Chapter 1: New Employment

Shirou smiled as he looked down at the stew he was making. Life had been going good since he had arrived at the Clock Tower with Rin. He mostly did freelance work, modeling after his father. Much to Shirou's dismay, people have recently started calling him the Second Magus Killer. Even if they shared the name, Shirou had tried to learn from the mistakes of Kiritsugu. He acknowledged that he couldn't save everyone and worked to save those who needed it the most, which usually put him in conflicts with dead apostles, rouge magi, and the occasional sealing designate. Although the battles were rough, he always felt rewarded when he completed a job.

As Shirou started to stir the stew, he thought about Rin. Every day, she worked hard under Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, trying to unlock the secrets of the Second Magic. Although Rin hasn't been making much progress (as shown by her daily rants to Shirou), he was still extremely proud of her.

"I hope she comes home soon," Shirou muttered as he turned off the stove. He made two bowls of the stew and his smile widened. "I wouldn't want it to get cold."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Shirou almost jumped when he heard the voice of an aged man. When he turned around, he saw Rin's mentor sitting at the table. "Would you mind making one for me too?"

"Of course not," Shirou placed one of the bowls in front of him. He had only seen Zelretch a couple times, with Rin usually there with him. The man was laid back and wise, but he exuded an aura that terrified Shirou. He couldn't exactly place his finger on it, but he was always on edge around him. Despite that, Rin had instilled manners in him and he would put those… lessons to good use. Zelretch took a sip and smiled.

"Just as good as she said it would be," Zelretch complimented. "She chose well."

"Thank you," Shirou nodded. He placed the bowl in his hand on the table. Rin could have it when she got home. "If I may ask, why have you come here?"

"Ah, I have a… proposal for you," Zelretch took a bite of fish. "Rin's been doing good, but she's hit a roadblock."

"I've heard," Shirou said. She ranted about a bunch of technical terms he didn't understand, but that was probably why he was allowed to hear her rant in the first place.

"I was proposing that we could use you to help her a bit," Zelretch leaned back in his chair, his crimson eyes staring straight into Shirou's sharpened soul. "Rin loves you very much. I am aware of that. If you could be used as a motivation, she will likely make a breakthrough. Actually, speaking of my students, Luvia might be motivated as well."

"Luvia?" Shirou tilted his head. Sure, they were friends, but why would she be motivated to the same extent as his girlfriend? Even though Luvia could get a bit… clingy at times, he thought she did that to get under Rin's skin.

"Nevermind," Zelretch let out a small chuckle. "Anyways, think of it as a small vacation. You'll be helping Rin while keeping your hands clean for a while."

"What do I have to do?" Shirou asked. He hadn't agreed yet, but the prospect of not being forced to kill for a few weeks was fairly enticing.

"I have set up a job for you in another… place," Zelretch resumed his meal. "You will have a job where you help people in various ways. All you need to do is do that job until Rin comes to pick you up."

"Helping people?" Shirou echoed. It seems like Zelretch already knew how Shirou operated.

"Where you'll be going, there is a group of people working to integrate themselves into society," Zelretch continued to explain. "Due to their status and potential dangers, their integration is heavily regulated. Humans are assigned to supervise them and help them get accustomed with daily life in the normal world. Some of these people can be quite dangerous, you see. I was thinking that someone of your… expertise would be able to handle them without much injury to yourself."

"I see," Shirou said. He racked his mind trying to think of a place and population like that, but he couldn't. That's when it clicked. Second Magic… "This is another dimension, correct?"

"Yes, that is correct," Zelretch said nonchalantly. "Don't worry. Rin is smart. She'll be able to pick you up before long."

Shirou paused for a minute. "What's the catch?"

"Haven't I already explained it to you?" Zelretch heaved a sigh. "This is for Rin and Luvia. The catch is that you're uprooting your life for an undetermined amount of time to help their education."

"I see," Shirou said. Would Rin be able to rescue him? What if he was stuck there forever?

No, that's stupid, Shirou could almost hear Rin's voice. He had faith in Rin. She wasn't just smart. She was brilliant. She'd be able to pick him up, and if he could help with her studies?

"Alright," Shirou nodded his head. "Count me in."

"Wonderful," Zelretch's smile returned on his face. "I wish you luck on your journey, Second Magus Killer."

Shirou scowled at the title, but let it slide. At that moment, the door barged open. Shirou looked up to see Rin barreling into the room.

"Zelretch! What are you doing in my house?!" RIn shouted.

"Welcome home, Rin," Shirou smiled. God, that angry face was so cute. "I prepared dinner."

"Shirou, why are you acting like this is normal?" Rin put her hands on her hips. "What did he tell you?"

