Chapter 7 : Shenanigans

Ruler was nervously hiding in the corners of the hallway, his mask concealing any telltale expressions. He cast furtive glances around, desperately hoping to avoid detection by whoever he was evading.

A lilting, feminine voice suddenly floated down the corridor, calling out to him. "Come on, Ruler, I just want to witness your magic, nothing more!"

His heart pounding, Ruler broke into a run, racing towards the Art Room. He stumbled through the doorway to find Sheo hard at work, oblivious to his monarch's sudden appearance.

Confusion etched Sheo's features when he saw Ruler's caution, but the feminine voice soon filled the air again. Ruler darted behind stacks of art supplies, peering out nervously at the new arrival.

The woman who entered was dressed in a blend of blue and red attire, reminiscent of 16th-century fashion. Her countenance bore a striking resemblance to the famous painting that Sheo had always admired - the Mona Lisa.

The woman's name, it transpired, was Da Vinci, and she was eager to explore Ruler's Abyssmal Magic. "Hello, Sheo. Have you seen Ruler? I'm hoping to study his magical prowess," she explained. "As a genius in my own right, I'm simply dying to witness it!"

"I have not, Lady Da Vinci. Perhaps he may have hidden himself in one of the boxes present in the warehouse. I'll suggest checking there," Sheo said, carefully attempting not to reveal Ruler's location or seem suspicious.

Da Vinci remained silent for a moment, and then left the art room in haste once she had received Sheo's advice.

Shortly after, Ruler cautiously emerged from his hiding place, wondering if Da Vinci was still around. "Has she left?" he asked Sheo.

"Yes, Your Majesty. She is gone," Sheo replied.

"That woman always seems to be in my way, but thank you, Nailmaster," The Pale King said, as he noticed the intricate drawing on the canvas.

Curiously, he asked, "What are you drawing this time?"

"I'm drawing a little warrior performing the Great Slash. It's quite an impressive feat," Sheo replied, as he pointed out the horned white mask-wearing teen in the image.

"The image reminds me of The Hollow Knight," The Pale King remarked.

Sheo nodded in agreement, and the two fell into a comfortable silence.

As The Pale King prepared to leave, he bid farewell to Sheo. "Have a great day, Nailmaster."

In response, the Nailmaster wished The Pale King a good day as well.

"Hey~ there you are~!Come here Ruler~!"Da Vinci's voice made itself known again, which put Ruler on alert.

He started running away,with her chasing him down.

To Sheo,this looked like his siblings when having a banter.

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As the clock struck twelve, Ritsuka's stomach grumbled fervently, causing him to glance around the cafeteria excitedly for the plethora of options awaiting him. That's when Mash chimed in, her eyes gleaming with delight. "You can have anything you want!"

"I know, I can't decide!" Ritsuka replied with a smile.

While the servants, except for Mash, weren't really interested in eating, they all seemed to be enjoying themselves anyway. After all, what else was there to do?

Ruler stood awkwardly beside Da Vinci, sensing the weight of the latter's investigative gaze on him. "What are you looking at? Do you have something to say?" Ruler asked.

Da Vinci chuckled. "No, my dear, I'm just observing. You're quite the interesting person, you know?"

"That's...nice to know?" Ruler replied, unsure how to react.

Ruler was almost relieved to be interrupted by Stheno's fussing, who was holding out food to a reluctant Sheo, pleading for him to take a bite. "Please, Sheo, I've put so much effort into making this for you."

"I'm fine, thank you," Sheo responded, shaking his head firmly. "I just don't feel like eating right now."

Stheno pouted slightly, offended by his refusal. "You really ought to accept, Sheo. It's rude to refuse such a gracious offer from a goddess like me. If it were the other way around, I would have accepted immediately."

Sheo merely shrugged, taking a sip of his water as Stheno stormed off in a huff.

Meanwhile, Mash and Dr. Romani sat with Ritsuka, chatting and eating nervously. Mash ate with gratitude, while Dr. Romani indulged in some sugary treats.

"Doctor, you really shouldn't eat sweets before the main course. It'll ruin your appetite!" Mash playfully scolded Dr. Romani.

"I know, I know, but I can't resist!" Dr. Romani laughed.

As Ritsuka watched his friends enjoying themselves, he thought to himself, "Even if humanity's fate is in our hands, it's nice to have a good day once in a while."

Suddenly, Stheno viciously headlocked Sheo, forcibly shoving a potato into his mouth. Sheo struggled to break free, but Stheno had an iron grip on him. "You need to eat," she demanded. "You're too skinny!" Even if that's not true, she continued her assault.

She continued to force feed Sheo until he collapsed onto the table, gasping for air. Stheno patted herself on the back, "You should be grateful that you were fed by the most beautiful and magnificent goddess! So, don't be so moody about it!"

