Sometimes he wondered when his life had taken a turn for the worse. As he reinforced his legs and jumped to avoid the claws trying to take his head off, he realized now was one of those times.
`Was it when I stayed in school to fix the equipment Issei asked me to help with?´
It had been when he had been pulled into the Holy Grail War and had been the catalyst for his chaotic lifestyle.
`Although, my lifestyle had been pretty screwed up since I was five years old so was it the Fuyuki Fire that was the reason?´
That had been the moment Kiritsugu had adopted him and set him on the path of a third-rate magus, but had it really caused him to fight a lumbering behemoth that looked like it belonged in one of Zelretch's pranks? No, it had to be something else.
`At the very least, I know letting Rin convince me to examine the remains of the grail with her was a bad idea. Why didn't I just buy her the gemstones she wanted? Instead I had to be a cheapskate and distract her with Magecraft!´
Stabbing Kanshou and Bakuya into the neck of the monster and severing the spine finally killed the damn thing and he was able to take a break, the first time since he started fighting the southern creature.
Just how the hell had his life taken a turn for the worse this bad?
(Four weeks earlier)
The first thing he saw when he woke up was blue sky.
The second thing he saw when he woke up was a horse trying to crush him underneath its hooves.
The split second he had to react was just barely enough and the massive animal missed his head as he rolled to the side. Some of his hair did get caught in the horseshoe, but he considered that to be a fair trade in exchange for his life. Hair could be regrown, his brain could not.
His sudden movement had however surprised the horse and the brown steed reared up in shock. Shirou did not stay on the ground to let himself get crushed to death by some random animal and jumped up to create some distance from it. Aside from the memories he had received from Saber, he had never seen a horse up close. If the horse thought he was a threat then it might attack him.
But where had the horse come from? He had never seen a horse around this part of Fuyuki before so someone must had brought it here and it had escaped. Could he use Magecraft to kill it? wouldn't someone think it was strange if he had somehow managed to kill a large horse with a sword that was nowhere in sight.
He couldn't let his thoughts distract him; he had to focus on getting away from the horse first.
"Hold it, hold it, boy! I said, HOLD IT!" A loud voice said, the last part coming out in a loud yell. At first Shirou thought the voice was weird since it was spoken with an accent he had never heard of, but when the horse calmed down and he saw the rider he realized he was mistaken. It wasn't just the voice that was weird, the owner of the voice was even weirder.
The first thing he noticed was the clothing. As a master in the Holy Grail War, he had seen a lot of different outfits and had developed some sort of immunity towards the different styles of outfits. From Saber's battledress to Lancer's skintight jumpsuit and Gilgamesh golden armour, the Grail War had shown him more clothing than he cared to remember, but he had never seen that particular outfit before. The rider wore clothing consisting only of white, from the furry boots on his feet to the shirt and robe he wore on his body.
That wasn't what you'd wear in Fuyuki city, not even in the outskirts of town where small farms which owned horses could be seen. Furthermore, Shirou had lived in Fuyuki his entire life apart from the thirteen months he had studied in London. He would know if someone rode on horses and wore ancient clothing, even if they only did it suburbs.
"Sorry about that, didn't see you when you were lyin' on the ground like that. I was lookin' for bandits so I was keepin' my eye on the horizon, ya know." The rider said, though the apology was hollow and forced, as if Shirou was the suspicious one. "Speaking of bandits, why were you lyin' on the ground like that? Some of the thieves around here act wounded in order to make caravans stop an' help them, you wouldn't happen to be one of 'em, would ya?"
Shirou heard what he said, but his mind didn't register the words. Instead all he could focus on was the sword strapped to the rider's back.
A sword he had never seen before. A sword he had never heard of before. A sword he was unable to categorize. It was slightly larger than Kanshou, but not as balanced . The blade was curved, but not like a katana or a sabre. It appeared to be of asian design, but he couldn't see the origin of the blade.
Why was there a rider wearing strange clothing and wielding a sword he couldn't recognize in Fuyuki? To begin with, where in Fuyuki was he? He didn't remember coming here in the first place, wherever this place was. The forest he was in was very hot to be the forest the Einzbern mansion was in the rest of the forests around Fuyuki were even colder. Had he been transported here while he was sleeping? Had he been attacked and knocked unconscious by an unknown assailant? It wouldn't be the first time someone had wanted to perform experiments on one of the surviving masters of the Grail War in the name of Magecraft everywhere.
His confusion must have been visible around his face because the rider spoke once more, this time in a more understanding manner. "What's wrong? Is something the matter?" He asked, a hint of worry creeping into his voice. The worry was probably not for Shirou though, considering his earlier aggressive attitude. He was most likely looking out for himself and a confused man acting like he had no idea where he was might lead to problems if he didn't handle it properly.
Shirou needed to come up with something. He had spent too much time trying to figure out what had happened and the longer he took the more suspicious the rider would be. Throwing caution to the wind, he spoke.
"Sorry, I'm a bit lost you see, took a nap on the ground and dozed off. Would you mind telling me where Fuyuki City is?" He needed to get back to his house and contact Rin. She needed to know about this.
"Fuyuki? Never heard of it, is it a large city?" the rider asked in response. Shirou frowned at the answer. Fuyuki might not be large enough to be recognized across the nation, but it was famous enough for the island it was on to know where it was, if only to the famous fires and gas leaks the city was known for. In other words, he was on another island in Japan or someone was playing a cruel prank on him.
"It's large enough, do you mind telling me exactly where I am?" He asked with trepidation. He almost feared the answer would be some faraway country where he wouldn't be able to contact anyone and he had to travel alone for months until he was back. It had happened once, when Rin had mentioned him in front of Zelretch.
It was probably the only time he had seen Rin apologize without any excuses. Probably because he hadn't demanded she pay any of the airline tickets he had bought in order to get back.
"What's that boy, ya don't know where ya are? You're on the fields of Kotia, the northern capital of Aktia!" the white clad rider said while laughing at Shirou's incompetence.
He really wanted to punch Zelretch in the face at the moment. That old bloodsucker had dropped him into a random country again, one he hadn't even heard of before. Dumping him into the middle of the Russian mountains with only a map was bad enough, he had no idea where Aktia was. How was he supposed to get home with now information of where he had was?
"And I don't suppose you would mind telling me where Aktia is? My geography is a bit rusty." He laughed sheepishly. He was so going to make Zelretch pay for this.
The rider stopped laughing and was once more eyeing Shirou suspiciously. Not knowing the city was bad enough, not knowing the country was wrong no matter how you looked at it. Shirou understood the man's feelings.
After a while the man spoke, but without a trace of humor. "It's an island nation west of Musta'sim and east of Reim. Ya know where they are, don't ya?" He said, dropping weird names like they were commonplace.
Musta'sim? Reim? What were those, cities? They couldn't be countries, right? His geography might not be the best, but he would know it those countries existed, wouldn't he? He couldn't be so ignorant as to not know the name of the countries close to each other. He must have at least have heard of the before.
The suspicious look in the rider's eye told him he was not going to like what he heard next.
Shirou moved restlessly in his makeshift bunk, the shock of what had happened being too much for him to shrug off.
He wasn't in a different country. He was in a different world altogether.
According to the Raj, the rider who had discovered him, Aktia was the country in the middle of the world and an important trading center for the western and the eastern countries. Raj was a merchant from the Kouga clan in the eastern land. Shirou had somehow managed to convince the man he had been kidnapped and managed to escape, but Raj still didn't trust him, even with Shirou's abysmal skill in hypnosis. That was to be expected though, as Raj had said something about bandits and thieves. Fortunately, Shirou had been allowed to tag along with the caravan until they reached a town as he doubted he would be able to get anywhere on his own.
