“I’m not.”
“…Despite making such a high-level bounded field?”
“Well, Magi can do all sorts of things, right? I’m specialized in just three spells and a trump card. More often than not, I just rely on my sword to settle things. It’s more efficient that way.”
“…If you say so. But you were asking about my decision, yes?”
“That’s right.”
Saber frowned and looked up into the blue sky. “…I suppose I just wanted to see those people happy.”
“Hm?”
Saber looked down and said, “You have to understand, Shirou. At my time of birth, my homeland was in turmoil. It was not uncommon to see sorrow and fear wherever you went. This became worse after my father died… though I knew it not at the time.”
Shirou nodded. “The Dark Ages, right?”
“Yes. And it truly was. At the time I was a mere young squire. But when the chance came to change that… when the time came to take up the sword and I gained the ability to change that dark time… how could I refuse?”
“That’s understandable.”
Saber gave a bitter smile. “Even so, it seems that I could not save my homeland. Camelot has fallen long ago. Perhaps if there were a more suitable candidate for the sword… Ah.” Saber shok her head. “I apologize, Shirou. I did not mean to darken the mood.”
“You don’t need to apologize at all. I’m the one who asked.”
Although Shirou was surprised that Saber would answer so freely. Was the trust between them just that high? Or was it an innate result of ‘him’ being Shirou instead of the actual one.
“Well then, why not tell me of yourself, Shirou? It seems that you possess even more secrets than myself.”
Shirou laughed and scratched the back of his head. “Well… there’s not too much. I suppose I should probably start from when I met Kiritsugu.”
Saber nodded. “Yes. How did you become his son? And what of Ilya and Irisviel?”
“Well… Remember how I told you the grail was corrupt?”
“…Unfortunately, yes.”
“Well after Kiritsugu commanded you to destroy it, the corruption in the grail spilled out in the form of cursed flames. I was apparently living near where the flames descended. I don’t remember much about it, other than people begging for salvation while I walked past them all to escape. Eventually, my body gave out and the trauma wiped away my memories. At that time, Kiritsugu showed up with a grateful smile on his face, happy that at least one person survived. It’s pretty much straightforward from that. Kiritsugu adopted me, and I came to live with him. Oh, and he told me he was a magi when he adopted me.”
Shirou noticed that the footsteps behind him had stopped so he turned to look. “Saber?”
She stared at Shirou and frowned. “And that… does not bother you?”
“What does?”
“Your family, your memories… I was responsible for it. Kiritsugu as well. Despite that, you…” Saber’s frown deepend.
“Well, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me.”
It was pretty dumb of them to break open a container holding all the evils in the world, after all.
“But I got over it. I mean, I’m alive and had a doting father… even if he traveled a lot and was pretty helpless when it came to cooking.”
Shirou paused to reflect. While he didn’t really remember, it seemed that Shirou did. Memories of a childhood that was and wasn’t his own brought a smile to his face. “Did you know that he managed to mess up boiling water? Somehow, he started a house fire just be putting a pot of water on the stove. It was ridiculous.”
“…Is that so?”
Saber started walking again, so Shirou did as well.
“Yeah. There were a lot of things like that as well. The only thing he could do was laundry… and even that was only half the time.”
“…It seems that Kiritsugu changed quite a bit after the war.”
“Did he?”
Saber was quiet for a moment and said, “Yes. The Kiritsugu I knew was cold. Harsh. To think that he could be soft enough to raise a child, especially without Irisviel… it is hard to wrap my mind around.”
“Mm, I guess. Ah, we’re here.”
They’d arrived at the marketplace. A strip mall where he could pick out the supplies he needed. “Alright. Now, let’s get started.”
===
“Gathering these many supplies… Do you not think it is suspicious, Shirou?” Saber gave Shirou a sideways glance as they walked down the sidewalk. “Furthermore, it seems that we are drawing attention.”
Shirou hefted the grocery bags at his side and glanced around.
Like Saber said, people were looking at them. Although it was early in the morning on the weekend, there were still a few people around. Well, mostly older people though. Maybe that was why they were staring? It must have been odd for them to see someone as beautiful as Saber out and about in this sort of place.
The master and servant pair had just finished up with shopping and were heading back home now. They were still in the shopping district though, meaning that they were still around people. Obviously.
Shirou shook his head and said, “Don’t mind them, Saber. You’re just an unfamiliar sight for them.”
“Hm.” Saber nodded. “I suppose that would be the case. This country is quite isolated and my features differ a great deal from the average inhabitant.”
Shirou meant more about her beauty, but he'd take that explanation too.
Saber glanced at my bags and said, “Are you certain that you do not wish for me to help you with that, Shirou? Though this may not be combat, I do not mind being of assistance in this regard as well.”
“You’re my guest, Saber. I couldn’t do that to you.”
She shook her head. “I must insist. There is a while yet until we return and it would be certain to be tiresome even for you to carry that back.”
“It’s fine. I’m a lot stronger than I look.”
“Yet…”
“Besides. I’ve got a feeling we’d draw even more attention if I let you carry some.”
So far, the looks Shirou was getting from the surrounding pedestrians were those of amusement. From their perspective, it was probably similar to watching a boyfriend carry around his girlfriend’s luggage. But if he started letting Saber carrying things too, especially with her petite size, Shirou was certain the looks would change. Probably to hostility.
He didn’t mind, but it’d be annoying, so Shirou decided against that.
“…Hm. Then I will defer to your judgment. It is true that I am a bit out of touch with this current era’s standards.” While she said that, Saber still looked a bit upset.
Since it was like that, Shirou decided to have some idle chat to pass the time. “Well, what was it like back for you then?”
Saber paused and said, “In my time, it was not uncommon for women to also carry supplies. Granted, the heavier supplies such as lumber were reserved for men, but that is not to say that the women carried any lighter. In those times, there was no luxury of choice in working to bring in resources.” She looked around and said, “That considered, this time is quite peaceful.”
Shirou nodded. “I suppose that would be true.”
Saber came from the dark ages where lying, stealing, and killing were commonplace. Only after she ascended the throne did that slow down. Even so, it didn’t come to an end. And at time, she had to plunder herself in order to succeed in battles. Thus, the modern day Japan where food was readily available and conflicts were only about abstract ideologies as well as not done through physical violence… Yes. It was definitely more peaceful.
After that, the conversation came to a lull. Under the bright sun and blue skies, they headed back towards Shirou's house, both of them lost in thought.
As they reached the path leading up the hills to my house though, Saber spoke up.
“Shirou,” she said.
He glanced at her and nodded. “Yeah, Saber?”
“Why do you fight?”
“Hm?”
Saber stared at Shirou and said, “This holy grail war… Most who fight in it have a wish. I too have my own. But you…” She frowned and stared at him as if trying to peer inside his soul.
Shirou shrugged. “It’s nothing much. I just don’t want anyone to use the grail for the wrong reasons.”
“That’s… all?” Saber blinked. “You… have no wish?”
“I already told you, didn’t I? The grail is corrupted.”
“That I understand. Even so, surely there is a wish you want to achieve. It would not be possible for you to be a Master otherwise.”
Shirou frowned. “A wish… Well, I can’t say that I don’t have any. But.” He smiled and said, “Wishes are better fulfilled by your own actions, aren’t they?”
Saber was quiet and then muttered, “Wishes are better fulfilled by your own actions?”
Maybe the words struck a chord with her, but after that she was quiet until they arrived home.