Summary: Beni-Enma was already grateful to those of Chaldea for their efforts in restoring Enma-tei to its former glory. It would take a moment for her to realize that there was more to the Master's help than just goodwill. Beni-Enma wasn't expecting the Master to be just as kind as the old man once was, even when tired and working with so many other Servants before her. She probably shouldn't have been surprised. Watching should've given her the answer. Or, Beni-Enma finds herself being a wingwoman to more good moments happening in Novum Chaldea.

Note: To briefly summarize my own thoughts, "Sparrow-aunt," as Leo and I call Beni-Enma, is adorable and needed some spotlight to herself. Thus, this is all for her and how she helped me out a lot with the New Year's 2021 event in NA for farming and morale.

The theme for this chapter is, of course, the My Room - New Year song played in FGO during said New Year's event. There was nothing else I could think of that fits Beni-Enma. If you're looking for a theme that fits for the other Servants and the main Master in this chapter, well. The 2 Violins, 1 Piano version of Credens Justitiam from YouTuber Qonell, originally from Madoka Magica. :)

Please enjoy.

Day 11: Sparrow's Observations

Coming to Chaldea was a new experience. Even if Beni-Enma had no clue of what environment it was before the Novum Chaldea came to be in the Wandering Sea, it was still a quaint place. Not as grand as the Enma-tei, sure, but it was something worth investing in simply from how it allowed humanity to survive.

Even now.

"You're cooking again, red guy? Shouldn't you take a break?"

"Says the one not helping."

"Screw you too!"

"I don't swing that way for you."

"I wasn't asking!"

Robin Hood, one of the few Servants in Chaldea that had a Holy Grail used on them, seemed to be quite the playboy as he quipped some other things to the red Archer standing near the stove. If she still had her tongue, maybe Beni-Enma could taste the tension rippling off them in waves as they continued one of their many arguments. Archer EMIYA was certainly bristling if his quick chopping of vegetables was any indication. Hell, the cutting board was starting to let off some splinters, showing the amount of force going into each slice of the kitchen knife.

In any other situation, Beni-Enma would have interfered. After all, cooking was an art that shouldn't be defiled. She would have put her foot down, claws and all. That is, if not for a single presence suddenly making itself present in the area of the Novum Chaldea Dining Hall.

"Muuu…"

Robin Hood didn't seem to notice the only Chaldean Master's petite footsteps as she slowly made her way towards him, bunny slippers covering her toes as a pillow was left sagging in her right hand. The white and gray patterned snowflakes on her pajamas were rather unconventional from Beni-Enma's memories of Japanese culture, not to mention Vy's messy and tangled brown hair, but it was Vy nonetheless. It was almost amusing to note how, in contrast to the former May King, the sharp cutting on Archer EMIYA's part stopped with Vy making herself known, his eyes minutely widening with realization just as Vy let out a yawn.

Hm.

"Master—?" was all Robin Hood was able to say in a softer voice before Vy, in her bunny slippers and pajamas and all, slowly walked into his back and wrapped her arms around his waist. The girl then went about resting her forehead against his shoulder, her figure slumping against the taller Servant from putting her weight against him. Vy's forlorn pillow, with no space left, could do nothing but fall from her hands and onto the kitchen floor.

Just like that, with one hug, the tension from earlier was gone.

Robin Hood dropped all pretenses to smile. "Hey there, little sparrow," he cooed.

"Morning, big Robin…" Vy yawned again, muffling the noise via pressing her face into the back of his shirt.

On the other hand, Archer EMIYA scoffed, barely hiding a hint of fondness in the sound. "Vy, we talked about hugs before cleaning up for breakfast."

"You two looked like you were arguing, Shirou…" Vy then made a small noise akin to a sleepy grumble, rubbing her cheek against the back of Robin Hood's shoulder as she hugged him tighter. "Wanted to do something…"

"We're not arguing now, little sparrow, don't worry about it." If Beni-Enma didn't know any better, it was as if the petty thief of the Sherwood Forest was gone, replaced with an older brother figure as Robin Hood proceeded to gently pat Vy on the head. "The hugs are nice, but you need to brush your teeth."

"Few more seconds," Vy said childishly. "Wanna hug."

"1," Archer EMIYA said.

