Chapter 11: Kemono Girls Abound

Contrasting Thomas's expectations, Caenis didn't remain silent after taking a seat. Instead, after taking several bites of her fish, she asked, "So, what's the deal? Seeing how I was summoned as a Shipwright, I expected to be on or around the water. Why are we in the middle of the jungle...?"

Recovering from his momentary stupor, Thomas answered, "I'm training under Chiron to become stronger. Have you-"

Before Thomas could finish speaking, Caenis perked up slightly, asking, "Chiron? That old horse fucker is here? Well, at least I won't be the only Greek Heroic Spirit among our crew."

Although she had never trained under Chiron, Caenis was aware of the famous Centaurian Sage. She had even sailed aboard the Argo alongside nearly a dozen of Chiron's most celebrated students, serving the same function she had been assigned now, Shipwright.

Instead of asking how someone who lived in the same era as Chiron knew him, Thomas nodded his head, explaining, "My goal is to stand near the pinnacle of this world with my own power, so I'll be doing my best to get stronger so that you all can attain your wishes..."

"Oh, so that's how it is..." replied Caenis. Then, catching Thomas more than a little off guard, she added, "Then I'll help you. I don't have the patience to be a teacher, but I can serve as a training partner. My body is functionally indestructible, and I won't die even if you somehow manage to pierce my heart or head. Feel free to test your limits against me during your training."

Not expecting Caenis to be so...amicable, Thomas found himself at a loss for words. He knew she wasn't as bad as the community made her out to be, but she actually seemed kind of nice. Unfortunately, he was busy with personal matters around when the Atlantis Lostbelt event was running on FGO, so his understanding of her character was based on things he had skimmed on the Type-Moon wiki. All he remembered with absolute clarity was that she had EX-Rank Mad Enhancement, making her one of the few Heroic Spirits that could murder her Master. Once she went on a rampage, not even Command Spells could stop her...

Noticing Thomas's disbelief, Caenis furrowed her brows slightly, asking, "You don't believe me?" in an audibly hostile tone.

Shaking his head quickly, Thomas answered, "Oh, no, I'm fully aware of your indestructibility. I just didn't expect you to offer to help out with my training. In the world I originate from, you and the other Heroic Spirits are just fictional characters. Whenever I summon one of you, it takes me a bit of time to accept that you're actually 'real'..."

Though she could tell Thomas was glossing over something, Caenis could also sense that he was being truthful. Thus, instead of getting upset, she casually retorted, "As real as a Heroic or Divine Spirit summoned through the Throne can be. Anyways, is there any more fish? If not, I can go catch some."

As she wasn't the type that liked sitting around, Caenis rose to her feet even before Thomas could respond. In contrast, she then waited patiently to hear if he approved of her proposition.

Since it wouldn't be him preparing the fish, Thomas turned to Benienma, asking, "Do you mind, Beni...?"

Shaking her head, Benienma replied, "Cooking is my responsibility, dechi. If someone on our crew is hungry, Benienma will do her utmost to ensure their bellies are full and content."

Returning his gaze to Caenis, Thomas said, "Well, you heard her. We're on a fairly small island, so you shouldn't have any issues locating the sea. There's also a stream nearby, but the fish are smaller and apparently have more parasites..."

Manifesting a predominately red spear with a large, flat blade on the end, Caenis snappily replied, "I am familiar with the differences between fresh and saltwater fish. Just leave it to me. I'll catch something big enough to fill all our bellies."

As she had already received permission, Caenis surprised Thomas by abruptly jumping into the air, bounding over even the tallest of trees. Her Strength and Agility were both A-Rank, so she could leap upwards of 5km or land from virtually any height without so much as spraining an ankle.

Seeing Caenis disappear, a relieved sigh escaped Thomas's throat as the tensions drained from his body. The white-haired horse-woman was nicer than he expected, but he still felt like he had a spear at his neck the entire conversation...

Shaking away his discomfort, Thomas pulled out his two remaining tarot-like cards and gave them a look. Only the Sniper and Musician remained, so, with the hopes of encountering his Goddess, Ishtar, Thomas selected the Sniper's Card and immediately began channeling his Mana into it...

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Though he had gotten a taste of it the day he summoned her, Thomas had underestimated just how 'chatty' Caenis was. She didn't have anything to do back at the ship, so she spent the entire day following him around and asking him random questions about his previous world, personal life, One Piece, and anything else that happened to pop into her head.

While he didn't mind Caenis's intrigue, Thomas couldn't help feeling like he had summoned the wrong version of her. She seldom got angry, and when Benienma gave her chocolate, she practically gushed like a girl over a name-brand handbag. When Thomas asked if she enjoyed sweets, she adopted a smile that could rival the Sun's radiance, followed by a lengthy monologue about the various kinds of sweet bread, fruit jams, and honey cakes present in ancient Greece...

When she wasn't busy pestering Thomas, Caenis was either chatting it up with Musashi or swimming in the ocean. She seemed to enjoy everything about the sea, from its appearance to the temperate breeze that carried with it the fragrance of salt, fish, and 'adventure.' What surprised Thomas was her initial attempt to dive in completely naked, seemingly uncaring if she was seen in the nude. Drake and Musashi had a similar temperament, but they at least feigned decency when Thomas was around.

