CHAPTER TEXT

Ren was exhausted.

It couldn’t be helped. Neither he nor Morgana had slept particularly well that night despite being bone tired. Once morning came about (or rather, a simulated morning that came with a gradual brightening of the lights), the two of them were more or less already awake. Nightmares had plagued them throughout the night, followed by fitful sleep. Even Morgana, who normally was an early to bed, early to rise kind of cat, was grumbling and tried to roll back over to sleep some more.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. There had been no Velvet Room trip that night – probably to give him an opportunity to rest his mind as well as body. Not that it did much good. Still, he was thankful to Igor, Lavenza, and Olga for their consideration. He really wasn’t well equipped to deal with the day overall. He was about to roll over when his door pinged. Who could it be at this time?

Getting out of bed, he shuffled over to the door, yawning as he tried to blink the sleep from his eyes. Opening the door, he was greeted by the familiar sight of lilac hair and a cute, bespeckled face. Mash beamed up at him before immediately blinking in shock. “Good morning, senpai,” she greeted cordially, peering concernedly at his face. “Are you alright? You look terrible.”

Ren chuckled as he fought back another yawn. “Yeah, sorry Mash,” he apologized, pasting on a grin as he leaned against the doorframe. “Neither me nor Morgana slept that well last night. We’ll be up in a second though – just… give us some time to actually wake up properly and get some caffeine in our system. What’s on the agenda today?”

The shielder blinked in surprise, then shook her head. “There’s nothing on the agenda, senpai,” she reassured him. “So if you’re that tired, you should go back and get some rest. It’s not healthy to be suffering from a lack of sleep. Many mistakes have been attributed to it, studies have shown.”

The Master blinked, then chuckled again. “You’re pretty studious, Mash,” he commented, grinning in appreciation. “You definitely remind me of someone else I know.” His smile faded as his memories flashed again. In front of him stood a girl slightly shorter than him, with short brown hair and a stern face, though just as prone to flush in embarrassment. He blinked again and saw Mash once more, staring at him in surprise.

“What about that debriefing though?” he asked, frowning slightly. “Won’t Roman get mad that I’m putting that off?”

Mash shook her head. “I’ll speak to the doctor,” she replied. “I believe he said when you’re ready for the debriefing, not that it needs to be done today. I’ll inform him you’re in no condition to do so today. Please, get some rest. You too, Mr. Morgana.” She directed the last words to Morgana, who had stumbled up in cat form and was leaning against Ren’s leg, blinking sleepily.

“Sounds – sounds good,” Morgana replied, yawning. “Come on, Ren. We definitely need to catch up on some sleep. Thanks for covering for us, Mash.” With that, he shambled back in to hop on the bed once more.

Ren watched Morgana walk back in, then turned back to Mash. “Sorry about that,” he apologized again. “I’ll see you in a bit, Mash.” Mash smiled in response as Ren shuffled back inside, the door closing behind him as he turned off the lights.

Reaching the bed, he collapsed on it and pulled the covers over himself. Though it wasn’t the most comfortable of beds or covers, for his sleep deprived state, it almost felt like he was resting on clouds. He felt the familiar warmth and weight of Morgana curling up on top of him. He smiled, and within moments, the two were fast asleep once more.

Mash stared at the door after it closed before sighing sadly to herself. Admittedly, she wanted to have some of senpai’s curry and coffee, but after seeing the two in that state, she didn’t have it in her to ask. At least Archer was manning the kitchen once more. It would be a very nice change from the field rations they had to sustain themselves. Just before she turned to leave, she heard a familiar sound.

“Fou, fou!”

She blinked and smiled as the little creature bounded around a corner before leaping up, easily landing on her shoulders. She giggled as Fou licked her cheek. “Th-that tickles, Fou!” she laughed, reaching up to pet him as he nuzzled back against her hand. “Did you wait for me to finish talking to senpai and Mr. Morgana?” she asked.

“Fou, kyu, fou!” Fou barked before nuzzling her again.

The shielder took that as a yes. “Thank you for being so considerate, Fou,” she replied with a grin. She hadn’t forgotten that Mr. Morgana didn’t like Fou for some reason or other. At least he was considerate enough to give them a reprieve. She quietly picked up Fou from her shoulder and held her against her chest like a little pillow. He was warm and soft in her arms. She missed him.

