Chapter 34: Hestia Familia's Day A Quiet Afternoon

Mornings at the Hearthstone Manor were always rather peaceful, considering all the different types of people that lived within. A deity, several Spirits, mortals of several different races, and monsters all living under the same roof in relative harmony.

Well, the monsters were sleeping outside under a massive tent with plenty of pillows but they were completely satisfied with that arrangement for the time being as it meant they were sleeping under the open sky for the most part.

This morning was rather noisy however, with the clashing of steel happening just outside the walls as two different pairs were training out in the yard. Bell was continuing his daily training with Saber and Emma was beginning her training with Archer. As they would no doubt be quite hungry once they were finished, it was up to Rider to start the preparations for a big enough breakfast for them all.

Not only that, Caster came home the previous day with several ingredients for sweets such as chocolate, sugar, and honey. He then requested that she make something out of them with it being enough for at least twenty people. Any leftovers were then hers to use as she saw fit.

She had already done all the prep work for the dough so all that was left was to let it set for about an hour.

As she hummed to herself, she poured herself a cup of a fragrant dark liquid made from beans that Caster had also procured in the marketplace as well. It was rather bitter but she found the taste rather addicting and had helped herself after preparing a pot for the King. With his permission of course.

As she enjoyed the aroma, she found herself being stared at by three sets of eyes just across the counter.

"Good morning, girls," she greeted them and Primo, Gina, and Assassin greeted her back in turn.

"Miss Rider, what is that?" Primo asked, pointing at the mug in Rider's hands.

"This? It's a drink called coffee," Rider replied.

"It smells really nice!" Gina said with a smile on her face.

"Can We have a cup too?"

"Hmm…it might be a bit early for you but…" Rider began as she pulled out three smaller cups and poured a bit of her drink in each. "Here you go. But be sure to take small sips or else…ah."

The three of them downed their cups in one go before Rider could finish her warning. Then, right in front of her eyes, all three of their faces scrunched up in unison as the bitterness washed over their tongues. Rider couldn't help but giggle into her hand at the rather adorable sight as she tuned toward the fridge and pulled out a large jug.

"Here you go," she said filling their cups with milk. "Use this to wash out the taste."

"So…bitter…" Gina groaned as Assassin could only wheeze and twitch to the point that she looked like she wanted to cry.

"I-it's not…so bad," Primo insisted although she was fairing little better than the other two and was no doubt just putting on a strong face.

"No need to try and be tough," Rider said as she reached across the counter to pat the elf on the head. "It's fine for children to sweeten it with sugar or milk beforehand."

"Sweeten what now?"

Caster walked into the kitchen, looking as though he had pulled yet another all nighter, prompting Rider to pour the Captain his drink.

"Oh nothing," Rider said as she held out the golden colored mug out to Caster who accepted it with a nod. "Just the girls wanting to try the coffee but it's too bitter for them."

"Humph, what immature palates," Caster scoffed at the notion as he took a sip of the coffee before frowning slightly.

As Rider turned around to return the milk jug to the fridge, two golden circles appeared over the king's mug dispensing a plentiful amount of white sugar and milk into the drink, turning it a lighter color. As the portals vanished he caught the three girls staring at him with accusing eyes.

Three sweets sealed in brightly colored wrappers landed on the counter in front of them before any of them could say anything. It was a clear attempt from the king to buy their silence. The sweets were quickly removed from their wrappers and hidden in their mouths. The bribes had been accepted without hesitation without the queen being any the wiser.

The sound of the front door could then be heard from the kitchen, telling everyone that the morning training had ended.

Caster then made his way out of the kitchen with the three girls trotting along after him like baby chicks that had imprinted on the first being that came into their view.

As they entered the living room, they can see Saber and Archer walking in with a rather battered Bell and Emma staggering behind them.

"Uuu…I'm all sweaty and sore…" Emma groaned. "How do you do this every morning, Bell?"

"Ahaha…I'm just used to it by now," Bell replied, his eyes following Saber who sank into an armchair with a sigh.

"Well, it'll only get more difficult from now on," Archer said as Emma let out another groan as she rubbed her back. "Go wash up before breakfast you two."

Bell and Emma nodded their heads as they headed to the bathroom and Archer turned to head into the kitchen, walking pass Caster and the girls as he did.

"Morning," he greeted.

"Faker," Caster replied with a nod.

"Faker?" Primo repeated in confusion.

"Faker!" Gina said with a smile.

"Counter Faker!" Assassin cheered.

Archer's body froze at the girls words while Caster threw his head back in laughter.

"Marvelous!" Caster said as a few more pieces of candy fell into their hands. "Accept that as a reward. Fuhahahaha!"

The three girls looked back and forth between the two men before Caster headed toward the stairs, shoulders still shaking in mirth, while Archer's body swayed listlessly into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Archer," Rider's voice came out from the kitchen. "Hmm? Are you all right? You look as though you just had your heart mercilessly shattered."

"Just…give me a minute…" Archer replied in a shaky voice.

Back in the living room, Primo muttered, "I think we hurt his feelings."

"How so?" Gina asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah, Mister King calls him that all the time," Assassin pointed out.

"It's probably not a nice thing to say to him," Primo said as she noticed someone else coming down the stairs.

"Quick hide!" Gina said as she pulled Primo and Assassin behind the armchair across from Saber's.

"Why!?" Primo asked but she allowed herself to be dragged down with them nonetheless.

The three of them then carefully poked their heads out in a totem pole style, with Primo at the bottom and Assassin at the top, to see Lancer enter the living room. The woman spotted her husband sitting in the armchair and slowly crept up in front of him, gazing lovingly at his face.

"It must have be exhausting to train Master every morning," she said with a giggle. "But you shouldn't fall asleep here, my love."

Lancer then waved her hand in front of Saber's face as if to check if he really was asleep before looking around to see if anyone was around. Seeing that the coast was clear, Lancer then lowered herself down to Saber's cheek and gently pressed her lips against it.

Seeing such a blatant act of affection, Primo let out a squeak of surprise but Gina and Assassin quickly placed their hands over her mouth to quiet while also using their other hand to cover each other's mouths.

Lancer pulled her face away from Saber's, stepping back with her hands placed against against her cheeks as she turned away in embarrassment.

As she was completely lost in her own world, Lancer did not notice Saber's body starting to shiver from the sudden act of affection. The man had not been asleep after all. He had been completely conscious to Lancer's "evil" deed and seemed to be exuding a pressure begging for someone to give him an opening to "wake up."

"W-while the opportunity is here…" Lancer suddenly muttered, prompting Saber's body to stop shaking immediately. "T-the mouth should be fine too, right?"

The shaking returned even more violently than before.

Unable to just sit and watch any longer, Primo pulled Assassin and Gina's hands off of her mouth and jumped up with a loud, "BOO!"

Lancer jumped at the noise, showcasing just how distracted she had been while also giving Saber an opportunity to "wake up."

