The Sword Saint (FateRoute!Shirou in Danmachi)

The open fields passed us by as the rickety movement of the cart brought us ever forward to our destination. I heard the sound of nocturnal birds and small animals amongst the wild, untamed lands.

For most of our trip the only proof of civilization was the dirt road our carriage was being driven on, pulled by two horses. Other than that, pure wilderness, the occasional river and some thickets of trees in the distance.

Astraea seemed to find some amusement in how interested I was in the great expanse of nature, but what could I say? While Japan had some beautiful natural sights I got to see on some school trips, there was always something artificial about them. This? This was a world in which mankind didn't rule supreme.

Nature dominated the sights from miles and miles around.

Until it didn't.

It wasn't a sudden change. Gradually the road became better cared for, signs depicting the way to the Labyrinth City became more of an usual sight. Farmsteads started to dot the fields, and the wild plants were replaced by crops grown for human consumption.

Eventually we found more merchants going the same way, the carriage we were on joining a veritable caravan going to the city.

Astraea, deeming discretion the better part of valor, covered her beautiful features with her brown cloak when the eyes of the multiple people in the caravan started to grow interested in the goddess in their midst.

"My Familia had some enemies in the city… I heard that most of them have been stopped, but I'd like it if we could keep my return a silent affair, just in case," she explained, wincing a little at the words coming out of her mouth.

"Enemies?" I asked, growing alert at her words. Blades started to circulate in my mind, the hammer of a gun ready to come down. "Someone in particular we should be careful about?"

"Not really, not anymore. But as followers of Justice, my girls had a reputation that those of a… more wicked inclination didn't care about," Astraea said with pride in her tone. "And, while the group my Familia faced might be gone, there may be remnants or others that follow the same evil intentions. I don't want you to be targeted in the Dungeon as soon as we arrive. Those kinds of people would not want someone like you to get strong enough to stop them."

I clenched my fist. So it was because of my weakness that she was forced to skulk around.

She was afraid for me.

"It's just for a little while. Ryuu's a Level Four, so as soon as we regroup with her most of those worries will disappear. Not many can boast such strength, after all," Astraea boasted in her missing child's place. "But until then, we must be a little subtle, okay?"

Or I would have to become strong quickly. Strong enough that my goddess could walk proudly, without fearing for my safety.

"All right. So, I shouldn't tell people you are my goddess?" I asked with a little chagrin. I had already told Atticus and Ashe about her giving me a Falna, and they had both returned to the city the day before we left.

The cat might be out of the bag already.

"Oh, not to that extent. It's impossible to really keep a secret in Orario, anyways, and we probably will have to tell the Guild of our connection." She smiled when I sighed a little in relief. "But let's try to keep a low profile for as long as we can."

I nodded, agreeing to her words, but determination burned in my chest.

I won't be the one protected this time. Not like when I was with Saber.

I was pulled out of my musings by Astraea tugging at my sleeve.

"Look, Shirou, you can see it from here, that's Babel." I perked up and looked to where Astraea was pointing.

A great tower piercing the clouds could be seen in the distance, dwarfing the city walls that surrounded it.

Unwittingly, an amused smile came to my face.

"Ah, there's that expression again. I wonder what you find so funny about it," my goddess said, looking at my expression with confusion.

"Sorry, it's just that I got reminded of a story from back home and found it a little ironic." Astraea tilted her head, willing me to continue.

"Long ago, there was a group of people so proud of themselves that they decided to build a tower so tall, it could reach the heavens." I retold what I could from memory. "One god wasn't so happy about that hubris so he decided to destroy it and disperse the humans all over the world. I just find it funny that, here, the tower that reaches the heavens was built by the gods instead."

And that both were named Babel.

But while one was considered the representation of the hubris of humans, the other was the last bastion of defense for humanity, made by deities.

Similarities and differences, once again.

Astraea hummed, seemingly thinking over my words. "Hmm, maybe the tower from the story and this one are one and the same…" My heart skipped a beat at that. Did she…? "Before this tower was built, the original Babel was a building made by humans, but it was destroyed by the descent of the first gods, who then built it anew. Maybe the story changed over the years to be used as a lesson?" she mused, getting a little lost in thought.

Me, however, was wondering why on earth I was still hiding my origins. Astraea deserved to know the truth. Hell, she had deserved to know about it before she blessed me. However…

I took a look around, seeing the multitude of carriages surrounding us. It would be better to tell her when we are in private.

The carriage continued its advance, the great tower coming closer and closer, until the opened gate of the Labyrinth City was in front of us. Well, in front of the line of carriages in front of us.

Still, that's a lot of people.

"It's for the Winter Solstice celebration, kid." The merchant said from the front of the carriage. Ah, I spoke out loud. "Every year there's a celebration for the start of winter, but this year's a little special. The Familias in charge and the Guild organized a big festival, and a lot of people will come to the city, and where there's a lot of people-"

"Merchants follow, I get it." I nodded. Huh, maybe passing unseen would be easier than I thought, considering the volume of people.

"Quick on the uptake, I like you."

"Mm. So, how long is this celebration?" I asked, if only to pass time as the line began to shrink. "Just came here for the Dungeon, to be honest. I didn't know about this festival."

"It starts a week before the solstice all up until the day after. There's a lot of money put into this, to celebrate the year of peace after the Dark Age ended," the man said with a grin.

