Chapter 16: Brushing Past Saber
"Honestly, stop running off, Irisviel!"
Saber quickly followed after her.
Irisviel, who was jogging ahead, occasionally glanced back at Saber to confirm she was still following, and then continued forward without the slightest intention of stopping.
"Whoops!"
Perhaps overly excited, she bumped into someone in the crowd and stumbled, nearly falling over.
"Irisviel!"
Saber hurried forward to support her, then apologized to the red-haired boy whom Irisviel had bumped into.
"Uh... I'm terribly sorry!"
"It's nothing," the boy waved his hand, gave them a look, and then left with a little girl beside him.
It was only then that Saber noticed a white-haired man also following them like a bodyguard.
'I have a feeling... something isn't quite right' Saber slightly furrowed her brow.
But Irisviel didn't give her any more time to think.
"Let's go look at the store over there, Saber!"
"Hey, Iris—"
Saber was about to remind Irisviel again not to be so reckless, but she was pulled away from the spot by Irisviel, who had let her true, childlike nature run free.
-
-
-
Shirou had Karna use magecraft to change his clothes, putting him in a white suit to follow along, like a bodyguard.
They arrived at the spacious city center, which was close to the airport, so business here was booming with a wide variety of shops lining the streets.
After walking through the commercial district with Sakura for a while, Shirou stopped in front of a clothing store.
A female shop assistant, dressed in a professional office-lady outfit, came up to Karna and bowed slightly.
"Welcome!"
Karna's exceptionally high good looks and gentle demeanor attracted everyone's attention like the sun. The shop assistant was clearly captivated by Karna's beauty.
"Select a few pieces of clothing suitable for this child," he said to the shop assistant, following Shirou's instruction.
The shop assistant looked at Sakura, who was standing behind Shirou somewhat timidly, and at the clothes she was wearing. She immediately nodded and led Shirou and the others towards the women's clothing area.
While the shop assistant was making her selections, Shirou and the others sat on a nearby bench to wait.
The young girl sitting on the chair nervously swung her fair legs, her eyes always looking up at Shirou, as if that was the only way to dispel the anxiety she felt after coming out into the world.
Soon, the shop assistant enthusiastically selected several dresses for Sakura, including a white long dress and a somewhat dark, Gothic Lolita dress.
The girl in the white long dress looked like an exquisitely gorgeous doll, completely dispelling the gloomy feeling she had after leaving the Matou home. For warmth, her legs were encased in white velvet socks.
The black Gothic long dress, paired with matching velvet socks and flat leather shoes, seemed to have a dark aesthetic, but Sakura's exceptional appearance created a wonderful chemical reaction, further highlighting her beauty.
"Hmm, very nice."
After seeing Sakura, who became much more vibrant in her new clothes, Shirou highly approved of the shop assistant's taste and paid the bill without hesitation.
That was the funding provided by Mrs. Orihara. Otherwise, Shirou would have had to find other ways to get money.
After putting on her brand new clothes, Shirou took Sakura's hand and left the clothing store, planning to take Sakura to an amusement park.
Just as Shirou and Sakura were walking on the way back, he was suddenly bumped by someone, causing him to stagger slightly.
Shirou looked up, slightly annoyed, and immediately saw a cascade of silver hair, shining like snow.
His expression froze when he saw the face, which was too beautiful and perfectly sculpted, like a doll's, and the pair of crimson eyes.
"Irisviel!"
Behind the woman, another blonde girl ran up and quickly apologized to Shirou on Irisviel's behalf.
"Uh... I'm terribly sorry!"
Saber felt, though it might have been her imagination, that the red-haired boy's gaze lingered on them for a moment before he waved his hand.
"It's nothing."
Shirou hadn't expected to run into Irisviel and Saber here, which was why he was stunned when he saw them.
While Saber shifted her gaze to Irisviel, Shirou secretly took another look at the girl who was barely a meter away from him.
Her golden, sand-like hair was tied into a single ponytail. The petite girl, only about 1.5 meters tall, was wearing a man's French-European style black jacket, but no one who saw her would find it unfitting.
Saber's inherent dignified demeanor made her a perfect match for the outfit. Her beauty was not the beauty of gender inversion, yet her aura made her beauty different from the dazzling beauty of ordinary women.
Her slender figure, fair skin, and pure temperament commanded genuine admiration from anyone who saw her.
'I watched the anime before, but seeing it up close is a completely different experience,' Shirou couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Whether it was Irisviel, who was already a wife at only 'nine years old,' or Saber, dressed in men's clothes, whose initial ideals had not wavered in the slightest, both were peerless beauties.
Although he was initially amazed, Shirou knew his limits. Staring for a few seconds could be explained as admiring their beauty, but looking for too long would easily give away clues.
So, Shirou averted his gaze and left without any delay, holding the hand of Sakura beside him.
'Have all the important figures gathered in Fuyuki City already... It looks like shopping can't continue...'
.
.
.
The sun set in the west, and its orange glow bathed the entire city in a golden splendor.
The streets were bustling, and people had no time to admire the beautiful sunset scenery; they hurried along, rushing about their own affairs.
Shirou, who had already taken Sakura home and had Karna spiritualize, walked alone through the crowd.
"The time is about right..."
Shirou arrived at the warehouse district adjacent to the eastern part of the seaside park.
This area also had port facilities, separating Shintou from the industrial district further to the east.
At night, there were almost no people here, and dim lights shone on the streets.
The unmanned cranes were neatly lined up by the sea, looking like giant dinosaur fossils.
Beside Shirou, a golden light emerged, and Karna's figure, clad in armor, materialized.