Shopping

Medea's words exploded through the room like a thunderclap, leaving everyone present stunned.

Kayneth's expression changed as he looked at Wang Xiaoming.

A Heroic Spirit was a hero whose great deeds had become legend after death, turning them into an object of faith. The Holy Grail War was a battle in which mages summoned Servants to compete for the Holy Grail—

Although the first three Holy Grail Wars had all ended in failure, in the hundreds of years since, there had never been a report or record of a Master and Servant falling in love.

But this news had come straight from Caster herself...

Heroic Spirits naturally had pride of their own. No matter how unbelievable it might seem, Kayneth, an outsider, had no right to question it.

As for Wang Xiaoming—

Having no idea what Medea was up to, he could only force himself to look calm and play along.

An awkward atmosphere hung over the reception room for the rest of the negotiations. Wang Xiaoming and Kayneth tacitly picked up the pace.

Aside from a few important matters, they glossed over everything else.

In just ten minutes, the Caster and Lancer teams had reached an alliance agreement to share intelligence and help each other.

As for what had just happened with Sola, neither of them brought it up again.

After the negotiations ended, Wang Xiaoming said goodbye to Kayneth.

Once they were through the door, Medea went straight back to her room, leaving Wang Xiaoming alone in the living room, staring into space.

"Uncle—"

Shirou's voice came from beside him.

"What is it?"

Hearing someone call him, Wang Xiaoming turned his head.

"Nothing..."

Shirou looked at Wang Xiaoming strangely. Ever since they'd gotten back, he seemed to have been grinning like an idiot.

"Are you bored or something, kid?" Wang Xiaoming teased, reaching out to ruffle Shirou's hair.

"Hahaha, that tickles!"

Shirou retaliated by tickling Wang Xiaoming.

The big and little guy wrestled around like that until one of their stomachs let out a protest. They had to call their "battle" a draw.

Wang Xiaoming glanced at the time and realized it was almost lunchtime.

"Let's eat out today."

"Huh? Eat out?"

Shirou looked up at Wang Xiaoming, his eyes betraying a hint of anticipation.

Only then did Wang Xiaoming realize that ever since that incident, Shirou had hardly been out of the house. Any other kid would probably have complained ages ago.

He tidied Shirou's messy hair, gave him a pat on the shoulder, and held up his thumb.

"Get ready. We're going out for a feast today!"

Wang Xiaoming watched Little Shirou run into his room and sighed. It seemed he hadn't been paying enough attention to the boy.

He'd think about it after the Holy Grail War was over. Wang Xiaoming stretched. Negotiating with Kayneth had used up a lot of brainpower; he needed a good meal to make up for it.

Wang Xiaoming's gaze drifted to the tightly shut door.

The midday sun spilled over the streets of Fuyuki City, doing a little to dispel the winter chill for the people coming and going.

Unlike the passersby hurrying along, Wang Xiaoming and Shirou ambled down the street.

"Uncle, where are we going?"

Shirou asked as he ate oden he'd just bought from a street stall.

"Let's wander around and see if we can find something tasty," Wang Xiaoming replied, holding a bowl of oden himself.

"Oh, okay."

Shirou nodded, looking around as they walked. He lived in this area, but for a kid his age, everything was still new and exciting.

Before long, he had fallen several steps behind Wang Xiaoming.

Thump—

Shirou hadn't been watching where he was going. He felt himself run into a wall, stumbled backward a few steps, then landed on his bottom.

The oden in his hand spilled all over the ground.

"Hey, kid, are you all right?"

A gruff voice rang in Shirou's ear. When Little Shirou looked up, he instinctively thought he was staring at a mountain.

A man like a mountain.

The man in front of Shirou had short red hair and red eyes. He stood well over two meters tall, his muscles bulging beneath his skin. He looked imposing, towering, and incredibly strong.

"Can you get up on your own?"

The red-haired giant held out a hand to Shirou.

Shirou hesitated, then placed his little hand in the man's enormous palm, which was as broad as a fan.