"I… hadn't heard of a festival. When I lived in Orario there was a gathering of people on the day of the solstice but nothing more than that," Astraea muttered, a little lost. "The entrance must be a mess right now. I wonder how long we'll be stuck here for," she fretted.

"Ah, I wouldn't worry about that, goddess. We are still days away from the festival so the line isn't as long as it could be. The Ganesha Familia does good work, it'll be just a few minutes," the merchant said and as he said, we soon found ourselves stopping in front of a masked adventurer at the gates.

Ganesha, he said. Wasn't that a Hindu god? Greek, Norse, now Hindu. I wondered if there were any Japanese gods around.

The man hit the butt of his spear against the ground "Halt! Coming for the festival, I take it?" He approached, talking to the merchant, while another two wearing the same mask started to circle the carriage.

As the guard in charge started to ask questions to the merchant, the other two started to inspect the merchandise. I got down from the carriage, lending a hand to my goddess to assist her descent.

"A goddess?" one of the guards asked with some surprise, before he got his bearings. "Good evening, my lady! Welcome to Orario! And you too, young man!"

"Thank you, child of Ganesha. His Familia is hard at work as always, I see," Astraea said, smiling at the masked adventurer, who puffed his chest with pride. I nodded a greeting at the excitable man but kept silent, leaving Astraea in charge of how she wanted to proceed

"Of course! We take our responsibility to the safety of the masses seriously!" he exclaimed, before calming down a little. "If you know of us, then you must be familiar with the city, my lady. Could I ask for your reason for entering? Here to enjoy the festivities?"

"Ah, no, I'm just returning after a year or so of traveling. We're going to live in the city for the foreseeable future, me and my child here," she said, pointing at me. The guard was about to speak again when Astraea continued. "Ah, don't worry. I'm familiar with the procedures, I'll be sure to inform the Guild of my situation."

"Oh! Perfect, then!" He looked back at the carriage and then back at us. "You're free to enter the city, then! We'll finish with his entrance in a minute and let you go your way. Have a good night!" Then he turned around and quickly joined his companion.

"Huh, for a man working so late, he was full of energy," I mused, glancing askance at Astraea, who was looking at the retreating guard with a confused expression. She shook her head and looked back, beaming.

"Oh, you have no idea, Shirou. Ganesha's children are always full of excitement," She replied with a giggle. "You'll soon find out. I had a close working relationship with him, and our Familias worked together to keep the peace. I hope that eventually you can spend some time assisting them in things like patrols as well."

Huh, so they work like a police force? Still, I didn't have any problem helping people around town and keeping the peace, so I agreed.

A short while later we were let through, and we eventually separated from the merchant as Astraea's home was in a different direction than the one the carriage was going to.

As we were walking through the throngs of people that were still milling around I began to understand that the city's epithet wasn't just referring to the Dungeon, but also to the fact that the whole place was a labyrinth in and of itself. The street we were on was a straight path to Babel, but there were a lot of other smaller ones branching off it, and multiple alleys between the countless buildings. If it wasn't for my goddess, I wouldn't know where to go at all.

I also tried not to get lost in the multiple weapons that were around us. It was a strange sight for me, seeing more people armed than not, or rather, seeing people armed at all. I thought I had gotten used to it after seeing Westmount guards daily, but Orario seemed a different beast entirely.

Were these people all Adventurers? If so, I found myself a little…disappointed with the quality of their equipment around us.

They were… trash.

Forged by inexperienced hands, using low-quality materials, and taking no care in their creation. I could see all the little cracks and dents that were made when quality was sacrificed for expediency and quantity. Some of these would be considered just good for scrap by a proper blacksmith.

If weapons like this were sold to adventurers, then it's no wonder that the death rates were rumored to be so high.

"Let's not get separated, Shirou. The city is hard to traverse normally, but it's worse at night when all the low Level Adventures return from their expeditions." Astraea pulled me by the arm, explaining.

Luckily most of the Adventurers went out of their way to let the goddess pass, because we would be stuck here for a while otherwise with how packed the street was.

"Just the low level ones?" I guess that explained the low quality equipment. But I wondered, was there any difference when one becomes a higher level? Did they not mingle with the 'riff-raff' or something?

"Mm, most Adventurers that are just starting only do short explorations to the Dungeon and return when night falls." She then sighed as she was forced to evade a distracted, and rather drunk, dwarf.

"Still, there's a lot more people than I expected. It's been a long time since I saw such a large amount of people in the city. It's… so different." I barely heard her words over the din of noise around me, but I could see her expression grow complicated.

"Is it? I'm guessing things weren't as lively back then?" I asked, not really understanding what was the problem.

Astraea shook her head, her eyes far away. "Congregating in such numbers would only be an invitation for an attack back then." My eyes widened at her declaration. I didn't expect the situation to have been that bad. "And the gate too, I didn't expect security to be so lax, especially with a festival of all things happening so soon. He didn't even ask for names or any identification for the Guild…"

"Was the entrance more strict when you lived here?"

"A little, a god entering would have to announce themselves to the Guild as soon as possible. And I mean that they would be escorted to the Guild headquarters as soon as they entered… Also, the wares from merchants would be thoroughly checked, but now they just looked without care," she explained.

"I heard that the situation in the city is now a lot better than before, supposedly Loki and Freya stopped that group of criminals that were causing havoc. The changes might be due to that."

"I heard that too…" She sighed. "Maybe I'm just being a little too harsh. Most of the stricter regulations were put in place because of Evilus after all, so it makes sense that with them gone, things got laxer."

