Chapter 6

Shirou jolted awake from his sleep. His comfortable sleeping position had turned into a tense sitting posture. The clothes he wore were drenched in cold sweat due to the dream he had.

A dream about the Holy Grail War.

"Why did I dream about that?" Shirou began to think.

The dream he had last night felt identical to the Holy Grail War he had experienced, but there was something slightly different about it.

While rubbing his eyes, Shirou started recalling the dream. At first, it mirrored what he had experienced before.

He saw the battle between Archer and Lancer in the schoolyard.

Lancer noticed him and immediately rushed to silence the witness.

His chest was pierced by Lancer's spear, [Gae Bolg].

Rin healed him with a red jewel infused with [Prana, using the jewel's healing magic to repair his chest and heart that had been stabbed.

Then, in the dream, just like before, he was attacked by Lancer once again at his home.

Cornered by Lancer's attacks, Shirou accidentally summoned Saber in his home's storage room.

Saber successfully protected him from Lancer's assault, though she was wounded by Lancer's spear.

Rin and her Servant came to check on Shirou's condition, but Saber confronted Rin and Archer. Shirou wasn't quick enough to stop Saber, and as a result, she inflicted a severe wound on Archer.

Archer…

Shirou furrowed his brow. He vaguely remembered that the Archer with Rin wasn't [Counter Guardian Emiya, but someone different.

She was a beautiful woman with green hair and brown streaks. The woman had lion-like ears. She wore green attire and a short skirt, wielding a short black bow adorned with gold.

In the dream, Shirou was able to read the history and legend of the bow using his [Tracing] magic. The black bow was a [Noble Phantasm] belonging to the ancient Greek [Heroic Spirit] Atalanta.

That was all he could remember from his dream last night.

Strange...

'Why was my dream different from what I experienced?'

'Could this be a side effect of [Kaleidoscope]?'

Shirou shook his head. It was useless to think about things he didn't understand. Instead of making baseless assumptions, it was better to prepare for today's monster hunt.

Shirou got up from his bed and started getting ready for the day.

;

Knock, knock, knock...

The sound of knocking echoed through the room in the early morning. The sun was just peeking through the inn's window, and most of the guests were still sound asleep.

But a young red-haired man stood in front of one of the inn's doors, already dressed and prepared for monster hunting.

That morning, Shirou had woken up early and gotten ready. He packed his belongings, prepared his horse, and equipped his weapons for the hunt.

Around his waist were two short sword scabbards, each containing a sword named [Kanshou] and [Bakuya, ready to be drawn for battle. Shirou had prepared the swords so that he wouldn't need to use [Projection].

Shirou planned to conceal his [Projection] ability to avoid attracting unnecessary attention. The [Magecraft] he practiced was not the same as the magic in this world, and he didn't want to cause trouble or draw the attention of gods.

Shirou shuddered at the thought of what might happen if he attracted the attention of bored gods.

"Misfortune befalls those who attract the attention of immortals."

Ancient Greek heroes had experienced firsthand the dire consequences of the gods' "attention."

Like Medea, who was forced to fall in love with Jason by Aphrodite, and that love drove her to kill her own brother.

Or Arachne, a woman whose weaving skills surpassed those of the gods. Her talent provoked Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts, to curse her into becoming a spider.

From these stories, Shirou was convinced that hiding his true abilities was the right choice.

Knock, knock, knock.

Once again, Shirou knocked on the door.

Creak...

The wooden door slowly opened. A blonde girl with messy hair peeked out from behind the door.

"What is it so early in the morning?" The girl rubbed her eyes. Her blurry vision tried to make out who was standing in front of her door.

"Shirou-san!?"

"Oh, hey, good morning, Saria-san." Shirou greeted Saria, who seemed surprised that he had come to her room so early.

"Uuu... wait a minute, Shirou-san!" Saria quickly shut the door to her room.

"I just wanted to talk for a sec—" Shirou's words were cut off by the sound of the door closing.

"Hold on..."

It seemed Shirou would have to wait a little longer before going off to hunt Kobolds.

;

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Saria rushed to tidy herself up.

'How could I show my messy side in front of someone else? Especially to the hero who saved me! An Elf should always appear elegant and dignified, not disheveled like this!' Saria scolded herself as she took off her nightwear.

She changed into a simple white shirt and long black pants. She didn't have many changes of clothes with her. After all, she had left home without permission—or, more accurately, "run away from home."

Saria was an Elf from the forest of Alf. But she wasn't just any Elf. The Balsys family was one of the most respected noble families in the forest of Alf. Her family was also part of the lineage of [High Elves, known for their strong magical potential. Saria had even mastered magic without receiving blessings from the gods at a relatively young age.

