I am the protagonist

"Sister, it's time to get up."

"Um... Sakura, let me sleep for five more minutes."

[My sister's five minutes definitely wasn't just five minutes.]

As the person who knows her older sister best, Sakura always manages to wake her up after half an hour in these situations. Sighing, Sakura didn't waste any more time waking her sister. Instead, she tiptoed out of the room; it was early morning and she needed to get up to prepare breakfast.

Sakura arrived in the living room early in the morning, and a chill ran through her the moment the door opened. Shivering, Sakura went inside and closed the sliding door. She needed to turn on the heating first, otherwise it would get even colder later.

"You really can't do without air conditioning in the winter."

Sakura tightened her coat, feeling an unusual chill in the room today, a chill that seemed to penetrate to the bone. This biting cold was truly strange; Sakura felt something was amiss with the temperature.

Sakura opened the window near the door and realized that it was snowing outside.

"So it's snowing. No wonder it's so cold outside today."

Looking at the courtyard, which had turned into a white blanket, Sakura could feel how low the temperature was outside, even standing inside the room. But she had checked the weather forecast yesterday, and Sakura was certain that there wouldn't be any snowfall today.

Sakura first turned on the air conditioner in the living room, and the temperature gradually rose under its influence. The chill in the room lessened, and Sakura felt much more comfortable, unlike when she had just come out of the room.

"Crack!"

The sliding door to the living room opened again, and Shirou walked in wearing heavy pajamas. But there was already someone inside when Shirou entered; he recognized the girl's name—Sakura Tohsaka.

[You're up so early? This girl is much more virtuous than other girls.]

Shirou could easily guess what she was going to do in the kitchen and living room early in the morning. It was surprising that a girl these days would actually want to make breakfast. Some girls are indeed quite family-oriented, and Shirou actually admired girls like that.

"Up so early?"

"Senior, don't you need to rest more? You were just discharged from the hospital yesterday, you should rest more today."

"No need for that. I feel like I've been in the hospital for ages, and if I don't get some exercise today, my body will feel incredibly stiff."

A patient truly recovering from a serious illness should certainly rest well, especially on a cold winter morning like this. However, Shirou isn't truly recovering from a serious illness; his ailments are actually part of his "setup." Now, Shirou just wants to move his body more, otherwise, his body will really start to rust.

"Can I call you Sakura?"

"Of course, that's what you used to call me, senior."

Sakura always maintained a high level of vigilance towards people she didn't know well, having always followed her sister's teachings to stay away from boys. However, she never kept her distance from her senior, because he was the boy she admired.

"Sakura, you really enjoy doing housework? I see you're very focused when you're cleaning; I feel like there aren't many girls like you."

"Senior, most girls still like things to be clean. We live in the modern era now, and not all girls know how to do housework. However, girls who are good at keeping themselves organized usually won't let themselves be unable to do housework."

Women's status is much higher now than in the past, and it's not surprising that they hold a higher position in the home. This has led to modern women not being very good at housework. Sakura is aware of this; in places like the school locker room where boys can't see, many girls are quite casual.

There are girls who are that carefree; Sakura could even say that her own older sister is lazy and easygoing at home. But those times and circumstances are relatively rare. Most girls who are tidy up will do some housework. In this day and age, girls who don't know how to do housework at all are still a minority.

Chapter Twenty-One: Senior, I Already Have Something I Want to Fight For

"Does the senior think that girls are not good at housework? Even in modern times, there are quite a few girls who are the type to take care of the house."

"It wasn't meant to be discriminatory. What I meant was actually..."

"Because the situation is different now than in the past, modern women are relatively more independent, so they are busier with their careers than with housework. Is that what you mean, senior?"

Seeing that Sakura completely understood what he meant, Shirou scratched his face helplessly. He didn't want to be misunderstood because of this. Fortunately, Sakura understood him even better than he had imagined.

"That's right. We live in an era that emphasizes gender equality. Women have moved beyond the days when they could only stay at home and now they can go out and make a living, doing the same things as men. I even think that most modern women are very independent, so I thought there would be fewer girls who are good at housework."

