics, and then sigh, even Shirou, as clueless as he was, could tell that Penguin Logistics didn't have a very good reputation with the Knights of the Round Table.

But he didn't even understand what Penguin Logistics did, so how could he possibly know about the complicated relationship between Penguin Logistics and the Knights of the Round Table?

"Penguin Logistics, Penguin Logistics... you'll understand later. Better yet, you should leave Penguin Logistics quickly while you still can."

Swire repeated the name "Penguin Logistics" a few times, then patted Shirou's shoulder, speaking with utmost seriousness.

Shirou thought he saw her grit her teeth slightly when she said the words "Penguin Logistics."

"That probably won't work."

Shirou could only awkwardly refuse Swire's suggestion. After all, the people from Penguin Logistics had helped him so much; he couldn't just leave. That wouldn't be his style at all.

"It seems you have your own ideas. But please, please, please don't end up like them, understand?"

Swire didn't insist that Shirou leave. After all, they had only just met. She had said so much only because she truly admired Shirou's actions.