Chapter 168 Shirou's Capture Complete
"Shirou, I'll have Darjeeling, and she wants Earl Grey Milk Tea, please." The two English girls sitting at the round table requested with a smile.
"Certainly, young ladies, please wait a moment." The young man, acting as an excellent butler, agreed gracefully.
"Shirou, your black tea is truly delicious. Thank you for the hospitality." The girl held the teacup, her eyes fixed on the boy as she spoke.
"Thank you for your compliment. It is my honor to serve you, young lady," Shirou said with a graceful bow.
"The sandwiches are delicious, and the scones really go well with the jam. We have the energy for our practice now." The male athletes said.
"I'm glad I could help you all. Good luck with your competition. There are still quite a few refreshments left; I'll bring some more over." Shirou said with a light smile.
"Oh, oh, thank you," the boys replied, their mouths full.
Under the boy's thoughtful service, everyone was satisfied.
And by the cooking counter where the little maid was sitting, Artoria finished the last scone smeared with clotted cream, drank the black tea, nodded contentedly, and said to the boy.
"Mmm, Shirou, I'm full. It was very delicious."
"That's great..." Shirou said with a smile, regaining some confidence. It turned out he could still satisfy Artoria.
"Mmm! Although I didn't get to eat any barbecue today, I'm greatly satisfied with all the refreshments I had." Artoria said, her mood much improved.
"I'm glad you liked it," Shirou said with a light smile.
"Next time, I think making more cheesecake and chocolate muffins would be very good." At this moment, Artoria was completely calm, closing her eyes and slowly drinking the last sip of black tea before opening her eyes and suggesting.
"I've made a note of that. Now, would you like a refill?" Shirou asked, holding up the teapot.
"No, thank you. But let's save today's enjoyment for dinner later." Artoria placed the spoon in the teacup and said with a light smile.
"Are you really planning to eat several meals in one day?" Shirou said with a wry smile.
"That's part of everyday life here, isn't it? That's why I think Bristol is such a good place. Besides the three main meals, they also offer afternoon tea, so you can eat four meals a day.
Mmm, it's a truly excellent school." Artoria was very satisfied, nodding and repeatedly praising.
"I think you might have a slight misunderstanding about afternoon tea, Artoria," Shirou said with a dry laugh. However, he now understood why Artoria was willing to stay here.
When it was time for the event to conclude, the participating exchange students were all reluctant to leave. Especially the boys, since the girls could continue to eat Shirou's cooking the next morning.
But the boys might never encounter such a good thing again.
"No, this can't go on! This is unacceptable!" If they hadn't eaten any of this food from the beginning, they could have convinced themselves it was all an illusion. But having tasted the deliciousness of the cuisine, they could no longer endure it.
All the boys were conquered by Shirou's cooking skills. The object of their jealousy had now shifted; instead of cursing the popular Shirou to be burned at the stake, they now felt that having a chef who could make such delicious food move into the girls' dormitory was entirely a win for the girls.
"Damn it, the girls are too cunning. We should definitely go talk to the teachers and get Shirou to make breakfast at the boys' dormitory!"
"Yeah! Yeah, how can they monopolize the chef?"
"Principal!" The boys all ran up to plead, eagerly scrambling to voice their desire.
The principal pondered for a moment, then raised his hands, displaying his bulging muscles, and said:
"Indeed... through Shirou's brilliant performance today, I believe everyone has come to understand many things: the importance of food! And the gifts nature gives us! In the future, you must exercise well, enjoy delicious food well, and not let down your precious lives."
"Yes!!" All the students of Bristol Branch School smiled and agreed in unison.
The principal shouted loudly, "Excellent answer! I, your principal, fully understand your determination. I shall personally negotiate with the Chiba Branch School to ensure that Shirou can spare some time every day to hold a culinary culture exchange event and showcase the charm of fine cuisine to everyone!"
"The Principal is brilliant!" the students cheered happily.
"No need for thanks! If you ask me why, well... it's because I want to eat it too~!" Principal Armstrong gave a thumbs-up, winked an eye, and let out a sparkle.
