Chapter 4
"More like spirits, incarnations of gods, or something similar..." Kiritsugu turned his head to glance at Ritsuka, who was reading the notebook. "The description is very accurate. Although it's uncertain whether that power is what I'm seeking, or even if the Sakatsuki Family possesses such power, it's worth a try."
Unwilling to give up? Giving up just like this... Ritsuka didn't look at Kiritsugu's expression, but she understood that Kiritsugu wouldn't give up this last possibility. Only after investigating could he decide whether to retire.
"What are you laughing at?"
Kiritsugu looked at Ritsuka, whose face was graced with a strange smile, and couldn't help but feel a bit odd. He subconsciously touched his face, his footsteps pausing slightly.
Ignoring Kiritsugu, who was acting like a stubborn child, Ritsuka crossed the street to the other side. She then held the closed notebook to her chest and looked back at Kiritsugu.
"Nothing, I just thought of something happy."
———
"Wow~ Is this our future home?"
Letting out an excited exclamation, Ritsuka stood in front of the yard, feeling incredibly happy. After all, the conditions of the Emiya Residence were indeed quite good.
A detached traditional Japanese-style house with a sizable yard, the entire house was divided into two parts. Facilities like a warehouse and a dojo were all provided, making it exactly the kind of super-comfortable living environment she had in mind.
The girl, who was somewhat lively but loved peace and quiet, felt immense satisfaction in an environment without noisy neighbors, nearly fainting from happiness on the spot.
Kiritsugu sighed. Ritsuka's exaggerated expression felt as if she were mocking him; they clearly had a residence of this level before, yet he had insisted on wandering all over the world.
'How disgraceful. I have absolutely no right to be a father.'
He ridiculed himself in his heart. To be honest, he also felt quite guilty for letting a child suffer along with him.
After some thought, he reached out his empty hand and patted Ritsuka's head. "Yes, this is our future home. Let's go in and take a look."
"Yay!"
The gate to the yard opened, and Kiritsugu led the way in carrying the luggage, while Ritsuka followed behind, closing the gate as she went.
Walking along the path at the edge of the yard, Ritsuka entered the inner residence, following Kiritsugu to change her shoes. Upon entering the interior, a look of surprise immediately appeared on her face.
After all, for a house that hadn't been lived in for several years to remain so clean was truly mind-boggling.
"Don't worry, I have a friendly relationship with the local bigwigs, the Fujimura family. They often send people to clean this house."
"That's good, then."
Ritsuka clutched her chest and let out a sigh of relief.
A somewhat amusing scene—the look of worry on Ritsuka's face caused even the serious Kiritsugu to show a hint of a smile. He pushed open the door in the hallway closest to the entrance, and a homey living room came into view.
With furniture, appliances, and an open kitchen, this place was clearly the heart of the home. After all, whether it was cooking, eating, or daily leisure, it would likely all happen here.
Kiritsugu scanned the area and then said to Ritsuka, "I'll go put down the luggage. Could I trouble you to make something to eat?"
"Of course."
Ritsuka gave her reply with a giggle.
Kiritsugu's figure gradually disappeared at the end of the hallway. Ritsuka watched him leave, then withdrew her gaze and began to familiarize herself with the house as she walked toward the kitchen.
It's worth mentioning that even though Ritsuka was only about ten years old, because of her 'Housekeeping Mastery EX' ability, her cooking talent was beyond imagination. Even Kiritsugu couldn't help but feel a bit defeated after seeing it; he wasn't even as good as a child.
Opening the refrigerator, there weren't many ingredients inside. The few instant food items were likely left by the Fujimura family.
Perhaps Kiritsugu had called ahead?
"Looks like I'll just have to make do."
Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice. In a situation without rice or flour, even Ritsuka, who was quite proficient in housework, felt a bit helpless. Fortunately, there were some canned goods she could work with.
She picked them up and looked at the instructions carefully: canned beef that could serve as a staple, canned fruit for snacks, and most importantly, a package of vacuum-packed luncheon meat... Ritsuka had an idea.
Section 6, Chapter 6: Peaceful Fuyuki City
About several dozen minutes later, the two sat at the dining table and finished breakfast. The sudden comfort made Ritsuka feel quite pleasant.
She felt even more motivated to cook and handle the housework.
"Thank you very much."
Having finished the meal, Kiritsugu pressed his hands together and let out a breath.
Cleaning the house on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, even someone as cool and detached as him couldn't help but be famished. Being able to eat a hot meal was indeed something to be grateful for.
