The Thirsty Girl's Guide To Summoning (Fate/Isekai)

Chapter 21

Ren spent two hours playing a very complicated and changeable game of tag with Jack and Merlin. Eventually, when Cú sent Ritsu to get some exercise, she and the foxette joined in to make the game even more chaotic, and subsequently, Ren dropped into an exhausted nap as soon as she stretched out on her bed.

She woke to Jack's gentle touch and the mouthwatering smell of roasted pork with garlic. As she blinked at the dimness of the Great Hall, Jack said, "Caster and Lancer want you to eat before Saber wakes up, Mommy."

In response, Ren's stomach gave a loud, long gurgle. Jack's eyes widened. "You're so hungry! I'm so sorry, Mommy. It hurts so much, right?"

With a wan smile, Ren said, "It's easy for me to fix, at least."

Jack hopped off the bed and pulled Ren to her feet. "Come, come! Come and see!"

Down in the kitchen, every trace of the pig butchery had been cleaned away and several half-demolished wooden platters of roasted and chopped meat sat in the middle of the table, along with wooden bowls, thick sliced brown bread, roasted potatoes and onions, and a pan of drippings.

Driven by the growling in her stomach, Ren hurried to the table and started filling a bowl before she noticed Jekyll, Cú and Merlin all watching her with interest. She favored Cú with a smile that brightened as she focused on the bread. "Were the villagers actually helpful?"

Cú snorted. "Them? Not likely. They're all mice. Can't imagine how the little miss came out of a village like that."

Ren glanced down at the bread and up at Cú again, her eyebrows raised. He shrugged and scratched his cheek. "Well, I found the biggest house there, right? Walked right in, raided their kitchen. They all hid upstairs, except for a little scullery maid they'd forgotten about. She hid under the sink."

Ren froze halfway through picking up a piece of bread, staring at Cú. There was just a hint of challenge in his eyes, and she realized Merlin and Jekyll were also closely observing her reaction. Only Jack didn't seem to care what Ren thought of the raiding, instead eating meat straight off the platter until Cú reached out and hauled her away by the scruff of her neck.

Carefully, Ren laid the slice of bread on top of the meat in her bowl and used a wooden spoon to drizzle drippings on top. "Was the maid reassured when you told her about our win?"

"Little bit. The pig leg I left with her probably helped more though." He paused to grin as Ren raised her gaze to him and then added, "I left about half of the bread at Ritsu's house with those kids. Ritsu wants to bring 'em here but I think the keep needs to be in better shape first."

Ren sat on the floor and ate a bite of bread and meat and then asked, "Why didn't you tell me you left the meat first?"

Cú crouched down near her. "Eh, I wanted to see how you reacted." He put his finger under her chin. "Because if you needed what they had and I'd nothing to leave in exchange, I still would have taken it, my lady."

Ren thought about that. "I think... in theory... that would be acceptable. But also... that you can always find something to offer in trade. You're an armed warrior. You're in the best position to take, which means you shouldn't ever have to."

Cú looked at her for a long moment, his expression inscrutable. "You're a beautiful woman, my lady, and you should start sleeping with a knife."

As Ren blinked, working on tracing his line of thought, Jack bounded over, saying, "Yes, yes, that's smart," before sniffing at Ren's bowl. "Why did you put the yummy stuff on the dry stuff, Mommy?"