"Isn't that a good thing, then? It means that things are safe enough that they don't have to worry as much." I played devil's advocate, but I now understood what Astraea was worrying about.

"Oh, I'm of course happy that things are much more peaceful, but I still think they're being a little too lax."

We kept walking and I noticed that the people around started to diminish more and more as we left the main street and passed through some alleys.

It seemed like Astraea's home was a little out of the way, separated from the busiest parts of the city.

There was something I felt I needed to comment about, though.

"I'm sorry but I have to ask, did you really say that the group was named Evilus?" I asked, a little disbelief coloring my voice.

"Mm, it was the group of Familias that was behind the chaos and unrest that plagued Orario for years." She then smiled humorlessly. "The name was a little on the nose, right? But at the end of things, they showed that they were not only words. Theft, slavery, murder. They did all that and more. Most of them were true evil, enemies of everything we stood for," the Goddess of Justice declared.

So they were my enemies too.

Or they would have been, had they still been around.

-Line Break-

If those were the kinds of people Astraea's Familia had to face in the past, then I understand her unrest now.

I'll have to keep an eye open, just in case.

"We're here, Shirou. This is our home, the Stardust Garden," Astraea said softly, her eyes stuck on the building in front of us.

Placed out of the way from most other buildings around, surrounded by a tall metal fence, Stardust Garden was an impressive three-floor mansion that, while not being the tallest building around here, was certainly one of the widest.

Forming a blocky C shape, the yellow brick building with gray pillars looked like it could fit my old home several times over. And that wasn't counting the garden in between the fence and the building itself, surrounding it in, admittedly a little overgrown, greenery.

But I guess it made sense. Astraea's Familia consisted of eleven Adventurers plus her, so they had to live in a place that would accommodate them all and their amenities, and that's not counting on the possibility of new members.

Despite its size, however, it looked… welcoming. Tall glass windows every few feet, bright colors, the fence not blocking the sight of the inside.

One of the things that Tohsaka had liked about my house, to the point that she chose to stay the night more often than not after our magic training, was the sense of openness it had. Contrary to the Tohsaka house, mine felt welcoming. Felt like a home. A mark of our difference in mentalities as magi, apparently.

Stardust Garden gave me the same feeling of warmth, of home, that Tohsaka had mentioned. It was secure, considering the tall gated fence and the sturdy door I could see from here, but it wasn't a fortress. Oppressive wouldn't be a word that one could use to describe it.

I tried to catalog everything in front of me despite the darkness making it a little too hard to truly see, feeling Astraea's eyes on me the whole time. "It's amazing…" I breathed out, my eyes focused on the symbol proudly emblazoned over the entrance. Astraea's symbol.

"It is, isn't it?" Astraea smiled sadly. "This is the culmination of years of effort from my girls. The home they fought for years to earn, a small spot of hope we built in the darkness that was consuming Orario for years."

Astraea produced a key and unlocked the gates, opening them with almost no sound being made by the hinges.

We walked the stone path between the outer gate and the door, and I noted that, while overgrown, the grass wasn't as tall as it should after not being cut for a year. A few weeks, maybe a month tops, of growth?

I followed Astraea inside the building, the door opening with the same silent ease.

"Let me see if the lights still have some magic in them, then I'll give you a tour," Astraea said softly as we passed the dark foyer and entered the home proper.

I saw her press her hand against a protruding part of the wall and then a soft dim light lit on the ceiling and in some sconces on the wall.

"Hm~ I guess I have to be happy they turned on at all," she muttered under her breath, while I took a look around. "Did we have any magic crystals left to recharge?"

We were in a… living room? There were some sheet-covered shapes occupying the middle part of the room that looked like couches and tables and a couple more near the windows, some of the walls were covered by bookshelves, paintings and portraits. There was also a fireplace on the opposite side of the room, with some logs ready to be lit right beside it.

There were two doors on each side of the room and stairs that went up to the second floor.

Astraea was looking around, a sad glint in her eye. "Someone came here after I left. The furniture wasn't covered then." I approached a shelf near me and slid a finger on its surface.

"And someone cleaned recently, too," I remarked, showing Astraea my hand. There was some dust on the shelf, but, again like in the garden, nowhere enough to be a year's worth of dirtiness. "Ryuu Lion, maybe?" I wondered.

"There is no one else with a key, so I would assume so," she replied with a sad smile. "So she came back home."

"...It doesn't look like she lives here," I noted. "I understand her, though. It's hard coming back to an empty home..." I whispered remembering the many times Fuji-nee asked me to go live at her house with her, instead of staying in an empty home full of memories.

I never agreed, but sometimes the loneliness felt a little too much to bear.

Astraea sighed, a little disappointed. "I guess if we don't find her, she'll eventually find us."

Right, Ryuu Lion had seemingly gone radio silent after Astraea left Orario, never answering her letters, no matter how many the goddess sent. I still didn't know the nature of their separation, but it seemed that it hadn't been on good terms. Astraea always seemed guilty whenever the topic came up.

I sighed, I guessed that eventually I would need to pry no matter how uncomfortable I felt about it.

And about my late senpais as well.

I had thought that they had died in the dungeon, but after learning of Evilus I began to wonder if I was mistaken.

"Still, let me show you around, and we'll see if Ryuu left anything behind, just in case." Astraea said, trying to inject some excitement in her tone. "First, the dining room is just through this door here-"

-Line Break-

And so, Astraea showed me the home she had built with her children.