"H-hahaha! Got you!"

"M-Miss Libera!" Lancer said as Saber slowly opened his eyes. "H-h-h-how long were you there?"

"J-just now?" Primo replied, inwardly wincing at how unconvincing she sounded as Gina and Assassin also poked their heads up. The latter two showing zero inclinations in forgetting what they had seen.

"I-is that so?" Lancer asked. "Y-you shouldn't play pranks so early in the morning."

"Is that really what you should be saying to us?" Gina asked, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

"What do you mean?" Saber asked, clearly playing ignorant with his tone of voice betraying none of his inner feelings.

"Nothing~"

"We didn't see any kissys!" Assassin "helpfully" added before Primo grabbed them and dragged them into the dining room, leaving the flustered couple behind.

And so began another day in the life of Hestia Familia.

X-x-X-x-X

Within the hour, everyone came down and settled around the breakfast table with Berserker and Fia sitting on the ground beside them, each with their own plates of food.

As they ate, Hestia started to speak.

"So to re-summarize what happened with Ganesha Familia the other day," Hestia began. "Lancer's work was perfect and there doesn't seem to be any problem with the plan. So right now the ball is in Ganesha and Ouranos's court so all that is left for us to do is wait and keep Fia and Berserker hidden until it becomes officially official."

The harpy and minotaur nodded their heads in understanding. The two of them each had a large cloth wrapped around their bodies depicting the Hestia Familia Emblem, showing that they were part of the Familia. As far as Ganesha and the Guild was concerned, they were already "legally" part of the Familia. They just needed to wait until the Guild officially announced the new Tamer Laws. Until then, Fia and Berserker were to be kept a strict secret. If they were found out before then…

"So much for taking Berserker into the Dungeon for a test run," Gina sighed as she brought her fork up to her mouth. "It'll probably be at least a week, I guess."

"Considering the circumstances, Lily considers that that would be extremely fast," Lily pointed out and Gina nodded her head in agreement.

"Do you need to go back to the Ganesha Familia for anything?" Primo asked Lancer who shook her head.

"No, I had demonstrated the effectiveness extremely throughly," Lancer replied with a tired smile. "There should be no problems for the near future."

"What is the estimate that the monsters will remain dominated?" Caster asked from his usual spot at the head of the table.

"Provided that there is no damage to the plate, two months with extreme activity such as fighting in the Dungeon daily. Five without."

"I suspect that this city's culture will change rapidly in the coming days," Rider muttered. "Pets don't seem to be a common thing that I've noticed around here."

"Well, that's because most of the people who live here are Adventurers," Gina pointed out. "And…well…Adventurers tend to have a rather…unreliable lifespan, you know?"

"Ahh…"

There was no point in keeping a pet if you worked a job where you might not come home to after all. Not to mention that most Familias have enough on their plate just feeding their Adventurers. They didn't have the time or resources to worry about animals as well.

"Well, it all might change in the coming days anyway."

"I would rather our plans stop changing every single day," Caster said irritably. "With the Xenos problem mostly handled, Lancer will join Party B today in the Dungeon instead of Archer."

"Fine by me," Archer replied as Lancer nodded her head. "I got shanghaied by Tsubaki to talk to Hephaistos about some business either way."

"Ahh, it's going to be about that isn't it?" Hestia asked with a knowing nod. "Well, she's covering her bases with concern for her business after all."

"Well, I'll try to get a good deal out of it," Archer said with a shrug.

"Then there needn't be any more changes," Caster declared. "Arde, today you shall be accompanying me on my business."

"Huh?" Lily looked up from her cup before quickly placing it back down on the table. "A-ah, yes! Lily understands!"

"I planed on getting your request done by noon, Caster," Rider spoke up. "But I can get started earlier if you want it immediately."

"Unnecessary. I will not be leaving until after noon in any case."

"Hey Jack, do you have any plans?" Hestia asked. "If not, then can you come with me today?"

"To work again?" Assassin asked.

"No, not this time. I need to meet with someone and I could use the company."

And a guard.

"Okay!" Assassin replied cheerfully. "Can We get some Jagamaru-kun anyway?"

"Of course you can!"

"Oh right, Saber…" Archer said as he stood up from the table, having finished eating. "I'll leave the thing you asked for by the front door. Don't forget it on your way out."

"My thanks, Archer," Saber replied with a nod.

"I guess it's finally time to go back to the Dungeon," Emma said, pumping her arms to psyche herself up. "Are you ready, Primo?"

"Y-yes!" Primo nodded. "It's time for our revenge!"

As everyone seemed to be leaving with plans for the day, Bell found himself watching Archer's back as he headed out to his meeting with Hephaistos. Once everyone shuffled out to be on their way, Bell was left alone with Rider, who had humming to herself as she washed the dishes.

"Ah, let me help," Bell said quickly as he hurried to the sink.

"Oh my. Thank you, Bell. Then I'll do the washing while you dry them before putting them pack, okay?"

"Got it."

As the two of them started working, the B Party stopped by to say their farewells before heading off to the Dungeon.

"Bye Bell…bye Rider," Emma called out with a wave.

"Watch out, monsters!" Primo shouted. "The future Great Mage is making her comeback!"

"That's the spirit!" Gina cheered. "Let's make the fifth floor our goal!"

"I wonder if that's a bit fast…" Lancer muttered as she followed the trio out.

"Bye everyone!" Bell called out after them.

"Stay safe," Rider said as well.

Bell had to admit, Emma and Primo's new equipment suited them well. Welf's work was great as usual. If only other people could see that instead of just focusing on his Magic Swords.

"By the way…what did Caster ask of you?" Bell asked as he wiped down the glass in his hand.

"He asked for some baked goods for some reason," Rider explained. "So I'm planning to make some donuts for him. Although I have no idea what he's planning to do with three dozen of them. Is he holding a party or something?"

"Can I help?" Bell offered. "I don't have any plans for today so I guess I'm looking for something to do."

"Well I won't turn down the offer but are you sure? Shouldn't a boy your age be going out on a date with one of your girl friends? Like that waitress girl…Syr was it?"

"I-I don't have anyone like that! Wait, why bring up Syr of all people?"

"Hmm? Well, wasn't she all over you the other day? You shouldn't lead people on Bell."

"I'm not! She's the one teasing me!"

"Fufu, I wonder~"

As Rider giggled into her hand, the last of the dishes was put away and Lily came back into the kitchen, holding her white and pink cloak in her hands.

"Hmm? What's up, Lily?" Bell asked.

"Lily is just waiting for Lord Caster to call for her," Lily replied as she hung her robe over a chair. "Lord Caster asked Rider to make something, right? Can Lily help?"

"Of course. Right then, it's a bit early but I guess there's no harm in starting now."

With all the dishes put away, Rider wiped down her hands on her apron and headed to the fridge and pulled out a few bowls. Each of them had a large ball of dough resting within it.