"Are you okay?"Ritsuka asked, a bit concerned about his Servant.

Sheo managed to sit up and shook his head, "I'll be okay, just need a moment."

Ritsuka glared at Stheno, disapproving of her actions. "That's not how you treat your fellow servants," he said sternly. "You should apologize to Sheo."

Stheno pouted but eventually relented, apologizing to Sheo, who forgave her with a slight smile.

As the meal went on, Ritsuka reminded himself to be grateful for the companionship he had found among the servants. Each of them had their own quirks and habits, their own strengths and weaknesses, but together they were a team, fighting for the safety and survival of humanity.

After finishing their meal, the group slowly dispersed, some retreating to rest, others going off to train and prepare for the battles ahead. Ritsuka sat by himself for a moment, soaking in the peaceful atmosphere of the cafeteria before heading off to join the others in their preparations.

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As Ritsuka walked around, he stumbled upon the training room only to find Ruler, Sheo, and Stheno engaged in an interesting activity. Stheno was perched atop Sheo's shoulder while Ruler and Sheo were wondering if the Nailmaster's skills worked if he would use a brush as the weapon. Curiosity brimming, Ritsuka couldn't help but ask, "What are you up to?"

"Well, the Nailmaster wanted to test his Nail Arts in the training room with a brush, and I, for one, wanted to watch," explained Ruler.

"Me too!" chimed in Stheno. Looking down at Sheo, she added, "You should feel honored. A goddess is about to witness your performance!"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," replied Sheo jokingly. Turning to Ritsuka, he asked, "Did you want to join us?"

"Sure, why not," replied Ritsuka agreeably.

Upon entering the training room, the group activated the holograms, and Sheo took center stage. As soon as he did, holographic robots materialized, all with the intention to harm him in a harmless way. Sheo sprang into action, using his brush to slam the robots with a mighty force that sent ink splattering everywhere. The force was so powerful that it created a shockwave, colored by the paint, that destroyed the robots in one fell swoop. More materialized, making Sheo go for a mighty stab. The stab destroyed the robots in a quick fashion, leaving just a bunch of robots. Then Sheo jumped high, slashing the brush mid-air. Ink splattered against the robots with great force, destroying them. All the attacks dirtied the others with paint,but they didn't care.

Stheno was applauding rapturously, "You better be grateful! A goddess is congratulating you!" Ritsuka and Ruler joined in slowly clapping their hands, the latter nodding in approval. Watching them mingle, Ritsuka couldn't help but feel like they were not just his servants, but his family.

"Why did i chose this job again..."Ritsuka turned around to see Bob,the janitor, looking around the training room. He scratched his cheek, trying to apologize.

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"Senpai, we're almost done!" Mash's voice shook Ritsuka out of his trance, and he looked around at the array of art supplies, remembering the reason he was there. Mash had asked for help improving her drawing skills, and Sheo had gladly obliged. Now, Ritsuka found himself frozen in a pose so that Mash could capture his likeness.

"How much longer until your masterpiece is complete, Nailmaster?" Ruler called out from his own pose, eager to see the finished product.

"Just a few strokes more, my King. We're nearly there," Sheo replied, his focus unwavering as he put the finishing touches on his artwork.

Stheno, perched contentedly on Sheo's shoulder, looked as if she had found her rightful place in the world - a small observer of the artists at work.

Mash added some final touches to her drawing, and then turned to Ritsuka. "What do you think, Senpai? Do I show potential?"

Ritsuka looked at the drawing and was pleasantly surprised. "Mash, this is incredible! You definitely have some talent."

Mash beamed with shy pride, and Sheo gave her a knowing nod. "I always believed in you, Mash. You just needed some guidance and practice."

Ruler chuckled. "Well, I must admit I'm looking forward to seeing Sheo's masterpiece as well."

Sheo grinned and held up his painting for all to see. It was a stunning portrait of Ruler, captured in perfect detail. The colors were rich and vibrant, and the texture of the canvas gave the painting a lifelike quality.

"Spectacular work, as expected," Ruler commented.

Sheo bowed. "Thank you, my King. It was a pleasure to have such a willing and patient subject."

"Now draw me!"Stheno ordered.

"Now,now, don't you have plenty of self portraits?" Sheo reminded the goddess.

"As the beautiful Stheno Gorgon,i need my room decorated with paintings to remind me of how beautiful I am!" She explained while puffing out her chest.

Mash and Ritsuka snickered at that,while Sheo smiled a bit.

"W-wh-at's funny,uh!?" Stheno exclaimed,not used to be laughed at.

A/N :

This chapter was just to show what the squad does at Chaldea. Since that there are 3 servants,i couldn't do much about the activities. In the next Daily life at Chaldea there will be more servants, making it more interesting.