"Oi," Robin Hood interrupted with a quirk of an eyebrow. "Don't go all 'Overprotective Mom' now, Archer."

"Says the man still spoiling her, Archer," EMIYA shot back.

Robin Hood didn't even get the chance to frown before Vy slowly unlatched herself from him and proceeded to hug Archer EMIYA from behind too. "No. Fighting…" Vy said in the same sleepy grumble, shaking her head. "Hug, then I go clean up while you two go and coexist without poison and swords…" Vy then yawned again, louder this time, before finishing with a hand rubbing her eyes and a smaller, "Fair?"

To Beni-Enma's delight, both men sighed, as if giving up in the face of her posturing. "Fair."

Vy beamed as much as she could before another yawn cut through the air. Vy then slowly untangled herself from Archer EMIYA, kneeling down to grab the fallen pillow from before. She then went about hugging the thing to herself as her dim eyes looked a bit brighter from setting the room right. "Love you both," she quipped while walking backwards, and the last Beni-Enma saw of the Master before she slipped away from the kitchen was a stray strand of tangled brown hair. "See you in a little…!"

"See you in a bit, little sparrow~!" Robin Hood called after her sweetly.

Vy smiled past her pillow at the nickname, mimicking a bird chirp (something along the lines of a tiny "Cheep!") to Robin on the way out. Archer EMIYA, meanwhile, turned away with fake disgust, rolling his eyes.

Beni-Enma continued to watch.

Once Vy had left, Robin Hood leaned back against a clean counter in the dining hall and sighed. In contrast to the sound, a small smile covered his face as he glanced elsewhere. It was almost like Archer was already missing Vy's presence as he said under his breath, "…Little sparrow's got guts, getting between you and me like that every day. I don't get it."

"What I still don't get is why you decided to call Vy that," Archer EMIYA said to him with a raised eyebrow, putting the cut vegetables away into a nearby washbowl to go to the fridge and take out some eggs. "Is it because of her hair?"

"It's soft and brown like a sparrow's," Robin elaborated with a wave of his hand. "Plus she's small. Tiny." He then raised his other hand, making a vague curve shape with both arms before letting them fall to his sides. "It's those things, along with that big heart of hers that shows whenever she talks. Cute squeaky voice and all." Robin Hood chuckled to himself, crossing his arms. "Considering she kept both you and me around after so many Singularities and Lostbelts, Archer, there's nothing else I could think of. Even when wearing all black from the cold, she's still that little sparrow that keeps us alive, y'know?"

Beni-Enma didn't have to see Robin Hood's eyes to know that he meant every single word. Even with his rogue-like appearance, there was no mistaking that blatant affection he harbored towards Vy. And just like so many other Servants in Chaldea, the love was mutual. The faint shine coming off of Robin's figure signifying the use of a Holy Grail proved that much.

And just like that, Archer EMIYA chuckled too. "For once, I can agree with you on that."

With a smile, Robin Hood uncrossed his arms from over his chest, gently placing his green cloak down on the counter he was leaning on. "Anything I can help with?"

"Get some cheese, will you? Since Vy's grip in her hugs was a bit weaker than usual this morning, she'd probably need some more calories for the training in the simulator today. Calcium would help. I'm thinking of an omelette."

"Roger that."

Beni-Enma decided to go observe elsewhere. With those two at the helm of cooking, she probably wouldn't have to worry about them. She could certainly agree with Vy's nickname of "little sparrow," after all. Vy made a good chirp impression.

"Master~! Master~!"

Beni-Enma could already guess she had to worry about Kiyohime. Thinking that anyone who was her contractor was Anchin of all people, the monk that she killed in her legend, was simply a recipe for disaster. Not to mention her penchant for using fire on anything. Just in case, Beni-Enma kept a hand on her sword.

Vy, now dressed up in her Chaldea Combat Uniform and mid-motion in putting her straight hair up in a ponytail, barely flinched as she turned to the Berserker with a soft, "Yes, Kiyohime?"

In spite of Kiyohime's draconic appearance, the smile on her face still seemed so eerily serene as she held up a — a hairbrush? Huh? "Your hair is still messy! Let me brush it for you before you go into the simulator!"

Vy herself seemed to be echoing the surprise Beni-Enma was currently feeling, blinking owlishly at the Servant before saying in a higher pitched voice, "I-I'll be fighting and getting my hair messy anyways, Kiyo-san?"

