Chapter 4: Today's Meal at the Emiya Household
Ryuu realized—she may have been brought to a rather incredible place.
Reluctantly following Ciel to the first-floor dining area, Ryuu found the room modest in size and unusually quiet. Only their group was present.
Shirou's wish had been granted by Mia, and now he was busy working in the kitchen. Soon enough, he and Mia brought out steaming trays of food.
"Please, everyone have a taste. And thank you for taking care of me these past few days."
"Meat~! Anya's favorite~!"
It was a dish of tender, spice-simmered chicken, fluffy stir-fried egg, and assorted vegetables over rice—Oyakodon(chicken and egg rice bowl).
One of Shirou's most frequently cooked home dishes in his past life—second only to curry.
"This kid's cooking…" Mia muttered in shock after watching from the kitchen. She then turned to the stunned Ryuu. "Hurry up and eat! You want it to get cold?"
Realizing there was no point resisting, Ryuu resigned herself and picked up a spoon. Shirou had made a large portion, so everyone got some. Anya, the catgirl, dove in first.
"Wow! It's better than Mama Mia's cooking, meow!"
Ryuu heard Mia's knuckles crack. She took a spoonful and brought it to her lips.
First, the rich umami of the chicken broth and the silky texture of the egg spread through her mouth, blending with the aroma of the rice. The sweetness of the vegetables lingered on her tongue.
Unlike the heavy, greasy dwarf cuisine that often tossed everything together for tired adventurers, and unlike the overly refined, bland elven cuisine—this dish was gentle and delicate, full of flavor and balanced nutrition.
It was... like something a mother would make at home.
"This food brings warmth… It's truly delicious," Ryuu said honestly, despite her prickly nature.
Mia chuckled and spoke slowly.
"This is food made with heart. Whether gratitude or admiration—it's the boy's feelings for you." She smiled. "To enjoy such warm, heartfelt cooking—that's reason enough to keep living, right?"
Ryuu fell silent.
She realized—what did she mean to this boy?
She thought she'd disgraced justice, had no right to save or guide others. But Shirou's presence told her—maybe she could still do the right thing.
At the very least, she had saved one child.
So what now… what should she do?
Wordlessly, Ryuu resumed eating. Spoonful after spoonful, despite her small mouth, she ate quickly. Before long, her bowl was empty.
"Hehe, you finished it."
"Thank you for the meal. I'm truly grateful."
Ryuu's heart was complicated. She looked at Shirou and thought—Could I become someone's savior and guide… like Alise once was to me?
"Then—"
The mood shifted.
Ryuu tensed instantly.
"You've eaten, haven't you?"
"What are you saying—?"
"Just like debts must be paid, or killers must atone, it's only natural you pay for your meal at a tavern."
Ryuu's expression froze. Mia grinned.
"That'll be fifty million valis. Thanks for dining."
Shirou: "Eh?"
"U-Unbelievable!"
Ryuu slammed her hand on the table. "That price is outrageous!"
"Totally reasonable. The dish had rare ingredients—uhh… dragon meat, phoenix eggs, fruit from the elven world tree… How is fifty million valis unreasonable?"
Shirou: "...It was just regular chicken, egg, and potato."
But under Mia's threatening gaze, he kept quiet.
"Well, seeing as you clearly can't pay, you'll have to stay and work it off."
"Huh?!"
Ryuu was too stunned to respond.
"This is blatant fraud—complete nonsense!"
Normally, she'd have countered with force. But Mia was far stronger. Ryuu was utterly flustered, her ears trembling.
"This is the dungeon city. You never know what'll happen—above or below ground."
Mia's overwhelming presence was like a tidal wave.
Ryuu turned to the others.
Ciel: "At this tavern, Mama Mia's word is law… sniffle~"
The girl covered her face in mock tears—what a sneaky girl!
Shirou: "I'm working here too, Miss Ryuu..."
Anya: "Anya's asleep~ Anya knows nothing, meow~"
"As Ciel said, I am the law here. If I say black is white, then it is white." Mia's smirk was worthy of a true villain.
Of course, the others understood—this farce was for Ryuu's sake.
They knew if she left now, she'd likely die. She had nearly died already.
This was their way of making her stay—to live.
But Ryuu didn't realize that.
"You're all conspiring against me!"
"It's decided," Mia declared.
And thus, Ryuu was forced to become a waitress at the Hostess of Fertility tavern.