We began with the spacious dining room, large enough to accommodate over twenty people. A large table dominated its centre, surrounded by sturdy chairs that showed signs of frequent use. A chandelier hung above the table, unlit, its crystals catching the faint light that filtered in from the windows to the side of the room. Along the walls, there were some wooden cabinets that I assumed had plates and cutlery. Though the room was clean-ish, there was a small layer of dust gathering over the furniture. 

On the other side of the room was a door that led to the kitchen. We just gave it a cursory look, there wasn't much we could see with only the faint light that came from the living room, but I could see some counters and sinks, and Astraea pointed out a shape in the back and described it as an oven. There was another door to the side that led to a pantry, but we left it alone for now.

Next, going through another room in the living room, she showed me an armory that I have to say made me freeze for a moment. There weren't many weapons, and none that were of mystical nature, but the history in the few left was almost overwhelming. The hours upon hours of history of training that these weapons contained was... amazing. I had to tear my eyes from them and move along, otherwise we would have stayed the whole night there. 

Upstairs, Astraea showed me the rooms where she and her children had once lived. She never stepped inside any of the rooms, but the way her fingers traced the doors as we passed, the distant look in her eyes, and the forced cheerfulness in her voice made my heart clench.

It all felt hollow.

The sound of our footsteps against the wooden floors, the faint mustiness in the air. Melancholy hung in the air.

I didn't ask anything, I knew how fresh the wounds must feel now that she was back home, I just offered her my company and lent her my ear for hear to talk about her lost loved ones as much as she wanted.

At some point, she made me choose my own room, which wasn't particularly hard. Aside from the ones left unoccupied by the passing of her Familia, there were also many empty rooms just waiting for someone to claim them. I chose one that was near the stairs and that was it. Even back home, my room was a place to sleep and nothing more. 

On the third floor, she showed me a small reading room. Empty bookshelves lined the walls, surrounding a few armchairs and tables. Ryuu Lion had likely stored the books somewhere safe to prevent them from being damaged.

Finally, back on the ground floor, she led me to the bath. It was a large, Roman-style bathhouse, big enough to accommodate ten or more people at once. Perhaps it had, once upon a time, when Astraea's Familia was whole. Eleven members, plus their goddess. Unlike the rest of the house, it was surprisingly well-maintained, though it would still need a proper rinsing before being used again.

It was almost an hour into the tour that we decided to take a late night tea break, and discuss our plans for tomorrow.

"So, tomorrow morning we're going to the Guild first thing because you need to be registered to explore the Dungeon, and I need to report my return," Astraea explained before taking a sip of her tea. "You also need to get an advisor, so you can learn about the different monsters in the Dungeon."

Huh, I think this was becoming a habit of ours.

Luckily, my goddess had the foresight to prepare some tea leaves before we left Westmount because, as we found out, our mysterious cleaner had disposed of everything edible in this house.

Grocery shopping to fill the panry became our number one priority for tomorrow… after the official visits, of course.

I nodded, lifting my own teacup and taking a sip. "The first few floors are mostly goblins, right? I think I'm more than familiar with those." I smiled wryly. Still, some classes might be useful. I did okay against the surface goblins, but supposedly the ones in the dungeon are stronger.

Like Ashe had said to Rath the night we met, 'Overconfidence gets you killed, especially againts monters.'

"Mm, the first few floors are going to be easy for you, I think. You are going to have to go lower to get a challenge out of the Dungeon," she said, a little conflicted. "I guess I must ask the question: What do you want to get out of your explorations, at least at first? "

"What I want? I'm not sure I understand."

"I explained the basics to you, right? The way to get your Basic Abilities to raise is by doing actions that use that Ability and earn Excelia. By using your magic, your Magic stat raises, by running you would be raising Agility, and so on and on." I nodded, following so far. "But the best way to gain Excelia is by being challenged."

Astraea placed her cup back on its plate with a clink, and looked at me seriously.

"To be honest, some part of me wants nothing more than to tell you to not take risks. To get slowly used to the Dungeon and its intricacies over time. To be safe," she said, the always carefully hidden pain in her eyes exposed. "But I can't do that, because that's no way to grow. Adventurers need to struggle in order to get stronger. And with your magic, your Skills and your fighting ability, the upper floors won't do much for you, Shirou. You will be safe, but you will soon stagnate."

I looked at my reflection on the tea, musing over her words. To grow stronger with risks, or to be safe but keep being as weak as I am?

Was it even a question?

"If I wanted to be coddled, then I wouldn't have chosen to come to Orario." I scratched my cheek wryly. "I told you a couple of times already, I'm a reckless person. If you think that taking risks is the best way to grow stronger, then I'll listen to your wisdom." I grinned.

"Oh my, would this be considered me enabling you, I wonder? Maybe I shouldn't have told you that," she replied, raising a hand to her cheek. "All right, then. This goddess of yours will support your decision, so you can grow as much as your potential allows you to," she finished with a nod.

I nodded back, and thought that the matter was over, but Astraea continued.

"Still, I would find it a lot more comforting if you could explain to me the effects of your skills. Particularly the second, as the first one is a little more obvious. You had the opportunity to test it out right? This Avalon of yours," she asked and I nodded in response, thinking about what I could say about it. Maybe this was my chance to tell her?

