Shirou Emiya Stands on Terra Chapter 25

"Neither time seemed like an act, and his body also seemed very strong. He should still have many secrets."

"Then it seems he's indeed interesting and harmless. They really picked up an interesting person."

The Emperor placed his red wine on the table and lightly tapped it, deep in thought.

"Speaking of which, wasn't he taken in by the Knights of the Round Table? Where did they take him afterward?"

The Emperor suddenly remembered that the reason he was discussing Shirou with Isv was because he had received a call from the Knights of the Round Table, asking him to pick up the Penguin Logistics people.

He had initially thought the quartet had gotten into trouble again, but he didn't expect Shirou to be accidentally caught up in a strange incident.

"It seems they went to the shooting range."

A sound of keyboard typing came from Isv's end, followed by a reply.

"The shooting range? Did they go to play?"

"Yes, but it seems Shirou was the one primarily using it."

"You just hacked into it like that? But they're really something. How could they take someone who doesn't know how to use a bow and arrow there? How boring."

The Emperor sighed, seemingly thinking that his quartet would take Shirou to the shooting range to show off and bully Shirou for not knowing how to use a bow and arrow.

"No, boss. Shirou seems to have won against Exusiai in archery."

Isv's unexpected statement almost made the Emperor fall off his chair.

"He won against Exusiai? Him?"

After regaining his balance, the Emperor grabbed his phone and asked.

He was answered with a new video.

It was of Shirou and the others shooting at stationary targets. Although the screen couldn't show it, one could tell from Exusiai's crestfallen expression that she had indeed lost to Shirou in archery.

"Indescribable shrieking penguin sounds Was this guy a mercenary somewhere before? I actually let this kind of talent be a housekeeper?"

The Emperor recalled the previous few videos. Shirou's physical abilities and his skill with the bow and arrow made the Emperor feel that it was a waste for Shirou to be a housekeeper.

But then he remembered that Shirou seemed content with his current life, and the four members of Penguin Logistics seemed to have been spoiled. If Shirou were to change jobs now, it would likely result in the quartet's breakdown screams.

"Sigh, forget it. Let's stick to the original plan for now. Let that kid slowly get exposed to other jobs at Penguin Logistics. We'll deal with other things later."

The Emperor thought about it and realized that slacking off was quite enjoyable. He decided to forget about Shirou's combat abilities and let him continue to be a housekeeper.

In the Emperor's original plan, Shirou was supposed to gradually take over some of Isv's logistical work, allowing Isv to focus on other tasks. However, the value Shirou had shown made the Emperor decide to change his plan. He intended to assign Shirou to the quartet's team.

This way, Shirou's abilities could be maximized, killing multiple birds with one stone!

32 Jacket

Several days had passed since Shirou entered the bureau, and life continued as usual.

Shirou received a call from the Emperor that afternoon.

"Um... so you mean I have to work with everyone from Penguin Logistics? That might not be a good idea."

Shirou held his phone, having a friendly discussion with his boss.

He didn't have any complaints about extra work, but having to work with the Penguin Logistics quartet long-term was a bit awkward.

After all, he was a seventeen-year-old young man (twenty on paper), working with a group of girls and being in close proximity for extended periods... especially since Penguin Logistics' work often involved being crammed into vehicles. Shirou felt it was somewhat inappropriate.

"Don't they just stay at your place whenever they have nothing to do? Aren't you used to it yet?"

The Emperor couldn't quite grasp Shirou's difficulties and just thought Shirou was overreacting.

However, it wasn't entirely the Emperor's fault that his thinking didn't align with Shirou's. As a person with broad experience, the Emperor naturally felt that such minor issues were inconsequential.

Furthermore, he was the boss. What did it matter to the boss if his employees felt uncomfortable?

However, he wasn't the kind of scummy boss who ignored his employees' wishes. Since Shirou couldn't get past that hurdle, he wouldn't force him. He would let him start with simple logistical work first.

"Then let's start with some simple tasks to get familiar with things. We can discuss other matters later."

"Okay."

Shirou thought about it and didn't refuse. At least he wasn't being put on the job immediately, and there was still plenty of time.

As for the Emperor, he had his own plans, which Shirou was unaware of.

"You received the card and jacket too, right? Isv will contact you later. Do a good job, kid."

After saying that, the Emperor hung up the phone.

"..."

Shirou stared at his phone for a long time, then put it down and sighed.

"Looks like I'll just have to get used to it."

As a working person, he understood his situation. He couldn't just throw his hands up and quit.

Was being entrusted with important tasks a sign of his boss's trust in him?

Shirou put down the task at hand with a self-hypnotic mindset.

As for the card and jacket the Emperor mentioned, he had received them a few days prior. The card was the one the Emperor had said he would bring when applying for funds, and the jacket fit him perfectly.

"How did they know my size?"

Shirou Emiya grumbled inwardly. The jacket looked similar to his previous one, mostly black and white. This color scheme seemed to be a favorite of Penguin Logistics.

His jacket's cut was closer to Exusiai and Texas's. Croissant and Sora's were a bit more unique, but they were all black and white overall.

Did this mean he was starting to blend in with Penguin Logistics?

Shirou thought this as he set the jacket aside, not planning to wear it out immediately. After all, new clothes needed to be washed before wearing.

Even jackets.

Shirou stretched a bit. He'd been sitting in the living room reading for the entire afternoon. Glancing at the time, he figured everyone else would be back soon.

As for dinner, there was no need to wonder what to eat. Croissant had mentioned wanting fried rice before leaving, and everyone had agreed. So, Shirou had spent the morning researching how to make fried rice, and he'd just follow what he made at noon.

