At the boss Mia's earth-shaking roar, the originally excited girls immediately fell silent, as if struck by a cold wind.
"Little fox, from now on, you don't need to show your face, nor do you have to do any work in the store," Mia said, "From today onward, you are Emiya's exclusive maid, understand?"
Haruhime's eyes lit up, "Un-understood!"
'Serving the master—this, I'm good at... and if the other party is Master Emiya, hehe, hehe...', The sly fox couldn't help but giggle foolishly.
———
In the early morning, before dawn, Haruhime quietly got up, tiptoeing out of her room. After washing up, she began her daily chores.
The little fox first went to the bathroom, carefully cleaning every corner to ensure that everything was spotless.
Next, she moved to the common areas of the separate building, gently wiping the wooden tabletops with a cloth, sweeping away dust, arranging furniture, and making the entire space look brand new.
Cleaning these places was not within her assigned duties, but Haruhime took on these tasks voluntarily.
Besides cleaning, she also helped organize Emiya's and the other sisters' clothes in the tavern. She carefully folded them, neatly categorizing them, and if there were any dirty clothes, she would take the initiative to wash them.
Haruhime's circumstances made it unsuitable for her to appear in public, so Boss Mia arranged for her to serve only Emiya, keeping her out of sight from the outside world.
By rights, Haruhime didn't need to do anything—she could simply enjoy everything given to her. However, the little fox refused to remain idle. She actively took on various household chores, keeping herself busy and happy.
Emiya had tried telling her before that she didn't need to go out of her way to do these things. However, whenever Haruhime heard such words, she would show a pitiful expression, as if she had lost her sense of purpose. Seeing this, Emiya could only nod in agreement and let her continue doing what she wanted.
Haruhime had always been clear about her own position. In her heart, she saw herself as the master's concubine, or perhaps even...
"Possession."
She had once been a courtesan, though she had never actually received any clients. Still, deep down, Haruhime believed that she no longer had the right to stand proudly by Emiya's side.
The title of 'official wife' was beyond her reach, she didn't dare to desire such a status. She only wished to enter his household in any way possible, even if it meant taking the most humble role.
At the same time, Haruhime also secretly felt that, compared to being a 'wife' or a 'madam,' the identity of a 'concubine' or 'mistress' stirred her heart even more.
'Because of the master's favor, I get tormented and mistreated by the legal wife, crying daily in the house... but every day, when the master returns, I still show him my brightest smile…', Every time she imagined such a scenario, the little fox's heart trembled violently, and her body felt so hot that she nearly fainted.
'Or… an 'outside mistress' could work too, living in a separate residence kept by the master, secretly meeting him every day behind the wife's back…'
'When facing the wife, the master secretly plays with my tail from an angle she can't see, all while chatting with her as if nothing is happening… And I have to pretend that nothing is wrong… Uwah…', As these images unfolded in her mind, Haruhime's cheeks turned as red as a ripe apple.
Hugging Emiya's clothes, she took a deep breath, her beautiful tail swaying behind her.
It was hard to say whether the girl's self-perception, or rather, her desires, stemmed from her own inferiority or from a deeper yearning within.
"Haruhime, are you here? Have you seen my clothes?", Suddenly, Emiya's voice came from outside the door.
Hearing his voice, Haruhime was startled, letting out a cute "Eep!" Her tail shot straight up, and her whole body froze in panic.
Then, she looked down, and her face instantly flushed bright red.
Because of her earlier fantasies, she had unconsciously hugged Emiya's clothes too tightly, now they were completely crumpled.
Haruhime frantically tried to smooth out the wrinkles, but as soon as her hands touched the soft fabric, her mind was once again filled with various wild thoughts. Her tail swayed instinctively, and the more nervous she got, the clumsier her movements became.
"W-what should I do…", Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, staring anxiously at the clothes in her hands, terrified that Emiya would notice her blunder.
["If you can't even handle such a small matter properly, it looks like you need to be punished properly."]
A strange fantasy suddenly surged into her mind, and Haruhime's face turned crimson.
In her imagination, the master took step after step toward her, gradually removing his clothing…
Finally, the little fox let out a soft whimper and, overwhelmed by nervousness and embarrassment, fainted on the spot, collapsing onto the floor.
"D-don't apologize!"
When she came to, Haruhime panicked and apologized hastily, then immediately assumed the three-finger prostration before Emiya.
