Chapter 51: Once More, My Friend
Several Days Later
Things had been incredibly busy since the girls arrived and I revealed the truth of my existence to Chaldea's remaining members.
The first order of business had naturally been repairing Chaldea and getting it fully operational again as quickly as possible.
Thanks to my ability to access and travel between different realities, everyone quickly got to work gathering the materials needed for the repairs. Since many of those resources weren't easy to obtain and often required access to the Magus side of the world, that was where Irisviel and Aoi proved invaluable.
With their connections to influential magus families, acquiring what we needed became much easier than expected.
While they handled that side of things, Eri, myself, and several others focused on restocking Chaldea's food reserves after discovering that Lev had sabotaged most of them.
Once again, my Inventory proved to be a lifesaver.
Not having to worry about transporting massive amounts of supplies saved us an incredible amount of time.
Combined with the endlessly replenishing resources provided by our Demiplane through the Warehouse District perk, we realistically never had to worry about running out of food or materials again.
With everyone busy, the people who naturally ended up sticking closest to me were Tamamo, Sakura, Mash, and somewhat surprisingly, Olga.
After Lev's betrayal and everything she had endured growing up, it seemed Olga had latched onto me fairly hard.
Honestly, I couldn't blame her.
Not only had I literally brought her back from death after being betrayed by the person she trusted most, but I had also listened to her, believed in her, and promised to help her.
It had gotten to the point where Olga would become noticeably anxious whenever I wasn't nearby for long periods of time.
She had even managed to shock everyone one morning.
I had woken up surrounded by the usual pile of female flesh I had unfortunately become accustomed to over the months, only to discover that Olga had somehow claimed one of my arms during the night and was happily using it as a pillow.
That morning, and the ones that followed, had certainly been interesting.
Especially after Olga more or less declared through her actions that she had no intention of backing down from Tamamo and Sakura's challenging stares.
When we weren't busy repairing Chaldea or making supply trips to alternate worlds, most of my remaining time was spent training.
Scáthach, both Artorias, Lancelot, Mash, and occasionally several others all participated.
Lancelot's inclusion was admittedly a little embarrassing on my part since I occasionally forgot he was even there.
The Knight of the Lake was so quiet that he somehow managed to blend into the background most of the time.
Both Artorias had also taken it upon themselves to properly train Mash so she would become worthy of her shield, in their own words.
Unfortunately for Mash, that usually translated into being treated like a training dummy.
By the end of most sessions she would be covered in bruises and completely exhausted.
Thankfully, she never once complained. That girl was made of nerves of steel, probably one of the main reasons for her Shielder status.
Then there was Lancelot.
Poor Lancelot now had to deal with the fact that there were two versions of King Arthur living under the same roof.
One was the king he already knew.
The other was a darker version that wasn't entirely unlike his own situation as a Berserker.
Watching him awkwardly navigate that situation had been surprisingly entertaining.
Though none of that compared to his first meeting with Mash.
For reasons I had only a vague idea about since my knowledge of the Arthurian Legend was spotty as best, the usually sweet and adorable Mash had immediately marched up to him and punched the living daylights out of the poor knight.
The next second she had apologized profusely to a thoroughly confused Lancelot.
To this day, he would become tense whenever he found himself in the same proximity as my adorable cupcake junior.
And finally in the middle of all that chaos, my sweet and adorable Eri had managed to worm her way into everyone’s good graces as was expected of her.
=====
Later
“Do you have any idea why Da Vinci wants to talk to me about Illya?” I asked as I turned toward the white-haired girl walking beside me. “You usually spend some time with her, right?”
That was another thing.
For some reason, Da Vinci had taken a real shine to Eri, Rin, Illya, and Sakura, constantly asking them questions that never failed to leave at least three of them blushing furiously.
Having gotten a decent grasp of Da Vinci's personality despite only knowing her for a short time, I couldn't help but feel a slight sense of dread.
Especially after catching her whispering things to the four of them while wearing a huge grin.
The older girls would immediately turn red.
Eri would just blink in confusion.
“Tsk, like I would know what goes on inside that crazy woman's head!” Illya exclaimed.
As soon as Da Vinci was mentioned though, a blush appeared on her face making me doubt what she had just said.
“You didn't see anything that could give me a clue? You're the one who came to fetch me after Da Vinci said she wanted to talk to me.” I looked at her curiously.
Illya immediately puffed out her cheeks and looked away.
“Well, I didn't see anything! I was just doing that crazy woman a favor after she helped me with something.” Illya declared with a pout before suddenly turning back toward me with narrowed eyes.
