Given Lancer personality, he would have definitely celebrated after a big battle, but the current state of Chaldea simply didn't allow for it. Not only were there massive casualties, but the situation outside Chaldea was also unclear. More importantly, everyone in Chaldea—aside from him and Leone—seemed to be in a frantic rush. The only person as free as Lancer was Fujimaru Ritsuka.
Even Mash, who had no clear job in Chaldea, had to undergo an examination due to the battle. After all, the "Demi-Servant" project was just a plan, and Mash was the first successful case. Naturally, data collection was required—not just for the project, but to ensure Mash safety.
In the end, Olga Marie, who was temporarily hiding the fact that she was "dead," continued to lead all of Chaldea, while Dr. Roman performed his duties as a physician to help Mash with her check-up. This left Fujimaru Ritsuka—who knew no magecraft, had little physical strength, and couldn't even help clear debris (Lancer Dragon Tooth Warriors were much more efficient)—sitting there drinking tea with Lancer.
In reality, the original goal for both Lancer and Leone had been for Leone to gain enough combat power by staying in the "Land of Shadows," but under Scáthach's educational philosophy, a strange change had occurred.
Though she wasn't explicitly taken in as a disciple like Lancer, Leone mostly spent her time fighting the undead while Scáthach gave her a few pointers whenever she was in a good mood. Just as she had told Lancer to find his own "path," she had said the same to Leone. The result was that while Leone strength increased, she also found her own "Way of the Maid."
In a way, she had even stepped ahead of Lancer.
Lancer was constantly sprinting forward due to his talent and environment, yet he hadn't quite found his destination. Leone, however, had.
Her goal was very clear: she wanted to stay by Lancer side, even if it was just as a maid. Whether it was combat or maid skills, they were merely means to an end.
The final result was her gaining the "Way of the Maid" skill, which seemed unrelated to combat.
Right now, the two were holding tea cups and chatting about what had happened during their time apart. Lancer briefly explained his experiences, including the matters regarding Mado Akira and Fueguchi Ryoko.
It wasn't that Lancer was tactless; he actually knew that telling her this would likely make her unhappy. After all, she had been waiting for him in silence while he had found other people. Anyone with common sense knew how that usually turned out.
The result was as expected. Leone lowered her head, placed her tea cup on her knees, and remained silent. It wasn't until the very end that she looked up with a complicated expression, as if she had finally processed something.
"Boss, you didn't actually have to tell me all that..."
"Leone."
Out of guilt and self-reproach, Lancer had been acting even more gentle than usual since she appeared, but this time, he interrupted her quite bluntly, his expression turning serious.
"Leone, I don't think you'd ever forget what I said back then, but I want to say it again—our meeting might have been a joke played by fate. My immaturity caused you unnecessary pain, not just because of my weakness, but because of my fragile heart. If I could have faced my own feelings sooner, many things might have changed. To me, your status doesn't matter, because you are 'Leone,' and only 'Leone'—the Leone I love."
Lancer wasn't a man of many words, and even his confession was a simple statement. He didn't use flowery language that would make a heart skip a beat, but he used the simplest, most direct words to tell her how he felt.
The silent Leone just kept rubbing the tea cup in her hands, her head lowered.
Lancer thought his speech had caused her to react this way, and the truth—well, that was exactly it.
With a flushed face, Leone didn't even dare to look up because she was so embarrassed. To her, Lancer had changed way too much since they parted; at least in her memory, the old Lancer would never have said something so direct.
Perhaps Lancer hadn't noticed it himself, but in the four years since he first transmigrated, the changes weren't just in his physical stats or combat ability—the change in his psyche was even greater.
When he first arrived, he had been cautious and walked on eggshells. Back then, he was like a newborn animal, terrified of everything. But as he experienced more and more, he gradually shifted from "following behind others" to "leading others forward."
At the very least, his former self could never have made such a blunt confession. But now, not only could he say it, he wasn't embarrassed in the slightest. In his view, he was simply stating his inner thoughts; there was nothing to be shy about.
Faced with Lancer burning gaze that felt like it could set someone on fire, Leone finally calmed her heart. Once she felt she wouldn't act too strange, she took a deep breath and looked up.
"Boss, for my past self, I only hoped to stay by your side. However, I'm very sorry..."
Seeing Lancer expression look like it was about to crumble, she finally broke into a radiant smile.
"I've become greedy now. I want your heart. So, you don't need to worry—because I'm not backing down!"
When Mash finished her blood draw and arrived at the small cafeteria, she saw Fujimaru Ritsuka sitting there with a bright red face, clutching her tea cup. Mash smiled and walked toward her "Senpai," but strangely, Fujimaru Ritsuka—who usually responded immediately—was muttering to herself, her face completely flushed.
"So weird, really weird... both of them are so weird..."
Just a moment ago, both Lancer and Leone had temporarily ignored Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had also been served tea by Leone. You could say they were completely immersed in their own world, with eyes only for each other. As a result, an awkwardly misplaced Fujimaru Ritsuka had kept her head down and listened to their entire exchange from start to finish.
As just an ordinary high school girl, she really couldn't understand how Leone, after hearing Lancer words, hadn't gotten angry and instead decided to make a "declaration of war." However, as a bystander, she could certainly tell that everything they said came from the heart.
He's clearly a jerk who loves multiple women, but for some reason, that unabashed, honest momentum made it impossible to know how to judge him.
Should she just call him an honest jerk?