When Shirou returned to the hillside church, it was already past dinner time.
As he had expected, the berserker made quite a commotion as he ran towards Tuliface. That simple-minded guy had no idea what route selection was, and simply followed Shakespeare's instructions. He climbed over mountains and crossed rivers, walked where there were roads, and trampled his way where there were none, causing chaos and making no peace.
Fortunately, there were no towns or villages between Sighisoara and Tulifas, so they only needed to remove all traces of the suburbs of Sighisoara to avoid arousing suspicion. Even so, it took Shirou six hours to complete the task.
"Alas, my current strength is still a little weak. If - forget it, this is not the best time."
Complaining casually and rubbing his aching shoulders, Shirou walked around the nave of the church and came to the living area in the backyard.
Compared with the solemn and majestic nave, the layout of the backyard is obviously much simpler. It can be seen that the original intention of building the hillside church was indeed to serve God wholeheartedly and not focus on personal enjoyment.
Unfortunately, at this moment, the simple backyard exudes a smell that is incompatible with the quiet cultivation.
Strong, mellow, with a fiery fragrance - this is the taste of wine, and it is the unique aroma of strong liquor.
Without even looking, Shirou knew that this was Semiramis's masterpiece. From head to toe, from her dress to her temperament, this woman had nothing to do with the church. It was not surprising that she drank in the church.
Sure enough, before I had taken a few steps, I heard that familiar voice that sounded a little lazy and decadent:
"Oh~ You're back, Master. I just found something good. Do you want to taste it together?"
"I think that's my treasure." Shirou looked at Semiramis sitting in the yard, then at the ceramic container in her hand, and the corner of his mouth twitched, "Where did you find it from?"
"Who knows?" Semiramis' cheeks flushed, not sure if it was because of the alcohol or because he was a little embarrassed. "I just looked around and found it. This wine called Wuliangye is really good, but it burns my throat. I have never drunk such wine in my life."
"Of course you've never tasted anything like this. You lived before distillation was invented."
Shirou said unhappily. He had managed to get this wine from China, which was said to be aged for a hundred years. He had intended to use it to entertain an old friend, but he didn't expect Semiramis to find it.
Forget it, since the wine has been opened, there is no need to think too much. There is a saying that goes, "Drink today and forget tomorrow".
Thinking this, Shirou put his worries behind him and walked into the kitchen.
"Master? Won't you share with me?"
"Wait a minute. Drinking without food is boring."
When Shirou walked out of the room again, he had a plate of peanuts, a plate of preserved eggs, and two blue and white porcelain wine glasses in his hands - Semiramis was actually drinking white wine from a wine glass, which looked awkward no matter how you looked at it.
"Here, a classic side dish from the world's greatest culinary civilization."
"That's all? You dare to call yourself the greatest culinary civilization in the world? Compared with my palace banquet, it's not even on the same level."
Looking at Semiramis, who was still disdainful despite being hazy, Shirou sighed: "Ignorance is terrible."
"What's the meaning?"
"Among the major civilizations in this world, our Flower Growers' is not the earliest in terms of origin, nor is it necessarily the strongest in the world compared to others. But there is one thing that all the civilizations in the world combined cannot compare to our Flower Growers', and that is food. It's not that I look down on your Assyrian Empire, but your empire has lasted to this day, and any of the eight major cuisines of our Flower Growers' can beat it, do you believe it?"
"It's hard for me to believe that there are only these two dishes to go with the wine."
"That's because you don't understand."
Shirou snatched the wine jar from Semiramis's hand, filled the blue and white porcelain wine glass with wine and handed it over.
"Classics are not just about elegant things, especially when it comes to food. Royal-level delicacies are certainly classics, but what about things that everyone can make at home? Take the most common breakfast bread as an example. Do you dare to say it is not classic?"
"Okay, I admit it's a classic, but—"
"You think it's not worthy of this fine wine?"
Seeing Semiramis acquiesce, Shirou continued, "That's why you don't understand. In the flower-growing family, whether it's good wine or bad wine, whether it's the upper class or the lower class, they all like to use these to accompany the wine. The only difference is that they arrange the dishes according to the occasion to make them look better. Think about it, instead of using this white porcelain plate, change it to this blue and white porcelain plate, carve a flower with red and white radishes, and garnish it with some celery shreds, isn't the taste immediately improved? However, the essence remains unchanged, peanuts are still peanuts, and preserved eggs are still preserved eggs. I don't deny that visual effects are important, but in food culture, deliciousness is the bottom line - come, eat a few peanuts, and then take a sip of wine, and if you don't feel good, come to me!"
Semiramis picked up a peanut doubtfully, put it in his mouth and chewed it carefully, then picked up another one after a while, then picked up the wine glass and took a sip.
Shirou smiled and asked: "How do you feel?"
Semiramis nodded slightly. "It's better to just drink."
"That's right. The reputation of 1.2 billion people guarantees it. It can't be wrong. Try the preserved egg. This is a craftsmanship that only flower growers can taste."
With the peanuts as an example, Semiramis treated the preserved eggs much better. After a glass of wine, the Assyrian queen finally became interested in the world's number one food civilization in Shirou's mouth: "I am very curious, what is the highest level banquet of the greatest food civilization in your mouth?"
"The highest level is the state banquet, and the most famous is the Manchu Han Banquet - a total of 108 dishes, which is considered the treasure and highest level of Chinese cuisine culture. The color, fragrance, appearance, and even dining etiquette are very particular. Compared with that, the so-called court banquets in other countries are not worth mentioning at all."
Shirou's leisurely and fascinated look and the name of "Man Han Banquet" were imprinted in Semiramis's mind.
"I really want to see it if I have the chance."
"Compared to this home-cooked meal, do you prefer this kind of high-end banquet?"
"Yes, what I pursue is the taste of wealth and luxury."
"I see." Shirou thought.
"What do you mean 'so'?"
"Nothing. There seem to be some Servants who hate spiritualization but are very positive about eating and sleeping. Most of these people are royals."
"That's not surprising. Most kings are better than everyone else, and they pursue a variety of things. That's the fate of being a king."
"There seems to be a king who believes in simplicity?"
"That's because they already have 'power' in their hands, something that is more necessary than anything else, so they resort to such tactics. Being a king is basically tyrannical. It is necessary to be tyrannical."
Having said so much, Semiramis suddenly shut up.
"Oh, sorry for talking to you about so many useless things."
"No, no, it is also a pleasure to listen to the Assyrian queen talk about the kingly way."
Shirou laughed for no apparent reason.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, the more I think about this situation, the happier it becomes. If the positions were reversed, it would be fine. If I were the Servant and you were the Master, this would be a natural thing. However, the reality is the other way around. The Master-Servant system in the Holy Grail War can sometimes create such strange situations."
"Hmph, that's true. Although I'm used to being served, I'm not used to serving others. It's not too late now, let's switch?"
Shirou shook his head back and forth and replied, "Excuse me, you are not the kind of monarch who is easy to serve."
Hearing this, Semiramis's light eyes sparkled mischievously, and she murmured:
"The title of the world's oldest poisoner is not just for show, is it? How can you order me, Semiramis, around?"