Chapter 148 Girl's Dormitory
"No!!! That's Father's outfit!" Mor-chan shook her head repeatedly.
"Ah! Right, Artoria… about Mordred, let her help you with your work too," Shirou suggested to the head maid.
Artoria propped her chin on her hand, thinking for a moment, then said, "Hmm, Mordred. Well! That makes sense. I am the Knight King. Those who pledged loyalty to me are the Knights of the Round Table. Now that I have become the Head Maid, they should also become the Round Table Maids!"
"Really! That's awesome… ahem, no." Mor-chan expressed her excitement but quickly masked it. "…Since it's Father's command, I have no choice. Even if it's this light, embarrassing outfit, I must wear it."
"That's great, Mor-chan." Shirou, wanting to help the girl mend their relationship, resolved to give his full support.
"Thank you, Shirou," Mor-chan said, clasping her hands in gratitude.
"Mordred, what are you dawdling for? Keep up! I'll take you to change your clothes," Artoria said as she opened the door and walked out.
"Yes, Father!" Mordred followed, smiling brightly.
About ten minutes later,
Artoria returned. Walking in behind her was a girl wearing a gray maid uniform with a white apron. Her hair was still in a high, curled ponytail, but now her expression showed the shyness of a child wanting adult praise yet too timid to ask for it directly.
"How… do I look, Shirou?" Mor-chan asked, blushing.
While she found it cute seeing Father in the outfit, wearing it herself was undeniably embarrassing.
"Hmm… very cute, and it matches Artoria well," Shirou said with a smile.
"Really! Haha, I match Father perfectly then!" Mor-chan happily patted Shirou's shoulder and laughed heartily.
"No, Mordred, are you mistaken? You're wearing a gray-black maid uniform—the lowest-ranking servant maid here. I am the top-tier Head Maid. See this luxurious white crown?" Artoria pointed to the white headband on her head.
"What!? Damn it! Even as a maid, I need to build achievements gradually, just like a knight, to get promoted!" Mordred clenched her fists, cheering herself on.
"Since defeating the magic dragon Vortigern can only be done at midnight in that world, there's no rush now. Shirou, rest first. Tomorrow night, we'll take action," Artoria instructed.
"Understood, Artoria. I won't be polite then," Shirou agreed, climbing onto the bed.
"Good. Rest easy, Shirou," Artoria said, pressing his shoulders down so he could lie down, smiling softly.
Shirou felt the soft, warm touch beneath his head, along with the unique scent of the girl. Blinking, he looked up at her and asked, "…Um? Miss Artoria? What are you doing?"
"This is a lap pillow, one of the basic ways a maid in Britain serves her master during rest," Artoria answered matter-of-factly.
"Which Britain's maid is this!?" Shirou exclaimed.
"A lap pillow is a basic skill of maids. I am confident in my thighs—they've absorbed plenty of high-energy fried food, exercised from cleaning the dorm, smooth and round, with just the right firmness and elasticity."
"No, that's not what I meant," Shirou said awkwardly.
"Do you feel uncomfortable, Shirou?" Artoria asked, leaning down. Her usually sharp blue-gold eyes now revealed tender concern as her fair hand brushed her bangs aside.
"No… it's not uncomfortable…" Shirou felt shy meeting her gaze and turned his head, heart racing.
Amazing! Just with her eyes, Father can make Shirou submit! But Shirou is amazing too—if it were me, I'd probably die on the spot. Mor-chan thought, quietly observing while wearing her maid uniform.
"Anyway… Artoria, no lap pillow, please! I won't be able to sleep otherwise," Shirou said, standing up.
"Is that so… Seems my maid training isn't enough yet… Well, if you insist, I know! As a lower-tier alternative, I'll give you the top-quality white goose feather pillow," Artoria said, standing up and placing the previously moved pillow back on the bed.
"Thank you! This really helps… I feel like I can fall asleep immediately…" Shirou smiled, feeling his eyelids grow heavy, and lay down.
This time, Shirou laid on the pillow and quickly fell asleep. The battle against the dragon had drained him, and constant absorption and release of the Grail's magical energy had left him utterly exhausted.
The room fell silent. Shirou, stubborn even in sleep, now showed the youthful innocence of a teenager, his strong exterior temporarily relaxed.
Mor-chan, sensing it was her moment to shine, eagerly raised her hand: "Ah, Father, please rest too! I'll stay here and take care of Shirou. After all, I'm a Servant; I don't need rest."
Artoria covered Shirou with a blanket and turned to Mor-chan, her expression reflecting the complex mix of seeing a child say something foolish at home.
"What are you talking about, Mordred? As the newcomer, the lowest-tier maid, the only work you can do is cleaning toilets. You can't mop, dust, or maintain decorations, let alone serve guests. Come here! I've prepared a bed for you in the supply room across the hall," she said, grabbing Mor-chan by the collar.
"Eh, wait, Father? Supply room? Why am I being treated so differently?!" Mor-chan protested in a low voice, being dragged outside.