Shirou was also starting to doubt it was Zelretch who had dumped him here. The old vampire was famous for playing pranks on people, but he would usually be innovative in how he did it. He had already played a similar prank on Shirou before and simply increasing the scale of the prank wasn't the old man's style.
So if Zelretch hadn't sent him here, who had?
He tried to remember what had happened, but his memories were like a fog of images. The last thing he truly remembered was getting off at the airport in Fuyuki and taking a taxi to his house. After that his mind became a blur and trying to recall anything became an exercise in futility. If he could find something that reminded him of what happened then he could figure it out, but until then it looked like he would have to take things slow.
A wind blew and he had to wrap the blankets around him even tighter. Even though it appeared to be summer, the nights around here were still cold it seemed. All Shirou wore when he arrived were simple jeans and a white shirt and jacket. It was fine during the summer days, but once it sank to below ten degrees Celsius it became too cold for comfort.
"Shirou, ya awake?" the gruff voice of Raj said. The accent the merchant had was odd, even compared to the rest of his Kouga companions. His accent sounded like it was from Osaka, but not quite. The other merchants had some kind of accent as well, probably something the Kouga had developed over the years, but Raj's was thicker and heavier. He probably came from a different place as the other Kouga members, a tribe with heavier accent.
"Yeah, what's wrong?" Raj had kept his distance from Shirou ever since they had met and Shirou understood why. The merchant didn't trust him and he had good reason not to. Shirou was a stranger who knew nothing about the country he was in nor about the world they lived in. It was abnormal and normal people didn't like abnormal things. If Shirou hadn't used his meagre skill in hypnosis to convince the man to let him travel with them then he would probably die, lost and hungry.
He had felt bad about using Magecraft on the man, but he really didn't have a choice. If he could follow the caravan to the nearest city then he could probably survive somehow, but in the wilderness in unknown lands he would perish without a doubt. He would find some way to make it up to the merchants, but for now he would try to make himself as useful as possible.
"Been wonderin', what are ya plannin' to do once ya get to Kotia?" the tall man asked. It was a good question, one Shirou did not know the answer to at this point. The only thing he owned at the moment was his clothes and the pendant Rin had given him. Even if he wanted to sell the pendant, there was no guarantee he would get a good price for it. He could make do as cook, but he had no idea how to start. His Magecraft might help him as a mercenary, but it wasn't the best of alternatives. He would have a better idea of what to do once he got to the town.
"Don't know really, I'm thinking of just making the best of what I find. Can't be too hard to find work, right." He answered, thinking about his prospects. A chef, mercenary and a handyman shouldn't have too much trouble to find work.
"In most cases I'd tell ya that way of thinkin' is naïve, but Kotia is a dungeon town so the city is sprawlin' with shops that need help. If ya keep your eyes open then you'll find work. But I just want to say that once you get to Kotia we won't have any connection to each other. I don't want to hear anything about ya don't want to leave us, ya hear!" Raj said firmly, in a tone that promised pain if he argued.
Shirou nodded, knowing there was no point in trying to talk back. To begin with, Shirou had used Magecraft to force his way into the caravan. It was a despicable tactic, one he had been forced to use more than ones while helping Clock Tower deal with dead apostles. The fact that using it had become easier with practice didn't make him feel better, even if he told himself it was to save lives.
"Don't worry, once we get to Kotia I'll be out of your hair. Unless you want me join you, of course." He responded with a smile. Raj didn't smile back, but he did respond with a little less hostility.
"Cheeky bugger, try not to die before we meet again one day. I'll give you a special offer on our merchandise; only twice as expensive as the other customers pay." He said with his usual gruff attitude and started leaving.
Shirou went back to trying to sleep, finding nothing but restlessness waiting for him. He kept thinking about how he was supposed to get by once he got to Kotia without the caravan to help him. Like Raj had said, it wouldn't be too hard to find a job in a dungeon town.
…
What the hell was a dungeon?
"So a dungeon, in short, is a place where you can get tremendous power and riches, but only if you survive the trials within?" he summarized what he had heard.
It was the day after he had been found and they had begun traveling to Kotia. According to Raj, the journey to Kotia would take a day if they didn't stumble upon thieves or bandits. When told that they needed guards for the caravan, Shirou had volunteered his services immediately as a way to repay his debt to the merchants. Raj had agreed to let him be one of the guards, but as a precaution he would have to ride with Raj and another Kouga clansman. The horse he was given was a pinto horse, as the Kouga called it. Its fur was both white and brown in a pattern similar to that of a cow's. While Shirou was struggling with learning how to ride, he had asked the head of the caravan what he had meant by dungeon.
The response had been something like: "Ya don't know what a dungeon is? Were ya dropped on ya head or somethin'?"
After an embarrassing rant about how ignorant he was, Shirou had managed to get the gist of it. Fourteen years ago, a mysterious building appeared out of nowhere and thousands of people had entered it in hope of discovering the secrets inside. Only a single child had returned alive, armed with the power of the djinn inside it and all the gold and treasures he could hope for. Several other dungeons had appeared since then and the same thing had happened, a single person returns with a mysterious power and treasures.
As a result, people are attracted to the dungeons like flies to a carcass. Whenever a dungeon appears, a town will soon follow. Aside from the gold the dungeon capturer gains, the economy of a country rises every time a dungeon is found. Most dungeons aren't cleared until several years have passed so each dungeon is brings a rise in a wealth for the kings in charge of the area. If a town or city is nearby a dungeon then the city will receive a tremendous boost in trade and inhabitants, making the town increase in size and work available.
Kotia was one such town. The dungeon that appeared three years ago had helped the small fishing village grow into a bustling trading empire, though criminals have increased exponentially due to the sudden expansion in such a short amount of time. Merchants who travel by land have to hire guards to make the journey without losing their merchandise or their heads. The Kouga clan was originally a collection of warriors so they could take care of themselves, but the journey had taken a toll on the travelers and they were grateful to all help they could get.
"That's right, but don't get any ideas, brat. Hundreds of thousands have tried goin' into those tower never to come back. If ya know what's good for ya then ya'll stay away from the dungeon, you hear?" Raj said. The white clad rider scratched his beard while he was looking up at the dark clouds gathering and increased the pace of his riding. "Tell the carriages to hurry up. I don't want to get caught by those clouds without shelter."
The rider next to Shirou nodded and yelled back a command to the ones riding the carts. The carriages increased the speed at which they were traveling and Shirou had to increase the speed at which he was riding as well. Going through the lessons Raj had given him before they started, he used his legs to make the horse go faster by squeezing them together. It worked and to his relief, he didn't fall down as soon as the horse picked up speed. He did however feel uncomfortable when the horse's and his own synchronization fell apart and his crotch met the horse's back in a repeated collision.
"Aren't there any better saddles than this one?" he asked Raj when he caught up to him. The caravan leader shook his head and sighed. Unlike the leather saddles made using wood and fabric the Kouga was using, the saddle Shirou used was nothing but a bunch of blankets sewn together to stay on the back of the horse.
"The horse you're riding was taken from one of the thieves we fought on the way here. We kept it in order to sell or eat it so we didn't keep the saddle. Be thankful that we wasted those blankets in order to give you a saddle at all." The reply was quick and without remorse, as if he had rehearsed beforehand. Shirou sighed, the growing pain in his thighs increasing his misfortune even more.
