Chapter 25: The Lady’s Recovery (Patreon)

Watching Bazett accept the feeding bite by bite, the wariness on her face completely gone, Shinji really, really wanted to shout out loud.

You believed it again?! Again?!

Can't you be a little more cautious?! A little more skeptical?!

How can you believe something so far-fetched?

No wonder you got tricked so badly by Kirei Kotomine.

"My name is Bazett Fraga McRemitz. I am an Enforcer for the Sealing Designation Department of the Mage's Association."

After finishing the porridge, Bazett voluntarily revealed her name.

"Then I'll call you Bazett-nee, okay?"

"Bazett-nee..." Bazett murmured the playful address Shinji had just used. It was the first time she'd been called that, and she found the intimate form of address somewhat novel.

"Then it's settled, Bazett-nee," Shinji said, gathering the tray and standing up. "I still have to go to school. I'll come again in the evening. It's complicated to explain, but as long as you don't actively leave this house, no one will be able to find you. I've set up another kekkai outside. Rest and recover here for now."

"But you have no magic energy..."

"They're just some insignificant little tricks. It might also be related to genetics." Shinji shrugged, then looked at Bazett's left arm. "Also, while the injuries on your body will heal with rest, I'm truly powerless regarding your left arm. Even if I wanted to reattach it for you, I searched the entire house and couldn't find the severed arm..."

"Ah, it was taken," Bazett said, looking at her remaining stump, a complex mix of anger, helplessness, and self-reproach flashing in her eyes. "Along with the Command Spells and Lancer."

"I see. So Bazett-nee was a Master in the Holy Grail War."

"That's why associating with me is dangerous. Even though the Matou family is one of the three founding families of the Grail War, if you, as an ordinary person, get dragged into this because of me..."

"But hasn't Bazett-nee's Holy Grail War already ended?" Shinji replied matter-of-factly. "Having lost your Command Spells now, you should no longer be involved in the Grail War, right?"

"No," Bazett shook her head, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "...It's not over yet. I still have to get revenge. I have to get my Servant back..."

"With a body like this? Even if you know who your enemy is, with this body, all you can do is rest here. You can't even leave to receive better treatment. If you leave this place and your enemy realizes you're still alive, they might target you again."

Bazett remained silent, but the determination in her eyes had already given her answer.

"There's no helping it. If that's the case, then I'll just have to do my best to help a little too."

"This has nothing to do with you, does it? And you're just an ordinary person..."

"I can't accept someone I worked hard to save throwing away the life that was saved again." Shinji shrugged, then showed another friendly smile. "And don't expect too much from me. The help I can offer is very, very small, just like getting you another bowl of porridge."

"You..." Bazett's face showed a hint of incredulity.

"You're still hungry, right? There's just a little left. Wait a moment."

"No, wait a second," Bazett stopped Shinji just as he turned. "Before that, I want to..."

...

Carried out of the bathroom in a princess carry by Shinji and being carried step by step back to the bedroom, Bazett's pretty face, right down to her ears, was completely flushed red.

"Alright, rest some more."

After placing Bazett safely and steadily on the bed, Shinji spoke with a hint of a smile, adding, "I can handle simple wound treatment, but I'm completely useless with other things, like healing magecraft."

"Ah, n-no... it's fine. I can manage myself. Once I recover a little more, I can..."

Looking at Bazett, who for some reason was avoiding eye contact and blushing, Shinji wondered inwardly: That's not right. I remember Bazett-nee isn't interested in men or anything like that, is she? So why is she shy?

What Shinji didn't know was that even a woman completely uninterested in men would feel shy after having her body almost completely seen and wiped down by a man during treatment, and even being carried to the bathroom.

"I'll get the rest of the porridge in a moment."

Saying this, Shinji turned and left the bedroom.

...

"Food only needs to meet nutritional and energy requirements."

After being fed the remaining porridge with a flushed face, Bazett made the above statement.

"I see. So that's the kind of person you are, Bazett-nee." Shinji placed the small bowl on the nearby tray and continued very casually, "But I'm actually the opposite of you. Good food is an indispensable part of life for me. How does that saying go? Something like, 'Those who don't understand the deliciousness of food don't understand life.'"

"My life only requires battle..."

Bazett's rebuttal was cut short by Shinji.

"But right now, you don't need to fight, do you?"

Looking at Shinji's smiling face again, Bazett simply fell silent.

Then, Shinji stood up. "Anyway, I'll be back this afternoon. Until then, even if you recover enough to move a little, it's best not to move around unnecessarily. Although I used a hemostatic agent, the wounds could still reopen if you're active. Before I leave, I'll put water and some food I found by your right hand..."

...

Time unknowingly reached dusk.

Walking on the road, Shinji looked casual, but inwardly he was pondering carefully.

The Fifth Holy Grail War was about to begin. Shinji, whose quest was to completely destroy the Holy Grail system, had been preparing in secret all along.

Originally planning to act alone in the shadows after the Grail War started, Shinji unexpectedly encountered Bazett at this critical juncture.

Actually, even before entering the Western-style house yesterday, Shinji had already determined the person inside was Bazett. After carefully weighing the pros and cons, he decisively stepped in to save her.

Mhm... It had absolutely nothing to do with being captivated by the "Lady in a Suit."

He had principles!

...

Returning to the Twin Mansions in Miyami Town, Shinji pushed open the bedroom door on the second floor and saw Bazett, her body rigid, her right hand clenched, her face completely flushed.

Realizing what was happening, Shinji didn't show much surprise. Instead, he quickly walked to the bedside, reached out, and picked Bazett up in a princess carry.

She'd probably been holding it in all day.

Bazett-nee is amazing!

...

"How is your recovery going?"

Shinji asked Bazett, who was back in bed, the flush on her face having mostly subsided.

But as soon as he asked, he heard a loud gurgling sound from Bazett's stomach.

"Ah, I almost forgot. Wait a moment."

After saying this with a smile, Shinji stood up and left the bedroom.