The Sword Saint (FateRoute!Shirou in Danmachi)

I inhaled deeply, the air of the morning filling my lungs, bringing with it the scent of the dew-covered grass and soil, and then I exhaled, my warm breath visible when it met the cold day.

Winter was coming, I already knew that, but it was at these times of the day before the sun was fully out that it became obvious.

Last night when I went to bed, I expected to oversleep after all the… events during the evening, but it seemed that some habits were hard to break, even across dimensions.

Despite the few hours of rest I managed to get, I woke up bright and early, energy suffusing my body.

I supposed it had to do less with me, though, and more with the divine blood running in my veins.

After the party yesterday, it seemed that everyone else was having a late morning, as the lounge of the inn had been deserted. In the end, instead of being a bother this early by asking for breakfast, I decided to go outside and make my blood flow a little.

I rolled my shoulders, then I crossed one arm in front of my chest and stretched. The slight pain I felt after I overdid it with my reinforcement yesterday not even drawing a wince from me.

The Endurance stat at work, maybe?

I was still coming to sorts with the multiple improvements Astraea's blessing had given me.

I wanted to test and see how much my body had changed as soon as possible. I was used to my physical capabilities rising with my reinforcement, but this was permanent. My new normal.

I had to know my limits.

Still, I thought as I stretched the other arm, training with my body like this might not be the best idea…

Normally it could take me a few days to recuperate from this kind of damage. I wasn't really hurt, but if I had to describe it, it just felt like I went a little hard with exercise without proper preparation.

It would be easy to ignore the pain and go through my training, and it wouldn't be the first time I did that, but it would only delay my healing.

Fortunately, there was something I could use to help with that.

Avalon.

With the strike of the hammer of a gun, my magic circuits opened. I started with one, focusing on my Od -...Did my reserves of Od grow as well?- and filling until it was full of magical energy. Then I just had to fuel Avalon.

Finding where on my body I should send the magical energy to do it, though, was both complex and simple. There wasn't an exact place I could point and say 'There's Avalon' as the sheath was disassembled all over my body, in every bone, every muscle, every cell.

If it wasn't for the Skill my Falna gave me, it would be impossible to tell where I ended and where the sheath started. But I could feel it now, the blessing on my back warming up as magic trickled into my body.

So, simple because there wasn't a part of me that wasn't Avalon but complex because I had to spread my magic energy all over my body to properly fuel it. Just one circuit wouldn't cut it, I soon realized.

It was too widespread. The magic energy went everywhere it could, and I could feel the Sheath absorbing it greedily, but it needed more.

I tried with two, then five, ten. Still not enough.

…Screw it, let's go all in.

Twenty seven mystical channels opened and the Mana in the air rushed inwards. My reserves might have grown but they were nowhere enough for constantly filling all my circuits. I needed the Mana.

I braced myself for the pain and… it didn't really come? At least not as strongly. The rush of fire in my veins was just heat now. It was still uncomfortable and it was growing hotter and hotter the more Mana entered my circuits, but I could handle it much better than before.

Then, like a click, I felt it. Relief rushed through my body, as the familiar sensation of Avalon treating my injuries became apparent. Golden glow started to emanate from me and I couldn't help but imagine for a moment that Artoria was back at my side.

…Stupid, I know.

I smiled wryly when the glow faded in just a couple of seconds, making me realize that using what could be the greatest healing artifact from my world for treating just overused muscles and some bruising was… well, overkill.

Turning off all but one of my circuits, I moved my arms, shoulders and waist, even jumped a little in place.

No pain at all.

Perfect as always.

I smiled, and extended one hand. 

"Trace on."

In what was becoming a familiar sight, Sir Kay's longsword appeared in my hand.

It's been some days since I actually trained my blade work, and what better time to pick it up again but when I got such a massive physical improvement?

I dîdn't know if it was the sensation of Avalon healing me just now, but as I readied my weapon I was brought back to the first day that Saber trained me in my dojo back home.

"Uh, so, in short, we're just going to fight?"

"Yes, that is it, Master. No stopping our hits. Let us fight as if trying to kill each other.'

I copy the stance of the ghost in my mind and feel another wry smile on my face.

"Let me see. I believe you will understand what it is like in about an hour."

"...An hour, huh." I don't think I lasted that much before I first fainted.

"Let me show you how much I've grown, Saber."

I rushed forward, my sword low, just as the woman in my memories raised her shinai for a strike.

…Of course, not even the blessing of a goddess would let me picture myself winning against the King of Knights.

But I'd try my best, anyway.

She'd expect nothing less than that from me.

-Line Break-

I felt the sun hit my back as my blade danced from slash to slash, parting the morning mist with ruthless efficiency. I chained attacks following the memories of the woman I loved and of her brother, the owner of the blade I was using.

Their styles were extremely similar, having been taught the basics from their father, Sir Ector, but it was because of that that the differences they had were more apparent.