"There's a soft, top-tier goose feather pillow and an unfolded cardboard box as a mattress. No blanket provided; if you're cold, the old cardboard contains rags, unused old clothes, and scraps," the strongest Head Maid said as she dragged Mor-chan outside.
"Ohhh, a goose feather pillow! Father is so kind!" Mor-chan exclaimed in delight. Then hearing the rest, she tilted her head in confusion: "Eh… rags?"
Shirou, asleep, knew nothing of what happened outside. He slept deeply until around 6 a.m. the next morning, awakened by a shout outside the door.
In the Bristol Branch girls' dormitory, a twin-tailed girl, Eriri, got up early to grab cleaning tools from the supply room. After a week, she had gotten used to waking at 6 a.m. daily to clean and help distribute food in the cafeteria.
"Seriously, that Rita overslept again! She thinks just because she's related to the Head Maid, she can slack off! Does she really think the industry is still naive enough that having relatives lets you get away with it?" Eriri grumbled, taking out the key to open the supply room door.
Inside, a disheveled blonde girl clutched a white pillow, rolling on a cardboard mat.
Eriri froze at the door, completely at a loss. Why is she sleeping here? A dorm girl? Don't recognize her… wait, she looks somewhat familiar.
What should she do? Is this an abandoned child? DV (domestic violence)? No, probably school bullying? How do you say, "Why are you lying on cardboard in the supply room hugging a goose feather pillow?"
The girl rolling on the cardboard raised her fist and shouted.
In Mor-chan's imaginary scenario:
Maid Mor-chan: "King Arthur, after a year of hard training, I've finally gone from a low-tier maid to one of the thirteen Round Table Maids. Please recognize me as your successor and announce to everyone that I will be the next Head Maid after you retire!"
Maid King Arthur: "I see. My child, you've really worked hard. Then I'll give you this chosen holy tool."
Maid Mor-chan: "Really! Thank you, Father! I'll cherish this chosen mop!"
Elf Shirou: "Congratulations, Mor-chan! I knew you'd succeed."
New Maid King Mor-chan: "Yes, Shirou! When I retire as Head Maid, we'll ride motorcycles and adventure the world together. You'll play with me every day and help cook delicious meals."
Elf Shirou: "Alright, Mor-chan. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you."
The new Maid King and the Elf held hands, smiling happily.
"Yay~! Holding hands with Shirou, so shy~!!!" The blonde girl rolled even more vigorously on the cardboard.
"…" Eriri was speechless, watching the girl's happy expression, clearly indulging in a sweet fantasy, at least not appearing bullied.
"Wait?! Shirou?! You just said Shirou, right?!" Eriri shouted excitedly.
"Hmm? Yeah!" Mor-chan, interrupted, sat up angrily: "Which bastard! I was just about to figure out how to invite the three of us to the amusement park!! And now it's ruined!"
"Eh! Delinquent?!" Eriri finally noticed Mor-chan's outfit—red jacket, mischievous expression—intimidating, like a rebellious gang leader.
"Who are you?! How dare you enter the room Father gave me!" Mordred jumped up, glaring at Eriri.
"No, calm down. I'm just… here to get the tools," Eriri stammered, backing against the wall.
"Huh!? Why so scared, mumbling? Speak clearly!" Mordred demanded, hand on the wall.
"Help! Ahh!" Eriri screamed.
Shirou, awakened by her cries, rushed out. Eriri was fiercely swinging her twin tails, preventing Mor-chan from approaching.
"Mor-chan, Eriri, what are you doing?" Shirou asked, sweat forming.
"Eh, Shirou! Why are you here?" Eriri exclaimed.
Students, awakened by the commotion, came out and saw Shirou.
"Ah~! A guy's here!" Several girls in pajamas screamed and ran back to their rooms.
The dormitory erupted in chaos, though some laughed, knowing they were protected by the invincible Head Maid. No danger was truly present.
"Quiet! What are you shouting about so early? I brought him here," Head Maid Artoria said, approaching.
"Eh! The Head Maid brought a man!" The shocked girls quickly sent messages on their phones, spreading the news through the mansion.
Shirou buried his face in his hands. If he couldn't smooth this over, his only options would be fleeing or being sent back home.
"Quiet! Since you're up, wash up, groom yourselves, and eat breakfast on time!" Artoria commanded.
"Yes!" The girls obeyed without complaint.
"Head Maid, this child suddenly claimed the supply room is her room and caused a fuss," Eriri reported.
"I see. I arranged for her to stay here," Artoria nodded.
"Got it! Don't enter my room without permission," Mor-chan said proudly to Eriri.
"No, a lowest-tier maid has no right to a room. She's just temporarily in the supply room. It will continue to be used normally," Artoria overruled.
"Eh? Father, at least give me a room! I can endure it… I don't need a single room; sharing with Shirou is fine!" Mor-chan pleaded, feeling frustrated.
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