[FMMISM] Chapter 53: Zealot's Report

Early the next morning.

After waking up, Ragna pulled Aoi into the bathroom to take a morning bath together.

"Ragna, you..." Aoi turned her shy, blushing face away, stealing glances at the boy's lively morning vigor.

"Auntie, what's wrong?" Ragna blinked his innocent and clear eyes.

"It's nothing! Um, yours are very big—I-I mean, your eyes..."

"Just like last night, Auntie, please help me wash with the bath sponge." Ragna hugged her waist from the side.

"Uhh... O-Okay."

Aoi bit her moistened lips, running her fingers through the boy's hair.

"Ragna, sit over here."

===

On a crisp morning, as Ragna and Aoi finally said their goodbyes, he promised to visit her next time.

It had been five days since Ragna left Fuyuki, and naturally, the main battlefield was far from calm.

"Okay, tell me everything that's happened in Fuyuki these past few days."

On a winter afternoon, Ragna listened to Zealot’s report in his room.

"Well, Master—"

"I can't hear you clearly, come closer." Ragna interrupted and beckoned to the girl kneeling before him.

"Yes."

Zealot stood up, her silent steps bringing her closer to him. As she arrived right in front of him, Ragna slipped his hand under her black robe and gently held her slender, serpentine waist.

"Eek!"

A shy, delicate sound escaped Zealot's mouth as her body trembled violently. For her, Ragna taking the initiative to touch her so intimately was unprecedented.

"Mas-Master, what are you...?"

With the lower half of her face always veiled, Zealot's only visible feature, her golden eyes, shimmered like topaz.

Now, these moist topazes quivered with a mix of fear, resistance, and joy as they looked up at their master.

"Come, sit on my lap and tell me."

"Eh? I-I dare not, Master!"

Seeing her reluctance, Ragna frowned slightly.

If he wanted her to sit, she had to sit—no need for unnecessary words.

As such, Ragna didn't waste any time and immediately pulled Zealot onto his lap with a firm grip.

Since he had already played the innocent child yesterday, he wouldn’t do it again today.

"Uhh..."

Zealot let out a small whimper and curled up into Ragna's arms.

'Hmm? Has she used some technique from her sect?' Ragna thought to himself as he couldn't feel any weight on his lap.

However, despite the lack of weight, Zealot's slender body fit perfectly against him.

'Hmm, not bad at all.'

Ragna stared at Zealot's face, his right hand caressing her waist while his left hand gently squeezed her calf, clad in black stockings.

"Alright, tell me, what happened in Fuyuki these past few days?"

"Y-Yes, Master... First, Tohsaka Tokiomi committed the sin of arrogance..."

Zealot restrained her inner turmoil as she began recounting the information she gathered in Fuyuki these past few days.

"Oh, I see... So such things happened, huh... You weren't injured, were you?"

In all honesty, Zealot's reactions intrigued him more than the news of the Holy Grail War.

After all, how could a pure and religious girl, who dedicated herself to her God, be treated like this by a man?

As a result, Ragna listened to Zealot's report absentmindedly.

Under Ragna's touches, Zealot, whose face was veiled, blushed deeply, her breathing becoming hurried and heavy.

"I-I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Master... Hahh..."

"So, how is the Einzberns doing?"

Rather than the Holy Grail War itself, the only thing Ragna currently cared about was the Einzbern family.

It had been a week since the kiss at the BBQ restaurant, and it seemed like Irisviel still hadn't informed Kiritsugu about it.

"They... haven't made any moves these days... Emiya Kiritsugu seems to be avoiding daytime activities, clearly wary of Saber's presence."

"Indeed, while Kiritsugu's style is to strike first, he's also a very cautious man..." Ragna nodded, then smirked maliciously. 'Especially when Kiritsugu doesn't trust his own assistant.'

Zealot, with a distant and dreamy look in her eyes, subconsciously shifted in Ragna's arms, positioning herself closer to his chest.

After hearing about the developments from other Masters, Ragna's smile faded.

"And lastly, the last surveillance target... How's Caster doing?"

Yes, Morgan was also one of Zealot's surveillance targets.

Ragna had ordered Zealot to monitor Morgan's every move from the start.

When Zealot first received the order from Ragna to monitor Morgan, she was surprised at first. After all, she had thought that he and that woman were in some sort of special relationship.

'Hmph, turns out it's not like that at all... So, I really am my Master's most loyal Servant.'

After thinking like that at that time, Zealot put in extra effort during these days of monitoring Morgan.

At this moment, Zealot closed her eyes, took a moment to think, then spoke up.

"Caster was still in her room, proceeding with her 'plan'."

"Hmm..." Ragna nodded noncommittally. "So, did she say anything when I landed in Tokyo?"

"At that time... she said she couldn't use the Command Spells to stop your actions, Master." Zealot answered truthfully.

"Hehh..."

Upon hearing that, Ragna's expression lit up with the happiest smile of the day so far, clearly very pleased with Zealot's answer.

Seeing the clearly excited boy, Zealot's cheeks began to blush slightly. With a blissful expression, she spoke again with a somewhat excited voice.

"Master... Are you planning to punish Caster for betraying you? If so, please leave it to me—"

"..."

Ragna merely raised an eyebrow at her, silencing Zealot, whose flushed cheeks turned pale.

"...S-Sorry! I apologize, Master!"

Ragna felt the girl in his arms stiffen as her back muscles tensed.

It was understandable.

Being an exceptional assassin, she could sense her Master's displeasure instantly.

"Ahh, don't be so tense, Assassin..."

Sensing that he had unintentionally revealed his emotions, Ragna chuckled and lightly patted Zealot's back.

"Relax, I just hate it when someone tries to take away my toys, you know..."

"Yes... I apologize, Master..."

Zealot realized that he didn't call her 'Zealot' anymore, but 'Assassin'.

'I really anger him...' Zealot bit her lower lip, repenting incessantly in her heart for her earlier slip of the tongue.

"Well... However..."

Ragna furrowed his brow and sighed.

"We can't continue to turn a blind eye to her recklessness forever. If we get the chance, we should give her a little slap on the wrist, but unfortunately, that'll have to wait until after I take Einzbern Castle..."

With a smirk on his face, Ragna made a decision.

===

After assigning a new task to Zealot, Ragna began searching for Morgan's whereabouts in the inn.

'Where is she?'

Ragna pushed open the door to the laundry room and asked the several homunculus maids working inside.

"Master just left for the supermarket. She said she’s cooking dinner herself tonight."

"..."

'Cooking dinner herself... Is she planning a potato feast to welcome my return?'

Ragna rolled his eyes.

'Well, whatever.'

With that, Ragna stepped into the laundry room and locked the door from the inside.

He stood with his hands on his hips and addressed the five homunculus maids inside with a domineering tone.

"Until Morgan returns home, I am your master."

"Yes, Master's Master."

In the next moment, the homunculi set aside their work and lined up in front of Ragna.

Turning their backs to the boy, they bent deeply at the waist.

Lifting their long skirts, they revealed slender legs wrapped in white stockings.

"..."

"..."

"I say..." Ragna narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, Master?"

"...Lower your ass a bit, it's too high for me to reach." Ragna sighed, standing on his toes resignedly.