Chapter 106: The Specific Effects of Avalon, and a Request for Aid from Loki!
Shirou returned to the Hestia Familia's base, carrying the young dragon girl in his arms.
Unsurprisingly, the appearance of the monster-like little girl immediately caused a stir among the entire Familia.
"Shi—Shirou, what's going on with this child?"
As a goddess, Hestia recognized the dragon girl as a monster at first glance, and her face immediately filled with confusion.
Bell and Lili, standing nearby, were equally dumbfounded and couldn't understand why Shirou had brought back a little girl.
"It's a bit complicated... this child is actually—"
Before Shirou could finish, the dragon girl clutched his collar and nervously said:
"Papa... scared..."
"???"
Her use of the word "Papa" instantly set off a bomb among the Familia.
Hestia's face turned bright red as she shouted:
"Shirou, you... you actually secretly had a child?! Tell me right now—who's the mother?! Is it Ais Wallenstein from the Loki Familia?!"
"No! Why would it be Ais?!" Shirou sighed in exasperation.
He then showed everyone the girl's appearance more clearly.
"Besides, take a closer look—she's not even human. She's a monster from the dungeon. How could I have a child with a monster?"
"Well... that's true."
After seeing the dragon girl up close, even if they still had doubts, the Hestia Familia couldn't bring themselves to believe that Shirou was her biological father.
At last, the misunderstanding was resolved.
However, while the misunderstanding about the "father and daughter" relationship was cleared, everyone began to realize the potential trouble this little dragon girl might bring.
Although the Hestia Familia members were fairly reasonable, facing a living monster still triggered a natural fear response.
Hestia managed to hold herself together as a god, but Bell and Lili instinctively drew their weapons.
"..."
Sensing the hostility around her, the dragon girl became visibly frightened, even shedding tears.
Seeing her so pitiful, Bell and Lili couldn't bear to stay aggressive, though they remained on guard.
"What exactly is going on here?" Hestia, the most level-headed one present, muttered as she looked at the dragon girl.
"I've never heard of a talking monster in the dungeon."
"Neither has Lili."
Lili shook her head, clearly unfamiliar with the idea of a talking monster.
Bell also had no knowledge of such a thing.
Seeing their reactions, Shirou couldn't help but recall the cloaked man he had previously met—and the mention of the god Ouranos.
Ouranos, the deity at the top of Orario, knew everything. Yet no one else seemed to know about the existence of these "Xenos."
It was clear: information was being deliberately sealed off.
Though he didn't know the reason, Shirou instinctively became cautious.
"Sorry, I want to hide this child in our base for now," Shirou said quietly.
"And I don't want anyone outside the Familia to know about her."
"Are you sure that's okay?" Lili asked doubtfully. "If the Guild finds out we're harboring a monster, we're doomed."
"Don't worry—the Guild probably won't do that."
Shirou shook his head.
Because Ouranos, the Guild's leader, knew about the Xenos, Shirou was certain the Guild was involved to some extent.
Even so, the others weren't fully reassured, but ultimately chose to trust Shirou.
"In that case, why keep her a secret?" Hestia asked in confusion.
"This child... let's temporarily call her a Xenos—might be hiding many secrets."
Shirou's expression grew serious.
"To uncover the truth, I need her to stay by my side, and I don't want her to get hurt."
"Secrets? Is this another scheme by the Evilus faction?"
The members of the Hestia Familia assumed this child was another creation of the dark faction Shirou had been fighting.
None of them could have guessed the girl was connected to Ouranos, the supreme god of Orario.
Shirou deliberately kept this hidden to spare them the burden.
"By the way, does she have a name?" Lili asked curiously.
"Monsters usually don't have names, right?"
"She probably doesn't." Shirou shook his head, troubled.
He had never raised a child before, and didn't know how to name one either.
Unexpectedly, Bell raised his hand enthusiastically:
"Let me name her! How about 'Welusine'?!"
