"Bang!"
"boom!"
With a flash of the elf girl's wooden sword, Shirou Emiya was unable to rise again.
"Aaaaah, you stupid, useless fairy, what are you doing, meow? Shirou's going to die, meow!"
The incident began when Shirou explained to the goddess and the captain that he had been rescued by the Tavern of the Abundant Mistress. Suddenly, the goddess Hephaestus suggested that Shirou could train at the Tavern of the Abundant Mistress.
"Training with high-level adventurers is one of the best ways for newcomers to improve, but in our clan, no one has much time for that."
While members of adventurous factions may have plenty of free time when not on expeditions, members of commercially focused clans like Hephaestus' are almost always busy.
This is also why Loki and Freya's Familia members level up so quickly. After being brutally beaten by Lv.5 and Lv.6 level 1 adventurers, their durability would probably increase by at least tens or hundreds of points, as long as they survive.
"There are opportunities to hone one's skills at the bountiful hostess's tavern," the goddess said.
Perfect timing! Shirou really misses the people at the tavern: the kind-hearted Mia, the beautiful Seele, the adorable Anya, and, well, Ms. Ryu...
So, Shirou, who had spent the afternoon learning blacksmithing from Tsubaki, quickly returned to the tavern and asked Ryu for permission to train.
Then, in the very first second of the sparring session, Shirou was sent flying by a single blow.
Faced with Lv.4 top-level speed and strength, any technique is meaningless. Moreover, it is clear that Ryu is not only bad at being a waitress, but also bad at being a teacher, and has no awareness of controlling her strength at all.
The useless fairy has added another achievement to her record.
Shirou: It looks like I'm seeing a time capsule...
"I knew Ryu was a good-for-nothing, thank goodness I came to keep an eye on her." Anya mercilessly stabbed Ryu in the back again.
At this moment, Ryu seemed to have lost all color, squatting in a corner and drawing circles: "Useless fairy, I'm a useless fairy..."
"Anya, you're just here to skip work and slack off, aren't you?"
"Seele skipped work too!"
The girls were making a ruckus when, just then, Anya had a flash of inspiration.
"Shirou, let me help you train. As payment, you have to treat me to some delicious grilled fish."
"Huh?" Shirou was taken aback.
"Anya is a Level 4, you know." The cat-girl said this as if it were the most important thing in the world.
Shirou and Ryu: "Huh?!"
This cat is actually Lv.4! Outside of the labyrinth city, an adventurer of this level is already capable of overthrowing the king of a small country single-handedly.
What level is Mia, the boss who can casually pin a silly cat against a wall?!
"From today onwards, Shirou will be my little brother!" Anya exclaimed excitedly, "Grilled fish! I want grilled fish!"
"I understand. After training, I will do my best to make a fish dish for Anya."
"Come, Shirou." Anya's expression turned serious, and a strong aura burst forth from her, truly revealing the majesty of a high-level adventurer.
"I heard from Seele that Shirou is very good at cooking."
"Well, it's a pity I didn't stay to work."
"Shirou is going to become an adventurer, he's a boy with dreams."
On the second floor, a group of girls dressed as waitresses were peeking through the window at two people training in the courtyard.
[The Abundant Mistress]is a large tavern, and naturally there are more than just Seele and her few employees there. Shirou has had some contact with them during his stay at the tavern, but they are all just nodding acquaintances.
Anya's strength is among the top in Lv.4, and she is indeed a good teacher. She teaches Shirou step by step, focusing on training his combat skills, and keeping his strength and speed at a level that is much higher than Shirou's, but still within his acceptable range.
Such a challenging but not overwhelming opponent is just right to help Shirou train, or rather, get used to fighting. With the pressure, his fighting skills from his previous life are slowly reviving and merging with his new body.
"Shirou-kun, you're amazing! You just became an adventurer."
"I feel like I'll become a great person in the future."
"Doesn't that mean now is a good time to buy at the bottom...?"
The girls were chattering away when, at that moment, one of the girls brought up a dangerous topic.
"Speaking of which, I feel that Shirou-kun and Ryu-chan are a good match."
A tense atmosphere filled the quiet air, and soon, the volcano erupted.
"That's right, that's right! The combination of a cool and aloof fairy and a warm-hearted younger butler is the best! That's called complementarity! Complementary attributes are the most important thing!"
"Are you kidding me? A silly cat and a smart younger boy are the perfect complements!"
"Ania is a stupid cat, and Ryu is a useless fairy, but now Ania has become Shirou's teacher. Teacher-student relationship is dangerous!"
"Ryu and Shirou came to the tavern together, their bond is clearly much stronger!"
"Ryu is just a newcomer, of course we should support Anya!"
"This is a clash of ideologies, and has nothing to do with whether our relationship is good or bad!"
"You bunch of heretics!"
"You heretics!"
The girls all turned to look at an Amazonian waiter who had remained silent throughout, peering out the window.
"Hey, are you supporting that side?"
"Hehe, beautiful boy, beautiful boy is the best, I really want Shirou-kun to kick me hard."
Oh, right, she's an Amazon. This race is hopeless.
"Hey, speaking of which, if we're all here, who works down there?" a girl asked in a natural tone.
"I'd like to ask that question too." A deep voice came from behind, like a groan from hell, and a gigantic shadow covered the girls who had begun to tremble.
The girls: "Honey, Ya-chan..."
"Get to work right now!"
"Yes!" The girls panicked and scattered in all directions.
"Honestly, a bunch of idiots." Mia shook her head as she looked at the messy attic and the Amazonian saliva residue on the windowpanes.
She looked down at the boy who was barely blocking Anya's fist.
"...His growth rate is incredibly fast. I'm starting to regret it a little."
Due to his personality, Shirou Emiya was absolutely unsuitable for the Freya Familia, and after talking to the goddess, she accepted this.
"That child's soul is indeed dazzlingly alluring, but it's not the pure and flawless soul I'm looking for, not one I'd pay any price to obtain. Since it's really not suitable, let's just forget about it."
Seeing Shirou's displayed fighting talent, I wouldn't say I regretted it, but I was somewhat disappointed.
"Kid, don't die in the dungeon," Mia whispered.
As for Xier and the others who skipped work, let's give them a break for now, but they'll have to make up for the lost work time later.