They rode for what seemed like an eternity before they reached the forest capable of sheltering them from the storm. By then, Shirou's legs felt like jelly and he almost fell off the horse while trying to get off. The rain started to fall an hour before they reach the forest and by now the sun had set. He was drenched and tired and his legs felt like he had tried to beat Berserker in a Sepak takraw match. The first step he took in over half a day felt like torture, though the pain and numbness from his legs made it hard to walk at first, he was just happy he didn't have to ride anymore. Poking at the different parts of his legs and gauging the reaction, he came to the conclusion that he would not be able to walk very well tomorrow if they continued with this pace.
"Shirou, tell Dalj to set up camp here. Get a fire started while you're at it." Raj's voice was quiet and he was looking at the forest with a wary eye. Was there something about the forest that Raj knew, but the rest of the group didn't? None of the other merchants were keeping an eye out for dangers, only Raj.
"What's wrong? You look like something is going to attack you. Have you been here before?" he asked the rough leader. Raj might not like him, but Shirou was not going to spend the night in a forest with an unknown danger lurking nearby.
"It's probably nothin', but… Kotia is Aktia's third largest tradin' city and this is the middle of summer. Why haven't we met any other caravans on our way here? Not a single traveler or anything besides you, it's too strange to be a coincidence. The roads should be filled with merchants arguing with each other in order to get to the city first, instead all we see is an empty road. I heard that the criminals around Kotia were numerous, but if they managed to stop every single caravan headed to Kotia then… we might have to turn back." He said grimly.
Shirou wasn't a merchant so he wasn't sure how much turning back meant for Raj, but if a merchant riding in a caravan along with twenty warriors was ready to turn back then it was safe to say that he understood the dangers of traveling. Still, did that mean the rest of the caravan would listen? Raj might be the leader, but he didn't have absolute authority over the group.
"I'll tell the rest to get ready in case anything happens. Do you need help with the first shift?" He asked carefully. Raj didn't trust him and he doubted the man would give him a job as important as guard duty. It didn't hurt to ask though.
"No, you make sure to keep the fire going. If I find out that the fire has gone out even once while I was away I'll have your head." With that, Raj and his two subordinates started their patrol around the camp, bringing out torches they had prepared beforehand to illuminate their way.
Going over to the Kouga clansman who had taught Shirou how to ride, he told the camp of Raj's orders. While most men immediately set up a perimeter, the women and the children started preparing the camp instead. They didn't ask him why he wasn't helping out with the patrols, the reason having been obvious since the start, they did look surprised when he started helping out with the dinner once he was done with the fire. Apparently men weren't supposed to cook in this world.
For Shirou it was a weird feeling. Back in his world, the traditional gender roles had been pretty much abandoned in large parts of the world. That was even more apparent in Shirou's household. Since Rin had been busy with her education, he had been the one to cook food and clean the house. The Archibald family had been quick to mock him for it, saying such things were a woman's task. The young man who had said it to his face had been forced to eat his words when the Lorelei Barthomelloi had heard him. Poor fool, he really should have known better than to say such things in the middle of Clock Tower.
As he started cutting the meat, he felt the stress of the day simply dissipating into nothingness. It had been such a long time since he had been able to cook proper food. Cooking was more than a simple hobby for him, it was therapy. All those nights he had been forced to fight unending waves of undead would have cost him a fortune in therapy sessions if he didn't food to help him deal with it.
"Excuse me, but may I ask what your name is?" one of the women around the campfire said. She was relatively tall for a Kouga from what he had seen, but aside from that she looked pretty much like all Kouga clansmen; light brown hair with braids and a kind face. She, like all Kouga, wore a white dress similar to a kimono, but with an opening by the legs.
"It's Em… It's Shirou Emiya," He corrected himself. He had noticed that the Kouga used their given name before their surname. If introduced himself like he would in japan then it would create confusion about where he was from. He didn't know anything about the customs here so he wouldn't be able to create even a fake excuse without making the others suspicious.
"I see, if it's not too rude of me, but are you a fanalis?" the woman continued with little pause. While the other clansmen had been wary of him and kept their distance, the second she asked him that question all the other merchants present stopped what they were doing and listened intently.
"A fanalis?" What was a fanalis? Raj had never even mentioned it before so how was he supposed to know? He had never heard the word before so he had no idea. Was it some kind of traveler? A person who travels the world without knowing where they are? Or is it someone who passes out on the ground at random intervals? That was what he looked like to these people so that must be what they thought he was.
Or was it some kind of country? Someone from a country called Fanal or something? Was he supposed to say yes or no? No matter what he said, it could have major repercussions. If he said yes then he would have to explain what a fanalis was and if he said no then he would have to know what it was as well. Either way he would look strange not knowing what it was.
His face must have shown some kind of expression because the woman backed away quickly and smiled. "It's okay, you don't have to answer. It must have been hard, with the slavers going after fanalis and all. I understand your hesitation, I would have a hard time trusting people if I was a fanalis and the slavers were after me." She smiled sheepishly, realizing her question was inappropriate.
Shirou on the other hand was merely glad he didn't have to answer the question. The initial crisis was over with him not having to give anything away, but it had raised several other questions. What was a fanalis and why did she think he was one? Why were the slavers after them? Did slavers really exist in this world? Would the slavers think he was a fanalis and go after him? So many questions were brought up in his mind and he had no idea how to answer any of them. It made him feel like he was back in the Holy Grail War, but this time he didn't have Rin here to help him.
Once he got to Kotia he might be able to get some answers. As it were, Raj was already suspicious of him and if the caravan thought he was a thief they might kick him out. Maybe he would be able to win them over with his cooking skills. Sakura had always appreciated his cooking…
The sound of an arrow cutting through the air alerted him to the attack. Grasping the small knife used for cutting meat, he turned around and barely deflected the projectile. The serrated arrowhead chipped the knife's edge, but the momentum it carried disappeared and it bounced harmlessly onto the ground.
The women and children didn't notice what had happened at first, but once they saw the arrow lying on the ground they reacted surprisingly fast. The older boys drew small daggers from their belts while a few of the women used small swords in a stance that spoke of inexperience. It didn't look like they were used to fighting and had only been taught the basics.
He was about to trace Kanshou and Bakuya when he stopped. What if the people in this world hate magic? Would the attackers and the caravan band together to kill him if they realized he was a magus? This world might view magic the same way people did during the inquisition. If so, using Magecraft now would make him a bigger target, but if he didn't then the people who had helped him would be killed by the attackers.
His inner turmoil was interrupted by a voice speaking from deeper in the forest. "I wasn't expecting you to block that arrow. How did you do that?" the voice was delicate, but unmistakably male. Furthermore, it came from a direction other than the arrow itself meaning there were at least two attackers and one of them used a bow.
"It's common courtesy to introduce yourself before you go on to attack others, you know. It's rude to do otherwise. Unless you're going for the ambush-approach, then it's acceptable." Shirou responded. As he expected, a few snickers and laughs were heard from different directions. He didn't want to take any action before he knew how many there in the forest. If he knew on a rough estimate how many enemies he would be dealing with then he could make a strategy on how to defeat them. If he made them laugh then he would be able to guess the location somewhat before he attacked.
"What do you expect? We're bandits, not heroes. Do you honestly think we'll introduce ourselves to out victims before we stab them to death? We'll be the laughingstock of the Kotia underworld." The voice said with humor in his voice. "But I do believe I asked you a question; How did you block that arrow?" he asked once more.