"Still!" The Berserker angrily stomped one sandal against the floor of the hallway, her cheeks puffed up in a pout. "Master, you are my beloved! You must look the part!"

"I-I dunno about that, Kiyo-san…" Still, Vy deflated with a small sigh, shaking her head. "But I suppose I'll have to find a chair, huh?"

"No need!" Kiyohime proceeded to materialize a chair from nowhere, beaming happily as she put the wooden thing down in the middle of the hallway. "Now sit down and let me take care of you, Master!"

"O-Okay….?" Beni-Enma didn't blame Vy for looking hesitant as she sat in the offered chair. Even the few staff and other Servants walking around offered confused looks as Kiyohime unraveled the hair tie in Vy's hair to start brushing. Still, it was a change of pace. Kiyohime wasn't breathing fire everywhere and even her hair brush strokes seemed patient and tender as tangles were eased out of Vy's head. Beni-Enma carefully noted to herself how the entire time Kiyohime had talked to Vy, Kiyohime never said a word of "Anchin." Huh.

Maybe that old troublesome student of hers was finally maturing past that Madness Enhancement. Just maybe.

"AH! Master, you have a white hair! Have you been properly taking care of yourself?!"

"Eep."

"You haven't?!"

"I-I'm sorry."

Or maybe Beni-Enma still had something to keep in mind for the next Jigoku Kitchen.

"Vy~! Vy~! My little sis~!"

Yet again, before Vy could start the simulator training, another Servant was skipping up to her, and Beni-Enma tried not to lurch back at seeing the original Tamamo-no-Mae, long kimono robes and all. Even with longer hair and three ethereal golden tails, the foxy look on her face hadn't changed as she waltzed up to the girl with that same smile on her face. The large golden hairdress and the very heavy dress on her person didn't even deter Tamamo in the slightest as she purred, "Are you heading out to the simulator again?"

Vy, even with her hair in a formal bun thanks to Kiyohime, still looked rather awkward at the attention as she slowly nodded her head. "There's still a lot of materials to farm for everyone before we go into the next Lostbelt," she replied, her smile a bit wry even with her glasses obscuring Beni-Enma's view of Vy's eyes. "Not to mention QP, Tama-san."

"Boo boo, it's always work work work for you, Master! No breaks whatsoever!" Tamamo cried out suddenly, shaking her head enough to make her fox ears wiggle, and Beni-Enma stared in amazement as Tamamo proceeded to run up and take Vy's hands in hers to squeeze. "At least let me come with you! I cannot let my little sis go out alone!"

Little sis? Not husband? Tamamo wasn't grooming a human for her own gain for once?

"Um," Vy said, looking all the more worried. "But Tama-san…"

"But what, Vy?" The fox raised her head enough to touch noses with the Chaldean Master, and Vy flushed an embarrassed pink, probably from the attention and closeness. "Do not tell me you already decided on a team composition without me!"

"…That's an unfortunate 'yes,'" Vy finished with a nervous laugh, her eyes already apologetic as she squeezed Tamamo's hands back. "It's a node specifically with Caster enemies, so Achilles and Skadi-san are already covered for it…"

"Boo~!" Tamamo repeated, her ears drooping as she shuffled back and forth on her geta sandals. "I understand why you'd make those choices, but I feel like Skadi-san is replacing me, Vy!" With an almost exaggerated gasp, Tamamo nudged Vy's nose with hers as she exclaimed, "She's not, is she?!"

"Th-There's no way Skadi-san could, Tama-san…"

"Oi, pink fox, cut it out." Beni-Enma tried not to give her hidden presence away as Robin Hood somehow strolled into the scene yet again, his cloak on his shoulders and hands on his hips. Did he stop using his cloak of invisibility just to show up and save the day? What was it called? No Face May King? Vy's little squeak of shock and embarrassment seemed to give credibility to that thought. "Master still has to train and farm. Your fawning isn't really going to help her. Unless," Robin grinned mischievously while raising his bow hand, "you want to be hunted instead? I have a poison arrow with your name on it~"

The threat was enough to make the fox jump away from Vy and leave a few meters of space between them. "No!" Tamamo shrieked. "My tails do better with no poison, crude assassin!"

