This has been the easiest chapter to write by far, and I did it all in one sitting, haha.
I hope I've gotten the dynamics right, and keep a look out for any cameos of student-servant pairs that would get their own focus chapter eventually in some way.
Happy reading~!
"That girl is late again, how vexing."
Today was another session of classes for the Make Up Work Club, and ever since last week, they received a new teacher that feels closer to them in terms of appearance.
Said teacher was a boy that looked much younger than the students in front of him, sporting short blue hair, matching blue eyes, and a formal attire that was a mix of blue, white, and black.
"I swear she does this on purpose…" He muttered under his breath, his deep tone clashing with his otherwise childish appearance.
He didn't even want the job in the first place, being content with just staying inside and working with the inspiration he gained from the new world he found himself in.
Alas, after making multiple observations of the world known as Kivotos, he knew that he would be roped into these troublesome scenarios sooner or later.
However, he didn't believe that it would happen almost immediately, but then again, his master was a particularly headache-inducing one…
With a shake of his head, he cleared his throat and spoke up, "Now then, what can you all tell me about this portion of-"
"H-How completely shameless! Death penalty!"
"Hahaha, I died a long time ago, master~."
"So you really love this Peroro guy that much, eh?"
"Of course! Peroro-sama has been part of my childhood~."
"Shirasu-san, please pay attention to Andersen-sensei."
"Mm? Sorry, I'm just thinking about things…"
Hans Christian Andersen watched as the students of the Make Up Work Club had interrupted him and seemed to be more focused on their own worlds, especially with the Servants alongside them.
"Why do I even try with these children?" He remarked, knowing that his voice was drowned by what was happening in front of him.
Shimoe Koharu was squirming in her seat, trying to get away from her own servant, who was a woman with pink hair and a very revealing white attire that showed off a lot of skin, along with what looked like a riding crop on her skirt.
"How this woman managed to find her way into an environment like this is beyond me."
Ajitani Hifumi was happily showing off her collection of Peroro plushies to her servant, who was a young man with black and white hair, wearing a black and white outfit that a mix of regal and practical, with a sword on his side that was covered in a white and blue sheath.
"For someone who was a ruler of his own kingdom, he's awfully insistent on being fascinated with the most mundane of things possible."
Shirasu Azusa seemed to be staring off into space while grasping her gun, with her servant trying to get her to focus. Said servant was a girl that was slightly younger than the students inside the classroom, with black hair, blue eyes, and an egregiously revealing outfit that showed off the sides of her body and most of her legs.
He recalled Shimoe screaming expletives at the servant's choice of attire once she set her eyes away from her own, which caused quite the commotion that lasted for a few days.
"Well, at the very least, she's actually bothering to try and reach out to her master."
Letting out a sigh, he pulled out the smartphone that his master was very insistent on giving him to check the time.
"We're nearly done with the second period and she still hasn't bothered to show herself."
Creak. Swing!
However, just as those thoughts crossed his mind, the door to the classroom opened, prompting everyone inside to turn their heads to the source.
"Good morning everyone~!" A cheery voice called out. "Sorry for being late~."
Shimoe immediately took offense and yelled, "Again with the swimsuit!? Do you have no shame?!"
"Calm yourself, master ~." Her servant cooed, wrapping her arms behind the girl's shoulders. "I believe that level of confidence is what you need~."
"S-Silence!"
"Hanako-san has been doing this since we met, so you'd think she would be used to it by now." Ajitani said with a sheepish grin.
"Heh, Roland would get along with her just fine." Her servant grinned and placed his hands on his hips.
Shirasu remained silent and continued to wipe away at her weapon and other objects on her desk, her eyes solely focused on them.
Her servant watched on and shook her head, her expression being that of utter exasperation.
"I completely understand their school's decision to put them together." Hans remarked in a deadpan tone.
"Sorry for being late, Hans-sensei~."
Urawa Hanako approached the young boy and waved at him with a smile, all while wearing a school swimsuit that was out of place inside the classroom.
Honestly, this girl was trying too hard with the act she's put on.
"… No matter, just find your seat, master ." His tone was laced with sarcasm. "I expect that you keep up and not waste our time here."