She knelt properly on the ground, knees together, upper body straight yet slightly leaning forward. Lowering her head gently, she touched the floor with her thumb, index, and middle fingers—a graceful and aesthetically pleasing posture.
The noble education and etiquette training from her childhood had unexpectedly come in handy today.
Haruhime had been forced to practice various rituals countless times, each posture needing to be flawless, or else she would face severe scolding. By now, her body was naturally accustomed to these courtesies, executing them with absolute precision.
Looking at the girl before him, Emiya sighed helplessly, "Haruhime, there's no need for that. I don't have anything important to do today, and the clothes don't matter. I can just change into another set."
He reached out and helped Haruhime up.
As his fingers touched her arm, the girl trembled slightly, her tail instinctively swishing with excitement.
"Speaking of which, Haruhime, would you like to do some training?", Emiya suddenly asked.
"Training?", Haruhime blinked in confusion, looking at him blankly, clearly puzzled by the suggestion.
With Haruhime's talent, it would be a huge waste not to utilize it properly. Moreover, her extraordinary magic meant that her future would never be peaceful. Even if she wished for an ordinary life, reality likely wouldn't allow her to live in peace forever.
At the very least, Haruhime needed to train in some basic combat skills, just in case.
"I… I can try," Haruhime said softly. She also hoped to be strong enough to help Emiya when needed.
"Haruhime, have you ever used a magic sword?", Emiya asked again.
The girl blinked, then shook her head blankly.
Her understanding of magic swords was limited to rumors and book descriptions. She had never seen one in person, let alone used one.
Haruhime's knowledge was skewed, mostly consisting of religious rituals and etiquette she learned as a child, as well as bedroom arts she later picked up in the Ishtar Familia.
In contrast, she knew very little about other subjects.
"A magic sword is a special magical tool. For you, it should be the most suitable weapon," Emiya said, "Come with me, Haruhime."
He led Haruhime to the courtyard, then snapped his fingers, "Projection, start (Trace, On)."
As his words fell, a faint light flashed from his hand. Emiya gently waved his arm, instantly projecting ten magic swords into the air.
These were all [Firework Magic Swords], a type of magical tool that had no real lethality. Whenever they were swung, they would not release fireballs or lightning, but instead, a beautiful firework.
This type of magic sword was a creation designed by the blacksmiths of Hephaestus's Familia in their boredom, but they had only designed it on paper and had never actually forged one.
Through projection magic, Emiya successfully materialized them.
This design was quite suitable for someone like Haruhime, who had no combat experience, to practice with.
Emiya handed the magic sword in his hand to Haruhime, "Here, give it a try. Don't be nervous, take your time."
Haruhime held the magic sword, her heartbeat quickening. She carefully raised the sword, following Emiya's instructions, took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and swung the magic sword. However, out of an instinctive reaction, she closed her eyes tightly when releasing the magic sword.
As a result, the sword light veered off course. The magical firework that should have shot out in a straight line instead tilted to the right, directly hitting a corner of the courtyard, where it exploded into a small burst of colorful fireworks.
Haruhime panicked instantly, too nervous to speak. Her face turned bright red, thinking that her performance had been terrible. She timidly looked at Emiya, full of apology.
However, Emiya showed no sign of blaming her, "Don't be nervous. Everyone is a bit clumsy the first time. Take your time, try keeping your eyes open, and focus on the target you want to hit. Don't be afraid of making mistakes."
Haruhime took a deep breath and gathered her courage to try again. This time, she tried to control her nervousness, relaxed as much as possible, and slowly raised the magic sword according to Emiya's instructions.
After several failures, Haruhime finally started to get the hang of it. Just before she completely exhausted the magic sword's uses, she finally shot out an accurate beam of light, hitting the target in front of her. A dazzling, small firework bloomed.
Haruhime's eyes widened instantly, and her tense face showed an expression of disbelief. She jumped up in joy, turned around, and threw herself into Emiya's arms, exclaiming excitedly, "I did it! I did it!"
However, a few seconds later, she realized that she had impulsively hugged Emiya. She instantly became flustered, quickly let go, and her face turned red all the way to her ears.
She lowered her head, not daring to look directly at Emiya, but her tail was still gently wagging from excitement.
At that moment, Syr and the other girls saw from a distance what Haruhime was doing and immediately ran over.
Anya's tail swayed excitedly. She looked at Emiya with anticipation and said, "Shirou, this looks so fun, nya~ Can you give some to the cats?"
