John hadn't been kidding about Louisa being soft on fresh reincarnations. Not only had she helped him through filling out the required forms to register with the Guild, she had also spent time giving Shirou advice on what 'dungeon' to go to first, where to get a beginner weapon for free, and explained how to use his new Seeker ID card to assign his Skill Points.

She even went above and beyond, giving Shirou not only some spending money to help him get off the ground, but also a 'Mercenary Ticket' so that he could hire a mercenary partner if he couldn't find anyone who wanted to invite him into their party because of his strange job. She even said that if he was having a hard time and couldn't get enough contribution points the first few days, she would let him stay at her place.

Shirou actually felt guilty, thinking that most of this seemed to be coming out of the woman's own pocket. However, even he understood that he would need all the help he could get to get on his feet. He couldn't afford to turn down her kindness now. He promised himself that he would pay her back in full later. For now, he needed to concentrate on the present and how he was going to survive.

Following the map in his ID card, Shirou headed towards the 'Valley of Dawns', a dungeon located within District Eight that was popular among beginners. From what Shirou was told, it was a wide open place with a fair number of weaker monsters that didn't tend to hunt in packs or use any sort of ambush tactics that would lead to the sudden and unexpected deaths of entire parties of Seekers. The perfect place for someone trying to get their feet wet.

Shirou wasn't exactly sure how he would handle these 'monsters' but he probably had a better chance than most. He had years of experience with Kendo and Archery, a body he kept in shape with a strong exercise routine, and a limited amount of magecraft if things got hairy. All he had to do now was get a handle on these 'Skills'.

Available Skills:

- Level 1:

+ Equipment Maintenance I: Repair or modify equipment.

+ Enhance Weapon I: Add +10 conceptual damage to a weapon for 4 hours.

+ Enhance Armor I: Add +10 damage negation to a set of armor for 4 hours.

+ Training I: Increase effects of training.

+ Cooking I: Add magical effects to your cooking.

+ Dimensional Armory I: Gain a 10000 cubic meters dimensional storage space that can store weapons.

Skill Points Available: 2

Honestly speaking, Shirou had absolutely no clue what he was looking at. He wasn't so sheltered that the concept of an RPG was unfamiliar to him. He might not have been the most social person around, but he was still a Japanese High Schooler. So when he saw the 'skill points' and 'HP' stats in his ID, he had some inkling as to what was going on. It was pretty unbelievable, to the point he was half convinced that he was just imagining all of this as he burned to death. He couldn't wrap his mind around how any of this could be real.

But he figured he might as well just accept it as reality. Worse comes to worst, he really was just burning to death and it didn't matter anyways. He only stood to gain from just accepting the facts as they came, no matter how unbelievable.

Problem was, he didn't know how to interpret the facts. 'Equipment Maintenance I' claimed to be able to repair equipment, but how did it do that? Did it mean that Shirou could just snap his finger and get the equipment to fix itself, or did he still need the materials and tools to make it work. And a dimensional storage space, that was just… mind blowing, and 10000 cubic meters would probably be enough storage space to fit his entire house and still have a little wiggle room left over. ...But was he ever really going to have THAT much weaponry?

He half wanted to pick the skills just to find out, even though he had been warned time and again by Louisa not to waste them, because Skills are a Seeker's life's blood and once spent you never get them back. So while 'Equipment Maintenance I', 'Training I', 'Cooking I' and 'Dimensional Armory I' all sounded interesting, Shirou figured he should start with the skills that would help him with the problem at hand.

'Enhance Weapon I' and 'Enhance Armor I' both looked like things that would help him fight against monsters, even if he had no idea how much '10 damage' was.

Looking at his own ID, the read out said that he had 10 HP. Did that mean that 10 damage is enough to instantly kill a man? If that was the case, that was kind of insane, but still, Shirou had a hard time even wrapping his mind around how that would work. He didn't even know what 'conceptual damage' even meant.