She had received magical education in her hometown and showed great promise with Elf magic. However, that magic paled in comparison to the god-blessed magic wielded by her idol, Riveria Ljos Alf.

Following in her idol's footsteps, Saria fled her home to go to the city of mages, Altena. Her parents would never have given her permission, so after mastering all the magic she had learned, Saria ran away without telling them.

She left without thinking, without a plan, and without proper preparation. Saria traveled with minimal supplies, hitching rides with caravans and wagons heading toward Altena.

On her journey, she encountered all kinds of people, from various races. For the first time in her life, she saw other races besides Elves—Dwarves, Hobbits, Beast-Humans, and Humans. However, most of the Humans she met were bothersome, constantly harassing her or trying to extort her. Perhaps it was because she was an Elf girl traveling alone. That's why she always hid her face—or rather, her Elf ears—in public.

But not all Humans were the same. One Human had saved her from a horde of Kobolds. He didn't even ask for anything in return. It reminded her of the main character in the hero stories she had read as a child.

The red-haired Human named Emiya Shirou, with his strong back and gentle smile, asked, "Are you alright?"

Saria smiled faintly, remembering that event, which hadn't happened long ago. She felt safe with him. She no longer felt uncomfortable showing her pointed Elf ears around him. All her secrets would be safe with him alone.

In front of the mirror, Saria slowly brushed her messy blonde hair. 'Even if I can reveal my secrets to him, I can't show him my disheveled side!'

After finishing brushing her shoulder-length hair, Saria put on some perfume she had brought from home—something she almost never used.

Pssst, pssst, pssst...

"Yosh!" Saria clenched her right hand into a fist, then opened the door to her room.

"Please come in, Shirou-san~"

;

"Excuse me, sorry for disturbing you..." Shirou said quietly as he closed the door.

The room was a simple inn room. There wasn't much furniture. A pair of windows were on the wall, and there was a single bed in the corner. In the center of the room were two small chairs facing each other.

Saria sat in one of the chairs, placing her hands on her lap and tilting her head with a sweet smile toward Shirou. The morning sunlight shining through the window made the girl's smile even more radiant.

Gulp...

Shirou swallowed nervously.

It was the first time he had clearly seen Saria's face without her hood. Her blonde hair fell softly over her shoulders. Her blue eyes smiled along with her lips. Her pointed Elf ears made her look even more charming. Even in simple clothes, her pose and behavior exuded elegance.

If Saria had gone to school with Shirou back in high school, she would have surely been the idol of Homurahara Academy. Of course, Shirou would have only admired her from afar, never having the chance to get close to someone like her—similar to his situation with Tohsaka.

'But who would have thought I'd end up dating Tohsaka, even if it was only for a short while...'

Shirou shook his head. There was no use in comparing Saria to Tohsaka. He had to keep looking forward and not get stuck in the past.

Not that he was moving on from one girlfriend to another. Even if Saria 'might' be more beautiful than Tohsaka, Shirou had no intention of dating her.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then pulled out the chair and sat down.

Saria seemed to be observing Shirou's outfit and the two swords sheathed at his waist. Curiously, she asked in a teasing tone, "So, what brings you here so early in the morning to visit a girl's room, Shirou-san?"

"Uhh... I just wanted to tell you, Saria-san. About my decision on where I'm going." Shirou looked into Saria's eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Her blue eyes widened. "So! What's your decision, Shirou-san? Are you going to Altena?"

Guilt pierced Shirou's heart. With difficulty, he replied, "I'm sorry, Saria-san. I might not be able to accompany you to Altena."

Disappointment was evident on Saria's face. Frowning, she asked again, "So, you're going to the academy in the capital, then?"

Shirou shook his head. "It doesn't seem like it... Actually, I'm taking a job to exterminate [Kobolds] offered by the mayor of the town, and it looks like I won't have time to take the entrance exam."

Saria nodded. "Hmmm, so that's why you're all geared up now. So, if not the academy or Altena, what's your plan, Shirou-san?"

Shirou leaned back and closed his eyes. "I guess I'll just keep doing this—hunting monsters that are threatening people."

"Pfftt, you came all the way from the [Far East, only to end up becoming a monster hunter?"

"Uhhh..." Shirou fell silent, knowing he hadn't met either Arther-san's or Saria's expectations.

Unexpectedly, Saria reached out with both hands and clasped Shirou's right hand. "But I think it suits you."

Saria gave a soft smile, and from her expression, it was clear she had come to terms with letting Shirou go. "Go, hunt, and embark on your adventures, my hero. Someday, you'll carve your name in the labyrinth city of [Orario]."