Saber's was… beauty in simplicity. There were no extra flourishes, no flamboyant posturing. Every move, every shift of the blade, was accounted for and necessary. Efficient in a way I could not reproduce without her years of experience and her prodigious instincts. Just trying to imitate her was the best I could do.

Kay was a little more boastful, fighting in a way that used his height and strength to overwhelm his opponents instead of his technique. Nothing too surprising, considering I was using the blade he wielded as a teenager.

Of course, that's not to say that Saber was without physical strength, but that's something she drew from her magic core and mana bursts, not her body.

I had to strike a nice medium between the two. The way Kay positioned his body to account for his height and more muscular physique and Saber's brutal efficiency and technique.

Easy to say, hard to put in practice.

You could say I was developing my own style, a bastardized amalgamation of the two.

A copy.

Fitting, considering the magecraft I specialized in.

I stepped forward, my sword parting invisible enemies, my arms beginning to burn with exertion, and my breath getting faster, and I almost shook my head in amazement.

More than an hour of constant sword-fighting and I was just starting to get tired. The Falna was ridiculous.

My swings grew in intensity, reaching speeds that the me from yesterday would not have been able to achieve without reinforcement. It wasn't just strength or speed, but I felt more limber, more aware of my own body.

I had struggled a little at first, overextending my strikes and missing my steps in between slashes, but now that I've grown used to the changes, I felt more in control of my movements than I ever was.

Incredible.

…that should be about it, I guess. Time to finish. I wanted to meet with my goddess and discuss our steps from here on. Over breakfast would be ideal.

Shame I haven't had the chance to cook for her yet.

…But first, just one more attack.

I took another step forward –or a stomp, rather, considering the strength I put on the movement– tensing my legs, waist, back, shoulders and arms as I brought my sword downwards in a strike reminiscent of the one that ended the fight with the hobgoblin yesterday.

My sword was a streak of silver as it cut through the wind, stopping a few inches away from the grassy ground. This time I did shake my head at the burst of wind that the strength of my swing caused, even without using magic, Truly ridiculous.

I stood in place, getting my breath under control, when a the sound of someone approaching made me turn.

"My, you look like you are having fun, Shirou," Astraea said, standing near the inn's entrance, a smile on her face.

"Astraea, good morning." I let my longsword fade away and started approaching before I stopped, a thought coming to me. "Ah! Should I be calling you Lady Astraea instead now?" I scratched the back of my head wryly. That's what Hephaestus' familia members called their goddess, right?

"Mou, why would I want you to be less familiar with me after you became my child? You are making me feel lonely, you know. We are family now." She pouted.

"Ah, sorry. I just don't know how these things work, or how I should act now that I'm in your Familia," I replied.

She tilted her head and closed the distance between us. "I'd actually prefer it if you kept acting the same," Astraea said softly, grabbing my right hand with both of hers. "I know that I became your goddess, but I want to keep being your friend as well. Would…that be okay with you?"

I smiled, feeling myself relax with her words. "Of course that's okay. Let's continue to get along then, Astraea."

"Great! So…are you done with your training?" I nodded. "Then would you like to have breakfast with me? We need to talk about our plans going forward, I think."

"Right. I've had the same thought, actually. Shall we, then?" I smiled and pointed with my free hand to the door of the inn.

Astraea shifted her hands and took the chance to hug my arm to her chest. "We shall." And then she pulled me forward.

I better get used to this. I thought wryly, following the goddess to our table. Astraea had avoided acting so close to me after the first night, but it seemed that her reservations had lessened a little now that I was her child.

…For some reason, that didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

-Line Break-

Two days.

We decided to leave for Orario in two days. Enough for us to put any affair we had in the town in order. Or rather for me to do it, as Astraea had only intended to stay here for a night before continuing on her way to Solingen. The fact that she stayed here for so long was only because she had been curious about me.

Me, on the other hand, had some people I wanted to at least say goodbye to.

One of them, coincidentally, invited me for a talk after I finished my breakfast with Astraea.

I looked at the small pile of coins on the desk and back at the bearded face of the guard captain.

"This is yours, son." The guard captain said, pointing at the money with his bearded chin. "Fourteen hundred for the green goblin's stones, eight hundred for the brown ones, and another eight hundred for the hobgoblin, making it an even three thousand Vali for them all." Then he put another pile beside the first. "Five thousand for completing the quest, in the place of the adventurers." And another. "And another five thousand for saving my boys."

"Captain, I… didn't do it for the money." I grimaced, not comfortable with the situation I was put in again. The first time I accepted, but now… "I can accept the money from the stones, but other than that? I can't accept that."

The captain sighed exasperatedly. "Look, boy. You're young so maybe you don't know this, but when you are being paid for a job well done, you just shut up and accept with a smile. Hell, you ask for more. You want more? An even fifteen thousand? Or maybe twenty? Man, you're twisting my arm here." He needled, his grin getting wider and wider.

"Okay! Okay! I'll take it!" Better to shut up and take it before he starts adding coins to the pile. I sighed. Was it stupid of me? I knew I needed money now that I was going to Orario, but accepting all of this after all the pain and death seemed…wrong. The captain seemed to notice my discomfort, and hummed, his expression contemplative.