The contrast between them was even more striking up close. To Shirou, the giant before him looked just like a giant out of a fairy tale.

"Hey, good lad!"

Seeing curiosity and amazement in Shirou's eyes—but none of the fear or panic he usually saw in children—the giant praised him. Then he gave a slight tug with both hands—

Shirou felt as if he were flying through the clouds as he was pulled to his feet.

"Rider! What are you doing now?!"

Now back on his feet, Shirou heard an angry question. But the voice sounded a little... timid?

Shirou turned and saw a thin boy charging over angrily. When he reached them, he noticed Shirou and asked in confusion, "Who's this?"

The person before Shirou was Waver Velvet, accompanied by his Servant, Iskandar.

"He's a future hero!" Rider replied.

"Huh?" Waver couldn't make sense of what his Servant was saying.

"From the look in this child's eyes, I can tell he's sure to achieve great things one day," Rider declared. Then he stroked the short beard on his chin and mused for a moment. "I'm quite interested in this child. It'd be a shame to let him slip away. Perhaps I should invite him to join my army."

"???"

That was Shirou.

"!!!"

That was Waver.

"Rider! What on earth are you thinking?!"

Waver's protest was silenced by a flick to the forehead from Rider.

"Well?"

Rider lifted Little Shirou up with both hands and looked at him expectantly.

"Well, kid? How about joining my army and sharing in my glory?"

"I think I'll pass."

The answer didn't come from Little Shirou, but from someone nearby.

Wang Xiaoming looked at the scene in front of him, bemused. How had something this bizarre happened after they'd been apart for only a little while?

"Who are you?"

Waver watched Wang Xiaoming warily.

"I'm his guardian."

Wang Xiaoming pointed at Shirou, who was still being held aloft.

"..."

Waver was at a loss for words for a long moment.

"Could you give the kid back to me first?" Wang Xiaoming asked Rider.

Shirou was still in Rider's hands, and Wang Xiaoming was worried he might accidentally drop him.

"Oh, sure."

Rider came over and handed Little Shirou to Wang Xiaoming.

"Sorry about that. I didn't see the kid just now."

"It's fine. He wasn't hurt," Wang Xiaoming said, shaking his head. Then he looked at Rider. "Actually, I'm the one who should apologize."

"Oh?"

Rider was surprised. He didn't know why Wang Xiaoming had said that.

"I couldn't show myself last night because I was unwell. Caster had to focus on taking care of me, so she couldn't come and meet you. I'm sorry."

"You're Caster's Master, then?"

Hearing Wang Xiaoming say that, Rider connected him to the Caster who had fled the previous night.

"Yeah..."

"Hahaha! If there was a reason, then of course I understand. Since you've come before me today and explained what happened, I'll believe you!"

Rider was a broad-minded man, and Wang Xiaoming's explanation cleared away all the resentment he'd felt over the previous night.

"I have no problem with you. It's just that Goldie might not be so..."

Although Rider left the thought unfinished, Wang Xiaoming understood what he meant. He shook his head. "I have no interest in trying to talk things out with Archer."

"Hahahaha—"

Rider's laughter was hearty. In good spirits, he once again invited Wang Xiaoming to join him.

"Well, young man? How about joining me?"

"No, but I appreciate the invitation."

Wang Xiaoming turned down the invitation, which had never succeeded before.

"What a shame. Why does nobody ever accept? How strange."

Rider scratched his chin in frustration. After having his invitation rejected again and again, he felt he might need to try a different approach.

"With an invitation like that, no normal person would ever say yes," Waver commented from the side.

As Wang Xiaoming watched the strange pair—one strong, one weak—walk away, he held Shirou in his arms and suddenly said:

"See? Rider hasn't spiritized either."

Today's chapter~

I'm going to the hospital this afternoon. Orz

The next chapter will come whenever...

Let's get to it.

Why can't you guys figure out that the two of them are just putting on an act...?

"The way you see it, Rider hasn't spiritized either, right?"