Chapter Fifteen: To Eat or Not to Eat-That Is the Question / Chapter Sixteen: Adults Are Too Dangerous; Kids Are Better

As long as you're happy, Senpai!

Mash was speechless for a moment. She decided to ignore Yuxian and went to prepare the luggage for their trip to the beach.

This time, everyone had decided to spend a few more days at the seaside. They had already reserved a beachside guesthouse where they could stay for several nights, so they needed to prepare changes of clothes and such.

Naturally, swimsuits were an essential item.

Mash had packed her swimsuit in her suitcase long ago. It was a white halter swimsuit with pink trim, one Yuxian had already seen. Its overall style was relatively conservative.

Yuxian had tried many times to persuade her to buy a few new swimsuits, but Mash really liked the one with the big bow on the chest and had refused to replace it.

Martha's swimsuit was much more daring. It was a bikini, and she had also brought a large sunhat. She looked like a fashionable woman from head to toe, full of style. Even her suitcase was trendy, supposedly a recent new model.

Yuxian had accompanied the little ones when they went to buy their swimsuits. Amid the colorful assortment of swimsuits in the mall, each of them had picked one she liked.

Illya had chosen a pink two-piece swimsuit with matching swim trunks. It had ruffled frills all over it and looked adorable, perfectly suited to a little girl her age.

Gretel had chosen a one-piece swimsuit. It was bright and multicolored, extremely eye-catching. The hem was especially long, long enough to drag along the ground like a broom.

But she herself loved it, because it was a princess dress with a mermaid tail. It really was very cute and suited Gretel well, but Yuxian was puzzled about one thing: how was she supposed to swim in the water wearing that swimsuit?

Jack's choice was much simpler. She bought a children's bikini. According to her, clothes like that made it easier to move around.

Such swimsuits were not recommended for children to wear outdoors, since exposing so much skin to sunlight could easily cause sunburn. But Jack did not have that problem, so Yuxian did not stop her.

As for Little Jeanne's swimsuit...

Eating It or Not, That Was the Question

Whenever Yuxian thought about the swimsuit Little Jeanne had bought, he could not help laughing.

Throughout the entire mall, everyone had quickly found swimsuits they liked after comparing different options. Only Little Jeanne wore a troubled expression, unable to decide which one to choose.

As Santa Claus, she was always active in winter and had absolutely no concept of summer. Going to the beach to swim was something she had never considered before.

She herself longed for the sea, but while she had imagined swimming in it, she had never actually experienced it.

When she learned that they were going to the beach, she had been so excited that she developed a severe case of indecision while choosing a swimsuit.

She looked here and picked there. Every swimsuit seemed nice, yet another always seemed better. She kept wavering between them, unable to make up her mind, making everyone watching anxious.

Everyone had offered suggestions and helped her pick, but she always found something unsatisfactory.

Yuxian had never expected serious and earnest Little Jeanne to have such a side to her.

However, what Yuxian had least expected was that, at the very end, after everyone had already given up and stopped paying attention to her, Little Jeanne finally made up her mind.

Sailor-style swimsuit!!!

Yes, Little Jeanne had actually chosen a sailor-style swimsuit!

This tight, one-piece, conservative low-cut swimsuit looked healthy and modest. That was probably why Little Jeanne had chosen it.

But Yuxian did not see it that way. To him, a sailor-style swimsuit made his eyes light up even more than a bikini.

It had a special kind of cuteness.

He had wanted to persuade Mash to wear a sailor-style swimsuit before, but Mash had refused, leaving him somewhat disappointed. He had never expected Little Jeanne to choose one in the end.

That made him look forward to their beach trip even more.

The next day, the group drove to the seaside for their vacation. They first went to the guesthouse they had reserved to put down their luggage.

The owner of the guesthouse was warm and hospitable. Summer was the best season for businesses like their beachside guesthouse, and it was the only time of year they could really make money.

The guesthouse had every facility they could need, and it had been cleaned spotlessly. Its owner had clearly put a great deal of care into it.

Yuxian was satisfied with the guesthouse they had booked. The money had been well spent.

The guesthouse was not far from the beach, about a five-minute walk away. It was the busiest season at the seaside, and when Yuxian and the others reached the shore, they could see people everywhere in the distance.

Kobayashi quickly found an empty spot, set up a beach umbrella, and lay down on a reclining chair to rest. She was not someone who enjoyed exercise.

Yuxian wanted to do the same. On a summer beach, lying on a reclining chair and admiring the scenery was the most desirable thing imaginable.

