AN: Alright, here's CH27 folks! I hope you all enjoy it, please review if you :D
...!
"Ugh..."
Aya groaned, her eyes slowly blinking as she came to and took note of the familiar ceiling of her room.
...!
What was that noise? From the sound of it, it was coming from the outside of the house. Did something happen?
"Thank goodness, you're awake now..."
She heard a familiar voice call out. The blonde to turn her head to the source, to which she saw her grandmother sitting on a chair right beside her bed. A look of relief on her face, telling the young blonde that she must've been waiting on her for some time now.
"Grandmother..." Aya stated, trying to sit up. "What's that noise?"
"Come now my sweet, don't try to strain yourself." Ayaka replied as she helped eased her granddaughter into position. "That noise outside is Saber. Right now, he and Saber of Red are dueling each other."
"Dueling each other...?"
"Don't worry, while things got a little rough earlier things have calmed down between them." Ayaka said in reassurance. "Though I suppose given who Saber of Red is, them being rowdy is natural."
"You don't seem like you're worried though..."
The blonde muttered. Even she knew that having both Saber and Saber of Red taking part in a fight against each other was just simply asking for trouble. She was surprised the house was even still standing at this point. Given what her grandmother said it must've been taking place for a while now.
"Am I? Well I suppose it's because I have a feeling that it's going to turn out well enough."
"Why's that?"
"Call it woman's intuition." Ayaka smiled teasingly much to her granddaughter's consternation. "You had me quite worried, coming home all passed out the way you did. It's been a day since then you know, I wasn't sure when you'd wake up."
"Sorry, I didn't mean it. It's just that..."
"I understand, you were in shock weren't you?" Ayaka replied, placing a hand on Aya's own. "That girl Gray told me everything. It's alright, that's just natural."
The young blonde smiled at her grandmother's reassurance, but couldn't find it in herself to take it to heart as the memories of the last battle began plaguing her mind...
…And as well as memories of Lancer's death.
"Damn it...!"
Aya tightened her grip on the sheets covering her, biting her lip in frustration as her hands scrunched into fists.
She cursed her inability to help save Lancer. Had she reacted fast enough, she likely could have used a Command Spell to save his life.
However, she failed to act. Lancer was killed and his card taken by their enemies. As a result, they lost two Servants whereas the Rogue Faction managed to replenish their own lost. Even if they were able to escape, it was more or less a total defeat.
'If Rin was Lancer's Master, she would have done better…'
Aya thought to herself. The young blonde was sure that, had either Rin or Sakura been in her shoes, then they would have been able to keep Lancer safe. They were the prodigy children, not her. She was the runt of the litter.
What was she thinking? Getting caught up in all of this, the outcome should have been obvious. She should have just gone and let her cousins and uncle and let them handle the issue.
"Aya."
...!
"Huh?"
Before she knew it, the young blonde found herself being pulled into a hug by her grandmother.
"Grandmother...?"
"You're thinking that it's your fault aren't you?" Ayaka softly stated before looking her granddaughter in the eye with a smile on her face. "It's alright; you did the best you could. So don't let it bother you okay?"
"But why shouldn't I blame myself?" Aya muttered bitterly in reply. "If I didn't freeze up back then, I could have saved Lancer. He could still be-"
"Nothing is set in stone, you know that don't you?" The former replied as she placed a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder reassuringly. "Listen my sweet; I've made my own fair share of mistakes over the years. Some of them I wish that I could change, but there's also no point in dwelling on them either. The only thing we can do, is keep on looking ahead and move forward with our lives. Do you understand me?"
"I-I guess..."
Aya relented with a nod, her grandmother had a point. There really was no point in moping about it now, and she was sure that if Lancer were with her he'd likely say the same thing as well albeit in a more crude manner she supposed.
Still, with Lancer's card having been taken by Angelica, she knew that eventually he was going to be re-summoned once more. And this time, he was going to be their enemy without a doubt. She wasn't looking forward to it, and slightly hoped that it didn't come to pass.
Sighing, the young blonde turned her attention back towards her grandmother as she smiled at her.
"Thanks grandma, I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Hehe, I'm always here darling. I don't plan on going anywhere soon."
Ayaka replied, pulling her granddaughter in for another hug.