Vy glanced between the two Servants, blinking owlishly for a few seconds before opening her mouth with, "No hunting, big Robin."

"BIG—" Tamamo said, affronted.

"Awww," Robin Hood said, but he still lowered his hand to stride over to her side. His smile, just like before in the kitchen, softened in Vy's direction, leaving Beni-Enma to watch in curiosity as Vy stared up at him in return. "But you could get a nice meal, Master."

"Excuse you, I am a shrine maiden, not livestock—"

"I'm not eating Tama-san, Robin," Vy repeated, firmer this time while trying not to flinch from Tamamo's loud volume. "So no!"

Tamamo, who had decided to linger behind Robin Hood as Vy said her bit, proceeded to look happy again if her perked-up fox ears were any indication. Robin Hood, meanwhile, scoffed under his breath, reaching up to press a hand to the top of Vy's head. "Okay, okay. Loosen up, little sparrow, it was just a joke."

"Muuu," Vy said, the pout on her face more than telling of how she didn't find it funny (and neither did Beni-Enma, to be honest), but she still leaned into the touch with an inhale through her nose. "Dork."

"Pretentious Archer," Tamamo mouthed to herself. It was obvious only Beni-Enma and Robin Hood noticed, considering Vy hadn't even moved.

"Cute lady," Robin Hood said teasingly back to Vy mid-headpat, ignoring Tamamo's quip. Then, with a more serious tone, he added, "You sure about heading out now?"

"Aye," Vy replied, quieter. She ducked her head. "There's still some Grails I was thinking of giving to a certain someone who's currently headpatting me after some of the events, so…"

It didn't even take a second for Robin to be the one to stop moving this time, his cheeks flushing a soft pink in return as Tamamo gasped loudly.

"Y-You can't be serious, little sis—"

Beni-Enma felt tempted to throw a sword at Tamamo's hair. For the smallest second. She focused on the scene at hand instead.

"…Little sparrow, really? For a bowman like me?" Robin said softly, clearly ignoring Tamamo's attempt at causing a scene to focus on the girl in front of him. "Even when you're low on QP again?"

Vy simply raised her head to nod towards him, a shy smile on her face. "You help with a lot of things and I like being with you." With a shrug of her shoulders, she grabbed Robin's hand before he could retract it from the top of her head, squeezing his fingers. "For a bowman like you, it's the least I could do. 100 is a nice number and farming makes it work."

Even when Beni-Enma couldn't see Vy's eyes from her angle of observation, she could not mistake the unsaid, I love you. Tamamo too seemed to notice this, her tails (which were previously puffed up) now folding back down to nestle against the underside of her robes as a softer look of understanding came over her features. All Robin Hood did was murmur a soft "Master…" before squeezing Vy's hand back, sparking a shy giggle from the Chaldean Master.

"I know, I know. I'm silly and I overwork often. But there has to be someone to keep everything up, morale and all," Vy said, her cheeks turning pink too. "And since everyone helps out so much, I have to use the Grails we have in stock sometime, don't I?" With another giggle, she shrugged her shoulders hesitantly. "J-Just keep this entire thing a secret from EMIYA for me, okay?"

It was obvious Vy loved all her Servants if she was asking something like this. Tamamo had calmed down even more with the statement her Master made, a warm smile quickly forming on her face as Robin Hood sighed.

"Alright," he allowed after a moment. "But that doesn't mean everything has to fall to you." Robin Hood said it all in the same quiet voice, pulling Vy in by her hand to press his forehead to hers. "You can rely on us Servants too, little sparrow."

Even without as much time with Vy underneath her feathers, Beni-Enma could taste the trust and concern in the air in spite of her lack of a tongue. That was how potent the emotion was.

"I know, big Robin," Vy returned, closing her eyes and leaning into the forehead touch in spite of her tense shoulders. "But we both know with the original Chaldea gone and the Lostbelts being around that our enemy is going to be gunning for me no matter what. Servants or not, they'll find a way. Just like in Shimosa." She proceeded to gesture to her stomach with her free hand, making both Robin and Tamamo visibly flinch, much to Beni-Enma's confusion. Was Vy hurt before? "I have to keep working hard to keep the upper hand against them. And…"

"And?" Tamamo and Robin Hood echoed at the same time.

