You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"Well, wake up."

Ritsuka stretched and sat up in bed. She glanced at the clock on the wall—seven o'clock sharp, as punctual as ever.

The door opened, and Mashu walked in carrying a breakfast tray. Today's breakfast was a sandwich and hot milk specially made by Emiya—it was specially made because if it were made with other people's food, some unscrupulous people might add unknown substances to it.

For example, poison that is thought to be "love" but can actually kill an elephant.

To be honest, Emiya is a kind-hearted person with a cold exterior but a warm heart, and he's very willing to support young girls' romances, but I really don't recommend that Hassan make a wife-themed bento box...

The fragrance immediately filled the room after the cover was opened, and Ritsuka took a deep, enjoyable inhalation. Fufu jumped onto the bed, rubbed against Ritsuka's legs, and then curled up on her stomach.

"Fufusan has returned to normal... That's great. She was so tall before, it really startled me."

"Fu?"

"Ah, I didn't mean to be disgusted by you, but if you're that size, it won't be convenient to pet your soft fur as much as you want."

"Fu~"

As if saying "You're smart to know what's good for you," the little white beast lowered its head and buried it in its tail.

"Da Vinci said he would be checking the spirit transfer device today, and asked you to go to the workshop after breakfast."

Mashu said as she straightened Ritsuka's uniform.

Ritsuka took a bite of her sandwich and mumbled, "Um... I see. Is there anything special planned for today?"

"The morning was a routine physical exam, but Dr. Roman said there will be a few new tests added this time. As for the afternoon..."

Mashu opened her notebook. "Miss Artoria has invited you to the training grounds to test the performance of the new combat suit."

"Another test..."

Ritsuka sighed, the memory of being dizzy from Artoria's magical release when testing the new equipment last time was still vivid in her mind.

She's not as strong anymore; she's just an ordinary human girl now. I really hope those Servants can realize this soon.

"Matthew."

"Hmm? What's wrong, senior?"

"You got a haircut?"

"Hmm~"

Mashu touched her short, pinkish-purple hair that only reached her shoulders: "It definitely looks more refreshing this way."

"But I quite like how you look with long hair~"

"Then I'll go find Da Vinci right now and ask her for hair growth serum!"

Mashu looked like the sky had fallen. "I never expected my senior's taste to be like this... What a blunder!"

"Oh, don't get so worked up. I was just saying it offhand. I don't have a thing for long hair!"

After washing up, Ritsuka and Mash walked together toward the dining hall, with Servants passing by in the corridor from time to time.

Cú Chulainn was arguing with his younger self, both of them red-faced, while the younger version of the puppy leaned against the wall, yawning and watching the two versions of himself bickering with disdain.

The three of them raised their hands to greet Ritsuka when they saw her;

After walking a while, they encountered Black A arguing with Red A, while the red-haired Senkomura leaned against the wall, looking at the scene with a bewildered yet helpless expression.

The three of them raised their hands to greet Ritsuka when they saw her;

After walking a while, they saw the Wise King and Gilgamesh in his golden armor talking loudly to each other, while Gilgamesh, holding a soccer ball, looked at the two of them with disdain.

The three of them raised their hands to greet Ritsuka when they saw her;

...Ritsuka's pace quickened, and the expression on her face gradually became distorted.

"Mash~"

"I'm here, senior."

"Am I caught in some kind of cycle again?"

"This is what daily life is like at Chaldea, senpai."

Mashu calmly replied, "You should have gotten used to it by now... Ah, those are the Artoria ladies up ahead, they seem to be discussing something too."

Ritsuka: "..."

Medea hurried past carrying a thick stack of documents, not even having time to say hello, but returned a few seconds later. She kept lingering on the same path, and upon closer inspection, one could see that her gaze kept drifting towards the ahoge (cowlicks)...

In the distance came the God Ancestor's hearty laughter, as if he was making a bet with someone. The ground trembled slightly from time to time, and it was unclear which crucible had exploded.

……

The cafeteria was already quite full. Tamamo Cat was flipping a frying pan in front of the counter, while Elizabeth was pestering Artoria (why is she always seen everywhere) to critique her newly written lyrics, but the latter politely declined, saying she was "eating."

After being harassed several times, he finally couldn't hold back and loudly reprimanded the dragon girl. The dragon girl, who had been scolded, scratched her head, glanced at the ahoge's chest, and suddenly her expression changed drastically. She bowed and shouted, "I'm sorry, I mistook you for Nero!"

...As a result, his ahoge (cowlick) stood up, and he dragged the crying dragon mother off to fight somewhere.

"Sigh, I wish Elizabeth could settle down a bit sometime."

"That's what makes Miss Elizabeth so endearing, senior."

Mashu stayed by Ritsuka's side, saying, "Idiot beauties and confused girls have always been very popular."

Ritsuka took a fruit salad and sat down at the corner table. Before she could even eat, a shadow flashed by.

"Yo, Master."

Merlin appeared on the other side at some point, holding a cup of black tea: "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Thanks to you, I had a strange dream."

Ritsuka rolled her eyes at him. "I dreamt that I was running around in a maze all night."

Merlin gave an innocent smile: "You can't blame me for this. You were the one who said you needed to deal with mental attacks. I just accidentally recreated the Great Tree Sea maze that trapped the Knights of Fiona back then~"

This guy is as annoying as ever!

Ritsuka responded with an awkward but polite smile.

After breakfast, Ritsuka went to the infirmary first. Dr. Roman had already prepared the examination equipment and gave her a gentle smile when he saw her: "You've come at the right time. Today we're going to test your adaptability to the imaginary space."

