Watching the two girls walking away, occasionally turning back to wave and shout, "Lancer, see you tonight!", Shinji rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
When the girls finally disappeared from view, Lancer dropped his hand and shook his head with a wry smile. His expression seemed to say, "Really, being an excellent man is tiring, no matter the era."
Seeing Shinji still deep in thought with a furrowed brow, Lancer frowned and clicked his tongue impatiently.
"Hey, kid, don't..."
"Don't worry, I get it." Shinji interrupted, looking serious. "The soul is hard to discern with the naked eye. To truly understand it, one must engage in deep exchanges and let the souls collide!"
"That sounds logical, but something feels off about it..."
"Relax, I understand!"
"No, you don't understand anything!" Lancer retorted, then sighed. "Alright, fine, I admit I lied yesterday. For me, if it feels right with a woman, then that's what makes a man!"
Shinji: ...
...
Even though it wasn't the prime fishing season, Shinji saw many fishing boats heading out to sea from the New Town harbor. There were more cargo and passenger ships than fishing boats.
The clear sky and warm sun made it feel like a different season. The sea breeze was not as cold as Shinji had expected; instead, it was refreshing, occasionally accompanied by the distant cries of seagulls. It was quite pleasant.
"Kid, what are you doing here?" Lancer asked, bored.
"Shouldn't I be asking you?" Shinji replied, a bit exasperated, as he walked toward the docked boats. Lancer followed out of curiosity.
On a shabby little raft, an old man wearing a straw hat, looking at least seventy, was slowly mending a fishing net. Nearby, a young boy, probably the old man's grandson, was lying on the ground, intently watching some sea insects.
Shinji stopped by the raft and squatted next to the boy, grinning. "Grandpa…"
...
Lying in the cramped cabin of the raft with his hands behind his head, legs crossed, a piece of grass in his mouth, and a straw hat over his belly, Shinji looked content. Lancer, squatting by the shore, was even more puzzled.
Shinji had paid a lot to use the boat for an afternoon but hadn't gone out to sea, just lay there sunbathing.
"What a great place for a nap…"
Hearing Shinji's comment, Lancer couldn't hold back. "You paid so much just for a place to nap?! What are you thinking?"
Shinji wasn't surprised. "Why the big reaction? If I think it's worth it, that's all that matters. I thought you'd understand that."
"If you think it's worth it…" Lancer mumbled, then laughed. "You're right! I feel the same. You're the man I approve of!"
"Uh…" Shinji's eye twitched, about to retort when Lancer spoke again.
"Shinji, hand me that fishing rod from the boat."
"Huh?" Shinji was surprised. "You're going to fish here? What about your Master?"
"Don't worry, I only work at night. Hurry up."
...
Shinji was woken up by the noise of the kids. Hearing the distant sound of a ship's horn and the chatter of the kids behind him, Shinji moved the straw hat off his face and sat up, rubbing his head.
The setting sun painted everything in a warm hue, telling Shinji it was late afternoon.
Stretching, Shinji sighed, "That was a good nap…"
As he got up, he didn't see Lancer but noticed the fish basket left on the shore was full.
"Well, I've got dinner covered…"
Shinji smiled, about to grab the basket when he was distracted by the kids. They were huddled together, playing a card game he was very familiar with.
...
At the Fuyuki Church, in a stone-walled room filled with the scent of damp rock, Kirei was bent over a desk, writing on parchment under dim light.
"Writing a report to the Association, Kirei? You're a busy man," Gilgamesh's voice echoed from behind.
Kirei didn't stop writing, just chuckled softly. "And you, Gilgamesh? Aren't you disappointed? That boy, Shinji, isn't as interesting as you thought, is he?"
Ever since hearing from Shirou that Shinji had gotten involved in the conflict to save a classmate, Kirei had lost interest in him.
Initially, seeing Shinji deftly defuse the tension between Illya, Rin, and Shirou on the first night had piqued Kirei's interest. But now…
Unlike Shirou, whose inner turmoil made him fascinating, Shinji seemed more like an ordinary person. Though Kirei was still curious about Zouken's death, Shinji no longer intrigued him.
"No, he's more interesting than I thought."
"Oh?"
Kirei paused, turning to look at Gilgamesh, who was lounging on the sofa, swirling a glass of wine.
"Well, I say that, but it's not the kind of interesting you'd find compelling. It's the kind of interest only a king can appreciate."
Kirei frowned but Gilgamesh didn't explain further. After downing his wine, he stood up and left.
As Gilgamesh's presence faded from the room, Kirei resumed writing, not paying much heed to his words. Kirei was solely focused on the joy derived from his desires, everything else was secondary.