For now, the hot pot was ready.
The bowls were small, but since there was plenty of meat and rice, it was fine.
The problem was Artoria.
"What is it?"
"Don't eat everything."
"You seem to think I'm some kind of food vacuum!"
As everyone nodded at those words, Artoria could only hang her head in embarrassment and blush.
"Actually, the amount Artoria ate when she was eating 'lightly' was about 5 bowls of rice, 1000g of meat, 100g of kimchi, and 200g of salad, right?"
"Is that figure accurate?"
"No, it's an estimate. The margin of error is about 100g to 1,000g?"
"...What can I do if it's delicious..."
Eventually, her face turned beet red, and steam could be seen rising from her head.
"It's okay. Medea will take care of everything. She can make plants grow huge, and while meat is tricky, she's also thinking about a livestock farm."
"I feel like Medea is proving that the Caster class is wrong."
"Anyway, we have plenty of ingredients prepared. Let's eat."
"Okay."
"Munch, munch..."
Just then, a massive amount of magical energy was felt as the door opened, revealing Medea.
"I'm here."
"Medea, come eat."
"Yes~"
We put more meat into the hot pot to cook, and while waiting for it to be ready, we ate the vegetables from the pot.
In the process, only Tamamo's outfit was different, so many gazes were directed at her, but Tamamo just ate under the burdensome stares.
"By the way, it's Boudica, right?"
"Oh? You know me?"
"Hmm... no, we've never met directly, but I just know of you. Specifically, centering around the story of Rome... and that you're related to Nero?"
"Ah? I see. I don't know how you know, but... well, you are the winner of the 4th Holy Grail War. You must have your ways."
"Hmm... well, if you want incarnation, just ask."
"Hmm... okay. What do you think of Rome?"
"...I don't know about Rome, but Nero is truly a pitiful case... That much is certain."
"Heh? I didn't expect you to say that in front of me, who hates Rome, but there must be a reason?"
There was a hint of killing intent in Boudica's words, but it was closer to anger.
"Hmm... Nero originally belonged to the category of love and passion. But his mother fed him special poisons from a young age to make him an emperor and a puppet. When Nero became emperor and entered a rebellious phase... I don't know if his mother was executed by him, but she died under the pretext that she tried to poison him, and those related to her died one by one upon hearing the news.
However, Nero suffered from migraines due to the poison, and as a result, he couldn't make proper judgments.
As a result, Rome rejected the emperor, and the emperor tried to die in the wilderness, but there was no one on that stage. As a result, he couldn't die until the sun set three times, but in the end, he surely must have died.
But thinking that no one recognized his death... I don't know if he was alive, but maybe a soldier came and he left the words 'Thank you...' behind. It's just a possibility... some parts might be different from what I know."
I couldn't remember Nero's story completely.
There were stories about Nero's mother dying and Nero poisoning people related to his mother, but the point was to say what I knew, so it wasn't a definitive story.
"It sounds somewhat detailed. It feels like you've seen Nero's past..."
"Hmm... Boudica was around during the time of Emperor Nero... I only know that she fought in anger against the tyranny over Rome. And in the end, she met her demise, but she was called the 'Queen of Victory' of Britain."
Boudica scratched her cheek and said:
"Heh~ It's somewhat discriminatory, but I guess I should be glad you know? If you didn't know anything, this big sister would have been hurt. By the way, what do you think about Nero?"
"I can only say he was a pitiful emperor. He belonged to a great category with the imperial regime, but due to bad parents from birth, he suffered from migraines forever, and because he harbored the ideal that Nero's love should be returned as much as it was given, the Roman people couldn't endure it and rebelled. In a way, it feels like the concept of love was twisted because of one bad parent?"
"Ugh... I feel like I understand, but also not."
"Mikon! For now, let's just enjoy the meal. The atmosphere has become gloomy!"
"Right, let's eat too, Big Sis Boudica."
"Yeah... well, can't be helped."
Meanwhile, Artoria had eaten everything in the hot pot.
It seems she was listening while going "nom, nom, nom" during our conversation.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"I didn't even think you'd eat it all by yourself during that conversation..."
"Mikon, indeed. How can there be such a glutton?"
"Yeah... Big Sis Artoria was wrong too. To think she'd eat it all in that situation..."
"Why is no one on my side!?"
Does she ask because she doesn't know?
Eating deliciously alone while a gloomy conversation is going on is wrong in itself.
And it seems the nutrients go to her chest instead of her stomach.
"That person named Nero is quite pitiful too... But you said 'possibility'. What does that mean?"
"Hmm... For now, there are two routes for suicide in the wilderness. One is the route where a soldier comes and he accepts death. The other is the route where no one comes, and he can't die out of resentment and becomes a Beast. If he becomes a Beast, he drinks from the Grail of Wealth he possesses and makes a wish to the Grail, and as a result... I don't know what happens after that. For now, Nero has been observed to be alive."
At that, Boudica said in surprise:
"Alive? Isn't he dead? What does it mean that he's alive now?"
"It means she became the Whore of Babylon.
She was born as an Evil of Humanity, a Beast, and because she didn't want to acknowledge that stage, she made a wish to the poisoned Grail...
I don't know the current situation, but I don't know if a Holy Grail War is taking place in Rome on December 15th, estimated to be Nero's birthday, or if it's happening in the Reverse Side of the World."
"Yeah... the emperor is really... no. It's meaningless for me to say anything, but what's your name? You know my name, but you haven't told me yours? It feels a bit unfair."
"I'm Akira. Please take care of Shirou from now on, Boudica."
At my words, Boudica scratched her head and blushed slightly.
"No, I should be the one asking... 'It sounds like you're giving permission for this marriage! Ah, what's wrong with me? My delusions are going too far!!! Snap out of it, Boudica!!'"