The ingredients were quite simple: mainly eggs, chilled white rice, and chopped scallions. For seasonings, salt, soy sauce, and pepper were all that was needed for a plate of egg fried rice.

However, Shirou added leftover cabbage from yesterday and meat from a beast, which was more flexible. There were no strict rules about what had to be added.

The cabbage and beast meat had already been julienned and stored in the refrigerator at noon. Considering the number of people, Shirou made a portion for three people at once. Any more, and the wok wouldn't be big enough, as it was just a household wok, not a large commercial wok.

"I remember not beating the eggs completely, it makes the texture better."

Shirou recalled the process. First, he cracked the eggs into a bowl, then heated oil in the wok and poured all the eggs in at once. Once the whites on the bottom started to set slightly, he broke up the yolks on top. As soon as they were slightly cooked, he took them out and set them aside in a bowl.

Since the beast meat was raw, it had to be stir-fried first. Once it was slightly cooked, he added the julienned cabbage. If the meat was pre-cooked, he could stir-fry it after cooking the eggs, without needing to remove the eggs.

After stir-frying until fragrant, he sprinkled some salt, then added the white rice that had been chilled since morning. He also added the eggs, and while stir-frying, he pressed down gently to separate the rice and eggs.

Once the grains of rice were separated, he turned up the heat to high to stir-fry and dry out the moisture. Then, he turned down the heat to medium-low, added pepper, and stir-fried until combined. Finally, he added soy sauce for color and flavor, and sprinkled on the chopped scallions, stir-frying briefly.

A simple plate of fried rice was complete.

There were many ways to make fried rice, and Shirou had spent a considerable amount of time researching to consolidate this method.

It smelled good and tasted good, but the frequent tossing of the wok tested his skills. He had spilled quite a bit of rice on the floor at noon, which was a hassle to clean up. Fortunately, Shirou got the hang of it quickly, and this time, no ingredients escaped the wok.

"Wow wow wow, Shirou, you're really making fried rice? It looks good! You said this morning you couldn't make it!"

Exusiai could smell the aroma of fried rice from outside the dormitory. Texas, as soon as her car stopped, rushed over.

"Sister Exu, aren't you being a bit too hasty? Dinner isn't going anywhere."

Croissant followed closely behind, but her slight panting betrayed her eagerness.

"Wash your hands before you come to get it. It's just out of the wok."

Shirou flicked away Exusiai's outstretched hand, saying this as he started stir-frying the second batch.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

As the two of them squeezed into the sink to wash their hands, Texas and Sora also returned. Sora poked her head into the kitchen and asked.

Sora would occasionally help Shirou with small tasks, like getting bowls and plates or washing vegetables. In return, Shirou would sometimes cook a little extra for Sora. Although most of it was usually shared, Sora never seemed unhappy, instead happily sharing with everyone.

"Help me get those two who are playing out."

Shirou gestured with his head towards the two who were engaged in a fierce battle nearby.

"Ladies, the kitchen is not a place for playing, okay?"

Sora said gently.

Her gentleness was so profound that Exusiai and Croissant felt a chill down their spines. They immediately stopped fighting and obediently carried out the plate of fried rice that had already been cooked.

"That's scary. What's been up with Sora lately?"

Exusiai, having left the kitchen, felt lingering fear. She felt like Sora had been acting increasingly strange lately.

"I feel like Sora is becoming more cunning, just like Shirou."

Croissant calmly deduced that Sora's change might be related to Shirou, and then her shoulder was grabbed by a hand.

"Croissant, what are you talking about? Can I join?"

The hand on Croissant's shoulder gradually tightened.

33 Shirou, the Tormented

"What is this?"

Shirou came out of the kitchen holding another plate of fried rice and saw two lumps of lightbulbs and croissants on the sofa, spewing white mochi.

"They deserve it. Don't worry about it."

Texas and Sora were sharing the fried rice on the table. Regarding the fate of Exusiai and Croissant, they could only say that they had it coming.

Gossiping about others behind their backs was not a good habit.

"Hurry up and eat, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

Shirou thought for a moment, then picked up the two and placed them on chairs, also serving them a portion and placing it in front of them.

Upon seeing the dinner before them, the two of them were instantly revived.

"Ooh ooh ooh, Shirou, didn't you say you couldn't do it this morning? This looks pretty good!"

Croissant took a bite and gave the fried rice in front of her an above-average score.

"After all, I spent a lot of time researching it and failed several times before I could make it. I'm glad you like it."

Shirou Emiya humbly accepted Croissant's praise. It was a joyous thing when the dishes he had put so much effort into researching were affirmed by others.

"So, about that apple pie..."

"Definitely next time. Isn't that your specialty, Exusiai?"

Shirou brushed off Exusiai's longing for apple pie. He had a feeling that if he actually made the apple pie, this angel would make him do it every single day.

So, he'd delay it for as long as possible! Delay it until Exusiai gave up or he stopped struggling.

"Why is it like this?"

Exusiai showed a dejected expression.

"Big sis Exusiai, think about it this way: if Shirou could make apple pie, then you wouldn't have anything special about you anymore."

Croissant patted Exusiai's shoulder to encourage her.

"What are you talking about! I have plenty of special qualities, thank you very much!"

Exusiai slapped away Croissant's hand from her shoulder and retorted.

"Oh? Tell me more?"

"I... I'm good with guns!"

Exusiai originally wanted to say her shooting was strong, but after recalling the results of the shooting range competition a few days ago, she immediately changed her words to say she was good with guns.

"Isn't that a basic Sarkaz skill? Anything else?"