"Look, kid. You are a good, selfless guy, and I'm guessing you hadn't had troubles with money before coming here?" I sighed, nodding. "Maybe you are a disinherited noble or something, and I don't really care. But in the real world? Money makes things easier to understand." He crossed his arms over his chest. "You coming here and solving our problems without accepting payment? If you weren't so easy to read, then it wouldn't look noble, it would look suspicious."

"...Is that how it is? I just wanted to help, nothing more than that," I replied. That's what I always did. Something broke in school? I could easily fix it, no need for payment for something so simple. Someone needed a hand cleaning the classroom? It's not like there was someone waiting for me at home most days, I could spare an hour.

It gave me a weird reputation in school, but I didn't care as long as I felt I was helping. Not like popularity was important to me.

Issei used to complain about my attitude sometimes, but if there was someone who understood doing selfless actions not expecting rewards, it was the child of a monk.

"And I get that, but do it for the peace of mind of those you help. Maybe some would love the fact that there is an outsider willing to do the right thing, but most people from small towns would wonder what your aim is if not money. Accept payment, even as a gesture."

…Well, maybe things are different here. If me rejecting money would cause worry to people who don't know me, then it would be better if I just accepted it quietly.

Oh! Maybe I could give some back to help the fami-

"And before you bring up something insulting like donating some for the families of the dead, don't worry. I have it handled, I won't let them suffer more for my mistakes."

…maybe I really was easy to read.

"...You're a good man, captain." I settled for saying, a wry smile on my face. "Well, if that was all…"

"Hm, just one more thing," he said. "Wanna work for me, kid? The payment… might not be great, but I can talk with the town head and have him give you one of the empty houses around here. The guys will love having someone like you to watch their backs. What do you say?"

"Ah, sorry, but I don't plan to stay here much longer." Unwittingly, I felt a smile come to my face. "A goddess gave me her blessing, so…"

"Orario, huh," the captain said, before clicking his tongue. "Damn, so you got nabbed before I could even ask. Ah, well, I can't blame you for that." He then smiled. "I can see you going far as an Adventurer. Congratulations."

I nodded, grateful for the kind words.

"Now, that was all. Sorry for taking time off your morning," he apologized. "Ah, I heard those two woke up just before you came here. They are in the barracks if you want to visit. I gave them back their weapons like you asked."

I stood up to leave. "Right, thanks for that." I approached the door and started to open it. "We'll probably leave soon, so I might not have time to say goodbye before then, but it was nice to meet you, captain," I said with a smile and turned around, only to stop short when I met the wide eyes of Ann on the other side of the threshold.

"...you're leaving?" Ann asked softly. I almost winced at her tone. Really, if there was someone I wanted to not overhear that conversation, it was her. I sighed, and closed the door behind me.

"...yeah. I'm leaving for Orario soon," I replied, my voice just as soft. "I wanted to tell you properly, sorry." Was it something I should apologize for? It felt like it, even if there was nothing spoken about what she probably felt for me.

"...oh," she muttered, before her mouth bloomed into a bright smile. "Oh! That's amazing, Shirou! You… are you becoming an Adventurer?" Ann asked, fiddling with a blue piece of fabric tied to her right wrist. Oh, is that Jonas'?

"Yeah, I joined a Familia yesterday, actually." I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "I… have been trying to make a goddess consider taking me for a couple of days now, and what happened yesterday seemed to convince her."

"Ah, that pretty goddess you were with yesterday. Yeah, that makes sense. That's great! Really cool," she babbled, her excited smile then turning into a pout. "Ah~ what a shame, though. I wanted to hang out with you now that the trouble's gone. The town's a little boring but there are some really cool places in the forest, y'know? I really… wanted to show you everything," she finished with a wan smile.

"That would've been fun, even more so with you." I smiled, thinking of all the amusing comments she would make.

"Hey! What am I, your jester or something? Rude."

"Well, if you wanted a job, I just got some money." I joked, drawing a chuckle from her. "But, really, sorry for leaving just like that. It sounds like I ruined your plans."

"Psht, that's fine. I guess the bard tales had some truth in them, the hero comes to save the town and then leaves for his next adventure." Her right hand rose and held my own softly. "Just…try not to forget the damsel you saved here, hm?"

"I won't, I promise." I tilted my head. Thinking about it, Ann would be the first person I truly saved with my own strength. And from now on I would fight with Astraea's blessing, so the four I saved in this town would be the only ones.

If only for that, I'd remember them proudly, but Ann was plenty memorable on her own.

"Actually, I'm going to leave in two days and I plan to buy some stuff tomorrow. Want to accompany me? I could use a guide."

"Two days, huh?" she mused, her mind seemingly somewhere else. "Ah, sorry. It looks like I will be busy today and tomorrow in my mom's shop." She smiled apologetically. "But don't worry! I'll be sure to be there to say goodbye! Promise you'll wait for me!"

