Reborn in Type-Moon: Starting by Adopting Sakura - Chapter 50

Getting every Servant in the War to willingly let him record their Saint Graph was about as likely as world peace breaking out tomorrow. The second method came with its own headaches. If a Servant died and he wasn't there to record it, the soul fragments would slip straight into the Lesser Grail before he could intercept them. Which meant he might actually have to get close to battlefields—a prospect that ranked somewhere between "unpleasant" and "potentially fatal."

Originally, his plan had been to keep his head down and let everyone else tear each other apart while he worked in peace. Apparently, the universe had other ideas.

At least Serenity was there. She might not pack the raw power of other Servants, but her scouting and stealth capabilities were second to none.

Fuyuki wasn't a particularly large city. Any serious Servant clash would be well within her range to detect and report back on.

But before all that tactical planning—

"Serenity."

"Yes, Master."

Her soft form appeared before him like she'd materialized from shadows.

"Come here. Let me see your Saint Graph."

She blinked, clearly processing the request. Then sudden joy lit up her face as she threw herself toward him with enthusiasm that suggested she'd completely misunderstood what he was asking for.

"Please… be gentle…"

…

The Fuyuki Church sat halfway up the southern hill, offering a decent view of the city sprawling below.

It had been over two weeks since Kotomine Kirei had summoned Archer, and he still didn't know the man's true name. Apparently, some Servants were just naturally secretive—or maybe Archer simply enjoyed being cryptic for its own sake.

Tokiomi insisted it didn't matter. Even wandering the city at random, Archer was providing valuable service just by existing. The logic was sound enough: Servants could sense one another, so Archer's roaming drew attention and diverted enemy focus. If it happened to flush out other Servants in the process, all the better.

Still, Kirei couldn't shake the feeling that the man's behavior had real purpose behind it.

It was the stance of a hunter—much like Kirei himself had once adopted as an Executor, stalking the "beasts" he'd been authorized to eliminate. But what quarry could a Servant from some distant era possibly have in modern Fuyuki?

Ten days ago, Archer had shifted into this focused mode. Before that, he'd seemed almost bored. Even now, judging by his restless patrol patterns, he hadn't found whatever he was looking for.

Not that it particularly mattered. Kirei let the thought drift away like smoke. Since he'd decided not to interfere with Archer's mysterious agenda, the only thing truly worth his attention these days was mapo tofu.

There was a new Chinese restaurant he'd discovered, and the memory of their spicy dishes still made his mouth water.

He'd walked thirty minutes to reach the place, going into a run-down shopping street where Hongzhou Feast Hall stood as the sole beacon of authentic cuisine. The windows stayed shuttered even during daylight hours, making it impossible to see inside. The whole setup looked like the sort of establishment that might house illegal gambling or worse.

But the owner, Miss Ba, turned out to be a petite, cheerful Chinese woman with an infectious smile. At the moment, she was chatting animatedly with another customer—a clear-eyed fellow whose smile felt as fresh as blue skies.

"You ask why I opened a restaurant? Well, where I used to live, there was never enough to eat. So I decided I'd cherish food. Before I knew it, I'd opened this place."

Yuu raised an eyebrow. "Are you really Chinese? I don't think Chinese women usually wear their hair in buns and qipaos like they're auditioning for a period drama."

Miss Ba's friendly expression soured. "Hey, you're awfully nosy. If you're not ordering, you can leave."

"Of course I'm ordering." Yuu held up his hands in surrender. "Let's see what you've got…"

Fresh from the underground cavern and feeling considerably more optimistic about life, Yuu had good reason to be pleased with himself. Serenity's Saint Graph was now successfully recorded, which meant his theory actually worked: simulate the Grail's circuits, overlay the Lesser Grail, then apply Item Record, and he could indeed inscribe a Servant's data.

He hadn't fully cracked the system yet, but he'd already managed to build his own makeshift "Lesser Grail" to divert soul fragments, which was frankly more progress than he'd expected this quickly.

More importantly, it meant he no longer had to live like a hermit in that damp cavern, surviving on ration bars.

His real goal in Fuyuki was to cut away Irisviel's fate as a sacrifice. Everything else was just preparation.

Serenity was currently patrolling the city to identify Masters and Servants, with orders to meet him at a predetermined time each night.

Down from the mountain, his first priority had been finding actual food. Which had led him here, to this slightly sketchy establishment that at least smelled promising.

He scanned the menu when a flat voice interrupted. "One mapo tofu."

Yuu glanced up. A young man in priest's robes had taken the seat beside him, all black fabric and silver cross. His face looked like it had been carved from marble by someone who took their job very seriously.

After ordering, the priest chose an empty table and settled into his seat.

The only customers in the shop were the two of them, which either spoke poorly of the restaurant's reputation or well of their adventurous spirits.

Miss Ba's smile brightened considerably. "Alright."

"I'll have the mapo tofu as well," Yuu said.

"Coming right up."

She disappeared into the kitchen, and the sounds of culinary warfare kicked off at once. Every ingredient hit the pan like it owed rent to the chili peppers. The furnace roared as if a dragon were having the time of its life, flames curling around the base of the wok while chili oil and crushed peppers bubbled together in a harmony that was equal parts beautiful and terrifying.

The tofu didn’t stand a chance. What had once been innocent white cubes now looked like tiny red bricks from a volcano.

This was going to hurt in the best possible way.

Yuu turned and caught the priest staring at him. The man attempted what might charitably be called a smile—the expression of someone who'd clearly spent more time practicing prayers than facial expressions.

Yuu smiled back.

Male bonding really was that simple. All it took was a mutual appreciation for culinary masochism.

The priest's awkward smile practically shouted: ‘Ah, a fellow man of culture who enjoys setting his mouth on fire.’