"Isn't that the name of an ancient fairy from a hero tale?" Hestia commented.
"Bell, you really like hero stories, huh?"
"Uh... yeah, I do like those kinds of stories."
Bell responded awkwardly.
Lili added:
"Then let's take the first and last characters and just call her 'Wiene'. It sounds more natural."
"Sure."
Shirou didn't care much about the name—it wasn't really his child, after all.
But Wiene immediately dove into Shirou's arms and murmured:
"Wiene...? That's... my name?"
"Yes, everyone has a name. So from now on, don't call me 'Papa'—just call me Emiya, or Shirou."
Shirou tried to correct her way of addressing him.
But after a pause, Wiene still said:
"Papa... is Papa..."
Shirou went silent.
Truth be told, he had already gotten used to it.
Wiene quickly blended into the Hestia Familia.
Though she had monster traits, she was no different from a regular little girl in behavior.
Even Hestia, who had been the most wary, eventually had to admit that Wiene was just a cute child.
"By the way, how did Wiene even learn the word 'Papa'?"
After Wiene had tired herself out and fallen asleep on the only couch in the basement, Lili suddenly asked.
"I never taught her that word."
Shirou quickly denied it, wary of any potential misunderstanding.
His denial only deepened the mystery.
After all, Wiene, as a monster, learned things very quickly.
But without a source, how could she have known words like "Papa" or speak fluently when they first met?
It was as if she had been born with memories.
But how could a monster possess such memories?
Even human infants aren't born with memory.
The members of the Hestia Familia pondered this mystery for a long time, but in the end, they had no answers—and had to let it go for now.
.
.
.
The next day, after asking Hestia—who was the only one free—to watch over Wiene, Shirou went to the Hephaestus Familia to forge Avalon.
Because Avalon was a special Noble Phantasm, Shirou requested a completely sealed forging environment to avoid any unnecessary commotion.
His previous forges of Enkidu and Caliburn had been so loud and dramatic that, though they occurred in isolated places, a similar event within the Hephaestus Familia would certainly cause chaos.
So, once entirely cut off from the outside world, Shirou began forging.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The clear sound of hammering echoed repeatedly.
The forging of Avalon went very smoothly.
No accidents occurred, and Shirou successfully reproduced the legendary scabbard of King Arthur in a 1:1 replica.
He immediately used a scroll to appraise its effects:
[Avalon]
[Absolute Protection]
Binds to the user upon fusion with the body.Cannot be removed without the user's will.
[Immortality]
Continuously absorbs mana to heal the user.Even slows aging to some extent.
[Distant Utopia]
When activated, creates a barrier that nullifies all physical and magical attacks.Consumes a vast amount of mana.If the user possesses Excalibur and qualifies as its wielder, the barrier can be activated at no cost and even reflect attacks.
Like with Caliburn, Avalon had three inherent effects.
Perhaps because it was a defensive item rather than an offensive one, it did not gain any additional effects from Shirou's "Karma's Flame" skill.
Even so, this was undoubtedly an extraordinary Noble Phantasm.
A self-healing defensive item was incredibly rare and valuable.
If word got out, it could cause a frenzy across all Familia in Orario.
Adventuring teams normally required a healer to sustain combat effectiveness—but healers were often weak in battle and limited the team's overall power.
Avalon would eliminate that weakness completely, allowing adventurers to maintain peak condition without relying on a healer.
Moreover, the defensive barrier, though costly in mana, could prove life-saving at critical moments.
With Avalon successfully forged, Shirou finally felt confident in letting Lefiya participate in the upcoming subjugation mission.
On the familiar city wall, Shirou and Lefiya met again.
As usual, he first taught her some archery techniques and noticed that Lefiya was improving at a remarkable pace.
This meant that she had been practicing privately after returning.
"H-How was it?" Lefiya asked nervously, looking at Shirou.
"Very good. You're progressing even faster than I expected. You truly have talent," Shirou praised her generously.