"Avalon is a sheath," I began, gathering my thoughts as I spoke, before a wry smile came to my face. "Though saying that is like saying Babel is a building, or that the Dungeon is a cave. It's… the sheath of one of the strongest holy swords in existence, if not the strongest." I wasn't completely sure but I could not imagine anything being stronger than the Sword of Promised Victory.

"In the hands of the owner of the sword, the sheath would heal any wound, cure any sickness. It even stopped aging, the owner not growing any older from the moment she first held it."

Astraea looked at me with shock, and I wouldn't blame her. It may have sounded really far-fetched, for me to come in possession of such an artifact.

"Any wound or sickness?" she repeated, disbelief in her tone. "One of those alone would be an ability that only something made by the Divine would be able to accomplish. To do both? I've never heard of something like that existing."

"And that's just the passive ability it had in her hands," I continued, reminding Astraea of the other half of the skill.

"The Absolute Defense," she muttered.

"Nothing can harm someone being defended by Avalon," I declared and Astraea's eyes got even wider. "Nothing. Not the strongest physical blow, nor the greatest magic attack, nor the most malevolent curse. Deployed, the sheath turns into a veritable fortress that nothing can trespass."

"That's… that's impossible." She shook her head, but kept her eyes focused on me, looking for something. Maybe she was waiting for me to say it was all a joke? "Such an object…Something of that strength… I would have felt it in you, but I didn't." Astraea then tilted her head, visibly calming a little. "But you are not lying."

I narrowed my eyes, confused at the declaration, but then I remembered. Right, gods can tell if mortals lie. I guess that makes what I'm about to tell her easier.

But still, it was weird that she couldn't feel Avalon. Maybe the sheath was so intertwined with my own body that I hid its presence? Come to think it, Saber herself had not felt Avalon in me until later on.

Maybe I could fix that and provide evidence for my words.

I pressed a hand on my chest and focused. I gathered the countless pieces of stardust in my being, and a golden glow began to appear on my right hand.

Then I pulled.

Little by little, inch by inch, the physical representation of the Everdistant Utopia reassembled in my hand.

Made of the purest gold with blue enamel, the scabbard of Excalibur seemed to shine with its own light. It was beautiful, almost ethereal. Unchanging, and untouched by time.

"That artifact… anyone that even glances at it once won't ever forget it. That I haven't even heard of its existence is…impossible," she whispered, before tearing her eyes from it to meet mine with trepidation. "...Shirou, why does it feel like you are holding Elysium in your hands?"

Elysium. The Greek afterlife that, if I remember right, only the righteous, the heroic and those of divine blood could access after death, where they would spend an eternity of bless and happiness. I guess there could be some similarities to be found between the two.

"Because this is Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia, the paradise that the greatest king of them all sought and earned, and the place I'm pursuing, or at least a representation of it." I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what I was about to say. "And you didn't know of it because it came from another world, just as I did."

"...What? Another world? You don't mean another country, do you?" Maybe I wasn't clear? Should I have said it differently? How does one reveal that they crossed dimensions without seeming insane?

"I don't. I know it sounds ridiculous but I lived in an entire different world before I ended up here. At first I thought that maybe I was in the distant past… but things are too different." She's a goddess, so she must know of parallel universes, right?

Tohsaka had told me that, in our world, it was a proven concept, that there was an ancestor of hers that had been the apprentice of a Magician that had the ability to cross over to other worlds. In a world where the Age of Gods hadn't ended someone must know about it, at the very least. "I'm talking of alternate dimensions, parallel universes, I don't know if there is an expression that describes the idea here."

Astraea shook her head in disbelief. "How do you know…? Mortals aren't supposed to- No, the fact that you know that doesn't matter. What matters is that, again, you are not lying." She looked at me like I had grown another head before glancing down at Avalon.

She fell silent then, contemplating, and I let her have whatever time she needed to gather her thoughts. "The way you use your magic, the fact that you don't know terms that should be common sense even if you come from another country. I had thought you were from a secretive sect of mages that found another way to harness Mana," she mused, before sighing. "But that sheath..."

She seemed to be thinking out loud, rather than talking to me. "It should be impossible… access to other realms had been severed for millenia, and if it was restored, it should have been noticed…but faced with that object, what could it be if not that?" she whispered. "How did you do it, Shirou? How did you manage to get here from beyond the Void?" The Void, huh. It seemed fitting, considering what I had experienced.

"It was an accident. Something went wrong during a magical experiment and, after a moment of pure darkness, I found myself here. Nothing I could explain or replicate." I grimaced, there was something I had forgotten. Something that happened in that interval of time I was between worlds, but for the life of me, I could not recall. Then her words truly registered in me. "...does that mean you believe me?" I asked.

Astraea smiled, and I felt myself relax. "I do. Just the fact that you know of the existence of other worlds lends a lot of credibility to your words, but I believe you because you are my child, and I know you enough to tell that you wouldn't make something like this up. And, well…" She trailed off, glancing pointedly at the sheath still in my hands.

"Thank you, Astraea. I… know I should have told you before I accepted your blessing, but I didn't know how to do it or how you would take it. It seems I was foolish to worry."

"And I'm glad you trusted me with this… but maybe you were right in keeping it a secret. You should be careful about who you tell this to, especially gods," she said a little sheepishly. "Most of them came down here for entertainment, and if they learn of your origins they will want you for themselves, even though you are mine." I smiled wryly at the possessiveness in her tone.

"Then, I'll be sure to be quiet about it, my goddess," I replied.

"Mm, make sure you do." She nodded.

