This was really happening, wasn't it?

A part of Shirou didn't want to accept it yet, but Senzaemon was unnaturally swift when it came to this matter regarding the food truck. It was flat out in front of him, directly outside Totsuki's entrance where anyone could see it.

No matter how hard Shirou tried to make the food truck vanish by closing his eyes, nothing was working.

Damn it.

Shirou scratched the back of his head and exhaled softly.

Senzaemon had tasked him with serving a thousand or more people food from a stall just outside Totsuki's entrance, but wasn't this just too much of a provocation?

The food truck parked right outside of Totsuki Academy's main gate was named 'Fate Stay Cooking. Food that will Change the World!'

Hidden beneath the main title in bold text was 'Number 1 Chef in the Academy.'

This was basically picking a fight wasn't it?

Shirou considered taking down the sign before it garnered too much attention by the Totsuki students and Alumni but he didn't know how long the sign had already been left out for.

Students were glaring.

He could feel it.

Particularly those that he'd never met before or didn't know him well enough in the academy which was practically everyone.

He could only smile wryly in response. Besides, Soma's current situation was no better after boasting in front of the student body during the entrance assembly.

The current image of the two brothers was that of troublemakers.

He'd change that image if he could, but he suddenly tensed while feeling ten piercing stares.

One came from the small crowd gathered around the food truck, and many of the others came from certain parts of Totsuki Academy where students had a view of the front entrance.

"Tch," Eizan clicked his tongue and slinked off. Of the stares, his had been the one blended in with the crowd.

The other stares soon stopped, but Shirou could feel an air of derision from most of them. Was that pride? Or just arrogance?

Shirou had always had keen eyesight, more so when he used his magecraft. This was why he noticed when one of the gazes stemming from a large hallway window from the Academy seemed to narrow in ridicule. Not at him per say, but at his 'supposed' culinary skill.

Shirou had never been a confrontational individual, often acceding to others to avoid escalating a situation, but when it came to food, he was different.

A Kitchen was his holy sanctuary.

It was his temple where no Rin, Sakura, Arturia, or anyone for that matter ever disturbed him which included even Taiga.

It irked him that someone was belittling his skills in the kitchen without even assessing his cuisine first.

His neck turned sharply to glare at the last person who'd been looking at him. He was smiling politely, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes that caused the onlooker to shiver and walk off.

Pity.

Shirou soon composed himself and got back to the matter at hand.

Senzaemon had told him that the shop was for publicity. Therefore, in order to attract customers a good reputation was a must. This was why Senzaemon had added a boastful tag beneath the name of his food stall.

Still, it looked like it was working.

The pedestrians passing by on the side walks were already staring at the shop with interest. Others were inquiring of when the shop would open.

Noon was opening hour.

Right now, it was barely past ten.

He couldn't delay this any longer even if he wanted to.

Rin would be on his case in an instant, and here she was now, mere steps behind him.

"What are you waiting for, Shirou?" Rin's lips were pursed in worry. Don't get her wrong though. It wasn't because of him. "Do you know the rent for the villa is over half of our regular earnings!?"

A weary sigh drifted through the air.

"Rin, we would not be so hard-pressed in this task had you not so hastily spent the three million on jewels and gems," Arturia commented dryly while walking on Shirou's left side.

Arturia had never been one for materialistic objects, but carelessly spending food money was a sin in her eyes. Her face was scrunched up in worry, recalling a distant memory where Shirou had cancelled his term deposits and they were forced to eat soy sauce on rice for a month.

No.

She shivered, her stomach growling.

Not again.

Artruia openly glared at Rin who shifted her gaze and pretended not to notice.

"Anyway Shirou, we have to make this a success. There's no room for error," Rin coughed into her hand and smoothed the matter over.

It was just fortunate that Luvia wasn't around right now otherwise she would have had never let an opportunity to ridicule Rin slip by her.

Of course, knowing Shirou's luck, the moment that he thought that he was safe was the most dangerous of all. Nowhere was truly safe.

"Ah, penny for the poor?" Luvia stepped out from behind a building near a corner of Totsuki Academy's main entrance and directly called Rin out.

The two were like ice and fire.

They never mixed well.

Rin's expression stiffened before she paused in her steps in smiled. After months of acquainting themselves with each other in the Clock Tower, she wouldn't be so easily goaded.

"How long have you been waiting there?" Rin swiftly returned fire. "I suppose you were just waiting for an opportunity to jump into the conversation, weren't you? Hmph, the troubles of a rich girl with no friends."