"I heard the arrow fly through the air. Whoever shot it must have been an idiot 'cause there was no way such a badly aimed arrow would have hit me." He answered with arrogance dripping from his voice. As he thought, the archer growled and notched another arrow.
"What did you say, you little shit?! Come over here and say that!" The man yelled with rage and Shirou didn't need to focus in order to deflect the arrow this time. The archer was obviously aiming at his head and the bow he was using was clearly on its last leg. The sound it made as he released it told him it wasn't being properly kept which probably meant there weren't any actual archers in the group. The second arrow bounced off the knife harmlessly and stabbed into the ground, missing him by a good three meters.
"Honestly, is this the best you can do? I was hoping for something more, I guess this is what you get for giving a dog a tool meant for men." He mocked the bandit, hoping the rest of the attackers would react to his taunts. Gilgamesh might have been a rude and disrespectful prick, but he sure knew how to push someone's buttons. Calling anyone a dog always got a reaction. The laughter and jeers the other bandits gave this time were plentiful and he was able to hear at least five voices in the mix.
"I'll show you who's a dog! I'll make you die like one!" The man screamed as he ran out of the darkness, a sword in his right hand. As he neared Shirou, he swung the blade in an amateurish move with all his might. The sword missed Shirou completely as he leaned back and he shoved the knife in his hand into the eye of the bandit. The steel blade penetrated the eyeball and continued into the brain, killing the man instantly.
The jeers stopped and dead silence ruled the forest. The bandits were most likely stunned by the turn of events as they had not anticipated one of their own being killed so easily. The Kouga clansmen had fallen silent as well, but whether from horror or surprise he had no idea. They seemed like they had never seen a man get killed before so he could understand their reaction.
"That's a surprise, Dolf was a moron, but I didn't' expect you to kill him so easily. Could it be that you're a fanalis?" the delicate voice asked in the darkness. That was the second time someone had mentioned the word `Fanalis´ in less than ten minutes. Were they really that famous? Maybe he could use these people to find out a bit more about the world he was in?
"What makes you say that?" he responded.
"Aside from your inhuman reaction to the arrow we shot at you? There was the fact that you killed Dolf like he was nothing, just like how the fanalis are gifted with superhuman strength and speed. Your hair is also that stunning shade of red that the fanalis have. At first I thought you were some human from the Kou Empire, but it appears I was mistaken. You are a fanalis, right?" he asked and Shirou could sense some kind of emotion in his voice.
Wait, fanalis were gifted with superhuman strength and speed? What kind of idiot would try to attack someone like that? If he was a normal human he wouldn't want to fight a person with a reputation like that, He'd lose in an instant. Could he use that to his advantage?
"If I say yes, will you leave us alone? You won't be able to take me on with just arrows and swords. If you leave now then I'll let you live." Then moment he insinuated he was a fanalis, the women and children behind the caravan looked at him in surprise and… hope? Were fanalis really that strong? Unfortunately the bandits weren't as fazed as he had hoped.
"Why would we do that? Your prices as slaves have just increased! We were hoping to sell the men as slaves as well, but they were so stubborn we had to kill most of them. Counting Dolf, whom you have just put down, we've lost over fifteen men today. Letting you go would mean losing three quarters of our forces with nothing to gain. I'm afraid we'll have to capture you to make up for it." The man said with excitement. He wasn't afraid to fight against someone clearly superior to him in physical abilities? That must mean he had some sort of strategy, a way to defeat a `Fanalis´ without dying while he was at it.
"You don't sound very angry at your comrade's demise though." Shirou noted. Had Raj and the others really been killed? Raj wasn't weak, but even he would be killed by an arrow to the back. If so, Shirou wouldn't be able to count on backup any time soon. The bandits were also making him uneasy, their disregard for their own friends was shocking. Most people would at least react to a comrade's death, even the heartless monsters in London would give a spiteful comment in case one of their own was killed.
"You mistake us for someone else, Fanalis. Bandits don't have strong ties to each aside from our common goal. After that they are simply someone you have to share the treasures with. Thanks to you and your friends, we don't have to share today's catch with anyone else. Thank you for your gifts, Fanalis." The mocking tone in his voice was reminding Shirou of Caster, the arrogance and confidence in was making him grit his teeth in anger.
"Unfortunately, I'm not a fanalis, but I'm more than willing to kill you if you try anything." It was the least he could do as payback. These people had helped him, a total stranger, and he hadn't even managed to pay them back yet.
"Don't get so cocky, brat, you're still more valuable than the common slave. Red hair is a rarity outside of Sasan and Kou, so you'll make me a very wealthy man yet." As he said it the archers at his side drew back their bows and the sound alerted Shirou to the assault. He ducked down to avoid the first arrow and picked up Dolf's discarded sword. It was slightly longer than what he was used to, but it would have to do. He didn't want to reveal his powers in front of anyone just yet.
Wielding the sword in his right hand and the knife in his left, he sprinted to the source of the arrows. The bows he had seen in this time didn't have the range or accuracy to be used from afar. It was most likely the bandits were closer than a hundred meters. He could easily close that distance in the time for them to fire another arrow.
He reached the first archer just as he was about to release the bowstring. A sword cleaving through the bow and his skull put a stop to that. Jumping away from another arrow, he saw two bandits trying to stop him with their own swords. Neither of them looked like they had received any formal training and they swung their swords haphazardly, missing repeatedly as he leaned back. Another arrow flew his way, but he kicked a bandit in front of it. The arrow penetrated the back of the criminal and penetrated his lung.
The bandit fell to the forest floor with a dull *THUMP* just as Shirou stabbed his sword into the chest of the second bandit. By now he was able to make out the movement of the second archer and he threw the knife in his left hand towards his target. The knife sank deep into the throat of the enemy and he collapsed, blood flowing from the wound.
He yanked the sword out of the dying bandit and looked around. He knew there were at least two more bandits, one of them being the speaker. None of the bandits that had attacked him had a voice as delicate as the speaker, even if they had only used war cries to speak with. The thing that worried him was why he was so certain the bandit was capable of catching a fanalis…
Something descended upon him, and he felt several rectangular shapes enveloped his head. He looked up just in time to see a net made of rope catch him. He tried to grab the net, but the ropes were far heavier and durable than anything it should be allowed to be. He used the sword to cut it away, but the blade didn't even begin to harm the thin rope. For some reason the net was able to withstand bladed weapons despite its appearance.
"I didn't think you'd walk right into our trap. Most fanalis are more wary of slavers since we know of their weaknesses. It appears we have very inexperienced fanalis in our grasp this time, Roga." The delicate voice spoke once more, this time with delight and excitement clear and overflowing.
"What do you expect? No fanalis can escape my magical net, no matter how powerful they are. Brute force won't help them." Another voice, this one harsher than the delicate bandit's voice.
Magical net? Were there magi in this world? Now that they mentioned it, he could feel a weak scent from the rope. It reminded him of earth and trees for some reason. Had they managed to buy the net from a magus? If so, they wouldn't mind if he evened the playing field.
"What did you do?" he asked them. If Magecraft existed here did that mean he could use his tracing without them ganging up on him?
"Roga is our magician, straight from the academy. He's been helping us gather slaves and killing the other bandits around here. We've been making quite the profit from our business venture." The delicate voice said as they emerged from the darkness.