"I've already kneaded the dough so all we have to do now is portion it and then fry and flavor them."

"What are we making?" Bell asked as he and Lily peered at the massive dough balls.

"Donuts," came Rider's reply with a wink and a smile. "They're relatively simply to make while also being easy and quick to flavor."

"…It's probably a good thing the trio are gone or else Jack might have made off with three of them without anyone noticing…" Lily muttered as Bell let out a dry laugh, unable to deny that.

"Then can you two portion the dough out and roll them into balls for me? Try to make it so that there will be enough for one person per ball."

"Enough for one person…" Bell repeated as he glanced out the kitchen toward the yard where Berserker was lying on the grass with Fia lying on top of him.

"Well, let's make it normal for a human, ahaha…" Rider clarified. "There should be at least thirty-six of them so don't make them too big. It should be fine for them to be smaller though."

With a nod, Bell and Lily got to work with Rider busying herself with various sweet items like chocolate, honey, and sugar.

"Roll…roll…roll…" Lily was saying as she tore out a piece of flour from her bowl and started rolling it into a ball as she was told. "Roll…roll…roll…"

"…Roll…roll…roll…"

Bell found himself doing the same as he worked.

Pull it out. Roll it up. Set it aside. Pull it out. Roll it up. Set it aside. Pull it out. Roll it up. Set it aside.

Three simple steps that were so easy to complete that he found himself lost in his own work.

After several minutes, there were several rolls of dough balls sitting in front of the two of them.

"Guess we're done," Bell said, tilting one of the empty bowls, feeling a bit disappointed that the work was over.

"Thank's for the help, you two," Rider said as she looked over the dough balls. "Now we have to let these sit for a bit before we continue so how about a drink?"

Rider poured out some juice for the two of them which they accepted after washing their hands.

"All this work for some snacks that will disappear in minutes," Lily muttered as she took a sip of her drink. "Cooking for a large group everyday really is hard."

"Well, I won't deny that," Rider admitted. "However, seeing everyone's satisfied faces during mealtimes makes it all worth it in the end. It's basically its own reward too and it's my way of thanking everyone for their hard work every day."

"A way to thank someone…" Bell muttered before setting down his glass before quickly standing up and turning to Rider. "Rider, I have a request!"

"Eh? Uh…yes? What is it?"

"Please help me cook something!" He asked, lowering his head to the surprise of his Servant and Supporter.

X-x-X-x-X

After Saber left the manor, he made his way into the Dungeon to meet with his appointment.

Zipping past the hundreds of Adventurers making their way down into the depths, Saber focused on his destination, the Eighteenth Floor.

In order to avoid any misunderstandings, he had already cleared this meeting with both Caster and his beloved. After all, he was meeting a woman from a different Familia.

Before long, he reached the mist filled Tenth Floor and stopped at the top of the stairs.

He remembered the first time he came here and how three dragons had set themselves upon his Master and the rest of his Party.

Fortunately, the abnormal situation did not happen a second time. Perhaps it was nothing more than a freak accident…or perhaps the Dungeon was testing the waters against an unknown threat.

"I hope nothing happens to the girls either…" Saber muttered, glancing up above him before continuing on his way.

As they should be staying on the Upper Floors, no monster should be able to overpower Lancer and hurt the girls…but that only included those that spawned within the Dungeon itself. That incident still weighed on his mind a bit and not only that, there list of possible enemies have only grown since then.

"No…I should pay attention to the job ahead…"

With a shake of his head, Saber continued forward.

He had passed through the misty Tenth to Twelfth Floors often enough the entrance to the Middle Floors without any problems. From there, by jumping down the numerous holes that littered the Middle Floors, he was able to reach the Boss Room without any trouble. From there, the Eighteenth Floor, and the meeting point, was a mere step away.

It was located on the same grounds that Loki Familia had camped a while back but the Dungeon had already removed all signs of their presence there. Not a scrap of food or trash had been left behind, either absorbed by the Dungeon itself or devoured by a passing monster.

It certainly did explain why the upper levels were not constantly filled with garbage and refuse considering the sheer amount of people that passed through it every day. As he scanned the grounds, he heard someone walking up to him.

"You are here," Saber noted as he looked over his shoulder to see Ais Wallenstein standing a few feet away.

"Yes," the girl nodded. "I'm sorry to take up your time with this."

"It is fine. We are only waiting for our Vice Captain's armor to finish being maintained."

Ais nodded again to show that she understood as she looked around the old camp ground.

"Umm…how do we start?" She asked.

"First off, I need to set a baseline," Saber said as his sword appeared in his hands and he placed it into the ground in front of him. "Therefore, let us begin with a spar. I will come at you rather seriously, so please prepare yourself."

As he said this, red lightning sparked out of his body and blade before light began to rise from his body. Then, in a flash, Saber's appearance changed right in front of Ais's eyes. The blade in his hand had undergone a massive change. The red crystals had transformed into a tranquil green, the same color as the man's eyes and had nearly doubled in width. Even the silver daggers along his waist had changed to have the same color as the sword, most of them now hidden by a cape that had appeared around his shoulders while his mask had vanished.

From where she stood, Ais knew that it was not a simple cosmetic change, far from it. It was as though the man's aura had suddenly became more divine as he stared at her with his icy gaze.

"As we shall be Teacher and Student I shall reveal my true name," Saber declared, gripping his blade's handle with both hands as if in prayer. "My true name is…Sigurd, King of Warriors."

"Ais Wallenstein…" Ais followed up his declaration with her own as she drew out Desperate in preparation for his attack. "Loki Familia."

With a nod, Saber pulled his blade from the ground and took a stance.

"Then…prepare yourself."

Although he said that, Saber did not move. The two of them simply stared each other down as silence fell around them. Even the monsters in the distance seemed to have quiet down as if they were fearful of drawing the attention to two alpha predators that were about to fight.

Then, as Ais's eyes closed in a blink, Saber struck. In that short span between her eyelids closing and opening, Saber had closed the distance between them, blade swinging in from her right. She quickly shifted her blade to parry the strike but she was still forced back from the sheer power behind the blow. A blow that should definitely not come from a mere Level 1.

Before she could even land back on the ground, Saber was once more upon her. His blade had vanished and his hands were filled with two green daggers.

Green lights shot toward her and she quickly rebuilt her defense.

She was surprised.

The power he was showing now was on a completely different level than the other night in the fight against the Ishtar and Kali Familias. It was as though he had undergone a Level Up right in front of her.

Even though she was Level 6, she felt that her power and speed was lacking in the face of the man in front of her and a different power within her was trying to surface.

Just like against that person. That Creature.

Even now, a black flame was raging within her chest, demanding to be let out against the black 'Dragon' in front of her. But she refused to unleash its fury.

A massive explosion erupted between the two from the tip of Saber's daggers as Ais jumped back to get some distance between the two.

"Tempest!"