I nodded. I tried not to think of the possibility that she was avoiding me now that I tacitly rejected her, and just took her word for it. "Right, that's a shame."

"Mm. Sorry about that." She then let go of my hand and took a step back. "So! Now that that's done with. Have you seen my brother? That idiot snuck out of home to hang out with his friends here, so I came looking for him."

I shook my head, amused at Aaron's antics. "No, not really, I just came to talk to the captain."

"Right, I should probably look for him then…" she said, walking backwards, a small smile on her face. "See ya, hero."

"See you later, Ann."

I stood there for a little while, hearing the sound of her footsteps fade in the distance, before I shook myself out of my reverie.

Right, no use standing around. There are still some things I need to do before I leave.

Better I got to it.

-Line Break-

"Ashe, I can eat on my own. I don't need help eating porridge of all things."

"Just… shut up and eat. Feeding you it's the least I could do, Atticus."

Some muffled voices reached from beyond the door and my shoulders slumped slightly in relief.

I knocked on the door and opened it to the sound of a two tone "Enter."/"Enter!"

"Oh! Hey, Shirou, good morning," Ashe said from her place on a stool near Atticus' bed, a bowl on one hand and a spoon in the other.

"Ashe, nice to see you up and about. You too, Atticus," I greeted the two.

"It's good to see you too, Shirou. Still not up yet, though, but that's not my decision it seems," the blond man said with a small smile.

"Of course not! You would understand if you had seen your state last night!" Ashe answered with narrowed eyes.

They looked… fine. Atticus' missing arm notwithstanding, he looked nothing like the mess of bruises he was yesterday, hell his twisted hand looked like it had nothing broken anymore. Ashe looked a little pale still, but that probably was exhaustion, there were no signs of the wounds she accrued on her rush out of the forest.

Amazing, had this something to do with their blessings? I had Avalon for healing, maybe they had something like it?

"You look great, considering," I couldn't help but say. "It seems the healer does great work."

"Mm, she does," the pallum said before adding, "But it was mostly thanks to the potions we had in reserve for emergencies. We had left a few high quality ones in our room, just in case." She then shrugged. "Slow acting ones, though, so I couldn't help you yesterday. Sorry, Shirou, for leaving you to clean up our mess."

I shook my head. "Don't apologize, it was thanks to your warnings that I managed to turn their ambush around and get the upper hand."

"And what a turn around that was. The guards told us of what state you left those goblins in. Probably should have sneaked you in in the first place," she grumbled, spooning some of the porridge and offering it to the bedridden man. She then grew serious. "Still, I need to thank you, for saving my companion… and for Rath's weapon. I heard it was your word that had the guards bring it back. Lady Hephaestus will appreciate it," Ashe said softly, her eyes far away.

Atticus swallowed the food he was eating and nodded, his shoulders squared and his eyes firmly on mine.

"I thank you as well. I owe you my life Shirou, and my blade. If there's something I could do to pay you back, say the word and I'll have it done."

I smiled awkwardly. "Really, there's no need," I began but when Atticus' eyes narrowed I remembered the captain's words. I sighed. "But if you really want to thank me… then I'll cash in the debt later when I'm in need of a weapon. You both are smiths in Hephaestus' Familia, right? A longsword would suffice." I'd probably need a physical one to properly delve into the Dungeon, it'd be bad to just depend on my projections.

Atticus clenched his fist and looked at Ashe, then both nodded. "All right. I might have lost an arm, but I'm still a child of Hephaestus." I wanted to slap myself a little for that. Right, forging might be… impossible for him now with only one arm. "With Ashe's help, I will make you a weapon that will carry my goddess' mark with pride."

Maybe I could eventually do something about that with Avalon? I don't know if I could heal others with it, but I get the feeling that even if I could, trying to restore a limb now would burn me from the inside out.

Better to wait until I get a better read on the changes I received. I could always offer healing to him later when I'm sure of the consequences.

Ashe nodded again, a determined look on her face. "Yeah, I might not have earned the right to use her mark yet, but I will do my best to not disappoint your expectations." She then let out a depondent sigh. "You'll have to come to Orario, though. I have the feeling we're going to be stuck in assistant duty for a while."

"That's no problem. I'm going there in a couple of days with Astraea. I'll make sure to visit your shop then."

Their eyes widened at that. "Astraea is coming back to Orario…" Ashe muttered, awe filling her voice. "So she took you in? Congratulations! Astraea's Familia was pretty famous and well-regarded before, you know, all of that happened," she finished a little uncomfortably.

I didn't, actually, know. I had some guesses of what had happened to my late senpais, but that was Astraea's story to tell, if she ever wanted to.

Besides, some part of me preferred to know the girls Astraea loved by how they lived their lives, and not by how those lives ended.

So I just shrugged, an awkward smile on my face.

But…for some reason, there was something niggling in my mind. Something in her expression told me she was referring to something else aside from their passing when she talked about what happened to the Familia.

"Ashe," Atticus barked, his tone chastising. "You're being rude."