Chapter 27:
Passing Night
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you King of Heroes, I didn't think we'd meet this soon."
Manaka greeted, a sweet smile on her face. Gilgamesh could only narrow his eyes as he gazed at the young girl before him. Though she looked no older than Reines, he knew at a glance that the girl was not what she seemed.
"Girl... who are you?"
"Hmm? Didn't Saber tell you about me~?" Manaka asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. "Ah well, I suppose it can't be helped then. My name is-"
"I know who you are Sajyou Manaka." The Golden King replied while crossing his arms. "You are the elder sister of the old woman who owns the estate that myself and the others currently reside in, as well as the victor for the last true Holy Grail War sixty years ago so Saber and the others say."
"Oh? You don't believe them?"
"I believe them, for I see no reason for the King of Knights to lie about you." Gilgamesh stated, smirking slightly as he continued. "And while those clothes may hide it, I see that the wound he's dealt you all those years ago has yet to heal itself hasn't it? Perhaps that's to be expected given what you are..."
At this, Manaka simply narrowed her eyes as her smile widened.
"Oh my, now that's quite rude."
She said, placing both hands on her chest while continuing to speak.
"This isn't a wound, it's mark of Saber's love for me. After all, wounds hurt you don't they? Yet I feel nothing from this gaping hole on my body. Instead, whenever I look at it, a warm feeling swells up inside of me whenever I think of Saber who did this to me. Like this, we're eternally bonded."
"Hmph, I see..."
Gilgamesh muttered, a hint of amusement in his voice. The King of Knights had it rough didn't he? Being chased by such a delusional girl... the two of them shared more similar problems than he had thought possible. Though perhaps even Ishtar wasn't as obsessive compared to the girl known as Sajyou Manaka.
Still, now that he was able to confirm it...
"What is she...?"
Reines quietly muttered to herself, she had no idea what to make of the girl that stood before them. She had heard everything about her from Saber, but was she really the older sister of the Sajyou Ayaka? Through magecraft, it was possible to preserve ones own youth such was the case with the late Darnic Prestone.
However, it didn't seem like it was the same case regarding Sajyou Manaka.
If she had anything to describe her with, she just felt... wrong.
She was a pretty girl all things considered, the type that would attract many with her cute looks. But, that same cuteness was accompanied by a level of eeriness that she couldn't quite described either. There was a term for it wasn't it? The Uncanny Valley she believed. Yes, that was it.
The girl looked normal enough, but she knew by instinct that she wasn't. The way she spoke to Archer only served to enhance said feeling as well. She showed absolutely no fear at all. Perhaps it was because she had six Servants at her beck and call, but still...
"So then King of Heroes, why are you asking our Master who she is if you already know about her to begin with?"
Arash asked, speaking up as he continued to aim his bow at the Golden King. At this close a range he wouldn't miss even with his eyes closed and back turned. One couldn't be too careful against one able to match Rider in combat, even if briefly, after all.
"Hmph, why you ask?"
Gilgamesh's smirk widened, not really caring about the fact that former continued aiming his weapon at him at all. It wasn't like he could blame them, they'd need to bring out their full arsenal if they wanted to stand a chance against him.
"The answer is quite simple, I simply wished to know what madness would drive an individual to bring forth one of the Seven Beasts. Those that embody the greatest sins of humanity... are you all mad?!"
...!
The six Servants present readied themselves when they felt a great amount of hostility emanating from the Golden King as a dozen portals opened up around him with numerous weapons starting to come out.
"Seven Beasts...?"
Reines muttered to herself, wondering to herself as to what Archer was talking about.
"Answer me this you lot, why do you all continue to serve this witch of a girl knowing what she intends for this world?"
"That's...!"
Arash began but suddenly found no words to continue, something having just come to mind thanks to the Golden King's words.
He had a point, why were they fighting for her to begin with?
"That's... that's because..."
Brynhild spoke, trying to find the ability to reply as well but was failing much like her comrade.
Why did it suddenly feel so hard to breathe? And her mind had suddenly started to hurt so much as well...!