"Yes, sensei~." Urawa replied, skipping towards her seat.
Hans sighed and tried to return to what was doing before. "Now, where did we left off of-"
"Excuse me, Hans-sensei!" Ajitani raised her hand.
The servant rolled his eyes at being interrupted again, but allowed her to speak. "What do you ask of me, Ajitani-san?"
To the girl's credit, she twiddled her fingers at his gaze and answered, "Were you the one that wrote 'The Little Mermaid'?"
This got Hans to widen his eyes and said, "What did you say?"
"Uhmm, Hanako-san told me about the stories you wrote and I found one of them at the library," Ajitani continued, before smiling. "I read the story myself and it was beautiful!"
"I see then…" Hans narrowed his eyes at that.
Admittedly, he didn't bother to explore much of the Trinity district, preferring to stay inside his master's apartment and only really going out to attempt to teach their club, and even then, he came close to not wanting to waste his energy on them.
He looked over to his master's seat and she smiled at him once more when she noticed.
"I will have to pay a visit to the library at a later time."
"I'm so glad that you're finally making an effort to get out more~."
"Silence, I only wish to satisfy my own curiosity."
Urawa continued to grin at Hans, as both of them made their way towards the Trinity district's library.
The servant made a point to ignore all the curious stares thrown at him and his master, as the last thing he wanted was to answer meaningless questions.
Furthermore, it took him more than a few minutes to pester his troublesome master into changing out of her swimsuit, which she eventually did and was currently wearing her usual sailor uniform.
After a few more minutes of walking, both of them reached the library's building, which had a considerably more old-fashioned appearance compared to the other buildings.
He didn't mind whatsoever, as the mere sight brought some slight nostalgia, but he quickly shook it off.
Creak.
"Rider, come on!" A completely normal girl came out through the entrance. "Let's try out these recipes at the clubroom!"
He recalled that her name was Kurimura Airi, according to his master's constant ramblings during her explanation of Trinity General School.
"Oui, I can't wait to introduce our classic pastries to you and your lovely friends~." A more cheery voice replied, as a servant with white twin-tailed hair, wearing a large hat and a sailor uniform came out and followed her. " Vive La France~ !"
"It looks like the former queen has adapted well to her new surroundings, as expected of one with her character."
Hans made a point to ignore both of them, having no desire to intrude on their bonding and to focus on his last goal of the day.
Fortunately, Urawa simply waved at her fellow student and was content with following him from behind.
Creak.
The interior of the library was similarly old-fashioned, and he could smell the amount of well-preserved books on their respective shelves.
"Perhaps going here wouldn't be so bad." He thought to himself, making his way to the counter.
On the other side of the counter table, he saw two figures in differing positions. The first one was a black-haired girl that was slouched over and clearly asleep, while the other was a servant with dark brown hair and wore an elaborate Victorian-style dress that emphasized her figure.
The servant took notice of his and Urawa's presence and moved to gently wake her master.
"Master, you have guests." She called out in a gentle tone.
"Ugh…" Kozeki Ui opened her eyes and groggily looked up. "… What do you need…?"
"Where is the 'fairy tale' section?" Hans asked, getting straight to the point.
"Hello, Ui-san~!" Urawa waved at her fellow student.
In response, Kozeki straightened her posture slightly and pointed her finger to the left.
"It's right there, you should be able to find it." She answered as politely as she could.
"It is a pleasure seeing another Caster here." Her servant smiled and bowed respectfully.
Hans nodded and walked towards the direction pointed by the student librarian, with his master skipping from behind.
It took a few minutes to specifically find the 'fairy tale' section of the library, before the servant stopped in his tracks and gazed upon the contents on its shelf.
'The Little Mermaid', 'Thumbelina', 'The Ugly Duckling', 'The Princess and the Pea', 'The Little Match Girl', and so much more could be seen.
"How…?" Was the only thing he could say.
Urawa reached out and picked up 'The Little Mermaid' from the shelf, and opened it to read its content.
"Ah, I've read this many times before when I was a little girl~." She said, placing a hand on her cheek.
Hans narrowed his eyes at what his master said and asked, "Did those stories exist long before my arrival?"
