"Ah, finally home," I said, dragging my tired body through the door.
I'm going to sleep now. Not a nap, but a proper, long sleep in my bed. After eating something delicious, I'll sleep soundly.
As I reached for the doorknob, my hand stopped.
"Don't tell me, if I go in here, I'll get yelled at again..."
I remembered the incident with my sisters. When I opened the door that time, everyone was furious.
Even though Yukina and Kokkoro went with me, I still went and infiltrated the enemy's base on my own.
"No, no way," I laughed dryly and opened the door.
"I'm home..." I said, nervously stepping inside.
"Is anyone here?"
I cautiously made my way through the house, but it was dead silent.
"What is it?..." I thought. I didn't want another series of battles like that... Could one of the members of I-woo have come for revenge? Or maybe Woz came again to say something incomprehensible?
As I was on high alert, I heard a voice.
"You're back."
"Welcome home, Sho. That must've been exhausting again."
To my relief, Artoria and Alter were in the living room, acting completely normal.
"I'm home. Where is everyone else?"
"They're all at work. Kuro and Tina went to a friend's house."
"Yukina and Kokkoro are sleeping upstairs."
"Ah, right, of course."
The monster incident had caused a manpower shortage everywhere.
It was a little after noon, around 3 PM. Of course, most regular people and businesses would still be active.
"Phew... So, what did everyone say?"
"Nothing in particular?"
"There's a saying, 'Speed is the essence of war.' In this case, your decision was correct."
"That's right. We were originally caught off guard. With limited forces, you achieved the best results. There's no such thing as 'safety' on a battlefield to begin with."
The two of them seemed to have a high opinion of what I did.
"The others mostly thought the same thing," said Alter.
"Yes. More than that, knowing the level you were fighting at, it seems to have motivated them," said Artoria.
Well, that's good to hear.
"Speaking of which, you two must be tired too. How was it? It was your first battle since being summoned to this era."
I had entrusted them with fighting the monsters.
"There were no problems," Alter replied.
"That's right. There wasn't much difference from the last time I was summoned," Artoria added.
"Well, if you have to use your Noble Phantasm twice, I'm the one who won't be able to keep up..."
In their case, their sword skills alone might be enough in many situations, but it's a little scary to have them fight without being able to use their trump card.
As we were talking, my device vibrated.
"Huh?"
It was a message. From the Holy Maiden.
The contents... I see, she wants to officially conclude the request tomorrow. I replied with a confirmation.
"Ah, speaking of which," I said.
Since I completed the Holy Maiden's request, I can summon a new girl.
I checked, and the girl summoning points had increased. It seemed that if the request period had passed, it was considered complete even before the official report.
I told the two of them about it.
"Is that so? It's a complicated feeling for me, but it's probably better to summon them sooner rather than later," said Artoria.
"Summon them, and then you should rest. In the meantime, we'll drill the rules of this place into them," Alter said.
"Don't bully the new guy..." I pleaded.
A timid girl would probably hide behind something the moment Alter gave them a stare. And Alter wouldn't have any consideration for that kind of thing.
"Alright then..."
I pulled the girl gacha.
"..."
"Sho? Oh?"
"Hey, what's wrong? Hm?"
The two of them noticed something too.
"This presence... Is it a Servant that was summoned?" Artoria asked.
"It seems so. But of course, since I, the best, am already here, there will be no need for them to appear," Alter said.
"Me? Don't you mean 'we'?" Artoria retorted.
The two of them were talking idly.
But I was panicking inside. I was flustered. Maybe even as much as when Aria was kidnapped.
"(This is bad? This is bad, isn't it? It's definitely bad!!)"
I heard the sound of armor clinking and footsteps descending the stairs. There was no time.
The name of the girl displayed on my device was...
I got Modred.
"Saber, Modred, is here. Father is—"
"—"
Modred, who had started to say her summoning incantation, stopped dead in her tracks.
A chilling killing intent was honed behind me.
"Wait a mi—"
A roar much louder than my voice echoed, magical energy waves cracked the room, and a physical shockwave blew a hole in the wall.
"Ah..."
By the time I realized what happened, there was a large hole in the wall, and Modred had disappeared.
---------
"Good morning... Are you okay? You look incredibly tired," the Holy Maiden said.
"No, I can't keep the Holy Maiden waiting," I replied with a laugh.