Seeing this, Manaka simply sighed. She somehow expected this to happen. Aside from Rider himself, her control over Archer and Lancer tended waver whenever they were faced with such questions. It was likely because she never really interacted with Archer before and Lancer once directly tried to kill her. She really needed to fix that, it was getting annoying whenever they started to panic the way they did.
"Come on you two, go to sleep for a while~"
...!
Before either of the two knew it, both instantly faded from existence. Seeing this, Gilgamesh simply narrowed his eyes at the young blonde.
"Hmph, so that's how it is..."
He noted with a growing frown of disgust directed at the young blonde. She would dare desecrate their wills like that?
"Child, what have you done with them...?" Gilgamesh demanded in a low tone.
"Don't worry, they just need to rest for a minute inside of me." Manaka smiled sweetly in response.
"You would think it wise to send them away while in my presence?"
"Is it supposed to be bad? I still have Rider, Caster, Berserker, and Assassin to keep me company don't I~?"
The Golden King's glare grew intense as he stared down the girl. Her words just now had insinuated that she believed that the four aforementioned heroes present were more than enough to keep him at bay. While he would have been normally insulted, he begrudgingly admitted that she wasn't far off.
'Caster and Assassin are of no trouble to me, but against the Sun King and the Son of Zeus...'
While he was thrilled by the idea of a fight with either, now wasn't the time for it. He wasn't so foolish as to challenge them on the spot. From his brief fight with the former, he already knew enough of how powerful he was and that was him holding back, and one needn't fought Berserker to know he was a threat either.
"So then King of Heroes, you wished for an answer didn't you?" Ramesses questioned, stepping forward. "Then shall I oblige that question?"
"Another time Sun King, I've had enough of this meeting. Come Reines."
The Golden King replied. As much as he wanted to demand answers from the girl known as Sajyou Manaka, the urge to do so had withered away already. What the latter did to both Archer and Lancer had put a sour taste in his mouth. And aside from the Sun King whose will still remained strong though his body bound, it was likely she held dominion over the others the same way as well. There wouldn't have been any point in demanding answers from them anymore.
"Oh? Retreating because you're afraid~?" Tamamo teased with a smile on her face.
...!
"Ack!"
The Golden King's glare was more than enough to silence Tamamo thanks to its sheer intensity. Such scary eyes...!
"Insinuate that I'm a coward and I will show you no mercy when next we meet Avatar of the Sun." He simply stated much to her surprise. "Do not try to hide who you are, for the truth is all to obvious to me now. To think that you would lower yourself to such a degree."
Tamamo simply frowned in annoyance at this. It was her ears and tail that gave it way didn't it? She knew she should have hidden them, but it just didn't feel right to do so. The dilemmas of being a cute fox girl she supposed.
...!
Leaping into the air with his young Master in tow, a strange flying machine appeared as the Golden King landed atop it. Soon, both Master and Servant left the area.
"Are you sure it's wise to just let him leave Master? He might give away our location." Serenity asked.
"It's fine, it's not like we're trying to hide are we?" Manaka waved off as she started walking back towards the cave.
"But..."
"It's fine Assassin, should any come our way we'll simply crush them!"
Ramesses declared with a grin on his face. While he despised being a slave to the Potnia Theron's will, he'd at least have some fun in the mean time. At least until an opening presented itself so he could break free from her hold.
Patience was a virtue.
"Such a peaceful night..."
Perseus muttered to himself, sitting atop the ledge of the fortress quietly observing the sky above him. Tonight was a full moon, and whether it be today or the long distant past, it was always beautiful to look at. He was glad that he was observing it from the fortress, as the bright lights from the city would have ruined the view for him.
He was also quite certain that Atalanta was likely giving prayer to Artemis, perhaps for luck and protection for future battles to come?
"I take it you're enjoying the view then?"
Hearing someone call out to him, the purple-haired hero turned his attention towards the source.
"Saber."
He greeted, looking to see the blonde-haired knight standing behind him with a grin on his face. In the short time they were together, Perseus had mostly managed to figure out the type of man he was dealing with in regards to Saber.
With that in mind, he knew what was coming next.
"Care for a drink?"
Richard asked, raising his hands to reveal a bottle wine and two empty glasses.
"Didn't you just have some with Caster?" Perseus asked with a chuckle as the former sat down beside him. "Either way, Servants like ourselves can't really get drunk. You do realize that don't you?"