"Well of course!" Urawa nodded with a smile. "I remember stumbling across these when I was looking for something, but I found the name of the author strange at the time."
He knew what she meant by that. From the single week he had spent within the Trinity district alone so far, he noticed that practically every student had Japanese names, even though their place of residence was reminiscent of England.
None of the students seem to notice or even care about that particular detail, which only added to the oddity of the world known as Kivotos. They were simply content with living their lives and maintaining a status quo.
However, with the increasing presence of 'Heroic Spirits', including himself, only time would tell how long it will last until something happens. He knew that the more unsavory servants would jump at the chance at taking advantage of the students' general naivete.
"Ahhh, the way the prince notices Ariel's efforts is so heartwarming~." Urawa cooed with a light blush, snapping her servant out of his thoughts.
"Your awe in basic human decency never ceases to amaze me." Hans was quick to remark at her expense.
He also explicitly remembered not giving the mermaid a name, as he wanted to emphasize a message behind its story, but he wasn't going to intrude on his master's enjoyment.
Her comment also confirmed to him that 'The Little Mermaid' in Kivotos was very different, compared to what he had originally written.
"What are your general thoughts on that particular fairy tale then?" Hans decided to ask her, crossing his arms.
To his master's credit, she closed her eyes and cupped her chin, looking deep in thought, which was unlike her previous display moments ago.
After a few seconds of contemplation, Urawa opened her eyes and smiled softly at him, closing the book as she did.
"Well, it tells me that dreams can come true with enough hard work and having faith in yourself." She answered honestly, placing a hand on her chest. "The way everything turned out great in the end was because of the kindness of the people around Ariel."
What a naive answer. Despite her bold actions prior, it showed that she was just as innocent and idealistic as several of her fellow students.
"Hmph, I suppose that you're capable of understanding a story's message and reading between the lines if you truly wanted to." Hans said with a huff, even with 'The Little Mermaid' of this world being far more lighthearted.
However, he wasn't particularly against that and didn't want to take away from the generally hopeful atmosphere of the new world he's in.
"Hehehe, so you can compliment other people~." Urawa teased him in that irritatingly sing-song tone.
"Don't make me take those words back." Hans replied in a flat tone.
Even when she would act more thoughtful, she was still as annoying as ever.
Nightfall arrived over Trinity General School, with the majority of the students heading back into their homes to prepare for the next day.
However, Hanako wasn't one of them.
The pink-haired girl stretched her arms as she stood in front of the entrance door of her apartment, clad in a white shirt and bikini top and was ready to head outside.
"Hold it right there, young lady."
A strict voice stopped her in tracks, prompting her to turn around and see Caster looking at her with his arms crossed and his expression unamused.
"Just where do you think you're going?" He asked, his tone leaving no room for arguments.
"I'm just going to head out for a nightly walk, that's all~." Haanko answered in her usual airy tone.
Caster closed his eyes and shook his head, before opening them as he spoke, "Just how long do you intend on fooling your peers with that shameless act?"
"Huh?" Her entire body froze at the question.
What…? How did he-
"You know very well that this isn't who you truly are," He continued, taking a step forward. "Underneath that facade of yours, you possess great intellect and the potential for leadership, yet you choose to squander it in favor of frivolous actions and childish desires."
At that point, Hanako had fully turned her body to face her servant, her expression being one of shock upon being found out that quickly.
"… How? How did you know…?"
She wanted to know how he saw through her so fast. She wanted to know how he did it when she managed to fool everyone else into seeing her as just another student.
"Because I have met them before, those that place their own human wants and needs over the expectations placed upon them." Caster's answer surprised her, his tone less heated than before.
" … " Hanako said nothing as she turned away from his gaze, not wanting to look him in the eyes.
This was a different kind of exposure that she wasn't quite used to, but deep down, she knew that someone would find out eventually.
She just didn't think that the one to do it would be her servant, whom she had only known for a week so far.
"… Well now, you look like you're reflecting, so I will take my leave."
Hanako widened her eyes and turned to see Caster about to walk away from her.
"Wait!"
Her body moved on its own and was quick to grasp her servant's shoulder, prompting him to glance at her with a neutral expression.
"Can we…" The pink-haired girl cleared her throat, before finding her voice. "Can we talk in your room?"
