Luxurious

"'King of Heroes! It's morning! It's time to depart! Let's do our best!'"

"Mmm..."

I open my eyes to a cheerful voice. The morning sun filters through the trees around me.

"What time is it now, Jeanne?"

"'It's 6:30 AM! Everyone is up and busy with their work.'"

A cheerful voice, Jeanne. She really acts as an alarm for me.

"...I see. The commoners need to work diligently even from this early hour. They pay attention to small details."

I sit up from the hammock. Then I collect the golden ripples and brush my teeth with the toothbrush set.

"...Wait, are you really going to wake me up like this every day?"

"'That's my intention. Romani asked me to do it, saying, 'It's a great help! It's delicate to deal with someone's waking-up time, and I don't want to be killed. Please do it!''"

"That sweet-toothed doctor... to burden Ruler with troublesome matters."

I understand the feeling. I wouldn't want to pass judgment if someone woke me up due to grogginess either.

In the first place, the idea of external factors disrupting the sleep of a king wouldn't even cross one's mind... But as for the true King of Heroes, one can't help but feel a vague sense of dread when trying to predict what might happen.

"Sigh... Well, I suppose this is just the karma of communal living. Being woken up by those hyper-excited idiots on a school trip is probably a given..."

"'Ruler? Won't you address me by my True Name?'"

"Huh?"

I ask again.

――Come to think of it, I remember calling her "Jeanne" yesterday.

"'That's fine, isn't it? 'Country girl,' calling me Jeanne would be easier in emergencies, wouldn't it?'"

"You fool. What's the benefit of calling someone by their True Name? What do you mean by 'in emergencies'?"

"'Country girl' has eleven letters, 'Jeanne' has six! It's halved! It should be easier to call me when you need me! Like when you want me to wave a flag or something!'"

"Your Master is Ritsuka, isn't she? First of all, such a familiar behavior with me -"

"'Do you dislike it?'"

――I gulp and falter. It's very uncomfortable to have the essence of the words hit me without worrying about the decorations.

An embarrassed vessel. I decide to talk instead.

"Well, calling you 'country girl' and confusing the other side and this side won't work well either. Performing a comic dialogue on the battlefield could be a fatal vulnerability. But for now, I can handle any vulnerabilities."

"...Alright, let's differentiate between the side I walk with as Ruler and the devoted you as Jeanne. As a Heroic Spirit summoned by Chaldea, this is a good occasion to proudly sing your True Name."

Yes, it's easier for me to call her Jeanne too. "Country girl" is quite a tongue twister when speaking fast.

――As a thank you for listening to my story, if she doesn't mind, it should be fine.

"'Yes, King of Heroes! Please take care of me! Let's do our best!'"

Click, the communication is cut off.

"...Wake me up and then immediately step back, huh... The farmer's daughter seems to be quite busy. I don't care either way."

...

"Good morning, Gil!"

"Hmm. Did you sleep well? I hope there's no lingering fatigue."

The two of them greet me, smiling as our eyes meet.

"Yeah! I slept soundly on the bed in the portable capsule room!"

"It feels strange somehow. I thought we would be sleeping on the ground."

"Lying on the ground won't provide much rest. As long as I'm here, I won't allow shabby behavior."

Neither of them shows any signs of fatigue. They must have had a good rest. That's good.

"This is the White King, an ideal king who cares for his subordinates. Even though you are Gold, you're White. How about that? Look, here's some French toast."

Cat presents me with freshly baked French toast. The delicious aroma fills the air.

"...Did you make this?"

"Indeed, Cat is the night Don Juan and the morning Cat. My motto is to satisfy your stomach from morning till night. Eat it, it's luxurious."

"...Luxurious?"

The vessel reacts slightly to that word.

"Yes, splendidly lavish, a rare class befitting the flashy king who carries Chaldea on his back. Do you like it? Is 'bourgeois' more to your taste?"

"...Luxurious, luxurious, huh... Fuhahaha, it sounds great! Alright, I'll specially have that bread delivered into my mouth!"

The vessel becomes in a good mood. It seems to have taken a liking to the word "luxurious."

"It's really delicious!"

