"Yahooo~!"
"You ended up flexing after all."
"So what~!? Money can just be made~!"
"Is this what royalty is like..."
"Not exactly royalty, more like Medb's personality, right?"
A day passed, and nothing happened in the middle of the night. We just slept together with Medb too, and since Jeanne was next to me, I didn't do anything. Medb did pester me like she was in heat... but I resisted.
Right away, we bought a sports car and drove around the city. Medb, who manifested as a Rider, skillfully drives a modern car at high speed. She does have experience driving one in Fuyuki before. Jeanne watches us buy a car that we'll only use for a few days and feels it's an extravagance she can't understand as a country girl.
I've never been extravagant, and Medb also indulged in moderate luxury without touching the national treasury too much. Money is there to be spent, if you save it too much the currency could become like Zimbabwe's, so what's the point of saving? Anyway, it's just a temporary manifestation, so you should enjoy and spend it while you can.
"Trifas is that way, right?"
"At this speed, we'll arrive around tomorrow evening. It won't be late."
"Okay~! Then let's do some shopping over there before we go!"
"Shopping during a Holy Grail War... Really, I can't stop you."
"Is it okay to be this relaxed? According to what you said, Ruler, it's such a dangerous plan..."
"It's fine. You should enjoy yourself when you can. You should enjoy yourself a bit too. It's a new life for a short while. Don't be so rigid about it, okay? Saint who fell to gluttony."
"Eek..."
"Here, we've arrived! Now, shall we start shopping?"
We arrived at a city with numerous shopping districts including a department store. Medb heads straight for the luxury brand stores in the department store.
"What kind of prices are these..."
"Don't worry about money and buy what you like~ What's this, it's just a plastic bag? I don't understand why modern humans call this trash a luxury item. It's a garbage bag made with good quality materials?"
Just because you're being extravagant doesn't mean you buy everything that's expensive. Medb strictly buys only items that meet her standards in design, material, and quality. Medb goes around luxury stores, buying clothes, bags, shoes, and other things she likes.
"Is it really okay to buy these...?"
"Of course. Don't worry about the money. If there's anything left after you use it, you can tell Miss Laeticia to use it."
"Wow..."
Jeanne looks at the items while comparing their outrageous prices to Laeticia's living expenses. Well, is that a natural reaction?
In the end, Jeanne swallows her saliva and buys them. When an adult says they'll buy it for you, you should just accept.
Following Medb around shopping, we have a meal at a nearby restaurant.
"The price...."
Jeanne's mouth hangs open at the price, which is several times that of the restaurant from the previous day. Regardless, Medb orders the most popular dishes at the restaurant. And she also orders a 30-year-old wine.
"Um, I'm still not of age for alcohol..."
"How old is Laeticia?"
"She's a high school student, but..."
"Then by our era's standards, she's an adult! Just drink! By age, you were an adult too, right!?"
"That may be true, but..."
"Drink, drink~ You won't die anyway? When will you ever get to try such high-class wine?"
"In life, wine was cleaner than water, so I drank a lot on the battlefield, but Laeticia... Huh? You're saying I should just try it?"
"Miss Laeticia seems to want to, so have a drink."
In the end, pretending she couldn't resist, Jeanne drinks the wine. She takes a sip and shows a slightly surprised reaction.
"Is this modern wine...?"
"It's a 30-year vintage, so the quality is that good~ Plus, Jeanne, it's been over 500 years since your era, right? Brewing technology has obviously advanced, so that's why~ Would wine of this quality be common during wartime?"
"That's... true. Occasionally, they brought good quality wine, but most were common wines. I often drank it instead of water. In the countryside, water is clean, but in cities or battlefields, it's not, so there were many cases of stomachaches."
"That's true for any war. The food has arrived too, so eat to your heart's content."
As expected of a high-class restaurant, the taste was quite impressive. Hmm, it's worth the price.
"The money feels wasted."
"Eh?"
"Huh? Is that so?"
"No, Fergus's cooking is much more delicious? Even if Fergus makes porridge, it's tastier than this."
"You praise me too highly..."
"..."
Jeanne stares at me intently... Do you want to eat my cooking?
"The ingredients are good, and it's not bad... but I'm not sure if it's worth this price. It's not something to leave behind, but it's ordinary."
"Haha..."
"Munch munch..."
