The ship docked. After tossing and turning at sea for a long time, Ritsuka let out a yawn and looked up at the sky, which was just beginning to brighten; the moon hadn't completely disappeared yet.
It was probably around four or five o'clock... she muttered to herself. Feeling the cool breeze blowing against her cheeks and neck, Ritsuka silently turned up the collar of her coat.
The climate in Fuyuki City was slightly on the warm side, and given that the current season hadn't entered summer yet, it shouldn't have been cold enough for her to feel it. After all, she was someone who had rolled around near battlefields several times; the issue likely stemmed from the cool night sea breeze.
Standing to the side rubbing her hands for warmth, Ritsuka kept her eyes on the ship's exit, waiting for Kiritsugu, who had gone to get the luggage, to come out. She didn't know the specific location of the Fuyuki Emiya Residence.
After standing in the wind like a fool for a while, seeing Kiritsugu, clad in his black trench coat, slowly walking out of the ship's exit, Ritsuka decisively moved toward him.
"Kiritsugu."
"Let's go, we're going home."
His stiff face rarely showed a hint of a smile. Kiritsugu, carrying the luggage in one hand, patted Ritsuka's head.
Leaving the Fuyuki Harbor Area, since it was still too early, there was no transportation available. The two chose to proceed on foot; their excellent physical condition provided the most crucial requirement.
After all, they were an old man and a child who could wander near battlefields. If they didn't even have the stamina to walk a long distance, it would be too ridiculous.
Cherry blossoms bloomed along the road. The scenery, completely different from the Middle East, brought a pleasant surprise to Ritsuka's eyes, and the nausea from being on the ship for too long was washed away by the novelty.
They had changed ships along the way. The sea voyage, lasting over ten to twenty days, was not only monotonous and tasteless, but constantly swaying on the surface of the sea also made one feel very nauseous—at least Ritsuka felt a bit sick.
If possible, she probably wouldn't take a ship again in this lifetime; this time counted as having enough for once... With nothing to do, Ritsuka pulled a box of Pocky from her pocket, took out a stick and chewed it slowly, while also taking out another and handing it to Kiritsugu.
An old man and a youngster walked side by side along the road, both with an identical Pocky stick in their mouths to alleviate the slight hunger in their stomachs, filled with an inexplicable sense of parent-child bonding.
Even though they weren't blood-related by nature, having lived together for so long, Ritsuka already regarded Kiritsugu as a father.
In a slight comparison, that original biological one from before was nothing at all... "Kiritsugu, are you really going to give up?"
Ritsuka's sudden, out-of-the-blue question made Kiritsugu's brow twitch slightly, his black pupils flickering as if he were thinking about something.
After careful consideration, he pulled a small notebook from his coat and tossed it to Ritsuka beside him. "Take a look."
"For real?"
Ritsuka immediately gave Kiritsugu a suspicious look, then opened the small notebook.
The legend of the Divine Child, a local myth of Fuyuki City, contained descriptions of the bizarre circumstances surrounding the Divine Child.
After glancing at the contents, Ritsuka's expression didn't change at all. Because of the talk about gods and ghosts, having traveled far and wide with Kiritsugu over the years, she had seen far more strange things than what was recorded in the notebook.
"What is this stuff?"
"A local legend of Fuyuki City. It's most likely fake."
Kiritsugu carried the luggage, his expression serious.
Because, according to his initial investigation of this legend, there were suspicious points, and this might be his chance to realize his long-held wish.
"The New Moon, an ancient family that established itself in Fuyuki since the Tensho Era. On the surface, they seem to have nothing besides a long history, but there are suspicious points."
"The children born in that house... specifically, girls under the age of seven, never appear before outsiders."
This was the biggest suspicion. Based on some rumors, Kiritsugu had an extremely bold theory in his heart.
Of course, Ritsuka following him running all over the world was also based on such rumors. Unfortunately, they almost always turned out to be fake. The two of them had been busy for nearly five years without any results.
It was only a very low possibility.
However, before seeing it for himself, all conjectures were just conjectures. He wouldn't directly barge into the New Moon clan to investigate for a wish he had already half-abandoned.
"Not seeing girls under seven, why is that?"
Ritsuka flipped through the notebook in her hand.
Divine Child, Child of Man—the flowery language made her head feel a bit uncomfortable, as if the aftereffects of just finishing the sea voyage were about to flare up.
In short, her head hurt.
"The girls of the New Moon family only show their faces after they turn seven, and use reasons like 'a frail constitution has been cured' or 'was adopted by relatives' to bury it and make people not care."
"But even if it's a hereditary family illness, it shouldn't be to the point where they can only be seen after the fixed time of seven years old, right?" Kiritsugu's gaze narrowed slightly. "And it's only like this for girls; the situation for boys is different."
