Even so, that's still amazing." Tsubaki praised him while ruffling Shirou's hair.
The boy figured it was probably because of his height and age—women in this world always seemed to enjoy patting his head. It made him wish he'd grow taller sooner.
"For now, Shirou, you'll train under Tsubaki. Start with the basics."
"No problem. You can be my assistant for now. Come to think of it, we both seem to have Eastern blood~"
Shirou nodded. "Right, then I'll be in your care, Captain!"
"Mm! You're not rushing off to the dungeon the moment you got your blessing—very level-headed. I like that." Tsubaki nodded. "But hey, calling me 'Captain' is too stiff. Just call me Tsubaki."
She raised her hand high. "Let's go, Shirou! Time to work with a beautiful boy, woohoo!"
"Ah, we're starting already? Woo!" Shirou was swept into cheering by the enthusiastic blacksmith sister.
"Waiter, this isn't what I ordered!" a male adventurer shouted, banging the table.
"Is—there—a—problem—sir?"
Ryuu turned mechanically, her cold elven aura radiating unconsciously.
"Eek! N-no problem! I'll eat it—I mean, I'll leave now!"
The man, utterly intimidated by her, fled in a panic.
A Level 1 adventurer stood no chance against Ryuu's presence.
"...Tch. I messed up again."
Her severe expression and unrestrained aura had once again scared off a customer. Another failure.
All day long, the elven girl had been repeating mistakes.
Her deep sense of gratitude and emotional nature—typical of elves—made it impossible for her to just walk away from Syr and the others' kindness. If she ran, she'd disgrace the honor of the noble forest races.
But staying meant enduring Mama Mia's unreasonable demands—and inevitable violence.
It started with peeling vegetables. Anya kindly tried to help, but when she touched Ryuu's hand, Ryuu's instinctive cleanliness kicked in, and she sent Anya flying into a pile of produce.
Then, on a supply run, her emotionless haggle attempts scared the shopkeepers into thinking she was extorting them. One nearly had a heart attack.
After a string of similar disasters, the result was...
"You're even more of a hopeless case than I imagined," Mama Mia sighed, exasperated.
"Guh..."
Faced with such blunt "insults," Ryuu could only grit her teeth and endure.
It wasn't the first time. Her former comrades used to say she was a "useless elf outside of combat"—though Ryuu never admitted it.
"At this rate, not only are you not repaying your debt, it's actually growing."
"Guh..."
Ryuu seemed to lose the ability to form words, only able to groan.
"By the way, Shirou's probably not coming back tonight."
"Shirou?" Ryuu looked up. "Where did he go?"
"He joined the Hephaestus Familia. He probably got accepted already."
Ryuu's mouth parted slightly in surprise.
So... that child had become an adventurer, too...
But the Hephaestus Familia was a good choice. As a blacksmith, he likely wouldn't be in much danger.
Still, somehow, it felt... a little lonely.
With a swirl of emotions in her heart, Ryuu's trials continued.
That evening, while she was scrubbing the sauce-covered floor—thanks to dropping a tray—
"Miss Ryuu?"
"Shirou?! Y-you're back!"
"Yeah. I explained my situation to the goddess, and she allowed me to keep staying here for now," Shirou said, scratching his head.
Syr smiled. "The way Ryuu said that sounded just like a newlywed wife."
W-wife?!
Steam rose from Ryuu's head as she instinctively tried to run.
"Miss Ryuu!" Shirou suddenly grabbed her hand. Her slender, snow-like fingers were cold in his warm palm.
She didn't pull away. Her body still didn't reject Shirou.
"Miss Ryuu, please help me train!"
Chapter 8: The Hidden Masters of the Tavern
Bam!
Boom!
The wooden sword in the elf girl's hand flashed—and Shirou was down.
"Ahhh! You idiot clumsy elf, what are you doing?! Shirou's gonna die, meow!"
It all started when Shirou explained to Hephaestus and Tsubaki that he was saved by the Hostess of Fertility. The goddess suddenly suggested:
"Why not have your training at the Hostess of Fertility?"
Training with high-level adventurers was one of the best ways for newcomers to grow. But in a commerce-focused Familia like Hephaestus', high-level members were always busy.
That's why members of combat-focused Familias like Loki's or Freya's leveled so quickly. After all, getting thrashed by a Level 5 or 6 adventurer could boost your stats by dozens—or even hundreds—of points. If you survived.
"At the Hostess, there are definitely opportunities for training," said the goddess.
Shirou agreed—he missed everyone there anyway: the warm-hearted Mama Mia, the beautiful Syr, the cute Anya, and, of course, Miss Ryuu...
So after a full afternoon of blacksmith training with Tsubaki, Shirou returned to the tavern and asked Ryuu to help him train.
