Shirou's clones number 30 million

Because she can't talk to people during the day as a cat, she always whispers in Shirou's ear when she goes to sleep at night. It's both a way of talking to herself and a way of relieving the loneliness of not being able to talk during the day.

This naturally includes one's own feelings and intentions.

That's why she couldn't confront him like Leone suggested.

Because once the truth comes out, things will become incredibly awkward, just like they are now.

Chelsea wrapped her arms around Shirou's neck, tightening them around him, and whispered in his ear in a low voice:

"So... what do you think? Do you want to... spend the rest of your life with me?"

"Okay, let's stay together forever from now on."

To be honest, Shirou was also a little embarrassed, and couldn't help but blame himself for inviting Leone over to eat together more than an hour ago.

Having an audience member watching is a completely different situation from having just the two of you alone together.

Fortunately, his ice and snow abilities, combined with his outstanding body control, allowed him to maintain a poker face, unlike Chelsea who turned red even at the neck.

"Clap clap..."

Suddenly, a continuous round of applause erupted from the side.

Noticing that the two of them turned around at the same time and were staring at him with strange looks, Leone chuckled and said:

"Anyway, congratulations! But now that we've laid it all out, I'm no longer a pet caretaker, right?"

"Yes, you're fired." Shirou nodded slightly and said expressionlessly.

"I can't believe I just got a new job and now I'm going to be unemployed again so soon. What... what am I going to do next?"

"Become a diner, that suits you better."

"Actually, I wanted to ask this at noon: what is a diner?"

"Guests who eat for free."

"Huh...? Is there really such a good thing? You can eat and drink for free without having to do anything?"

"It's not that you don't need to do anything at all. When the master needs your talents, you still need to contribute."

"I see, I understand now. By the way, is there any wine? There's so much meat, but no wine, isn't that a waste?"

"Have."

"Oh... Do you have any drinking buddies? I can't drink alone."

"No."

"In that case, I'll drink it all by myself."

When Leone saw Shirou conjure a bottle of sake out of thin air, her eyes lit up. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed another wooden barrel on the table, which looked to be sake from a completely different region.

Strange transparent bottles, their labels covered with unfamiliar foreign characters; wine in wooden barrels, the lids engraved with new foreign characters.

Each type of wine seems to originate from a different country.

"Do you need another pet? I can't turn into a kitten, but being a little bigger won't hurt, right? Meow..."

"No, thank you."

Chapter 129 I'd be extremely grateful if she didn't stab me with a knife.

Chapter 129, Section 130: I would be extremely grateful if she didn't stab me with a knife.

After dinner, it got dark quickly.

Chelsea found Shirou sitting alone under a tree in the courtyard and quickly walked over, asking curiously:

"What are you doing? I've seen you sitting here drinking tea alone before, but I was still a cat back then, so I didn't feel comfortable asking you why."

"There's no particular reason, we're just admiring the moon."

"one person?"

"Ah."

Actually, it's not entirely one person.

The night sky is different in every world; some are filled with dazzling stars, while others have only a few dim ones.

Enjoying the moon alone, and then exchanging memories with another version of yourself, creates a magical feeling of temporal and spatial displacement.

"Isn't this... a little lonely?"

Chelsea murmured something to herself, then suddenly hugged Shirou from behind, pressing her whole body against him and letting her arms hang down in front of his chest, just like she did at dinner.

"However, from now on, I will always be by your side."

"Thank you. By the way, you really like this pose, don't you?"

"Yes, I really like this pose."

Chelsea chuckled softly, then whispered in Shirou's ear again:

"In this position, our field of vision is the same, and the scenery I see is probably exactly the same as yours."

It turned out to be the case.

Shirou quickly realized that her current perspective was almost identical to when she was in cat form, perched on his shoulder.

"Oh, I see. Now that you mention it, I also feel that this position isn't bad."