"…" Luvia opened and closed her mouth in silence before balling her hands into fists in embarrassment.

Shirou didn't say anything, but Rin was actually right in this case. Poor Luvia.

He'd woken up the earliest in the villa and had watched Luvia sneaking out without her noticing him. Her pride was her downfall.

Unlike Rin, Luvia was more of a loner in the Clock Tower. She was respected as a magus from the Edelfelt family and was held in high esteem by her fellow peers. However, those were acquaintances at most who only fawned over her due to her reputation.

When Shirou had first met Luvia, maybe it was because of how naturally that he had treated her that she soon took interest in him in one way or another. To him, she seemed to be able to be honest and tone down her haughtiness, but it was different for others.

She never was the most honest woman. Instead, she was more like Rin, people who put on false images to better their reputation, which was probably why they hated each other.

Like rejects like.

Although Rin probably took pride in herself, seeing someone else who was basically her born in another part of the world was irritating. The same magic, the same demeanor, the same ego, the same arrogance, but foiled in terms of wealth and lineage.

Of course, Rin was frustrated. More so when Luvia had taken interest in the one man that Rin had been trying to swoon in her direction for years.

"I-I did no such thing," Luvia stuttered if only briefly before composing herself. "Quite an imagination that you have, Tohasaka."

"Oh? Is that so?"

The two were glaring at each other, the atmosphere as strained as their forced smiles.

Shirou was out.

If it came to manning a food stall or dealing with the women who seemed to always frequent his daily life, then he'd choose the lesser of two evils.

Bless Arturia.

It looked like she was just waiting for food rather than getting involved with Rin and Luvia's bickering.

In fact, Arturia had been the first too approach him to offer her aid in running the food stall. Like Rin and Luvia, she had volunteered to be an order taker to speed up the line of customers and shorten the wait times.

Right now, Arturia was helping set up the tables by the stall while absently looking at the menu. She was salivating, but quickly caught herself and pretended that nothing happened after wiping her mouth.

People were staring.

It was hard to watch Arturia act as if nothing had happened, but she was getting away with it because of how modest she appeared when he caved and gave her a bowl of food for her efforts.

More people came to stare as Arturia's cheeks slightly bulged but her expression maintained its regality. Her eyes were sparkling.

How did she even train herself to do that? It was a question that Shirou simply did not know, nor cared because he too often found himself transfixed on her when she ate his food. It was…adorable. That word was perhaps the most apt description.

Regardless, Arturia's presence alone was basically free advertisement, and though Rin and Luvia were bickering, they too drew in their own crowds of people.

Attracting customers was hardly difficult at this point. Now all that was left was for him to interest them enough to sample his food.

He had a couple more hours before opening.

He had a basic strategy.

"Arturia!" He directly unleashed his ace weapon.

Arturia turned her gaze over and blanked while looking at an entirely prepared table of food. Every dish on the table was an item able to be ordered from the menu which mainly consisted of everyday dishes that Shirou was the most familiar with. The variety was enough that it wouldn't be a joke if he up and decided to start his own cooking show.

What was the best way to garner attention for food?

Better yet, what was the best method to develop an interest in sampling food?

Clearly it was watching someone eat it first.

"S-Shirou you, c-can I?" Arturia looked dazed while Rin and Luvia blanked.

"That's not fair!" Rin and Luvia pushed Arturia aside, but Artruia hardly felt it as all of her attention was on Shirou who soon nodded to her question.

"NOO!" Rin and Luvia tried to stop Arturia, but against the parameters of a Servant, the two were helpless.

Watching Arturia begin eating all the food in the table at an exceedingly swift rate, the life seemed to drain from Rin and Luvia's eyes.

That food was treasure in the eyes of Magi!

Not only did it bolster the reserves of one's magic, but it strengthened one's innate talent towards mysteries.

Watching Arturia eat it, a person who did not care for magecraft, was like watching someone eating gold. An utter waste.

Rin and Luvia glanced at Shirou's direction pitifully.

"Go ahead," he gestured for them to join Arturia.

Even if Rin and Luvia eating wasn't as endearing as watching Arturia, their fervor was far greater as Magi.

The crowd continued to grow larger. Even some of the Totsuki students passing by couldn't help but swallow while looking at Rin, Luvia, and Arturia's flushed expressions.

Although, what exactly were they seeing right now?

