I am the protagonist

Page 219

The sugar at home wasn't the ordinary sugar you buy outside; it was sugar that Shirou had magically processed, making it more concentrated and more suitable for making soy milk.

After turning on the air conditioner, heater, and kotatsu in the living room, Rider went to the kitchen and watched Shirou prepare breakfast.

"Shirou, although this isn't the first time I've seen you prepare breakfast, you're probably the only one who uses rune magic in the kitchen."

Shirou's skillful use of rune magic can save a lot of effort, and magic can even do things that many equipment cannot.

Rider just thinks that if Odin knew Shirou was cooking with runes, he'd probably be turning in his grave.

"Isn't magic supposed to be a force that makes life more convenient?"

"...No, no, no, magic is definitely not meant to make life easier."

Rider is certain that Shirou's statement is incorrect.

At least Rider had never seen Sakura cook using magic.

“The magic power that a regular magician can use each day is limited. To use magic power on such trivial matters is something that even a magician wouldn’t dare to imagine. Shirou, only someone with such abundant magic power could do this.”

"Rin only used magic when researching magic; otherwise, she was quite frugal."

"Sigh...that's why being a magician really isn't a very good profession."

"Magic can't be used in daily life; it can only be used in the study of magic. Moreover, most magicians don't know how to produce anything. I really don't know how they survive."

"Shirou, I think they survived on the wealth created by their ancestors."

“Highly specialized magic tricks are collected by the Clock Tower, and these patented magic tricks generate income. I think most magicians spend their time researching magic tricks, which is probably how they generate income.”

"Ah, that makes some sense."

It makes sense for magicians to patent their magic tricks and then generate wealth from those patents.

However, Shirou doesn't believe that all magicians generate revenue in this way.

At least those magicians who lack talent can't generate revenue using this method.

It can only be said that most magicians have the capital to inherit from their families. Magicians without money are still in the minority. At least, without enough capital, it is impossible to maintain the profession of magician for a long time.

Just like Shirou, who had previously worried about funding issues.

Isn't this a way to generate a large sum of money through magic? Now we don't have to worry about the cash flow problem, at least not in the short term.

As for whether there will be concerns about funding issues in the future.

So, Shirou might do the same thing to generate revenue in the future.

As for applying for patents for the magic he researched, Shirou hadn't even considered it, since the magic he created wasn't really suitable for patenting.

"Rider, could you please go and wake Rin and the others up so they can get up and eat?"

"My breakfast is almost ready too."

"Well, I'll be there right away."

Shirou also made many preparations while Rider went to call for help.

Chapter 58 The person I like is... Shirou?

Medusa went to Saber's room first.

"Saber, are you awake?"

Medusa opened the sliding door and saw Saber lying on the bed with bloodshot eyes.

[This means... you haven't slept all night?]

Is it because of the gift Shirou gave me yesterday?

If that's really the case, then Saber is quite adorable.

I went into the room and saw Saber still lying in bed, unable to sleep.

"Saber, you didn't stay up all night because of Shirou's gift, did you?"

"!?"

"How...how could that be! I...I was just thinking about some things."

His guilty gaze darted away, and his voice trembled slightly.

[You're definitely having trouble sleeping because of Shirou.]

"Rider, the gift Shirou gave me... you've already put it on."

Saber's gaze was already fixed on the necklace Rider was wearing, the amethyst shimmering with a mysterious brilliance.

Medusa touched the amethyst hanging on her chest.

"Yes, I really like the gift Shirou gave me."

"Saber, don't you like her?"

"I, of course I like it very much."

Saber didn't dislike the gift Shirou gave her; it was just that at that moment she was conflicted about her relationship with Shirou.

"If you like it, then why did you stay up all night?"

No, that's not the reason.

"Oh~"

Medusa, who is not usually gossipy, became very interested in Saber's reaction at this moment.

Medusa, who was originally going to wake Rin and Sakura up, is no longer in a hurry.

“Saber, your emotions are very unstable right now, and it’s even affecting your normal actions.”

"...Is it that serious?"

Saber felt that her emotions were a bit off last night. She had been thinking about her relationship with Shirou all night, and now she was feeling unwell.