“Instead of asking me a thousand questions, you should just be grateful I came all the way to get you and keep you company.”
Clearly, she was trying to change the subject.
Figuring I would find out eventually anyway, I simply nodded.
“You’re right.”
Smiling, I reached over and patted her head.
The effect was immediate.
Illya's blush exploded across her face and even reached the tips of her ears.
“Thanks, Illya. I really appreciate it.”
“W-W-Would you stop patting my head every chance you get!?” Illya shouted in embarrassment as she quickly slapped my hand away before dramatically pointing at me.
“I already told you that unlike the others, I won't be won over so easily by head pats like some kind of pet!”
Before I could apologize, or point out that I had done it completely unconsciously, we finally reached our destination.
The door slid open automatically.
“Sieg-kun! You're finally here! Good, good.” Da Vinci greeted us with her usual cheerful energy. “Thank you for bringing him along, Illya-chan~ And don't worry, I'm almost finished with that little surprise you're preparing for Sieg—”
Da Vinci abruptly cut off as Illya froze beside me.
The next moment, she practically teleported across the room and clamped both hands over Da Vinci's mouth.
“For no one!” Illya yelled at the top of her lungs.
“She meant absolutely nothing by that! So get any stupid ideas out of that stupid head of yours, stupid dragon!”
Illya spun around and pointed accusingly at me.
Her face was bright red while she glared at me with all the intimidation a cute kitten could manage.
Blinking in confusion, I considered asking questions.
Then I looked at how red she had become.
...Maybe not.
I was honestly worried she might pass out if she got any more embarrassed.
“...Okay,” I said with a nod.
Illya visibly relaxed.
Turning my attention toward Da Vinci, I found her still grinning despite having just been silenced.
“Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about, Da Vinci?”
“Chan!” Da Vinci immediately corrected.
“I thought I told you I wanted to be called Da Vinci-chan, Sieg-kun.”
She placed both hands on her hips and puffed out her chest proudly.
“After all, thanks to you, I'm actually a woman now. I expect to be addressed appropriately.”
Beside her, Illya finally lowered her hands and crossed her arms while continuing to pout at me.
Honestly?
She somehow looked even cuter than before.
“You should really learn these kinds of things with all the girls already after your heart. Otherwise, you might end up upsetting some of them.” Da Vinci said in a mildly admonishing tone.
Beside her, Illya's eyes widened as she processed those words before immediately turning away from me.
“Sorry, Da Vinci-chan.” I let out a small sigh, already used to her antics, and wisely chose to ignore everything else she had said along with the way Illya kept sneaking glances at me every now and then.
“Better~” Da Vinci said with a pleased nod.
“Ahem, so what am I doing here again?” I asked, tilting my head.
At my question, Da Vinci's cheerful expression somehow became even brighter.
Quickly turning around, she manipulated several of her Shroud tendrils and began typing away across the twenty or so monitors and computers lining the wall. After a minute of frantic activity, she spun around dramatically and struck a pose.
Legs spread apart.
One hand on her hip.
The other raised beside her eye in a V-sign.
One eye closed.
And most bizarre of all...
Blue sparkles had somehow appeared around her.
“Your one and only Genius Da Vinci-chan is proud to inform you that you can now use FATE again to summon another Servant! Aren't I the greatest~?” Da Vinci declared with all the enthusiasm of a genuine magical girl.
I could only stare at her.
D-Did she actually get her hands on magical girl anime?
Then I paused.
...What am I saying? Of course she did.
I had literally joked about that possibility before.
Not bothered by my silence, Da Vinci continued.
“I think I deserve a reward for this, don't you?” she asked while sauntering toward me with a sway of her hips. “How about a kiss~?”
Before I knew it, she was standing directly in my personal space.
“I mean, it only makes sense that you get to experience all my firsts, right? Master-kyun~?” Da Vinci teased.
Looking up at me, she puffed out her lips slightly and closed her eyes expectantly.
My brain promptly stopped functioning.
Unfortunately, my body had apparently spent too much time around Tamamo and her own brand of antics.
Without thinking, I found myself leaning forward slightly as my gaze drifted toward her surprisingly soft-looking lips.
“Oh no you don't!”
Fortunately, there was another occupant in the room.
Having finally recovered from her shock, Illya instantly appeared between us and forcefully shoved us apart while wearing an angry pout.
“There will be none of that happening in front of me!” Illya declared before spinning toward me and pointing accusingly at my face.