The man with the delicate voice had black hair and brown eyes with no outstanding features. He looked like the average Joe who could disappear into a crowd with no trouble whatsoever. That kind of appearance would probably help as a bandit. It was hard to find or put a bounty on a criminal if he didn't have any special characteristics.
The magus, Roga, on the other hand had a huge nose and brown, bushy hair. The sneer on his face made Shirou hate him instantly. It wasn't quite on the same level of Gilgamesh, but it was close enough.
"Please, you give me too much credit. The garbage around this town wasn't even worth the magoi I used on them. What a waste of magic." The magus said, as if murdering innocent people was nothing. Shirou had seen plenty of magi who abused their Magecraft and the victims who suffered for it.
"True, but you have to admit; the money is good and the slavers are always happy when it comes to cheap slaves. It's not like the lord of Kotia is going to notice, he's too busy trying to contain the slums to do anything else." Vafer said, a grin on his face.
"Still, I was hoping for a challenge when he said he was a fanalis. To get caught by my first spell, are you a halfbreed? You're a little slow for a fanalis and your eyes aren't red. Don't tell me, it's even less? If you don't have the strength of a fanalis then your price will that of a normal human." He used his staff (who used a staff anyway?) and hit Shirou on the top of his skull.
"Who cares about that, as long as his hair is red then we'll get a nice price either way. Once we have enough cash, we can buy the entire slave trade of Kotia. This is just another step on the way since we don't have to share the cash with anyone else now." Vafer said with excitement, his grin spreading almost from ear to ear.
Shirou had heard enough. These people killed and kidnapped innocent human beings for their own gain. Not a shred of remorse or guilt in their eyes, even a magus at clock tower would be disgusted by their actions.
"Don't go spouting our plan off to anyone we catch, Vafer. These people don't need to know anything aside from that they are slaves now. Let's go, I'm hungry." He had been about to leave, but stopped when he heard Shirou speak.
"Trace on."
During his time in Clock Tower, Shirou had met with the only survivor of the previous Holy Grail War. Waver Velvet was a renowned professor and had agreed to share his memories of the previous war with Shirou. And the Noble Phantasms of said war…
"Gae Dearg."
The net containing Shirou was sliced away in a flurry of motions. The crimson spear, a two meter long polearm, cut through the net like it wasn't even there. The magically enhanced rope which had been too heavy and strong for him to destroy with mere physical strength had been rendered useless with the bladed weapon.
Both Roga and Vafer stared at the sight of their secret weapon rendered useless. The Crimson Rose of Exorcism cut through anything magical. A net reinforced by magic wouldn't be able to put any kind of resistance against the spear of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. Shirou might not have trained extensively in the use of spears, but his reality marble could pick up the slack.
"I don't suppose you'll surrender nicely so we can avoid any more bloodshed." Shirou said, gripping the spear in a stance once used by the famous Irish hero. He was right as Vafer drew his sword and Roga fired a ball made of fire at him. The heat didn't even make him flinch as he cut the fire apart. He used the handle to block the sword aiming for his head and his fist stuck Vafer's jaw, breaking it. The bandit slumped to the ground, unconscious and Shirou turned to the magician.
Roga panicked and fired another fireball at him, but his fear made his aim deteriorate. The attack missed Shirou and crashed into a tree, scorching the bark. Shirou rushed forward in the paus between attacks and stabbed the spear into the shoulder of the magus. Roga screamed in pain, but Shirou didn't stop. He continued pushing forward, making Roga back up against the tree. Once his back met the bark of the tree, Shirou reinforced his limbs and used his entire body to shove the spear through the magus's shoulder and into the tree itself, pinning Roga to the wood. The blood red spear pierced the entire trunk and exited on the other side, ensuring the magus wouldn't be running away any time soon.
Letting go of the spear, Shirou looked around to survey the area. The bandits were dead, aside from the leader and magus, and the women and children were safe behind the caravan. Good, now he needed to talk to the bandits about where the remaining Kouga were.
"You're… you're a fucking monster!" Roga hissed through the pain.
"I don't want to hear that from you. You sell people into slavery and kill those who put up a fight, I can't imagine a more monstrous being than you." Shirou spat. He looked at the injury he had given the bandit magus. Maybe he had overdone it, but at the moment he didn't really care. Blood was flowing from the wound and colored the magus's white robe a pure red. Despite the grievous injury, it wouldn't kill him. The arm would be useless without proper medical attention, but the immediate blood loss wouldn't be enough to end his life. Shirou would be the one to kill him in the end. But before he could do that…
Roga flinched as Shirou's golden brown eyes stared into his own. "What is it?"
"Where are the people you captured?"
Five men.
After he had interrogated the bandit and the magician about their whereabouts and their information about the city, Shirou had forced them to show him their hideout. All the stolen goods and treasures the criminals had gathered had been stored in a common tent to ensure no greedy thief tried to take more than their fair share. The people Roga and Vafer had captured were also there and they were much less than what Shirou had hoped.
Only five men remained…
Those were the only guards the bandits had spared. There had originally been twenty-three warriors traveling with the caravan including Raj, but over eighteen had been cut down by arrows and traps. Even worse, one of the men had lost his eye in the conflict and it looked like it was going to get infected if they couldn't clean the wound.
Shirou had killed the bandits after they had been rescued. He didn't like killing people who had surrendered, but he couldn't let them go, not even to prison. According to Roga (Whom Shirou had asked nicely… at first), Vafer had bribed the judges and soldiers at the city to release them if they were ever caught. That way the soldiers had an extra income and the smaller merchants were removed from the more popular markets. A city only had so much room for salesmen and when the city was being crowded and bursting at the seams with new arrivals, a little extra cash and a little less population was appreciated.
There was also the fact that they both enjoyed what they did. They had made it their life to kill and steal, letting them go would only cause more death and despair. If Shirou had to get his hands dirty to save a few more people then he would bear that sin, even if it hurt him to do so. If he let them go and the next caravan was killed he would know it was his fault.
Speaking of caravans, he still needed to know what would happen to the company he was traveling with.
If Shirou traveled with them to Kotia then they would have six guards (five if you excluded the injured man) protecting seven women and five children. Considering that the leader of the bandits had said they had killed most of the other bandits in the area, the road would be relatively safe, but going into the city would be dangerous as well. Five wagons filled with merchandize with only six tired guards and a bunch of women and children guarding it would be a tempting target for even the most cautious of thieves. Raj had been on the verge of turning back because he was wary of the dangers, and although he had been killed by the bandits his decision should have been followed, but…
"We can't turn back now!" Dalj roared over the opinions of the rest of the caravan. "Our plan was to buy passage on a ship back to the plateau. There isn't another harbor nearby that won't take us weeks to reach and our supplies aren't enough to make it. We have to go to Kotia, it's our only option."
Dalj had been Raj's second-in-command, but his inexperience showed. He didn't have Raj's charisma or his intelligence so even though the caravan should have listened to his orders, the merchants weren't as willing to go along with his commands as he had hoped.
Not that Shirou knew any better in terms of people and their actions. He had been in this world for a day and the only people he had met had been the caravan and the bandits so he didn't have the knowledge to know what was right or wrong in this situation. He did know that an easy target was an easy target and bandits will always be bandits, but that wasn't enough for him to give his input. If he gave incorrect advice and the caravan suffered as a result, the guilt would haunt him forever. Though it seemed neither the merchants nor the warriors would be able to come to an agreement about this. Dalj had apparently wanted command for a long time and Raj had been in the way for that. If he returned to the village without money or wares and with most of the warriors dead he would never see a promotion again, or at least that what the women said.
