Shopping Fate

It was another day at the Branwen household, but today was especially special for the women of the house. It was shopping day, a tradition that started a few years back, with Irisveil and Skadi deciding to drag the whole household, including Silva, to the Fuyuki Mall for a shopping trip. It was a lot of fun for the women, so they decided to make a big shopping trip once a month, and currently, there are 17 women presently residing within the Branwen household, so this turned into the biggest shopping trip yet.

Silva, of course, did the most reasonable thing a man could do in the face going shopping with over a dozen women... He skipped town for the day. Gray decided to join him as well since she did not wish to be made into a dress-up doll once again, but the other newer members of the household had no idea what they were getting themselves into at all. Irisveil had gathered everyone else and, along with Skadi, started explaining the point of this trip.

" Okay, everyone's attention, please."

The homunculus woman called out to the group gathered outside in front of the house, and they looked toward her.

" Today is the monthly shopping trip for our household, and I am more than pleased to have so many with us here today."

Irisveil said with a brilliant smile, and Skadi continued for her.

" The monthly shopping trip is for fun, so if you have anywhere you wish to go in Fuyuki, be sure to use the search engine on your wrist phones to see what is here, which is almost anything imaginable, thanks to my lord husband's endeavors in making Fuyuki a desirable land to reside in or visit."

" Wait, hold on, Silva has been doing what?!"

Rin exclaimed at just learning this detail despite being the Second Owner of Fuyuki and Sakura explained.

" Otou-sama is not interested in travel right now, Nee-chan, so he instead decided to bring various businesses and entertainment to Fuyuki instead so we can always do something interesting or somewhat novel. He essentially turned the city into a playground for us so we could have anything we wanted at our convenience."

The tsundere looked at her little sister in disbelief and a bit of fear before sighing and muttering to herself.

" He's ridiculous."

" He is Otou-sama, after all. Plus, men are their man caves or secret bases, right?"

Sakura said with a happy smile as she eliquated Silva's Fuyuki expansion project to set up a fortress or private getaway. Rin replied with a tired tone.

" There has to be a limit!"

The violet-haired girl mused over her sister's reaction to the general level of chaos and ridiculousness her adoptive father causes when he sets his mind on something, regardless of how large a project it is, with little care for how and why. If there was one thing that had changed about Silva, it's that he is far less restrained than back on Remnant. Both Soul Archive and Transmutation are the biggest causes for this change, as they enable him to cheat in a world that has no real counter for them.

In theory, the foreigner could use Transmutation to split the world in half if given enough time, and Soul Archive is the bane of politicians and bureaucrats; all their secrets are his to use as he wishes. Irisveil then stated for everyone to hear with an excited expression.

" Now, let the shopping trip commence!"

***

I, Silva Branwen, am counting my lucky stars for escaping the monthly shopping day before I got dragged into being a pack mule. Gray also decided to keep me company and avoid being made into a dress-up doll as I went to Kyoto to escape. I generally enjoy staying in Kyoto, especially when it is not tourist season, like right now, since there are plenty of things to do to relax. I wandered through Gion with my former apprentice to find a nice cafe for lunch.

My wrist phone vibrated as I got another picture of the shopping trip from Sakura, Irisveil, and Skadi. I am glad they are having fun, but you can not pay me enough to endure hours upon hours of shopping until sunset. I looked at the picture, and it was Medusa in a frilly gothic lolita dress as she was blushing. The Servant probably eyed a shop that specialized in that sort of thing as she was still self-conscious about not being small and cute like her sisters, and Sakura noticed and then dragged her to the shop to try a few outfits.

I smiled as I honestly prefer Medusa as she is now as she had a figure most women would kill for and then some. I also got pictures of poor Artoria being forced into various outfits and even a bit of cosplay, like a maid uniform, China dress, and a policewoman. Scáthach also did some posing with Skadi in matching bunny suits. My dear wife was blushing up a storm in that picture while the witch kept cool and confident as always. While part of me wanted to see it in person, the logical side of me squashed that thought as I knew I did not have the mental fortitude to survive a shopping spree with a dozen women.

Gray then called out to me.

" How about there, Sir?"

My former apprentice pointed at a cat cafe with a look of yearning, and I shrugged as I replied.

" Sure, why not?"

We entered the cafe and got a seat as it wasn't crowded. As we looked at the menu, a lot of cats came up to me for some reason wanting attention. A few bumped their heads against my arms, some rubbed themselves against my legs, and there was even one that was trying to groom the hair on my head. Gray was doing her best not to laugh at my situation of being swamped by cats but could not help but smile. I got a berry and honey pastry with a melon soda, and my former apprentice ordered a rice omelet with cola.

As we ate, Gray started to get a bit jealous that none of the cats came to her and moved to next to me instead of across so she could pet a few furballs. My former apprentice enjoyed stroking a pretty little solid gray cat, and I asked her a question that had been on my mind.

" How do you feel about Artoria, Gray?"

" I... Still don't know, Sir. Part of me wants to hate her because she could be considered the root cause of my situation. Still, another part of me realizes it's not her fault that my mother and village decided to sacrifice me to resurrect "King Arthur Pendragon."

" Have you tried talking with her?"

Gray shook her head in denial, and I did not press the matter as it was ultimately up to her on how to handle her relation to the King of Knights. She did not originally look like Artoria at first, but she put through a ritual to make her a vessel for Artoria in her village in Wales. My former apprentice avoids looking at reflective surfaces as seeing her Saber-Face reminds her of how she was betrayed by her own mother when she was offered up to be the vessel for Arthur Pendragon's resurrection. I could've returned her to normal if I had some genetic samples of her before the ritual, but those samples no longer exist due to the ritual itself altering her very essence.

I got more pictures from the girls back home as Gray and I played with the cats. One picture of Artoria getting one of everything in the food court of the mall and Shuten sampling various types of alcohol. Tamamo sent me a selfie of herself in sexy lingerie, and Shuten, Irisveil, and even Skadi did the same. After lunch, my former apprentice and I went to see the monkeys in the park and then went to some hot springs to end the day. I went to a mixed bathing area because most people are a tad too shy to go there, so I got the hot spring to myself.

As I finished washing my body, I went to soak in the spring. I closed my eyes as I relaxed until I heard a familiar voice.

" Sir?"

" Gray?"

I looked at the almost-naked girl in surprise, with only a towel to cover her petite body. I asked her curiously, as she had never done anything like this before.

" What brings you to the mixed bathing area, Gray?"

" I was wondering if you needed help washing your back..."

Gray answered with a small voice while looking embarrassed and shy. I then told her.

" I am good, but thank you for the thought, Gray. Care to join me since you are already here?"

She avoided looking in my direction and replied.

" I suppose..."

After washing up, my former apprentice sat next to me in the hot spring while looking nervous and tense. I did not say anything as I already knew her feelings for me through Soul Archive but I was in no rush to pursue more romantic relationships in this world with my mind still on Remnant. Silence descends on the hot spring as we wait for the sun to go down before returning home.