Medusa nodded very seriously.

"You're so anxious that you're not even getting any rest at night."

“Even if sleep and food are just a way to replenish magic power for us half-heroes, Shirou will still be worried if you continue like this. You might not even be able to concentrate when you are doing your usual things.”

【is that so? 】

Saber glanced at the gemstone necklace beside her pillow and a strange feeling inexplicably arose in her heart.

I'm a little happy.

A little troubled.

Rider is right, something is very wrong with me right now.

[These feelings have been surfacing ever since Shirou gave me the necklace yesterday. What's wrong with me? I usually sleep right after eating, so why couldn't I fall asleep yesterday?]

Since the Holy Grail War ended permanently, Saber's sleep quality has been quite high. She can sleep soundly every night, just like before she became a Heroic Spirit.

Now I can enjoy Shirou's homemade meals every day, and my sleep quality at night is even better than before.

Yet, even someone like me couldn't sleep last night.

I couldn't sleep at all that night because I was thinking about the necklace and Shirou.

“Rider, you’re right. If this continues, I might not even be able to concentrate normally.”

"But why is this happening to me?"

"How could beings like us, who are half-heroic spirits and half-humans, possibly get sick?"

Medusa almost laughed at Saber's words.

This is indeed an illness, but it's a psychological one.

[And this kind of illness only develops after one has truly fallen in love.]

Saber, as the King of Knights, probably wouldn't understand this feeling.

The Saber of the past must have always hidden her gender, as a queen she could not let anyone know her gender.

The pressure a king has to bear is unimaginable for ordinary people, which led to Saber's initially unlovable personality.

From Medusa's perspective, Saber now appears quite girlish.

Or perhaps Saber has broken free from the constraints of her past as a queen, and is now just an ordinary girl with extraordinary abilities.

Medusa subtly shifted the topic to the problems Saber was currently facing.

“Saber, to solve your problem, we need to first understand what kind of problem you have.”

“I think if we can solve the reason why you can’t sleep, you can get your attention back and won’t be unable to concentrate like you are now.”

Saber also felt that Rider's words made a lot of sense.

"So Saber, what exactly is causing your insomnia?"

"There shouldn't be anything wrong with Shirou's gift, right?"

"No, Shirou's gift is very nice."

"It's just that Shirou gave me a necklace... that makes me feel a little strange."

Medusa's lips curled up slightly. It was rare to hear gossip about Saber, and today she was going to listen carefully to what Saber really thought of Shirou.

"For example?"

"...I personally don't like girly accessories, and I don't want anyone to treat me like a girl."

"That's how it should be, but yesterday I accepted Shirou's explanation and treated these girly accessories as a magical tool to make me stronger."

"Even though I knew it was wrong, I still accepted it."

"If it were me in the past, I would never have accepted it!"

【I see. 】

Saber has realized that she has changed because of Shirou, but she doesn't know what this change really means.

Now Medusa finally understood why Saber couldn't sleep with her eyes open.

“Saber, you are not the famous King of Knights in history. You are just a girl named Artoria Pendragon.”

"Rider, what do you mean by this?"

If Rider hadn't looked so serious, Saber would have really thought this was an irony.

“Saber, I think you should first determine your identity instead of thinking about those things.”

“You are not the king of a country now. The fact that you can live in this era means that you need to abandon everything from the past.”

"...Rider, does this have anything to do with my current problem?"

"Very relevant!"

"I now understand why you couldn't sleep all night. You spent the whole night thinking about the person you like, how could you possibly fall asleep?"

"!?"

The person I like...

[Could the person I like be Shirou?]

Saber thought about Shirou all night yesterday, and Shirou is the first person she thinks of right now.

The moment the idea was conceived, Saber's entire face turned completely red.

This is a problem that Saber in the past never encountered at all.

"This, how is this possible!?"

"Rider, please don't talk nonsense. I am the King of Britain. How could I possibly fall in love with Shirou?"

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Medusa's Seduction

Medusa shook her head helplessly. Just as she had guessed, Saber had not yet found her place in the world.

“Saber, Rin likes Shirou.”

Saber's face showed a hint of displeasure.