"So…" I trailed off as I refilled our teacups. "Should we continue our talk about my skills… or is there anything you want to know about the place I come from?" I asked, and was rewarded by a deluge of questions from my curious goddess.

…maybe I should start preparing another pot, we'll be here for a while, it seems.

-Line Break-

Over the next hour I tried my best to satisfy my goddess' curiosity about Earth. There was only so much I could explain about technological advances with my layman knowledge, and explaining each and every culture in the world wasn't something I could do in one night, no matter how much my goddess begged, so most of what I talked about was the major differences between Earth and this world.

To say that she was surprised to learn about the fact that monsters–phantasmal species, Tohsaka Rin corrected me in my mind– had been for the most part gone for centuries, or that the only mentions of gods walking amongst men was only in old legends, myths or religious texts, would be a severe understatement.

"...The Age of Man, huh," she mused, playing with her empty cup. "I can't say I dislike the sound of that, despite the implications about our fate," Astraea said softly.

"I don't know much about what happened to the gods in my world, but according to what I read, they didn't die." After the Holy Grail War, after facing so many heroes with divine blood, I couldn't help but become curious, so I asked Tohsaka about deities and their fate. Were they still around? Had they died?

Of course, Tohsaka being Tohsaka, just chucked a dusty old tome at me and told me to investigate on my own if I wanted to know, so I can't claim to be an expert.

"Mankind started to rely less and less on them, so they weakened." I gave Astraea a barebones explanation. "I don't know if it's the same here, but gods in my world drew power from mankind's belief. Once humans stopped praying, they became lesser, to the point that they could not interact with the world. Eventually, they were relegated to legends and myths, most believing that they never existed in the first place."

"That sounds like a fate worse than death to most of my kind, to be honest." She replied, morbid amusement in her tone, before she grew a little somber. "...so in the absence of the divine, humanity flourished. Makes one wonder…" she muttered, trailing off at the end.

"Had there been gods like you, Astraea, I'm sure they would still be worshiped to this day." And I really thought that. Most legends paint the gods as selfish and petty, but Astraea was nothing like that.

"My, you say the nicest things, Shirou~," Astraea replied bashfully, fanning herself with her hand. "Fufu, you're making me blush."

I grinned. "I'm only telling the truth as I see it."

We fell silent for a moment, before Astraea asked what I was trying to avoid thinking about.

"To live without needing to fight the endless tide of monsters that prey on humanity, to be able to advance and flourish with no need for young men and women to bleed and die in the Dungeon. Your world sounds wonderful, to be honest." She smiled, but there was a hint of barely hidden melancholy in her expression. "You must want to return there very much, right? It will be hard, almost impossible to find a way for you to go back, but we can look for it. If you want to, I will do my best to help you."

Of course she would. I knew that if I said I wanted to, she would stop at nothing to see me back home, even if it meant I would abandon her.

Did I want to return back home? Yes, without a question. I missed spending time with Fuji-nee and Sakura, talking with Issei, and hanging out while practicing magic with Tohsaka.

I missed my home, my kitchen, my dojo. Places I had spent time with Dad and Saber, where I could reminisce of the moments we had together.

But, aside from that, was there anything truly tying me to my world?

Or rather, the real question was: was I truly needed back in my world?

Fuji-nee might miss me and my cooking, perhaps Sakura might do so as well because she was a kind girl. But eventually they would get over my absence, and go on with their lives. Hell, with my house empty, Fuji-nee could finally move out of Old man Raiga's house and live there. Become a proper adult.

Tohsaka was a magus, and she was strong. She would eventually go to the Clock Tower and be too busy building back her family name to remember a fool she met for only a short time.

Issei was just a friend from school. Tohsaka might make him not worry about me going missing –perhaps even forget about me– with hypnosis so the strangeness of my disappearance doesn't draw attention. His life was fine without me.

"...had someone asked me before I met you, my answer would have been yes," I began, trying not to smile at the way she perked up in tentative hope. "But now I feel like there are more reasons for me to stay here than for me to go back."

I had no family and, even though I told Fuji-nee I planned to study something like law after I finished school, I had no true prospects for the future. After the Holy Grail War, spending a quiet, peaceful life seemed… hollow.

"Things are not all peaceful back home, there are places in need, places I could try to go and do good in." Places I might be able to bring smiles to with my help. "But I feel like I can do much more here."

I might be choosing to help this world instead of mine, and that means maybe leaving someone back home to their own fate, but I was here now.

I could not ignore the suffering of people here either.

And Avalon seemed to agree, if the fact that it started to accept my magic energy said anything. It made me feel like Saber herself approved of this.

Here, I could help.

Here, I had saved people's lives with my own hands for the first time.

Here, there was a definite evil I could fight.

Here, I had…

I felt some heat gathering in my cheeks, and I felt the urge to look away from Astraea.

"And…well…" Astraea let out a confused 'Mm?' at my sudden embarrassment. I sighed. "Here I met you, Astraea. I can't help but think that it was some sort of fate that brought me to that town just as you were passing through… but even if it wasn't, even if it was a coincidence… I want to stay with you, I want to help you just as you wished to help me."

"Shirou…" she breathed my name, shaking her head in disbelief. "You… you're being unfair. If you keep being so nice to me, even if we found a way to send you back home, I won't let you go, you know?" Astraea said tremulously. "I might not act like it, but I can be selfish too. I am a goddess, after all, and you are my child."

