Chapter 162 Shield the girl
This really was a major crisis. Although he had avoided legal punishment, Shirou couldn't shake the feeling that his social standing would be completely obliterated.
Just imagining how acquaintances would react to this news made him foresee a tragic future.
His little sister gave him a subtle look and said, "Brother, did you get Komachi's souvenir from the girls' dorm? Don't worry. Even if you're a total pervert, I won't show any disgust."
"Wait! Komachi! That's a misunderstanding! I really bought proper souvenirs!!"
At home, his parents would look at him with complex expressions. "Who does this child even take after? Why did we give birth to such a person?"
Why are they looking at me like I'm a stranger? Listen to my explanation!!
His Club companions would also look at him with disdain. "Shirou… we didn't expect you to be this kind of person… but it's okay! We're comrades, so go turn yourself in. After three years, we'll still be friends! …Probably."
Already assuming prison as a premise? What happened to our promise to save the world together?
Mash said, "Shirou-Senpai! Even if you're a pervert, it's okay. There are many popular perverts in this world, like Mozart, Roland, and… um, lots of perverts! So, perverted senpai, don't give up on life. Find a place where no one knows you and start over. I recommend a mysterious organization on a snowy mountain in another world. It's barren, but it comes with inter-world travel benefits, and the compensation can be negotiated."
"Thanks, Mash, but that's hardly cheering me up."
Gudako laughed uproariously. "Wahaha!! Shirou-Senpai, join my team and become my demi-body! If you dress as a girl, you'll be even cuter than me! With you, Gudako doubles, and together we'll be invincible! Female Servants are yours, male Servants go to D'eon. We'll rule Chaldea and the Throne of Heroes, and finally, my ambition will come true!"
No! Absolutely not!!
"Shirou? Shirou? What's wrong?" Artoria asked, looking at him curiously.
"Ah… it's nothing. Thank goodness—it was just an illusion," Shirou finally regained his senses, sighing in relief at the sight of the golden-haired girl, but inwardly resolved: "No, I absolutely can't let things go downhill! Artoria, we have to figure out a way to justify it even if Ms. Hiratsuka finds out!"
"Don't worry, Shirou. This is my territory; I'll protect you. For your honor, you still need to continue your culinary exchange activity at the girls' dorm. I'm counting on you for tomorrow's breakfast!" Artoria reassured him, pressing her hands on his shoulders seriously.
"Hmm… I guess that's the only choice… huh? Wait, shouldn't a man really avoid the girls' dorm at this point? Artoria, you don't just want me to make breakfast for you, do you?" Shirou asked, suspicious.
Artoria averted her gaze and whispered in a voice only he could hear, "After tasting a breakfast you made, I'd want it every day…"
"Artoria?" Shirou looked at her, growing even more suspicious.
Clearing her throat, Artoria spoke seriously. "Cough cough, no, Shirou. And making breakfast isn't just for me. I think it's helpful for the girls at school to taste foreign-style cuisine. No! It's necessary for improving culinary standards across all of Great Britain. Inviting you to the dorm for a culinary cultural exchange is the best method. Plus, I can ensure other girls won't bring up the night you spent in the dorm."
"Please, Artoria-sama!" Shirou clasped his hands in plea. Indeed, he had only one option left: shut everyone's mouths!
Artoria, satisfied with his reply, nodded and picked up her mop. "Alright! As a trade, I'll help you clean your room!" A diligent maid and a skilled chef—truly a match made in heaven.
"No, Artoria, this hotel has professional cleaning staff, so you don't need to work so hard. Also, except for the bathroom with tiles, the rest is carpeted, so a mop isn't really useful," Shirou reminded awkwardly.
"No problem! If I give it my all, even if the carpet burns, the room will be spotless!" Artoria said earnestly. The proud ruler of Britain, holding her Star-Selecting Mop, always gives her best effort.
She polished the entrance tiles to a shine before moving on to the carpet.
"Stop! Don't destroy anything," Shirou quickly protested.
Artoria reluctantly put away her mop. "Hmph, tasteless hotel. Doesn't appreciate wooden floors. Guess I'll clean at Shirou's place instead."
Later, Shirou escorted Artoria downstairs. The girls' dorm at the Bristol branch was only two kilometers away; a short motorcycle ride would do. He didn't risk wandering around the dorm at night.
"Shirou, I want fried chicken bites, baked potatoes, and sausage rolls for breakfast tomorrow," Artoria said, turning on her motorcycle.
"Alright, alright, I got it," Shirou said resignedly.
"Hmm." Artoria nodded, started the motorcycle, and sped toward the school.
After sending her off, Shirou returned to his room, flopped onto the bed, and felt that tomorrow might be more exhausting than fighting a dragon. With such thoughts, he fell asleep.