Arturia was a King. Even she had times where her natural disposition forcibly exuded out. What a King wants, a King gets. "That's mine. And that one too. Don't touch that," she spoke with elegance despite her mouth being full stuffed. At the same time, she was basically hording everything while Rin and Luvia were inwardly cursing that their competition was an actual Servant.

It wasn't fair.

For each mouthful that Rin and Luvia ate, Arturia had already had several.

Arturia was being petty. She hadn't forgotten how much more food Rin and Luvia had eaten while she had maintained her table manners in the past. Now it was her turn. Worse hidden within Arturia's pettiness was an abyss of no end.

She would eat everything given the chance.

People began to whisper within the watching crowd, several looking at the time to see when the food stall officially opened.

Taking a breath to compose himself, Shirou put his mind into his cooking.

He was entering his happy place.

Where no amount of pestering or annoyance could ever reach him.

He would not allow his Kitchen time to be tainted.

He took up his position inside the kitchen of the food truck and waited for the minutes to pass until opening.

Only time would tell what sort of troubles would come his way though.

It was him that he was talking about here so he couldn't help but feel apprehensive. The more controlled a situation appeared, the worse his troubles became.

Afterall, nothing ever went well.

Opening hour came and what did he even expect?

Rin and Luvia were the first in line to his food truck, and the two were not setting off a good example by trying to insist on free food after all the food that they'd already eaten. Additionally, Arturia was lingering in the back.

If he ever caved to Rin and Luvia's whims, then Arturia wouldn't be too far off in order to exploit the opportunity.

But wait, weren't they supposed to act as Order Takers?

He felt beads of sweat form over his brows.

Was this really going to be alright?


Walking through the streets near Totsuki Academy, a magus by the name of Patrick Owels inwardly sneered at the average citizens walking around him. He felt it beneath him to associate with others who were ignorant of the true nature of the world, but was now forced out of his workshop due to the meddling of the Wizard Marshal.

The Wizard Marshal Zelretch was not a man worth offending, and that was just an understatement.

Zelretch possessed the True Magic of the Kaleidoscope, the mystery to traverse worlds at will. For something as simple as entertainment, Zelretch was known to randomly throw victims into parallel worlds. Some of which were far from pleasant.

Patrick did not want to get involved with the Wizard Marshal at all, but it had become increasingly difficult as of late.

The man was persistent.

In one of the Clock Tower's lecture halls, Zelretch had walked up to him and 'insisted' that he make a trip to Japan to visit some recently opened food stall? What a waste of time.

Bewildered as Patrick had been, there was no way that the man was going to refuse. Therefore, here he was now.

'How demeaning.'

Out of everyone walking through the streets, Patrick alone was the only one to be wearing a tailor-made suit with long blue coat tails. Frankly it made him stand out, but he wasn't going to give up his class just to blend in with the mundane folk. Therefore, let them stare and know greatness.

He turned his chin upwards and clicked his tongue as he proceeded onward.

Still, something was bothering him.

Zelretch was known to be one of the biggest nuisances to any magi. He was more likely to prank someone rather than benefit them. In which case, what was the catch?

There had to be something.

Patrick's brows knit together before he used a hand to fix his long bangs which had been blown over his eyes. Sometimes it was troublesome to have shoulder-length blond hair, but he'd been to busy researching his magecraft to trim it lately.

Moving on though, he really couldn't understand what Zelretch's objective was.

Patrick could see nothing of relevance in such a back-water country such as Japan whose magecraft could not compare with the culmination of mysteries stored within the Clock Tower.

He stared down at the address Zelretch had given him and frowned. While everyone else was using the GPS found within their cellphones, Patrick was holding an old-fashioned foldable map which he held between his hands.

Most Magi were never too attuned with modern day inventions.

Was he going North right now, or South?

It was hard for Patrick tell because he'd never focused on a magecraft intended for travels. He turned the map a bit to the right, and then back to the left, before coming to the realization that perhaps he was lost?

Preposterous.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. He glanced over.

"Might you be lost?" A student wearing the Tostuki Academy uniform asked politely.

The map that Patrick had been using had garnered plenty of attention, and seeing his confusion, someone finally decided to step forward.

Patrick was inwardly appalled when he looked around and noticed the judging stares around him.

Ants! He was inwardly fuming.

He could crush everyone here into paste with his magecraft alone and they dared snicker at his noble figure?

His eyes narrowed sharply while he considered the prospect of killing everyone around him and not divulging the secrets of magecraft. The chances were virtually nil at this point. There were just too many people, and the crowds only seemed to be growing larger.