"Right, sorry. I didn't mean to bring up uncomfortable stuff when we should be celebrating," she said with a grimace. "I'm actually a little envious…" I raised an eyebrow. So Astraea really did have a fan.

"Hm? Is there something I would need to tell Lady Hephaestus? Should I start looking for a new party member?"

"Wait, no! I didn't mean anything by that! I wouldn't leave our goddess!"

I grinned at the byplay. "You sure?" I asked. "I could probably ask my goddess if she has a place for you. She'd probably love to have you on board as well."

"Hey! Don't gang up on me, you two! See how you get your longsword when I'm not there to help him out." She turned to me, sticking out her tongue.

Huh, she looked a lot younger like that. The few times I've seen her she looked focused, but now her expression fitted her pallum childlike appearance.

I wonder how old she was, it was hard to tell.

I exchanged amused looks with Atticus. Maybe we should apologize…

"Hm, actually, didn't you tell me that you traveled" –"Stop!" – "to Orario to join Astraea's Familia in the first place…only to find she wasn't there anymore?"

"Atticus!"

Maybe in a little while. It was fun not being the teased one for once.

-Line Break-

I checked one last time the bag I bought with the money I earned from the hobgoblin, making sure I was not forgetting anything important. Clothes, a waterskin, and a smaller bag with dry rations we could have on the way.

According to Astraea, she didn't need to eat, but she could feel hunger, so I made sure to buy some stuff to eat during the trip.

I was ready to leave.

It wasn't a particularly long trip, if only by this world's standards, and we were hitching a ride on a merchant's carriage who was kind enough to give us a hand. Supposedly we would be there by night if we kept going after sundown, which he planned to do.

Officially, he was using me as a guard, but the roads were supposedly safe this time of the year so it was only a technicality.

…and I would have protected the carriage anyways should something –or someone– tried to attack us.

So, really, in my eyes he was doing it for free.

Still, I had some until we had to meet with the merchant. Hell, the sun wasn't out yet. So, what now?

Normally, I wouldn't want to bother others so early in the morning, but I had noticed that Astraea had the same habit as me of waking up before the sun fully rose. Maybe I could share a cup of tea with her while we waited?

It was when I was about to make good of that idea that a knocking on my door called my attention.

Astraea, probably.

Huh, it seems great minds think alike.

So I was a little surprised when I opened the door and found Ann, her hair in disarray and bags under her eyes.

"...You look awful." Ah crap, my thoughts escaped out of my mouth.

Ann snorted. "Good fucking morning to you too, Shirou. It's nice to see you. Ah, yes I missed you too," she said, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"Uh, sorry. Just surprised me a little." I scratched my cheek. "It's… really nice to see you, Ann. I thought I wouldn't get to say goodbye to you."

Ann smiled softly at that. "I wouldn't miss it. Now, come on, help me with this. It's damn heavy and I've been carrying it from home," she said and kicked a wooden trunk lying on the floor next to her.

"Uh, what's this?" I asked, kneeling to lift the heavy looking thing.

"My stuff, of course. Did you think I'd let you go without me?" My eyes widened in shock. I looked up… and went deadpan when I saw her Cheshire grin. "Haha! Did you believe me? Did your hopes go up a little? Sorry, just kidding!"

I let out an explosive sigh and picked up the trunk. Huh, not as heavy as I thought.

"So?" I asked the tired-looking girl once her and her trunk were in my room.

Ann ignored my question and looked around, curiosity filling her eyes. "Huh, never been in a man's room that wasn't my brother's. Looks boring."

I raised an eyebrow. "You know this is not my room, right? I'm just renting it." Not that my room back in Fuyuki was any more furnished than this.

"Hmm~ That's true, I guess…" she muttered. After a few moments, seemingly content after her intrusion into my private life, Ann sat on my bed. "So! What are you waiting for? Open it up and tell me what you think!" she said, pointing at the trunk with her chin.

"What's this, a lucky bag or something?" I muttered under my breath.

Wanting to get this over with, I kneeled once again and undid the latches on the side of the trunk. Inside there was… armor. Or rather, some pieces of armor and clothing.

I lifted the bigger piece of clothing, a dark brown, short-sleeved, leather jerkin with beautiful details embroidered in white thread. The material was reasonably tough, but I was sure that it would be really comfortable once it was broken in. "Ann, what's this?" I looked inside of the chest and saw also a long-sleeved woolen tunic, a chest piece made of iron, a pair of leather boots with metal plates and a pair of fingerless gauntlets.

I looked up and met Ann's eyes, her head tilted in confusion at my tone.

"You don't like it? It's yours."

"What do you mean, it's mine? I mean, it's amazing, but this looks all so expensive!" Just the jerkin alone, the hours it must have taken to make it by hand, the beautiful details, the high-quality leather. This was artisan level work. "I don't think I can afford all of this!"

"Pft, why would I demand money for a present, doofus?" she asked, amused. She stood up from my bed and approached me, counting with her fingers as she spoke. "The jerkin was made by my mom. Told you she has a leatherwork shop, right? I mean, she already had it done, but she resized it for you. The armor and boots came from the guards, and the tunic is from Aaron. Ah! The trunk is from the Cap'n, he said you could keep it too."

