Shirou said he wanted to fix things with Sara, but he couldn't find the right way to do it.
Right now, Sara not only really dislikes him, she doesn't even want to see him, let alone talk to him.
This made Shirou think back to a long time ago, when he first met Eris. Something similar happened with Eris, who was also a rich young lady.
How did Shirou fix things with Eris back then?
Looking back, it just happened naturally.
However, before the kidnapping, Shirou tried using his Servant Emiya identity to approach her in a different way.
Because how people see each other is greatly affected by first impressions.
Unless something special happens, that first impression is often remembered for life.
If you make a bad first impression, it's really hard to get someone to accept you. But if you make a good one, things go much smoother.
Shirou's idea back then was to change his image and create a new first impression, so that Eris, who disliked him, would be willing to talk to him.
So, now that he's in a similar situation with Sara, should he do the same thing?
Shirou thought about it for a long time, but finally gave up on the idea.
Trying to be clever in any situation can lead to the opposite of what you want.
Shirou had already decided to do things the right way, to work hard to achieve what he wanted. Whether it was getting stronger or dealing with people, he had to take it one step at a time.
So, Shirou decided to go see Sara.
Even though Sara might not want to see him, he was determined to tell her what he was thinking.
"Okay."
The next morning, after getting ready, Shirou went to Sara's tent, ready to talk things over.
Surprisingly, there was no one around her tent. It seemed like she had gone out early to scout ahead.
Worried he would miss her, Shirou quickly walked over and lifted the flap of the tent.
He was in a hurry and forgot to announce himself.
However, this is common among adventurers. In harsh conditions, people don't worry too much about everyday manners.
Shirou didn't think much of it, but after lifting the flap, he suddenly realized he had made a mistake.
Because he saw fair, delicate skin, and a blonde girl taking off her coat and pants, apparently changing her underwear.
For adventurers, who often go on assignments lasting months, changing clothes happens very rarely, so the odds of this happening are very small.
But Shirou was either incredibly lucky or incredibly unlucky…
In any case, he caught Sara changing.
"..."
The atmosphere suddenly became very awkward.
Sara was frozen with one foot in her pants, staring blankly at Shirou, who had burst into the tent. She didn't seem to realize what was happening yet.
After a moment, she finally understood the situation. Her cheeks turned red very quickly, and she shouted at Shirou, who was standing there cluelessly, "How long are you going to keep watching!"
"S-sorry!"
Hearing Sara's angry shout, Shirou realized his mistake, quickly dropped the tent flap, and hurried out.
"Ha…"
Standing on the snowy ground, Shirou sighed.
He really didn't expect to have this kind of experience, like the main character in a romantic comedy, stumbling upon a risqué situation.
But the problem was, his goal was to improve his relationship with Sara.
Now, not only would that not happen, but their relationship might even get worse.
Meanwhile, Sara stayed inside the tent longer than usual. By the time Shirou was shivering in the cold and starting to get a runny nose, she finally came out dressed.
Because of what had just happened, the blonde girl's cheeks were still slightly flushed.
But she didn't get angry about it. Instead, she changed the subject and asked, "What's going on that you're here so early?"
Seeing Sara's reaction, Shirou realized it was because of her pride.
Sara considered herself an adventurer, and in the life of an adventurer, things like what had just happened couldn't be avoided.
If she made a big deal out of such a small thing, she couldn't maintain her pride as an adventurer.
While secretly thanking Sara's pride for saving him, Shirou followed her lead and said, "I wanted to talk about last night."
"Last night?"
Hearing Shirou's words, a dark look appeared on Sara's face. The blush on her cheeks quickly faded.
Clearly, she was more concerned about the match last night than what had just happened.
"What do you want to say? Are you here to make fun of me?"
Shirou realized Sara's patience was running out, so he quickly said, "No, um, you might get angry at what I'm about to say, but I think I have to ask you anyway – Sara, do you want to learn archery from me?"
"Learn archery from you?"
Hearing Shirou's words, Sara's eyebrows shot up, as if to say, "Are you kidding? Are you here to make fun of me?"
Shirou quickly explained, "I know you're concerned about the difference in our abilities. But talent is something you're born with. It's a sign of life's unfairness. But I also know that you're not the kind of person who would be limited by talent, who would give up just because there's a difference in skill. If there's a difference in talent, you find ways to make up for it, to cross the gap. I think that's what you're thinking."
"..."
Shirou's words made Sara silent.
Watching Sara's expression, Shirou became a little nervous.
Because what he had just said was essentially his own thinking, the thoughts that came from his own heart.
It might not be Sara's way of thinking, it might not match her ideas.
But Shirou wanted to believe that Sara had the same thoughts as him, because he could deeply feel the effort she had put into practicing archery from her skills.
These were things that could only be developed with a strong will and great courage.
Sure enough, after hearing Shirou's words, Sara was silent for a long time, but finally nodded in agreement.
Although her face was still full of unwillingness, even shame, she gritted her teeth and said, "Hmph, since you said that, how can I refuse?"
"I knew it."
"Hmph, but don't get too cocky. If you can't help my archery improve, I won't recognize you!"
"Don't worry, I will."
Shirou had great confidence in his archery skills.
As long as Sara was willing to learn from him, he had overcome the hardest part. What he had to do next would be easier.
Next, Shirou began to teach Sara how to shoot.
As the caravan continued on its way, Shirou often took Sara into the forest.
He didn't teach her the basics, like how to draw a bow or how to aim. Sara was probably more familiar with that than anyone.
What Shirou taught Sara was the more basic idea of archery, which was why the arrow hits the target.
Shirou's arrows always hit the target.
But he wasn't always accurate.
When he first started using a bow and arrow, Shirou often missed the target.
He was confused. Why did the arrow he imagined reaching its target often miss in reality?
Shirou first thought it was because his will wasn't strong enough, that his belief in shooting the arrow wasn't strong enough to turn his imaginary into reality.
But he soon realized he was wrong.
An arrow is different from a person. An arrow itself has no goal or belief.
The moment an arrow is placed on the bowstring, it has only one purpose: to reach the bullseye.
So, to ensure that a shot arrow never misses, you don't need to strengthen your belief and shoot with your will. Instead, you should erase your own will, destroy all your beliefs and thoughts, and become like the arrow on the bowstring, hitting the target without conscious thought.
Thanks to his years of experience as Eris's tutor, Shirou was able to refine his thoughts and explain them to Sara with practical demonstrations.
Sara naturally couldn't understand it at first. Her pride and strong desire to win made it impossible for her to reach a state of emptiness.
But Shirou wasn't in a hurry.
A state of emptiness is extremely difficult to reach. Unless you're a genius, it's difficult for normal people to reach it easily.
So, he simply showed Sara the normal path, making sure she wouldn't go down the wrong path or get lost.
Whether she could reach the end of that path would depend on her own efforts and luck.
That's how normal people are. What a genius can reach from the start, a normal person often has to spend a lifetime on, with a lot of luck, to even see a glimpse of hope.
As for whether they can stand firm on that highest peak and truly become a strong person on par with a genius, it takes a lot more blood, sweat, and effort.
Watching Sara struggling on the path of ordinary people, Shirou couldn't help but think of himself in the same situation and couldn't help but have complicated thoughts.
Of course, in the process, the relationship between Shirou and Sara gradually improved, just as Shirou had planned.
At least Sara no longer scowled at him as she used to, and she was able to show him some normal attitude.
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