Perhaps if he had been a trained Magus, it would all make sense, but he really wasn't.

Still, he wasn't going to be getting anywhere just staring at the options all day, so he put his two skill points into 'Enhance Weapon I' and 'Enhance Armor I' and pressed accept.

He stopped in the middle of the road, blinking in confusion as the mechanics of how to perform the skills was downloaded into his mind. How to perform them… but not what they actually did. He was still as lost as before.

With a sigh, he changed back to the map to make sure he was still going the right way, and managed to find himself at his first destination, a market street.

When signing up at the guild, the new Seekers were given a coupon for some pre owned equipment below a certain value.

Getting a weapon felt like the logical place to start.

He glanced at the different street vendors as he moved past, blinking in confusion each time his eyes settled on a piece of weaponry or armor.

He couldn't explain why, but it felt like he was using a Structural Analysis spell on each piece just by looking at it, with details of its structure, make, and history coming to him as quickly as if he was holding the weapons in his own hands.

Was this a part of his Job? He hadn't recalled seeing it mentioned anywhere. Could it be that everyone could sense these kinds of things now?

His ponderings were cut off when he heard someone shout out his name over the bustle of the street. "Shirou! Shirou, over here!"

Shirou turned his head, expecting to see one of his schoolmates, but was surprised to find that the person waving to get his attention was dressed in cotton pants and a colorful top, with a red bandanna wrapped around her head, partially covering her bobbed cut hair. The thirteen year old girl's clothes were so different from what he was used to that it took a moment before he recognized her.

"Shinonogi-chan?" Shirou said in disbelief.

His belief was understandable. After all, he had gone to the girl's funeral just a year ago.

Shinonogi Madoka's family's home was also the local sporting goods store, which grandpa Raiga had often dragged Shirou to in order to stock up on hunting equipment. Madoka had been the cheerful girl who helped out around the family store, and was the kind of person to become everyone's friend. There had been a lot of people there to give their regards after she died when one of the straps holding up a boat snapped and the boat fell down on top of her.

Her parents had ended up haunted by what happened and were selling the store in order to move away from the guilt.

...He probably shouldn't tell her about that.

"I knew it was you. I'd recognize that red head anywhere." The girl said happily, smiling just the way Shirou remembered. "Though in this world, people usually just use their first names with no honors attached, so just call me Madoka alright?"

"...If you say so, Madoka." Shirou said, awkwardly shifting himself to the local custom. "I'm… surprised to see you here. How have you been?"

"I've been holding in there. Have my own shop now. Well, not a real shop. Just a stand, but I'm confident that I will be owning my own place in the future. You'll see." The girl said, puffing out her chest, but then her shoulders fell a bit. "Well, I will once I can get my contribution points up. Reincarnators like us aren't allowed to buy property unless you are at least a Two-Star Seeker with the guild, and progress has been slow for me, since I am not much of a combatant."

"I see. Well, tell me if there is anything I can do to help." Shirou said.

"Helpful as always. Don't mind if I thank you in advance." Madoka said with a wink. "You see, 'Merchants' like me have a lot of utility skills that are handy to have on long hunts, but because people in District 8 tend to stick to short hunts, it is really hard for me to get a party going. Making money flipping equipment down here is also not easy when compared to hunting for it. So if you wouldn't mind bringing me with you into the Dungeon from time to time to help me get my level and contribution points up, it would help me a ton."

"Well, I don't have a party of my own yet, and I'm basically just a rookie so…"

"Doesn't matter. I remember how amazing you were with a bow. With your skills, hunting won't be a problem, and I can help you move the monster corpses around with my Delivery skill, and I can get you top dollar for whatever it is you get. Doesn't sound too bad, does it?" Madoka said cheerfully. "I'll even let you use the best bow I have to my name. So what do you say?"

"...I'll be in your care, I suppose." Shirou said with a nod. "I was given some tickets in order to hire a mercenary. I was about to go and get one."