With the power of wind shielding her, Ais began her counterattack. Striking forward with speeds as sharp as the wind, she attacked the Hero in front of her. And, as expected of a Hero, the man followed each of her strikes with his own.

Green wind clashed against green lightning. Each swing shattered the earth, split the air, and crushed the surrounding trees. Their spar was more like a destructive hurricane than a friendly match with neither side backing down under the fury of their clash.

It was as though she was facing a wall. A wall of ice that refused to shatter or break under her wind.

Saber caught her blade with a massive grunt of effort and launched her back.

"Impressive," Saber complimented her as he adjusted his glasses with a push of his finger. "But…you seem to be holding back still. Is your wind all that you can use, Miss Wallenstein?"

"What do you mean?" Ais asked as Saber returned his blades to his waist, signaling the end of their spar.

"It feels as though you are restraining yourself from using everything," Saber said. "Well, I suppose that that's only to be expected. This is only a short spar to compare our abilities after all. Perhaps there is a flame roaring inside you that you wish to keep contained?"

Ais twitched in surprise at the man's words and turned her head away.

"It is all right," Saber said kindly. "It is natural for people to fear fire, as fire burns and consumes all. Swords, lives, thoughts, time, and even fate. Even I will hesitate to use fire due to this."

Ais nodded her head in agreement. She indeed did have a burning flame inside her. A terrible black flame that wanted to consume her and everything around her within its rage. It was only thanks to her friends and loved ones in Loki Familia that that flame was pulled back.

But still, she was surprised that Saber could see through her so easily.

"But I understand where you stand now," Saber said as light shined on his body once more and his blades returned to their original red color. "Here."

Saber suddenly tossed something to Ais. Catching it, she saw that it was a near perfect copy of her Tempest, although the hilt was red instead of blue.

"Archer's?" She asked and Saber nodded. "Did he not say that he couldn't make Durandal weapons?"

"I have no knowledge of that so I cannot say," Saber replied. "However, even Durandal weapons can crack, no? You will be up against my demonic sword so it would be unfortunate if you do not have your main weapon with you outside of our lessons. I will test the very limits of your 'Unbreakability.'"

Ais didn't say anything. She knew that he was completely serious with his declaration.

"Let us continue," Saber said, taking up his own sword as well. "We will discuss things as we clash."

"Yes sir," Ais said, feeling that it was only right to treat her teacher with respect. She learned her lesson with Riveria after all.

The man simply chuckled as his mask reformed around his face.

"Begin."

That was all the warning she got before he lunged toward her and her vision was filled with red.

Although the power of the blade wasn't as powerful as it was before, Saber had chosen to strike much faster to compensate for it. Like Ais, he was clearly holding back his true power.

"Can I…ask a question?" She asked as she pushed forward, breaking from her defense to go on the offense and force Saber back for the first time since they started.

"Yes?" He replied in a calm voice despite the wind surging dangerously around him.

"Why do you call yourself a dragon?"

"Why do you call yourself Ais?" He asked in return. "I call myself that because it is what I am. I have taken in a dragon's flesh, power and knowledge, therefore I am one."

He punctuated his statement by pulling his blade back, throwing off Ais's balance and clenched his free hand into a fist, seemingly gathering his lightning into it. Seeing what was happening, Ais quickly moved her blade in front of her stomach, blocking a fierce punch that scattered her wind and sent her soaring into the air.

Not to be deterred, she flipped herself around and her feet kicked off a tree the same instant she touched it, shooting herself straight back toward Saber like an arrow.

"Hmm!"

Saber held the flat of his sword up to block the attack, using both hands to support it. The blow was still powerful enough for his feet to slide backwards across the ground. But even so, his blade held and he threw her to the side with sheer strength.

"My turn," Saber began as Ais's False Desperate and his Gram clashed once more. "Why do you seek strength?"

"There are people I need to take back," she replied. "To do that I must defeat that monster. To do that…I can't afford to wait for someone to help me. I need to become my own hero!"

Ais's words seemed to have had an effect on Saber as his eyes widened slightly in surprise and his blade's swing was a bit slower than before, allowing Ais to break free once more and put some distance between the two of them.

"Kukuku…ha ha ha ha ha…"

Then, to her surprise, Saber started chuckling.

"I see," he said, his eyes filled with mirth. "It is a wonderful reason. The younger generation is truly a wonder to see."

With the mirth out of his system, Saber took his stance again.

"Then overcome the myth in front of you," he urged her. "Take your future into your own hands. I am but a mere stepping stone in your own legend. Climb over and continue striving forward. That is what it means to be an Adventurer…to be a Hero."

"Yes, sir!" Ais nodded.

And so the Wind clashed against the Dragon once more.

X-x-X-x-X

"…You want to cook something for Archer?" Rider asked, looking rather surprised at Bell's words.

"Yes," Bell replied with a nod. "I want to show my appreciation to him for everything he's done. But I only know how to cook simple things…things that aren't good enough for me to express myself."

"Fufu, I understand," Rider nodded as she stood up from the table and walked over to a cupboard where she pulled out a book with various tags and marks in it. "Let's see here…which one will be good?"

"Miss Rider, what is that?" Lily asked.

"It's Archer's handwritten cookbook," Rider replied with a smile. "He has a lot of recipes written down in here with several notes scribbled here and there as well. Anyway…if we want something that can express your appreciation for Archer…let's go with this one!"

Rider placed the open book on the table and pointed to a recipe that had several notes written down for it to the point that it nearly covered the pages were nearly covered in revisions and the like. However, everything was written in a language that neither Lily or Bell could read.

"This looks like..Far Eastern script," Bell muttered and Rider nodded her head.

"All these notes and revisions tells me that the recipe is probably important to him," Rider said, running her finger carefully down the ink covered margins as she listed the ingredients out loud. "I think he'll be quite surprised if you make it for him."

"He never made anything like that before though," Lily pointed out.

"There seems to be a few ingredients that he likes to use that we don't keep on hand," Rider said, pointing to a few items circled in different colored ink. "There probably just hasn't been a good opportunity to make it."

She then turned back to Bell.

"So what do you think?" Rider asked with a smile. "Wanna give it a go?"

"Yes!"

Bell wasn't completely confident that he would be able to make something on Archer or Rider's level, but he still wanted to try. The recipe was probably something that someone important to Archer made for him in the past or vice versa.

Perhaps he had been trying to improve the recipe or trying to recreate it. If either case, Bell believed that it might give Archer a good memory if he ate it.

"Well then here," Rider said, holding a slip up in front of Bell.

"A…shopping list?" Bell asked.

"Of course. We don't have all of the ingredients after all. Especially not since we used up most of it last night during dinner. Berserker can really put it down after all…"

"…Sorry…" came a voice from the window, causing Lily and Bell to jump in surprise. Spinning around, they saw Berserker poking his face in from the window. "But…Rider and Archer…food really tasty…"

"Ahaha, I'm happy to hear that. And don't worry, I'm not mad. It's only natural that you need a lot of food with that big body of yours. In any case…here's the list of things we'll need. Go buy them, Bell."