Yukina and Kokkoro next to me gave me a look that said, "Are you really okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine."
"Is that so...?"
"Master... how pitiful..."
It was a nightmare after that.
I knew it would happen someday, but I didn't think it would be here... The summoning of characters who don't get along.
If it were to happen, I thought it would be a Fate character. The moment Artoria was summoned, there were characters who would be a ticking time bomb. And that character was summoned. That's all there is to it.
At that time, I had to use a Command Seal to stop Alter. It was my first Command Seal in this world.
But by then, the wall was already torn apart, and a huge hole was left in it.
---------
Last night, in the living room:
"Is it really no good?"
"I will not stand side-by-side with a rebel."
"—"
Alter was unyielding, and Artoria completely ignored me.
"...No matter what my father says, this is the Master now. I'll just follow what the Master says."
"How dare you bark like that."
"Alter..."
---------
The relationship between the three was hopeless.
Because of this, Modred was currently holed up in her room. You could call it house arrest.
Since she's a Servant, she doesn't need to eat or use the restroom, so she really hasn't left her room. It hasn't even been a full day, but she's probably been there the whole time.
As for Alter, she has stopped attacking on sight for now, but being in the same space as her is enough to wear me out.
And so, my troubles have increased again.
"Even if I look tired, that's just a personal matter..."
"I-is that so?" the Holy Maiden asked.
Sigh. Well, at least Kurumi's ability was able to fix the broken wall. But a long-standing feud can't be fixed so easily.
"That... must have been tough," the Holy Maiden said sympathetically.
"No, no," I replied.
The Holy Maiden gave me a pitying look, but then she said, "Now then, on to the next matter."
The conversation, which was about to turn into a casual chat, became serious.
"Regarding the security detail, thank you for your work. With this greeting, I would like to officially conclude the assignment."
"No, thank you for the continued patronage."
Looking back, I think the only formal job I've taken on as a detective was for the Holy Maiden. Ah, I did do some work related to finding things and Gaia Memories.
Even so... what is this, I have connections with some pretty important people. It's like I'm an R-Rank detective.
"But I'm sorry. I spent about 80% of the time just having fun."
"But it was a pleasant time for us."
"That's right. In the end, nothing happened to me, so that's a good thing, isn't it?"
I was glad if the Holy Maiden enjoyed herself.
I was somewhat useful during the actual attack, right? Right?
"Yes, of course," the Holy Maiden answered with a smile.
"We were able to survive the initial attack thanks to Sho-san. And on the final day, it was also thanks to you that we were able to repel the monster."
"Senpai, you might not know since you were away, but the reactions of everyone around us were amazing afterward," Yukina said.
"Yes. Especially La Folia-sama and Rainess-sama," Kokkoro added.
"What!? Is that so..."
It was an emergency, so we didn't have much time to talk, and I probably won't see them this summer, but I'm worried about the next time.
"La Folia-san, in particular, seemed very interested in you, Senpai. So, please be careful the next time you meet her," Yukina warned.
"Yes. Master tends to be easily swayed by women," Kokkoro said.
"That's right. That look on La Folia's face means she's plotting something," the Holy Maiden added.
"Eh, even you, Holy Maiden...?"
That was a bit of a shock.
"N-no! Of course, I know you're reliable, Sho-san! But I also know how forceful La Folia can be!"
She apologized a little too much.
Of course, it was a joke. I know I can't read La Folia's thoughts, and if she says something, I'm confident I'll be manipulated by her.
"Please don't be so confident about that..." Yukina said.
"If you're not careful, she might create a 'fait accompli' and take you to Aldegia," Alter said.
"S-surely she wouldn't do something like that..." the Holy Maiden said, her voice trailing off. It seems she thought La Folia would be capable of it.
"And, about the next matter..."
"The next matter?"
Hmm, what could be the next matter? Was there something else important?
"Yes, regarding your next security detail."
"Wait, what? The next matter is that kind of 'next'?"
With her casual words, my own became clumsy.
"Yes, I called you with that intention."
She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"H-Holy Maiden? Senpai is going to be assigned to the Special Section 6 of the Bureau starting next month, so he won't have as much time as before..." Yukina interjected.
"I am aware of that. So, I wanted to ask about his schedule in advance. Besides, Yagami-san can be a little flexible," the Holy Maiden said.
She didn't have to show off her authority like that.
"Why me, though?"