"Great! I'll close up my stall and join you then." Madoka replied.

"Are you sure it is okay to just close up shop like that?"

"Don't worry about it. Great part about being self-employed is you don't have to ask for permission to do that kind of thing." Madoka said before shifting about a bit. "Besides… It would be nice to hang out again. It's been a long time since I've had a familiar face around."

"...I wouldn't mind the company either." Shirou replied.

She never even asked him what his Job was before he walked away.

Perhaps if Shirou was observant, he would have noticed the ashamed and desperate look on her face. Or the small bits of hay in her hair. Or the swollen redness of her eyes. Or just how sparse the goods at her stall were.

"I'm sorry for using you like this, Shirou-nii-san. I promise I will find a way to be of use to you." Madoka said, before wiping tears from her eyes and getting to work putting her few items away in her storage, draining about half of her little stamina while doing so.

Nobody wanted a Merchant in their party. For Merchants were truly worthless.


"I'd like to hire a mercenary for the day."

Leila looked down at the boy who had just walked into the Mercenary Guild with mild surprise.

It was his eyes. They were eyes that she had seen a thousand times before, from the Demihumans that she worked with. The eyes of someone who had somehow lost a piece of their humanity but still walked around as a barely functioning autistic individual. Though at least this kid could talk.

"Sure thing kid." Leila said, taking the copper ticket from the body. "A copper ticket. Guess that means you're hiring a Demihuman then."

"...A Demihuman?" The boy said. He was a fresh reincarnation, so he didn't have a clue what a Demihuman was.

"Sorry to say, but since things here are first come first serve, most of our Demihumans have already been hired out for the day. The only one left is a lizardman." Leila said with a shrug. "By the way, it's job is rogue."

"...It's." The kid said with a slight frown. Not seeming to like hearing a person being referred to by such an improper noun.

The reaction made Leila smile a bit, as she hoped that he would keep that attitude after actually meeting the Demihumans. "So, will you hire them, or not?"

"...I don't understand why I wouldn't." The boy said.

"Alright then. I'll go get them." Leila said before going into the back room. Moments later, she returned with the young Lizardman girl. "This is Theresa, she'll be your partner for the day."

The boy blinked, seeming surprised.

Theresa was around the same age as he was, though it was hard to tell. She looked like any other girl, save for the lizard skin hood that covered her head, and the scaly leather hide that was fused to the rest of her body, including a mask that covered her eyes.

The girl was cute, if Leila was to be the judge.

But the boy recovered quickly and gave the Lizard girl a polite bow. "I'm Emiya Shirou. I'll be in your care."

Despite his politeness, Theresa didn't respond and just stood there motionless, as things grew awkward.

"Sorry kid, but Demihumans don't speak." Leila said with a shake of her head.

"I see. Forgive me my ignorance, but what is a Demihuman?" The boy asked.

"It's rare, but sometimes, when Seekers die in the dungeon, they undergo a metamorphosis, being reborn as a hybrid of the monster that killed them, turning them into a Demihuman." Leila explained.

"That lucky of them, I guess. Getting another chance at life." The boy said.

"...That's a refreshing way of looking at it, but I'm afraid it isn't that simple. When someone becomes a Demihuman, they lose most of what it was that makes them human. It isn't just losing their voice. They lose the will to do anything and can only act when instructed and when in battle." Leila said with a shake of the head. "Because of this, we use them as mercenaries. It isn't a great solution, but it is better than leaving them to die."

"...I see." Shirou said, his face changing for the first time in order to show genuine empathy.

Leila had the impression that the boy really did understand.

"So, will you take her?"

"...Yes. And I promise I will keep her safe." Shirou said with a bit of determination.

"...Good to hear."

Keeping them safe. That was a new one.


"Are you ready to go?" Shirou asked Madoka, after returning with Theresa.