Independent women who are busy with work tend to devote more time to their careers than to housework and work, naturally resulting in a relatively lower quality of life. Such women can be described as modern women—strong, career-driven career women.

Shirou actually felt that Rin was that kind of woman—she focused more on her career and couldn't take good care of herself. From their brief interaction yesterday, Shirou could tell that Rin was an independent woman. So what about Rin's younger sister, Sakura? Shirou thought Sakura might be one too.

Sakura could more or less guess why her senior thought she was also a girl who wasn't very good at housework, but the reason made Sakura sigh.

"Is it because of my older sister that you think I'm not very good at housework?"

"Um... there's a slight connection. Saber is nothing like an ordinary girl. Perhaps she's better at fighting, but it feels like she's not particularly good at anything else. Rin is a bit like Saber; it feels like she's better at work than life."

"I think Saber probably had no choice. After all, Saber is a queen in history, so it's normal that she's not good at housework. It's just that, senior, my sister just doesn't look like a girl who does housework on the surface. She used to do housework all the time."

Shirou doesn't deny this, but why Rin does housework is a question that needs further investigation. Shirou doesn't need to think about it at all; he can find the answer without even looking back.

“Sakura, that’s because you’re still young and she can only take on the responsibility of being an older sister. An older sister can’t not take care of her younger sister. Rin probably has no choice but to do housework. After all, she can’t let her younger sister do it, otherwise she wouldn’t act like an older sister.”

Suddenly, Sakura saw someone appear in her field of vision. She quickly gave her senior a wink and immediately changed the subject.

"Senior, actually, my sister only handed over the housework to me because she had a lot of things to do. Unlike me, my sister is going to inherit the Tohsaka family business, and there are many things in the Tohsaka family that she needs to handle."

Shirou naturally received Sakura's signal, and more importantly, he felt a rather sharp gaze on his back. If he didn't say something now, he felt that the gaze behind him would curse him to death.

"Everyone has their own difficulties. As the older sister, Rin must bear more burdens. Are all magicians' families complicated? I know nothing about magicians' families."

“Senior, you didn’t know anything about magicians’ families in the past. You came from an ordinary family, but your adoptive father was a magician. Also, the things you mentioned about magicians’ families are actually very complicated.”

Sakura is arguably the most qualified person to speak about the world of magicians, as she knows firsthand just how cruel it can be. Sakura doesn't really want to tell her senior about these things, but he'll inevitably encounter them in the future, so perhaps it's a good thing for him to know.

"For magicians, the pursuit of the origin is their goal. Magicians have no other desires besides pursuing the origin. However, the journey to the origin cannot be completed in one or two generations. Many magicians will pass on their long-cherished wish to their descendants, and that long-cherished wish is the magic imprint for magicians."

"My older sister inherited the Magic Crest, which means she inherited the entire Tohsaka family. From that moment on, she had to do a lot of things: inheriting the Tohsaka family business, researching magic, tracing the origins, and ensuring the continued existence of the Tohsaka family. Compared to me, my older sister has to do much more."

Sakura always knew that her older sister had a tough past. Besides maintaining her academic performance, she also had to study and research magic at night. It was because she knew how hard her sister had worked that Sakura wanted to take on the household chores, at least to help ease some of the pressure on her sister.

"A magician's family sounds unusual. Sakura, what is a magic crest? You just said that Rin inherited the Tohsaka family because of a magic crest. Is a magic crest that important?"

"Senior, the magic crest is the most important thing for a magician. The magic crest is something passed down from generation to generation in a magician's family. It can be said to be the treasure of a magician's family. As I just said, all a magician pursues is the origin, but pursuing the origin is not something that can be done in one or two generations. So it requires the efforts of several generations. The magic crest is the research of magic by each generation."

"So, the magician family uses that magic crest to imprint each generation's exploration of the origins onto it, and then passes on this research and exploration to their successor at the end of their lives? Magicians are really a troublesome group."

From just a few words, Shirou could tell the troublesome nature of being a magician. Magic crests are things passed down through generations of a family, and whoever inherits them inherits the entire family's legacy. This premise alone made Shirou feel like he was watching a family feud. Inheriting the family business would be no problem if he were an only son, but it would be complicated if there were multiple heirs.