“And you, stupid dragon! Aren't you already satisfied with all the girls fawning over you!?”
“Aww, and here I thought I was about to give my first kiss to Sieg-kun~” Da Vinci lamented dramatically as fake tears streamed down her cheeks while she clutched her chest.
“I...” I began.
The door suddenly slid open.
Olga stepped inside and immediately froze.
Her gaze landed on me backed against a wall while Illya and Da Vinci crowded around me.
“W-What the heck are you two doing to Sieg!?” Olga demanded as a massive blush spread across her face.
Marching forward, she immediately wrapped herself around my arm and pulled me away from the other two.
“Can't you behave yourself for one minute, Da Vinci!?” Olga demanded angrily.
Not once did she release my arm.
In fact, she hugged it tighter against her chest while glaring at the pair.
“Huhuhu, there's no need to be jealous, Director~” Da Vinci giggled mischievously. “Sieg-kun has a big enough heart for all of us, so nobody will be left behind~”
“S-Shut up! Stop being so shameless!”
Illya simply huffed and turned her back to everyone, refusing to join the conversation any further.
She was probably too embarrassed to continue.
It took another twenty minutes before things finally settled down enough for us to return to the original topic.
“Ahem.” Da Vinci cleared her throat before dramatically pointing at me once more.
“So anyway, Sieg-kun! It's finally time for you to summon another Servant!”
=====
Minutes Later — FATE Room
Standing by myself in the otherwise empty room while everyone else watched through the cameras or waited outside in case the summoned Servant turned out to be hostile, I let out a nervous breath before stepping toward Mash's shield resting in the center of the room.
“I modified the FATE system a bit.” Da Vinci's voice echoed through the room's speakers. “Thanks to your miraculous Mystery, we no longer have to rely on Chaldea shouldering the burden of supplying a Servant with mana since you can incarnate them almost instantly.”
I nodded.
“Now you should be capable of summoning more powerful Servants. Just be aware that the result will still depend heavily on compatibility and your own desires.”
Great. As if I wasn't already nervous enough.
Now who knows who I'll end up summoning with some of the restrictions removed.
Thankfully, I had already prepared for this.
Before coming here, I had equipped another Template Stacking I & II of Ritsuka Fujimaru.
Considering that guy was practically catnip for Servants from what little I knew of him, I was hoping his ridiculous compatibility would help smooth over any potential problems.
‘Good luck, Sieg-san!’ Eri's adorable voice suddenly echoed through our mental link. ‘Be careful!’
A smile immediately appeared on my face.
The nervous knot in my stomach loosened considerably at listening to my little princess worry about me.
‘We'll be right outside if anything goes wrong,’ Artoria assured me confidently.
‘As my other self said, you can rely on us,’ Alter added in her usual flat tone, though the support behind her words was unmistakable.
‘Good luck, Senpai!’ Mash chimed in.
‘Hmph! As if I would allow some fool to lay a hand on my husband!’ Tamamo declared proudly.
Then, almost immediately, her tone softened.
‘Not that I have any doubt in my beloved Sieg-kun's ability to handle himself even without our help~’
My smile widened.
“Thank you, everyone.” I took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Here goes nothing.”
The moment I released control, a torrent of mana erupted from my body and poured into the summoning circle above Mash's shield.
The room was engulfed in light.
Then we waited.
I could practically feel everyone's anticipation through our links.
A moment later, a new presence entered my senses.
And the instant I felt it...
Every trace of nervousness vanished.
An impossibly familiar feeling washed over me.
A happy smile spread across my face.
Confusion immediately followed from those watching as they sensed my reaction.
Slowly, the light faded.
The Servant's form became visible.
Dressed in black underclothes beneath white and gold armor stood what appeared to be a beautiful pink-haired girl.
Long hair flowed over their shoulders while a braided ponytail reached down their back.
Black ribbons decorated their hair.
Their eyes remained closed.
A wide smile rested on their face.
Then beautiful amethyst eyes slowly opened.
A small tear escaped before I quickly wiped it away not wanting to be seen like this.
The newly summoned Servant blinked.
Then, without warning, they struck an energetic pose and flashed a huge smile.
“Yahoo!” the Servant exclaimed cheerfully.
“My name is Astolfo! Rider Class! And, and...” They paused for a moment.
“Umm... nice to meet you!”
Astolfo grinned brightly as those familiar purple eyes never left my own.
I couldn't stop smiling.
“Hello, Rider.”
My voice came out softer than I intended.
“You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you again.”