All kinds of beautiful women, with different styles, body types, and outfits, were truly a feast for the eyes.

But he did not have that chance, at least not yet. The children were all excited to start playing, and he needed to stay by their sides.

There were quite a lot of people here. If he let them play on their own, they could easily cause unnecessary trouble.

Four little ones plus Kanna—five little girls. This task was a little difficult...

Mash could help share some of the burden, but her usefulness was limited. The little ones preferred clinging to Yuxian.

Like Kobayashi, Martha was lying on a chair. She wore sunglasses, so her expression could not be seen, but her relaxed and contented posture did not make her look like she intended to lend a hand.

Martha had Elma thoroughly under control. Even though Tohru was right beside her, Elma did not dare confront her and could only substitute sharp looks for words.

However, Tohru had no interest in paying attention to her. She had been circling around Kobayashi the whole time.

The five little girls ran back and forth across the beach, chasing and playing with one another. Yuxian had no choice but to remind them again and again to be careful and not run too fast.

Little Jack in particular was having the most fun. Several times, she nearly crashed into someone, causing a minor commotion.

Yuxian could only shake his head inwardly. From time to time, he apologized to the people who had been startled. Only he could do that job, since he was their Master.

Once their excitement at arriving somewhere new wore off, they finally settled down and stopped making such a fuss, each going off to do something she found interesting.

Gretel in particular had trouble moving around in that mermaid swimsuit. She could only move freely by relying on some special means.

Mash brought Gretel back beneath the beach umbrella to rest first. Little Jeanne and Illya built a sandcastle together, while Jack and Kanna crouched on the ground to observe small animals.

Observe small animals?

Mr. Krabs, run! If you don't run now, it'll be too late!

The fate of Mr. Krabs, who had caught Kanna's attention, was probably already sealed—especially with Jack there too.

Kanna and Jack crouched facing each other as Mr. Krabs strutted sideways between them. From time to time, it raised both arms and displayed its two sharp claws. Its presence really was quite imposing.

Kanna and Jack kept their eyes fixed on Mr. Krabs, slowly moving their gazes along with it. Both of them were very quiet. Yuxian watched silently from nearby, waiting for the famous scene to unfold.

When Mr. Krabs reached the space between them, Kanna suddenly reached out with lightning speed.

However, another hand was even faster. Before Kanna could act, Jack caught Mr. Krabs and lifted it before her eyes to inspect it.

Mr. Krabs had no idea it had narrowly escaped death from the jaws of a cute dragon. It waved its large claws at Jack, protesting her violence.

"Does Jack want to eat it?" Kanna had failed to snatch it from Jack. She widened her eyes and looked at Mr. Krabs in Jack's hand, thinking Jack wanted to eat it.

Hearing that, Jack shifted her gaze away from Mr. Krabs and looked at Kanna in confusion. "Eat it?"

Then she turned her head and looked toward Yuxian, as though asking whether it really could be eaten.

Yuxian was slightly disappointed that he had not gotten to see the famous scene. He walked over, patted Jack's head, and said, "You can only eat it after it's cooked."

Cooked? That meant it could not be eaten. When Jack heard Yuxian say it could not be eaten, she tossed Mr. Krabs away.

Mr. Krabs had escaped with its life. It scuttled away into the distance with a rustling sound and disappeared.

Kanna watched Mr. Krabs slowly crawl away with some regret. She looked up at Yuxian, unable to understand why it could not be eaten. It obviously could be eaten.

Yuxian took the opportunity to pat Kanna's head as well. "Dragons have very strong digestive systems, so eating it raw is not a problem for them. But humans can't do that. It has to be cooked before it can be eaten. And you don't eat the whole thing either. You can ask Kobayashi exactly how to eat it. She'll tell you."

Kanna nodded thoughtfully. She had learned something new again, and she decided to immediately go find Kobayashi to ask about it.

Adults Were Too Dangerous; Children Were Better

Kanna ran off to ask Kobayashi how to eat crabs, and Jack also left to find Gretel.

Yuxian then walked over to Little Jeanne and Illya to watch them build their sandcastle.

It had to be said that the two of them were quite skilled with their hands. By now, a castle made of piled sand had already begun to take shape, and it looked rather convincing.

Little Jeanne was responsible for mixing water into the sand to bind it together, while Illya shaped it and carved out its exterior. Their division of labor was very clear.

The castle looked enormous, nothing like the ordinary basin-sized sandcastles children usually built while playing with sand.