"Sakura, when Rin inherited the Magic Crest, didn't you ever think about fighting for it? According to you, inheriting the Magic Crest is the same as inheriting the Tohsaka family, so didn't you want that Magic Crest?"

Sakura simply smiled at her senior's question. She had never once intended to fight for the inheritance of the Magic Crest. The Magic Crest wasn't anything special, and Sakura didn't think it would be a great honor for her to inherit it.

“I don’t want it. Magic crests aren’t what I want. I never intended to compete with my sister for them. Inheriting a magic crest isn’t really an honor for me. If my sister inherits a magic crest, she’ll have to do even more things, which is not what I want.”

Inheriting the Tohsaka family and the magic crest was never the life Sakura wanted. She is still a magician, and she is still a girl who doesn't have to worry about inheritance. What Sakura wants to pursue is not the root of the problem; she just wants her own life.

Sakura's gaze fell on her senior's face. She had no interest in her family's glory, nor did she care about the magic crest passed down through generations. But her senior was the only one she wanted.

"I will strive for what I want myself, senior. I already have what I want to strive for. So, my sister inheriting the magic crest and the Tohsaka family has no impact on me. Rather, my sister did some troublesome things for me that I didn't like."

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Older Sister Who Stops Her Younger Sister's Romance

"...Sakura, if this is what you think, then I won't give up so easily. Letting go of someone I like isn't in my nature, Rin Tohsaka. But if you want to confront me head-on, then I won't give up so easily either."

Hidden behind the door, Rin overheard her younger sister's truest thoughts. But even knowing this, Rin had no intention of backing down easily. Inheriting the Tohsaka family and its magical crest was something Rin needed to do. The Tohsaka family had fallen into decline, and she needed to shoulder the responsibility of its revival.

Rin felt no guilt whatsoever about receiving the Tohsaka family's magic crest, and even if Sakura were to inherit it, she would choose the same path. The one who inherits would strive to revive the Tohsaka family, while the one who doesn't would provide support.

Rin always knew that she and Sakura were sisters, and the last of the Tohsaka family's bloodline. As sisters, they naturally wouldn't harbor any hatred over inheritance, because they were blood sisters. However, Rin never said she would back down on matters of the heart, and she would absolutely not yield even to her own sister.

"Rin, what are you doing standing outside?"

"!"

Saber's voice startled Rin, who was intently eavesdropping. Rin quickly turned around and covered Saber's mouth. It wouldn't be good if Saber's voice was too loud and the two people inside knew she was eavesdropping. Rin didn't want Sakura and Shirou to know she was outside.

"Saber, please be quiet."

"Hmm?"

Saber, who had just woken up, had no idea what was going on, but she still peeked through the crack in the door. She saw Shirou and Sakura talking; the two people in the living room seemed perfectly normal, and Saber didn't see any need to eavesdrop.

Saber pried Rin's hands off and then restrained her, pulling her into her room. Saber felt it necessary to lecture Rin about her behavior. Regardless of what Shirou and Sakura were saying, the upright Saber believed that Rin's eavesdropping outside was wrong.

"Rin, it wasn't very nice of you to eavesdrop on Shirou and Sakura's conversation outside the door just now. If you wanted to hear, you should have just walked in. Eavesdropping from behind is really unseemly."

"Um!"

Rin desperately tried to remove Saber's hands that were holding her mouth and nose shut, but as a weak mage, she couldn't break free from the grasp of a Heroic Spirit like Saber, whose power reached A-rank. As the air in her body decreased, Rin felt her vision turning black, and her consciousness almost leaving her body.

"Rin, were you even listening? Next time you want to hear Shirou and Sakura talking, just walk in openly. Eavesdropping outside the door like you did just now is not a good habit. That kind of behavior is just like an Assassin. You don't want Shirou to misunderstand, do you, Rin... Rin!"

