"An unfamiliar ceiling…"
Shirou's fist clenched involuntarily. Finally—finally, he'd heard someone else say those words. All his life, it had been him uttering that phrase after waking up injured or disoriented; he'd never dreamed he'd get to hear another person say them too.
He almost felt tears welling up in his eyes.
"You're… Sir Knight and his Master, aren't you?"
Jeanne's voice now sounded soft and weak, completely different from the heroic figure they'd met before. Her previous composed dignity had vanished, leaving only the frailty of an ordinary high school girl.
"Drink some porridge first."
Shirou and Arthur had rented a small inn room. As for how they paid for it—
Well, naturally, it was funded by Darnic. Since Shirou and Arthur needed to move around freely, Darnic hadn't been stingy. Rather, he'd simply handed over a generous sum of money.
Why was it that everywhere he went, Shirou always seemed to rely on someone else's funds?
Though he complained inwardly, he certainly wouldn't refuse such convenient generosity.
Well, it wasn't exactly free money. He and Arthur had just fought head-to-head with the Red faction, so he supposed it could count as a reward.
Besides, Shirou didn't particularly care about hoarding money. Eventually, he'd leave this world anyway, so what was the point of accumulating wealth?
Hmm… but this was a parallel world. Would money actually carry over?
Shirou quickly snapped back to reality. Wait—this wasn't the time to think about money. The girl who'd just awakened was clearly the more pressing concern.
He lifted the lid from the bowl he'd placed on the bedside table.
A golden sheen erupted, along with an irresistible fragrance that drifted gently into Jeanne's nose.
Jeanne immediately relaxed, eyes widening in delight, staring hungrily at the bowl in Shirou's hands.
Tears practically streamed from the corners of her eyes.
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
"Jeanne" grabbed the bowl's edges eagerly, completely abandoning any sense of decorum. In just a few seconds, she'd emptied the bowl.
"Delicious! So delicious!"
Her eyes sparkled brightly as she handed back the empty bowl, color returning swiftly to her cheeks, her energy instantly restored.
For a cook, there was no better praise than a diner's enthusiastic reaction.
Shirou and Arthur exchanged a satisfied smile. Of course it tasted good—it was the combined masterpiece of two expert chefs.
Initially, Shirou planned to cook alone, but seeing Arthur handling ingredients beside him with practiced ease, he'd asked for Arthur's help.
The two had worked perfectly together, quickly producing a bowl of highly nutritious vegetable porridge—impeccable in aroma, color, and taste.
When they'd lifted the lid, Shirou and Arthur both felt like they'd stepped into heaven, the scent alone rejuvenating their souls.
They'd each tasted it, and both master chefs were extremely pleased with the result.
Burp—
"Jeanne" let out a decidedly unladylike belch.
She immediately realized her slip, covering her mouth in embarrassment, face turning a shy, brilliant red.
"You… You're not Miss Jeanne, are you?" Arthur asked gently, sensing the difference. Rather than noticing her physical appearance, he'd instantly realized she completely lacked the commanding aura of someone who'd led armies on the battlefield.
"No, my name is Laeticia. I'm just an ordinary French high school student."
Laeticia answered honestly, showing no suspicion at all—as if just as readily trusting Shirou and Arthur as she had the saint possessing her body.
Arthur thought worriedly to himself: If Jeanne lets her wander around carelessly, wouldn't this girl be at risk of being kidnapped?
"As I thought, it's possession-based summoning," Arthur nodded in confirmation. Though he'd guessed earlier, he'd needed confirmation. After all, practice was the only true measure of theory. He couldn't dismiss the chance she'd truly descended in human form—like Artoria, whose original body remained frozen on the battlefield of Camlann, summoned directly without spiritual form.
But the presence of a second personality practically confirmed possession.
This was exceptionally unusual in a Holy Grail War. Unless special circumstances arose, Servants would always manifest directly in spirit form.
"Excuse me," Laeticia said politely to Shirou, "may I ask your name? Calling you 'Sir Knight's Master' doesn't feel quite right…"
Because of Jeanne's memories, Laeticia knew Arthur's true name and how to address him—but she didn't yet know Shirou's name, and she felt awkward continually referring to him indirectly.
"Emiya Shirou," he replied easily. It wasn't something he needed to hide.
"Miss Laeticia," Shirou continued, "can you tell us where Ruler is now?"
He recalled Arthur explaining about possession summoning earlier. Normally, when enough mana was available, the Servant's personality should be dominant, and the possessed host would remain unconscious.
As Ruler was summoned directly by the Grail itself, mana shortage wasn't supposed to be a problem. Jeanne should've maintained control, unless the host experienced some significant issue—like starvation.
Earlier, extreme hunger had likely triggered Laeticia's awakening. But now that they'd fed her, Jeanne should've reappeared by now.
Unexpectedly, Laeticia still remained conscious, even recalling Jeanne's earlier conversation clearly—a curious phenomenon that surprised both Shirou and Arthur.
Then again, in a sense, this whole situation was their fault. If everything had proceeded normally, Jeanne would have eaten before heading to the church. Instead, sensing Shirou and Arthur's presence had diverted her attention entirely.
Earlier, she'd tried to question Karna, who refused to answer her inquiries. Then, finding only Shirou and Arthur in town, she'd suspected the Red faction was deliberately avoiding her.
Thus, Jeanne had skipped eating altogether and rushed straight toward them.
Due to intense hunger, combined with sprinting across town, she'd promptly collapsed right in front of them.
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T/N: ARTHUR CAN COOK ALSO??? OH DEAR GOD PLEAS EMARRY ME ALSREADY