"Perhaps, but the taste is still there. As a man and King, tis my duty to sample such fine delicacies until they run out. To do anything less would simply be unacceptable!" He declared, a degree of seriousness could be felt in his words that Perseus couldn't help but be amused by it. "Besides, our Master isn't really partaking with me and Caster is off who knows where. The others have also rejected me and so you're the only one I can come to."
"Did you ask Berserker?"
"I tried once but he attempted to strike me down so I decided to leave him be."
"Heh!"
The former chuckled once more, taking off his mask as he Richard poured them both a glass of wine.
Raising it, both clinked their glasses together and started drinking.
"A question if I may Rider."
"What is it?"
"I'm curious about something, why do you side with our Master?" Richard inquired, setting aside his drink for a moment. "I'm quite curious to hear your reasons for partaking in this conflict."
"Personal reasons."
"Will you not share them?"
"Perhaps some other time. Have you asked the others?"
"Some yes, but one needn't really ask why they fight for the answer is already quite obvious." Richard replied, taking another sip before continuing. "Lancer fights for the sake of loyalty, Archer fights because of her desire to help all the children in the world, Caster wishes observe the events surrounding our Master's growing tale, and our Lady Assassin supports our Master because she is quite obviously taken with him."
"So you've noticed it as well did you?"
"Yes, I'm somewhat amazed by that fact, to think that someone of her reputation would be prone to-"
"Speak of such lies and I shall drop you both from that ledge."
...!
The Assyrian Queen called out, to which both men quickly looked around in surprise only to find nothing.
"Ah, that's right. She is the owner of this fortress after all..."
Perseus stated with an amused smile. It should have been obvious that she would be listening in. Perhaps not all the time, but it was something to be considered.
"Let's just refrain from speaking about her then... I'm in no mood to go on a nightly swim." Richard chuckled to himself somewhat nervously.
Right now they were incredibly high up. He wasn't sure that he could even survive such a fall. Currently they were out at sea, as part of their strategy to avoid being discovered by their enemies, but dropping into water at their height was still quite dangerous.
"Well I suppose you do have to worry about that." Perseus replied, smirking at the former. "As for me, I don't really have to."
"Ah but of course, your Pegasus and those winged sandals of yours." The blonde knight stated with a crooked grin. "Such feelings of envy you stir in me to have such wonderful Noble Phantasms and more in your arsenal."
"Heh, do you wish to take a ride on Pegasus?"
"Can I!?"
Richard asked with childlike glee, his eyes sparkling with the innocence of one as well.
"Who knows? We shall see..."
Perseus simply replied as the former cheered in joy. Well, he suppose that there was no harm in letting the former try.
Even if he was likely to get kicked off.
"What was that about?"
Shirou asked as he, Julian, and Assassin all sat together around a table inside the former's room. The trio were currently discussing matters when all of a sudden the latter suddenly spoke out to no one in particular. He had guessed that she was speaking to someone else entirely.
"Oh, nothing you need concern yourself with Master~" Semiramis replied with a sweet smile on her face. "At any rate, back to the topic at hand..."
"Yes, we were discussing what our next plan of attack shall be."
"I say we go find that the whereabouts of Sajyou Manaka." Julian suggested. "We already know that she has the grail with her, why waste our time with the Alliance when we the path to our goal is already clear?"
"Because I've already made it clear did I not?" Shirou stated, clearly annoyed by the former's words. "Sajyou Manaka is not one that can easily be trifled with. That girl is easily the greatest threat in this entire war, I'd rather not chase after her until we are certain of our position."
"So you say Kotomine, but that girl has yet to attack us did she not?"
"Do not question me Julian." The young priest demanded before realizing that he was raising his voice. "Look, I understand where you're coming from but heed my words for now and focus on our current enemies. Sajyou Manaka can wait, she will wait so long as the King of Knights is still alive."
"Fine."
Julian muttered in dissatisfaction. He still wasn't entirely convinced of what Kotomine was saying, but he supposed that conceding for now was the best choice.
"At any rate, regarding her and the King of Knights, just why exactly is she so obsessed with him to begin with?"
