Dragging his exhausted body, Emiya finished cleaning up the house. His consciousness was almost about to shut down from fatigue, but he still forced himself to stay alert, trying to keep his cooking at its best level. He remade the nine dishes that everyone had rated the highest earlier.
By the time everything was done, it was already eleven at night. Less than half an hour remained before Cocolia's arrival.
Not daring to waste time, Emiya quickly took a cold shower, changed into a new suit, and, for the first time in ages, took out hair wax to style his hair.
Today was the day the very first outside member joined Utopia, he had to create the proper sense of ceremony.
"You're being so attentive, I'm starting to wonder if I've boarded a pirate ship." Cocolia's voice came from the doorway. She herself was also extremely tired today.
After dealing with Belobog's messy political affairs, she had hurriedly taken a bath, then locked herself in her room to get ready. Just putting on makeup had taken her three whole hours, and for the first time in her life, she wore a luxurious evening dress.
To be blunt, even on the day she took office as Supreme Guardian, Cocolia hadn't been this attentive.
"I want to tell you this, even though I might've seemed casual when I invited you, about this organization Utopia, I am absolutely serious." Emiya carefully straightened his clothes, then finally turned to look at Cocolia.
Tonight, Cocolia's face was exquisitely beautiful, her flaming red lips dazzling to the eyes. The bold yet elegant evening dress she wore revealed just the right amount of her sensual curves and fair, dazzlingly enticing skin.
Combined with the aura of unreachability that came naturally from holding high office for so long, just by standing quietly with arms crossed in the shadows, Cocolia made it impossible for anyone's eyes to look away.
"You really are..." Emiya instinctively wanted to compliment her beauty again, but remembering Bronya's reaction earlier that day, he hesitated.
"Really what? Say it already!"
As Belobog's most noble Supreme Guardian, coming in the middle of the night dressed like this to a strange man's home already filled her with shame.
Now Emiya was deliberately holding back, which nearly made Cocolia rush forward and give him a full set of military punches.
"Sorry. I wanted to say you're really beautiful today, but I'm not sure if that counts as harassment in your culture."
"You're saying I'm beautiful?" Cocolia and Bronya truly were mother and daughter, the way their eyes lit up was equally blinding.
In that instant, she threw all restraint aside. Cocolia ran toward Emiya, her ample chest bouncing dramatically with each step. In such a quiet, late-night setting indoors, Emiya shamefully reacted.
'Not good, something's about to happen!'
Realizing the danger, Emiya quickly forced his heartbeat calm with magic, then immediately turned and began plating the food, not daring to look at Cocolia again.
But Cocolia hadn't noticed Emiya's awkwardness. Right now, her mind was entirely focused on hearing those words from him again.
"What did you just say? I didn't hear clearly, say it again!"
She was so close that Emiya could feel her warm, fragrant breath.
Which old veteran could withstand this kind of test? Emiya hastily brushed it off with a "You're beautiful," then rushed to the balcony with the food in his hands as if fleeing.
Belobog truly was a city protected by the Preservation Aeon. No matter how freezing and bone-chilling it was outside the city, inside it still felt like spring. Only the starlight and moon were blocked out, giving people a natural sense of oppression.
Seeing Cocolia follow right after him, her face full of eager anticipation, Emiya quickly stepped aside and forced himself to put on a stern expression.
"Cocolia, before eating, let's do business first. Have you decided?"
"Oh..." Cocolia reluctantly let out a sound, taking two steps back, her face full of hesitation. "I've decided to join. But can we not do such embarrassing movements and lines...?"
The initiation ceremony for Utopia required kneeling on the left knee, placing the right fist over the heart, looking up into Emiya's eyes, and reciting a very long oath. For someone like Cocolia, the Supreme Guardian, this was truly difficult and humiliating.
"No. Utopia has only one demand of its members, loyalty, never betraying your comrades." Emiya's voice was loud and clear, showing his unyielding conviction.
"This initiation ceremony is the key process of swearing loyalty. I'll use my power to carefully discern it."
"Whew..." Cocolia struggled inside for half an hour, then finally patted her chest, stepped forward until only one meter separated them, and firmly knelt on one knee.
Emiya bent down, meeting her gaze. Magic quickly gathered in his right hand, and then he placed it on the back of Cocolia's head.
"Begin!"
"I, Cocolia, will forever be loyal to Utopia. All who enter Utopia shall be treated as comrades. Members will do everything they can to help one another; all members of Utopia..."
For ordinary people, ceremonies might indeed be dispensable.
But for people like Emiya and Cocolia, a heartfelt ritual was sacred and solemn, an utmost commitment and vow.
Before long, the ceremony was finished. But in that short time, Cocolia's heart truly settled.
Emiya was no longer just a pillar she relied on of her own accord, but a true friend, a true comrade, someone she could genuinely entrust herself to.
"Stand up." Emiya also knelt on one knee, taking Cocolia's hand to rise together. The reason he had members kneel to swear wasn't to place himself above them.
It was to tell them that he was high enough to hold up the sky for them; strong enough to be the bond that bound them together; that they could safely take him as a bridge to connect with other comrades.
"This bottle of red wine was bought with the very first money I earned. Let's use it to celebrate your joining."
Cocolia looked at Emiya, then at the wine he handed over. She didn't take it directly, but instead lifted her skirt slightly and went straight to sit down.
"Emiya, those three girls aren't your sisters, are they? And you didn't come here as refugees either."
Propping her chin with one hand, Cocolia gazed at Emiya. The shy girl had disappeared, the aura of the Supreme Guardian surged back again.
"For now, that's still classified. But I can tell you this, our goal is higher than the Aeons themselves."
Emiya set the wine on the table, leaned close to Cocolia's ear, and used magic to encrypt his words directly into her ear. "And likewise, nearly all the Aeons are our enemies."
"Hahaha! So I really did board a pirate ship, hahaha!"
Cocolia laughed, laughing so hard her body shook, laughing until she bent forward, laughing until she lost strength. She gripped Emiya's strong arm tightly, her body leaning against him.
Only like this could she barely ease the storm of fierce emotions surging in her heart.
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