"Just me?" Bell asked, taking the list.

"Of course. I have to make Caster's sweets and Lily has to be here to leave with Caster when he's ready."

"Ah…right."

"Good luck, Bell," Lily said as Bell let out a sigh as he pulled on a coat and headed out.

Thankfully he had managed to find everything on the list rather quickly.

More beef after they used it all up last night.

Some onions, garlic and other vegetables.

Some extra seasoning just in case.

"Where do I get these sauces though?" Bell muttered as he looked around the market.

"AR-GO-NAUT~"

"Uwah!?"

Someone slammed into his back from behind and Bell quickly grabbed his purchases to make sure he didn't drop anything.

"M-Miss Tiona?" Bell asked as he turned around to see the Amazon clinging onto his back. "That's dangerous…"

"Ah, it's the Little Argonaut instead," Tiona said, sounding a bit disappointed.

"Ahaha…sorry to disappoint you," Bell said with a dry laugh. Tiona had been one of the few who interacted with Argonaut after all. She probably found him interesting. "But uhh…can you let me go? Your uh…chest…is rubbing against me."

He hoped that it would get her to let him go but instead, she simply smiled at him.

"M-Miss Tiona?"

"Ei~"

"W-wait! Why are you clinging onto me harder!? Why are you smiling!? Please let goooooo!"

After a few minutes of Bell trying to escape a Level 6's grip, Tiona finally released him.

"Hee hee, sorry about that," Tiona said with her usual smile. "Were you shopping for dinner?"

"Yeah," Bell replied with a nod. "It's a little secret dinner I'm planning for Archer."

"Heh…that sounds fun. What are you making?"

"I…actually don't know. The recipe was written in a different language but Rider translated the ingredients for me."

"I see."

The two of them fell silent as there was a lull in the conversation.

"Hey, can I ask you something random?" Tiona suddenly asked. "Have you ever been in love?"

"L-love!?" Bell repeated. "Why?"

"Umm…just curious?"

Bell wasn't sure that was the case, but he supposed that there was no harm in answering.

"Umm…I don't think I've been in actual love," Bell admitted. "I've had one-sided crushes before but I don't think that could be considered actual love."

Then again, he didn't have any close examples outside of Saber and Lancer.

"I see…"

"…Is it really just curiosity?" Bell asked.

"Kinda?" Tiona admitted, tilting her head to the side. "You know my sister, Tione? She changed a lot after falling in love with our Captain. She hardly ever smiled before, you know?"

"…That's…hard to believe," Bell muttered. He had only met the older of the Amazon twins a few times but she was no less kind of cheerful as her younger sister.

"So I was wondering if just falling in love can change someone so much and kinda want to experience it for myself."

"I see."

Bell's thoughts immediately fell upon a certain lovey-dovey couple in his Familia.

"I don't have any real experience in love but if you don't mind me repeating what I've heard second hand…" Bell began. "One of my Familia members said that they had thought that they didn't need love in their life. However, after meeting his wife for the first time, he fell head over heels for her. She also said that he started emoting a lot more since they met too."

"Is it that 'Saber' person? He doesn't look like the type."

"Oh…he is…" Bell said, unable to hold back the exhaustion seeping out of his mouth. "He is…"

"It sounds like you have it tough as well," Tiona said with a laugh before glancing off to the side. "Hey, has Archer ever fallen in love before?"

"I have no idea," Bell replied. "He doesn't really talk much about his past…huh."

And it was at this moment that Bell realized just how little he knew about Archer.

What did Bell know about his idol? His name was Emiya Shirou. He is a Hero from the Far East. He cooked a lot as a hobby. He loved looking at swords and going over their histories. All surface level things.

Things like his friends, his family, his dreams…

All of those things were locked away as tightly as Caster's past. The other Servants had been much more open about their own pasts, so long as they avoided landmines like a certain woman for Saber and Lancer and a certain emperor for Rider.

"…I don't really know much about him…" Bell muttered, the realization fully sinking in.

"Hmm? Isn't that fine?" Tiona asked. "It takes a lot longer than two months or so to really know someone even if you're living with them. You'll get to know him a little bit more each day. Huh."

It would seem as though Tiona had reached an epiphany of her own as she tried to encourage Bell.

"I guess you're right," Bell said as he scratched his cheek. "Thanks."

"No problem! So…back to my question…how do you you fall in love anyway? They always make it seem so easy in the stories…"

"You mean how its simple for a hero to save a girl and they fall in love?" Bell asked, kicking away his past desires and memories off the proverbial cliff as quickly as he could.

"Yeah, I tried that but it didn't work," Tiona said with a sigh.

"…Tried?"

"Yeah. I pretended to be in trouble but no one came to my rescue at all. All the guys just screamed and ran away."

"Aha…ha…"

If a Level 6 were to come across something that put them in danger, the only thing anyone Level 4 and lower (as in the majority of Orario) could do was run away else they just get in the way. Still, it was probably best that Bell didn't mention that.

"Is there anywhere else you could meet a guy?" Tiona asked.

"Umm…how about a party or something?" Bell suggested.

"Party?"

"Yeah. A dance party, or a Society Ball or something like that. The stories usually has a scene where the hero dances with the girl, right? Maybe you'll find a partner if you go to one?"

"I see…like a big ball held at a palace or something, right?" Tiona asked and Bell nodded his head. "…But is there one around here? A palace?"

"Uhh…maybe a Guild owned building would work?" Bell offered. "Caster mentioned that nobles and the like often came to Orario for networking purposes. There's probably a party happening around somewhere…"

The Entertainment District never sleeps in more ways than one after all. There's always some big gathering going on at one point or another.

"Would I be able to go though?" Tiona asked. "I'm not a princess or a noble or anything like that."

"Maybe? I mean, you're from Loki Familia right? The entire world knows about your Familia. I think you'd be able to get in if you asked or your goddess asked."

"Heh…that sounds fun! I'll give it a shot!" Tiona decided. "Ah…I should probably get a dress or something right? Like a princess dress."

"R-right…I don't think any of those places would let you in in Amazon casual wear even if you are from Loki Familia…"

"Hmm…I guess I'll have to ask Loki for one. She's probably the only one that's my size."

Bell turned his head to the side to force himself from looking.

"Anyway, I'll give it a shot!" Tiona said as she nodded her head toward Bell. "Thanks again, Little Argonaut! Sorry for bothering you!"

"No, I'm glad I could help," Bell said as Tiona ran off while waving back at him. "Good luck!"

As Tiona disappeared into the crowd, Bell let out a sigh.

"Comes and goes like a hurricane," he muttered with a laugh. "Anyway…better get back to shopping. Anyway…sauces…maybe I should ask at the Hostess? No, I shouldn't bother them at this time…let's do a sweep of the stalls again."