Illya and Little Jeanne's sandcastle covered at least as much ground as a table. Its internal structure was also complex and exquisitely detailed, with various buildings arranged in orderly layers.

"What a beautiful castle," Yuxian said with a smile. The two little ones really were amazing to create such an exquisite castle using only sand.

"Master thinks it's beautiful too? I saw it in photographs and remembered it deeply, so I was able to recreate it," Illya said with a smile, stopping what she was doing and looking up.

Yuxian praised her without reservation. "You remembered it so clearly just from seeing photographs? Illya really is amazing!"

That was not a lie. Being able to recreate an entire castle like this based solely on memories of photographs was indeed rare.

"Because this is where Illya was born!"

When Illya said that, Yuxian immediately understood. This castle must have been the Einzbern family's castle.

Illya had been born into the Einzbern family, but her parents had taken her away when she was still very young, allowing her to become a child of an ordinary family.

Her mother had probably shown her photographs of Einzbern Castle, and she had kept them firmly in her heart.

Yuxian did not know how to respond. Of the four children, Illya was the most ordinary. She was an ordinary fifth-grade elementary school student, very different from the other Heroic Spirits.

Yuxian asked, "Illya, do you miss home?"

Illya paused and pursed her lips. Then she smiled. "I'm very happy being with Master, and everyone can play together too."

So she did miss home!

But Yuxian had no way to let her return home. In the end, Chaldea was not her real home, and Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel of Chaldea were not her real parents either. They were merely similar people.

Yuxian fell silent. There was nothing he could do about this.

All he could do was try his best to make sure the children lived happily. That was his responsibility as their Master, and it was what he had always been striving to do.

"I'll help too." Yuxian crouched down, intending to help them finish the sandcastle.

"Oh, Master, you're so clumsy. You're just getting in the way!" Little Jeanne was very dissatisfied. Yuxian's participation had not only failed to speed things up, but had made him seem more like an obstacle.

"All right, all right." Yuxian stood up helplessly. He had never been to a beach as a child, so naturally he had no experience building sandcastles. It was only natural that he was clumsy.

Yuxian watched from the side for a while and felt that this scene was too precious to miss. He walked over to Martha and asked, "Do you have a camera?"

Martha lay on her chair, her lovely figure fully displayed before Yuxian's eyes. He could not help taking a few extra looks.

Noticing Yuxian's gaze, Martha did not expose him. She even deliberately stretched lazily, making Yuxian stare wide-eyed.

She said lazily, "The camera's in the bag. Master can get it himself."

Yuxian looked at the handbag beside the chair, walked over to Martha, and crouched down to search for the camera.

The handbag was very close to Martha. When Yuxian crouched down, his head was extremely close to her body. The moment he looked up, a wonderful sight entered his view and nearly blinded him.

Yuxian's whole body trembled slightly. At such close range, he could even smell the faint fragrance coming from Martha, stirring his thoughts and making him uneasy.

Martha leaned down beside Yuxian's ear and whispered, "Master really is adorable..."

Her breath brushed across Yuxian's face as she spoke, making him feel a little ticklish. Yuxian immediately found it too much to bear.

His face flushed bright red, and he became completely at a loss. He was still far too inexperienced in this area.

He could handle children with ease and had plenty of experience with them, but when faced with a mature older sister like Martha, Yuxian had no experience at all. He completely did not know what to do.

He raised his head, wanting to say something, only to discover Mash staring at him expressionlessly from not far away.

This is bad!

Yuxian instantly understood that he had fallen for Martha's scheme. Without another word, he grabbed the camera and ran, Martha's laughter following behind him.

This place was too dangerous. Children were better—so innocent and adorable.

Yuxian had never imagined that Martha, as a Saintess, could be so skilled at teasing people. Appearances really were deceiving.

He gathered his thoughts and returned to Illya and Little Jeanne's side, taking pictures of them and preserving the sight of their hard work in photographs. They would surely make wonderful memories.

Illya occasionally struck a pose and held up a V-sign to cooperate with Yuxian's photographs, while Little Jeanne wore a look of disgust, feeling that Yuxian was only making things worse and interfering with their sandcastle.

Yuxian captured every one of their lifelike expressions without missing a single detail, preserving them forever in the photographs.

Illya and Little Jeanne finally finished the sandcastle. The exquisite creation made people marvel, and everyone came over to admire their masterpiece.

Some passing tourists were also drawn to the distinctive sandcastle and stopped to watch. Some even took out cameras to photograph it as a memento.