While Shirou simply wanted to help those he could, he did have a personal interest in the town. He wanted to find a library and learn how to read the language. Raj had shown him a scroll with strange symbols on it and said it was the common language that all the humans on this planet spoke. How they managed to keep the common tongue without losing it to dialects was beyond Shirou, but he wanted to find out. Sadly, while his verbal understanding of the language was excellent, the written part was not so good. A library might help him with that part, but those only existed in large towns and cities. Kotia had a small library built thanks to the dungeon and it might be Shirou's last chance for a long time to learn how to read and write.
However, if it meant that the caravan would be put in danger then he would decline the opportunity. He still had to make sure they returned home safe and sound.
"Why should we risk our lives just to get to Kotia? If we ration our supplies and slaughter the horses the bandits owned then we'll make to the next town right?" One of the women asked. She flinched when Dalj turned to glare at her.
"We won't be risking our lives. We will hire mercenaries once we get there and we won't rest where bandits and criminal gather anymore. Besides, we have a fanalis with us, one that can use magic at that!" Dalj said confidently while waving his arm in Shirou's direction.
`Crap!´
All of a sudden the attention had been shifted in Shirou's direction and the combined might of eighteen stares pressed down on him. He shifted his weight onto his left foot and leaned against a tree as he tried to ignore the focus they had put on him.
He had messed up. He shouldn't have used Gae Dearg to cut the rope. Rule Breaker should have been enough to finish the job and the small dagger would have been easier to conceal than the large spear. He could have said he had hidden the dagger beneath his clothes in case of an emergency, but he could do the same for the spear. He had a two meter long spear, a spear longer than he was tall, concealed in his shirt and jeans? Not even the most gullible of fools would have believed that. Now what was he going to say?
`I'm not a fanalis, I still don't even know what a fanalis is. And I can only use Magecraft, not magic.´ He really wanted to say it, but the expecting look in their eyes told him that to do such a thing would break their hearts and hopes. They probably wanted to go home quickly and return to their families and the quickest way was through Kotia.
Disappoint them and make them go to the next town or help them to Kotia under the lie of being a `fanalis´ who can use `magic´? He hated lying, but he also hated disappointing people. He would help them regardless of what they chose, but what would help them the most?
What would Kiritsugu do?
"I'm not a fanalis." He said in the end. Trying to pass himself off as a fanalis without knowing what they were was just foolish. Superhuman strength and speed was too vague a description to go by and having red hair couldn't be that uncommon. As he expected, the looks he was given were filled with disappointment and despair. They must have thought they would be able to go home sooner rather than later. He could throw them a bone, right?
"But I do know a little magic, mostly about fighting so..." As soon as he said that though the hope was rekindled and the children could be seen with smiles on their faces. It made him happy, knowing he could help them a little using Magecraft.
"With that said, we'll be going through Kotia tomorrow." Dalj said confidently. The large man looked over to the warriors on one side and his face changed adopted an expression of thought. "We have to change the guard shifts as well. Six people can't guard the entire night all by themselves. We have to switch with a few of the women as well. Shirou, a word please?" As the rest of the group went back to cooking food and setting up a perimeter, Shirou followed Dalj to a corner of the camp. Once they got to a comfortable distance away from the camp, Dalj turned to Shirou.
"Before I say anything else, I just want to thank you for helping us back then. We would have been turned to slaves if you hadn't stopped the bandits. I have a wife and two kids back home who would have been devastated if I died." He said gratefully.
Shirou accepted his thanks with joy. If only he was shown this much gratitude every time he saved someone, maybe Archer wouldn't have turned out to be such a villain after all. No, that was wrong. Archer had been twisted into the brooding anti-hero after he had died and been forced to kill countless humans as a Counter-Guardian. Gratitude and kindness had little to do with the resulting heroic spirit.
"Don't mention it, I'm just happy to help." He smiled. Being thanked really did make him feel like he had succeeded somehow. Maybe Kiritsugu had felt like this at some point?
"Aside from that, there's something I want to ask you. Tomorrow when we reach Kotia, we'll be setting up shop in the south-eastern square. It's one of the shabbier districts and crime is pretty common around those places. As Kouga, we are usually seen as filthy and people try to take advantage of us. That's why we travel with so many soldiers around us, otherwise the men on the market might try something with the women. Since most of our men were killed tonight and we won't be able to hire as many mercenaries as we might need, I want you to stand guard in front of the shop. Can you do that?" the proud man asked. The fact that he asked instead of demanded it spoke about the man's ability to lead. Or perhaps it was the man's inability to lead which forced him to ask instead of demanding, but Shirou wasn't going to sweat the details.
"Sure, but do you think having me there might make a difference? I'm just one man, a man you've known for less than a day." He pointed out. He wasn't going to deny them the help that they sorely needed, but he needed to make certain they knew what they were asking for.
"I don't think you realize the fear people have of the fanalis. People aren't afraid of fanalis if they're slaves, but a free fanalis is something humans fear out of instinct. You might not know this since people may have mistaken you for a fanalis, however having a single human with dark skin and red hair is enough to warn criminals not to try anything stupid. If you show off your magic and it'll be more effective than having ten men with swords drawn." Really, were the fanalis that dangerous? The bandits didn't seem to be afraid of him, but that might be because they had a magus helping them out. Either way, it wouldn't hurt to try.
"Okay, I'll help you out. In case you need anything else, just let me know. I'll be happy to help you in any way I can." Shirou accepted with a smile.
Dalj smiled as well and he slammed his open palm into Shirou's back as he let out a loud laugh. "I knew I could count on you. If you ever find yourself on the Tenzan Plateau, come to the northern wolf-tribe. I'll get a feast up and running as thanks for all the help. Keep it up and I'll have to name my firstborn after you."
Shirou gave a weak laugh and ignored the stinging pain on his back from the slap Dalj had given him. Why were people so physical in this world? What happened to personal space and privacy? Half the time he spoke to Raj and the other clansmen he had to take a step back several time in each conversation because they kept walking closer. For a Japanese person who valued his privacy it was uncomfortably close to the point that he wanted to push them away sometimes.
"Oh, before I forget, wait here." Dalj motioned for him to wait as he ran to the wagons and disappeared. He came back a minute later, holding a bundle of cloth.
"It's tradition to send a warrior's sword back to his family after he dies on a battlefield, but Raj had no family and his sword would be given to some youngster if it was returned. The caravan was his family and you saved it. Raj would have wanted you to have this." He said as he handed him the wrapped bundle. Shirou took it with care. Unwrapping it, he saw a sword in its sheath and a red tassle was attached to the pommel of the hilt.
"Are you sure? I'm not a Kouga, shouldn't a Kouga use this sword instead?" He asked carefully. He didn't want to insult Dalj or Raj's memory. Dalj simply laughed once more in his face.
"Don't be modest, you're gonna need a sword tomorrow when you act as a guard and that sword will help people realize you're with us. It'll kill two birds with one stone." He once again smacked his hand against Shirou's back and he bit back a yelp. He could feel the bruise beginning to form already.
Hopefully these people would understand that he needed his personal space. He didn't think his back would be able to take much or of their `Friendly pats´.
Standing guard wasn't as hard as he thought it would be.
