A Dimensional Journey Begins with the Dragon Clan

Listening to what Emiya Shirou said, his father smiled.

That expression seemed to say that even without listening, you would understand what was going to be said next.

“Is that so…” Emiya Kiritsugu took a deep breath.

"Ah, I feel relieved."

He closed his eyes quietly and never woke up again.

That was the winter five years ago.

The farewell that determined Shirou Emiya's path forward, the events of that night that determined Shirou Emiya to become an ally of justice.

————How could I forget.

Although I never said it out loud, I remember it clearly in my heart.

The figure of the man who rescued him from the fire scene ten years ago.

Picking up the unconscious child who was covered in burns and on the verge of death, Emiya Kiritsugu said "thank you".

It’s great to find it.

Even if only one person was saved, he smiled as if he was thanking someone.

The feelings at that time left a mark in my heart unknowingly.

No one came to rescue him.

No one could save him.

And in that, there was only me who was saved and the only person who extended a helping hand.

So, I want to be that kind of person.

A righteous companion like Kiritsugu who can help others and save anyone from death.

Even though it was just a childish fantasy, Shirou Emiya still dreamed of "How nice it would be if it were possible."

……then.

Kiritsugu, who was the best example for him, left behind a last wish to become "that kind of person", and died peacefully in front of him.

It is natural for a son to inherit his father's business.

Shirou Emiya must become a partner of justice and help people like his former self.

Yes, I swore so strongly as a child.

Shirou Emiya wants to fulfill the dream of the man he admires the most.

...But, in fact, Emiya Shirou didn't understand.

Are your thoughts correct?

Where does this idea come from?

What can I do as an immature self?

It would be great if everyone could be happy. It was like a magical way to realize dreams. That was Kiritsugu's motto.

...Ah, and——

What can I do as a Master? So many things have happened that Emiya Shirou's head is about to explode————

“————————“

He woke up from a nostalgic dream.

Bright sunlight shines in from the window.

The body wrapped in the woolen cloth felt a little cold, but not cold enough to catch a cold.

"...Really? I fell asleep here again."

He shook his head slightly and changed from his work clothes to his school clothes.

————It was almost six in the morning.

This time it's Sakura's turn, she should already be preparing breakfast.

Walk into the courtyard and take a deep breath of fresh air.

Yes, a great morning.

It would be much easier if there weren't three girls in the family.

"...Ah, correction. There are only two girls."

He wouldn't call Sister Teng a girl.

Anyway, next is——

Go check on Saber's situation.

I have to check on Saber first.

Saber seemed to have gotten used to the life here. Emiya Shirou thought he could hide it from Sister Fuji and Sakura, but he was still worried.

“… Saber should be getting up now.”

In this case, there is only one destination.

Sakura is in the living room now, so the place where Saber might be is————

As expected, I saw Saber in the dojo.

"Shirou...? What's wrong? I think it's too early to get up now."

"Huh? No, I usually get up at this time. Because I have to get up and make breakfast."

"Is that so... What a surprise! I didn't expect you to get up so early."

Saber was quite surprised by this and seemed shocked.

"...Hmm...I think I can be classified as an early riser. But why do you mind such a strange thing? Saber, do you think I am the kind of person who sleeps in?"

"Ah... No, that's... a slip of the tongue. Taiga was still sleeping, so I just assumed that the Emiya family wouldn't be able to get up in the morning."

"Ah————I understand. Sister Fuji's sleepiness is a serious problem."

Uh-huh.

Come to think of it, sleeping in the same room with that guy who sleeps horribly...

Sakura and Saber, didn't you both have a hard time sleeping last night?

"I'd better say good morning to you first, Saber. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yes, quite enough. I didn't fight yesterday, so I'm not tired at all now."

"That's great. I thought you didn't sleep well. Fuji-san is a terrible sleeper... Well, yesterday, it seemed like you kept making noise until very late. If it's too noisy, I'll suggest that we separate the rooms, how about that?"

Given Saber's personality, it would be painful for him to sleep with Fuji-nee and the others, so he tried this suggestion out of concern.

"No, there's no need for that. It hasn't gotten to the point where there's a problem. I think we should follow Taiga's suggestion."

"Is that so? Well, this would be good for me..."

Somehow, I suddenly felt that Saber’s voice had a subtle familiarity…

"Saber. Do you like Fuji-nee like this?"

"Well, Taiga is a very good person. There are very few people like her who are not hypocritical and do not deceive others. I heard that she is the one who supervises Shirou's life. I can understand why Shirou is so straightforward."

"Hmm... Is it worth being happy about? This is really an ambiguous evaluation."

"It's a compliment. Even though it's only been a short time, I already know her well."

It turned out to be the case.

Shirou Emiya agreed that she was easy to understand.

But although I can understand Fuji-sister's thinking, the problem is that there are other things from now on.

"Then I can get along well with Sakura, she's not as thorny as Fuji-nee." "...That being said, I still don't quite understand her. Although her hostility... isn't to this extent, she is wary of me."

"…Oh, so you haven't talked to Sakura yet?"

"No, I've reconciled with Sakura. Just like Shirou said, she and Taiga are very nice people."

“————What? Then it’s alright.”

He touched his chest with relief.

...Um, he was still very concerned about the meaning of the word "reconciled" with Fuji-nee and the others. But no matter what, Saber had successfully resolved it.

Anyway, the Emiya family's problem has been solved.

"You're welcome," such voices were mixed in with each other.

It was the first time that four of us sat together at the dinner table in the morning, and I thought it was really nice.

"Hmm? Oops, the taste is a little bland today. Did you change the soup, Sakura?"

"Yes. I think Miss Saber is not used to miso soup yet. So it won't be good if the taste is too strong."

"That's true. Compared to last night's, this morning's is more delicious. But, Sakura, I'm used to Japanese food, so you don't have to pay special attention to me. Just cook as you like. It's better for everyone."

"Hey, is that so? Wow, you hold the chopsticks so skillfully... I'm surprised, Miss Saber's hands are really deft."

“I’ve gotten used to it… But honestly, using chopsticks is still tiring. But chopsticks are indeed a better tableware than a knife and fork.”

"Yes, yes. Saber is more used to knives and forks than chopsticks. Oh, no, no, that's not right. The sauce should be soy sauce instead of sauce."

"I see. Thanks for the advice."

"Yeah. I'll just take a piece of nori as payment. Now, Shirou, give me another bowl."

"Okay. Don't eat too much and then feel sleepy again."

"Um, teacher? We have to do morning exercises today, I think we should control ourselves a little bit..."

"It's okay, it's okay. If you don't eat this little bit, you won't be able to get through lunch. And even though you said that, Aying, you still eat rice balls after morning exercise."

“————! Teacher, you know it!?”

"Of course. I noticed you were always sneaking around so I made a special observation. No way, a girl in her prime would eat breakfast twice.

The devil will suddenly appear on your scale one day without anyone noticing. Fufu, according to my guess, Sakura's current weight is——————"

"You can't say that! This is not allowed, teacher. If you tell me, I will never come to cook for you again!"

“Pfft~”

"And, besides, snacks are only eaten occasionally, I don't do this all the time!"

"Oh, is that so? I always cook extra rice for breakfast, and I thought Sakura would definitely make rice balls."

"Study, study, study, senior, do you know this too!?"

"Ahaha, Sakura can't hide it. Shirou is very sensitive to these little details. He must have noticed it the first time, right?"

"The first time? Are you talking about last summer?"

"Why--------!!!!"

"? Ying, why are you waving your hands in the air? Is there any dust?"

————Just like this, I ate breakfast.

This breakfast was twice as noisy as usual.

At this moment, suddenly——

"—More than fifty victims were found before dawn today and are now receiving treatment at the nearest emergency hospital—"

Such disturbing news was broadcast in this way.

“…Hey, is there another gas leak in Xindu? Wow, this time it’s 50 people.”

"What? We haven't been able to get in touch with the victims since last night. Many of their families have contacted the company because they found it strange. The security has confirmed that no employees are left in the company... What's going on? Everyone has been lying down in the building since the evening, so why didn't the security notice? This is not just a question of whether you work hard or not."

Did she lose her appetite because of this? Sister Fuji let go of the hand holding the third bowl of rice.

Saber looked at the news with a serious expression.

...There's nothing wrong with that.

Although the purpose is not yet clear, it seems that this incident was done by the Master.

Just like the previous gas leak incident, we should be thankful that no one died.

"Really, it makes me feel uneasy. Shirou, you are temporarily prohibited from working in the new capital. You still have a lot of savings, it's better not to go at this time."

Fuji-sister's worry made Emiya Shirou feel a little embarrassed, but he had no way to answer.

Besides, now is not the time to work, but once the battle begins, the chances of returning home on time will decrease.

Well, in order not to worry Fuji-nee and Sakura, I can only pretend to go to work when I can't come back on time.

After clearing the table, he walked out the door.

Because Fuji-nee and Sakura had morning exercises to do, they had already arrived at school before Emiya Shirou.

Saber followed him as he prepared to go out, just like yesterday.

However, this cannot be allowed to happen again today.

It’s okay on holidays, but how can I bring Saber with me to school on weekdays?

“Saber, let’s be clear, let’s stop here. You should stay here while I’m at school. If Saber goes to school with you, the commotion will only get bigger. It will be too conspicuous. Shouldn’t a Master avoid being seen by others?”

“——————“

Still unable to accept it, Saber protested wordlessly.

"I told you it's okay. I won't be attacked when there are people around. The school is safe. Besides, I can protect myself by myself."

“Hmm—”

Saber's eyebrow twitched.

You are trying to refute what I said, "I can find a way to protect myself by myself."

"I have a question. Does this sentence mean that you, Shirou, can defeat the enemy by yourself?"

"How is that possible? I mean I can avoid danger by myself during the day. And I won't go near uninhabited places, and I will be back before sunset. Saber will understand now. Don't you need to rest to conserve your magic power? You don't have to force yourself to follow me."

"...Huh. I see. Since the Master has said so, I have no choice but to believe it."

Saber sighed in relief.

…She was seriously worried about Emiya Shirou’s safety.

It is really hard to reject this kindness outright.

“…I’m sorry, Saber. But it’s okay. Also, if anything happens to me, Saber will be able to sense it, right? If that happens, it would be better if you come here.”

"No, that probably won't work. My connection with Shirou is very weak. When the Master's danger was communicated to me, Shirou's life was already in danger. It's too late to rush over now."

"Hmm. Then can I just call Saber?"

"Yes. If Shirou feels that he needs me, he can convey his wishes to me as your Servant... If you think that this is too late, please use the Command Spells. With the help of the Command Spells, it is also possible to jump through space to protect Shirou."

  Jump space...?

This kind of thing is almost like magic, right?

Absolute command authority——the Command Seal is such a great thing.

"...I understand. I will try my best to prevent such a situation from happening. I will be back before sunset. When I am not home, I will trouble you, Saber, to stay behind."

Saying "see you later", Emiya Shirou reached for the door handle.

at this time.

"...Yes. Please be careful, Shirou. Your school is very unusual. Be careful and cautious in your actions. Especially, don't run into Rin."

Saber said something with a serious expression that made Shirou Emiya feel strange. (End of this chapter)