In his dream, he seemed to see a faraway otherworld, also called Britain, where a tradition called the Holy Pot War existed. As the country expanded, this event spread further.
The scene shifted decades later.
He became a statue, like the Statue of Liberty, surrounded by strange beings called Holy Pot Warriors competing in the Holy Pot War. They fought on stage, bruised and battered, then grabbed the best ingredients to cook.
Some offered the first cooked dish to the statue as tribute, and the winner received a Golden Holy Pot Cloth crafted with legendary kitchen tools…
Just as the Holy Pot Warrior from the Horse Meat sector was about to win, the Chicken sector warrior led the Dark Cuisine's Dark Holy Pot Warriors in, stealing the golden prize.
"What kind of dream is this?!" Statue Shirou couldn't hold it in anymore.
Shirou woke up at that moment.
.
.
.
The next morning, Shirou went to the girls' dorm as promised. He sent a message to Artoria, and soon the beautiful golden-haired girl, wearing her maid uniform and pure white maid headband, opened the door to greet him.
Her golden hair neatly styled, black maid skirt, white lace wristbands, white garters connecting to white lace stockings, and black flat shoes. The compact black attire made the petite, lovely girl even cuter.
Seeing her, Shirou felt the fatigue and confusion from last night's nightmare vanish, and he greeted her with a light smile: "Good morning, Artoria."
"Good morning, Shirou." The girl's usually cold face displayed a rare smile.
As Shirou entered the dining hall, the girls who had woken early cheered in delight. They had woken up expecting him to stay overnight; when they found he hadn't, they had felt empty inside.
"Yay~! Shirou~! You didn't abandon us."
"I thought you stayed here and forgot about us when you left."
"Why use such easily misunderstood words?" Shirou muttered helplessly, worried about the trouble ahead.
"It's okay! As long as you stay, we can discuss anything!" Brown-haired, fiery British girls and sweet blondes rushed forward excitedly, ready to pounce.
Artoria emerged from behind Shirou, her gaze sweeping over them. All the girls froze as if on cue.
"Quiet! If you want breakfast, sit down and don't disturb the chef I invited for the culinary exchange," Artoria commanded.
"Yes, Head Maid!" The students obeyed, sitting neatly.
Three minutes later, the girls exchanged glances. Huh? The British Empire actually has a culinary culture? Why had we never heard of it?
Shirou entered the kitchen and politely asked Artoria to step outside, closing the door.
"Um, can I stay nearby to assist you? I won't bother you for instruction, just observe," a plump chef lady requested. Having tasted Shirou's cooking yesterday, she was impressed—far superior to her skills as a standard culinary school graduate and nutritionist. Competition never even crossed her mind.
"Of course! With you here, we can better understand the students' tastes," Shirou agreed cheerfully.
"You're such a gentleman," she said, clasping her hands, her affection for him growing rapidly.
"Since many students are awake, let's start quickly," Shirou said.
"I'll handle all the assisting," the plump chef happily agreed.
This time, his helper was a professional chef, not a maid distributing plates. Familiar with the kitchen and ingredient placements, Shirou worked far more efficiently than yesterday.
The early-rising girls weren't waiting in vain. Soon, sausage rolls were ready—golden baked bread split open, roasted pork sausages inserted, layered with cheese or butter—delicious.
Depending on taste, sliced strawberries, blueberries, or cherry tomatoes could be added.
Marinated chicken was then fried—coated in batter, breaded, deep-fried to golden perfection, and placed on plates lined with lettuce.
Shirou skillfully wrapped the chicken in lettuce with chopsticks, forming a lotus-like pattern, resembling golden buds in green petals, neatly arranged on the serving platters.
Paired with sauces—tomato ketchup and a special fried-food sauce mixed with sweet bean paste and various ingredients—Shirou nodded in satisfaction. Even Artoria wouldn't skip vegetables anymore.
Baking ingredients were put in the oven, and Shirou began preparing vegetables.
Today's focus: baby bok choy and cabbage salad. Winter-hardened cabbage and frost-touched bok choy were sweeter due to starch converting into sugar, making them especially delicious.
The staple remained corn porridge, milk, yogurt, and cereal.
Once preparation was complete, it was nearly mealtime. Eriri and Rita, having finished their tasks, came to help distribute breakfast.
"Good morning, Aunt Susan, Shirou," greeted golden twin-tailed Eriri l and long golden-haired Rita.
"Good morning, Eriri, Rita. Thank you for helping," Shirou replied.
"Hehe, I heard helpers get to taste first, so I came," Rita said honestly.
"That's fair for kitchen staff. Just wait a couple more minutes; it'll be ready," Shirou said with a light smile.
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