"Hehehe, really? I guess staying up late practicing every night wasn't in vain."
Lefiya smiled so widely that the corners of her mouth stretched.
Lately, she had been almost obsessively devoting herself to archery practice, even more diligently than to her main profession—magic.
It was to the point where other members of the Loki Familia were wondering if she had lost her mind or was planning to switch professions.
But in reality, Lefiya was only working so hard because she wanted to hear Shirou praise her.
"In that case, you can also try integrating magic into your archery," Shirou said, unaware of the elf girl's hidden feelings. He analyzed calmly, "You can start by trying fire magic—fire-infused arrows. If possible, combine it with wind magic to boost the arrow's speed."
"You can do that?"
Hearing Shirou's suggestion was like opening the door to a whole new world for Lefiya.
She had never considered that magic could be used to enhance archery.
Shirou, on the other hand, had long considered this.
He personally didn't need to develop such techniques since he could project special arrows, but Lefiya, as an elven mage capable of using nearly any type of magic, would undoubtedly gain a huge boost in power by creating magical arrows.
Afterward, Shirou guided Lefiya in how to use magical arrows, and her eyes sparkled more and more.
Originally, she was just practicing archery to win Shirou's praise, but gradually, she fell in love with the combat style of combining magic and archery.
Before they knew it, the entire morning had passed.
Lefiya was completely absorbed in practicing magical arrows, to the point that she forgot the time.
But Shirou couldn't afford to forget. He had an important goal—giving Avalon to Lefiya.
"Lefiya, when is the Loki Familia planning to explore Daedalus Street?"
Shirou asked while Lefiya was taking a break.
She responded quietly, "Probably today or tomorrow. Captain Finn said that to launch a surprise attack, it has to be at an unexpected time, so even within our group, the exact time is unclear."
"I see."
That little pallum called Finn, the brain of the Loki Familia, certainly had exceptional talent.
But Shirou still didn't have high hopes for their operation.
Without any hesitation, he handed over the wrapped Avalon to Lefiya and slowly said, "This is a gift from me to you, as your teacher."
"A gift? For me?"
Lefiya froze at Shirou's words.
When she unwrapped the cloth and saw the dazzlingly ornate sheath of Avalon, her eyes were immediately drawn to its radiance, and her expression turned to one of disbelief.
"This... such a precious item, how can I possibly accept it?"
She instinctively tried to refuse.
But Shirou calmly replied, "To be honest, I think your Loki Familia's upcoming operation is very risky. I prepared this piece of equipment specifically to protect you."
"Prepared... just for my safety..."
Lefiya was at a loss for words.
Her eyes turned red, and her heart pounded faster than ever before. She felt dizzy, her mind overwhelmed and unable to function properly.
"Shirou… I really… to you…"
Words began to pour out of Lefiya's mouth uncontrollably.
But just as she was about to speak her feelings, a small head suddenly popped up from the wall.
The blue-haired dragon girl Wiene appeared before them, and the moment she saw Shirou, she threw herself at him.
"Papa! Papa!!"
Wiene rushed into Shirou's arms as if clinging to his scent.
Shirou hadn't expected her to appear here.
Startled, he quickly looked around.
Seeing no one had noticed, he let out a sigh of relief.
At the same time, he realized Wiene's dragon scales and monstrous features had been cleverly concealed—her claws and fangs were disguised, and even her non-human ears were hidden with special magic.
"Big Sis Lili taught me. She said it would let me look like a human."
Wiene noticed Shirou's confusion and answered fluently.
In just a single day, she had almost fully adapted to human language, which truly shocked Shirou and made him increasingly suspicious of the nature of the Xenos.
While Shirou was deep in thought about what exactly the Xenos were, Lefiya stood frozen, practically petrified from the moment Wiene appeared.
"P-Papa? Shirou, you have a child? And already this big?"
Lefiya stared at Shirou and Wiene in disbelief, her expression filled with despair.