All the clues and conjectures came together, sketching a complete picture in his heart. The secret of the New Moon family might be very interesting.
Combined with the customs passed down through the local Divine Child faith, he could clearly feel that this family had a huge problem, and this problem was related to the Divine Child.
Kiritsugu said 'with certainty,' "Divine Child. The children of the New Moon family might be natural Divine Children, comparable to the Holy Grail in myth."
"Divine Child? That's... young children under the protection of a god, more like spirits or incarnations of deities than humans?"
She wasn't well-read herself, but through the notebook in her hand, Ritsuka still reached her own conclusion. "Could it be that all the children of the New Moon family are Divine Children? Kiritsugu, has your head gone bad? The credibility of this kind of thing is too low. Local myths have multiple versions, and it's not the first time the two of us have been tricked."
"More like spirits, incarnations of gods, or something similar..." Kiritsugu turned his head to glance at Ritsuka, who was reading the notebook. "The description is very accurate. Although it's uncertain whether that power is what I'm seeking, or even if the Sakatsuki Family possesses such power, it's worth a try."
Unwilling to give up? Giving up just like this... Ritsuka didn't look at Kiritsugu's expression, but she understood that Kiritsugu wouldn't give up this last possibility. Only after investigating could he decide whether to retire.
"What are you laughing at?"
Kiritsugu looked at Ritsuka, whose face was graced with a strange smile, and couldn't help but feel a bit odd. He subconsciously touched his face, his footsteps pausing slightly.
Ignoring Kiritsugu, who was acting like a stubborn child, Ritsuka crossed the street to the other side. She then held the closed notebook to her chest and looked back at Kiritsugu.
"Nothing, I just thought of something happy."
———
"Wow~ Is this our future home?"
Letting out an excited exclamation, Ritsuka stood in front of the yard, feeling incredibly happy. After all, the conditions of the Emiya Residence were indeed quite good.
A detached traditional Japanese-style house with a sizable yard, the entire house was divided into two parts. Facilities like a warehouse and a dojo were all provided, making it exactly the kind of super-comfortable living environment she had in mind.
The girl, who was somewhat lively but loved peace and quiet, felt immense satisfaction in an environment without noisy neighbors, nearly fainting from happiness on the spot.
Kiritsugu sighed. Ritsuka's exaggerated expression felt as if she were mocking him; they clearly had a residence of this level before, yet he had insisted on wandering all over the world.
'How disgraceful. I have absolutely no right to be a father.'
He ridiculed himself in his heart. To be honest, he also felt quite guilty for letting a child suffer along with him.
After some thought, he reached out his empty hand and patted Ritsuka's head. "Yes, this is our future home. Let's go in and take a look."
"Yay!"
The gate to the yard opened, and Kiritsugu led the way in carrying the luggage, while Ritsuka followed behind, closing the gate as she went.
Walking along the path at the edge of the yard, Ritsuka entered the inner residence, following Kiritsugu to change her shoes. Upon entering the interior, a look of surprise immediately appeared on her face.
After all, for a house that hadn't been lived in for several years to remain so clean was truly mind-boggling.
"Don't worry, I have a friendly relationship with the local bigwigs, the Fujimura family. They often send people to clean this house."
"That's good, then."
Ritsuka clutched her chest and let out a sigh of relief.
A somewhat amusing scene—the look of worry on Ritsuka's face caused even the serious Kiritsugu to show a hint of a smile. He pushed open the door in the hallway closest to the entrance, and a homey living room came into view.
With furniture, appliances, and an open kitchen, this place was clearly the heart of the home. After all, whether it was cooking, eating, or daily leisure, it would likely all happen here.
Kiritsugu scanned the area and then said to Ritsuka, "I'll go put down the luggage. Could I trouble you to make something to eat?"
"Of course."
Ritsuka gave her reply with a giggle.
Kiritsugu's figure gradually disappeared at the end of the hallway. Ritsuka watched him leave, then withdrew her gaze and began to familiarize herself with the house as she walked toward the kitchen.
It's worth mentioning that even though Ritsuka was only about ten years old, because of her 'Housekeeping Mastery EX' ability, her cooking talent was beyond imagination. Even Kiritsugu couldn't help but feel a bit defeated after seeing it; he wasn't even as good as a child.
Opening the refrigerator, there weren't many ingredients inside. The few instant food items were likely left by the Fujimura family.
Perhaps Kiritsugu had called ahead?
"Looks like I'll just have to make do."
Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice. In a situation without rice or flour, even Ritsuka, who was quite proficient in housework, felt a bit helpless. Fortunately, there were some canned goods she could work with.
She picked them up and looked at the instructions carefully: canned beef that could serve as a staple, canned fruit for snacks, and most importantly, a package of vacuum-packed luncheon meat... Ritsuka had an idea.