Shinto, as the more modern area of Fuyuki City, supports the city's economic lifeline. Despite being separated from Miyama Town by just the Mion River, it has developed at a rapid pace.
Many new establishments open in this district. And since the bus ride from Miyama Town to Shinto doesn't take long, many residents choose to live in Miyama while working or spending their weekends in Shinto.
The amusement park in Shinto has become one of the most popular weekend destinations for Fuyuki citizens.
"I wouldn't have guessed. Everything looks so peaceful." Morgan leaned against the fence, gazing toward the carousel.
Sakura and Caren were riding two wooden horses, laughing alongside the other children.
"The Holy Grail War has always stayed in the shadows. Whether it's the Mage's Association or the Holy Church, both sides are committed to hiding the existence of the supernatural from the world," Shiomi said casually. "If they ever fail to keep it under wraps, the war would probably be shut down entirely, with both sides intervening."
"It sounds like you're talking about an illegal underground operation," Morgan said with a faint smile.
"Who knows if it's legal or not? It's not like I can go ask Tokiomi Tohsaka about it," Shiomi replied with a wry smile. "He'd probably think I'd lost my mind."
After the offhand comment, Shiomi turned toward Morgan. "Sorry."
"I don't recall anything you need to apologize for," Morgan said with a smile. "Unless you've been sneaking around behind your wife's back. In that case, 'sorry' won't cut it."
Shiomi rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That's not what I meant…"
"No need to worry. It's rare to have a moment to breathe. Spending time with your kids isn't a bad thing," Morgan added, smoothly shifting the conversation.
It was clear Morgan had picked up on what Shiomi hadn't said yet.
"You really are a witch," Shiomi joked.
"Well, since you've called me that, maybe I should show you some real witchcraft," Morgan replied.
Shiomi was at a loss for words, trying to come up with a retort, when the carousel slowly came to a stop.
Two adorable girls hopped off the ride and ran toward him, shouting "Daddy!" Shiomi quickly stepped forward to greet them. That's when he noticed they were drawing more attention than usual.
It was never this noticeable before.
If there was a reason, it likely had something to do with Morgan being with them.
So, Shiomi and Morgan took Sakura and Caren to a café inside the amusement park, sat down, and grabbed something to eat to recharge.
Time flew by at the amusement park. They'd left in the morning, let the girls enjoy a few rides, and before they knew it, it was already past noon.
"You're usually so quiet, never asking for much," Shiomi said to Caren as he held his coffee. "But it turns out you can enjoy an amusement park too."
Caren nodded. "It was really fun—especially the roller coaster."
"You liar… You were screaming just like me," Sakura said, looking at her in disbelief.
"That's what made it fun." Caren, munching on a slice of cake loaded with whipped cream, added, "Just hearing everyone else scream was enough to make me happy."
Sakura was left speechless. "Ahaha…"
"So this is where it leads," Shiomi said, glancing at Caren with a hint of concern, though his tone stayed gentle.
"It's not a good thing, is it?" Caren asked.
Shiomi paused, frowning before giving a wry smile and shaking his head. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Caren looked at him curiously. "But you're my dad. You're an adult. How can you not know?"
"What do you think?" Shiomi smiled.
"Well… judging by Sakura's reaction, I guess it's not a good thing." Caren, only five years old, already showed a surprising level of awareness.
"But people aren't obligated to feel sad about someone else's pain or happy about someone else's joy." Shiomi shook his head. "What people need isn't 'good things,' but 'a good tomorrow.' Those are two very different ideas."
Morgan, who rarely spoke at times like this, raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Go on."
"I'm just stating a simple truth." Shiomi looked into Caren's golden eyes, answering her seriously, doing his best. "Everyone's more or less the same, and yet completely different. What's 'good' to you might be 'bad' to someone else. That's all there is to it."
After he finished, he realized his explanation still felt lacking. He gave a sheepish smile.
He didn't feel like a qualified adult.
It wasn't hard to say the ethically "correct" answer. What was hard was truly believing it—and then saying it.
If even he couldn't believe it, would Caren believe him if he told her?
"If I had to put it into words, I'd say most people just can't accept feelings like yours." He picked up a napkin and gently wiped the cream from the corner of Caren's mouth. "At least until you cross a certain line, I won't blame you."
Caren gave a slight nod but didn't reply.
"You really are an unqualified adult," Morgan commented lightly.
"I've never claimed otherwise," Shiomi said. "I just try to do my best, because for some reason, I have to. That's what being their father means."
Even though he really didn't know what he was doing.
All he knew was how to give them something better—relatively speaking.
Be it Magecraft or daily life, it was all the same.
"Care to share the reason? Maybe your daughters would find it interesting," Morgan said, picking up the thread of the conversation.
Shiomi responded with a practiced smile. "And what good would that do? Come on… I've got no regrets. I really don't think I've failed as their father."
It was clear he'd been asked similar questions by many people before.
They might have been neighbors, teachers, or store clerks.
In the end, this was the answer Shiomi arrived at. Morgan understood that now.
"So what do you two think? Am I a good dad?" Shiomi asked with a grin, though his voice was lacking confidence, as if one reply could shatter him.
Then came two nods and two pairs of bright eyes.
It was the first time he'd asked something this embarrassing. Shiomi had been nervous.
Now, he felt a lot more at ease and sipped his coffee again.
"If you ask me, you girls really shouldn't spoil him too much. He's going to get full of himself," Morgan teased breezily.
"You seem to have a lot of complaints about me, Ms. Morgan," Shiomi muttered.
Morgan flashed a flawless smile. "Not at all. I've been quite satisfied with my husband from the very start."
They went on teasing each other like this, snacking as they wandered through the amusement park.
...
In the afternoon, Shiomi took the kids to the shopping mall in Shinto, helping them pick out new clothes and daily necessities. Even though it was just the four of them, they practically swept the place clean, and the car's trunk was stuffed to the brim on the ride home.