"Well, that just makes it a lot easier for me to decide, doesn't it?" I grinned. "I have your blood in my veins and your wings on my back. I'm yours, Astraea, for as long as you'll have me."

Astraea didn't answer with words.

She all but leaped out of her seat, a bright, teary smile on her face, and walked around the table. I smiled and opened my arms resignedly as I began to stand up, knowing what was coming.

But I didn't expect Astraea's arms to go around my head and to her to, with surprising strength, just bury my face in her cleavage.

"Mm~ then you'll be with me for a long time, my hero. I'll make sure you never regret your choice, I promise," she gushed, her happiness exuding from every word.

Soft.

For a moment I could only feel warmth and softness. Her scent, reminiscent of flowers, came next and I felt myself relax a little.

Then came the embarrassment.

My eyes widened and I began to struggle, managing to separate myself a little from her chest.

"Astraea! Please, I'm still dirty from the trip. You shouldn't-mph!" I managed to say before I was once again buried.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I know how strict you are with your cleanliness, just a day is nothing," she said, a giggle in her voice. "Oh! Maybe it's me who is the problem? I don't smell, do I? I bathed yesterday, but it's been a long day." she fretted slightly, loosening her hold.

"N-no that's not it!" …I may have been a little too hasty when correcting her, but I was a little out of sorts… If anything, she smells too nice.

Astraea giggled. "Fufufu, if you really think so, then enjoy your goddess' scent as much as you want," She said, and her hold tightened even more.

…Ah, crap. I thought as my senses were overwhelmed by the affectionate goddess. I said it out loud, didn't I?

-Line Break-

Walking around in armor felt… weird.

I'm not one to focus on how others might perceive me. Even back on earth, I never cared about trends or fashion.

But even I knew that someone walking around in armor would draw weird looks, so, even though I was far from the only one wearing one here, I couldn't shake off that awkwardness.

Maybe I shouldn't have worn it? It's not like I plan to go to the dungeon today.

But, no. I had to get used to its feel, its weight, before I took to the Dungeon. I'm sure the discomfort would fade in time, but for now I'm stuck feeling like I'm part of a crowd of cosplay-wearing people.

Astraea and I had, once again in spite of how late we went to bed last night, woke up bright and early in order to get our affairs in order as fast as possible so we could finish settling in.

We had breakfast in a small restaurant near Stardust Garden and, I had to say, it was pretty expensive, at least in comparison to the prices I was used to seeing in Westmount.

I guess it made sense. When most of your clientele consisted of Adventurers, who seemed to earn quite a lot of money in the Dungeon, charging a little more didn't seem weird. I'm guessing it would be like having a meal in the busiest parts of Tokyo.

Luckily, I still had money leftover from the whole hobgoblin reward, and Astraea herself seemed to have a fair amount of Vali as well.

Still, I had to start looking for good prices in groceries so I could start cooking meals myself, because if the whole city was as expensive as this little restaurant, our funds would eventually run dry.

Or I had to start earning more money as soon as possible, which is the main reason for being here.

The Guild's headquarters, Pantheon, was not as filled with people as I expected, but I guess it was still too early. In spite of the hour, however, the large counter dividing the spacious room was fully manned by professional looking people, all smartly dressed in pristine white shirts and black vests, a small black bow tie tied around their collar.

"Come on, Shirou, this way." Astraea grabbed my arm and led me to one of the empty spaces in front of a Guild employee.

"Good morning, sir, my lady! I'm free if you are in need of assistance!" I smiled awkwardly at the pretty glasses-wearing girl my own age that called me sir, of all things, and approached the counter.

"Good morning," I said, trying not to stare at the pointy ears poking out of her long brown hair. An elf, huh. It was my first time meeting one, and I didn't want to look like a fool by gawking. "I want to register with the Guild so I can explore the Dungeon, could you help me with that?" The girl's professional smile widened a little, and became a little more kinder.

"Yes, of course. I need to ask a couple of questions first, though," she replied while taking out a sheet of parchment-like paper from a folder on her desk. A form, maybe? "Ah! I'm sorry for my rudeness, my name is Eina-" "Tulle." A sharp voice interrupted the girl as she was introducing herself.

Another Guild employee approached us, and I straightened when her sharp yellow eyes glanced at me for a second, before returning to her coworker. A werewolf this time. I thought as I caught sight of the wolf ears protruding from her dark red hair. I guess they don't call this city the center of the world for nothing.

"Miss Fannett? Can I help you? I'm in the middle of…" Eina trailed off awkwardly.

The werewolf sighed. "Sorry for interrupting you, Tulle, but Miss Hackard is waiting for you. I forgot to tell you she booked an advising session with you after she came back up yesterday night."

Eina Tulle gasped delightedly. "Maris is…?!" Then her smile brightened to the point it was almost blinding. "So she came back safe from her exploration…I was really worried when it got so late and she hadn't come back yet." She placed a hand against her chest and sighed in relief.

Then she seemed to realize I was still there and straightened up, clearing her throat. "Ah, but first I have to finish with this."

The werewolf shook her head. "Don't bother. I'll handle this. It's just a registration, right?"

"Will you? Thank you so much, Ms Fannett!" Then she turned to me. "Sorry for this, but I'm leaving you in better hands!" And without waiting for my response, she left, a spring in her step.

I heard Astraea giggle. "Well, wasn't she a cutie~," she whispered to me. "Shame she had to leave."