Worst case scenario, they would just try to make the sauce Archer used the other day instead.

With that in mind, Bell returned to his shopping, wondering just how Archer would react when he got home.

X-x-X-x-X

Several layers below the surface, a few hours after they left the Hearthstone Manor, Gina was successfully leading her Party into the Dungeon.

They had made it to the Third Floor with little trouble against the goblins and kobolds that made the upper levels their home. Under the watchful eyes of Lancer, the group did not encounter anyone or anything that could threaten them.

"All right, let's take a break here," Gina said when they came across a circular dead end. "Monsters don't spawn here all that often so all we need to do is worry about the entrance. Lancer, can we leave it to you?"

"Of course," Lancer nodded as she set down the bag she was carrying as their Supporter.

"Ugh…it's a lot more crowded this time around," Primo muttered as she leaned back and drank a Mind Potion.

"Is it because it's still early?" Emma asked.

"Yep. The top five floors are usually very crowded since that's where most Level 1s stay at since it's safe…well, safer I guess. And most of them are still beginners so they crowd around the spots that have been mapped the most. Only Bell is weird enough to go beat a Floor Boss so quickly…and that's not counting the other three."

"So Lily's fine?"

"Well, she's a Supporter and has been an Adventurer since she was born so it's not that unnatural for her to finally hit Level 2 or be part of a Floor Boss fight. I think Jack being part of the main fight should have raised some eyebrows…"

"Is it because she looks like a human kid?" Primo asked.

"Well, that and I wonder if people are going to wonder if she's the second coming of the Sword Princess," Gina explained. "Asfi said that she used to be call 'Doll Princess' you know? Because she didn't show any emotions while she was slaughtering monsters. From what Bell and Lily told me, Jack can slaughter monsters with a big smile on her face."

"While it is concerning, it should not be surprising," Lancer chimed in as she kept an eye out for monsters at the entrance. "Recall that she is Master's 'Assassin' after all."

"I still don't get that classification system…" Primo admitted with a sigh. "It's completely turning everything I know about Spirits on its head. Granted I don't know much but…"

"I guess we can just consider Lancer and the others a separate thing from the other Spirits," Gina pointed out as s. "I mean, it's not like Spirits are that well-known to begin with and Lady Hestia didn't really know much about it either."

"I do not believe it is very complicated," Lancer began. "We are but mere shades of an entire legend inserted into our Class containers."

"Only shades?" Emma repeated as she rummaged through the bag to pull out their rations and bowls. "So…does that mean you are incomplete or something?"

"In a manner of speaking. Although the containers are powerful, they are nowhere near enough to hold an entire Heroic Spirit."

"Ohh…I think I get it," Primo said. "Is that why its separated into seven? Like if a hero is known for using a sword and a spear, if they're in a Saber class they won't be able to use their spear?"

"That is simplifying a lot of things but that is the gist of it."

"Then…does that mean it might have been possible for Bell to summon two of the 'same' Spirit?" Gina asked.

"It is theoretically possible. I could have been summoned as Rider or Berserker as well after all."

"I don't think Orario would survive two of you going after Saber," Emma joked with a smile. "Or Saber himself for that matter."

"Please do not mention that," Lancer begged as she placed her hands on her cheeks in embarrassment. "I cannot help but lose myself around that person."

They took a break in the discussion so Lancer could trace a rune on the kettle they brought along, heating up their water so they could pour over their rations and start eating.

"While we're here, do you want to try your Skill again, Emma?" Gina suggested.

"With who?" The older girl asked.

"With me. Last time you did it with Bell and Lily right? Both of them are higher Level than you with Magic and Skills. Maybe if you do it with someone without either, like me, then there won't be much of a backlash?"

"When you say it like that it kinda makes me feel bad…" Primo muttered.

"Ahahaha, don't worry about it," Gina quickly said with a smile. "This is normal for an Amazon. Especially since I don't spend as much time in the Dungeon compared to other Adventurers. I used to be from a Delivery-type Familia, remember?"

"And you should get your own Magic eventually once I teach you my Runes," Lancer added and Gina nodded her head.

"But is it safe to try it down here?" Emma asked.

"It's as safe as its gonna be. Besides, where are you going to se that Skill if not in the Dungeon, right?"

Not having a counter to that, Emma quickly finished her food, letting out a satisfied sigh, before setting the bowl down.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said with Gina nodding and setting her own bowl aside as well.

"All right, let's see how this works!"

Emma placed her hand over her chest as she closed her eyes. She fell into a deep silence for a moment before pink lights began to shine across her body.

"Oof…I'm starting to feel it…" Gina said as she rubbed her chest.

"Are you okay?" Primo asked quickly.

"Yeah, just a bit tired."

"I wonder if I'll ever get to use this Skill," Emma said with a sigh. "Would there ever be a situation where it's better for me to fight alone instead of with a group?"

"Perhaps we should have hope that the Skill's drawbacks will lessen with consistent use," Lancer chimed in. "We should also consider the possibility that adding another Status upon your own also acts as a temporary Level up, not just a Parameter boost."

Indeed, the only time Emma tested the Status increase was when she accidentally took Bell's Status and the extreme increase in speed sent her flying.

"…But how exactly would we find that out?" Emma asked. "Try it with Lily's Status then spar with Bell?"

"The two of us right now should be sufficient," Lancer said as her spear materialized in her hands. "I've set up a few runes down the tunnel so no monsters will come without me noticing."

"Uhh…me against you?" Emma muttered, no doubt recalling how well she had done against Rider the other day.

"I have seen your normal Parameters when you fought against Rider and Archer. I should be able to judge the increase in your abilities."

"Uuu…I guess there's no helping it!"

Emma smacked her cheeks in an attempt to psyche herself up before drawing her swords.

"Then, whenever you are ready, Miss Flores," Lancer said with a nod.

Although Lancer gave her the go ahead, Emma did not strike immediately. She took a few steps to the side while Lancer remained still as a statue as she only used her eyes to follow her.

"Hah!"

Then, with a grunt of effort, Emma shot forward toward Lancer much faster than she had been able to in the earlier fights. However, every single one of her attacks were being parried by the Heroic Spirit of the Spear.

Red and silver sliced through the air trying to meet its target but none drew even close to home.

Although Lancer's spear was massive, the woman easily moved it to deflect Emma's relatively amateurish strikes with a single hand.

"…You are indeed much faster than before," Lancer stated the obvious between swings. "Even when compared to Miss Gwen your speed far surpasses hers…there must be some added benefit with layering the Statuses after all…ah!"

Even as Lancer was speaking, she was still parrying Emma's strikes…up until the girl suddenly stopped glowing and fell forward into Lancer's waiting arms.

"Well, compared to when you did it with Lily, it definitely lasted longer," Gina muttered, taking deep breaths as Primo rubbed her back. "At least ten minutes. Though is it because I'm Level 1 as well or is it because she's getting used to it, I wonder?"