Clearing away the plates with a few food scraps, Ritsuka smiled and shook her head. "You're welcome."
Being able to cook is a kind of happiness, at least for Ritsuka. Not having to endure Kiritsugu's inexplicably proud 'dark matter' cooking was certainly something to thank the heavens for, especially for the housekeeping talent she had been gifted.
So, was it a talent obtained from the crystal dice, or a talent she had naturally?
Ritsuka fell into deep thought.
If not for this ability, to be honest, she might have starved to death at some point during her nearly five years of wandering.
Of course, this meal wasn't eaten until nearly ten o'clock, mainly because she had cleaned the kitchen before cooking. Since it wasn't used often, it was bound to be a bit messy, so she had reorganized everything from top to bottom according to her own habits.
Kiritsugu put on his overcoat and looked at Ritsuka, who was busy in the kitchen. "I have some business with Mr. Fujimura. You can go for a walk on the streets, but come back early."
"Okay, be careful on the way."
The sound of footsteps gradually receded. Cool water flowed between her fingers, washing away the grease on the plates, and the room suddenly became quiet.
"It really is... a bit incredible."
Closing her eyes and then slowly opening them, Ritsuka spoke with a sense of sentiment.
It was great not to be wandering anymore. Although adventuring with Kiritsugu was quite interesting, constantly living rough was not pleasant at all, and the edges of a battlefield were truly not good places to be.
Blood and wreckage everywhere, desolation and cold... She quickly shook her head. Ritsuka thoroughly cleaned her hands and put all the items back in their original places, finishing the cleanup after their breakfast-brunch.
Leaving the open kitchen and crossing the hallway to walk around the Emiya Residence, Ritsuka found that there was nothing else that needed cleaning. The place was unexpectedly clean; it was truly impressive that the Fujimura family could do so much.
"Suddenly I have nothing to do. It's so nice—peaceful Fuyuki City."
Compared to the Middle East, which was constantly under the flames of war, this place was wonderful beyond belief. Still, she had to go out and take a look, as it was the city where she had once lived for five years.
Coming to the door at the end of the hallway, she picked up the keys and money Kiritsugu had left, put on her clothes and shoes, and left the house.
Locking the gate and dropping the key into her pocket, the gentle late-morning sunlight spilled onto her face. The girl narrowed her eyes comfortably and then stepped toward the department store.
The house still needed a large amount of ingredients; soy sauce, vinegar, and the like were also indispensable. Ritsuka mentally tallied the things she needed.
When she had stepped into Fuyuki City at four or five o'clock, she had already memorized the important locations along the route, as they would surely be useful in the future—places like the fresh market, the department store, and daily necessity retailers.
"Mmm~ it should be this way."
They wouldn't have been open too early, but it was already time for every household to prepare lunch. If they weren't open now, it would be truly unreasonable.
"Welcome."
Fortunately, the department store, where she could buy some ingredients, seasonings, and even daily household tools, was open. Ritsuka walked straight in and headed for the food section.
At the forefront was the seafood area. Fish in excellent condition lay in piles of ice, making Ritsuka's eyes light up. "These look quite impressive."
The girl, who personally disliked eating fish but was extremely interested in fish and even seafood dishes, was captivated by the excellent-looking kichiji fish.
The bright red patterns were like rubies from the deep sea. Ritsuka, who had only ever heard of this kind of fish, touched them with her finger and fell into thought.
She seemed... never to have cooked this kind of fish before... Showing hesitation, Ritsuka stopped in front of the kichiji fish. Her petite stature and exquisite face prompted the auntie in charge of this section to walk over.
"Is something bothering you?"
The auntie asked, while following Ritsuka's gaze to the kichiji fish. In an instant, she imagined a whole scenario.
A petite and cute girl, carefully selecting ingredients for cooking here, yet no adult was in sight. Was this a deliberate attempt to train the child, or was it simply a case of lazy and irresponsible parents?
Thinking of her own son, who was already an adult but quite a failure, the auntie's heart sank.
Hearing the inquiring voice, Ritsuka, who was biting her finger, pointed at the kichiji fish while turning her head to look beside her. In an instant, the saleswoman's expression changed from gloomy to bright, filled with a motherly warmth.
"I want to buy some of this, but I've never cooked it before. It would be a waste if I failed."
Ritsuka furrowed her beautiful brows. The contrast between her seriousness and her petite stature made the auntie's heart melt instantly, and she even began to wonder if her future granddaughter would be this cute.