Halfway through her lecture, Saber noticed that Rin's eyes were rolling back in her head, so she quickly released Rin from her restraints. Rin's complexion gradually improved after being released, but she remained lying on the ground, clutching her throat and gasping for air for thirty seconds. At that moment, Rin swore she had never been so close to death.

"Ha ha……"

Rin, whose complexion had improved, gradually recovered from the forced oxygen deprivation she had just experienced. To be honest, Rin really didn't want to experience that near-death feeling again. Just thinking about how she could barely breathe sent chills down her spine, and she secretly resolved to pay special attention to Saber's movements when eavesdropping in the future.

"Saber, are you trying to suffocate me? What good would it do you to suffocate me?"

"No, I just forgot that Rin's health isn't very good, and she can't hold her breath for long. The main reason is that Rin herself isn't well. If you hadn't overheard Shirou and Sakura's conversation, I wouldn't have almost made you suffocate."

Saber's righteous conclusion left Rin speechless. While eavesdropping on her sister and Shirou's conversation was indeed her fault, she had her reasons. From the beginning, Rin knew about her sister's feelings for Shirou; how could she not listen in on Sakura and Shirou's private conversation?

"Rin, I still have to remind you that eavesdropping is a despicable act. You and Shirou are good friends, and Sakura is your sister. How could you eavesdrop on their conversation? How can you do this to Shirou and Sakura?"

[I only wanted to eavesdrop because it was just the two of them alone! Sakura is my sister, and Shirou is my friend... but the problem is, my sister has fallen for my friend!]

Rin's head was throbbing at the thought of that question, but she really couldn't bring herself to tell Saber that she and Sakura both liked Shirou, especially not to say such a thing to her. According to Rin's observations, Saber also had some special feelings for Shirou; this was information she had gathered through daily observation, and she knew that the oblivious Saber was definitely still unaware.

[It's best not to tell Saber about this. Things are already chaotic enough with just Sakura's situation; if Saber gets involved, it might make things even more complicated.]

Rin isn't a cunning fox; she readily accepts competition, even if it's her own sister, without hesitation. However, even Rin will avoid certain situations, such as letting Saber know that she likes Shirou.

Of course, Rin had also come up with a way to fool Saber. Even if she couldn't tell Saber that she also had feelings for Shirou, she could still use that to her advantage.

“Saber, I am responsible for Sakura’s future. Sakura and I are currently living in Shirou’s house. To be honest, it’s really just Shirou, Sakura, and I living together. Cohabitation between unmarried men and women can easily lead to some special situations, and I need to keep an eye on things sometimes for Sakura’s future.”

"Shirou and Sakura?"

These words made Saber extremely unhappy, and that unpleasantness was clearly visible on her face, even giving her a somewhat exaggerated facial expression. Rin noticed this but pretended not to see it; in fact, Saber's reaction was pretty much what she had expected.

At this moment, Rin transforms into a loving older sister who cares for her younger sister. It's not right to use this image to do bad things, but Rin also has things she wants to fight for. Inheriting the family business and inheriting the magic crest are things that Rin doesn't care about, but there are some things she can't give up.

“Now that Shirou has lost his past memories, we should treat him better. But Shirou is also a boy, and there will be some problems if he lives with us girls. Saber, you are fine, but Sakura has a big problem.”

Chapter Twenty-Three: Is this the Demon Eye?!

"Saber, think about Sakura's personality and figure. Sakura is quite popular with boys at school. Every Valentine's Day, when they give out chocolates, Sakura's shoe cabinet is covered with love letters. Sakura, who is so popular at school, is now living with Shirou."

Rin's voice, like a devil's whisper, relentlessly irritated Saber's fragile nerves, especially when she spoke of Sakura's personality and figure. Saber unconsciously looked down at herself. Her appearance was so barren it almost brought tears to her eyes, causing a sudden pang of sorrow to well up inside her.

[Rin is right, Shirou probably does prefer girls like Sakura.]

A thought suddenly popped into Saber's mind: it seemed like Shirou and Sakura had been chatting quite animatedly in the living room just now. Thinking of this, Saber's expression of displeasure was on full display; for this very moment, Saber completely agreed with Rin's statement.

