Simulator in Type-moon, Starting with becoming Morgan husband!

Chapter 90: Truly an impressive skill for interacting with the opposite gender, even I, Fou, am humbled

"Um..."

The pink-haired girl clasped her hands to her chest, her expression hesitant.

"If possible, could you refrain from greeting me by touching my chest?"

"This makes me feel..."

She glanced at Ian, who stood opposite her, her gaze complicated.

"...makes me feel like you're a pervert."

Her assessment was delivered in such a gentle tone that Ian felt as though his heart was pierced by a needle, only to have a bandage immediately applied over the wound.

He glared at the "culprit," Fou, standing beside him.

Yet, it seemed as though the little creature didn't see any problem with its actions.

There was no other choice.

Ian resigned himself to his bad luck—could he really explain that it was all part of Fou's plan? A... cat?

That would sound like a clumsy excuse at best.

He offered a sincere apology.

"I'm sorry, though I understand you might not accept my explanation."

"But I still want to say—this was truly an unintended accident."

"..."

The pink-haired girl blinked her violet eyes, as beautiful as violet flowers. After a brief moment of hesitation, she gave a sweet smile and nodded.

"I understand."

"If that's the case, then let's just consider it an accident."

The sudden change in her attitude left Ian somewhat uneasy.

"It may be a bit presumptuous, but if you have any grievances, there's really no need to hold them in."

"Even though I've apologized, the fact remains that I was at fault. I'm willing to accept any punishment from you."

"There's no need for that."

The pink-haired girl shook her head.

"I think... if even Fou doesn't show hostility toward you, then I'm willing to believe that this was all just an accident."

Hearing this, Ian realized that at some point, Fou had moved to stand right by his feet.

If not for the earlier incident, at this moment, the creature would have seemed nothing more than a harmless pet in Ian's eyes.

This made him aware of something:

Fou likely held special significance for the girl in front of him.

But regardless, since she was willing to let the matter go, there was no need to delve further into the reasons behind it.

After all, he needed her help, and their encounter was purely coincidental.

He had to try to leave a good impression.

"Alright, you're truly a kind-hearted girl."

"Speaking of which, I don't think I know your name yet. Could you tell me now?"

"Ah, of course!"

The pink-haired girl straightened herself and introduced herself in a formal, respectful tone:

"My name is Mash Kyrielight, a member of The Organization for the Preservation of Human Order, Finis Chaldea. Pleased to meet you!"

"..."

The girl who called herself Mash gave a serious introduction.

This prompted Ian to respond with equal seriousness.

"Oh... that's a wonderful name."

"Really?" Mash blushed slightly. "When I received this name, I thought so too."

"Then—"

"In return, shouldn't you tell me your name as well?"

"You're right." Ian nodded.

"I'm Ian."

After introducing himself, he thought for a moment and added:

"More specifically, Ian Pendragon."

"Ian Pendragon?!"

Mash's astonishment was palpable.

"A name so similar to the legendary King Arthur?"

The image of Artoria flashed in Ian's mind, stirring a wave of bittersweet emotions.

"Um... yes, that's right."

At that moment, Fou, standing beside him, suddenly interjected:

"Fou Fou, Fou Fou Fou."

Instinctively, Ian "translated" its words.

"What do you mean by, 'That clearly wasn't the name you gave earlier. Did you just add it to impress the girl?'"

"Do I look like the type to do that?"

"Huh? Impress me?"

Mash was even more surprised.

"Ian-senpai, you're really…"

Ian was about to explain the truth to Mash when he suddenly felt a gaze from below.

Looking down, he saw Fou staring up at him.

"Fou Fou."

"..."

Fou's voice was soft, almost subdued, yet it was enough for Ian to understand.

"Don't carelessly reveal that you can understand what I'm saying. It'll only cause trouble."

Despite the subtle threat in its tone, Ian couldn't deny the logic.

If he told Mash that he could understand Fou, it would inevitably lead to another question:

Why could he understand it?

And that would spark an endless chain of events.

Too much of a headache.

Compared to the chaos that might ensue, hiding this ability was clearly the easier option.

"Oh... it's nothing."

Ian smiled, brushing it off to change the subject.

"I was just mumbling to myself."

"By the way, Mash, what are you doing here?"

"Oh—if you're asking that…"

Mash looked down at Fou near Ian's feet.

"I was looking for it, and then…"

Her face turned a little red, likely recalling the embarrassing moment earlier.

Ian finally understood what Fou's "reasonable explanation" earlier actually meant.

So, this little creature had been playing along the whole time, huh?

"Well, that's good to know."

Ian smiled warmly at Mash.

"Now that you've found it, there's no need to worry anymore, right?"

"Umu~"

Mash smiled back.

"Senpai is right."

"Fou, come here~"

As soon as Mash called, Fou, who had been putting on airs in front of Ian, instantly transformed into an obedient, adorable pet.

It leapt gracefully into Mash's arms, then climbed onto her shoulder, curling up comfortably.

Its lazy, carefree demeanor was a stark contrast to before.

Or rather, it was now acting like a proper cat (for lack of a better term).

Fou even turned back to meet Ian's gaze, its expression brimming with smugness.

"Fou Fou (You can't be jealous now)."

This little creature's personality was truly insufferable.

As Ian was deep in thought, Mash suddenly spoke up:

"So, what about you, Ian-senpai?"

"Why are you here with Fou?"

Ian hesitated for a moment before looking at Mash in front of him. He decided to be upfront about his purpose.

"Mash, actually, I came here to find you."

"To find me?" The girl seemed surprised.

"That's right," Ian nodded. "Because you're the only person I've interacted with, so when I encountered a problem, you were the first person I thought of."

