Fate: Emiya the Host

After coaxing Illya to sleep, Sella gave her thanks to Shirou, "Well done, Berserker. I reluctantly acknowledge your qualifications as Illya-sama's Servant."

"Instead of wasting words here, why don't you go make more food to replenish my mana?", Shirou leaned against the wall outside the door, unmoving.

Beside him was Liz, standing in standard posture.

Of course, Shirou was no different, like a soldier, with a similarly expressionless face. They looked like a perfectly matched pair.

"Huh? Didn't you say it was bad?"

Before Sella could show off, Shirou bluntly said, "It's exactly because it's bad that I want you to make more. I don't want Illya to eat such awful food during a duel."

"Y-you, what did you say?", Sella couldn't help but step back, revealing a stage-worthy expression.

"Y-you really dare say that, Berserker. A mere Servant who can't even remember his own name."

"Don't I have a name? Berserker."

"That's…"

"Alright, go now. You don't want to lose to me and let Illya eat only my food from now on, do you?"

"D-damn it!", Sella cried.

"Liz, could it be my cooking really is that bad?", she asked.

"Sella…'s food… makes Liz… break."

Pffft!

That blow did even more damage. Sella collapsed to the ground, drawing circles.

"Why even Liz…"

"It's all your fault, Servant!", Sella resurrected at full HP and gave Shirou a deadly glare.

Shirou ignored her.

"Liz, carry him to the kitchen," Sella commanded.

Liz was about to move when Shirou calmly stopped her, "Wait, I'll walk myself."

"Are you trying to disturb Illya-sama's sleep?", Sella glared.

"Even so, there should be other options besides carrying," Shirou meant using a trolley or gurney or something.

The Einzbern castle should have those.

"Options?", Sella misunderstood, her pupils widening, face blushing red.

"You… you actually had that kind of idea! You frivolous bastard!"

'Did I say something I shouldn't have?', Shirou's expression remained calm, but he was inwardly confused.

Liz grabbed Shirou's shoulders, turned him to face her, blinked her doe-like eyes, and softly said, "Indeed… mana transfer… carrying you over… not as good as hugging."

"What?", Shirou hadn't yet reacted. The next second, his eyes nearly popped out of his head, completely stunned by the scene before him.

Soft, sweet, fragrant aroma enveloped him.

"L-L-L-LIZ!", Sella let out a scream.

If the room weren't soundproof, Illya would have woken up and destroyed the world.

Even Shirou almost snapped awake, justice incarnate nearly turned dark.

Under his dazed gaze, Liz kissed for a while, then pulled back, tilting her head in confusion.

"Berserker, must… open mouth… or the mana… won't transfer."

"I-it's fine to just carry me! I'm sorry, I was being too picky. I'm guilty."

Even his A-rank Absolute Rationality crumbled instantly, clearly, Liz's action had left a major impact on Shirou's young heart.

Liz instead seemed unsatisfied with his rejection, "No! Once started… must finish!"

'Could she not say that so fluently?'

Thankfully, his rationality returned. Shirou knew, he had to leave it to Sella to deal with this.

Sure enough, the stunned Sella finally recovered and rushed over to drag Liz away.

Thanks to his Servant-level sharpness, Shirou could hear every word Sella yelled at Liz.

In his mind, the scene from earlier replayed.

'Those soft lips with their natural mood, no! Can't think about it anymore, I'm about to lose my mind again."

'I must protest!'

To calm down, Shirou pulled up his status panel: Absolute Rationality.

'Didn't you exchange emotion for Absolute Rationality? It was just a kiss. Do you really need to overreact like this?'

———

A whole hour passed, and Sella returned with a blackened face and a sulky Liz.

"Berserker! You better behave and don't get any ideas about Liz! Or else I'll…"

"Or else what?", Shirou suddenly asked.

Sella's ears turned red, and she glared at him, "Stop talking! Liz, carry him."

She wasn't going to say she'd sacrifice herself, 'This guy will definitely take advantage of it.'

Shirou didn't refuse… mainly because he was afraid Liz would go for round two.

———

"Why aren't you moving yet, Liz?", Sella had already walked far ahead, but Liz remained still.

If she had the strength, Sella wouldn't let Berserker get this close to Liz.

"L-L-Liz…", Liz stuttered, unable to say a full sentence.

Shirou keenly sensed Liz's breathing rhythm and heartbeat, 'Something is off.'

And there was a barely noticeable blush on her cheeks.

'This look… this look…'

'She's embarrassed, isn't she?'

'You weren't embarrassed earlier, but you're embarrassed now?'

'That reaction time is way too delayed!'

Shirou's CPU nearly fried. The two maids of the Einzbern family… were not as he expected.

———

After many twists and turns, Shirou finally entered the kitchen.

For someone universally acknowledged by the system as having EX-rank culinary skills, entering the kitchen felt like coming home.

He relaxed.

"At last, I'm here."

Holding her breath to prevent her maid uniform from getting oily, Sella changed into an apron and neatly tied her beautiful silver-white short hair back.

Rolling up her sleeves, her arms were slim, her skin snow white.

"Let me show you the cooking skills of the Einzbern head maid!", Sella, now in the kitchen, radiated mysterious confidence.

She headed to the refrigerator, no, it was an alchemical and rune-based cold storage, and fetched ingredients.

The Einzbern family, like most magi, rarely used modern tech.

Let alone something as high-tech as a refrigerator.

While getting the ingredients, Sella thought of Liz and said, "Liz, go watch over Illya-sama first."

"Mm."

Though a bit reluctant, Liz understood priorities, bowed slightly to Shirou, and prepared to leave.

Shirou nodded to her. After what just happened, he couldn't treat Liz like nothing happened.

That was his first kiss in two lifetimes, of immense value. Although, technically, this was just his Servant form.

'Which means… my first kiss still counts?'

'Wait no, maybe that's even worse?'

'What if I turn into a Servant again someday and gets kissed forcibly?'

"What are you spacing out for, Berserker!", A spatula bonked his head. Sella stood with one hand on her hip like a feisty little kitchen girl.

Only now, the little kitchen girl was angry.

"I warn you, don't get any ideas about Liz."

"What are you worried about?", Shirou asked, completely unfazed, "I'm just a Servant. When the Holy Grail War ends, I'll vanish. What could I possibly do?"

Sella's imposing air faltered. She turned around, back facing Shirou, "Y-you know that yourself, then. Fine, I'm starting to cook. You better eat it all, no wasting."

"Of course," Shirou nodded. He wasn't someone who wasted food.

Even the awful mashed potatoes earlier, he'd eaten it all. He didn't believe Sella could make anything worse than that.

———

Half an hour later, after finishing whole-wheat bread with egg and milk, Shirou was expressionless.

He retracted his previous words. This girl had no cooking skills at all.

Why were the eggs boiled together with milk? As for the hardness of the whole-wheat bread, he hadn't tasted Gawain's mashed potatoes, so he couldn't judge.

He'd compare the two after he tried Gawain's mashed potatoes someday, see which one was better for building walls.

"What is it?", Sella growled, "Is it really that bad?"

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