Fate: Edmund

Hours after their escape from the disaster, Waver and Rider wandered the outskirts of the city. They had tried to find a safe place to take refuge, but with no money or contacts, their options were limited. Waver, exhausted from fatigue and mental strain, ran his hands over his face and sighed heavily.

"This is a disaster," he muttered. "We're left without shelter, without resources, and the war is still going on!"

Rider, walking beside him with his hands behind his head, gave a faint smile.

"Don't be so dramatic, Master. We'll manage. After all, I'm a hero blessed by the gods. A simple roof isn't a problem"

Waver shot him an exasperated look. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to sleep on the ground"

"Oh, come on, Waver. Isn't this part of the adventure?" Rider said with a confident smile.

"Look at it this way: the Holy Grail War isn't just a game of magic and power. It's also a journey, a challenge where only those who adapt survive. And you... are surviving"

Waver huffed, but deep down, Rider's words carried some weight. He couldn't afford to give up. With renewed determination, he looked around. "So, what do you suggest?"

Rider shrugged and thumped the trunk of a tree. "We can make our own shelter."

With Rider's immense strength and what little energy Waver had left, they began building an improvised hut. They cut down some trees and stacked the wood to create a rustic shelter. It wasn't luxurious, but it would provide them with a roof for now.

When they finished, Waver stumbled inside, exhausted, and collapsed onto the wooden floor, closing his eyes immediately. Rider, on the other hand, climbed onto the branch of a nearby tree, watching the sunrise over the landscape.

From his elevated position, Rider glanced at Waver and smiled with a certain satisfaction. "Sweet dreams, Master"

Waver, in his deep drowsiness, allowed himself a small smile. Maybe, just maybe, Rider wasn't so different from the heroes in the stories he admired so much.

Eight hours later, when the sun was already high in the sky, Waver woke up with his body aching from sleeping on the wooden floor. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, still feeling tired from the lack of proper rest.

When he fully opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was his Servant, Rider, sitting with his arms crossed next to an improvised table made of logs. On it were several perfectly packed bentos, ready to be eaten.

Without saying a word, Waver clumsily got up, took the wooden chair Rider had placed next to the table, and sat down, eyeing the bentos with curiosity.

"Where did you get these?"

Rider smiled with a proud expression. "I didn't make them, if that's what you're asking"

Waver frowned. "What do you mean...?"

It was then that he realized what Rider meant. He looked at the bento he was already eating and nearly choked when he understood the truth. He coughed as he stared at Rider in disbelief.

"Don't tell me you stole them!"

"Well, I wouldn't say 'stole.' I just took what no one would notice was missing," Rider replied with an amused expression.

Waver felt his face burn with embarrassment. "Give them back!"

"Impossible" Rider shot back, resting his chin on his hand with a mischievous smile.

"You've already started eating them"

Waver looked at the bite in his mouth and then at the remaining bentos. He felt trapped, utterly defeated. Finally, with a resigned grumble, he picked up the chopsticks and continued eating.

As he chewed, he glanced sideways at Rider and asked, with some annoyance.

"So, if you already took these, why didn't you bring normal utensils? Eating with chopsticks is a pain"

The forest around them was quiet, only the sound of the wind rustling the leaves accompanied their strange breakfast. Rider laughed heartily and shrugged.

"I thought an educated young man like you would already know how to handle chopsticks"

Waver huffed but didn't reply. He just focused on finishing his meal, trying to ignore his Servant's chuckling.

After finishing his meal, Waver set the chopsticks aside and sighed. The silence of the forest allowed him to sink into his thoughts. He had managed to survive so far, but what was he supposed to do next? All the documents he had gathered with information about the participants and their strategies had been reduced to ashes along with the cabin. Everything he had planned to act on at the end of the Holy Grail War was now irrelevant. His mind was blank, with no guidance or clear plan.

Frustrated, he clenched his fists. Not having a defined path made him nervous, made him feel vulnerable. He couldn't afford to go blindly into a war where mistakes meant death.

His tension became visible in his expression, something that didn't go unnoticed by Rider.

The Servant, who had been watching him closely, let out a low chuckle and rested an arm on the makeshift table.

"Master, you're overthinking again"

Waver shot him an annoyed look. "Of course I'm thinking! We don't have a safe shelter, we don't know where the enemies are, and my strategy has gone to hell"

Rider smiled confidently.

"A hero doesn't need a concrete plan. What matters isn't following a map, but having the determination to move forward. If you hesitate and get paralyzed by overthinking, then you've already lost"

Waver frowned.

"That's easy for you to say. It's not you who could die at any moment"

Rider leaned forward, his expression losing some of its carefree demeanor.

"Waver, a true hero doesn't charge in without thinking, but they also don't stand still waiting for a perfect answer. If you wait to have everything planned out, life will pass you by. Make decisions in the moment, trust your instincts. You don't need a plan if you have the confidence and courage to act when necessary"

Rider's words hit Waver hard. He had spent his life relying on plans and strategies, believing that if he had enough information, he could overcome any obstacle.

But now, with all of that reduced to ashes, he could do nothing but move forward without a clear path. And Rider wasn't telling him to become reckless, but to find the balance between acting intelligently and not getting stuck out of fear of the unknown.

Waver took a deep breath and let his shoulders relax.

"I get it..."

Rider smiled broadly.

"That's it, Master. Move forward without fear, and I'll be by your side to face whatever comes"

For the first time in a long while, Waver felt a part of his burden lighten. Maybe Rider was right.

....................

I finally made it... I reached 40k words in the fanfic I wrote, I stopped there because I don't want to keep writing without knowing if it's good or not, so I'll upload it in a few days.