I Will Eventually Embark On The Path Of No Return Called A Hero

[Arc4] - 15. It's Just the Natural Course of Things

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"I want to wander around a bit more..."

After Cyd and the others left the school, Lord El-Melloi II, who had been walking at the front, unknowingly fell behind and eventually stopped altogether. Under Cyd's amused gaze and Gray's confused look, Lord El-Melloi II stammered for quite a while.

"You want to buy that newly released game, don't you?" Cyd glanced at the street not far away.

Faced with Cyd, who possessed the blessing of "Unable to Lie to Him," Lord El-Melloi II hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Honestly, you've had quite a few personal motives on this trip to Fuyuki City," Cyd teased.

"It's just a coincidence!"

This time, Lord El-Melloi II wasn't lying. Normally, he had no spare time to follow game releases, but he happened to spot a poster for a new game on his way to his current residence.

Well, it's not like there's much to do during the day, and dealing with confidential documents while on a mission was out of the question, so... why not buy a game to pass the time...

"Fine, fine," Cyd shrugged.

"Ahem, ahem, I'll... ahem... be right back," Lord El-Melloi II coughed awkwardly as he shuffled towards the street.

Gray instinctively wanted to follow him but was stopped by Cyd.

"Gray, men have their little quirks. If you follow him, Lord El-Melloi II will feel constrained," Cyd shook his head.

"Master's... little quirk?" Gray tilted her head, puzzled.

"It's fine, that's Lord El-Melloi II's own battle. We have other things to do," Cyd patted Gray's shoulder. "We really need to restock on groceries today."

"You're right!" Gray nodded vigorously. She personally wasn't fond of Lord El-Melloi II's habit of ordering takeout just because it was convenient.

"Then—Gray, you go," Cyd's eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Got it! Wait—what?!"

And so, Gray's grocery shopping adventure began.

For Gray, Fuyuki City was still unfamiliar. Normally, Lord El-Melloi II stood in front of her, and all she had to do was wait quietly. The only thing she ever needed to see was his back. But now, she had to face things herself.

Because the person who could stand in front of her had stepped aside, she had no choice but to look at the vast world herself.

Even if it was just to buy groceries...

Watching Gray's clumsy behavior, Cyd couldn't help but chuckle. The girl, who possessed a power that could overturn reality, was flustered by the enthusiastic shopkeepers.

Such peace...

If possible, Cyd wanted to sigh in contentment, but when he saw the reflection of two sneaky figures in the glass, he started to get a headache.

"You two just won't give up, will you?" Cyd casually picked up a carrot. "Even after being abandoned by Ruby and Sapphire, you still won't quit."

"Of course not! The Edelfelt family never gives up on what they want," Luvia snapped open her fan.

"We've come this far; how could we possibly give up?" Tohsaka Rin glared at Cyd defiantly.

Naturally, there was also the reason that Luvia had promised her a box of jewels, making it impossible for her to back out.

"Is that so? Seems like you haven't had enough of a beating yet," Cyd waved the carrot in his hand, eyeing Luvia and Rin up and down as if calculating where to strike for maximum pain.

"If we fought now, I could knock out you two non-magical girls, and no one would even notice."

"Heh, violent man, your opponent isn't us," Rin smiled confidently. "We've found a magical girl you absolutely cannot defeat."

The proud golden and black-haired girls simultaneously raised their fingers, pointing directly at his nose as they made their declaration.

"Tonight, we'll take back the Class Card from you! That's what they said..." Cyd mused with a hint of worry as he flipped through a medical book.

"Miss Luvia and Miss Rin... they are the kind of people who refuse to admit defeat," Gray scratched her face.

"I barely tapped their heads. They were perfectly fine when they left. How could they be spouting nonsense now?" Cyd sighed.

"Maybe it's an old, hidden injury resurfacing," Lord El-Melloi II, dressed in a short-sleeved tactical shirt, clenched his game controller with a progressively more intense expression. "I heard they used to fight all the time, like, to the death. Getting hit on the head was probably a regular thing."

"Sending them to the hospital might be a better idea," Miyu, calmly controlling her game character, thoroughly defeated Lord El-Melloi II.

[Game Over]

Seeing the large letters on the screen, Lord El-Melloi II dropped his controller and curled up on the floor, hugging his knees.

He had actually been beaten until the very end by a ten-year-old child.

"This is really your first time playing this game?"

"Every button has a purpose, and you respond accordingly to the situation. Aren't all games like that?" Miyu tilted her head in confusion. "It's really simple."

"Miyu, how are you finding school?" Cyd closed the book.

After pondering over the medical text for a while, Athena's blessing clearly told him that if those two were seriously spouting such nonsense after getting knocked around, they really should go to the hospital for a check-up.

However, knowing that Rin and Luvia definitely wouldn't go to the hospital willingly, he figured he'd first see what scheme they were cooking up tonight, and then physically send them to the hospital afterwards.

"It's simple," Miyu blinked, her face showing an unusual look of concern as she seemed to recall something odd. "I outshine everyone in every subject, but strangely... instead of being alienated for it, they..."

"Instead, you've met someone unexpected," Cyd smiled with satisfaction. "The world is interesting because people like that exist. Elementary school isn't so boring after all, right?"

"I want to observe them a little longer," Miyu said as she fiddled with the joystick on her controller.

"Together with your companions," Cyd raised his hand and gently patted Miyu's head.

"Are you going out tonight?" Miyu lifted her head.

"Yes, I have some work, but I'll be back soon," Cyd nodded.

"Can I... can I go with you?" Miyu hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand to grip Cyd's fingers. "I want to help you."

"If you're happy, that's already helping me."

"If I can help you... then I'd probably feel satisfied, maybe... even happy."

The small girl looked up, gazing firmly into Cyd's eyes. Gray, seemingly understanding, nodded in agreement.

"You once said... that being willful is a child's privilege," Miyu pursed her lips. "Will you allow me this willfulness?"

"Honestly..."

Cyd sighed deeply, ruffling Miyu's face with his hand.

"Don't ask about things that are just the natural course of things."