“Rin, you’re right. It’s indeed quite dangerous for Shirou and Sakura to be together. It would be inappropriate if Shirou did something irreversible to Sakura. Hmm, Rin, you can continue to keep an eye on Shirou and Sakura to prevent them from doing anything.”

“Saber, I knew you would understand my good intentions. When I’m not around, please keep an eye on Shirou and Sakura. I also have a lot of things to take care of. I need to move some experimental materials from home, especially during this busy period.”

"I understand."

Saber knew that eavesdropping violated the principles of chivalry, but considering her help to Rin and to prevent Shirou from going down a path of crime, Saber felt that the principles of chivalry could be temporarily set aside. This was for Sakura and Shirou; she was acting on the greater good.

Sakura and Shirou had prepared breakfast in the living room. When Saber and Rin arrived, breakfast was already served. Each person had a bowl, and Saber's bowl was particularly large—it was the same bowl she used for her noodle soup yesterday. Shirou had prepared this especially for Saber because he had noticed her large appetite the day before.

"Is this... soy milk?"

"Shirou, didn't you say yesterday that you had run out of supplies? How come there's still soy milk at home?"

"...Rin, do you think it's okay to eat soybeans for dinner at night?"

All the ingredients in the house were used up, except for the soybeans. Shirou had checked the entire refrigerator yesterday, and he had used almost everything that could have been used for dinner. These soybeans were the only thing he couldn't use last night; they would require a lot of processing, but there was no time to process them last night.

Yesterday, all they could make was noodles, so after dinner last night, Shirou soaked the leftover soybeans in water to use the next morning. If it weren't for the remaining soybeans for today's breakfast, Shirou was certain they wouldn't even have had soy milk this morning.

“Sakura just went out and bought some breakfast. It should be enough with the soy milk I made this morning. Saber, come with me to the supermarket later today. I need to buy some daily necessities and a lot of ingredients.”

Saber naturally agreed without hesitation, and the refrigerator definitely needed to be replenished. That evening, Saber hoped Shirou would prepare hot dishes and soup, especially since Shirou's culinary skills seemed to have improved considerably.

"Shirou, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

"I'm not quite sure what to cook right now. I'll have to go to the supermarket later to see what ingredients are available before deciding what to eat tonight. I haven't decided what to cook for dinner yet."

Shirou hadn't decided what to eat today. It was basically just some home-style dishes, but deciding which ones to choose required a trip to the supermarket. However, Shirou really didn't know anything about Japanese cuisine; his memories were mostly of Chinese dishes. He wondered if his family members would like them.

[So, for dinner tonight, I'll prepare some simple Chinese home-style dishes, so that Saber, Rin, and Sakura can get used to Chinese tastes first.]

Shirou put the dinner matter aside for the time being; he had other matters to discuss with Rin and Sakura, the two magicians. To unleash the full power of his newly acquired eyes, he needed to first gain a detailed understanding of their abilities. Only after understanding them could he develop their power.

"Rin, Sakura, you're both magicians, you should know a little about the power of magicians, right?"

"Shirou, you underestimate me. Sakura and I are very traditional magicians. Perhaps Sakura didn't have much time to systematically study magic in the past, but our understanding of the power of magicians is still very comprehensive."

Rin has immense confidence in her understanding of magic. Every magician starts by learning from the very beginning, initially focusing on theoretical knowledge of magic. A magician's primary task is to research magic, exploring its fundamental truths; knowledge is the most crucial element for them.

Since it is a very important part of being a magician, Rin naturally studies all the knowledge related to magic. Regardless of whether this knowledge is useful for magic, it is always beneficial to keep these things in mind.

"As magicians, we first need to understand what magic is and what kinds of magic there are. Only after we have a certain understanding of these basic magic concepts will we begin to conduct more in-depth research and exploration of magic."

"Therefore, before we can even begin to explore the root of the problem, we magicians need to acquire a considerable amount of magical knowledge and expand our knowledge base more comprehensively. We magicians are second to none in terms of theoretical knowledge, so if Shirou wants to ask anything about magic, Sakura and I can give you an answer."