"You saw her didn't you?" Shirou replied with a simple shrug. "Sajyou Manaka is a girl in love. As to how and why she fell in love, that's an answer you'll need to ask her yourself. All I can say is that one who is in love will often do anything for the sake of their beloved. There's a reason why it's considered by some to be dangerous emotion as well. Akin to a double-edged sword in a way."
"So in other words we cannot truly harm the King of Knights less we anger her can we?"
"I do not think so." The young priest replied once more. "So long as we do not kill him, I believe that Sajyou Manaka will not attack us. I met with her the other day and she could have killed me if she wanted to. Yet, she didn't. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because she's arrogant, that girl is already sure of her own victory." The former stated. "It's because of that same belief that she was killed in the first place all those years ago by Saber himself, having never foresaw his betrayal most likely. And even now she's still showing signs of that same arrogance. That will be one of the keys to her downfall."
"Be careful Master, you're starting to sound rather arrogant yourself."
Semiramis smiled in amusement, warning her Master of his own belief.
"I know, that's why I have helpful comrades by my side do I not?" Shirou replied with a smile of his own. "At any rate, for now we simply watch and observe. The others still need some time to recuperate for their ready for combat once more. Are we clear?"
The other two nodded, that was really the only thing they could do.
...!
Hearing the sudden cry of a horse coming outside, the trio looked towards the window just in time to bear witness an incredibly unusual sight.
"FLY MY STEED! FLY~!"
There was Saber, the blonde-haired knight riding atop Pegasus, one of Rider's Noble Phantasms, erratically flying throughout the sky.
"What in blazes is that fool doing?"
Julian demanded with an incredulous look on his face.
"I believe he's trying to tame that beast..." Shirou commented with a grin of amusement on his face.
...!
"Ah, he fell..."
Semiramis added, smirking at the Crusader King's misfortune as they saw Rider flying after his falling comrade.
"Tell me something father..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Arthur asked, seated on the ground beneath a tree with Mordred seating on the opposite side of it behind him. Ever since their duel ended earlier, both had opted to sat idly by without really speaking to one another. A good moment of silence had passed between the two before the latter had suddenly spoke up.
"Is it true? That you truly do not hate Lancelot?"
"Is this about last night? I somehow knew you were listening in. To be honest it always felt like you were around every corner everywhere I went."
Arthur chuckled, to which Mordred merely grumbled quietly to herself in embarrassment. Now the she thought about it, she really did have a habit of doing that lately didn't she? It didn't help that as a Servant her father always likely knew that she was doing so but chose not to say anything.
"Does it matter? Just answer the question already..." She muttered in annoyance, crossing her arms with a huff. "If you don't want to say anything, then that's fine too."
"No, I suppose there's no harm in answering." Arthur replied, a crooked smile on his face. "If I were to speak honestly, then I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't angry at Lancelot for such a thing. After all, I trusted him with all I had and considered him my closest friend. For him to have done such a thing, it had hurt me far more than any blade would."
"Then, if that's the case, why didn't you try to punish him...?"
Mordred had remembered that day. Lancelot had been captured by their forces not long after he had slain Agravain, Gareth and Gaheris. He had been slated for execution together with the queen for the treason against her father.
But, both had somehow escaped from prison...
Back then, she never really gave it any real thought but recent events had put things into perspective for her. She had no illusions of what likely happened that day. The prison that both Lancelot and Guinevere were kept in was highly secured. The only way they could have escaped was with the help of someone with high authority, and the only one who had that was her father and him alone.
"Who knows? Whenever I look back on that day, I always found myself unable to hate Lancelot at all. I was angry at him yes, but it could never turn to hate." Arthur replied, looking up at the moon in the sky, night having fallen since their duel ended. "Heh, I suppose I'm just a softhearted fool..."
"..."
Mordred remained in silence, unable to find a way to reply to her father's words. His reply just then was something she had expected. Her father was truly a kind person, it honestly sickened her to a degree how he could be like that despite everything that had happened in their past.
"Well, I suppose
Then again, she supposed that it was exactly because he was such a softhearted fool that he was someone to be admired. It wasn't just a sign of weakness to forgive those who wronged you. Rather, it could also be a sign of strength. She saw that now, and knew that unlike her father she'd likely be less forgiving if someone did the same to her.
