Chapter 3. "Mother Emiya" Makes His Debut!
The nights at "Twilight Manor" were always exceptionally boisterous.
As one of the two strongest Familias in Orario, the Loki Familia boasted over a hundred members. The moment the primary deity, Loki, announced a "Banquet," the entire central hall instantly transformed into an ocean of revelry.
Long wooden tables were lined with massive ale barrels, sizzling roasted meat on the bone, whole roasted chickens, and mountains of black bread and fruit.
"Drink up! We don't go home until we're drunk today!"
"A toast to our newcomer! He might be a Level 1 rookie, but I heard he showed off some skills in front of Captain Finn!"
"Hahahaha!"
The happiness of adventurers was simple: come back alive, then eat meat and drink ale in huge gulps.
Shirou Emiya sat in a corner, holding a cup of fruit wine and looking somewhat stiff.
Though he was used to noise (referring to the constant bickering between Taiga Fujimura and Illya), this wild, "otherworld tavern" atmosphere was a first-time experience for him.
"What's wrong, Emiya-kun? Not to your taste?"
Tiona leaned in with a plate larger than her face, her mouth stuffed with meat.
"This is our head chef's specialty! Roasted Minotaur loin!"
"Ah, no, the flavor is fine."
Shirou smiled and cut a small piece of meat from the plate, putting it in his mouth.
The meat was firm; it was clearly a high-quality ingredient. However...
The seasoning was too crude.
There was only simple salt and some kind of pungent plant powder. The heat control was also overdone—the outside was charred while the inside remained somewhat dry.
For Shirou, who possessed "housewife" attributes and had honed his culinary skills for years at the Emiya household, this kind of cooking was simply a waste of ingredients.
"What's with... that expression?"
An annoyed voice drifted over.
The werewolf Bete sat across from him, legs crossed, looking at Shirou with disdain.
"An 'this tastes awful' expression. Hey, small fry, don't think you can be picky just because you have some special ability. The food here is earned with our lives."
"Bete!" Tione, sitting nearby, glared at him.
"No, Bete is right. These ingredients were indeed obtained at the risk of your lives."
Shirou put down his knife and fork, his gaze turning serious.
"Precisely because they are high-quality ingredients bought with lives, they should be cooked in the most perfect way possible, rather than like this... just barely making them edible."
"Ha?" A vein throbbed on Bete's temple. "Are you looking for a fight?"
"No, I just think that since everyone worked so hard on the expedition, you should eat something better."
Shirou stood up and rolled up his sleeves, revealing his lean, toned forearms.
"Captain Finn, would it be possible to borrow the kitchen?"
Ten minutes later. Twilight Manor, the back kitchen.
The dwarf chefs originally responsible for the cooking were staring blankly at this red-haired newcomer.
"Hey, hey, what's with that kid's knife work?"
"Too fast! I can't even see the shadow of the blade!"
In front of the stove, Shirou Emiya seemed like a different person.
He didn't use Projection Magecraft, because for him, cooking didn't require magecraft—it only required heart.
"Trace on."
Of course, to speed up the processing, he did quietly use a bit of Reinforcement Magecraft—reinforcing the ordinary kitchen knife in his hand.
By "analyzing" the texture of the ingredients, he could precisely avoid every tendon, processing the coarse monster meat until it was as smooth as tofu.
"Tonight's main course will be Salisbury Steak (Hamburger Steak), the side dish will be mixed tempura, and for the soup... I'll use the available ingredients to make a miso-flavored thick soup."
Shirou muttered to himself while skillfully tossing the pan.
Flames rose from the wok, and the aroma of fats instantly exploded, mixing with the sweetness of onions and the rich fragrance of his special sauce. It drifted through the cracks of the kitchen door and into the main hall.
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In the hall, the adventurers who had been competing in drinking gradually fell silent.
"What's that smell?"
"It's so fragrant... where is this scent coming from?"
"It's meat! But it's not that charred smell of roasted meat. It's... richer, more seductive!"
Gulp.
The sound of someone swallowing their saliva was exceptionally clear in the quiet hall.
Just then, the kitchen doors swung open.
Shirou Emiya walked out pushing a dining cart, a confident smile on his face.
"Sorry for the wait. The Emiya Family... no, the Loki Familia Special Dinner. Please, enjoy."
On the cart, set upon exquisite plates, were thick meat patties drizzled with deep brown sauce, served alongside golden, crispy fried items and a refreshing vegetable salad.
"Is this... meat?"
Tiona was the first to rush forward. Regardless of the heat, she stabbed a meat patty with a fork and stuffed it into her mouth.
The next second.
The always-energetic Amazon girl froze completely.
"Mmmgh!!!!"
Tiona suddenly covered her face, her body actually trembling slightly.
