Rider and Caster's departure was like a pebble dropped into a great river.
There was a splash, a ripple... but soon, it was overtaken by the surging waves.
The competition continued.
Next up were Gilgamesh and Enkidu, who had chosen the red and green balls, respectively.
This expected outcome prompted another delighted laugh from Gilgamesh.
But what happened next was somewhat remarkable.
"I chose the red ball!"
Illya... the little girl not even seven years old... held up her red ball high, as if declaring something to her mother.
She had no intention of teaming up with Irisviel!
After being betrayed yesterday and hearing her mother say those things to Caren this morning... the annoyed little girl wanted to get back at her this way.
But Irisviel didn't mind.
She smiled and extended her hand... a small green ball lay in her palm, silently telling the silver-haired, red-eyed girl, "Your mama is still your mama."
"Well then, Illya-Mama."
"Please guide me!"
Irisviel was having a blast, even using the honorific in advance.
But hearing this title, Illya looked as if she'd been struck a fatal blow, standing frozen with a face full of shock and dark lines, unable to recover for a long time.
...
Finally, it was Alaric and Artoria's turn.
They revealed their choices simultaneously... one red, one green, a successful match.
"???"
Alaric snapped his head up, staring at the ahoge knight with a stunned expression.
But Artoria, eyes closed, showed no emotion, her face unreadable.
"Good! Everyone has now completed their pairings!"
"Now, let me announce the competition details."
"The competition consists of two parts: [Something I Want to Do for My Parent] and [Fulfilling the Child's Wish]."
"Before the competition officially begins, everyone will fill out a form. Parents will write [My favorite food], and children will write [A wish I want fulfilled]."
"Then, without revealing the form's contents, the child will prepare a dish alone, and the parent will think of and fulfill the child's wish."
"After the competition, scores will be based on how well the form's contents are fulfilled. Completing one task earns +2 points, completing both earns +5 points... for each individual."
A simple parent-child game.
The "child" prepares a meal, and the "parent" fulfills a wish.
It tests how well the parent and child understand each other.
Alaric answered the "favorite food" question easily... meat. He loved meat.
But he was stumped about what to do next.
"So, what could ahoge sister's wish be?"
"Saving Britain? Restoring Camelot's glory? Probably not."
"Tch... Come to think of it, why did she answer the summons for this Holy Grail War in the first place?"
Alaric imagined the grand wishes Artoria might have once held... but he shook his head, dismissing them one by one.
"No, definitely not those."
His judgment had no evidence; it was purely based on his understanding of her.
In other words, Artoria had many wishes. But she wouldn't write them on that slip of paper.
"The wish she wrote down must have something to do with me."
"In other words... it's not her true wish, just something she wants me to do for her."
Watching Artoria intently slicing a leg of beef, Alaric, now aware of the key to this competition, fixed his gaze on her.
...
Today's competition was short, lasting only an hour and a half.
But that was enough time for everyone to prepare their "works."
Even a five-year-old like Sakura Tohsaka, under her father's approving gaze, earnestly brewed a steaming cup of black tea.
... Afternoon tea was indeed Tokiomi's favorite; he could skip meals, but his daily tea was non-negotiable.
And black tea was undoubtedly the most iconic part of afternoon tea.
Illya, however, played a little trick.
On her form, she didn't write her favorite food... but her least favorite (spicy).
Yet Irisviel once again anticipated her move, planning to cook a spicy local dish.
Unfortunately, Irisviel's culinary skills were less than stellar. This Einzbern homunculus was a true kitchen disaster. After an hour and a half, her creation... well, let's just look at the others' works instead:
Artoria prepared a grilled steak, knowing full well what this dragon liked.
Enkidu made a traditional Uruk flatbread for Gilgamesh.
It was a food eaten only by the lowliest, yet he presented it boldly, turning Gilgamesh's face dark with anger.
Gilgamesh would bet his entire fortune that Enkidu's wish on the form was [Eat this food].
Waver prepared a sandwich for Kayneth.
Kayneth looked at the sandwich with a helpless expression, as if wanting to say something... but recalling that he and Waver had been holed up in the workshop for months, surviving on sandwiches or hot dogs, he silently nodded, accepting the reality.
Overall, the foods prepared by the "children" mostly matched the forms' contents... those that didn't were clearly intentional, leaving little room for criticism.
Then came the moment for the "parents" to present their gifts for the "childreninformatics
"Here's what you asked for, Sakura."
The first to take the stage was Tokiomi Tohsaka.
With utmost confidence, he took a Santa hat borrowed from Jeanne Lily and approached his daughter.
Becoming Santa Claus... wasn't that the wish she proclaimed every day?
But...
"No, that's not it."
The moment the Santa hat was placed on the girl's head, the little saint at the referee's stand announced Tokiomi's score:
"Regrettably, you got it wrong. 0 points."
"Her wish wasn't that."
"By the way, Santa Claus exists to fulfill children's wishes... how could the wish itself be to become Santa?"
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