Then, within the first second of sparring—he was sent flying by a single strike.
Against her top-tier Level 4 speed and strength, technique was meaningless. And clearly, Ryuu wasn't just bad at being a waitress—she was also terrible at holding back.
Another entry in the "clumsy elf's" list of misdeeds.
Shirou: I think... I saw my life flash before my eyes...
"I knew Ryuu was useless. Good thing I came to watch, meow," Anya said, not holding back.
Ryuu, devoid of all color, squatted in a corner drawing circles: "Useless elf, I'm a useless elf..."
"Anya, you're just slacking off, aren't you?"
"Syr, you're skipping work too!"
The girls bickered. Then, Anya had a lightbulb moment.
"Shirou, I'll train you! In exchange, treat me to some tasty grilled fish!"
"Huh?" Shirou blinked.
"Anya's a Level 4, you know." The cat girl casually dropped a bombshell.
Shirou and Ryuu: "HUH?!"
This... this cat was Level 4?! Outside of Orario, a Level 4 adventurer could topple a small kingdom single-handedly.
Then what level was Mama Mia, who could easily pin this "dumb cat" to the wall?!
"From today on, Shirou's my underling!" Anya cheered. "Grilled fish! I want grilled fish!"
"I got it. Once training is over, I'll cook you the best fish dish I can."
"Let's go, Shirou." Anya's expression turned serious, and her aura exploded—radiating the power of a true high-level adventurer.
I heard from Syr that Shirou-kun is really good at cooking."
"Yeah, it's a shame he didn't stay on as staff."
"He wants to be an adventurer, after all. A boy chasing his dreams~"
On the second floor, a group of girls dressed as waitresses were sprawled at the window, spying on the courtyard where two figures were training.
The Hostess of Fertility was a large tavern, with far more staff than just Syr and the others. Over the past few days, Shirou had interacted with many of them—though only in passing.
Anya was a high-ranking Lv.4, even among others at her level. On top of that, she turned out to be a solid instructor. Step by step, she focused on sharpening Shirou's combat skills, keeping her power and speed at levels still manageable for him—but just barely.
She provided a perfect opponent: challenging, but not overwhelming. It was just the kind of pressure Shirou needed to revive the combat instincts from his past life and blend them into his new body.
"Shirou-kun is really amazing, especially for someone who just became an adventurer."
"I feel like he's going to become someone really important one day."
"Then isn't now the perfect time to strike while the iron's hot…?"
The girls chatted excitedly—until one of them casually dropped a dangerous topic.
"Say, don't you think Shirou-kun and Ryuu-chan make a great couple?"
The air instantly tensed with a deadly aura, and then—the volcano erupted.
"That's right! The cool, aloof elf and the warm-hearted, younger butler—such a perfect match! Total opposites attract!"
"What nonsense! The clumsy cat and the smart young butler are the real complementary pair!"
"Anya may be a dumb cat and Ryuu may be a useless elf, but Anya is Shirou-kun's teacher now! Student-teacher pairings are dangerously hot!"
"But Ryuu and Shirou came to the tavern together! Their bond is clearly deeper!"
"Ryuu's a newcomer—we should be backing Anya!"
"This is about ideals, not who's closer!"
"You heretics!"
"No, you're the deviants!"
The girls all turned to the Amazon waitress who hadn't spoken the entire time and was still peering out the window.
"Hey—you. Who are you siding with?"
"Hehehe. Pretty boys. Pretty boys are the best. I want Shirou-kun to kick me—hard."
...Ah, right. She's an Amazon. That species is beyond saving.
"Wait, if we're all here, then... who's working downstairs?" one of the girls asked innocently.
"I'd really like to know that myself," came a deep, grim voice from behind them—a voice like a whisper from hell. A towering shadow loomed over them, and the girls began to tremble.
"M-Mama Mia..."
"Get back to work, all of you!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The girls scattered like startled birds.
"Tch. What a bunch of idiots." Mia muttered, surveying the now-messy attic. There were even drool stains from the Amazon on the window glass. Shaking her head, she looked out the window at the boy who had just barely blocked one of Anya's punches.
"...That kid's growing fast. With that kind of talent, I'm starting to feel a little regret."
Because of his personality, Shirou Emiya was absolutely unsuited for Freya Familia. Even after discussing it with the goddess herself, she eventually agreed.
"That boy's soul is dazzlingly radiant—almost tempting. But it's not the kind of pure, untainted soul I desire. Not one I'd sacrifice everything to obtain. If it's a mismatch, I'll let it go."
Watching Shirou's budding combat prowess now—no regrets, but perhaps a touch of wistfulness.
"Kid, don't go dying in the dungeon," Mia said softly.
As for Syr and the other slackers—she'd let them off for now. But they'd be working double shifts to make up for it.