"Wh-what is this! The moment I bit down, the juices exploded in my mouth! It's so soft! So tender! And this sauce... it's sweet and sour, perfectly blending with the flavor of the meat!"
"Are you serious?"
Tione also took a bite, immediately revealing an entranced expression.
"Really... it's a hundred times better than the rock-hard roasted meat we usually eat! Is this what 'cooking' is?"
With the twin sisters taking the lead, the other members followed suit.
"Heavens! What is this golden thing? It's so crunchy when you bite it, but the inside is the fresh sweetness of vegetables!"
"This soup! One sip and I feel like my soul has been healed!"
"Another bowl! Rice! I want rice!"
The entire hall instantly transformed from a drinking contest into a battlefield for food.
At the main table.
Loki looked at the set meal before her, her squinting eyes opening just a crack. She elegantly cut a small piece of the Salisbury steak and put it in her mouth.
"..."
After three seconds of silence, Loki suddenly slammed the table and stood up, pointing at Shirou and shouting: "Emiya! From today on, you are my personal chef! Anyone who objects gets kicked out of the Familia!"
"Overruled."
A cold voice rang out beside Loki.
Ais, who had been very quiet, was currently finishing off the food on her plate at an astonishing speed. Her cheeks were puffed out like a feeding hamster, but her hands didn't stop for a second.
"Ais?" Loki was stunned. "What did you just say?"
Ais swallowed her food and looked up, her golden eyes staring intently at Shirou—or rather, at the soup ladle in Shirou's hand.
"Overruling Loki's declaration of exclusivity."
Though Ais's voice was flat, it carried an undeniable firmness.
"Emiya belongs to everyone. His food also belongs to everyone."
Having said that, she held her empty plate out toward Shirou. In those eyes that were usually devoid of ripples, two words were currently written clearly:
Want more.
"Another serving, please."
Watching this normally cold and powerful "Sword Princess" show such a "gap-moe" side for the sake of food, Shirou couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Sure, eat your fill."
He took the plate and served Ais a generous portion of meat patties and sauce.
"Thank you." Ais took the plate, and little "flowers of joy" almost seemed to sprout above her head.
[Ais Wallenstein's affection has increased.] [Current Status: Stomach conquered (10%).]
Although there was no system notification sound, Shirou was certain he had just seen such an illusion.
"Tch... boring."
In the corner, Bete looked at his gorging companions with disdain. However, a complete set meal was also placed in front of him.
He glanced at the meat patty on his plate, hesitated for a moment, and then picked up his fork to try a bite.
"..."
Bete's chewing motion paused for a split second, then he silently accelerated his eating speed.
"How is it, Bete? Is the food made by the 'small fry' to your taste?"
Shirou had walked over at some point, holding a bottle of ale, and asked with a grin.
"...Tch."
Bete turned his head away. He didn't snap back with his usual insults; he only muttered unclearly, "It's edible... just average level, I guess."
After saying that, he scraped every last bit of sauce off his plate.
'Truly an easy-to-read tsundere' Shirou thought to himself with a secret smile.
"Emiya."
At this time, Finn and Riveria also walked over. Finn held a glass of red wine, an appreciative smile on his face.
"It seems you are not only gifted in combat but also an expert in life skills," Finn remarked. "To be honest, after eating this meal, I'm starting to worry about the food on future expeditions. If you aren't there, everyone might riot."
"Then take me with you."
Shirou took the opportunity to say, "Even though I'm only Level 1 right now, I'll get stronger as quickly as possible. At the very least, I won't hold everyone back."
"More than just not holding us back, right?" Riveria looked deeply at him.
"That Projection Magecraft, and the insight into 'structure' you showed while processing the ingredients just now... Emiya, your talent might be more frightening than you imagine."
As the strongest mage in Orario, Riveria had spotted the magical refinement Shirou inadvertently displayed while cooking. That kind of precision control, down to the micrometer, was not something an ordinary person could possess.
"However, don't think too much about that for now."
Riveria gave a gentle smile, one that carried a mother-like inclusiveness.
"Since you've joined the Loki Familia, this is your home. Welcome home, Emiya."
Looking at Riveria's gentle eyes, Shirou froze for a moment, then felt a wave of warmth well up in his heart.
'Home, huh?'
Though he was a stranger in this world, this feeling of being accepted... wasn't bad.
"Yes," Shirou nodded firmly. "I'm home."
That night, the lights of Twilight Manor burned bright.
And the name Shirou Emiya—the "Man who conquered the stomach of the strongest Familia"—spread rapidly within the organization in an unexpected way.
Of course, this was only the beginning.
Tomorrow, when he truly stepped into the Dungeon and showed the Gods his fangs known as "Unlimited Blade Works," Orario would experience a true shockwave.