In Acheron's eyes, Svarog was like a family's grinning, snarling little dog. No matter how fiercely it howled, she still only found it adorably dumb.
But in Himeko's eyes, it was a completely different kind of picture.
'Oh my god, isn't this guy supposed to be the robot conductor of the Astral Express? And they even gave him two nukes, what the hell is going on here? Is this Jarilo seriously planning to become a proper tourist planet?'
Because she was too shocked, Himeko's rational mind short-circuited for a moment. Curiosity took over completely, and without thinking, she reached out her hand to stroke Svarog's sturdy frame.
She wanted to study its intelligence, to study its armor, to study how in its less-than-three-meter-tall body it could possibly hold so many weapons and missiles, wanted to…
"Hey, wake up! You're drooling already!"
Acheron had been making all sorts of gestures next to Himeko to wake her up, but in the end she went with a forehead flick, one of those wake-up tricks that didn't hurt the brain and wasn't easy to anger the other party with.
"Ah!" Himeko snapped back to herself, wiping at the corner of her mouth out of reflex.
Her cheeks turned as red as a monkey's butt. "Sorry, I didn't sleep well last night, I just… fainted for a second, and only wanted to support myself."
"I know, I know, what young girl doesn't dream of love?" Acheron pressed her lips tightly together, suppressing laughter so hard she was practically getting internal injuries.
"Everyone has their quirks. Liking tall, strong robots isn't even all that rare."
"I really don't... I really don't!!"
After that awkward little interlude, Acheron and Himeko had pretty much gotten to know each other all over again.
Unlike Bronya's innocence or Cocolia's weariness from age, Himeko carried the aura unique to an idealistic young girl.
At first glance, she looked like a knowledgeable, well-mannered scholar. But after a bit of small talk, it became clear she was actually full of burning passion inside.
Such a beautiful girl was indeed extremely charming, but one that could only be admired from afar, not trifled with. If Emiya got bewitched by her, it would surely cause trouble later.
But Zoe seemed to have the complete opposite opinion.
Ever since meeting March 7th and Stelle, Zoe quickly became close friends with them. Taking them out to play every day was no longer enough for her.
She wanted them to stay here, and even shamelessly tried to convince Emiya, urging him to make a move on those two girls sooner rather than later.
"Zoe, looks like if I don't smack you every three days, you'll flip the roof tiles right off!"
Today there were guests coming to discuss serious matters. Emiya hadn't wanted to get physical, but Zoe was getting more and more outrageous with her words, even planning to rope Himeko into her little persuasion act once she arrived.
In the past, Emiya thought Zoe's frail body was a bad thing. But now he realized, if this little brat had been as strong as Vera, she really might have turned the whole world upside down by now.
"Lie down properly and stay still. A few slaps and it'll be over. Otherwise, I'll have to use that fine bamboo whip Vera specially prepared last time!"
Unfortunately, Zoe had been acting terribly lately. Vera had already been bottling up a bellyful of anger, and Zoe's wailing just sent her fury shooting through the roof.
"Lord Emiya, hold her down well. I'll finish the punishment we left incomplete last time, all in one go."
"That's… that's not necessary. Me disciplining her a little is enough." Emiya's forehead broke into a cold sweat.
He always shouted fierce threats beforehand, but in the end, it was basically just for show.
But Vera was different. She might look easygoing and hands-off most of the time, but when she actually laid hands, there was nothing soft about it.
"No, company is about to arrive. If Zoe doesn't fix that sloppy attitude now, she'll ruin things easily."
Whip! Whip! Whip!
As soon as the words fell, Vera swung the fine bamboo whip down three times without hesitation. The crackling sound was as loud as firecrackers.
"Ahhh! Murder! Domestic violence!!"
Zoe's eyes filled with tears from the pain. Clearly, there was no escaping this time. All she could do was scream at the top of her lungs, hoping for some heavenly savior to drop in and rescue her.
"Uh… did I come at a bad time?"
Himeko stood awkwardly at the door. She really hadn't expected this family to "play" like this in private. She should've let Acheron announce her first after all.
"No, you came at the perfect time! You're my goddess!" Zoe quickly wiped her tears and struggled upright from Emiya's lap.
'Thanks a lot, Emiya!'
Her eyes met his, and Zoe secretly gave him a thumbs-up. If Emiya hadn't secretly used magic to shield her from most of Vera's whip strikes, her poor little butt really would have been swollen.
"Quit fooling around. Go help Acheron and Vera in the kitchen, prep lunch!"
"Mm, I'm taking Svarog with me too. You two have a nice chat!" Zoe winked playfully at Emiya, then happily skipped off to the kitchen with the others.
"Sigh, that girl…" Emiya shook his head helplessly.
"Mr. Emiya, you didn't bring me here just to show off your family's 'harmony and affection,' did you?"
Himeko's lips curled into a smile. Seeing the so-called King of Jarilo, the girl Zoe, whose technological skill could rival even Herta… it really was quite amusing.
And that little scene revealed plenty of useful information too. This trip was already worth it.
"Zoe's always mischievous. If she happens to offend you all, please don't take it to heart."
Emiya rubbed his face, steadying his emotions again, then gestured politely to Himeko. "There should already be tea and snacks set up in the lounge. Let's talk inside."
"Oh? Then I'll gladly accept." Himeko nodded without the slightest hesitation and followed him in.
She didn't know why, but from the first time she'd looked into Emiya's eyes, she felt a strange sense of reassurance. And judging from Pam's attitude toward him, she was almost certain this was a man she could trust.
That was exactly why she dared to stride so boldly alone into the empty city of Belobog.
Inside the Emiya family's lounge, there weren't the antique calligraphy scrolls most people liked to decorate with, nor obscure, difficult books.
There was only an absurdly large fridge, a television, and several soft sofas scattered casually around the room. Sharp-eyed Himeko even noticed in the corner of one sofa, two items of what seemed to be women's underwear tossed aside.
"Sorry, the girls at home like hanging out in the lounge to watch anime and eat snacks, so it's a bit messy."
Noticing Himeko's line of sight, Emiya's face turned red. He instantly flashed over to the sofa at record speed and stuffed the underwear into his pocket.
'Stupid Zoe. Next time Vera wants to whip you, don't expect me to help you again!'
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