She grinned at my astonished expression, before reaching into the chest and taking out the two leather fingerless gauntlets.

"And these are from me," she said, suddenly looking shy. "I mean, they totally look like crap, but I wanted to make something for you with my own hands. They are the first thing I actually made on my own, to be honest."

She smiled bashfully, offering me the gauntlets. I lowered the jerkin back into the chest and took the pieces of equipment like they were fragile. "I eyeballed your size but you can adjust them so they are not as tight, from here, and here, so I think they would fit you. And-" Ann kept babbling on and on, and I took advantage of the time to inspect the gauntlets.

To be honest, for all her insecurities, they looked pretty good. There were some parts where the details she had wanted to add came a little crooked, but only someone extremely nitpicky would complain about that.

I was not nitpicky at all.

I loved them.

I looked at the girl in front of me and noted once again the bags under her eyes. Did she… start working on this the moment she found out I was leaving? How many hours did she spend making this present for me?

How could I do anything else but accept them after realizing that?

I waited for a little more until she seemed to run out of steam. "Ann, really, they are great. I'll treasure them."

"I'd rather you use them, idiot. I know the dungeon is dangerous, so I wanted to give you something to protect you." She then grinned. "Now, c'mon try it all on, I'll help you." Ann stood up and grabbed the tunic. "This goes first, under the jerkin."

"Uh, should I…?" I began to ask, pointing at the blue tunic shirt I was wearing. Removing the stains from my trusty t-shirt had been impossible, so I had to change for something new.

Now it laid at the bottom of my new bag, a memento of my old world. If I ever wanted to wear it, though, I could always trace it, but depending on magic-made clothes had begun to grate on me.

"Ah, yes. You totally need to, it would be too hot otherwise." Ann replied, her eyes darting everywhere but to me. "It's sheep wool, you know. A-and with the jerkin over it, you'd cook alive. Mm." She added a nod for emphasis.

"...right." I side-eyed the girl as I began to remove my shirt. It did look warm. Of course, as soon as it went over my stomach I could feel Ann's eyes devouring the sight.

Hah, this girl…

I threw the shirt on the bed and crossed my arms. "Ann? The tunic," I said, once it became apparent that she was in her own world, her eyes tracing my exposed body up and down.

"Hey, you got a good look at mine, I get a good look at yours, it's only fair." Ann shrugged, before tilting her head. "Hey, is it me or you got more toned?"

"Ah, a little. Benefits of receiving a Falna, I guess." It wasn't a big change, I just recovered the small amount of musculature I lost after skipping training since I've begun living here and gained a little more.

I flexed an arm, and felt the supernatural strength it had. Then again, even if the difference wasn't as noticeable, I felt stronger than ever before.

I heard the sound of Ann swallowing and looked back to see her eyes stuck on my arm, heat gathering on her cheeks. Okay, that's enough of that. I took the tunic from her hands and promptly put it on.

"Hey, I was watching that!"

"Really?" I asked sarcastically once my head came out of the tunic. "I really didn't notice. Maybe you weren't being obvious enough?" I heard a hmph! come from her as she kneeled back to the chest.

Oh, it's really warm. I had bought a couple of tunics with the money I got from the hob, but I feel this is the only one that will be useful during winter. Maybe I wasted my money.

It was a little big on me, but I hopefully still had some growing left.

I looked back to Ann, who was still pouting, and extended my hand for her to hand me the jerkin she was now hugging to her chest.

"Nope, I'll help you with this. Have to check the straps and see if the jerkin fits you well," she said, her nose up in the air imperiously. I eyed her with suspicion but she didn't budge.

She helped me pass one arm through the sleeve and then the other, and then she started adjusting the straps that were used to close the whole thing, a focused expression on her face. She tugged and pulled and latched them to the other side, then unlatched and pulled again, until she deemed them acceptable.

Huh, she's really checking stuff properly. Feel a little bad for assuming.

She was checking something on the collar when our eyes met and she stopped. "Ann?" I asked, and her eyes flitted to my mouth and back to my eyes. Her hands moved again, this time caressing their way back to the back of my neck, meeting in the middle. I froze.

I inhaled deeply when she took a step forward and pressed her soft chest to mine, and tried to take a step back, but she was glued to me. "You know? I didn't come here to do this, not really. I mean, I imagined it for sure, but actually doing it? It wasn't in my plans," She whispered, her warm breath touching my lips, before she suddenly closed the distance and kissed me.

"Mmh- Ann, you know I'm leaving. W-we shouldn't." I tried to reason when our lips separated but my breath hitched for a second when Ann pressed her breasts even more to my chest, molding her body to mine.

"Why not? Yeah, you're leaving, but that doesn't mean we can't fool around. Mwah~ Don't you like this? Am I too ugly for you to kiss?" She asked with a cheeky smirk.