Emiya projected a few more firework magic swords but didn't hand them directly to Anya. Instead, he gave them to Syr, "You can have them, but be careful, especially about fire hazards. Don't break anything… Syr, I'll leave them to you."
Anya happily took the magic sword from Syr's hands and patted her chest in assurance, "Don't worry! The cats will be careful!"
Seeing their excited expressions, Emiya nodded, gave them a few more instructions, then turned and left to train in the dungeon.
.
.
.
Time passed quickly, and night quietly fell. When Emiya returned from the dungeon and entered the house, he immediately saw the pitiful sight of Anya and the others being hung upside down on a drying rack.
Syr walked over with a cup of hot tea, shook her head, and said, "While they were playing with the fireworks, they accidentally shot one onto Mama Mia's head."
Hanging from the drying rack, Anya let out a pitiful cry, "Shirou, help nya~ save the cat~"
———
[The day before Haruhime moved into the [Hostess of Fertility] tavern]
"This is the situation, Lady Freya."
In the central building of the [Folkvanger], the goddess stood before a crystal-clear floor-to-ceiling window, looking with great interest at an exquisite sketch. Behind her stood a male Cat Person, standing like a knight.
"Well done, Allen," Hearing the goddess's melodious voice, [Goddess' Chariot] slightly lowered his proud head.
This adventurer, renowned as the fastest in the city, was a Level 6 known for his rough and fierce nature. Only in the presence of Goddess Freya would he show such restraint and composure.
Freya tilted her head slightly as she carefully admired the artwork in her hands, an enchanting smile unknowingly appearing at the corner of her lips.
It was a sketch created in a short amount of time, yet its strokes were anything but simple. Every line and brushstroke in it would astonish even the world's greatest painters. Anyone who saw it would call it a masterpiece.
And indeed, it was literally a divine work—its creator was the Traveler God, Hermes.
Hermes' divine duties were highly diverse. He was the god of commerce and travelers, as well as the protector of thieves and shepherds. He was the messenger of the gods, the first bard, skilled in mathematics and debate, and proficient in music and painting.
If Hermes had a single weakness, it would be combat. Neither he nor his Familia excelled in battle, they were more accustomed to working behind the scenes.
Like bards, forever supporting heroes and singing their tales.
Freya had commissioned Hermes, who had recently returned to the Labyrinth City, to investigate the situation with Ishtar Familia. Hermes naturally agreed without hesitation.
This somewhat unserious god had long dreamed of visiting Orario's Pleasure Quarter. Now, with an official reason to enter the red-light district, along with Freya's funding, it was like a gift from the heavens for Hermes.
During the day, Hermes arrived at the Pleasure Street early. Using scouting as an excuse, he wandered around, enjoying himself in various places. He flirted with many women, laughing and playing to his heart's content.
For the women of the Pleasure Street, a handsome god who was also generous with money was the ideal customer.
However, despite getting lost in pleasure, Hermes remained professional. He completed all of Freya's tasks with quality and quantity, fully justifying the goddess's commission.
He even brought back an extra achievement—the artwork Freya now held. This was an impromptu creation, inspired while he watched Emiya's battle.
Yes, Hermes had witnessed the entire fight between Emiya and the battle courtesans of Ishtar Familia. However, no one noticed him, thanks to his magical tools.
Using his flying boots (Talaria) and the Hades Helm (Hades Head), which erased his presence, Hermes easily observed the battlefield. Even the most alert adventurers failed to detect him.
These tools were created by Asfi Al Andromeda, the Level 2 leader of Hermes Familia, who possessed the rare [Mystery] ability. With her talent in crafting magical items, Hermes Familia could complete various high-difficulty commissions.
This time was no exception—Freya was quite satisfied with their results, especially Hermes' artwork.
The painting depicted a brave young man wielding a sharp sword in one hand while holding a fox girl in the other. Before him, a horde of Amazon warriors charged like a raging tide, while the young man, expression cold, rushed forward with his sword.
Clearly, the painting was based on Emiya's battle with Ishtar Familia, though with artistic modifications.
In reality, Emiya never fought while holding Haruhime. She had been rescued separately. And instead of a grand escape, Emiya had stormed into Ishtar Familia's home and beaten the confused battle prostitutes senseless.
The only real threat, the [Man Killer], had been unceremoniously taken down by a sneaky attack from [Gale].
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