"It feels like all I did since I came back was get medical checkups."

"There's no other way. It's been a long time since we've collected your vital signs data, and Chaldea's equipment has been upgraded. The parameters need to be adjusted as soon as possible."

The examination process was long and tedious, and Ritsuka lay on the machine, dozing off.

Roman chatted with her while recording data, the topic ranging from the hottest weather to his experiences at a certain anomaly. By the time the examination was over, it was already noon.

"what's the result?"

Ritsuka asked, stretching her stiff neck.

"Much better than last time."

Roman adjusted his glasses. "However, the stability of the magic circuit still needs to be improved. I suggest you train with Medea more often; she's an expert in this area."

"Last time I went there, I accidentally saw her collection of figurines. I just thought it was kind of cute that she had this hobby, so I couldn't help but compliment her... but I think I made her angry."

"Witches have always been like this, and so have I... cough. Once, a man was praised for his lover's animal ears and was hit hard in the ribs."

Roman said in a tone of someone who had been through it all, "Nobody knows where their sensitivities lie, so it's best to be cautious when getting along with them."

"Gawain's wife seems to be a witch too."

"Oh, do you know this story? That guy really got a hard time..."

……

After leaving the infirmary, Ritsuka went straight to Leonardo da Vinci's workshop.

When the door was opened, Leonardo da Vinci was floating in mid-air, adjusting a complex device, surrounded by dozens of holographic projections.

"Just in time!"

Without turning his head, Da Vinci said, "Pass me that wrench over there—not that one, but the golden one next to it."

Ritsuka rummaged through the messy pile of tools, accidentally knocking over a stack of blueprints. Da Vinci then turned around, smiling helplessly, "Never mind that for now. What do you think of this newly designed 'friend system'?"

"Friends system?"

"Yes, we've made contact with so many parallel worlds. It would be a waste not to make good use of them. Through this system, we can establish connections with the parallel worlds that have logged into the library, and the two sides can exchange some resources. When necessary, we can also send heroic spirits over to serve as temporary combat forces."

"Sounds really convenient!"

Ritsuka blinked: "But I think it's better not to get involved so early."

"Oh, why?"

"Because it's so unfair!"

Ritsuka's lips twitched slightly: "I got to where I am today by myself, step by step... Why can't I find a powerful figure to rely on?"

"...You're surprisingly petty."

Da Vinci shrugged, then beckoned Ritsuka over: "Come try on the Mystic Codes I've developed over the years. I've collected so many, and finally I can use them on you!"

For the next two hours, Ritsuka was used as a mannequin to test all sorts of strange and unusual equipment and the bizarre magic attached to it.

Some made her float in the air and unable to come down, while others suddenly sprayed out a lot of foam, wrapping her up like a snowman. When Da Vinci finally let her go with satisfaction, Ritsuka was exhausted.

During lunchtime, Ritsuka encountered Scáthach and a young... no, Lady Scáthach has always been young; she encountered Skadi from the Lostbelt, who was slightly "larger".

The two were arguing about the technique of using a certain rune. When she saw her coming over, the "slender" Scáthach immediately invited her to be the referee. However, Ritsuka knew that once she got involved, it would definitely turn into a chaotic scene.

Ultimately, these two women are just highly intelligent, but incredibly narrow-minded.

—By the way, Scáthach would win if they fought.

"You look exhausted."

Mashu appeared just in time to rescue Ritsuka from her awkward situation, asking, "Would you like to rest for a bit?"

"Oh, thank you, Mashu!"

The afternoon training session began as scheduled. Artoria (the gun) was already waiting at the training ground, surrounded by various testing and recording instruments.

The new combat suit pulled from Leonardo da Vinci's warehouse didn't look much different from usual, but Ritsuka knew that this often meant a bigger "surprise".

"First, we test the impact resistance."

Artoria said solemnly, the holy sword in her hand beginning to glow.

"Do you people have some misunderstanding about 'shock'? I already said that I've become an ordinary person again!"

"Master is too modest. Just a couple of days ago, I saw an ordinary person knock down a Phantasmal with an elbow strike."

"……well?"

Three hours later, Ritsuka slumped onto a bench in the rest area, too exhausted to even move a finger. Artoria, on the other hand, was energetically organizing the data, nodding occasionally in satisfaction.

"Performing well."

She concluded, "The magic barrier lasted twelve minutes longer than last time in a low-intensity shockwave."

"...Are you saying you're taking revenge on me?"

"How could that be? I don't have any thoughts like 'not taking care of themselves,' 'not communicating with us,' or 'only trusting foreign Heroic Spirits' at all~"

"lie!"

……

As evening fell, Ritsuka finally had some time to herself. She went alone to the rooftop of Chaldea and watched the sunset slowly sink below the horizon.

"Huh? Isn't Chaldea in Antarctica? Why is the sun... never mind."

Scratching her head, Ritsuka decided to stop thinking about it.

A gentle breeze brushed against my cheek, carrying a slight chill. A moment later, familiar footsteps sounded behind me, and Mashu approached carrying two cups of hot cocoa.

"Thank you for your hard work today, senior."

Mashu sat down next to her and handed her a hot drink.

Ritsuka took the cup, the warmth passing through the ceramic into her palm. Gazing at the gradually brightening starlight in the distance, she suddenly said, "Sometimes I feel that this kind of everyday life is truly incredible."

Mashu nodded gently, her purple eyes reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun: "Yes, but it is because of you, senior, that we are able to have such an everyday life."

As night fell, the lights of Chaldea lit up one by one, laughter and cheerful voices filled the dining hall, people were still practicing on the training ground, and the lights in the workshop remained bright.