"That's not –mph!" She interrupted my words with another kiss. I took another step back, she followed "That's not what I meant, and you know it," I repeated, my heart beating like a drum. "You're beautiful, but we hardly know each other– Mmh! Could you stop that for a second?!" I complained when she kept interrupting me.

"Mm… I'm not asking you to fuck me, Mwah, I'm not such an easy lay, perv– and gods know how little I need a kid now– Mhm, but a little making out should be fine, right? Mmph, mm– Just two friends having fun~" She intercalated every few words with another kiss, her soft lips meeting mine again and again, each time a little longer.

And each time I felt like I was in conflict with myself. I shouldn't do this, the more rational part of me said but I didn't stop her, not really.

My mind was growing hazier, not because of lack of oxygen or something like that, but due to… lust.

Would it be so bad to indulge a little? She knew I was leaving and she didn't care. It would only be a moment of weakness. Of relief. A little making out, she said.

"If you are so much against this, then fucking push me away, Shirou. I'm a big girl, I won't cry if you say no. You're strong enough to stop me," she grumbled, and then started to pepper my chin and cheeks with pecks. "But you are just throwing out excuses, aren't you? You want this too," she muttered heatedly.

"Ann…" I breathed out her name in the small window of time between kisses and she shuddered, her green eyes growing misty with desire.

Unwittingly, my arms circled around her body and hugged her waist, pressing her tighter to my body. I looked down, my eyes dark with hunger.

Ann smiled brightly, a flush of excitement covering her face and going down the neck of her dress, covering her chest with a fetching red color. She closed the distance again.

I could have avoided it.

Maybe I should have avoided it.

But, fuck it.

I covered the distance before she could, my lips finding hers in the middle and meeting with abandon. "Mwah, you don't know how much I've been wanting to do this-Mmh!" Ann didn't seem to mind when her words were the ones being interrupted, as she kissed me back fervently each time. "Since I've met you, every day I couldn't help but imagine this." She breathed and her hands started to wander their way back down my neck and to my chest, burning their way to my stomach.

"Mm– You think I didn't notice, with how much you ogled me? You weren't even pretending to be subtle. And you called me a perv?" I rasped, shuddering when her hands sneaked up my tunic, caressing my abs with soft fingers.

I might be fucking dense sometimes, but this girl was hitting me on the head with her wants.

Ann chuckled throatily, her lips leaving mine and kissing their way down. I groaned when she started nipping on the side of my neck. "Can you blame me when you show my virgin eyes such a thing? I should thank your goddess for the sight." My arms tightened their hold on her tight waist and brought her flush against me. I brought my face down, burying my nose in her hair and breathing in her heady, musky scent.

"You can touch me too, you know," Ann whispered, and I felt one of her hands leave my body to grab one of my arms on her waist. I let her move it downwards until my hand was cupping her ass over the dress. "I won't break."

The fabric was thick, it had to be due to the cold, but even so I could feel my fingers sink into the softness of her butt. My other hand joined and then I lost myself in the sensation of her ass changing shape under my touch. "Ah! Fuck, I'm so fucking wet," Ann breathed into my neck, returning to her kissing while mewling every time my fingers dig into her softness.

Her touch under my tunic became even more frantic, to the point where she started to raise the fabric to gain better access. And then she just wanted to remove it.

"We can't," I replied huskily, my stubbornness the only thing stopping me from following her lead, ripping her dress off her body and making love to her until I was satisfied. This time it was one of my hands that left its place and grabbed one of hers, stopping it cold. "Clothes… stay on." Ann whined, but then nodded against my neck.

"Heh, sorry, got a little too heated for a second." She said between ragged breaths. "Seems like both of us will leave this room unsatisfied." And then she grinded her hips against mine, making me all too aware of the hardness between my legs. "Did that grow bigger because of your blessing as well? Or are you just happy to see me?" She giggled.

I almost groaned at her stupid joke.

I shook my head, dismissing the idiotic thought. Luckily the silliness seemed to do the trick as the mood was a lot less… intoxicating. Ann's hands left my abdomen and went back to circle my neck. I tilted my head when Ann just smiled up at me almost innocently, if not for how red and swollen her lips looked, and the deep blush covering her face. I tried to not look further down, but we were close enough that I could feel two hard points touching my chest.

It seems bras were not a thing here, or maybe Ann didn't use them.

"Hm? Did you get your fill, Ann?" I asked half jokingly.

"Never," she declared seriously, before chuckling a little. "I think that if I started touching again, I wouldn't stop… I'm fucking burning here, Shirou. Don't tempt me." She whined at the end when I pressed her a little more tightly against me.

"Sorry, you're just… so warm," I muttered, a little embarrassment coming back now that I was calming down.

"It's not like I mind it… but if you keep up with this, I won't let you go, you know?" she said softly and kissed me again, this time a lot more calmly, before burying her face in the crook of my neck. "...Would it be so bad, though? To stay here with me?" she asked, her voice choking up a little at the end.

Guilt bubbled up from my stomach. My words would hurt her, I knew, but there was only one way this was going to end.