"No, this is…"
Shirou tried to explain, but since Wiene's identity as a Xenos couldn't be revealed, he couldn't come up with a suitable excuse.
His hesitation only further convinced Lefiya of their relationship.
The elf girl shouted in an emotional outburst, "I knew it—you're the worst! I hate you! Hate hate hate hate hate!!!"
With that, she stormed off in a huff.
On the other hand, Shirou felt like all the progress he had made with her had just been reset to zero.
He let out a helpless sigh and patted Wiene on the head.
"Hmm?" Seeing Lefiya storm off, Wiene tilted her head in confusion, mumbling, "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, it's not your fault."
Shirou smiled as he replied.
Wiene's innocent demeanor reminded him of his sister Miyu from before he came to this world—she had also been a naïve and pure girl.
He couldn't help but treat Wiene as a real daughter.
"Well, since you now look human, I'll take you shopping today." Shirou held Wiene in his arms and jumped down from the city wall. "Is there anywhere you want to go, Wiene?"
"Wherever Papa goes, I'll go too."
"…"
Faced with Wiene's overly clingy behavior, Shirou felt helpless.
She had likely followed his scent all the way here because of that very attachment.
But since he couldn't force her away, he had no choice but to go along with her wishes.
As for Lefiya—although it was unfortunate that he couldn't clear up the misunderstanding, as long as Avalon had been successfully delivered, the rest could wait until after the Loki Familia's mission was over.
The Loki Familia's operation to explore the underground sewers of Daedalus Street soon began.
Since it was publicly presented as a dungeon exploration of underground Orario, most Familias didn't pay much attention.
To avoid detection by the Evilus faction, the Loki Familia split into several teams and launched surprise attacks at different times, infiltrating the underground sewers of Daedalus Street.
Shirou, having been excluded from the mission, knew nothing about the details.
He continued his daily routine as before, moving between the Hephaestus and Hestia Familias.
The only change was Wiene's presence.
The Xenos girl completely regarded him as her father, sticking to him every day and refusing to leave his side.
Eventually, Shirou just got used to living with Wiene, caring for her as he once did for Miyu.
The days passed by peacefully and uneventfully.
The only surprising development was that Bell leveled up to Level 3 after a dungeon expedition.
Though still slower than Shirou, it was considered astonishingly fast for a normal adventurer.
The gods were all shocked and began paying more attention to the name "Bell Cranel."
Shirou, too, hadn't expected Bell to level up so quickly.
He recalled what the sun god Apollo had once said to him long ago—that Bell held a secret related to a god named Zeus.
Back then, Shirou didn't understand what that meant.
But now, it was clear—Bell was not just an ordinary human.
Of course, even if Bell kept leveling up quickly, there was no way he had any connection to the Evilus faction, so Shirou didn't pay it much mind.
Aside from Bell's rapid growth, daily life in the Hestia Familia remained peaceful—until one day, the sudden arrival of the god Loki shattered that peace.
"Sorry, Shirou," Loki began with a serious tone the moment they met. "I think you've already guessed why I came."
"Your operation against Evilus failed, didn't it?"
Shirou didn't even lift his head, clearly having anticipated this outcome.
Loki sighed helplessly and replied, "That's right. Not only did we fail, but part of our Familia fell into Evilus's trap and are now trapped in the underground labyrinth."
"Part of your Familia?" Shirou's instincts screamed bad news, and he couldn't help but ask, "Lefiya isn't among them, is she?"
"Unfortunately, she is," Loki admitted with a sigh. "This time, it's my fault. I underestimated Evilus. That's their stronghold—they were far more prepared than we imagined."
"So… you came to ask me for help?" Shirou looked at Loki, waiting for her next words.
Loki bowed deeply and, in a sincere tone, pleaded, "Shirou, I won't ask you to forgive my children's past rudeness, but I still beg you—please save them!
No matter how big a favor I owe you, I don't care.
Please, save the children of my Familia!"