Deciding that loitering in front of senpai’s room wasn’t worth it too much longer, she started walking down the hallways of Chaldea. Another thing she was struck with now was the silence. In Orleans, they always had a lively gathering with them, especially coupled with the likes of Marie, Mozart, Elizabeth, and Kiyohime, as well as discussions between Saber, Jeanne, Siegfriend, Georgios, and occasionally Archer.

But now, it was just so… quiet. Mash never particularly felt alone before, but the silence was almost deafening to her. She held Fou a bit closer to her, eliciting a few comforting barks and mews from the little creature. Smiling down at him, she patted his head a couple times as she made her way to the Command Center. As usual, Roman was at his workstation working. Da Vinci was absent this time – she was likely either in her workshop or attending some other part of Chaldea.

“Good morning, doctor,” Mash greeted softly, smiling as she walked up – and her expression flattened as she saw Magi*Mari once more on the screen.

The doctor whirled about in surprise, quickly changing the screen of his workstation. “M-Mash! Good morning!” he replied, nervously grinning and re-opening his various status windows. “I’m surprised to see you up and about so early. After those last battles of Orleans, I thought you’d still be resting or sleeping.”

Mash fixed Roman with a flat stare for a moment before sighing. “It seems, as a demi-Servant, my stamina recovers faster than a regular person,” she noted. “That being said, I believe senpai and Mr. Morgana will require another day or so of recovery. They won’t be able to do a debriefing today at the very least.”

Roman blinked, then ran a hand through his mop of orange hair. “Yeah, I kind of figured that,” he sighed. “Those two looked beyond beat when I saw them the other day. I’m guessing fatigue from the consecutive battles as well as stress and who knows what other factors at this point.” Indeed, he had been closely monitoring their vitals after they disappeared within the Orleans singularity the other day. Frankly, he would like nothing more than to give a full medical checkup, but for now…

A growl quickly caught both of their attention – and Mash blushed as she realized it was coming from her own stomach. The doctor could only blink in surprise before chuckling as the girl quickly clutched her belly, blushing. He checked the time on his workstation. “I guess it’s time for breakfast,” he noted with amusement as he stood up, stretching to work out all the stiffness of his shoulders. “Wanna come with, Mash? I’d normally offer coffee but after the instant… stuff we’ve been drinking, I think I’m willing to be a bit selfish and wait for Ren on that front.”

The shielder nodded. Normally she would judge the doctor for being so selfish, but the coffee that Ren made was a different category entirely. For his curry and coffee, she was more than understanding of Roman’s desires – she matched them after all. But neither of them would wake senpai up for that right now. They’ll make do. Perhaps there was some juice or milk they could have.

As they entered the cafeteria, their noses were immediately assaulted by the rich scent of cooking food and oils. Archer was already within the kitchen, making breakfast that many of the staff were eating with gusto. Despite the somewhat large volume of people, Archer didn’t seem to mind, seemingly within his element as he moved from pan to pot to bowl, cooking, plating, and attending to each dish as necessary.

He glanced up as the two approached him and smirked. “Just in time,” he noted. “I was just finding my stride.” He nodded to two empty seats at the counter nearby, where the two sat down. “Is there anything particular you guys want?” he asked as he stirred a pot nearby.

The two looked at each other. “Um, whatever you recommend, Archer!” Mash replied earnestly, smiling at the red-mantled hero. Roman simply smiled at Mash’s forthright attitude. He had been about to ask for something lighter for himself, but frankly he was happy to see Mash so happy like this.

“I’ll have the same, Archer,” Roman called out. “And if you could get us two… juices?” He glanced over at Mash for confirmation, who nodded in turn. “Two juices, please.”

“No coffee?” Archer asked with a smirk. “Still, that’s fair. I tried one or two cups, but I can’t seem to make them the way Master does. I’ll have to ask him for more tips on that front. In the meantime, I’ll grab you two orange juices. They shouldn’t clash too much with what I’m making.” Mash and Roman blinked. What was he making so that he would be worried about clashing tastes?