It seems Shirou has already conquered Boudica.
That harem protagonist!
Well, Artoria is excluded in this route.
Still, did he conquer her in just a few days?
'But... wasn't Boudica a married woman?'
Imagining Shirou becoming a married woman killer like Lancelot, I put meat into the hot pot broth.
Thinking about it only gives me a headache.
The only relief is that considering the Lancelot on our side has entered sage mode, the NTR route won't happen.
"By the way, where did those two go?"
"Traveling the world..."
"What about Miyu?"
"School... or she's been kidnapped by Big Sis Illya, one of the two."
Well, I thought it might be fortunate that she wasn't in the Holy Grail War.
"Well, anyway, got it. But kidnapped?"
"Ah, ah, how should I put it? Big Brother says, 'Illya's switch has flipped again,' right?"
"Ah~ hmm... will she be okay?"
"...Probably? Better than me, I think."
"Senior..."
I recalled Shirou's dark history.
Well, compared to that, Miyu is a girl, so... she'll be fine, right?
"What, is she going to dress her in animal costumes or clothes that would get her arrested?"
"If it's Big Sis Illya... definitely."
Shirou Emiya showed that his trust in Illya was quite low.
"Your trust in your sister is too low, isn't it?"
"It's a kind of experience..."
"Understood. By the way, aren't you going to school?"
"Ah? Big Sis Taiga asked me to make a sword. So it's a forced vacation today. Big Sis Taiga pays me over 100 million won (10 million yen), so it's not hard to make a living, and except for metals... well? I don't spend extravagantly, do I?"
"That's true..."
From Shirou's perspective, it was just a sword, but in Taiga's family, it was treated as a famous sword.
He was recognized as a blacksmith, but Shirou didn't recognize himself and was looking higher.
When I had eaten about a plate of meat, I spoke.
"Munch, munch, for now, Rin, Sakura, Shirou, and Caster are allies. There's no reason to make a mess of the Holy Grail War anyway... so it doesn't matter, but Caster's Master was killed by Caster and picked up by me. Then there's Saber's Master and Lancer's Master. Saber's Master is a distant neighbor of Rin, and the Heroic Spirit is Gawain of the Round Table. Lancer's Master is Bazett from the Mage's Association, and she's a carrier of tradition. However, she's treated poorly by the Mage's Association, almost discriminated against, but it's certain that she's skilled enough to beat a Servant in combat. Her Servant is the unlucky guy, Cú Chulainn~"
At my words, Artoria's expression became serious.
"Gawain, you say."
"Alright. I should participate in the Holy Grail War too! I can check the Servants' skills and examine their weapons while I'm at it. If it gets dangerous, Big Sis Boudica can protect me."
"I feel like a prince on a white horse?"
This... combination feels like a gender reversal? Originally, the Master should fight from the back and the Servant from the front... but Shirou is burning with fighting spirit and trying to go to the front.
Well, he learned a lot from Artoria, so it shouldn't matter, but I'm really worried about him facing Servants.
Well, would Ruby, who goes "Sero~", kill Shirou? I thought, but it was clear that those genes mostly liked "Shero~".
"Anyway, Ruby has a similar personality to Rin, so I don't think she'll try to kill the Master... but it's a battle against a Servant. Be careful."
"Got it. Then what about Lancer's Master?"
I thought about Lancer's Master, but nothing particular came to mind.
"Her skills are human, but as a magus, she's a third-rate human with ambiguous humanity... so won't it be okay? Her Sealing Designation enforcement seems ruthless beyond redemption... but my information is just speculation, so Shirou, you have to judge for yourself."
"Well, anyway, got it. But I don't know about Rin. Will she fight?"
"Ah... right. The Servant Rin contracted with is named Shirou Emiya."
"What?"
"Yes?"
"What did you say?"
"Mikon!?"
Everyone seemed surprised, but I continued.
"To be precise, he's a Shirou Emiya who survived in a world where the contamination of Fuyuki spread and was saved by Kiritsugu. He's a Shirou from a timeline that inherited that ideal."
"What does that mean?"
"Artoria, you know Kiritsugu's tendency to save the many and kill the few, right? And the Grail was corrupted. And even if you make a wish, it would exterminate humanity to create peace, right? Then, to save humanity, Saber would destroy the Grail with her Noble Phantasm, but even if the vessel is broken, the contents inside aren't erased, leading to a disaster route. In that timeline, not me, but an abnormal Gilles de Rais appears."
"If Akira hadn't been here... it wouldn't be strange for such a thing to happen. But how do you know so well when you don't have Clairvoyance?"
"I won't take any questions after this... mystery is better, right? Anyway, the current Shirou and the future Heroic Spirit Shirou are the same person, but you should see them as Shirous from completely different worlds meeting each other."
"Hmm... in conclusion, it means the me who saw hell is meeting the me who lived an ordinary life?"
"Right. If that Shirou specialized in Projection Magecraft, then our Shirou specialized in making real swords."
"Fake and real... well, fine. But honestly, I was in hell too... a huge one at that..."
Then, Boudica stroked Shirou's head and said:
"Don't talk like an old man already~ Shirou is still young, right? I believe there will be happy days ahead."
"Hmm... is that so?"
In their conversation, I started to see an exploitation route.
'I'm somewhat worried.'
Then Sakura pulled on my clothes and said:
"What happens to me?"
"...Assuming you weren't saved, what would happen?"
"Ah... ah..."
Sakura understood in that instant.
Her self, tormented by Matou's worms and unsaved.
"For now, you didn't die. After that..."
I looked at Shirou, and Sakura nodded as if she understood.
"Please don't say it!"
Well, I just hope she doesn't interpret the story I told as a match made in heaven.
And so, we enjoyed the hot pot and shabu-shabu, and each returned to our homes.
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