They had entered Kotia just hours earlier and while he didn't approve of the guards making a deal with bandits, he certainly understood why they thought it was possible. The entire road leading to the gates was overflowing with people to the point of getting in with a cart was almost impossible. People were pushing and shoving each other in an effort to get inside the city as soon as possible without regard to who they hurt in the process. Shirou had once stopped to pick up a woman who had been pushed to the ground, but the woman had pushed him away in order to get into the city faster. It had been a shocking experience, even for someone as experienced as Shirou. He had grown up traveling with the Japanese railway and the trains in japan aren't exactly known for being empty. Each time he got on a train, he had to put up with elbows and backs pushing into him in order for them to get to work in time. The trains had nothing on the crowd occupying the street though, not by a long shot.
Luckily for the caravan, Shirou's red hair and slightly darker skin seemed to scare the masses. A fanalis was known for being incredibly strong, so trying to get in the way of a caravan using one as a guard was not the brightest of ideas. Shirou's presence spread the large crowd like the red sea, giving the wagons free passage into the city of Kotia. Even the guards stationed by the gates were frightened by Shirou's menacing (friendly) expression. After that he would simply stand by the merchant's shop and keep an eye out for troublesome behavior. He had hardened his resolve when they entered the gate. That was when he was able to see the town for what it was.
His first impression of the town was that it had expanded too quickly.
The houses closest to the first wall were nothing more than hastily erected tents and houses made of clay. He could see the roofs of the buildings crack and some had even begun to collapse. As he saw more of the architecture, or lack thereof, he was able to determine that either the citizens had to build their own homes or they were forced to rely on builders who were too incompetent or stressed to do it properly. It reminded him of his trip to South America and the flimsy shacks the slums had been built with.
The dungeon, or at least what he assumed to be the dungeon, was a tower with several smaller cylinders pointing out of the main body. There were no windows and the surface of it appeared to be smooth with no blemishes. It was larger than he had expected and the shape didn't make any sense. Was there a reason for the design?
"This is the south-eastern square. Since the sea is on the north-western side of the town, the new buildings had to be built on the opposite side. Unfortunately, the city couldn't keep up with the increased population and the slums increased as a result. Each year the lord of the city orders a purge to remove the beggars and homeless from the older parts in order to make room for proper citizens. That's why buildings you see here are so shoddy, the purge was a month ago and the people who were driven from their homes have just settled here." Dalj said.
"Isn't it bad for the lord's reputation if the slums keep expanding? Wouldn't he want to decrease the slums and create a better city altogether?" Shirou asked, perplexed as to the reasons for it. Dalj simply sighed exasperatedly and pointed to the dungeon.
"He might if it weren't for that. The dungeon appeared three years ago and brought a bunch of wealth to the city. However there is a downside to having a dungeon appear in a small village, especially one that barely had a hundred people before. The lord might get rich from the trade and taxes, but he has to ensure the city grows at the right pace. Last time I was here, I think the slums made up for about half of the population. There is always plenty of work, but the pay isn't that good and the lack of educated people means only commoners can be employed. Take the tannery for example; two years ago the poor would be given work at the tannery with a modest pay. Now it's barely enough to feed yourself." He explained.
"With more arrivals every day, more work opens up which means people get paid. But the pay is so low that you need several jobs to feed your family. The only way for the situation to change is if the lord starts increasing the taxes on the richer parts, but trading is risky business and Kotia is in a precarious position. If the dungeon disappears then people won't herd into it as much, but not a single soul has managed it." Dalj said as he took a swig from his wineskin.
How did that make any sense? The dungeon had helped the village grow into a trading center, but it was also responsible for the increasing slums? In that case, the best way to help the town was to clear the dungeon. But if the dungeon was cleared then the trade would decrease. The city was stuck between a rock and a hard place where the solution was also the poison. Would the lord be able to increase the taxes then the slums would be taken care of, but the result would limit the trade they received and the total income would decrease as well. He was also pretty sure Dalj didn't know everything there was about the city, but he was just a merchant from another country after all.
"What will happen if the dungeon is destroyed?" A well-aimed Caladbolg could destabilize the tower and cause it to fall into the sea, avoiding the city and the harbor.
"Well, it would stop the people gathering in droves, but the trade might also lessen. But that's not why we're here. Look, the girls have finished setting up shop." He was right, one of the caravans had been turned into a
Stall with different wares lining the side. The women and the older children were talking to customers. The five remaining guards were standing nervously around the shop and were staring at anyone who neared the small wagon.
"I guess this is where I do my part. How long do you think it'll take for the day to be over?" Shirou asked the leader of the caravan. Dalj blinked and frowned for a second before he answered.
"Last time I was here we worked until the sun set, but we all took breaks and set up shifts. I reckon we'll be here until the sun sets or the customer stop coming." He answered, unsure of his own answer. Shirou simply nodded, he had simply wanted to know how he had to stay before he could go to a library.
"Got it, I'll take the first shift. You go talk to the others about arranging breaks." With that, Dalj left him to guard the shop.
It was a lot easier than he had imagined at first. He thought he'd be beating up bandits and thieves at every waking moment, but most customers were rather polite. They did stop to stare at his red hair quite often though, perhaps they didn't see a lot of people with red hair. In fact, most men and women had either black or brown hair with the odd blonde every now and then. His own red must have been something akin to an attraction. Compared to the other stalls on the street, most of the customers spent a lot of time inspecting his face and talking amongst themselves. It made him feel rather exposed, like an animal at a zoo.
It did help the caravan quite a lot, since most visitors did buy something. Even if all they bought was a simple necklace worth only single copper, the stall quickly emptied its wares. Other stall owners were looking at him with fury in their expressions, but it wasn't something he could avoid. His job was to make himself as visible as possible to scare away any criminals, but it looked like it had a second effect.
Still, as the second wagon was used to refill the stock, he couldn't ignore the feeling he was getting from the tall tower in front of him. The building couldn't be more than a kilometer a way, and the shop was set up that he was looking straight at it. The sheer architecture of the behemoth was mindboggling, enough to make him feel dizzy simply by watching it from a distance. Even by the standards of his world, a building such as that was impossible. To build such a thing using the skills and technique of this world's era was ludicrous, anyone who looked at it would feel so. Yet it had supposedly appeared out of nowhere one night without a single human waking up from the noise. Somehow he had a hard time believing it. Unless the creator was capable of true magic then he wasn't going to believe whatever they told him.
"Admiring the dungeon?" a smooth voice broke him away from his thoughts. Turning to the speaker, he was surprised by the person that greeted him.
It was a man with blond hair akin to gold which he kept in a long braid that reached his ankles. The man's face was incredibly feminine, to the point that Shirou first thought he was a woman. If it wasn't for the fact that the man had a shirt which revealed a lot of his chest, Shirou would have assumed he was speaking to a woman if he was only going by the voice and the face. The man's clothes were rather loose fitting and looked like mixture between a wizard's cape, hat and something you'd find the old men at Clock Tower wearing.
The man's eyes were the most peculiar thing about his appearance. Despite his sudden appearance and the fact that he managed to sneak up behind Shirou, he didn't feel at all intimidated by the man. His eyes were far too kind and warm for him to muster up any kind of hostility.
That, if anything, told Shirou that this man was dangerous.
"Maybe, maybe not. Can I help you?" Shirou asked the stranger. His hand twitched with the need for a sword and the blade on his back seemed to burn with desire to fulfill that need. The man seemed to sense his cautiousness.
"Ah, don't worry, I'm not someone suspicious. I simply saw your little shop and thought I could take a look at the wares." He waved his hand to show he wasn't armed, his other hand holding a rather odd staff. It looked like a… fishing rod?