Their question was soon answered. A couple minutes later, Archer came forth with plates of rice and curry, followed by glasses of orange juice. “I tried replicating Ren’s recipe as best I could,” Archer explained as he crossed his arms. “As well as adding a few of my own touches to it. Let me know what you think.”

The two blinked at the curry, then dug in. Roman’s eyes immediately lit up as he spooned more of it into his mouth. “This is marvelous!” he beamed as he inhaled the food. “The spice mix is a bit different. Can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, but I love it! Wow, I didn’t even notice – AGH!” Roman’s yelp drew both of their attention as they looked over in alarm. The doctor was holding a hand to his mouth, tearing up a bit. “Bit my tongue,” he mumbled.

Mash smiled sympathetically and gave him a pat on the shoulder while Archer shook his head in exasperation. Turning around, she bit into her curry too. It was good. Delicious even. However, she ate at a more sedate pace compared to the doctor. She really did like it, though not with the same enthusiasm as the doctor. She wasn’t sure why – then she sensed something. She looked up and saw Archer smirking at her.

“Not the same as when Ren makes it, hm?” he asked. His smirk only grew when Mash began spluttering and Roman turned to her with wide eyes. “I understand. Unfortunately, I couldn’t replicate that part exactly. I’ll have to have Ren share the recipe again with me – or perhaps you prefer him cooking instead?” Mash could only splutter more as her face grew an even deeper shade of red. “I’ll be sure to let him know-“

Suddenly, he stiffened and stared past them at the door of the cafeteria as much of the conversation quieted down to whispers. The two blinked, turned, and their eyes widened. Joan was standing at the entrance of the cafeteria. She seemed mildly surprised by all the attention she was getting, then irritably sighed. Without saying a word, she simply stalked over to the counter and sat at the counter, well away from everyone else.

Archer made his way carefully over to her. “Is there something you need?” he asked, keeping a sardonic tone. “Didn’t think this kind of place would be to your liking, Joan.”

Joan glared up at him for a second, then looked down at the counter. “I’m hungry, dumbass,” she muttered. “I’m incarnated, remember? That means I actually need to eat. And this place is where I can get some food, so there. Now can all of you knock it off?” She picked up her voice at the last sentence as she looked about the cafeteria. Most of the staff immediately turned away from staring at her. Joan turned back, grumbling some more as she rested her head in a hand.

“So it would seem,” Archer noted, relaxing slightly. “Is there anything you want in particular?”

Joan considered. “You got any gruel, bread, and cheese?” she asked, looking up at the red-mantled hero.

Archer blinked in surprise but quickly regained his composure. “I’ll have to substitute gruel with oatmeal, but I can get you some bread and cheese,” he replied. “Will that suffice?”

The darkened Lancer sighed and nodded. “Yeah, that works,” she said. With a nod, Archer walked off to the storeroom to grab the ingredients. Everyone went back to murmuring to each other, glancing at Joan every once in a while.

Mash and Roman could only look at each other uncertainly before glancing back at the Lancer. Joan for her part just looked about the kitchen past the counter, pointedly ignoring everyone else around her. With her simple fare, it only took a few minutes for Archer to put a bowl of oatmeal, as well as bread and some slices of cheese on a separate plate.

“Thanks,” she muttered before she dug in. After a spoonful of oatmeal, she stopped for a second before looking up at Archer in askance. “I added some honey to your oatmeal,” he said casually, answering her unspoken question. “Thought you might want a bit more flavor with it, after all.” Joan narrowed her eyes at him before grunting and going back to her food.

After a few minutes, she finished her food. The bowl was scraped clean and she had eaten the bread and cheese without so much as another comment. “I take it you enjoyed that?” Archer asked rhetorically as he took away the bowl and plate.

Joan sighed. “Yeah, yeah I did,” she grumbled as she got up from her seat.

She was about to leave when Mash spoke up. “Um, Joan, is… is something the matter?” she asked innocently. Roman’s eyes widened in panic behind her. Though he didn’t dare say anything, he was more than ready to intercept or interfere if necessary – a detail that didn’t escape Joan’s notice.