"It's not you, not really," I began, saying the most cliche line in the world. It was true, however. "This life, this place, it's not for me. Maybe I would have grown to like it here eventually, especially by your side. But this is not the path I chose for myself." I had a promise to keep, an utopia to pursue, and I wouldn't stop here. "I made promises to a lot of people, including myself. I can't stay."

Ann fell silent for a moment before I felt her nod. Slowly, one of her hands rose and cupped my cheek. She looked up and smiled. "Maybe in another life, then," she muttered, closing the distance between us and pressing her forehead to mine, her eyes closing as she did so.

"Maybe in another life," I repeated, closing my eyes and placing my hand on hers.

We stood like that for a while, not saying anything, until the rising sun reminded us that time still existed.

And that I needed to leave.

Still silent, Ann closed the jerkin tightly with careful fingers, and then helped me put on the gauntlets she made for me.

A perfect fit, they turned out to be.

She grabbed one of my hands with both of hers and smiled. "I'm going to keep practicing and getting better. If you ever come back, I'll make you a replacement. Gauntlets that are fit for a hero."

"Then, when I become a hero in truth, I'll come back." I smiled back.

"Idiot, you are a hero, already," she complained, before untying the blue handkerchief she had on her wrist. She reached out and tied it on my upper right arm. "My hero."

"Ann, are you sure? Isn't this…?"

"So you remember, if you ever forget what you are." I caressed the fabric, remembering for a moment the dog I couldn't save. Then I nodded.

"Okay, I'll take care of it for you, I promise."

She nodded back and that was that.

I closed the trunk, deciding to forgo wearing the chestplate and armored boots for now and we left the room together after freshening up a bit.

"So, I'm going to sleep for a couple of days if you don't mind. I hope my farewell present was enough for you to forgive me for not being around yesterday," she said with a cheeky smile.

"Don't worry, it was. Rest well, Ann, and thank you."

"Pft, thank you, hero. Now, if you are ever nearby, don't be a stranger… Maybe we can continue where we left off." She winked and left with a jaunty wave. "Bye bye, Shirou."

"Bye, Ann." I waved back with an exasperated smile as she went down the stairs.

I stood alone in the hallway for a little while after that, thinking. I wouldn't regret the choice I made today, but it would be a lie to say that my mind didn't wander into that maybe I could have had.

It wouldn't have been a bad life, I felt.

-Line Break-

I went downstairs to wait for Astraea only to find her enjoying her breakfast already.

"Ah, Shirou. Good morning, I was about to go fetch you after I saw your friend leave," she said, her eyes focused on my new acquisitions. "My, don't you look dashing~."

"Do I?" I asked dubiously, I mean, the presents were amazing, but I knew I was a pretty plain guy. "Ann delivered some stuff for me, a present from her family and some of the guards."

"Mm~ you're starting to look like a proper Adventurer." She then tilted her head, and her expression turned a little amused. "Seeing the girl leaving the inn, I was about to ask if you were a proper gentleman to her, but I guess I should have worried about you instead, huh?"

I felt myself flush a little at the reminder of my less than proper goodbye with Ann but then I grew confused.

"Huh? What do you-?" I started to ask but trailed off when I saw where Astraea's eyes were looking at.

My neck.

My neck that Ann had just kissed, nibbled and sucked with abandon. My hand flew to the place she was looking at and found swollen, sensitive skin with my fingers.

I thought I had enhanced endurance? Then how could she leave a damn hickey?!

Or multiple, if what my fingers felt was correct.

I felt my face burn with embarrassment when I looked back at Astraea, who was now smiling innocently at me.

"Uh, nothing happened… No, that's obviously a lie." I rushed to explain. "However, I-we didn't let it get out of hand, and I properly explained I was going to leave. It was just… a farewell."

"Oh, I'm not chastising you, Shirou. I might be the Goddess of Purity, but I won't forbid you from enjoying earthly pleasures," she said, shrugging almost uncaringly. "As long as you do it in moderation and aren't taking undue advantage of someone else, you can… indulge as you want," Astraea finished, the barest of blushes on her face.

She seemed… used to having this conversation, but I guessed that after being with her other children for years, this kind of thing might have popped out.

"I- okay. I'll be careful so I don't disappoint you, or myself." Sex for sex's sake didn't appeal to me to be honest, and I wasn't exactly searching for a relationship right now, not with the memory of Saber still fresh on my mind, so I wouldn't worry about overindulging as it were.

Maybe in the future, though. I wouldn't deny myself love and all it entailed if I ever found it again.

Saber wouldn't want me to wallow in her memory all my life.

Or maybe that's an excuse I'm using so I don't feel as guilty for what I just did with Ann so soon after I lost Artoria.

"Mm~ I know you won't." Astraea nodded, a pleased look on her face. "Now that that's out of the way, please, sit down and enjoy some breakfast. Our carriage to Orario is leaving soon."

I sat with my goddess and enjoyed my last breakfast in Westmount, eager for the new chapter in my life to start.