Shirou thought gloomily, 'Even if you say that, I didn't come to this school to have a culinary exchange with you all! And I have important things to do... Huh? Since the incident with the black mud Servants has been resolved, I'm actually very free for the next five days.'
"That's okay, isn't it? You'll agree, won't you, Takinoshita-sensei, Sawako-sensei, Hiratsuka-sensei?" The female teachers at the table looked expectantly at the guests and asked.
"There's nothing wrong with it. As long as I know there's delicious food and I can go on a date with my darling, that's fine," Sawako said nonchalantly.
"Haha, I have no objections," Takinoshita-sensei, holding Sawako's hand, nodded.
"I also approve." Shizuka Hiratsuka also did not express any dissatisfaction. After all, being able to eat a delicious breakfast every morning, and if she could eat another meal at another time, that was quite a temptation for her.
In fact, the other girls felt the same way and nodded repeatedly.
Thus, Shirou became the Culinary Culture Ambassador dispatched by the Chiba Branch School, dedicating himself to the important work of providing the people of Great Britain with the ultimate satisfaction of their taste buds, leading a busy and fulfilling life.
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.
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After that, the day's activities concluded after Shirou and the exchange students helped the teachers clean up the venue.
"Shirou, I look forward to tomorrow." The principal and teachers specifically came up to greet the young man.
"Haha, I will try hard to consider the menu." Shirou agreed with a smile, as he was indeed very free.
"Shirou, see you tomorrow." Students passing by greeted the boy.
"Oh, goodbye." Shirou waved his hand.
Although the Kyudo performance had completely become a supporting role in the exchange, it was a great success for him personally. This time, not only the girls but also the boys had become enthusiastic. Shirou no longer needed to worry about his reputation; he was a popular figure approved by the school.
Other exchange students went to their club activities, and those without activities returned to the dormitory. Shirou and Artoria walked toward the outside of the school together.
"So, Artoria, what kind of food do you like to eat?" Shirou asked the girl with a smile. If she were in her usual state, he would know quite a bit.
The blonde girl Artoria, dressed in a white and blue Western dress—the Saber he summoned in the Holy Grail War—never picked at her food, but had an endless, gourmet-like pursuit of
culinary deliciousness. The more effort put into the preparation, the better her inner, hidden mood would become.
Conversely, if the cooking was done simply for convenience, she wouldn't complain out loud, but she would certainly be dissatisfied internally.
As for Artoria in her Alter state, she didn't seem to care much for delicate Japanese cuisine, but she was very enthusiastic about high-calorie fast food that was large and filling.
"Meat dishes, of course! That's the evolution of human civilization! Also, high-calorie fried foods! And I won't refuse baked bread!" Artoria said energetically when talking about food.
"Rather, I like any dish Shirou makes... well, except for overly refined and pointless vegetables."
"Haha, but it's better to eat more green vegetables. Sufficient nutrient absorption is also very important for the body," Shirou advised.
"I eat the lettuce leaves in hamburgers and the tomatoes on pizza," Artoria said.
"Mmm, I pretty much understand your preferences, Artoria. I'll take them into consideration for the future menus," Shirou said.
If it were the girl in her original state, she would long for top-tier ingredients, caviar from the sea, wild matsutake from the mountains, and French foie gras. Even small portions were fine; as long as the rice was sufficient, paired with other side dishes, she could very much enjoy a meal.
But the girl in her Alter state might scorn dishes that couldn't be eaten by the pound to satisfaction in one sitting.
The delicate deliciousness of the cuisine was not her pursuit; the most important thing was the eating experience, and eating meat in large mouthfuls was the right way for her. Therefore, food like hearty hamburgers and fried chicken—flour-based foods paired with meat—were very popular with her. By extension, large pizzas, smoked and grilled meats were also acceptable, as were fragrant, meaty stews and braised pork. In short, she was what you would call a 'meat-eating girl.'
Later, Shirou and Artoria, who had changed into casual clothes, strolled back along the path by the river. It was half past five in the afternoon, so they headed to the live-house mentioned in the flyer, as arranged. The senior members of the light music club and Azusa Nakano had apparently gone there as soon as the exchange ended.
