Chapter 778: Archer Idiot, keep your mouth shut

"Huh?" "What!?"

Upon hearing Fang Mo's words, Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya reacted simultaneously. Rin was visibly startled, while Shirou's face showed disbelief as he asked, "The three great mage families? The Matou family? What are you talking about? There's no way Sakura or Shinji could be mages..."

"Sakura? Shinji? Who are they?" Fang Mo raised an eyebrow knowingly. "Do you know someone from the Matou family?"

"Uh..." Shirou felt a sudden tension but still explained honestly, "Shinji and Sakura are my classmates. Though Sakura is technically a junior, we met in archery club..."

"Excellent!"

Before Shirou could finish, Fang Mo waved his hand and gave an order. "You're in charge of investigating whether the Matou family is participating in the Holy Grail War. There are still a few unidentified Servants, and we need that intel."

"Uh?"

Shirou was clearly at a loss. "But... Sakura..."

"Shirou, I think Archer has a point."

Saber, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke up, her expression serious. "If we want to win the Holy Grail, identifying the enemy Servants is crucial."

"Exactly!" Fang Mo agreed enthusiastically. "And your school is highly suspicious. Earlier today, we uncovered a boundary field draining the life force of ordinary people. We suspect Lancer was involved, but his Master didn't appear. I'm starting to think the Matou family might be behind this."

"A boundary field that absorbs life force?" Shirou was shocked. "That… that's impossible!"

In fact, even Rin was taken aback by this revelation.

During her investigation earlier, she had noticed that the boundary markers were hidden in places suggesting someone with intimate knowledge of the school was responsible. Could it really be the Matou family? Was it Sakura? Or could it have been Shinji, that irritating guy?

Rin found herself conflicted. If it was Shinji, that would be easier to deal with. But what if the Master of Lancer was actually Sakura?

"Enough..."

Feeling a growing frustration, Rin shook her head. "Let's call it a night and head home."

"Alright," Fang Mo responded casually.

"W-wait a minute..."

Shirou suddenly raised his hand. "Um, Tohsaka, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"What is it?" Rin looked at him curiously.

"It's about magic," Shirou said awkwardly, lowering his head. "I don't know anything about the Holy Grail War or the basics of magecraft. I don't want to be a burden to Saber."

"Shirou..." Saber glanced at him, surprised by his concern.

"The basics of magecraft?"

Rin initially wanted to refuse. The world of magecraft was too complicated to explain in just a few words, and besides, they were competitors in the Holy Grail War. Why should she help a potential enemy?

But when she saw the sincerity and determination in Shirou's eyes, she hesitated. The image of him tirelessly practicing high jumps on the school field flashed in her mind—his unyielding spirit moved her once again.

Sighing, Rin relented. "Fine, I'll teach you some basics of magecraft, but just for tonight. Don't expect to learn everything, though. Magic is a deep and complex field..."

"Thank you so much!" Shirou clasped his hands together in gratitude. "I promise to learn as much as I can!"

"Let's get out of here first," Rin said, rubbing her temples as though regretting her decision. "This isn't a safe place to stay."

"We could go to my place," Shirou offered. "It's pretty spacious..."

"My house isn't small either!" Rin snapped back. Considering that Shirou's home had already been invaded by enemy Servants, it wasn't safe. "We should go to my place."

"Uh, but staying over at a girl's house feels a bit..."

"Oh, stop dithering!"

Before they could settle the matter, Fang Mo interrupted impatiently. "Our Servants have been fighting all day; we're starving here... Which of you cooks better?"

"I'm pretty good at cooking," Shirou admitted, scratching his head. "Fujimura-sensei and Sakura often come to my place for meals."

"Alright, it's settled then," Fang Mo decided. "Let's go to your place, and you can cook."

With that, the group made their way back to Shirou's house. It was already quite late, and as Fang Mo glanced at the clock, he saw it was nearing midnight. Yet, none of them seemed inclined to rest. While Servants didn't need sleep, both Rin and Shirou were preoccupied with their own thoughts.

Once they arrived, Fang Mo casually sat down in the main room, leaning back with his hands behind his head and his feet on the table. "Hey, make me some food."

"I..."

Rin, seeing her Servant acting so indifferently, couldn't help but hold her forehead in exasperation. "I'm sorry, he's like this at home too..."

"It's fine," Shirou replied kindly, taking off his jacket and grabbing an apron. "They've been fighting for a while; they must be really hungry. I'll cook something right away."

Before long, the kitchen filled with the aroma of food.

"Saber, let me tell you something," Fang Mo said, leaning over to Saber, who was sitting properly. "Shirou is an amazing cook. Don't hold back—eat as much as you want."