"Oh nothing," Zelretch turned to Rin. "I was just telling Shirou how he could help you with your studies?"

"My studies—" Rin's eyes widened in realization. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. You better not!"

"It's okay, Rin," Shirou smiled as he looked at the love of his life. "I know you can save me. I believe it."

"Goddammit, get over you knucklehe—!" Shirou vanished before Rin could finish her sentence.

Kuroko Smith scowled as she looked at the prospective hosts for the liminal exchange program. Kimihito really had been spoiling her. Seven liminals. Honestly, she had half a mind to think that he was holding a record of most liminal species in one house. Even though he was an exceptional host, he caused a couple problems.

The first thing… he's basically ruined Ms. Smith's expectations on hosts. She wasn't jaded as to think all hosts would be like him, but now, he was the gold standard. When looking through applicants, she tries to compare them to him, which leads to only a few people getting accepted. The second thing is the government. With Kimihito's recent success, the government has upped expectations and sent more liminals. With more liminals means more demand for hosts. Not only that, but with Lala's recent addition, the government thought it was a good idea to send more dangerous liminals as well. Hellhounds, dragons, medusas… the average host can't deal with these dangerous beasts.

"Hah, no one good," Ms. Smith sighed as she threw away the last application. "If the government wants these liminals in so badly, why don't they send their own host?!"

As she slammed her fists on the desk, she heard the phone ring. Doing an instant 180, she forced a smile and picked up the phone.

"Cultural Exchange Coordinator Kuroko Smith at your service!" Ms. Smith said with the most cheery tone she could muster. "How can I help you?"

"Hello Ms. Smith," The voice of an older man came through the phone. "This is Marshal Schweinorg. I heard you have been having trouble looking for hosts."

"M-Marshal?!" Ms. Smith stuttered. Was a marshal even appointed at this time?! Why?! "What does the military want with my little sect?"

"Nothing, really," The man, Schweinorg said. "I just have a prospective host that you could really use. Check your email."

Holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder, she rolled over on her chair over to her computer and turned it on. Checking her email, she saw a message from an official military email. Seems like this marshal was legit. She clicked on it and started to read the file attached. As she did, her mouth dropped and her eyes started to widen more and more with each line.

Emiya Shirou, age 28. Excels in combat, cooking, and housework. Strict moral code and inclined to help anyone he can. 9 years in a secret group based in London taking out dangerous individuals around the globe. Was she even cleared to read this?

"This is…"

"Too good to be true?" Schweinorg asked. "Well, he's yours if you want him."

"What's the catch?" Ms. Smith grabbed her phone and made herself more comfortable.

"There is none," The marshal replied. "Shirou's done a lot for me, so he's earned himself a vacation. I brought up the liminal exchange program and he showed interest. It just happens the place I set up for him is in your area."

"I see," Ms. Smith rubbed her chin. What was there to lose? She just got a sudden windfall when she needed it the most. "Do you have an address? I would like to meet him before I make any decisions."

"Of course," Ms. Smith heard Schweinorg's hands clasp together. "I'll follow that up in the email. Please do keep in mind that he just arrived a few hours ago. He may very well be resting."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ms. Smith said. "Thank you for this."

"You're very welcome," Schweinorg replied. "I hope to hear the good news for you soon."

"Alright," Ms. Smith nodded before hanging up the phone. She immediately stood up, throwing her dress jacket on. For the first time in a while, Ms. Smith was motivated.

The first thing Shirou felt when he woke up was a headache. He sat up and groaned, rubbing his head. He was in a modern style bedroom with a king-size bed and a black table, dresser, and nightstand. On his nightstand was an ID, a credit card, a key, and a letter. The first thing Shirou did was grab the letter and open it.

Emiya Shirou,

Thank you for agreeing to help my students with their studies. I spent a long time setting this up and I'm glad the opportunity is going to you instead of someone else. I feel like you'll enjoy your time here.

Now, I should explain your situation. I spent some time in the military and the government so I can pull some strings. I was able to hook you up with this place and this government credit card. As for your role in this world, I put you as someone under my direct command. Though most people won't know this, it is important. I did this so I can set you up with more… interesting liminals.

Speaking of which, your job is to be a host of several different types of liminals, or monster girls. It's a part of a cultural exchange program. There should be a booklet for you describing what you need to know in the living room. As for your accommodations, you'll have a high monthly budget for the needs of both you and your liminals. This house has two stories, five bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Depending on what liminals you are assigned it is subject to change.

Now, I hope you do enjoy your little vacation. Try not to cause too much trouble. Rin will hopefully be able to pick you up soon.

Sighed,

Wizard Marshal Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg

P.S You should have a guest coming soon. I stocked the fridge.