If he killed anyone here and then got discovered, not only would the Clock Tower send its Enforcers to kill all witnesses, but he'd definitely lose his life in the process.

"Let's get this straight, boy. I am not lost," Patrick folded his map and then straightened the wrinkles on his suit. "I just so happen to be looking for a new food shop that should have had been opened up around here."

"Uhm, okay?" The Totsuki Academy student blinked, somewhat put off by Patrick's attitude. However, the student was still polite and pointed the way. "If you're looking for a new food shop, I think you mean the one by my Academy's entrance. It's right there." The student pointed, and then soon gestured behind him. "In which case, get in the back of the line buddy. You aren't the first who wants to try."

Buddy? Who was this buddy this boy spoke of?

Patrick turned to look if there was anyone behind him, yet found no one. 'Buddy' was clearly being referred to himself.

How audacious!

Patrick began to frown, but before he could unleash his sharp tongue, he realized that the student that he had been talking to had already moved further up the line.

Coward.

He made a beeline to give the student a piece of his mind, but was soon forced to stop due to the booing the other people were making at him.

"Budger! Get to the back!"

"Who does this guy think he is?!"

"Back of the line buddy!"

"I am not BUDDY!" He felt veins pop over his forehead. "I'm Patrick!" he yelled indignantly.

"Yeah? Then I'm Bob and he's Dillan! Stop making a scene!"

Why would I care who you are? Fools!

He raised a finger in rebut, but quickly stopped when he realized that no one was paying attention to him anymore. The fact that he couldn't kill anyone so out in the open either, left him with little choice but to comply with the demand of these savages.

Besides, at the very least, he'd been told of the right way to go.

Standing at the back of the line, Patrick felt like he'd perhaps finally discovered Zelretch's ploy. The damn bastard probably wanted to humiliate him for entertainment alone.

Patrick couldn't do anything about it either.

In the Clock Tower, there was no going against Zelretch unless misery was the future you wanted.

Minutes turned into hours, and by the time three hours had passed, Patrick was finally able to see the food stall that the line that he was in, led towards.

Fate Stay Cooking?

It was an odd name for food stall that was operating by proxy of a food truck, but it felt strangely intriguing. Zelretch would not recommend something lightly unless it was a joke.

In which case, yes, this was probably a joke.

Patrick's eyes kept scanning back and forth.

If rumours were true regarding Zelretch then the man would definitely by nearby to spectate in order to watch a show.

Patrick's eyes darted left then right while his feet continued to step forward as the line progressed.

Nothing.

There was not a single sign or indication of Zelretch's presence.

By the time that Patrick came to this conclusion, he was basically near the cashier who was dutifully taking orders. Upon looking at the cashier, Patrick could only blink in approval. There were three, and all three captured his attention.

Stunning. The only swans in a flock of geese who dared call him by such a crass name as 'Buddy.'

Their bearings and disposition reminded him of himself and the other nobility in the Clock Tower. Actually, now that he scrutinized them, they actually did look somewhat familiar. However, Patrick had never left his workshop enough to be entirely sure and as such he kept his mouth shut and simply ordered the first thing that he'd seen on the menu.

It was an Asian dish simply called Egg Fried Rice. It was promptly served to him on a steaming hot bowl with a pair of chopsticks placed into the rice.

He looked at the pair of sticks and could not have had been anymore disgruntled.

"Spoon? Fork?" His Japanese was only at the base level, but his words had always been direct and easy to understand.

A fork was soon given to him, and he made his way to stand elsewhere away from the infuriating crowd who were still whispering about him.

Now then, he stared hard at the food in front of him.

Zelretch had effectively caused his impromptu journey to Japan for this food alone, but what was even good about it? Could it beat the fine dining prepared within the Clock Tower?

Patrick didn't think so. In terms of class alone, it already paled in comparison to gourmet lamb and fine red wine.

It was commoner's food in every sense of the expression.

So why did he find himself having to eat something so far below his status?

The Wizard Marshal was the only real answer.

He felt like crying, but his ego would not allow it.

Well, no use dwelling over a spoilt spell. Might as well get it over with.

Pressing the spoon into the Egg Fried Rice, he acted as if he was dealing with hazardous substance with how cautious he was being. Still, the spoon eventually ended up right in front of his mouth before he took a cursory nibble.

He chewed. Then chewed some more before he swallowed, his hands trembling.