"You bet. And here is the bow I promised." Madoka said, holding out the bow to Shirou, as well as a quiver with ten arrows in it.

Shirou took the bow without complaint, though he could instantly tell that it wasn't of very good quality.

While he doubted Madoka was lying to him about it being the best she could give him, the bow was weak compared to most he had seen people walking around with, and the string probably only had a hundred more shots in it before it would break for good.

"Alright. Since you know this place better, can you lead the way?" Shirou asked the girl.

"Sure thing. Just follow me." Madoka said cheerfully before making towards the beginners' Labyrinth.

As they started walking, Shirou mumbled something under his breath. "Trace On."

The familiar sering pain went up his spine as he created his artificial magic circuit and used it to reinforce the bow, patching it up.

It still won't last forever, but it would hopefully not break on him that day.

"So this is the Demihuman mercenary?" Madoka asked, glancing at Theresa.

"It seems that way. Her name is Theresa." Shirou said, introducing the lizard girl.

"I see. What kind of skills does she have? You should be able to check, if she is registered to you." Madoka asked.

"Yeah, she's a level 3 Rogue and has Lizard Skin 1, Accelerator Dash, Detect Enemy 1, Danger Sense 1, and Silent Walking." Shirou said, reading off the skills, without much of an understanding of how they worked.

"Detect Enemy will probably be the most handy. If you can find the enemies before they find you, you can get the jump on them with your bow." Madoka said with a nod. "So long as Mr. Never-Misses-Emiya hasn't lost his game, this should be a piece of cake!"

"I hope so." Shirou said with a nod.

"Whelp, here we are." Madoka said, pointing towards an arch that led into an underground cavern. "That is the entrance to the Labyrinth. Once we go through there, we will be transported to the Labyrinth and we can get started. Ready to go?"

"...Actually, I would like to do something first. Theresa, could you come here for a second? I'd like to take a look at your equipment." Shirou said to the mercenary, who immediately obeyed, raising up her sword and shield for Shirou to inspect. Placing a hand on the sword, Shirou triggered his 'Enhance Weapon 1' skill, causing the sword to glow for a moment.

The cost to his MP was minimal. Not even an entire point was drained to enhance the weapon, which was good, since he only had 10 MP to work with at the moment. Shirou could enhance all 10 arrows and it was still only cost him a single point.

However, 'Enhance Armor 1' was a different beast.

"Nn..." Theresa gasped as Shirou magical energy washed through her entire body, as her scaly leather clothes were actually a part of her skin. It had been the first sound she had made since Shirou had met her.

"You alright?" Shirou asked the girl, who nodded in response, though her lizard skin hood might have turned from a muddy brown to the slightest shade of pink for a moment. "Sorry, I didn't think it would be uncomfortable for you, but this should help to keep you safe."

"Shirou, what was that?" Madoka asked with a tilt of her head.

"It was just me using my skills. I can enhance weapons and armor for 4 hours in exchange for some magic energy." Shirou explained.

Magic energy. Shirou actually had a magic energy pool that he could now access without putting himself through extreme pain. Too bad it was so finite in size.

Strengthening Theresa's armor had taken up a total of 4 MP by itself.

"I'll do your equipment next." Shirou said.

"You… you don't have to. I'm not going to be much use during the fights so…" Madoka said nervously, holding her little knife close to her chest, but Shirou just ignored her objections.

Madoka's 'equipment' was just her red bandanna, a plain white dress and green vest that didn't cover her arms, and a slightly oversized backpack.

Even compared to Shirou's school uniform, her clothes weren't good for protection. If he had to choose between strengthening his own clothes and strengthening Madoka's, the one he would choose was obvious.

He was older than her, and was responsible for her safety.

After enhancing everything, he had used 9.2 of his 10 MP, and felt more than a little exhausted because of it. Not that he let it show. "Alright, we're ready to go now." He said before heading towards the Labyrinth.

"...Right." Madoka said before chasing after him with Theresa.