Her irritated yellow eyes rested on Mash. “It’s none of your business,” she muttered before quietly stalking out, once more ignoring everyone else around her. Archer’s eyes never left her until the Lancer exited the cafeteria. As soon as she left, the room exploded into conversation, gossiping about Joan. The red-mantled hero returned to his work, a frown of thoughtfulness as opposed to concern on his face.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Roman breathed out a sigh of relief, holding a hand to his chest. “Well, that was kind of terrifying,” he bluntly admitted. “You’re certainly brave, Mash, being able to talk to her so casually. Maybe Ren is a good influence on you after all.” Then he frowned. “Still, I need to do something to get rid of these jitters. Hey, Archer, think you can get me some coffee after all?”

“I really doubt they’ll settle your jitters, doctor,” Archer snarked. “Also, I believe Da Vinci has given strict orders to limit your caffeine intake to one cup a day – and you’ve long since used that up today.”

Mash didn’t hear the doctor groaning in frustration as she stared at the cafeteria door where Joan had left. The Lancer’s expression when she answered Mash’s question… she had seen it before on one other person here in Chaldea. The person who tried to hide everything the most.

Ren.

----------

Joan stalked through the quiet hallways of Chaldea. That went about as expected, to be honest. The suspicious glares from everyone, the caution from the Archer Servant, the whispered conversations behind her back… frankly, she half expected the food to be poisoned or drugged in some manner as she ate. Honestly, if it wasn’t for her hunger, she wouldn’t have bothered to show herself until it was time for a mission.

It seems being incarnated had its disadvantages, after all.

That girl though. She had the temerity… no, the compassion to ask if she was okay. That was something she hadn’t expected. Joan thought she would be hated by everyone. It was what she deserved, after all. She was the Dragon Witch, and only yesterday she was doing her damned best trying to incinerate the entirety of France. She would be condemned by everyone, and they had every right to do so.

The actual Jeanne d’Arc would’ve asked her the same thing as well, without a hint of hostility or suspicion. And that thought twisted her gut.

But more than that, the food was good. It was oatmeal with some honey, bread, and cheese. It was a standard affair back where she came from. Many peasant families would have such a meal back in France, and no doubt she would’ve had some as well. It was simple, filling fare. No more and certainly no less.

And yet, the flavors, the texture of the oatmeal and bread, the softness of the cheese, the sweetness of the honey… she recalled none of it. She knew how they tasted because of the Grail, but no more. The only memories she had were of her - no, of Jeanne’s condemnation trial, and being burned at the stake. It was a simple test for herself to make certain of who she was, and that only confirmed it.

She wasn’t Jeanne d’Arc. She never was. Just some facsimile that the mad Gilles de Rais wished for and was granted through some dark miracle.

Sighing, she turned another corner down the hallways. During the night, she had wandered through Chaldea, acquainting herself with its various rooms as she passed by. She knew the structure well enough. Reaching up to a pad, a door opened in front of her, revealing the library. Rows upon rows of books greeted her.

Stepping in, she looked around and could only smirk bitterly to herself. Such a trove of books like this would be worth its weight in gold in Orleans.

Walking past bookshelves, she perused the sections until she found the ones she wanted – the history section, concerning European history. Problem was, there were no small number of books on the topic, spanning bookshelf to bookshelf easily. She’d be here for a while at least. “Hey, you got any recommendations?” she called out seemingly to no one as she pored over the various book titles.

There was a moment’s silence, then Rider appeared out of thin air, her expression impassive and eyes unreadable thanks to her blindfold. “I was not aware you were an avid reader,” she murmured, her tone quiet and neutral. “Did you not have such an opportunity back in Orleans?”

Joan scoffed, glaring at the purple-haired Servant. “Don’t give me that bullcrap,” she growled. “I wasn’t exactly interested in reading while I was there and I probably burned a lot of books while I was at it. Most of them were probably just religious texts anyway, and I’ve had enough of that shit for ten lifetimes, let alone one.”

“Is that so?” Rider asked, a hint of amusement in her voice that drew further annoyance from the Lancer. She stepped closer, turning towards the bookshelves. “Is there something particular you are looking for?”

The Lancer narrowed her eyes, then sighed. “I’m looking for information about the Hundred Years War,” she muttered, going back to the books. “None of that hoity-toity ‘France is great and threw off the English’ bullshit. The facts. What the hell actually happened - before, middle, and after.”