The werewolf sighed with some exasperation. "I apologize about that, sir, goddess. We take our appointments very seriously in the Guild, I hope you can understand," she apologized while taking the place at the counter. "My name is Rose Fannett and I'm going to handle your registration."

"Ah, don't worry about it. It's not like you guys left us high and dry, with you being here." I smiled. "So how do we do this?"

Rose Fannett grabbed a quill from an inkpot and started to write on the form Eina had left behind, while occasionally looking me up and down.

And sneaking some glances to Astraea, a suspicious glint in her eye.

"I will ask some questions about you and you will answer as truthfully as possible. If no problems arise during the interview, we'll proceed to assign you an advisor so you can start your introductory classes of the Dungeon," she explained succinctly and professionally, her tone the one people use when they are saying something they memorized after saying it countless times. "Only then you will be given approval to enter as an official explorer of the Dungeon. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

I thought for a second, and everything seemed clear. I shook my head.

"Right. Then, first: your name?"

"Emiya Shirou. Ah, that is, given name Shirou, family name Emiya," I corrected myself, remembering that I wasn't in Japan.

"Mm, I am familiar with naming conventions in the Far East, don't worry," Rose said coolly. "But that answers the second question, you are from the Far East then, Mr Emiya?"

I nodded, following the little lie we came up with Astraea. "From a small town named Fuyuki, a little up north from the Capital," I answered and I could swear I felt Astraea nodding proudly. Was it so hard to believe that I could lie?

"Age?" "Seventeen."

"Do you have any experience fighting? Against monsters, specifically?"

"I have some weapons training, but I only fought some goblins for the first time just a couple of days ago." Astraea nodded once more behind me. Another small lie we came up with. A non-blessed human fighting a hobgoblin would raise some uncomfortable questions, so we decided to downplay it a little. "I was given my blessing just afterwards."

The werewolf kept taking note of my words as I spoke, with the only pause being when she threw the occasional glance to Astraea, the suspicion in her eyes still present.

"You are blessed, then," Rose affirmed. I'm guessing that was the next question. "The name of your Familia?" she asked but not to me.

I followed her eyes to my goddess, who kept smiling placidly under her cloak. Astraea caught my look and nodded. I took a last look around, to see if there was anyone close enough to hear and just answered. "Astraea."

Rose Fannett froze, the constant scribbling of the quill on the parchment stopping as she did so. Then after a second, she continued. "It seems a problem did arise during your interview, Mr Emiya," she said to me, and placed the quill back into the inkpot, before she turned to Astraea. "My lady, let me be the first employee from the Guild to welcome you back to Orario. It's a pleasure to have you back," she said while giving her a bow.

"Mm~ Thank you for your kind words, Ms Fannett," Astraea answered softly. "But you said there was a problem? I'm guessing it's with me?" she asked with uncertainty.

Rose Fannett sighed and nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid I will have to take some time from your schedule. Mr Mardeel said that were you ever to return to the city, whatever official business you may have with the Guild may only be concluded after a meeting with him," she explained. "There are… some irregularities with your Familia's status that need to be discussed before we can proceed."

Astraea's eyes narrowed, but eventually nodded.

"Then, lead the way."

Rose Fannett led us to the stairs going up to the second floor, her steps purposeful. She was… intense, not slowing down even as the people in our way almost leapt to the side to let her pass. I could see every guy in the room and even some girls looking at the werewolf passing with barely hidden awe and adoration. And more than a small amount of lust.

It looked like she was popular.

"You seemed to recognize me, even before I was named," Astraea noted.

Rose stopped in her striding for less than a moment, before resuming. "I thought I recognized you from the many meetings the Guild had with the frontline Familias during the Dark Ages, I admit, but the main reason I knew who you were is because I am… was Ms. Gojouno's advisor," she said softly and it was Astraea's turn to falter in her step.

Gojouno Kaguya, the late vice-captain of the Familia. A former noblewoman from the Far East, proud and a little conceited, but no less kind because of it, as Astraea described her to me. Really proficient with a tachi, from what I gathered from one of the only few practice weapons left behind in the armory back in Stardust Garden.

"...I see," my goddess finally said. "Then I must thank you for supporting my child during her career."

"Don't thank me, please. I was just doing my duty," the werewolf deflected. "A duty I failed in, considering her fate," she finished, bitterness overshadowing her professional mask.

"You are aware of what happened, then?" Astraea asked, and Rose nodded.

"Not fully, but more than most. There were some details that Lord Ouranos himself saw fit to keep a secret. I just know that it was an irregularity in the Dungeon that was the ultimate cause of their…passing."

"I see, you must be quite well-regarded to be even told that much, then. Still, I thank you, anyway, because no one could have predicted what happened. Not even the Guild with all its knowledge," Astraea finished with a forlorn smile, and both fell silent after Rose nodded once more.

I, for my part, was doing my best not to interrupt the conversation with my questions. It wasn't the moment, and considering how we were going to have a meeting with the Guild Head regarding the Familia's status, I might find out soon anyway.

I would have preferred to find out about what happened from Astraea herself, but I wasn't sure I would be given a choice.

I might need to apologize to Astraea later, regardless, because I felt I was going to intrude in something I wasn't sure I had the right to know yet.

I prepared myself mentally for the conversation as Rose knocked on an ostentatious door, breathing deeply in and out like I used to do to focus while practicing kyūdō. By the time the person inside answered, and we were entering, I was calm, I was ready.

It would be later that I would realize I was, in fact, not ready.