Section 10: 2nd Lap C/What Does She See?

Hey there. I know it's short notice, but it's time for a quick digest.

Let's be real. Nobody wants to go through the exact same trial all over again, right?

So I thought I would be nice and just get it over with.

I wouldn't normally do things like this, but here, I can just barely get away with them.

That's why the side of me that just wants to get things over with popped out.

Hm? What do I mean by "here"?

Come on, I'm sure you can figure it out.

Well, this IS insect space, so it's not technically the real deal...

...but in terms of location and nature, it's basically the same.

Anyway, let's talk about what happened at the third checkpoint.

Just like last time, Kadoc took the lead for the cleaning test.

But, since we didn't find a help card, there was no Servant to help us out.

So just like last time, we focused on cleaning as quickly and thoroughly as we could.

Okay, I'm saying "we" but what I mean here is "they" since I really didn't help much. But can you blame me? I'm a prince.

Our score after all that? Eighty-nine.

All that hard work, and it only got us a four-point increase. But never mind that now.

As a group, we decided that this still taught us something, so there was a silver lining!

We decided this meant it wasn't enough to just make sure everything was clean. There must be some other factor we're missing.

Now, here we are at the fourth checkpoint.

For this one, we found a card right before we arrived, so we decided to call on a Servant instead of saving it.

Now then, I wonder what kind of helpful Servant will show up this time?

I am Yagyu Tajima-no-kami, here to lend you my aid.

？！

Oh, right! That's what zen is all about, isn't it!?

And he's a father too, right?

I think his son was also a Heroic Spirit. Jubei or something.

？！

Indeed. My father and teacher, Muneyoshi, was a master of the sword widely known by the name "Sekishuusai."

So he's the famous son of a famous father, and has a famous son of his own.

Stellar choice, for all of me.

Then let's take this chance to ask him about what it means to be a perfect father.

Hmm. The answer to that is...

？！

...unfortunately not in my power to give you.

Was I a good father? Was my own father a good parent?

Am I who I am now because my father raised me well? Did Mitsuyoshi turn out the way he did because I raised him well?

Not even my sword can provide answers to those questions.

For me, my father and my son merely happened to exist before and after me, respectively.

???

...Heh.

Forgive me. It seems I have much to learn when it comes to speaking of familial matters.

？！

(Well... I guess Fujimaru isn't the type of Master to force Servants to talk about things they'd rather not.)

(So it's probably better to stick to questions he'll answer more willingly.)

Hmm.

A "sauna," you say? So that is what steam baths are called in this day and age.

In my own country, I have heard Nara has made use of steam baths since the Heian period.

？！

Good, then we don't have to explain what this trial entails. What's the secret to staying in the sauna longer?

You have to stay in an uncomfortable position for a long time when you practice zazen too, right?

What's that skill of yours again? "Free of Worldly Thoughts"? Come on, just tell us the trick to using that.

... ...

(Even though he's smiling, he's clearly upse)

(No, wait. He's not. I guess that's a samurai for you. Come to think of it, Muramasa was pretty patient and magnanimous, too.)

Hm.

(Oho, it looks like he's even aware of my own take on him. This could be useful.)

Welcome to

Huh? What's going on? What's up with those weird, archaic smiles? You all look like the Buddha.

I can't tell if you're spacing out, or if your minds are just somewhere else.

？！

Yeah, it's fine. Go ahead and get started.

Oh, and it looks like our helper's got everything under control, so I'm just going to wait outside right from the start this time.

I see. Well, that's fine.

All right then, if you all insist, let's get this perfect father endurance test started.

I see. Hm. A pity, truly.

(Oh come on! What happened to the famous samurai patience and perseverance!?)

What were you even trying to do? Well, never mind. I'm going to start scoring now.

(Huff, huff...) Well, at least we did better than last time, but only barely!

Why DID our score go up? Is it because we lasted longer than before? Or was it something else?

I told you, I will not be answering questions about the scoring criteria.

...She said, forgetting her embarrassing mishap at the campfire.

Yes, that's right. I'm playing it cool this time to make up for past mistakes. All right, everyone, see you at the next checkpoint.

Incidentally, you managed to hold out just a little longer than you did before.

I know because I was outside keeping track of your time.

Oho. Having a reliable record like that should be quite useful. Is that why you went outside, then?

Well, it's not like I had anything else to do. It didn't end up being as interesting as I'd hoped, though.

？！

True. Humans, by our very nature, have limits.

Perhaps next time, we should try using some heat-resistance magecraft?

That's an option. Though she might also see it as cheating and dock our points.

？！

Hmm. Good question.

All I can say for certain is that girl was watching you three closely.

Perhaps the question of how long you can endure the steam bath is not what is important here.

It seemed to me that what you chose to do while you were in the steam bath was what really mattered.

Well, she did say she wanted to see us suffering. In pain.

But you think there's more to it than her own twisted tastes?

...Perhaps.

... ...

Master. I am sorry I was not able to be of greater assistance.

？！

Though you know, if what Kazura said about the help cards is true, then we've already used all three we can get on this run.

And it also seems incredibly unlikely that we'll be able to get five hundred points in the next trial alone.

So it looks like we'll need to focus on gathering more information for our next run.

Anyway, our only way out is through.

We'll never escape this place if we simply stay put. That much, we can be certain of.

？！

All right. I'll take the wheel for this next leg.

The nice thing about driving is that it gives you time to think. If any of you figure something out, this'll be our chance to discuss it.

All right, let's get going.