"Yes, Cat, you're unexpectedly multi-faceted!"

"Cat, I'm sorry, but could I have another serving...?"

All three of them praise and compliment the dish.

This cat... has quite a high level of femininity, huh?

"Hmph, don't get carried away, you peculiar beast. Just because you've gained favor with the lowly ones doesn't mean it impresses a king--"

I take a bite to try it myself.

***

"How is it? Delicious, isn't it? Or is it more than just delicious?"

"Not bad... peculiar beast."

"Nyahaha, don't praise me, it embarrasses me. The Red Mantle was feeling down after rejecting my cooking yesterday. The Gold's cooking is a joint effort, you know."

"For a forgery, it's quite well done. I'll give it a passing grade. Hmm... I thought about summoning heroic spirits that can take care of things, but appearances can be deceiving."

Though Servants claim not to need meals, I haven't grown accustomed enough to forgo eating. I'll gladly accept this meal.

"Alright. Peculiar beast, I shall teach you the seasoning of Uruk. Remember it with your insufficient brain."

"Yes, Cat is knowledgeable. I'll cram it into my memory field that can't retain information for a day."

"...So you're a Berserker."

...

The three of them discuss their plan and seem to have decided to start by gathering information.

"'It's not good to launch a sudden attack on Orleans. We don't know the enemy's strength or who possesses the Holy Grail. Your Ruler's true name detection and detection abilities don't seem to be functioning either.'"

Olga Marie explains.

"'Understood, that makes sense. The confusion like that of a rookie comes from the fact that Jeanne was executed not long ago.'"

"Indeed, it becomes clear now. It's inappropriate for a Servant to be in such disarray."

According to what I heard, some Servants have been summoned at the counter to fix a bug where the Holy Grail is passed to someone without having a winner in the Holy Grail War.

"I apologize, King of Heroes. Please forgive our roundabout strategy despite having your assistance."

"It's a cautious approach. That's fine. Making a choice that befits your position is not shameful. 'Haste makes waste,' as they say."

They seem to focus on information gathering first. Their plan is to head to the nearby town, La Charité.

"Fortunately, my knowledge of the area is still intact. With that Iron Chariot, rapid progress is possible. Please, King of Heroes, bestow your glory upon us once again."

Jeanne pleads. Although I believe she understands the mechanics of being a Servant, this Jeanne exudes a strong sense of calm elegance.

"People do change due to their surroundings, indeed..."

"Huh?"

"Never mind, forget it. Are you both fine with it?"

"Yeah!"

"Of course. Our motto is 'never run away easily.' Let's steadily build up what we can."

"'We have no objections.'"

"'With Gil Gil Machine, it will only take 20 minutes to reach our destination. Let's depart immediately!'"

"Alright, then let's go! The most magnificent sprint to wake up our groggy heads, demonstrated by this glamorous king!"

――This vessel seem to like the word "glamorous," don't they?

***

"Hahaha, my beloved steed is in excellent condition again today! As expected of me, the maintenance is top-notch!"

"O Lord, please protect our sprint. Watch over us as we roar and dash through the road. Keep us safe and ensure the success of our mission—please protect us."

Jeanne prays with her hands clasped together.

"Fou! (Did you already respond? Truly a Ruler, despite being so flexible.)"

"'Fou-kun, didn't you think of something mischievous just now?'"

"Fou! Fou... (Particularly the prominent chest was soft. It was softness and size that rivaled Mash. If Mash's softness is like sinking into a marshmallow, then Jeanne's is like a firm mochi. Since Ritsuka excels in suppleness, everyone probably thinks it's okay for her, but a judge with a body that attractively appeals to the opposite sex would be impractical--)"

"What are you saying, Fou-san!?"

"Fuhahahaha! Look, we can see it now! It may be a small town, but gather as much information as you can! I won't assist, you're on your own! I'll be waiting glamorously!"

――It seems this vessel really like the word "glamorous."

――This is just a hypothetical situation.

If they were a little later, La Charité wouldn't have been safe.

If their march had been a little slower, La Charité would have been engulfed in flames.

――The King's march inadvertently secured the survival of one town.

***

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