"I have become life, the true essence of the word converging to an origin. Oil and egg, rice and soy protein, an alchemic combination of mystery…" He didn't know what he was saying anymore, but perhaps 'delicious' would have had been enough. However, how could he express something so significant with just a single crass word alone. No. He was better than that. Different from the rest.

Moreover, this food. I-It couldn't possibly be?!

Patrick felt the magical energy within his body pulse from within him, thrumming and expanding outwards. Purity, attunement, everything was changing if only slightly.

Even his reserves had increased.

He was utterly stunned.

Would he get a reward if he reported this discovery to the Clock Tower?

No. He shook his head.

Wouldn't it be better if he just kept this knowledge to himself?

Sure, he wasn't that great of a Magus among the nobility now, but what would happen if he ate a year or two's worth of this food?

No one would dare to make light of him. The other prestigious families would have to bow at his presence.

As Patrick Owels began to contemplate to himself in silence, he failed to realize that he wasn't the only Magus that Zeltrech had egged into paying a visit to this food truck on this certain day.

Shirou suddenly shuddered while staring out at the rows of customers eating their food at the distant tables and surroundings. It was like he was being stared at by predators. This shop was the first step to verifying whether or not it was truly possible to change the world with his cooking alone. There was magic in cooking. The magic of seeing the smiles on his customers faces and the happiness found within their delight.

This particular feeling in this instance though was different.

Why were they looking at him with such ardent gazes? It was almost akin to lust in the sheer intensity.

His instinct told him to ignore them, however, he shivered.

There weren't many of them, but there were enough that their combined attention was impossible to ignore.

He still tried his best though, but things never went normally when it regarded him.

"How much to buy you?"

The oddly dressed man in a tailored suit whose smile looked entirely genuine spoke such brazen words that it took a full second to process in their entirety.

Uhm, what?

Shirou's response was not unfounded. Rin and Luvia looked much the same, except for them, their expressions were murderous. To them, Shirou's cooking was holy and should be coveted at all costs.

Since when would they let a random individual make off with their man? They were being taken too lightly. Moreover, who would dare take Arturia's precious away? It wasn't right to allow Arturia's appearance to be deceiving; it was her who always looked calm on the outside who'd probably react the worst.

Shirou felt his brow twitch at the man who suddenly cut through the entire line to directly speak to him while he cooked over the grill. He paused, shut off the heat, and turned to stare directly at the man who had spoken. Said man was in a tailored suit and reeked of high-aristocracy. It was to the point that passing students and pedestrians took photos thinking it was some sort of cosplay.

The man looked distinctly uncomfortable at the attention, but did not relent in his unflinching stare. The man was utterly serious.

"How much to buy you?" The man repeated again as if Shirou had not heard him the first time. In the man's hands, he produced several stacks of pure gold bars.

Shirou opened and closed his mouth, the man taking his reaction to be one of approval, and nodding in satisfaction until a slipper slapped across his face.

"You, filthy pig, I was going to ask first!" A woman who'd been waiting in line could not hold her anger any longer. "Just because I have more tact than to budge through a line does not mean I'll let you get away with this!"

The woman directly walked up to where Shirou was and made an offer while the other man was still in a daze.

"Work for me, I'll pay you triple anything this fool offers."

"No! Work for me!"

More and more people began to step out of the crowd and began bickering amongst each other. The worst part was that many soon recognized each other as associated in the same magical organization.

"C-Catherine?"

"Patrick?"

"Bruce?"

"Elenora?"

All were associates from the Clock Tower, and that revelation only made the competition more heated.

"Fuck all of you! I need him. I won't give him up to any of you!"

"Speak for yourselves you third-rates. My family will not forgive this slight if you go against me."

"Family? My ancestry dates back hundreds of years!"

"I was first!"

"None of you deserve him in the first place."

"Don't force my hand. I'm warning you all."

It was like Shirou was looking at children in the bodies of grown men and women. Worse, all of them seemed like they'd refuse to take 'no' for an answer.

Shirou sighed while watching Arturia and the others quickly growing agitated. The situation was bound to just get worse at this point. He didn't have to think about it anymore. The people in front of him were definitely Magi. This was his time to see just how influential his food could be, but the situation was only escalating.

Inadvertently, he stared intently at the frying pan over the grill. Moreover, why were there so many magi gathered here in the first place?

If he knocked himself out, could he just consider everything a dream?

Perhaps it was worth considering.


Thanks for Reading!

Next update: Fate in Time

P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious