The tents went up quickly—Shichen set up two, Saber did one, and the last one… Irisviel still hadn't even started.
Shichen glanced over at Saber, who was staring off into space with no real focus on the tent in front of her. He didn't call out to her and instead crouched down next to Irisviel.
She was still staring intently at the manual, her delicate face serious, her pretty brows slightly furrowed.
One glance told him the page hadn't changed—she was still on the very first one.
"Iri," Shichen said helplessly.
She didn't seem to hear, eyes still glued to the page.
He raised his voice. "Iri."
"Ah!"
She jumped, dropping the manual. Looking at him in surprise, she huffed, "…What are you trying to scare me for?"
"I've been calling you a few times already—you were too absorbed in that manual."
"Really? Must be because it's too hard to understand."
"Mm, I can see that," Shichen said, trying not to laugh.
She gave him an irritated sideways glance. "You're laughing at me, aren't you?"
"How could I? I'm not that kind of guy."
"Yeah right—your mouth is practically twitching."
"Ahem." He coughed and pressed his lips together to hide the smile before asking, "Don't tell me you've just been staring at this same page the whole time?"
"Of course not." She picked the manual back up and flipped through it, proudly saying, "I've read it twice already."
"Twice? Then why haven't you started setting up the tent?"
"Well… I just haven't fully absorbed it yet," she said, her tone making it clear it was an excuse.
"Heh~ And how long is that going to take?" He couldn't help laughing at her stubborn front.
"What's so funny! I'll get it any minute now. You just go set up your own tent." She tried to shoo him away.
"I already did mine. And Saber's finished too."
"Eh?"
She looked over his shoulder and saw three tents already standing tall.
"When… when did you two set those up?"
"While you were reading the manual."
"Well… I won't bother you then. Better hurry—it's almost time to start lunch," he said, standing to leave.
"W-wait!" She grabbed the hem of his pants.
"What is it?" he asked with a small smile.
"I… I get it. I'm not cut out for setting up tents. Just help me, alright?" The flush on her face was impossible to miss.
"Not trying to act tough anymore?"
"What acting tough… I just didn't want to waste time." She pouted.
"So stubborn. Funny I didn't notice that when I was… tasting."
"Tasting? Mm… Just set up the tent already!" She realized his gaze had dropped to her lips, immediately understanding what he meant. Blushing hard, she swatted at him and hurried over to Saber.
Shichen chuckled and shook his head before crouching to work on her tent.
"Saber, what are you doing?" Irisviel asked when she reached her.
To her surprise, Saber didn't answer. Irisviel blinked, looking into her eyes, and realized she was spaced out.
"Saber." She tapped her shoulder.
"Hm? Iri? Did you need something?" Saber came back to herself, looking confused.
"Why were you daydreaming?" Irisviel asked with a smile.
"Daydreaming…" Saber hesitated, unsure how to answer.
Ever since she'd finished her tent, her mind kept replaying the moment Shichen had kissed her—along with that earlier kiss—and the strange feeling it gave her. She knew exactly what a kiss meant, which meant he really did like her. That didn't surprise her—especially since Irisviel told her as much almost every day. What did surprise her was how… pleasant it had felt.
And the fact that she didn't feel the need to push him away. Did that mean she… liked him too?
"Spacing out again?" Irisviel waved a hand in front of her face.
Pulled from her thoughts, Saber shook her head. "Sorry…"
"It's nothing. Is it the camping that's got you distracted?"
"Camping…"
"Maybe it's because you're not used to it. You've always been fighting—never had this kind of leisure. The change feels strange, right?" Irisviel said warmly.
"…Something like that."
She realized that might actually be the reason. As a king, she'd never had this kind of downtime, so her mind never had room for such aimless thoughts—especially not about romance.
Even Rider had once told her she was just a little girl who'd never experienced love. She didn't know how important romance was, but Shichen… he did seem like someone she could have it with.
Even with how harsh he'd been yesterday, she knew it was for her sake. Everyone had their own convictions—if someone could be swayed so easily, they'd have been enslaved long ago.
"Heh~ Exactly. You don't need to overthink it, Saber. Just enjoy yourself," Irisviel said.
"Enjoy, huh?"
"Yeah. If it's Shichen's idea, there's a reason for it. Just follow his plan and have fun."
"Plan…" Saber murmured.
"I'm just guessing. Who knows if he actually has a plan—maybe he just wants to play with Ilya and Sakura. You should just focus on enjoying yourself. Forget about the Grail War for now."
"I know," Saber said, nodding. Thinking about it wouldn't change anything—and if Shichen decided to use a Command Seal on her, she had no way to resist. With his strength, he didn't even really need a Servant.
Her first Holy Grail War, and she'd ended up with such a powerful Master… Clearly, she'd made the right wish.
"What are you two talking about?" Shichen came over, tent finally done.
"Hehe~ Just girl talk. Nothing you need to know," Irisviel said playfully.
"Girl talk, huh? Between you two?" His expression was dubious.
"What, we're not girls now?" she shot back.
"Alright, alright, you are. In that case, why don't you do something girls should do?"
"…Like what?"
"Dinner prep. Set out the cooking gear, wash the ingredients, then get the food ready."
"Eh?" Irisviel froze.
"What, no?" he teased.
She turned to Saber for help.
"Sorry, Iri. I don't know how to cook," Saber said apologetically.
"…Ugh. Fine, we'll do it," Irisviel muttered reluctantly.
"Haha~ I wasn't expecting you two to actually cook. Just get things set up." Laughing, he turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" she asked quickly.
"Obviously, to play with Ilya and Sakura while you're busy."
And so, the camping trip officially began.
Lunch was plentiful—everyone grilled what they wanted themselves, with plenty of heat to go around. Saber, however, ate so much that nearly half their food was gone. At that rate, there wouldn't be enough left for dinner.
They could always buy more, but Ilya and Sakura wanted to hunt small game—like rabbits. Unfortunately, in this season and in this area, there were no rabbits or much wildlife at all.
Shichen didn't tell them outright. Instead, he just took them exploring, letting them hope for luck. Still, even with the highest luck stat, you couldn't conjure animals out of thin air.
Dinner ended up coming from another trip to the mall.
By nightfall, Shichen lit the area with Holy Fire, making darkness no issue at all.
In the warm glow, everyone sat around the grill, listening to the sizzle of meat, eating as they gazed up at a sky unobstructed by tall buildings. Stars and a thin crescent moon shone vividly above.
Two people, however, never looked up—Saber and Frieren. The moment the meat was done, they'd snatch it up and eat without hesitation, unbothered by the heat. Frieren washed hers down with swigs of cola, looking utterly content.
Shichen had considered having some alcohol, but with Ilya there, he settled for juice.
The barbecue feast went on for two and a half hours before winding down. The sky was pitch black now, the surrounding wilderness eerie and still. If it weren't for the barrier, it might've been unsettling.
And next… came the part Shichen had been looking forward to the most.
~~~
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