"Well…either way…it's good…right?" Emma coughed out between breaths as Lancer drew a rune over her chest.

"Do not force yourself," Lancer said as the rune sank into Emma's chest. "This should revitalize you a bit."

As the light of the rune, vanished, Emma took a deep breath like someone having broken up and through the surface of a lake.

"What was that?" Primo asked as Lancer helped Emma sit up straight.

"A small rune that's the equivalent of a stimulant," Lancer replied as she traced the same rune and sent it over to Gina as well. "It restores your stamina but there can be some side effects if it is overused, even if your bodies have been blessed by Lady Hestia. But a single use would be fine."

"Runes are amazing…" Primo muttered.

"They are certainly powerful and versatile but it is not easy to master," Lancer said before turning to Gina. "Shall we continue our Adventure, Miss Gwen? Or shall we rest a bit longer? I can begin my lessons on Runes as well."

"Hmm…how are you feeling, Emma?" Gina asked. "Are you good to go?"

"Umm…I wouldn't mind resting a bit more," Emma admitted.

"Then let's have a magic lesson!" Gina said thrusting her fist into the air. "I mean, we still have to worry about the goal the Captain gave us but it's all right to take it easy on the first day, right?"

"Very well," Lancer nodded with a smile. "Miss Libera. Although Caster has said that it would not be necessary for you to learn as well, there should be no problem in following along if you are interested."

"I am!" Primo replied quickly with a smile and a nod. "I mean, it's like putting an entire chant into a drawing and getting magic out of it! As a Mage, I want to know how it works!"

"Fufu…of course."

And so the first Rune Magic lesson began in the depths of the Dungeon.

X-x-X-x-X

Bell's search for sauces to use for the recipe didn't take very long.

One of the stall owners selling cooked meat managed to point him in the right direction and allowed him to hurry on home.

"I'm back!" He called out as he entered the manor.

"Welcome back," Rider's voice greeted him from the kitchen. "You just missed Lily and Caster."

In the kitchen, Rider was cleaning up a large pot of oil as Berserker was snacking on a donut covered in chocolate while his other hand was holding a sugar covered on for Fia.

"Umm…"

"Don't worry, there are still a few left on the table."

"Haha…thanks…"

Setting his purchases on the counter near Rider, Bell quickly ran over to pick out a plain donut for himself.

"Oh? Not picking a sweet one?" Rider asked, taking notice of Bell's choice as she took out the groceries from the basket.

"I don't really like overly sweet things," Bell replied as he enjoyed the snack. "So plain is fine with me."

"I guess that's just how most boys are," Rider said with a smile before nodding her head. "All right, looks like you managed to get everything. So wash your hands and we'll get started."

"Right…though did we really need so much meat?" Bell asked.

"You're not thinking of letting Archer eat alone, are you?" Rider asked back with a teasing smile. "Just think how sad the goddess and Jack would be if they learned that you cooked without leaving anything for them."

"Ahh…good point," Bell admitted with a nod. "So where do we start?"

"Hmm, first off we need to mice the beef and the onions," Rider replied as she glanced at the recipe book. "It's about an entire onion for three or four people so…"

Rider started picking out the ingredients they needed before handing some onions to Bell.

"Dice those up as much as you can," she instructed. "I'll work on the meat."

"Got it," Bell nodded before taking a handkerchief and wrapping it around his face, causing Rider to giggle and for Bell to get a bit defensive. "What? It's better than crying, right?"

"I didn't say anything," Rider said with a smile. "Now then let's get to work."

"Can we…help?" Berserker asked, peering through the window as usual.

"And how exactly am I supposed to help?" Fia asked, flapping her wings up and down.

"With taste testing of course," Rider said. "It's the first time anyone here is making it so there might be some problems with the taste."

"So we're just garbage disposals?" Fia asked with a wry smile on her face. "Well, I suppose burnt meat would still be better than what's in the Dungeon."

"I-I won't burn it!" Bell insisted. "I can do at least that much!"

With the teasing done, Bell and Rider got to work.

First off was for Bell to dice the onions into fine pieces before setting half of the pile to the side. Rider then had him caramelize one half in a large pan in oil with some salt.

Once she was done mincing and kneading the meat, Rider placed the meat, the sautéed onions, seasonings and an egg into a bowl.

"Here you go Bell," she said, pushing the bowl with the various ingredients inside toward him. "Use your hand and mix it up as much as possible."

"R-right," Bell nodded as he plunged his hand into it after washing them. "Uwaa…its seeping through my fingers…how long do I have to do this?"

"Until it's all mixed in~"

"G-got it…"

"Can I…do it too?" Berserker asked.

"Sure, we got a bit extra," Rider said as she quickly filled a larger bowl with the same ingredients. "Come to think of it…you'd probably want bigger portions, wouldn't you?"

"Sorry…"

"I said you didn't need to apologize, right? Big boys need their food after all. We'll need some more onions though. Wash your hands first, Berserker."

Berserker nodded as Fia picked up the hose and sprayed down his hands for him, skillfully using her talons to turn the nozzle for the spray.

"But you can't turn a doorknob huh?" Bell asked.

"I can't grip it cuz it's too round!" She shouted, her cheeks turning the same color as her feathers. "If it was in this shape then it would be fine!"

"I wonder if we should replace all the round knobs with horizontal bars instead?" Rider muttered as she placed the giant bowl in front of Berserker who plunged his massive hand into it.

"…Hee…hee hee…hee…"

And the massive minotaur started laughing as the texture tickled him. The rather eerie sounding chuckle combined with the minotaur bearing his teeth painted a rather frightening picture..

"Please stop," Fia begged him as she took a step back.

"Sorry."

Once the meat was all mixed up it was time to shape them.

"Shape them?" Bell repeated, tilting his head to the side. "Like what we did with the donuts earlier?"

"Kind of," Rider said, picking up a clump of the mixed meat. "Just pick up about this much meat then toss them back and forth into your hands like you're playing catch with yourself."

As an example, she tossed the clump between her hands.

"Like this, it gets rid of the air pockets in the meat and gives it its shape."

"I see…"

Bell and Berserker mimicked Rider's movements and pretty soon, small balls of meat were flying around between them as Fia just watched them blankly while occasionally glancing down at her wings.

"Sorry."

"I-I didn't say anything!"

Although Bell tried to apologize for leaving her out, the harpy denied everything.

Once the meat was shaped, Rider set them into the fridge to sit.

"Maybe we should send some to Welf to make sure he eats," Rider said as she and Bell started cleaning up a bit. "It's hard living on your own after all. It would be a load off of my mind if he were to live with us when he isn't working. Of course, Caster would never allow that."

It felt as though both King and Queen wanted Welf to live with them. That being said, so did Bell but Welf was too attached to Hephaistos Familia to leave them and Bell didn't want to get in the way of his dream of becoming a great blacksmith just for his companionship outside of going into the Dungeon.