'Heh, like I'm one to talk...'
She chuckled to herself. The irony of what she was thinking wasn't lost to her. After all, she was known as the Knight of Treachery. Perhaps one of the most famous traitors in all of legend. Who was she to debate on the matter to begin with?
"Now that I've answered your question Mordred, would you answer mine?"
"What is it? Depending on what you ask, I may not answer at all you know..."
"It's nothing really, it's merely something that's been on my mind of a while now..."
"Then what is it? Say it already...!"
Mordred demanded somewhat impatiently. If it was a simple matter then he should have just asked already. She always believed that there was no point in trying to beat around the bush if that was the case.
"Then I'll get straight to it as you say." Arthur replied. "Do you remember the day you first approached me?"
"What? Of course I do. It wasn't long after my mother had sent me as a recommendation for-"
"I wasn't talking about that."
Arthur stated, who unbeknownst to the other blonde had a growing smile on his face.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Have you forgotten? That day when a young girl calling herself a boy had come across a young king disguised as part of the common man?"
...!
Wait, what did her father just say...!?
"Despite his disguise, the girl immediately recognized him and asked why he did so. The king said that it was for fun." Arthur replied, closing his eyes as his smile widened. "And to be honest, it was. When people don't know who you truly are, they're likely to act in ways that they wouldn't when someone like the King was present. You get a chance to see them act without restraint, which was sometimes a rare treasure to be found."
Unknown to Arthur, whatever he had said just then went over Mordred's head. Her mind more focused on what came before.
"You... you knew it was me?"
"No, at least not at first. I only came to realize it sometime after I saw your face." The young man replied once more. "I must admit, as fleeting a moment as it was, you were an incredibly precious child back then."
"Wha-!?"
Mordred was glad that she and her father sat on opposite sides of the tree they were seating underneath at as she was sure her face was flushed in embarrassment just then.
Damn it, why did her father had to say something like that!? A smile had grown on her face and it wouldn't go down!
Once more, sometime in silence had passed between father and daughter as both sat quietly beneath the tree. Mordred having been too embarrassed to say anything whereas Arthur quietly stared at the night sky once more.
"My apologies Mordred, I've failed you immensely as well..."
"Huh?"
Mordred raised her head, having not expected her father to say such things so suddenly.
"On that day, had I only realized the truth back then, perhaps I could have done something for you instead of allowing you to become pawn of your mother." Arthur muttered with a tired sigh. "Had I did, had I not shunned you... perhaps the tragedy of that bloody hill would have never occurred."
"Father..."
The former quietly muttered to herself, loud enough for Arthur to hear. It was so strange, to hear the usually loud Mordred sound so reserved.
"Don't be stupid."
...!
"Ack!"
Mordred suddenly stated much to Arthur's surprise, taken off guard as he felt himself being smacked slightly on the head by his daughter.
"Mother likely placed a spell on me that would have made me turn on you either way."
She stated, her arms crossed as she stared down her father. Mordred wasn't really that stupid to not think of the possibility of her mother doing such a thing. Hell, she actually did place such a spell on her that it was the sole reason why her father was mortally wounded during that fateful battle on the hill.
"If you really want someone to blame, then blame her I suppose. Stop doing it to yourself, you're even making me sick of your pity act."
The young momentarily blinked in stunned silence at Mordred's words, the latter herself having not expected that her words would cause such a thing. She found it rather uncomfortable that her father was just staring at her without even muttering a word.
"Heh... hehahaha!"
Soon enough however, Arthur had surprising started laughing.
"W-What so funny!?" She demanded in embarrassment. Why was her suddenly father reacting like this?
"No, it's nothing." The young man replied, calming himself down as he stood up and smiled at the other blonde. "Your words simply have truth to them. Guinevere once told me the same thing not long ago, it truly is a habit that's getting quite old."
"Well, I suppose I can't really blame you for it either..."
Mordred admitted, scratching her cheek somewhat. It was only natural for one to feel that way wasn't it? She supposed she shouldn't judge so much when she was partly responsible for everything that happened to begin with.
She also wondered what her father meant by Guinevere. Just what was he talking about?
