'Upon waking, I always find myself crying.'
'But I can't remember for whom the tears are being shed.'
'Only vaguely remember, that boy's not-so-sturdy body, and the smile praying that we will surely be happy.'
Irisviel thought, that was probably something even Kiritsugu couldn't do.
To become a hero of justice that belonged to just one person.
Even though he denied himself, thinking he couldn't save everyone.
But then, who could truly blame him?
Suddenly, Irisviel recalled the gratitude the boy showed when he was rescued ten years ago.
She truly thought it was she and Kiritsugu who had saved him.
Turns out, the ones truly saved, were them~
"What, is it that dream again?", The sea breeze's salty moisture brushed past. Kiritsugu's voice sounded from the other end of the car.
Irisviel wiped away her tears and smiled, "No, I was just wondering whether those two kids are getting along well."
"They surely will," Kiritsugu answered with a smile, "Shirou's a very good kid."
That answer made the sentimental Irisviel glance at him twice, then sigh, "I say, you really are slow."
She held her face in her hands, speaking in the uniquely melancholic way of a mother worried about her child, "Hope Shirou doesn't end up as dense as you. Otherwise, how long will it take for me to hold a grandchild as his mom."
"Uh…", Kiritsugu turned his head awkwardly.
"Or else, we could take a look around?"
———
Since he lost consciousness in the workshop, waking up to a purple-haired Yamato Nadeshiko sitting beside should be considered normal, right?
Rather, if she wasn't there, Emiya Shirou's life would seem abnormal.
So...
"Hey! Hey!"
Now, he was being poked away like annoying dirt with a broom.
Having just finished bargaining with Alaya, Shirou woke up.
He saw Sella holding a broom, poking him relentlessly.
"What are you doing?", Worried she might be massaging him or something, Shirou asked very politely. Like a child greeting a stranger.
"Can't you tell?", The girl being asked seemed to completely miss the point, using a "are you crazy" kind of look and said, "You skipped school just to sleep in the shed early in the morning?"
"Gotta say, your tastes really are weird, Shirou."
"Not calling me Berserker anymore?"
"Huh?", Sella tilted her head, her pretty face full of confusion and impatience, "I'm saying, you're super weird today, did you leave your brain in the bed when you got up?"
This was indeed Sella.
At this moment, Shirou's body had finally fully awakened, and his brain returned to his own control.
'System-san, you're so useless. You saw I wasn't clear-headed, and didn't even substitute for me.'
["Shall I…"]
Ignoring the system he was long familiar with, Shirou stood up and patted the dust off his body.
"Sella, help me see if I missed a spot."
Sella looked at him with her beautiful red eyes, "Turn around."
Shirou turned.
Sella carefully inspected.
"There's a spot," She reached out her pale hand, patted Shirou's back lightly twice, then complained, "Won't come off, just take it off and change clothes."
Shirou was silent.
"You can hit harder, I won't complain," He added quietly.
"Stop talking nonsense!", Sella slammed the broom handle on the floor with her right hand, left hand on her hip, angrily saying, "I said take it off, so take it off!"
"Right here?"
"What if someone sees you? Pervert!"
'More than calling me a pervert, you're worried someone might see me?'
In the end, Shirou really did return to his room and changed his clothes.
Though it wasn't necessary at all.
With maxed-out housekeeping, Shirou had cleaned the shed so thoroughly it was reflective, any mischievous dust sprites had been wiped out by the justice-fueled partner in full reverse mode.
But Sella insisted, so he had no choice.
Poke! Poke!
His stomach got poked twice.
Shirou calmly pulled down his shirt and said, "Liz, don't get so close. You'll blush again."
"Blush?", Dazed Liz blinked and raised the finger she used to poke, "Won't happen… Shirou's not strong. Needs training."
"What?", Shirou felt like he just heard the biggest lie ever.
'I am not strong?'
Muscle Strength: B, Agility: A, Endurance: A, this kind of Servant.
'Not strong?'
'Say that again?'
He immediately opened his status screen to prove it to Liz.
Then he saw his own Muscle Strength as D, and Agility as C.
Status screen:
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Name: Emiya Shirou]
[Age: Already a grown-up]
[Muscle Strength: D]
[Endurance: C]
[Agility: C]
[Mana: E]
[Charisma: EX]
[Skills: Housekeeping: EX, Writing: D, High Jump: ?, Sleeping: D, Swordsmanship: C, Archery: A+, Hand-to-Hand Combat: E]
[Magic: Projection Magic: EA++]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Shirou: "???"
Three question marks expressed his confusion.
'What's going on, where's my fully-upgraded luxury sports car?'
'How come I've turned into a tractor?'
Alright, he roughly remembered what happened.
Because his style was completely incompatible with Berserker, he almost forgot he was one.
So, after losing Berserker traits, did he return to being that trash with under-5 combat power?
Not exactly, maybe more like 7.
At least he brought back the proper skills.
But... Looking at the E-rank Mana on his status screen, and his body, truly like a peach drained of all juice, Shirou let out a deep sigh.
He had the skills, but his body couldn't keep up.
With that bit of mana, forget opening his Reality Marble, even projecting Kanshou and Bakuya twice would nearly kill him.
And with that Muscle Strength, how many pounds of bow could he pull?
Right now, he had become a treasure hunter with all the treasure, but could only look and not touch.
It was so heartbreaking.
'Damn System-san, be human, will you!'
Shirou cursed the system bitterly in his heart.
["Shall I enhance Muscle Strength through training?"]
Turns out, AI can also be unintelligent.
Shirou wanted it to help grow apples, it only told him how to plant apples, without even considering the cost of land.
Is that okay?
"Don't be sad. Train more, Shirou," Thinking she had made him sulk, Liz consoled him.
"That's it!", Shirou, like a normal person suddenly deciding to sign up for a triathlon with the world champion, declared with firm resolve, "Starting today, I'll become the king of the world, I'll stand above the heavens!"
"I say, what are you two sneaky ones doing in the room?", Housemaid Sella's forehead vein popped out.
The wooden tub filled with laundry in her hand looked ready to be thrown at any moment.
Just after declaring he would become king of the world, Shirou replied with a calm face, "Nothing, just changing clothes."
"Oh~ changing clothes?", Sella's face darkened, "Ten minutes changing clothes, and you haven't taken off a single piece?"
"Shirou, if you've got Alzheimer's already, just say so. Though I'm reluctant, for the young lady's sake, I'll mercifully take care of you for life," As she said this, her eyes grew terrifying like Mikasa trying to take Eren back from Reiner, "But if you're fine, then hurry up and get changed and go to school. I'll call Fujimura-sensei, if you don't show up at the academy, you're dead!"
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