At the thought of this, and then of her own troublesome son, the auntie's face turned gloomy again.
"Well, you can give it a try. I can recommend some suitable recipes. Whether it's glazed, grilled, braised, or made into sashimi, it's all very good."
The auntie introduced with a smile.
Over the next few moments, the auntie orally passed on all her cooking experience regarding kichiji fish. "I also have a book here about various ways to cook kichiji fish. I'll go find it for you."
"Thank you, Auntie."
Having her head patted, Ritsuka watched the auntie leave temporarily and happily lifted the plastic bag. Inside was the kichiji fish the auntie had helped pick out; both the color and size were said to be the best here.
"I might as well buy some..."
The delicious kichiji fish was well worth getting. Although she had never made it, she figured that man would be more than happy to taste it on her behalf.
Ritsuka thought so, completely disregarding whether Uncle Kiritsugu would survive it or not.
After waiting for a short while, the auntie, who was the manager of this store and also worked part-time selling fish, returned and handed a book to Ritsuka. "Take this, little girl. Consider it a gift from me."
"That won't do. You've already helped me so much. I must pay for this, otherwise Kiritsugu will be unhappy too."
"So his name is Kiritsugu, your father... What a filial child. Go on, then."
"Mm, goodbye, Auntie."
Waving her hand, Ritsuka carried the fish and turned to run toward the seasoning section. Without the right ingredients as accompaniments, even the best fish wouldn't taste good.
As she stood before the shelves searching, the auntie watched that small figure from a distance. Seeing that she couldn't reach the highest shelf and went to the next aisle to get a stool, the auntie couldn't help but feel disdain for a certain someone in her heart.
"Leaving such a small child in charge of the housework, he really is an irresponsible father. Kiritsugu? He's probably a bastard as well."
———
"kichiji fish... let's make something sumptuous today as a housewarming celebration?"
The price of kichiji fish was very high, making it quite suitable as a housewarming dish. Ritsuka, who didn't much care for raw methods like sashimi, planned to use the glazed method for this dish.
Opening the cookbook recommended by the auntie, Ritsuka, walking past the cherry blossom trees by the roadside, suddenly closed her eyes slightly. A car rushing past beside her kicked up a strong wind, swirling up many blinding cherry blossom petals; though beautiful, they were quite uncomfortable for the eyes.
Looking back to see that the car had already disappeared, Ritsuka didn't dwell on it too much since she couldn't stage an accident for compensation and didn't intend to anyway. Perhaps the driver was in a hurry.
Returning the way she came, Ritsuka, who had originally come out to shop, was carrying several bags—one could say she was returning fully laden. Feeling quite pleasant, she couldn't help but hum a song.
The season of cherry blossoms was beautiful, and Ritsuka's mind was blank as her thoughts drifted.
A quiet street, crisp footsteps, and a girl in a hurry—
The moment she turned a corner on the street, the distracted Ritsuka collided head-on with a figure rushing by. The figure opposite her did manage to react, but unfortunately, it was too late to dodge, leaving them to close their eyes in fear.
"Kyaa!"
An unexpected collision and a scream. Ritsuka's body swayed slightly but she didn't fall or show any other normal reaction; the person who collided with her was very light.
Because she held on tightly, the things in her hands didn't fall to the ground, while the figure she had hit head-on fell right onto her bottom.
"Ugh~ Sorry, are you okay?"
Having accidentally bumped into someone, Ritsuka quickly put down the shopping bags in her hands, wanting to pull the other person up. Grabbing that soft, delicate little hand, the girl was lighter than she could have imagined. The little purple-haired girl, who was thinner and smaller than Ritsuka, kept her head down, staring at her toes.
"Ouch! It hurts..."
Ritsuka reached out and helped the girl pick off the cherry blossom petals from the edges of her short purple hair. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"N-no, I'm fine..."
Her eyes darted about a bit, her slightly long bangs covering her beautiful amethyst-like eyes. While giving a perfunctory reply, the girl pulled her hand back.
"I'm really very sorry. I was thinking about something just now and didn't watch where I was going, accidentally bumping into you."
"If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, you must say so. I'll pay to take you to the hospital."
Clasping her hands together, she bent down in a bowing posture. Ritsuka's attitude left the girl stunned, as if no one had ever treated her like this before.
Almost instinctively, she leaned her body back to avoid any further contact with Ritsuka's hand.
This was a girl with a story; she was very young and small, but she was strangely afraid of contact with others, a timid little girl. Ritsuka made such a judgment.