"A-Anyway, I'm leaving! Don't try to follow me or anything because I'll know!"
"Even though you're going inside the house?"
"You know what I mean!"
Mordred rebuked in annoyance as she stormed off, no longer having the state of mind to deal with her father anymore less she started to embarrass herself thanks to how she was feeling right then. It was truly strange, talking to her father the way she did just now without any resentment or anger towards him. She had gotten so used to associating him with her rage that it felt alien to speak with him like civilized people again.
If she had to be honest, it didn't feel bad...
As she left, Arthur simply smiled to himself as he reached into his pocket and took something out...
'Well then, what do you think...?'
Said something was the same necklace he had once given Guinevere...
'Am I making progress? What would you make this Guinevere?'
Arthur knew that there wouldn't be any reply. But, he could already imagine her response. The idea of which simply brought another smile to his face.
Well, he supposed that was enough of that. It was time to deal with another matter.
"So then, do you plan on just standing there for the entire evening?"
The young man stated, putting the necklace back into his pocket while turning his attention front towards the corner of the house.
Soon enough, Gray appeared with an apologetic look on her face.
"It's quite rude to eavesdrop don't you think?"
He asked with a smile as he went over towards the white-haired girl. Well, it's not like he had any right to say that himself.
"My apologies, but I was curious to know how things were going between the two of you given your histories together..."
Gray replied, somewhat embarrassed at having been caught. Despite what her ancestor and Ruler had insisted upon, she couldn't help herself in wanting to learn more of how the situation between him and Saber of Red was developing.
"Is it truly that strange?" Arthur asked, knowing what the girl was going on about.
"A little I suppose." She replied, fidgeting nervously as she continued. "Um, King Arthur-"
"Just call me Saber." The former replied, cutting the girl off before she continued further. "You've already called me that before didn't you?"
He knew how awkward it must have been for the girl to meet with him as she did. It wasn't every day that one could get to meet with their own ancestor from over two millenia ago. Calling him anything else but Saber wouldn't have really been appropriate as calling him great ancestor would have been a mouthful each time. Her calling him grandfather despite it being technically true was out of the question as well since the concept annoyed him somewhat for some reason. And calling him King Arthur was too formal as well.
Right now, he was only Saber. It was an appropriate title fitting for his role as his Master's sword during the war.
"I see." Gray nodded, feeling that it was appropriate. "At any rate, there's a matter I wish to speak with you about."
"What is it?"
"Not here, follow me."
"Yo."
As soon as Mordred entered the house, she found herself being greeted by her Master, the latter of whom had a smile on his face as he leaned against a wall while staring at her as she entered the house. When she saw this, Mordred simply frowned as she spoke.
"Have you been listening in on us?"
"If I said yes, would you hit me?"
"Even if you didn't, I'd still hit you if you don't wipe that grin off your face...!"
Mordred stated in annoyance. She knew full well why he was smiling like that, her Master probably knew what was going to happen between her father and herself. If so, she really did have half a mind to hit her Master very hard right then and there. She really hated being played for a fool, for there was no greater insult.
Still, if not for her Master's suggestion earlier...
"I won't thank you..."
The blonde simply muttered, her voice barely audible as she walked past her Master in a huff.
Kairi simply smiled at this. He didn't really think that a simple spar would have been enough to dispel the stress that Mordred had been feeling since the other day. What the girl needed was an old-fashioned talking to with her old man, no fight was going to be able to substitute for that. Though given her temperament, she would have outright refused the idea in an instant due to a combination of pride and stubbornness. An icebreaker was needed, and the spar between father and daughter was exactly it.
Still, he was worried it would turn into something bloody which it nearly did. Thankfully, it managed to work out in the end.
'Heh, I'm getting soft aren't I?'
He probably wouldn't have interfered with the situation had it not affected Mordred as much it did. If not for that, he likely would have allowed the blonde to deal with it in her own way which in all likelihood would have involved someone's head being cut off.
"Alright then, might as well head outside for now..."
Kairi stated with a sigh. After everything was set and done, he needed someway to relax. A relaxing walk around the block with a cigarette in hand was just what he needed.
As soon as he headed outside however, the mercenary saw the duo of Arthur and Gray heading towards the greenhouse.