Though he burned the image of Caenis's naked, incredibly toned frame into his mind, Thomas asked Musashi to at least convince her to wear a swimsuit. Caenis refused at first, arguing that it would get in the way, but eventually relented when Chiron later said something to her. Shortly after that, she emulated Musashi by manifesting a black bikini that left little to the imagination...

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Four days after the summoning of Caenis, giving Thomas greater hope that he would summon Ishtar, the Sniper's Card abruptly activated while he was taking a break. Since even Caenis had taken five days to appear, Thomas immediately knew he hadn't summoned Ishtar. He wasn't even remotely disappointed, however, as the individual who popped out easily made his Top 10...

Under the watchful and curious eyes of Thomas, Caenis, Musashi, and Benienma, a slender woman with inordinately long and unkempt hair that was green near the bangs and transitioned into wheat near the tips slowly emerged from the summoning circle. She had delicate yet 'wild' features, including angular eyes, gauntlets fashioned into claws, large, cat-like ears atop her head, and a similarly feline tail poking out above her butt. As for her outfit, she appeared in a form-fitting green and black dress with puffy shoulders, a two-layer pleated skirt, and thigh-high boots that ran nearly the full length of her long and slender legs.

As the light from the summoning circle faded, the cat-like woman opened her piercing green eyes, immediately locking gazes with Thomas as she asked, "You're my Master?" in a terse, no-nonsense tone.

Earning a slight furrow, Thomas adopted an awkward smile as he replied, "Welcome to the world of One Piece, Atalanta. Please, feel free to call me Tom or Thomas..."

"You know who I am?" asked Atalanta. However, before Thomas could reply, Caenis adopted a massive grin as she said, "Holy shit! Is that you, Atalanta!? Why do you have those ears? And that tail...! Hahahahahaha~!"

Turning away from Thomas, Atalanta's eyes narrowed further as she practically growled, "Caeneus...back to being a woman?"

Snorting through her nose, Caenis retorted, "Better a woman than a cat. Tell me, which God did you piss off to receive features like those...?"

Instead of answering Caenis's question, Atalanta focused on the horse-like ears atop the former's head, nearly sending the white-haired woman into a rage as she remarked, "It appears Poseidon's obsession with you transcended your death..."

With her usually sky blue eyes abruptly turning red, the air around Caenis began to tremble as she said, "Choose your next words very carefully, you shitty cat. You know I'll fucking kill you..."

Though she was confident in her ability to flee, Atalanta knew Caenis would never rest until she managed to hunt her down. Her stamina would eventually give out, while Caenis's was functionally unlimited. Thus, while she wasn't afraid of the white-haired horse-woman, she responded with a curt, "My apologies." before turning her attention back to Thomas.

Clicking her tongue, Caenis was tempted to press the matter further but ultimately decided against it. She didn't like dealing with anything related to the errant God that had ruined her life, not even her own thoughts on the matter. Her mood was still terrible, however, so she rose from her seat and walked off into the jungle to blow off some steam...

Waiting until Caenis had departed, Atalanta exhaled a faintly relieved sigh before regaining her previous edge as she stared into Thomas's eyes and asked, "What is your desire? Why do you seek the Holy Grail...?"

Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "My wish was granted the moment I entered this world. My 'goal' is to stand near the pinnacle with my own strength. As for what you're really asking..."

Since Atalanta's wish was one of the few that was 'known' to everyone in the Fate community, Thomas added, "I will readily support your desire to create a world where children can be raised with care and love. As far as wishes go, it's a pretty phenomenal one..."

Blinking in surprise, Atalanta asked, "You're familiar with my wish...?" while also casting her gaze to Benienma. She could tell the latter wasn't a child, but she also felt a sense of 'kinship' toward the petite sparrow due to their similar affinities with guiding and protecting children.

Believing Atalanta was seeking her input, Benienma firmly asserted, "Our Master is a good man. Even though I am much older than him, he regards me with care and respect because of my appearance. If Lady Atalanta wishes to create a world where children can live happily, I believe Master will support you wholeheartedly, dechi."

Losing a bit of her edge, Atalanta replied, "I see..." before returning her gaze to Thomas and adding, "Then I will also support you to the utmost of my ability. Let us work together to make both of our dreams a reality."

Adopting a significantly less nervous smile, Thomas replied, "Glad to have you, Atalanta..."

Nodding her head and adopting the faintest of smiles, Atalanta responded with a curt, "Likewise." as her cat-like tail swished and curled behind her. Thomas didn't know if this meant she was pleased, but he presumed, at the very least, that she didn't hate him. With Atalanta, like any other cat, that was a pretty significant step forward. Who knows, she might even let him touch her ears in the future...

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(A/N: Ceanis gets a pretty bad wrap in the community at times as a 'man-hater.' While pretty brash and extremely violent at times, she isn't really a 'bad' guy. And her fondness for sweets...well, let's just say she will lose her shit when she learns about the existence of Whole Cake Island xD...)

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