Heart-to-Heart

"So that's how it is?"

"Strengthening one's confidence through real, head-on battles with monsters. What an unexpected idea."

Looking at Shirou Emiya sitting before her, Riveria's eyes were filled with satisfaction.

Although Lefia's situation had indeed been somewhat miserable, the method was practical. For an adventurer, as long as one did not die, it counted as a victory.

"As expected, asking you to train Lefia was absolutely the right decision, Shirou."

"It's also because you were willing to trust me, Senior Riveria."

Shirou Emiya was very modest in response to Riveria's thanks. After all, he would need to ask her for something in the future.

Although they were companions from the same Familia, Riveria would certainly teach him if he asked.

But the efficiency of willing instruction and unwilling instruction was definitely different.

"Clang."

With the sound of a door opening and closing, Lefia, who had finished washing up, appeared before everyone once more.

"Lefia!"

Seeing Lefia, who had just come out of the bath with her little face flushed and her whole body wreathed in steam, Loki, a shameless lecher, immediately pounced on her.

"Eek!"

Caught off guard by Loki's attack, the flustered Lefia screamed at once.

Unfortunately, against Loki, whose strength had become boundless after her lecherous power erupted, the timid girl Lefia had no ability to resist and was instantly tackled onto the sofa.

Loki proceeded to toy with her to her heart's content.

Watching this scene, Riveria could not help sighing. She was powerless against her goddess's peculiar hobby.

After all, she herself had originally been one of Loki's targets.

Listening to Lefia's cries beside her, Riveria had already lost the patience to continue speaking.

"I fully support your idea. I'll leave Lefia in your hands! If there's anything you need, just tell me. Consider this a favor I owe you."

After saying that, Riveria stood up and prepared to leave the room.

However, just as she was about to leave, she suddenly said coldly to the Amazon Sisters sitting off to the side with expressions that seemed to say they had survived, "What are you two still sitting there for? Come over here."

"You didn't think this matter was over, did you?"

As expected, Shirou Emiya knew that Tiona and Tione would never get away.

They had bullied an elf in front of Elf Royalty—and one of Riveria's cherished juniors at that. Did they really think they could laugh it off and be done with it? Impossible.

At these words, Tiona and Tione's faces immediately fell.

They had already suspected this outcome on the way back, but everyone held on to a little wishful thinking.

In the end, they still failed to escape.

The two girls, their bodies seemingly drained of strength, walked dazedly toward the door. It seemed Riveria's authority truly carried tremendous weight.

As expected of the "mother" of the Familia.

"Lady Loki, please don't!"

Hearing Lefia's moan, Shirou Emiya glanced over before preparing to leave.

There were now only Shirou Emiya, Ais, Lefia, and Loki left in the room.

Although Lefia's cries sounded pitiful while Loki bullied her, nothing was actually exposed. There was really nothing worth seeing.

"Lefia, take tomorrow off. I need to forge equipment suited to your condition today. However, although I'm still a novice smith, you'll have to pay for the materials."

"I-I know, M-Mr. Shirou."

Under Loki's bullying, Lefia answered haltingly.

Shirou Emiya nodded, then stood up and prepared to leave.

Seeing this, Ais, who had been sitting silently to the side, followed him.

In the corridor of Twilight Manor, Shirou Emiya glanced at Ais, who had been following behind him the entire time, and said with a smile, "My room is just ahead. If I remember correctly, the girls' dormitory isn't in this direction."

"I have something to say to you."

Hearing the lack of variation in Ais's voice, Shirou Emiya smiled with an expression that said he had expected this. "All right. Since we're already at my room, come in and sit down. We can talk slowly."

After opening his door, Ais walked straight in without any concern for propriety between men and women. Shirou Emiya then closed the door.

What he did not know was that from the moment Ais entered the men's dormitory, they had already attracted the secret attention of many people.

Now that everyone saw Ais follow him into his room, the entire Familia immediately erupted.

"No one usually comes here, so I don't have any extra chairs. Just sit on the bed. The sheets and covers were all changed recently."

While arranging for Ais to sit down, Shirou Emiya took out some snacks and drinks.

The snacks were dried goods he had made himself, and the juice had also been mixed by him.

As someone with maxed-out housekeeping abilities, Shirou Emiya had conducted some research into the local food ingredients not long after arriving in Orario.

Compared with the world of his previous life, the ingredients here were far more abundant. It truly was a world with gods.

Naturally, Shirou Emiya, who never mistreated his own palate, had to properly study the cuisine.

These snacks and drinks were the results of his research.

"Give them a try. These are my masterpieces."

He placed the snacks on a plate and handed them to Ais for her to taste.

She gently pinched up one and put it into her mouth. As she chewed slowly, a wonderful flavor blossomed.

"Delicious!"

"It's really delicious!"

"It's incredibly delicious!"

Moved by the tasty food, Ais's eyes narrowed happily as she continuously praised its flavor.

Then Ais picked up the cup of juice and took a small sip. Another irresistible flavor spread through her mouth, leaving her utterly enthralled.

"Amazing. Whether it's the food or the drinks, everything is so delicious."

Listening to Ais's praise, Shirou Emiya's eyes were also filled with amusement.

For a chef, sharing delicious food was the greatest joy. Hearing others praise his cooking filled Shirou Emiya with satisfaction.

If he had not been worried that his goddess would become addicted and constantly order him to cook, interfering with his exploration of the Dungeon, Shirou Emiya would have long since wanted to show off his skills.

But now, hearing Ais's praise finally satisfied the chef in Shirou Emiya's heart.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Still, I'd rather know why you came looking for me."

At Shirou Emiya's question, Ais's chewing instantly stopped.

A moment later, she realized what had happened and quickly swallowed the snack in her mouth. She also drank the juice Shirou Emiya handed her, lest she choke.

After setting down the cup, she asked expectantly, "What should I do to become stronger?"

"Become stronger, huh?"

Shirou Emiya had long suspected that Ais would ask such a question. After all, while they were training Lefia, Ais had constantly watched him with an unusual look in her eyes.

Faced with Ais's question, Shirou Emiya became serious as well.

"The essence of Divine Blessing is that of a catalyst, used to stimulate the potential of the human body. Therefore, whether your basic stats increase has no fundamental connection to whether you have fought monsters."

"During this period, I've also had many guesses about Divine Blessings. Take you, Ais, for example. It took you one year to advance from Level 1 to Level 2."

"But you've now been at Level 5 for three years and still haven't become Level 6. Why do you think that is?"

"Why?"

Confused, Ais stared intently at Shirou Emiya, wanting to hear the correct answer from him.

"I think it's because the degree of external pressure has changed."

"In the past, you were weak. You had no magic, no skills, and weren't even proficient in Martial Arts. You had no combat experience, either. Even when facing a Level 1 monster, the slightest mistake could put you in tremendous danger."

"But now you're strong. Even among the deepest monsters our Familia has explored, you can easily deal with all of them except the Floor Master. This means you haven't experienced any real external pressure."

"Why is fighting monsters faster than training on your own? Because there's great terror between life and death. In the face of a crisis involving life and death, a person's potential is stimulated to the greatest extent, which is why their abilities rise so quickly."

"So, the reason you can't become stronger quickly isn't that you're too weak. It's because you're too strong."