"By the way, Bell," Rider suddenly called him. "Have you thought about what to do with the side dishes?"

"Uhh…I was thinking about grilling some of the veggies?" Bell asked. "They got the Demeter Familia seal so I think they'd be pretty good."

"I see. Yep, that sounds fine. Pick out the ones you think are good and I'll help you."

Carrots, mushrooms, potatoes and sprouts.

The vegetables were quickly cut to make the bite-sized and either grilled or pan-fried over the stove. Once they were done, Rider took several of the patties and placed them into a new pan that had a layer of oil poured over it.

Bell watched the meat patties cook over the medium level flame for a moment until the outer layer hardened up and flipped it. Out of the corner of his eye, Bell could see Fia and Berserker slightly drooling as aroma of cooking meat.

Once both sides had hardened, Bell placed a lid over the pan and let it sit for a few minutes before turning the heat all the way up for about fifteen seconds.

"Is this part really necessary?" Bell asked as he turned toward Rider.

"Hmm, it looks like it's just personal choice for the texture," Rider noted. "Well, it's fine I suppose."

Once that was done, they plated the meat and arranged some of the vegetables beside it.

"It's done right?" Fia asked, leaning in through the window. "Hey, it's ready to eat right?"

"Well, Bell?" Rider asked with a smile. "Do you want to give it to Fia to taste first or do you want Archer to be the first one to taste your food?"

"Haha, I don't think we should tease Fia like that," Bell said as he picked up one of the plates along with a fork and walked outside. "Here you go, Fia. Open wide."

"Ngh…it's embarrassing when you do it like that…" Fia grumbled but nonetheless opened her mouth and accepted the food. "…It's good. It's really really good!"

"Oh, thank goodness," Bell said with a sigh as Rider took the fork from Bell and started feeding Fia instead. "I hadn't had to cook ever since I summoned Archer so I was worried that I'd make a ton of mistakes."

"Have more faith in yourself, Bell," Rider said. "You can't look unsure of yourself when you ask Archer to eat, right?"

"Well he's still at the meeting with the Goddess Hephaistos, right?"

Rider simply smiled as she held up three fingers.

"Three, two, one..."

Once the last finger fell down, the door opened and someone stepped in.

"I'm back," Archer's voice called out. "If there's anyone home to answer anyway."

"Welcome back, Archer!" Bell greeted him as he quickly poked his head out of the kitchen to see Archer taking a step on the staircase.

"Oh, you're still here, Bell?" Archer asked.

"Yep! I spent the day cooking with Rider!"

"That so? Well have fun. I gotta head back out right away. The Goddess Hephaistos asked me to undertake a Quest for her so I won't be having dinner tonight."

"…Eh?"

"Yeah it was rather sudden but I don't really have a reason to refuse and she's shorthanded right now."

"But you should at least have time for a quick bite, right?" Rider cut in, placing her hands on Bell's shoulders with a smile. "Bell worked really hard on it you know?"

"Rider…"

Archer just met Rider's gaze for a moment before letting out a quick sigh followed by a wry smile.

"All right, all right," he said, holding his hands up in defeat. "I'll have a bit before I leave."

Stepping back down from the stairs, Archer walked over toward them and entered the kitchen.

"Hmm? This smell is…"

Archer glanced over at the counter to see the plate sitting there.

"Hamburger steak," Bell answered with a smile. "We made it by following some of the instructions from your cookbook."

Archer didn't say anything as he just stared at the dish in front of him, looking as though he was lost in his own world.

"…Archer?" Bell called out to his first Servant, snapping him out of his trance. "Are you all right?"

"A-ahh…yeah," Archer said quickly as he covered his mouth with his hand and looked to the side. "I was…just thinking about something."

Meanwhile, Rider was standing across from them on the other side of the counter with a smile on her face.

"Like I thought, this dish seems to have some sort of special meaning for you, doesn't it?" She asked.

"…Well, I'm not sure I would call it special," Archer replied. "I don't particularly like or dislike it."

"…But?" Rider asked, urging him to continue.

Archer fell silent for nearly an entire minute before answering.

"…It was my old man's favorite dish," Archer admitted. "I was just thinking about the first time I made it for him."

"Well, don't be shy," Rider said, placing another fork in front of Archer. "Dig in."

"…Yeah. Thanks for the food."

Archer's fork dug into the meat, letting the juices inside the meat to seep out and mix with the sauce. He then slowly brought it up into his mouth in silence as he slowly chewed it.

"W-well?" Bell asked, feeling as though he was back on the Seventeenth Floor about to face the Black Goliath once more.

Archer didn't answer right away and instead scooped up another chunk of meat into his mouth first. Archer then turned toward Bell with a big satisfied smile, causing his heart to skip a beat.

"Well, it's not bad," he said before placing a hand on Bell's head to ruffle his hair. "No, that's not it. It's pretty good. Good job, Bell."

"N-no…I just followed your recipe with Rider's help," Bell muttered, feeling his cheeks heating up. "I'm nowhere near as good as you or her."

"Really now, is Caster the only man in this Familia that isn't overly modest?" Rider asked with a an exasperated smile and a sigh. "Just take the compliment."

"I suppose so…" Bell mumbled as Archer simply chuckled and continued to eat.

As Bell continued to watch him with a strange feeling bubbling up in his chest, the door suddenly slammed open, signaling the goddess's return.

"We're back!" Hestia shouted as she and Assassin came sliding into the kitchen as well. "And something smells really good!"

"Meat!" Assassin cheered. "Is lunch ready?"

"That's right," Rider nodded. "Today we're having Bell's hamburger steaks."

"Bell cooked!?" Hestia asked in surprise. "You still have some left right!?"

"Sorry, this is the last piece," Archer said, making a show of savoring the last bite. An action he would soon regret as Hestia suddenly launched herself at him. "Whoa!?"

"Noooooo! Give it to me! I want some too!"

"T-there's still over a dozen patties left, Goddess!" Bell said quickly. "I'll grill them up right away!"

"Beru…I want to eat too…" Berserker said, having also watched Fia eat without getting any himself yet.

"R-right! You want some too, Jack?"

"Yes Mommy!"

As Bell ran to the fridge to get out some more burgers out, Rider slid up next to Archer who was dusting himself off after getting the goddess to release him.

"So how do you feel?" Rider asked him. "You made quite the face earlier."

"Whatever do you mean?" Archer asked, playing ignorant.

"This was Bell's way of showing his appreciation for you. Well? Do you feel appreciated?"

"Hmm…I wonder? Well…I will say that I think I understand what the old man felt when he had it for the first time."

"Really now, aside from Saber, the men in this Familia can't be honest with themselves either."

Rider let out a sigh and she shook her head before heading back over to the stove to help Bell cook up some more steaks. Archer quickly turned around, not wanting anyone to see the smile on his face, before he headed up to his room to prepare for the quest.

And so, just another simple afternoon within Hestia Familia came to an end.