"Thank you, Miss Mia."
While Ciel and Anya dragged Ryuu off to try on uniforms, only Shirou and Mia remained in the dining room.
"We're short-staffed anyway," Mia snorted. "For stubborn elves, tough love works best."
"Besides," she added with a tinge of nostalgia, "she's someone worth saving."
Clearly, Mia knew Ryuu from before. And having a top-tier wanted criminal here didn't bother her.
"What about you, brat? Want to be this tavern's head chef?" Mia smirked. "Normally we only hire girls, but for someone with your skills, I'll make an exception. Surrounded by pretty girls—tempted?"
But Shirou didn't flinch. His eyes and voice were resolute.
"I want to become an adventurer."
Mia crossed her arms. "Why?"
"Being an adventurer isn't easy. Is it for money? Fame? To become a hero? Or to seek power?"
Shirou took a deep breath.
"I never want to feel powerless again… unable to protect the people I care about."
Chapter 5: The Hephaestus Familia
Mia wasn't surprised.
"Fair enough. So—what Familia do you want to join?"
Familia were organizations formed around a god, who blessed their followers with divine power. The city was built on them—adventuring, crafting, business—it all happened through Familias.
"I… don't know much about them yet," Shirou admitted.
"You want to be an adventurer and didn't even look into that?" Mia scolded. "Follow me."
She pulled out an old, thick catalog: Orario Familia Guidebook.
Shirou realized he could somehow read the language fluently.
"Any Familia without a single Level 4? Forget 'em. Trash."
Mia discarded 90% of the book with one line, narrowing the list down to a few key options.
"The strongest Familia in town is Freya Familia. I have a bit of pull there. I could get you in."
She opened the book to a page displaying Freya's Valkyrie crest.
Freya—the Norse goddess of love and beauty. Her Familia stood at the top. Multiple Level 5+ adventurers. The only Level 7 in the city.
"But I don't recommend them," Mia said after some thought.
"Why not?"
"They're not a good match. That Familia is full of lost, love-starved kids. But you—you're grounded. And you're not lacking in love."
"You're someone who overflows with love and gives it freely," she added seriously.
That sounded… oddly like a description of a romantic player...
"You'd destroy Freya Familia—or it'd destroy you. Not compatible."
Freya's Familia chose members by their "soul's color." Fortunately, the goddess's current interest was in "purity," not "brilliance."
Next: the jester mask—Loki Familia.
The second most powerful, with three Level 6s and four Level 5s. Unlike Freya's more passive stance, Loki Familia actively explored the Dungeon.
"If you want to fight, Loki Familia is a great choice. But I can't help you get in. You'll have to apply yourself."
She continued flipping through the book.
Ishtar Familia—rejected immediately. Powerful, yes, but they ran the pleasure district. Best to avoid if you didn't want to be exploited.
Ganesha Familia—boasted 11 Level 5s, led by Shakti Varma. Acted as city guards, maintained order, and had close ties to the Guild.
"A decent choice," Mia said. "And then… Asteria Familia…"
Asteria, goddess of stars and justice.
"That Familia's gone," Mia said softly. "They were wiped out in a Dungeon accident. Their god left Orario. This guide's three years old."
"I see…" Shirou noted the Familia's crest—wings of justice—and remembered it.
"And here's the Hephaestus Familia."
Goddess of fire and forge, Hephaestus. Her Familia focused on blacksmithing and commerce, but also produced capable adventurers.
Their leader: Level 5 master smith Tsubaki Collbrande—known as the "One-Eyed Master."
"I want to join this Familia," Shirou declared.
"Oh? Why?"
"I'm interested in sword forging."
"So… a good chef drawn to fire and metalwork?" Mia nodded. "No problem. I'll write a recommendation."
"I'm sorry—I said I'd work here…"
"No big deal. Pay me back once you earn some coin. I don't need another kid on staff." Mia patted his shoulder.
"If being an adventurer wears you down, come back. I can feed one more mouth."
"Welcome to the Hephaestus Familia."
With fiery red hair, an eyepatch over her right eye, a white blouse, black pants, and thigh-high boots, the goddess Hephaestus took the letter from Shirou. She didn't even read it—just accepted him on the spot.
A true goddess. Her beauty was unshaken. With her simple, androgynous outfit, she gave the striking impression of both elegance and strength.