"If you intend to buy anything then shouldn't you look at the merchandize? It's hard to decide on what to buy if you haven't looked at anything yet. I recommend the horse milk, it's great if you drink it first thing in the morning." Shirou said curtly. It was alarmingly hard to keep his guard up around this guy, every bone in his body wanted to relax and talk to him. It was the exact opposite feeling of meeting Kotomine. Every word the stranger said made him feel like he should trust this man unconditionally.
"Really? I'll have to try that then, it's been a while since I visited the Kouga. They always did have the most interesting food." The stranger smiled and Shirou had to fight the urge to smile back. What was happening? He wasn't a hostile person by nature and neither did the stranger appear to have ulterior motives. There wasn't a single scrap of negativity about him.
But there was still something that made Shirou think he was dangerous.
"Have you been to the Kouga before?" Was this man familiar with the Kouga? Then why wasn't he talking to the Kouga clansmen?
"It was a long time ago, but yes. I doubt anyone over there remembers me though, I hardly remember anything myself. How about you, have you ever seen the fields of the Tenzan Plateau?" he responded. The smile he wore on his face was almost bursting with innocence.
"I… can't say that I have, I just met the caravan a few days ago. A few things happened and they hired me as a guard." Shirou spared a look at the shop to make sure there weren't any thieves around. `Blondie´, as Shirou have decided to call him, could be a distraction meant to give the other thieves a chance to steal from the stall. A quick glance and all the customers who saw him shuddered. Good, his attempt to emulate Archer's glare had worked.
"That's a shame, the view is simply hypnotic. If you are ever near the area, take the time to have a look at the environment. I've always enjoyed the serenity it gives me, though the light and the open spaces tend to make me a little nervous." Blondie said with an awkward laugh.
"I… guess I will." The conversation was becoming awkward very fast. Shirou didn't know what to talk about since he was wary of the stranger, but it wasn't like he could simply ignore him either.
"So are you interested about the dungeon?" Blondie asked after a moment of silence. That did get Shirou's attention. It had been the first thing the stranger had asked him after all, why had he forgotten about that?
It was time to get some answers.
"I suppose so, it's the first time I've seen one after all. What about you? Fancy challenging the dangers for some extra spending money." Shirou retaliated. Blondie laughed at his question, a sincere and honest laughter. It had been quite some time since he had heard such a sound.
"I'm afraid not, I'm happy living my life as it is, travelling from place to place. Even if I return to where I started, so much time passes between that I have to experience it all again. Don't you think traveling is fun?" Blondie said in return.
"I haven't really thought about it. I usually only travel if I have work to do or my school tells me to, so I have never really taken in the sights while I'm at it. Aside from the food, travelling hasn't really interested me that much." Apparently that was the wrong thing to say because the stranger puffed his cheeks in anger and glared at him.
"What are you talking about?! Seeing new places, experiencing new cultures and making new friends, how can you not be interested in such things? Honestly, you are so unlike him it's stupid." The change in character was so odd and yet strangely fitting that Shirou lost his composure. It reminded him so much of Sakura when he did something stupid and she would scold him for it. The feeling was nostalgic to say the least.
"I'm… sorry? To begin with, what are you talking about? Just because we have different interests doesn't mean you have to lose your cool over it." The comment seemed to calm him down and Blondie adjusted his wizarding hat. His green, oversized wizarding hat. His green, oversized wizarding hat… with a feather and a ruby as decorations.
Was this acceptable fashion in this world? He wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. To begin with, this entire world had different clothing so wouldn't Shirou be the one who looked strange? That was perhaps the reason Blondie had started talking to him, because they both wore strange clothes.
Blondie coughed into his hand to regain his composure before he focused on Shirou once more.
"Sorry about that, I was simply surprised by your personality. Although I have to say, I have decided what to do now." The smile was back now and Shirou was prepared for the effect it had on him this time.
"And that would be?" The slightest movement from Blondie and Shirou would have drawn his sword faster than he could blink. There was something about the man that Shirou couldn't out his finger on, but he knew it was dangerous.
Blondie's smile widened as Shirou's muscles tensed. "I have decided…" he began.
Shirou reinforced his entire body to the outmost limit, preparing himself for the clash. If he finished it quickly then the man wouldn't even have time to react. Not many beings could survive a severed head and the man in front of him was relaxed event though he knew Shirou was ready to fight. That meant he had a secret weapon, an ace in the hole.
Shirou wasn't going to let him use it.
"…That I want the horse milk." Blondie finished.
…
"What?" Shirou asked, dumbfounded. He was sure he had heard right, but…
"The horse milk, you said it was delicious in the morning. I get a bit cranky in the morning so having something tasty would be good, right? Those who drink well, grow well, that's my motto." Blondie said, smiling innocently.
Blondie had felt his killing intent, he was sure of it. He knew Shirou could have cleaved his body in two with a single swing of his sword and yet he had still acted without a care in the world. He wasn't an ordinary human, Shirou wasn't even sure he was a human at all. Was this entire world filled with people like him?
"I see, I guess you should talk to the owners then. Looks like they still have some milk left." He pointed numbly at the stall. He had geared up his entire body for a fight and now he wouldn't be fighting at all. It made his body feel sluggish, like he hadn't moved it in over a week and it had now been forced to run marathon.
"Thank you, I'll tell them you recommended it." Blondie started walking before he stopped and looked back. Shirou noticed his gaze.
"What? Is something wrong?"
"No, not at all. It's just… in case you're still wondering, the quickest way to help the slums would be to clear the dungeon. That way the city still has its trade and the new arrivals will decrease. Don't you think so?" Blondie said, his smile once more overflowing with kindness.
"Okay?" What did he mean by that?
"Oh, in case Asmodeus asks who sent you, tell him Yunan said hi. We're old buddies so he'll be nice, just try not to drink anything he gives you. He tends to offer the really strong stuff to new people." Blondie left, leaving a dumbstruck Shirou behind. Yunan, was that Blondie's name?
What an odd man.
After Blondie paid for the milk, he disappeared into the crowds covering the street. It was almost scary how fast he vanished.
"Shirou, did you know that man?" The woman from the night before asked him. Shirou shook his head in denial.
"Not at all, this was the first time I've seen him, why?"
The woman in charge of the stall pointed at the shop and said: "It's just that he bought all our horse milk and our herbal tea."
"Really? All of it? I didn't think he'd do that." Shirou said surprised.
"He also said you would pay for it." she said while shuffling her feet in embarrassment. At first he dind't understand what she had said, but his eyes narrowed in anger once the pieces came together
"He said what?" `That slimy little thief! That had been his plan all along!´ Shirou searched the crowd surrounding the market, but he couldn't see anyone with blonde hair. The rat had run away before Shirou could find out what had happened.
"Don't worry, I'll find him right away. Just give me ten minutes, no give me five. Give me five minutes and I'll have him here on his knees, begging for mercy." He wasn't going to get away with this.
"Actually, he said you could find him at Asmodeus." She shifted her eyes to meet his. "Are you really going?" she asked him, her face read with, was it embarrassment?
"Of course, how could I let him get away with stealing your merchandize? He has to pay you back, every single coin." Shirou said resolutely. The woman blinked in surprise and looked down on the ground.
"By the way, where is Asmodeus?" Shirou asked. He had sworn he had heard the name before.
She raised her arm and slowly shifted it to the tall tower in front of him. "There it is. That dungeon is called Asmodeus." She said.
Sometimes…
Shirou really wondered where his life had taken a turn for the worse.