"Uh…"

For some reason, hearing those words seemed to please Mash greatly.

She nodded seriously.

"I understand!"

"Then—"

"Ian-senpai, may I ask what this is about?"

"Ahem," Ian cleared his throat.

"To be honest, I currently know almost nothing about Chaldea. I didn't fully understand what was explained to me earlier either."

"Mash, though it might trouble you, could you guide me around Chaldea and answer some of my questions?"

"This…"

Perhaps Mash hadn't expected Ian to make such a request, as her expression showed a hint of surprise.

But she quickly responded.

"I understand!"

"If Ian-senpai wishes for that, then please allow me to take on the task!"

"Ah, Mash—"

"Yes, senpai?"

"Well, here's the thing…" Ian spoke with a trace of helplessness. "You don't really need to call me senpai, right? In terms of time here, you probably arrived before me."

"What you say does seem correct."

Mash seemed to be contemplating something as she nodded lightly.

"But, senpai, you're older than me. I feel that if I don't address you this way, it would seem quite impolite."

"So… you can think of it as a way to acknowledge the age difference, rather than who arrived first, okay?"

At this point, Ian could only agree.

"I see."

"Good, then." Mash smiled softly.

"Please follow me this way."

Under Mash's guidance, Ian finally had the chance to properly observe the area he was in for the first time.

Although the size of the room he'd been in earlier gave him a vague sense of Chaldea's scale, the official tour made it feel far more tangible.

Chaldea was enormous.

The corridors connecting various sections formed an intricate, three-dimensional network, much like overpasses in a city.

On top of that, countless staff members passed by Ian constantly.

By corporate standards, the scale of this facility could easily place it among the world's top 500 companies.

"So then—"

Mash walked ahead, turning back to ask Ian,

"Senpai, is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"Let's start with Chaldea."

Ian responded without hesitation.

At the very least, he needed to understand the nature of the place he was in.

"If we're talking about Chaldea, then…"

Mash placed a finger on her chin, her expression becoming seriously thoughtful.

"Explaining it in detail is a bit complicated."

"So, I'll describe it like this—"

"Chaldea is both a research and observation center that brings together researchers from all fields, whether it's magic or science, with the goal of ensuring that human history continues to thrive and endure."

"Oh… That already sounds impressive."

"Exactly!" Mash nodded. "As long as you're inside here, it's extremely safe!"

"Even if something like a gas explosion happens outside, this place definitely won't be affected!"

"That's quite an unusual comparison, Mash," Ian chuckled.

"But it helps someone clueless like me understand immediately."

Hearing that, Mash became serious.

"Senpai, how can you say you're clueless?"

"You're a member of Team A. No matter what, that makes you an exceptional person!"

Once again, Ian heard that familiar phrase: Team A.

He probed further.

"Does being in Team A automatically mean someone is outstanding?"

"Absolutely!"

"How outstanding?"

"That… I'm not entirely sure," Mash admitted honestly. "But I've heard that anyone who can join Team A is considered practically a monster in their own right."

"But—"

"But what?" Ian pressed.

"It's just that… I'm also part of Team A, but I don't feel I live up to the description of being a 'monster' like people say."

"So, I still have my doubts about that..."

Mash's voice grew softer and softer, clearly showing her discomfort at being part of Team A when Ian brought it up.

Ian thought for a moment, then tried to reassure her.

"In that case, I think calling Team A that is still pretty accurate."

"Huh?" Mash blinked her beautiful purple eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Oh… it's simple," Ian replied with a friendly smile, looking at Mash.

"Being a monster of kindness is still a form of greatness, isn't it?"

"That..."

Realizing Ian was trying to comfort her, Mash became even more flustered.

She lowered her head, looking quite shy.

Meanwhile, Fou, perched lazily on her shoulder, began to tease them:

"Fou Fou Fou, Fou Fou, Fou (Truly an impressive skill for interacting with the opposite gender, even I, Fou, am humbled)."

"I'm not nearly as good as you," Ian shot back. "Didn't you just brag earlier about understanding all the women in Chaldea?"

"What?"

Mash's face turned red as she looked up.

"The women of Chaldea? What do you mean?"

"Nothing," Ian glared at Fou, then shifted his gaze back to Mash.

"Mash, may I ask you another question?"

"Of course!"

Because of Ian's earlier kind words, Mash's impression of him had shifted from "a cheeky senpai" to "a cheeky senpai who knows how to comfort others."

"Please, go ahead."

"I've heard them mention terms like 'Magecraft,' 'Master,' and 'Servant.' What exactly are those?"

"Huh?"

Mash looked genuinely puzzled.

"Things like that… shouldn't senpai know them better than me?"

"..."

Ian didn't even try to pretend to understand.

He admitted his ignorance outright:

"Sorry, I honestly don't grasp these concepts, so I was hoping you could help me understand."

"Hmm..."

Mash was silent for a moment before smiling sympathetically.

"I see."

"Then let me explain all of that to you, Ian-senpai!"

"That's fantastic."

Ian let out a small sigh of relief—his judgment had been spot on.

Mash was indeed the kind of person who, once familiar with someone, gradually lowered her guard.

In this situation, even something as ridiculous as "a Team A member not knowing basic concepts" could be something she'd choose to overlook.

Was this her natural innocence?

But—

It didn't matter.

If Mash was willing to help him understand everything, Ian had to appreciate her.

After all, this directly impacted his future goals.

As Ian was sorting through his thoughts, he suddenly felt someone take hold of his hand.

He looked down to see Mash holding onto him.

"Mash, what are you doing?"

The young woman blushed but resolutely said:

"Ian-senpai, just explaining concepts would be too difficult!"

"If you want to truly understand everything, then you need to experience it firsthand—by participating in a simulated battle!"