Chapter 28
"Why?" Shirou Emiya, who had likely sensed something, asked patiently, "Do you want to leave home? Is life at home boring you?"
"No, no, no! No!" Elysia hurriedly shook her head, her crisp voice rising sharply, "I have never felt that life at home is difficult! My mother is very nice! The food you cook is delicious! The bed I sleep on is also very comfortable, but... but..."
As she spoke, Elysia's voice suddenly choked up, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She hadn't initially wanted to leave Emiya Shirou's side, and she didn't want to leave this warm and beautiful home at all. If possible, she would never get bored, just as Shirou Emiya had suggested. Elysia felt deep gratitude for Shirou Emiya's care and upbringing, and she also felt a profound attachment and reluctance towards this family. Thus, the decision to leave overwhelmed her with sadness and sorrow that she couldn't contain.
To be honest, Elysia herself didn't know why she wanted to leave her home so much. She was just a child of less than seven years old. Although she was much smarter than other children her age, there were still many things she didn't understand.
She didn't know why the town was blocked, and she couldn't figure out why she felt subconsciously afraid when she saw those soldiers. Even the decision to leave home was merely an almost instinctive judgment.
She couldn't continue staying at home.
She couldn't let those soldiers discover her true identity.
She couldn't stay with her "mother" any longer.
If she didn't leave, "Mom"... and everyone in the town would...
But she had already made up her mind.
She was already mentally prepared to leave her "mother".
Why... why couldn't she stop crying?
"Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu," Elysia, blurred by tears, heard something approaching slowly.
It was a palm that resembled Shirou... even younger than him.
The warm palm gently touched the corner of her eyes and, with gentle movements, wiped away the tears on Elysia's cheeks.
"By the way," after gently wiping away Elysia's tears, Shirou Emiya suddenly said, "There is one thing for which I may have to apologize to Ellie."
"..." Elysia's nose twitched. She raised her palm, indiscriminately wiping her tear-stained face, and said breathlessly, "Yes... what... is it?"
"Well, actually... I am your guardian spirit," Emiya Shirou said with a smile.
The words, completely incongruous with the current atmosphere, immediately grabbed Elysia's attention. She widened her eyes, blinked twice, and her wet eyelashes caught the light, flickering. "Emiya... the guardian spirit???"
"Yes, look," Shirou Emiya smiled and voluntarily dispelled the magic power forming his physical body.
Under Elysia's gaze, Emiya Shirou's body vanished in a burst of mist-like fluorescent light.
"??"
Seeing Emiya Shirou disappear without warning, an indescribable panic exploded deep in Elysia's mind. However, before she could react in panic, Emiya Shirou's voice resounded in the depths of her mind once again.
"You see, I'm not ordinary a human being. Even if my body disappears, I can become a spiritual entity and stay with you all the time, beside you."
As if confirming the validity of his words, when the voice in her head ceased, Emiya Shirou's body appeared like a phantom in Elysia's eyes once again.
Emiya Shirou, having transformed from a spiritual entity back into a physical body, lifted his gaze, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared directly at Elysia's stunned face with teasing eyes. "So, what do you think? Are you surprised?"
"Okay..." Elysia opened her mouth, and the pink pupils that had dulled due to sadness and reluctance now lit up. "Amazing!!! my mother is my guardian spirit?!"
"Yes, I never had the opportunity to confess it to you," Emiya Shirou smiled. "That being said, with your perceptiveness, you probably already sensed it, didn't you? Is something wrong?"
Elysia's eyes flickered, and she wore an expression of sudden realization. "So, Mom... no, Emiya will never grow up because you're not an ordinary person. You're a guardian spirit who belongs to me?"
"Uh..." Although he wanted to object to the phrase "belongs to me," Emiya Shirou pondered for a moment. Since the only person who had formed a contract with him was Elysia, he was indeed a Servant who belonged solely to her. There was nothing to refute in this description, so he nodded approvingly. "Yes, didn't I teach you? Normally, a child's mother would be an adult woman, so... unfortunately, I'm not an ordinary human and can't be considered your real 'mother.' Are you a little disappointed?"
"Disappointed?" Elysia chewed on the words and vigorously shook her head. "How could I be disappointed? Rather, the person who has been taking care of me is actually an spirit or something... Is there a more beautiful and magical story than this?"
"No! This isn't just a story from a book!" Elysia's eyes grew brighter with her words. "Isn't it incredible? Such a romantic thing can happen in the reality of this world!"
"Uh..." Seeing Elysia completely shake off her previous sadness and regain her spirits in an instant, Shirou Emiya couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.
Although he had speculated that revealing his true identity might temporarily make Elysia forget her previous sorrow, the actual effect surpassed his expectations.
"Wait! If Emiya is my guardian spirit, does that mean..." Elysia paused for a moment, bringing her tear-stained face closer to Shirou Emiya's eyes. Her pink pupils brimmed with intense anticipation.