That caught Rider by surprise as she turned back to Joan. “Do you wish to discover who you were?” she asked, a note of surprise in her voice now. “Or the circumstances around your execution? Or perhaps if you were justified in your vengeance in the end?”

“Damnit, that’s not why!” Joan snarled, slamming a hand into the books and causing the shelves to rattle ominously. Rider reflexively tensed into a combat stance for a second before relaxing, noting she had no killer intent. “I’m not Jeanne d’Arc,” she growled. “Never was. Not sure how much you saw – or heard – but Gilles de Rais just basically wished me into existence from the Grail. Maybe there wasn’t some dark side to the actual Jeanne d’Arc? I don’t fucking know.”

She turned back to the books once more. “Point is, I’d rather give myself a starting point,” she muttered. “Just figure out what the hell happened in the end and go from there. I may not be the saint, but I can’t exactly ignore that I was created in her image and tainted with a hatred that wasn’t mine.” She paused, then let out a bitter chuckle. “Gotta say, can’t be a more blasphemous existence than that,” Joan noted as she ran a finger through the different titles.

Rider was silent for a moment as she considered Joan’s words. Then she stepped closer, bending down and sliding a thick volume from one of the lower shelves. “This one was written by a well-known historian,” she murmured, handing the book over to her. “It analyzes the political and economic states of England and France at the time, and the actual and probable causes of the Hundred Years’ War.”

Joan blinked with surprise as she was given the book. It was heavier than she expected, but the surprise came from Rider being genuinely helpful. She hadn’t expected that from her. Or anybody. Well, it was probably temporary. But regardless… “Thanks, I guess,” she muttered, turning away from the Rider. She needed to find a good place to sit and read. This would be a while.

Meanwhile, Rider watched Joan curiously as she left to find a seat. She had been watching the mission, seeing all the Servants that had gathered around her Masters, as well as those who opposed them. She had seen the Dragon Witch and her petulant rage, lashing out and destroying the countryside with unfathomable cruelty. She was, by all accounts, a monster in human skin.

And yet here she was, trying to discover herself and finding a book.

As Rider vanished, she had to wonder – would her Masters do the same for her if push came to shove? A change of heart, as they called it? Would she be like Joan? Or would something else happen? Seeing such a change wrought onto the self-proclaimed Dragon Witch was something she hadn’t expected whatsoever, and it aroused her curiosity.

What strange Masters she had.

—-------

Ren stretched as he made his way to the cafeteria. Morgana was perched on his shoulder, softly purring. They had managed to sleep for a few more hours after Mash met them earlier and both of them felt far more refreshed. Neither of them had any more nightmares or dreams plaguing them at this point, just dreamless slumbers. Frankly, that was the only thing they could ask for at this point.

That being said, the effects of their battles were still evident. Their muscles were sore from the sheer amount of physical activity they had been through both within and without the Palace, and the accumulated fatigue from the fighting and continuous use of their Persona magecraft hadn’t done wonders either. Their limbs felt like water and they were both exhausted still. It was probably better to take it easy for today.

As they entered, they found Archer washing his hands in the kitchen in the back. It was surprisingly quiet, with barely anyone around. Well, that wasn’t surprising. It was well past breakfast but before lunchtime. Everyone was probably busy working. That was fine with them – they could use the peace and quiet overall.

Archer glanced up as Ren entered the kitchen while Morgana hopped off his shoulder, sitting down on the counter and licking his paw. “A bit too late and too early if you wanted to get something to eat, Masters,” he commented with a chuckle. “I was about to start making something for the lunch rush. You’ll have to wait a bit before you can get something to eat.”

Ren grinned in turn. “Honestly, works for me,” he replied with an easy shrug. “I was honestly thinking of making some curry and coffee for myself. Haven’t had a decent one in a while so might as well. Could be good for others’ lunch too.”

“Yes, quite a few people did miss your coffee,” Archer agreed with a nod. He certainly wasn’t deaf to people complaining about the instant coffee after having a taste of Ren’s brews. Everyone tried their hand at making coffee themselves but only had marginal success, and their despondency at the lack of Ren’s coffee only grew. It had been an amusing sight, albeit frustrating for him personally as he couldn’t make a good cup of the stuff. Tea was far easier to make in comparison.

“Mash, I believe, missed your curry as well. She seemed quite put out that you weren’t available to make it,” he added. Well, that was a bit of a half-lie but it shouldn’t matter too much. It didn’t change the fact that Mash very much wanted Ren’s curry as opposed to his own.

The Master blinked as Morgana chuckled on the counter. “Well, not too surprising,” the catlike being commented, smiling despite his more feline features. “Ren’s curry does have a certain… kick to it that most people just can’t replicate, especially when paired with his coffee. It seems to have an even greater effect among some people.”

That was an understatement – Ann, Makoto, Haru, Futaba, and Sumire all never could seem to get enough of it. They only restrained themselves after Yusuke noted on their diets – though not before Makoto chopped him on the head to get him to stop talking. Well, it wasn’t his fault Sojiro was such a damn good teacher. Though that grin Sojiro made after he told that story let on a lot more than he thought.

“Well, the curry had been a perfected recipe by a genius,” he had told him. “But who knows – maybe having you make it provides an extra bit of spice most people don’t expect.” Then he grumbled something about needing to cook for Futaba more. He wasn’t sure what that was all about.

He didn’t mean for things to turn out that way, honestly. Things just… happened around him. No doubt due to the influence of the Velvet Room.

Ren rolled his shoulders in the meantime. “Well, in that case, I better not disappoint anyone.,” he said with an easy grin. “I should get to work. If I start now, it should be lunchtime when it’s ready.”

“One more thing, Master,” Archer said as Ren began walking towards the storeroom. “Joan visited the cafeteria earlier.”

Both Ren and Morgana stiffened at the mention of the new Servant. “Oh?” Ren asked, forcing his characteristic lightness into his tone. “I’m guessing everything went well? Doesn’t seem like the cafeteria or kitchen are on fire – heck not even a scorch mark.”

Archer stared at Ren watching his reaction, then turned away. “She merely wished for a breakfast of porridge, bread, and cheese,” he reported. “I substituted the porridge with oatmeal. She was okay with that. After that, she simply left.” He thought about telling him about Mash’s question and Joan’s reaction, but he decided not to say anything. It was too premature, not until they observed more.

Ren and Morgana visibly relaxed at Archer’s words. “Heh, well, miracles do happen, I guess,” Ren joked. “Did you expect that, Morgana?”

Morgana shook his head. “Not even Ryuji could pull off calming down that quickly,” he quipped. “Guess we’re sticking with her for a while longer!”

The red-mantled hero watched as the two joked with one another about their compatriots. Under any circumstance, they seemed like two ordinary kids (including Morgana) just talking about their friends. Turning away, he could only sigh. They really weren’t suited for this, after all.

Maybe that was why they succeeded.

----------

Mash was currently in her room. She had decided to get a head start on writing a report on the Orleans singularity – and found herself before long staring at a blank page. How was she supposed to write this out? There were so many factors that were fantastical, even by Chaldean standards. She stood up and paced her room several times, began typing and even got to several paragraphs before deleting them all in frustration.

In the meantime, Fou had made a nest of her normally immaculately made bed, curled up in a pocket of blankets and pillows and was happily dozing off, his little belly rising up and down with each breath. He spent his time either wandering Chaldea’s hallways and observing everyone else or hanging out with Mash. No one begrudged the little creature’s company though – even when it made a nuisance of itself, it was always beyond adorable.

The shielder sighed in frustration. As much as she wanted to get this written ahead of time, there was little that could be done until the debriefing with senpai and Morgana. There were simply too many factors, concepts, and events that were beyond her means to currently explain. Roman had already promised that she would be part of the debriefing as she was going to be Ren’s protection, but until then, there really wasn’t anything usable she could write.

Checking the time, she decided a break was in order. It was lunchtime anyway. Putting her computer into sleep mode, she gently picked up Fou from her bed. The little being stirred, stretched, and looked up at Mash. “Fou, fou?” it chirped in askance.

Mash smiled ruefully down at him. “Sorry for bothering you, Fou,” she murmured as she stepped out of her room. “I couldn’t write anything meaningful for my report. I thought maybe if I got some lunch, I’ll have a better idea of what to write. Or maybe find something else to do instead.” She pondered going to the library. The names ‘Arsène’ and ‘Zorro’ sounded extremely familiar to her. Some research would have to be done.

“I thought you might at least join me for lunch, Fou,” she added as well, smiling apologetically. “Sorry if I woke you from your nap.” Fou didn’t make a sound, but instead stretched and pressed itself further against Mash’s chest contentedly. She took that as a sign that Fou was okay with it overall.

Stepping into the cafeteria, she noticed that it was a lot more crowded than this morning. And with a quick sniff, she immediately knew the reason why: The rich scent of curry and coffee filled the air with a truly delicious aroma. Peering further in, her suspicions were confirmed: Senpai was moving about in the kitchen, filling plates of rice and curry while attending to the coffee pots that brewed their heavenly liquid. Archer was also helping out as well – a good thing given the sheer number of people there.

“Oi, was wondering when you’d show for lunch!” Cú Chulainn called out with a grin. He had been sitting with his back to the counter, leaning up against it and therefore had a good sight of the door. “Was about to grab you myself! Saved you a seat!” He patted the chair beside him for emphasis.

Mash blinked in surprise before quickly walking over and sitting down as Fou rested himself easily in her lap. “Thank you so much, Mr. Cú!” she replied, nodding gratefully to the blue Lancer.

Cú Chulainn waved it off. “Ah, nothing to it,” he replied easily. “And just call me Cú – no need for Mr. or anything of the sort. And as usual, the kid’s curry and coffee is a hit. Ain’t that right, girlie?” He directed the question to a person a couple seats down. Mash turned, looked, and blinked in surprise to see Elizabeth scarfing down her own plate of curry and coffee as well.

“Well, it’s expected of my puppy and manager to be able to feed up to an idol’s standards,” Elizabeth pointed out, barely bothering with decorum anymore. “After all, an idol needs to have a good diet and only eats the finest of foods! I can’t let this petite figure grow fat! No idol needs that!”

“Pretty sure a Servant can’t gain weight,” Cu Chulainn pointed out with a grin.

“Shut it, dog!”

Mash turned away from the bickering Servants to senpai once more. He was smiling contentedly as he stirred the pot of curry. Mr. Morgana was perched on a shelf above, making sure to keep out of the way of cooking. He glanced up at the table and his smile widened. “Hey, Mash!” he called out cordially. “I’ll get you a plate and a cup in just a second! Any particular blend you’d like?”

She stared at him, remembering the dream from last night. The terror he was feeling when he was dragged away by the cops, the sheer shock from being falsely accused, and his anger at the man who had him condemned despite trying to do the right thing. She remembered him being scared and unsure of the whole situation, like any normal person would be.

Was the senpai in front of her really the same person? The one who always knew what to do and could stand equally side by side with Servants despite being a Master?

So engrossed she was in his thoughts that she didn’t notice him stepping up, until he waved a hand in her face. “Hello? Earth to Mash?” he called out with a cheeky grin. “You must be really hungry to space out like that. I’m guessing you had a long day?” Mash blinked in surprise and opened her mouth to ask her questions, but seeing the easy smile on senpai, the words got caught in her throat.

“Or maybe she didn’t sleep well either,” Morgana quipped, looking down from his perch with a smirk. “And now she’s hit with a double whammy of scents from both your curry and coffee. Gotta say, Ren, your cooking really packs a punch for anyone stepping in.”

Ren chuckled. “Tell you what,” he said, turning back to Mash. “I’ll see if I can make a stronger brew for you today. I think I have just the thing that’ll do the trick.” With that, he stepped away from the counter and walked toward the coffee machines once more, leaving Mash with her unanswered questions as she slowly closed her mouth. That dream… was that the beginning of what senpai had gone through? What about Mr. Morgana? There was so much she wanted to know.

But…

She watched him work in the kitchen, grinding up a new blend of coffee beans. It could wait. For a little longer. The smile on senpai’s face was something she didn’t want to disturb just yet. He needed his peace. And she would give him what little she could.

Both him and Mr. Morgana deserved it.