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

Chapter 43: Anticipating Boredom

Ren nodded at Lord Kirri, refusing to quail before his cold gaze. "First of all, let's get your friends to the fortress."

"Absolutely not," said Kirri calmly.

Confused, Ren frowned. "Don't you want them safe and warm under a shelter?"

Kirri raised his eyebrows. "How much shelter does that ruined fortress really provide?"

"It has a roof," Ren muttered, thinking of how otherwise empty it was. They still didn't even have beds for everybody.

Kirri shook his head. "They had a campsite? I will move them there."

Ren watched the lord as he moved to inspect his fallen comrades, her brow furrowed. "Why...?"

"Don't worry about it, my lady," advised Cú. "He probably doesn't want to feel like you've taken him prisoner."

"No." Tora kept her eyes on her commander. "He doesn't want to put himself in a position of being able to claim to have taken possession of the last unclaimed fortress by trickery."

"Oh." Ren digested this. "Tora, will you stay and help him? I need to get back to the fortress. I sent..." She thought of how to describe Flat. "I sent trouble there and I need to go manage it."

"Mmm, I shall stay and supervise as well," announced Merlin, watching Kirri. Then his gaze slid sideways to Ren and he brushed her cheek with one finger. "You can repay me later."

Ren puffed her cheeks out, and then twisted her mouth as she felt rather than heard Hyde's low growl behind her. Merlin's gaze went from her face to over her head and he smiled pleasantly.

Abruptly she whirled away from Merlin and hooked her arm through Hyde's, pulling him out of the sparking staredown he'd caught the other man in. "Come on. Jack, Cú, you too. Astolfo... give Kirri and Tora a hand moving them. Do whatever Tora asks, unless Merlin countermands it."

Astolfo gave Ren a happy little salute and bounded over to join Kirri, already talking a mile a minute. Meanwhile, Jack attached herself to Ren's free hand and Cú, rolling his eyes at his fellow Servants, fell in just behind her.

Back at the fortress, they encountered Ritsu at the gate and Ren gave her a brief, reassuring recap of the encounter, including Tora's reappearance. The young girl brightened, and then her expression flickered as a deep weariness emerged now that her worry had been soothed.

Flat, standing just behind Ritsu, seemed to notice too, for he suddenly picked her up bodily. "Naptime—"

He stopped abruptly as Cú's spear tip came perilously close to his throat, while Jack's knives appeared in her hands.

Smiling awkwardly, still holding Ritsu half slung over his shoulder, Flat said, "She's very tired. She barely made it here. I was just going to put her in the bed all her little siblings are in... should I not?"

Ritsu mumbled, "I'd like that, but I can walk, honest..."

"That's fine," said Ren with a sigh. Cú's spear lowered, but Jack's knives remained out. "Jack, you go with him and take a nap too. Keep protecting Ritsu. After, Flat, please come find me immediately. We need to talk about what you're doing here."

With a look rather like his hand had been caught in the cookie jar, Flat adjusted his grip on Ritsu, turned and trotted back into the fortress with her, Jack hot on his heels.

Ren glanced back at Cú and somewhat satirically offered him the hand Jack had freed.

Cú shook his head, making no effort to hide the narrow look he gave Hyde. "Later. I'll need you later. Right now it'd hurt more than it helped."