Caster raised both of his eyebrows in response, looking mildly surprised by his master's words.
"… I'll tell you why, I promise." She continued, letting out a sigh of her own.
Since he found out on his own, she saw no reason to hide anything from him any longer, knowing that he would continue to observe her actions.
…
Inside Caster's makeshift workspace, which used to be a large closet, both master and servant sat down and faced each other.
"Well then, what do you have to say for yourself?" He asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against his chair.
Hanako slowly made eye contact with her servant and took a deep breath.
"It's true, everything you said." She started, hugging her knees against her chest. "Before I became part of the Make Up Work Club, I was considered one of the smartest of all the students, and thus, they all expected me to go higher and higher."
She knew that she could've easily aced the tests in her club, even before her servant's arrival, but intentionally flunked them to remain where she was.
"Everyone, even the adults, praised my knowledge and had high hopes for me, but…" Hanako balled her hands into fists. "No one wanted to be my friend, thinking that they would just 'get in the way', and I was left feeling lonely as a result."
The girl shut her eyes as she tried to shake off the memories of her fellow Trinity students avoiding her like the plague.
"S-Sorry! I was just in front of you!"
"I'll pass… I would just hold you back."
"I don't think I can keep up with you, sorry…"
The feeling of loneliness and isolation because of her intelligence. She wanted to find some way to get everyone around her to view her as just another student.
"And so, I decided to act as bold and outrageous as possible." Hanako continued, tugging at the bikini top she was still wearing. "I started to disregard my tests and no longer conducted myself elegantly."
As she continued to speak, the girl felt a smile beginning to appear in her own features.
"The people around me were shocked, which is what I wanted, so I kept at it." Hanako looked up at Caster with a soft smile. "Each day, I got bolder and bolder, until they finally saw me as just another student and reacted to me in a different way."
Even with the reactions being mostly indignation at her lack of shame, she found it much better than being ignored altogether.
"Eventually, they had enough of what I did and sent me to the Make Up Work Club," Hanako relaxed her body and smiled wider. "My time with them so far has been the closest I've gotten to making real friends, so I want to keep going until they finally view me as an equal."
Afterwards, she felt like she loosened a weight on her shoulder. She didn't think she would feel this relaxed upon confessing to her true self in front of someone, with said someone being her servant.
" … " Caster said nothing and stared at her, causing the girl to fidget slightly under his gaze.
…
After what felt like an eternity, the servant shook his head and said, "How utterly human of you, Urawa."
Hearing him address her by name instead of "master" got her to look up at him in surprise, as shown by her wide eyes and slightly open mouth.
"If continuing with this act truly gives you joy, then I have no right to interfere with your happiness." Caster continued, rolling his eyes.
"Huh…?" She didn't expect him to accept her that easily.
Sensing her surprise and confusion, Caster clicked his tongue and said, "As irritating as your actions are, you're not the worst company I've ever had and I will respect your wishes."
" … " Hanako stared at him, as if she was really looking at him for the first time.
For her servant to accept her this much and even respect her desires, she felt a rush of joy in her chest and grinned at him.
"For all your constant comments about me and the others, you really do care~." She teased him, but it wasn't as strong as the previous ones.
Caster merely huffed and rolled his eyes again, but she could tell that it lacked any true annoyance and that it was his way of relaxing around her.
"Thank you, Caster." She thought to herself, smiling all the while.
The next day came and students slowly woke up one by one to start their morning routines.
Hanako had a morning routine of her own, but she decided to do it differently today.
She yawned and stretched her body, as she made her way into the kitchen to grab some refreshments before leaving.
Upon entering, the pink-haired girl saw Caster sitting down and reading a book, while helping himself to a cup of coffee.
Her servant noticed her presence and raised an eyebrow, before he asked, "You're not going out in a swimsuit today?"
Hanako blinked and realized that he was looking at her current outfit, which consisted of a white hoodie, black leggings, and red sneakers.
"Ahaha, well, I wanted to switch up my routine today," She answered, laughing sheepishly as she approached the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. "I've also been thinking about what you told me."
Without waiting for him to reply, Hanako left the kitchen and eventually her apartment, even making sure to pick up her phone and gun along the way as she did.