Shirou just sighed. He knew there was a catch. When Rin caught him with all these… monster girls, she was going to kill him.

"Well, I might as well enjoy what I can," Shirou got out of bed. He looked down to see that he was in the exact clothes that he was transported in. They were clean and comfortable, so he decided to stick with what he was wearing. He made sure to fix his bed before leaving.

The kitchen wasn't hard to find and as Zelretch promised, it was fully stocked with all kinds of fruits, vegetables, meats, and spices. Shirou decided to make some onigiri. Shirou immediately located the rice and started to cook it. While he waited for the rice to finish, he cooked several different kinds of meats and vegetables. He wanted each onigiri to be unique. When the rice finished, he quickly wet and salted his hands.

He started to make the onigiri using several different fillings. Salmon, chicken, pickled plums, and many other fillings. He finally added the seaweed and plated them. Shirou looked down at his food with a satisfied smile. He made quite a bit of rice, so he was able to make 8 pieces of onigiri for him and 8 for his guest. Just as he placed them on the table with an array of sauces to choose from, he heard a knock on his door. He took a deep breath and took a step forward. A step forward to his new life.

If Ms. Smith was just going by the application info, she would have imagined him to be some giant hunk of a man with a permanent scowl, but she had seen his picture. He was lean and muscular and only a few centimeters taller than her at 180 centimeters. She thought she knew what to expect from the pictures, but when the man opened the door, she got something else.

She immediately got a homey vibe from him, like he was a stay-at-home husband.

"Ah, good morning. I was told I would be expecting someone," The man, Shirou, said with a small smile. "Come in. I prepared something."

"Thank you," Ms. Smith couldn't help but smile back. She had to admit, he was fairly attractive. Unlike Kimihito, whose charm lies in his personality, Shirou looked to be especially fit. HIs spiky red hair would stand out in a crowd of thousands and his amber eyes weren't something she would forget soon. "My name is Kuroko Smith. Feel free to call me Ms. Smith, though."

"Emiya Shirou," The man said as he led her to the kitchen. "I apologize if this isn't much, but I just woke up about an hour ago."

"It's no worry," Ms. Smith sat down across from Shirou. She clasped her hands together and grabbed her chopsticks. Taking a bite of the first onigiri, her senses expanded. She hadn't been eating for the past twelve hours, only surviving on shitty coffee. Eating actual food revitalized her. Not to mention the onigiri wasn't bad. It was quite good, actually. "It's delicious."

"Thank you," Shirou said as he took a bite of his own food. "So, I understand that you want to talk to me about the Interspecies Homestay Program?"

"Yes, that is correct," Ms. Smith said. "Marshal Schweinorg mentioned that you showed interest in becoming a host."

"Marshal?" Shirou smiled and shook his head as if recalling a joke, but he quickly caught himself and returned to a neutral expression. "Yes. I just started going through the handbook he gave me, but it seems like you're doing something good here. If hosting leads to me helping someone, I would be more than happy to become a host."

"I see," Ms. Smith scrutinized Shirou behind her sunglasses. She couldn't detect a hint of dishonesty. Judging from the house, it seems like he didn't need to take in a liminal for a quick buck. He seemed to be genuine and looking down at the empty plate of food she had just demolished, she could tell he put care in his cooking. "Well, it's likely that the handbook the marshal provided you is our standard issue. Fortunately, he has already taken care of the paperwork. If you want to start today, you can."

"I don't mind that," Shirou's neutral expression turned into a genuine smile.

"Good. I'll take a look at everything and send you your first liminal within the next few hours," Ms. Smith said, extending a hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Emiya Shirou."

"Likewise," Shirou shook her hand. "I hope to hear from you soon."

With that, Ms. Smith stood up and walked out the door. Maybe this Emiya Shirou guy won't be so bad after all.

Yes, it's back! Thanks to my wonderful patrons, Everyday Life With a Wrought Iron Magus is getting a rewrite! My most controversial fic, looking back on it. I've made several steps to rectify my past mistakes and hopefully things go a lot better this run. To that one person that's wondering, I will not be using the characters from the tower defense game as liminals. For my liminals, my patrons will be submitting then. If you want to submit one, then check out my Patron at pat reon dot com slash kfpisnotacult. I am eternally greatful for everyone who donates. With that being said, please do consider leaving a review! I would love to read and reply to your thoughts. Also please join my Discord! I would love to talk to you all and answer all your questions! I talk a lot about my thought process while writing, so if you're interested in that, do consider joining. The url is discord . gg (forego the spaces) followed by a slash and CpVs7R8KXz. Unfortunately you'll have to type the rest of the url in manually because I'm not allowed to post links. Thank you for reading and I'll catch you on the flipside.