Shinji Matou at Your Service

"——Join us and lend us a hand."

This is what Shinji said.

Medea raised her head and stared blankly at the young man standing beside the bed. Her eyes, a color between blue and purple, flickered with disbelief.

What did he just say?

Did I mishear?

He—was he inviting me? After knowing my true name, inviting the betrayer witch, Medea?

"Are you sure you want me to join you?"

"Yes, this is the best option for now," Shinji nodded.

"Aren't you worried?"

Medea continued to question.

"Worried about what?"

"Worried that I might betray you again. I am the witch of betrayal. My whole life has been filled with betrayal, both in life and in death."

"I've already said that no one is born a betrayer. Every betrayal has its reasons. Let's not talk about what happened during your life; a large part of that was due to the arrow of Eros. While I'll admit that some of your actions were indeed excessive, there's no point in placing all the blame solely on you. As for Atrum, anyone with a shred of decency would be upset by him, so killing him is no big deal. If you had obeyed him completely, I'd think less of you."

As he spoke, Shinji turned to the group of women standing behind him.

"You all don't have any objections, right?"

"Well, if my brother says so…"

"No objections."

"I can somewhat understand Miss Medea's feelings."

Sakura, Fujino, and Kirie each gave different responses, but their meaning was the same.

The only one left was Medusa, who had been openly wary of Medea from the start.

"If there's no way to restrain her, I don't agree with her joining us. This woman is too dangerous."

"What do you suggest?"

Medusa's previously relaxed expression turned cold again. It wasn't just Medusa who was wary of Medea; Medea was also cautious of Medusa.

"Shinji, you mentioned last night that you had spare Command Seals. I hope you use them to bind her," Medusa proposed resolutely.

"There's no need."

Shinji shook his head.

"Shinji!"

Medusa, unusually flustered, raised her voice.

Shinji sighed, "Rider, I appreciate your concern, but it's unnecessary. In my opinion, you should be the one who understands Medea the most."

"Why?"

"Because you've had similar experiences. You both should have had happy lives, but because of those tyrannical gods of Olympus, your lives became tragic. I think it's precisely because of your experience that Sakura, Fujino, and Kirie are willing to accept Medea."

The three women nodded in agreement. Medea's reputation was terrible, but how was Medusa any better? After all, they were both infamous femme fatales—though this point should probably be scratched out.

"But it's not the same," Medusa insisted stubbornly.

"That witch knows men all too well. Shinji, you…"

"You're worried she'll charm me?"

Shinji chuckled.

"You, of all people, should know how that feels. When you and Sakura went shopping for clothes today, didn't you notice your charm?"

"Uh…"

Medusa tilted her head, a blank expression crossing her beautiful face.

"You didn't notice?"

Shinji slapped his forehead.

"I can't tell if you're just dense or if your two sisters left you with some deep psychological scars—Sakura, you tell her."

"Rider, all the men in the mall were staring at you today," Sakura quietly told her Servant.

"I was even a little jealous."

"Ehhh?! Ehhh?! Ehhhhhh~~~~~~~"

Medusa suddenly let out a string of surprised exclamations, causing everyone to stifle their laughter—Stheno and Euryale, you two are truly guilty of so much.

On the other side, Medea had grown curious about Medusa's identity.

"She is…?"

"Can I tell her?"

Shinji looked at Sakura, blinking.

Sakura glanced at Medusa, then at Shinji, and gave a slight nod.

With permission granted, Shinji spoke, "Like you, she's also from Greece. Her name might sound familiar—Medusa. Seems like the Holy Grail has a fondness for Greek heroes, having summoned two of them."

Medea didn't even listen to the last part. She was fixated on Medusa's face and the eyes hidden behind her glasses.

"Medusa? The Gorgon monster?"

Medusa immediately flared up.

"What did you just say, witch?"

Medea wasn't backing down.

"What? Did I say something wrong? Are you not the Gorgon monster?"

The tension between the two escalated quickly, prompting Shinji to stand between them, blocking their line of sight.

"Enough, both of you! You're both infamous because of the gods' curses, so why hurt each other? From now on, the terms 'betrayer witch,' 'Gorgon monster,' and any related phrases are banned. Whoever says them… uh… won't get any food and will be responsible for all the household chores!"

Honestly, this punishment didn't carry much weight. Servants didn't need to eat, and Medusa, having been bullied by her two sisters since childhood, was quite skilled in all household tasks—cooking, cleaning, laundry, you name it. Medea wasn't as adept, but she was a magus from the Age of Gods, so she could easily handle chores with a few spells.

However, neither of them continued to hurt each other. They both knew that the names they called each other were deeply painful, forbidden topics that should never be touched. Tempers had flared, but now that they had calmed down, they wouldn't cross those lines again.

"I understand."

"I won't say it again."

"Good."

Shinji nodded in satisfaction.

"Now, let me ask once more. Medea, will you join us? I've heard your wish, and you don't need the Holy Grail to fulfill it. A simple trip abroad could resolve it. Once this Holy Grail War is over, win or lose, we'll send you home. If you have any other conditions, feel free to mention them. We're not like that idiot Atrum, who treated Servants as slaves. Everything can be negotiated… Think of it as a business contract. You help us, and we'll pay you in return."

Medea hesitantly asked, "And the Holy Grail…?"

"That's a bit more complicated. I'll explain in detail once you officially join us. For now, I can tell you it's not quite what you think, and it's not worth fighting over."

Though Shinji's explanation was vague, his straightforward attitude was something Medea valued highly.

"I understand. One last question: who will be my Master?"

"Who do you want it to be?"

"You!"

Without hesitation, Medea pointed at Shinji.

"As expected, you're up to no good," Medusa quickly objected, "I refuse!"

"This is the most suitable choice," Medea explained calmly.

"Only Miss Sakura and Mr. Shinji are magi. Miss Sakura is already contracted with you, and making another contract would be too much of a burden on her. The other two ladies are not magi, so contracting with them would drain their life force. Mr. Shinji has spare Command Seals, which can be used to form a contract."

"This…"