"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!"
"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!"