"Why, you ask? Is there a reason for me to hire anyone other than you, Sho-san?"
"Hmm..."
I prevented the previous assassination attempt and exposed the stalker (Hosowaki) who was inside. And of course, the Holy Maiden was not harmed at all.
This time, too, it was a success. I was flying all over the place during the monster incident, so I'm not sure if I was properly protecting her, but still.
"That's what I said. You didn't just protect me, you protected the island. Given your track record and trustworthiness, it's not difficult for 'one more time' to come up."
"Well, you're right..."
"By the way, I already have permission," she said.
"That was fast..."
Her actions were swift.
"May I ask you something...?" Yukina opened her mouth.
"Is the decision to rehire Senpai yours, Holy Maiden?" she asked.
"Eh? Yes, it is. I checked with Lord Tendo, and he gave me his immediate approval," the Holy Maiden replied.
Ah, Lord Kikunojo Tendo. I remember seeing him briefly on the first day of the security detail.
"...Did Lord Tendo not tell you to do this?" Yukina asked.
"No. I proposed it myself before he could say anything," the Holy Maiden said.
What was Yukina thinking?
"Well... I thought that if Senpai continues to be the Holy Maiden's bodyguard, he might be recognized as her official public bodyguard without knowing it."
"Ah, I see what you mean."
The idea that if you do something for a long time, it becomes your natural duty.
"Besides, you and the Holy Maiden are both wary of La Folia, but the person with the most power who is closest to Senpai right now is the Holy Maiden," Yukina said.
"But I am..." the Holy Maiden started to say.
"I know. I know you don't have that intention, Holy Maiden. But the people above you might not feel the same way," Yukina said.
"That's... true..." the Holy Maiden said.
"Um...?"
Kokkoro tilted her head, not quite understanding the difficult conversation.
In short, Yukina was asking if Kikunojo Tendo was trying to get a hold of me.
"Yes... Sho-san, I apologize, but please allow me to postpone this offer for now—"
"No," I interrupted the Holy Maiden.
"I'll do it. Just let me know if anything comes up," I said.
"Sho-san?"
"Senpai!"
"Whatever the intentions of the higher-ups are, it has nothing to do with the Holy Maiden. If there's danger, I'll do something about it. To the extent that I can."
"But, that..." the Holy Maiden said.
"There's a big difference between 'choosing on your own' and 'being taken in without realizing it.' I am a friend of the Holy Maiden, after all. I have no intention of taking orders from anyone else on that side," I said.
"Ah... Thank you," the Holy Maiden said.
It was just the natural thing to do.
"...Sigh. If Senpai says so, then... I guess I knew this would happen," Yukina said.
"That is right. That is Master," Kokkoro added.
Yukina and Kokkoro said that with expressions that were a mix of exasperation and resignation.
---------
That night.
"Excuse me," a voice said.
"Hm, oh. Holy Maiden. What brings you to this old man's room at such a time?"
The Holy Maiden visited Kikunojo's room. As Kikunojo was her aide, he lived in the same residence as the Holy Maiden, though in a separate building.
It was late, and both of them were in their nightclothes.
But she didn't intend to talk for a long time. There was only one thing she wanted to confirm.
"There is something I want to ask you," she said.
"Hmm, what is it?" he asked.
"It's about my bodyguard, Sho-san," she said.
"Hmm?"
Kikunojo feigned ignorance, stroking his chin.
"Are you planning to do something to him?" she asked, her tone direct without any attempt at a roundabout negotiation.
"What do you mean by 'something'? You'll have to be more specific," he replied.
"Well... I mean, are you planning to use me as a starting point to exploit him for our benefit?" she asked.
"But wasn't it the Holy Maiden who wanted to continue his employment? I merely agreed to it."
"Then, you are not planning anything like that?" she asked.
"Of course not. I wouldn't do such a thing to a friend of the Holy Maiden," he said.
"...I see. Thank you for your time," she said, seemingly satisfied for the time being, and left Kikunojo's room.
--------------------------------------------
🚀 Want Early Access (80+Chapters ahead ) & Bonus Content?
"Loving this story so far? You can read ALL chapters RIGHT NOW by joining my P4tr3on!
✨ Unlock instant access to the full completed novel
✨ No waiting for daily updates
✨ Support your favorite degenerate author (that's me!)
Only $5.99 for the full experience!
🔗 Check my profile for the Link!!