"…Thank you," Saber replied, her expression slightly odd, but she nodded politely.

A short while later, Shirou came out with several dishes. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Let's dig in!" Fang Mo handed Saber a pair of chopsticks before grabbing some for himself.

Shirou's dishes were simple: tamagoyaki, stewed vegetables, stir-fried shrimp, miso soup, and a plate of mapo tofu. It seemed like he had just used whatever ingredients were available in the fridge, which made sense, given the late hour.

As Rin and Shirou joined them at the table, they prepared to eat, but before Rin could even pick up her chopsticks, the entire plate of tamagoyaki vanished. Across from her, Fang Mo and Saber were already chewing with their cheeks full.

"...Huh?"

Rin was stunned.

"How is it?" Shirou asked, concerned.

"Fresh and delicious," Fang Mo said, giving Shirou a thumbs up. "Your cooking is top-notch. Whoever marries you will be lucky. Speaking of which, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Haha..." Shirou laughed awkwardly. "I haven't really thought about marriage yet."

"Fair enough," Fang Mo said, nonchalantly scooping up several pieces of tofu. "Marriage is a serious matter, and you don't want to make a rash decision. Trust me, you don't want to end up like me."

"What do you mean?" Rin asked, curious.

"Marriage is a graveyard," Fang Mo said matter-of-factly. "Think about it—after spending two years in the trenches and six more fighting the entire world, I got married, only to shoot myself forty-five minutes later."

"..."

The awkward silence was palpable.

"Your cooking is indeed impressive," Saber suddenly broke the tension, looking up from her food. "I'm quite surprised, Shirou."

"Thank you for the compliment," Shirou said, scratching his head. But before he could finish, Saber handed him her empty bowl. "Please, may I have another?"

"Ah?"

Shirou was taken aback.

And right after, Fang Mo raised his own bowl. "Same here."

"Uh..."

Shirou hesitated, then turned to Rin. "Tohsaka, is it normal for Servants to eat this much?"

"I don't know..." Rin replied, also at a loss.

"Hurry up and get more rice!" Fang Mo slammed the table. "We can't fight on an empty stomach!"

"…"

Saber said nothing, but she held her bowl up firmly, making it clear she agreed.

"I'll... go get more," Shirou muttered, still a bit dazed as he took their bowls.

"This is too much trouble," Fang Mo said. "Why don't you just bring the whole rice cooker here? It's a hassle for you to keep running back and forth."

"What?"

Shirou, who had just filled two large bowls, froze. "But... the pot is already empty."

"What's the point of you, then?" Fang Mo sighed dramatically, then snapped his fingers. In a flash of white light, a maid in a traditional outfit appeared behind him.

"Hm? Where is this?"

The maid, Ah Xue, quickly surveyed her surroundings, noticing Fang Mo seated in the room. Realizing she was in a different world, she began to greet him. "Master—"

"Let me introduce you," Fang Mo interrupted, pointing at Ah Xue. "This is Ah Xue. You can call her 'Madam.'"

"..."

Everyone was dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events. How had another person just appeared?

"Ah Xue," Fang Mo gestured toward the kitchen, "show them the power of Northeastern cuisine."

"Yes, Master."

Ah Xue was obedient as always. Without asking any questions, she walked toward the kitchen. Under the group's bewildered gaze, she pulled out a small, dark green pouch, from which she extracted a kitchen knife, an iron pot, and a goose, along with some sauerkraut, noodles, and various spices.

When she finally pulled out an entire pig, Rin couldn't hold back any longer.

"Wait a minute!" Rin cried, massaging her temples. "Isn't this treasure of yours a bit overpowered? Servants are made of mana, but where are these ingredients coming from?"

"I had someone buy them earlier today," Fang Mo replied casually. "I'm the leader of a mighty empire; it's only natural that I'd have advanced logistics, right?"

"I..."

Rin felt something was off but couldn't quite articulate what it was.

"By the way, the way you buy groceries here is a pain," Fang Mo continued. "I heard from Aki that you even sell eggs individually. What, are you guys traumatized by eggs in cartons?"

"You..."

Rin felt a sharp pain in her head.

"Huh? That can't be right," Shirou, still oblivious, chimed in. "He must've bought raw eggs. Stores definitely sell them in cartons."

"I won't eat anything that's not from Hiroshima!" Fang Mo retorted.

"..."

Shirou, realizing he didn't want to continue this conversation, turned to Rin. "By the way, Tohsaka, you promised to help me with magic—Tohsaka?"

At that moment, Rin, clearly at her limit, was trembling with frustration.

Finally, she snapped, standing up abruptly and raising her hand. "By the power of this Command Seal—"

"Archer, you idiot—"

"...Keep your mouth shut!"