Jeanne stares at me intently even while eating... Should I buy ingredients for dinner? Since it's a hotel, I'll have to make cooking tools with runes. This is really something, am I really a mom?
After finishing the meal, we take a walk in a nearby park. Jeanne had a slightly worried face, wondering if it was okay to be doing this.
"You look like you have a lot on your mind."
"... A little. I know the Holy Grail War is different from the wars you or I experienced. Still, I'm worried about what incidents or accidents might be happening."
"At least the Red Faction has no intention of causing civilian casualties. The Black Faction are also magi, so they won't do it to conceal mystery. So don't worry too much."
"Is that so? Because of the story you told me... I've become a bit more worried."
"Worried... Well, even if both factions combined their strength, they couldn't defeat us."
"'Us,' meaning... there are more?"
"Medb isn't my only wife."
"... Well, you are a king."
Her gaze felt a bit strange somehow...
"What, you don't think Fergus is like a ruffian, do you?"
"No, it's not that. If there was any misunderstanding, I apologize."
"Heh... You know what? Fergus has more wives besides me... but actually, Fergus has never confessed first? He's never particularly been the first to like someone either. We were the ones who said we liked Fergus first. And he said he had a responsibility for making us like him and took res~ponsibility for all of us?"
"Eh..."
"He's truly Ulster's manly man! That's what it is. If it were that playboy Setanta, I wouldn't know about such things."
Still best friends with Setanta, huh... It's a big problem that she's so worried about the Great Holy Grail War. I understand, but... by the way, come to think of it, that Darnic guy was Finn mac Cool's Master, right?
... He was a descendant of King Nuada of the Silver Hand. This is really, in a way, aren't Holy Grail Wars too entangled with Ulster? Finn mac Cool, I wonder if you were used and discarded, or if you sacrificed yourself for your Master, him... Since it's not my world, it's hard to see even with past sight. I should meet Darnic directly later.
"Fergus, you're thinking about something else."
"Ah, it's just... there's a Master in the Black Faction who summoned a descendant of Nuada as a Servant."
"Heh, a descendant of Nuada? Nuada... oh, you mean Finn mac Cool? In myth, there's a legend that he met Setanta for some reason, right? Even though they're from completely different eras."
"There's a 2-century gap. I suddenly remembered, but I'm a bit concerned about him. Well, let's put that aside for later. Where were we?"
"Bragging about you, right?"
"... Let's just stop."
No, why are you bragging so much right in front of me? I understand boasting about your husband, but this might look like a scam.
"I don't understand... in the middle of it, you suddenly said you married England's King of Knights and a Greek witch... how is that possible?"
"Ah, you talked about that too? I was summoned to a Holy Grail War. There, I formed connections and ended up getting married. There was also someone who confessed their love to me... but that judgment is really ambiguous, you know? There's one more person I'm not sure about either..."
"It's all~ because Fergus is overflowing with charm! Look at this cute face and firm physique! Even if you're not a shotacon, he's a beautiful boy who turns you into one! Plus, he can grow taller with runes~!"
"Don't praise me too much... I'm not that great."
No, if you say that, Jeanne will think I'm some kind of incubus...
"A beautiful boy... certainly, that's true."
"Right!? Fergus's good points are~"
Medb becomes a motormouth talking about my good points. It's impressive that Jeanne listens to it all from the side. It seems being a saint isn't for just anyone.
Medb talks about me for 2 hours like that... It was amazing that Jeanne listened to it all without getting tired and with interest. Just the story of her kidnapping me and the tale in the Land of Shadows took 2 hours.
"Really... this is troublesome."
There still seems to be signs that Medb wants to talk more. Jeanne keeps listening, so I can't stop her. Sigh...
We'll arrive in Trifas tomorrow... Who should I look for first? The Red Saber, I suppose. But that kid... this is really complicated. British family drama that transcends Celtic lore is not easy.
"...."
Looking at Jeanne, one curiosity arose... No, I shouldn't do that, right? I wonder... if I stick a ahoge on that head, will she Alter like Artoria?
Grumble...
"Ah..."
"Heh~ You got hungry? Then let's go get a snack!"
"Yeah yeah~ Let's go~"
Jeanne got hungry in the meantime, and goes with Medb to buy street food. I follow those two and spend a peaceful afternoon.