The pink-haired girl walked through the early streets of the Trinity district, enjoying the current tranquil environment where there wasn't any of the typical gun fights and brawls.
"Master, are you keeping up?"
"Yes…! I'm doing my best…!"
Hanako looked up from her phone and saw a handsome man with long red hair, closed eyes, and well-built physique, whilst sporting silver armor with a dark-colored cape and carrying a harp-like weapon.
She knew that the man was a servant, considering the aura that was radiating off of him.
Following him from behind was Hanekawa Hasumi, who was wearing her PE uniform, as opposed to the black sailor uniform as a member of the Justice Task Force.
The black-haired buxom girl looked exhausted, but had a determined expression as she jogged alongside him, whom Hanako assumed was her servant.
"I wonder what kind of 'Heroic Spirits' are there in the other schools?" She internally mused.
While she didn't look like it, the concept of 'Heroic Spirits' did fascinate her and upon finding out that hers was the author of her favorite fairy tales, she wanted to know what the others were like.
After walking a good distance, she reached the Trinity district's Holy Church, where the Sisterhood resided in for their activities.
Creak.
"Good morning, welcome to-" A student greeted her, before surprise took over her features. "Hanako-san! You're not wearing a swimsuit?"
Hanako couldn't help but giggle at the reaction of Utazumi Sakurako. She recalled how much she was scolded for dressing inappropriately, but finding out that she still managed to surprise her in some way brought some much needed amusement.
"I would say that it's a good thing, if you ask me." Another voice spoke up.
The pink-haired girl turned her gaze and saw a beautiful woman with long purple hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a modified version of a saint's outfit, which exposed a huge portion of her cleavage all the way to her navel, complete with blue stockings and green and gold heeled footwear that exposed her toes.
If she recalled correctly, the woman before her wasn't just a servant but also a saint.
Sakurako cleared her throat and asked, "Is there a reason why you're dressed normally for once?"
Hanako simply smiled at her question and answered, "I was just considering the words of someone I consider my friend,"
Yes, even with the clear personality differences, she was gradually coming to see Caster as not just a servant, but also a friend.
Updated list of Student-Servant pairs for the future:
Abydos:
Nonomi and Ozymandias
Serika and Ishtar
Millennium:
Aris and Merlin
Rio and Artoria Pendragon
Neru and Cu Chulainn
Himari and Leonardo Da Vinci (Rider)
Karin and Arjuna
Utaha and Senji Muramasa
Hibiki and Avicebron
Sumire and Leonidas
Trinity:
Nagisa and Lostbelt Morgan Le Fey
Mika and Karna
Seia and Irisviel
Hifumi and Charlemagne
Azusa and Utsumi Erice
Koharu and Medb
Airi and Marie Antoinette
Yoshimi and Ereshkigal
Ui and Murasaki Shikibu
Serina and King Hassan
Hasumi and Tristan
Tsurugi and Barghest
Sakurako and Saint Martha
Reisa and EMIYA Kiritsugu
Gehenna:
Hina and Siegfried (NEXT)
Ako and Semiramis
Chinatsu and Ascelpius
Iori and Zenobia
Iroha and Enkidu
Satsuki and Euryale
Ibuki and Quetzalcoatl
Haruna and Nero Claudius
Aru and Elizabeth Bathory
Haruka and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde
Kayoko and Hassan of the Serenity
Fuuka and Beni-enma
Sena and Nightingale
Hyakkiyako:
Izuna and Katou Danzou
Michiru and Fuuma Kotarou
Tsukuyo and Mochizuki Chiyome
Yukari and Tamamo-no-Mae
Renge and Sakata Kintoki
Kikyou and Tomoe Gozen
Mimori and Parvati
Arius:
Saori and Hassan of the Cursed Arm
Atsuko and Medusa
Like with Makoto and Gilgamesh, this one doesn't have any fighting and is more focused on building the relationship between Hanako and her grumpy servant.
Hans, in particular, was pretty fun to write, but I'm not sure how well I got him right.
I also took it upon myself to extend the list to categorize them for better organizing, and to let you know which schools has which servants, hehe.
Bye for now!