Walking two kilometers out from the school was in the direction of the Japanese restaurant where they had the dinner party before, but they had to walk a hundred meters further inside.
The group, dressed distinctively and carrying instruments, arrived there and were greeted by fans. Since it seemed to be a girls' band exclusive venue, most of the people queuing for tickets were girls.
The red-haired girl from the girls' dormitory seemed quite popular there, surrounded by dozens of fans presenting flowers and small gifts. The seniors from the light music club also seemed to have become well-known there, all chatting casually and at ease.
Especially Yui-senpai, who was carrying a large bag of snacks she had bought and ran in through the back door.
The bands inside seemed to be taking turns practicing their performances and making various adjustments with the sound engineer.
Shirou didn't go over to disturb them. Instead, he queued with Artoria to buy tickets and entered the live-house.
Based on the décor, the place seemed to have been around for some years. The walls were covered with posters of bands that had performed there, and some already-debuted professional bands had even pasted signed photos of their members on the display stand.
Passing through the outer iron gate, they arrived at the concert hall. There were no seats inside, so it was quite spacious, capable of accommodating several hundred people.
It looked like a soundproofed basement. There was a small shop on one side selling snacks, drinks, and band CDs. Since there were students, they didn't seem to sell alcohol. A stage was built in the center, and the space below was already filled with people who had come to watch the performance.
When six o'clock arrived, the performance officially began. The lights in the venue were turned off, and at this moment, the band on stage became the sole focal point. Then, as the music started, the first performer was the red-haired girl from the girls' dormitory. She had changed into a punk-style jacket, had smokey eye makeup, and looked more rebellious and seductive than she did at school.
Neon lights spun and flashed, and the passionate sound of the electric guitar rang out. Accompanied by the drums and bass, the red-haired girl's singing had the unique rebellious and free feeling of rock and roll. Her voice was husky, magnetic, and infectious, causing the audience below to raise their hands and sway their bodies.
For the next two hours, the people in the live-house were immersed in a sea of music.
The types of bands that performed varied, from pop-rock like the red-haired girl's to the cute style of the light music club seniors.
"Artoria, do you like this kind of music?" Shirou asked curiously.
"I don't dislike it. I don't know much about music, but one of my knights was skilled in music. He also had red hair, liked to use a bow as a harp to play, and seemed to be quite popular with young women," Artoria said.
"Ah, that would be Tristan. His tragic love story with the Irish princess of the White Hands, the daughter of the Duke of Brittany, is still very famous in modern times in Britain," Shirou said.
"Yes. The king he later served had too little capacity. But it was his freedom to leave the Round Table. I just feel it's a pity. In the end, none of the Knights of the Round Table, whether they stayed or left, had a good ending," Artoria whispered.
"Artoria..." Shirou looked at the girl with pity.
"Hmph, don't worry about me, Shirou. Everything was already decided before I came to this world. As King, I will set an example and be the first to find happiness. Then I will tell the knights to enjoy life to the fullest and pursue their own desires. So..." Artoria looked at the boy, a gentle smile appearing on her lips, and her cherry lips moved as she said, "Shirou! I'm hungry!"
Shirou smiled and agreed, "Yes, yes. We'll go to the supermarket now to buy ingredients, then go back to the girls' dormitory, and I'll make you dinner and a late-night snack all at once. Mmm, I'll buy a little extra. The girls who worked hard at the music performance can also have some refreshments to replenish their energy."
"As long as my portion is sufficient, there's no harm in sharing the rest with them," Artoria said magnanimously.
"Artoria-sama, please be merciful with your appetite," Shirou requested in a joking tone. How could he bear not to satisfy the person in front of him?
The pale-blonde girl glanced at the boy, the corners of her mouth curling into a slight arc.
The young man and the young girl walked out of the venue, chatting and strolling on the nighttime street. The orange streetlights paved a path of light for the two of them. The gentle breeze mischievously brushed past the boy's face and lifted the girl's hair ends. The stars in the sky twinkled, and everything was so warm.
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