Gastronomical Observations of the Keian Waxing Moon

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Gastronomical Observations of the Keian Waxing Moon (慶安盈月食録, Keian Eigetsu Shokuroku) is a collection of short stories written by Hikaru Sakurai and Yuichiro Higashide. It briefly describes the daily lives of the seven Master and Servant pairs in Fate/Samurai Remnant using food as a central theme.

Summary

Takao Dayu & Berserker

Watching Musashi enthusiastically finish her soba noodles with amusement, Takao Dayu is reminded of how the older courtesans would often encourage her to appreciate the joys of food more. Having remembered that Servants do not have to eat for sustenance and disagreeing at the thought of it being a blessing, she notes that Musashi's gluttonous appetite is proof of her own humanity even if her taste in meals are considered quite unusual for the era they currently live in.

Chiemon & Lancer

Finding shelter within the ruins of a Buddhist temple, Lancer looks on with concern as she sees her Master Chiemon eating his rice balls with a tortured expression. For him, food was merely a means to survive since everything he consumed had tasted like ashes. Eating also caused his guilt complex to flare up, forcing him to remember how he and his family had constantly starved. Because of his past trauma and thirst for vengeance, Chiemon swore to never enjoy a meal for as long as he lived.

Zheng Chenggong & Archer

While sharing a meal with Archer, Zheng Chenggong asks his opinion on the food in an attempt to break the ice between them. Because they had recently formed a contract during the Waxing Moon Ritual, the two generals could not help but observe each other with mild suspicion. However, both knew they needed to establish a trusting relationship in order to win. Hearing Archer complement Edo's liquor helps Zheng Chenggong open up to him which in turn influences his Servant to do the same.

Dorothea Coyett & Assassin

As a noble, Dorothea expects nothing less than partaking in the finest cuisine from her homeland despite being in a foreign nation. For breakfast, she orders her retainers to prepare a Western-style meal using fresh ingredients not commonly found in Edo. Despite the logistical issues involved in gathering these ingredients, they were able to pull it off. Meanwhile, Assassin is impressed with the way his Master conducts herself when giving out orders while eating at the same time.

Tsuchimikado Yasuhiro & Caster

Yasuhiro finds himself dissatisfied with his meal in spite it being of higher quality than what most commoners had access to. Although the Tsuchimikado family was considerably well-off due to their ties with the shogunate, it had been slowly declining throughout the years. This ate into Yasuhiro's prideful psyche to the point where all he could think about was completing the Waxing Moon Ritual. Caster, who looked down on his Master's petty pride and inferiority complex, admits that those same traits might be necessary for them to survive the challenges ahead.

Yui Shousetsu & Rider

This story begins with Shousetsu thanking one of her housemaids for preparing breakfast, though she inadvertently breaks the maid's heart by barely touching it. Rider mocks their Master for being cold-hearted, though it only makes Shousetsu feel guilty over being unable to reciprocate the feelings of others. Because of her limited lifespan as a homunculus, she could no longer take in nourishment from food. Instead, the only thing that fed Shousetsu was the thought of using the Waxing Moon Ritual to correct the world.

Miyamoto Iori & Saber

Despite living a ronin lifestyle, Iori is able to afford simple meals that include rice, dried fish, and pickled vegetables. For him, these ingredients were enough to subsist on to power him through the day. This, however, displeases Saber who thinks he's squandering the value of food by not savoring it properly. In the past, Saber had felt the same way towards meals until their wife changed them for the better. Because of their bond, they came to appreciate the finer aspects of food, particularly rice.

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