Vy opened her eyes to glance between the two, smiling wryly. "The least I can do to thank you all is use a Grail on all of you front-liners when I get the resources, right?"

Beni-Enma felt herself freeze.

She's just like him.

Honest, selfless, and so, so kind.

Holy Grails were not something that could be found willy-nilly in the forest. They were powerful, all-mighty, and rare. For Vy to say that she would use one without hesitation on a Servant, even when she had her own wishes of seeing her family again and letting Lady Mash meet her parents…

Tamamo proceeded to let out a soft noise akin to a "Kyuuuuun~" as Robin Hood's cheeks flushed a darker color, nearly bordering red if not for his complexion keeping the illusion of a pink blush. With a shakier laugh, Robin Hood smiled again in return, bumping Vy's forehead with his all the while. "Silly sparrow," he murmured. "Save those for your family."

"But you two are part of my family!"

The fact that Vy sounded so honestly indignant at Robin Hood's attempt of deflection was quite adorable.

"You get what I mean," Robin Hood chuckled, but he still unlatched his green cloak from his shoulders while pulling back from the forehead touch, reaching over to drape the large thing over Vy's head. Her already small stature was then nearly hidden from view, leaving only a sliver of opportunity open for Beni-Enma to see the flabbergasted look on Vy's face. "But make sure to take this with you to the simulator, little sparrow. Just to ease my worries."

"Your No Face May King?" Vy tugged at the hood part of the cloak with a tiny frown, worry leaking into her voice as she said, "It's your Noble Phantasm, though…"

"Which I can do without for a quest or two," Robin Hood elaborated, raising a hand to pat Vy's head again. "Just to make up for not taking me along this time."

Whether or not Robin Hood meant it, his quip sparked something in Tamamo, as she proceeded to get between both him and Vy and then throw paper tags into Vy's face. "Take my things with you too, Master! For your safety~!"

"Oi, fox, how will paper tags work for protection when Vy's mana levels are—"

"Shushie, you! Just let me have this if you're going to get a Grail!"

"Master said she was planning on giving us all one at one point—"

Covered in green cloth and scattered papers, all Beni-Enma could remember past that point was Vy's surprised and warm laughter. She wanted to linger more, just to take in that scene of her former pupil and that green Archer stopping in place from hearing Vy's voice turn so happy, if not for a certain thing.

"BB Channel~! BB Channel~!" A sickly sweet voice called out. "Senpai~! Wait for your devilish little kouhai! I'm coming to train too~!"

Almost immediately, Beni-Enma took out her sword. Just in time. There was this other thing Beni-Enma had to observe.

All Chaldean Servants had the standing order of keeping Summer BB in "timeout" so that the so-called Luluhawa event never happened again. From what Beni-Enma heard from Mash, the person who started the order in the first place, BB had a "wickedly evil god" in her and said god needed to be kept in control. So, Beni-Enma already made sure to have the right-sized box on hand. It was, of course, her turn to keep watch after Mysterious Heroine XX went out for lunch in the Wandering Sea.

In the end, Beni-Enma wasn't unfamiliar to the concept of slaying demonic entities. Especially ones that seemed to be out of humanity's world of understanding. So this part was simple.

"Journey of the Wicker Basket…"

"H-Hey! Hey!" The purple-haired AI angrily pounded at the insides of the box once she was successfully confined, the object rattling with all the force. The number of tentacle-shaped indents on the box's sides showed how much she was trying. "Why can't I hack out?!"

"Welcome to Jigoku Kitchen, spoiled AI," Beni-Enma whispered to herself, just as Robin Hood and Tamamo escorted Vy out of the vicinity. She didn't even have to meet Robin Hood's gaze to know he approved. "You have many lessons to catch up on if you want to be a good 'kouhai.'"

Beni-Enma sliced with her sword and elsewhere, Vy smiled from being hugged by some of her best Servants.

Author's Notes: Next up, the Prillya girls. When I get the energy and muse. This chapter ended up going places, but considering how the CCC event is nearing its end as I write this note (3/4/2021, in fact), Robin Hood's been growing on me again. So, here we are.

I'd like to think Beni-Enma approves of all the familial relationships and the Unlimited Fluff Works. :) Summer BB driving the Master to insanity — never happening here! NOPE~!

Vy signing out now. See you all next time.