“Right?” Chelsea smiled slightly, then said, “Don’t you and Esdeath ever enjoy the moon together like this?”

Do you think she's the type of person who would do something like that?

Shirou countered with a question, then quickly explained:

“We come from a tribe on the northern border. She is the chief’s daughter, a few months older than me. We are childhood sweethearts in a very traditional way.”

"After the tribe was destroyed, we both joined the Imperial Army."

"Because I was more capable than her, and I knew more than her, I was promoted faster than her. She was always my adjutant in the army."

"In the eyes of the outside world, the two of us are quite similar. Some people have said that Esdeath is the female version of me; others have said that the two of us are siblings."

"But in reality, Esdeath is completely different from me. She doesn't have a clear sense of right and wrong, and her concept of good and evil is also somewhat vague."

“If one day she slaughters everyone in the empire, regardless of age, gender, or social status, turning the entire empire into a wasteland, I will not be surprised at all.”

Chelsea paused for several seconds, then whispered:

"That sounds a bit scary. But aren't you more famous all over the world?"

"Some of my rumors are false, but her rumors are true."

At this point, Shirou stopped.

Because if we continue talking, it will feel like we're secretly talking badly about Esdeath.

"However, given my long-standing friendship with Esdeath, she is trustworthy. Until today, she was the person I trusted most in the world."

Chelsea seemed thoughtful, thinking to herself:

No wonder Leone said that if Esdeath were here, she would never be able to win. Was this a case of sneaking away while Esdeath was away?

Feeling Chelsea's heartbeat quicken slightly behind him, Shirou smiled and asked:

"Don't worry, she will definitely give us her sincere blessings."

"Huh...!? Blessings?"

I'm extremely grateful that she didn't stab me with a knife.

Chelsea unconsciously thought:

Why do I feel like I'm in a very dangerous situation right now?

"I've been following you around like a kitten these past few days, so I roughly know what you're planning. Can you tell me about it?"

"Sure, I'm carrying out a plan to steal the country, and my goal is to make Esdeath the emperor."

"Yes, I already know that, but what's next?"

Next, the purge plan will be implemented.

All illegal acts are within the scope of the crackdown.

Then there will be countless fights to be fought.

However, there's absolutely no need to tell such the truth.

After all, any heinous act can be transformed into a righteous act if it has a seemingly noble reason to justify it.

"Afterwards, I intend to build the empire into a brand new nation that sits above the law. Everyone will be subject to the supervision of the law."

"No illegal act can be tolerated; all such acts must be severely punished..."

"In short, the emperor should be punished the same as the common people if he breaks the law."

Shirou's last words sent a chill down Chelsea's spine, and a vision of a new era seemed to appear in her mind.

"Will this... really work?" Chelsea paused, then said with a hint of melancholy, "I support your idea, but it's probably difficult to achieve."

"Ultimately, the law is enforced by people, and people have emotions, desires, family, and friends."

"If a family member breaks the law, even the best person might show favoritism, right?"

"Furthermore, if the emperor really breaks the law, how can he be punished the same as a commoner? Who will judge his crime? The ministers he personally appoints?"

"No matter how difficult it is, we must do it." Although this was not the original intention, but merely a public statement, for Shirou, who came from modern society, it was a matter of course.

It's not empty talk, nor is it boasting, nor is it fantasy; it's simply a matter of course.

As the two were talking, they heard footsteps in the distance.

Several hours earlier, while Princess Esdeath of the Empire was inspecting the guard, she heard that Minister Ernest had placed two new recruits in the guard.

She called the two people over and, after questioning them, discovered that they were just a couple of villagers who had come to the capital to earn money, with nothing special about them.

She was extremely puzzled by this and asked repeatedly before she learned that the two men were recommended to Ernest by Adris.

She had complete faith in Adris's judgment, and everything that had happened in the past proved that Adris had never misjudged anyone.

Therefore, anyone he approves of must have exceptional qualities.