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

Chapter 48: The Rest

The next day was almost peaceful, even for Ren. A large portion of that near-peace came from Merlin conferring with Cú and then flitting off to 'escort' the wagons bearing supplies to the fortress. "I'm sure I can help them get here much faster," he told Tora, who was standing near Ren at the time.

After he'd waved and dematerialized, Tora had edged over to Ren. "Lady Ren... I'm confused. Why is Merlin reporting to me?"

"Because I asked him to leave me alone for a while and he's taking it very literally," Ren informed her tartly.

"Oh," said Tora thoughtfully. "My... my Servant—" she touched her chest, "—whispers to me that he's not to be trusted." Her cheeks flushed as she added, "Especially not with you."

"No," said Ren and changed the subject. "Would you and Cú help me do some weapon training today? You have a sword, right?"

Between the training Cú inflicted with Tora's help, cleaning out more of the fortress and keeping Flat and Astolfo from causing mischief, it wasn't exactly a day of relaxation. When Merlin didn't return by nightfall, what peace she had gained evaporated. They'd moved the bed up to one of the upper rooms so people weren't dining in her bedroom, and there she curled up on the mattress and tried to scold herself out of her misery. All she achieved was a restless, unhappy sleep full of incoherent nightmares.

The next morning Merlin appeared outside the fortress riding on the first of several wagons. The three wagons were loaded with foodstuffs, furniture, and lumber. The draft horses moved alertly, but the wagoneers all had a stunned, dreamy expression. When Merlin waved his staff and one of his reconstructed walls cracked open so the wagons could drive through to the courtyard, a formless rage churned within Ren that he'd caused her so much suffering over something he could resolve so easily.

"We'll keep the horses and the wagons," said Merlin cheerfully moments later as he supervised the unloading. "But I'll send the drivers to the village to recover. They worked very hard getting everything here!"

Ren gave him a sidelong look. Everybody but the littlest children had joined in the unloading, so Merlin had to be talking to her. She could hardly believe it.

"Thank you," she said distantly.

He winced. "Ren—"

Ren's fingers curled into a fist. "Don't." She started to move to the nearest wagon. The flurry of activity would take her mind off the magus soon enough. Yesterday had demonstrated that.

His voice soft, he said, "I'm sorry."

She stopped, her rigid back to him, waiting for anything else he might say. She didn't know what she expected, or even what she wanted, but she knew a blanket apology wasn't it. But as the silence behind her dragged on, her heart shivered and wilted and she braced her shoulders to go do productive work.

"You want more," he said, his voice flat and emotionless. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that once again everyday ordinary Merlin had been superceded by his inhuman side.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, her heart jumping into her throat.

Despite the brightness of the morning, his purple eyes seemed almost black. "I wanted you," he said calmly. "I still want you."

Heat kindled low in Ren's stomach as her stupid, treacherous body responded to his words. She tucked suddenly cold hands under her arms. "What are you sorry for, then?"

Merlin's brow furrowed, as if her question puzzled him. "Hurting you. That was exactly what I didn't want to do."

Ren's fingers dug into her tunic, and she lowered her eyes to hide the way they stung. Nothing she could think to say meant anything. Some of it was cruel and some of it was trite and all of it was useless. Finally, swallowing the lump in her throat, she said, "I can't talk about this right now. I'm going to summon another Servant soon. Go... go do what you have to make your mana faucet is turned up to max or whatever."