'Strange, what are they doing together?'
Kairi wondered to himself. The two of them weren't usually together were they? Gray especially was someone of interest between the two due to her uncanny resemblance to Mordred. The two could have very well been mistaken for identical twins had the former's hair been blonde as well.
Regardless, even despite his curiosity, he decided not to pry into the matter.
'I've had enough to deal with for today, I didn't see anything.'
He thought to himself, leaving the estate as he went on his walk.
"Slim-ankled Artemis, free-footed, wild-haired girl, with steps swift and silent you run through the wood, your bow at the ready, your shafts sharp and deadly."
Atalanta spoke quietly, kneeling on one foot in front of a makeshift altar that had a deer corpse placed atop. Incense had been placed around it and was burning as well.
"Far-shooting Artemis, keen of eye and strong of arm, your aim ever true, you take your prey, goddess, with a single strike."
Given that tonight was a full moon, she had felt a need to pay tribute to the Artemis. She had asked Assassin to prepare the room for her such an event, and she was glad that the latter did not object to it. Though she had also been mocked by her as result.
Despite this, she didn't pay the Assyrian Queen any heed as doing so would only fuel her own amusement. Even if she was no longer human but a Servant, her life was spent as a devotee to the Goddess of the Moon and Hunt. It was part of her nature to do so. Whether it was then or now didn't matter.
And with their recent victory over their enemies, there was time to relax as per their Master's orders. Still...
"Artemis, I pray to you as I begin my hunt–may my eyes be clear, may my hand be steady, may the shots I fire reach my target and no other, may any kill be quick."
It didn't hurt to pray for the blessing of a goddess, even if the Age of Gods had already ended in this time period. They would need anything they could get for the sake of winning their future battles.
"Grant that I take on this work with honest intent, grant that I feel the weight of what I do. Mistress of the hunt, I pray to you."
Atalanta finished. Given her current situation, parts of the prayer didn't fit with what she was doing now and so she decided to leave it out. She only hoped that she wasn't being insulting to the goddess when she was doing that.
"Do you fear for the future?"
The Chaste Huntress turned her head towards the source of the voice.
"Lancer."
Karna stood behind her. As always, the golden armored demigod still had that same blank look on his face that made it rather impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"No, it's not that." She replied, standing up to face the former. "I simply wished to pay tribute to the goddess, this is the first time I've done so since becoming a Servant. Is it strange for me to do so?"
"It's not my place to judge an individual's belief such as yourself." Karna simply replied. "If you wish to pay tribute to your goddess, then let no one stop you."
"I see... Tell me something Lancer, what do you truly wish for?"
Atalanta asked, it was a question that had been on her mind for quite some time now. Once, Lancer had been asked about it and he had replied that he had none and was merely performing his duty as a Servant. To her, that felt like an impossibility. Part of the reason why Servants answered a summon was because they sought the Holy Grail. And though she and most of her fellow Rogue Servants were irregulars, it still held true for them to a degree as well.
"Nothing."
His quick reply was something she had expected, but she wasn't about to back down.
"That can't be right, everybody has a wish they seek do they not?" She continued, crossing her arms at the demigod as she continued. "I know of your history Lancer, do you not wish for a chance to experience life anew?"
"And what of you Chaste Huntress of Arcadia? At the end of your life, were you not turned into a lion as part of a curse by the gods?"
"That's..."
Atalanta frowned, it was an event that she did not want to think about. She cursed her father for being the one who started everything to begin with, and as well as Aphrodite for interfering in matters that didn't concern her. Had it not been for her, she would have won against Hippomenes and perhaps that incident would have never occurred.
"Do you not wish to overturn your fate as well?" Karna asked.
"No... my fate is of no importance." The Chaste Huntress replied. "So long as the children of the world will all have a future, I'm fine with my end."
"Then you have my answer." The former stated in response. "My only desire as I am right now is to serve my Master faithfully as one I've sworn an oath to. In that respect, I suppose we're not so different in that we both wish for the sake of others."
"Heh, I suppose we aren't."
Atalanta smiled mirthfully. Somehow she knew what his answer was going to be, perhaps she was just trying to confirm it for herself then?
Still, talking with him like this felt somewhat humbling to her.
"The garden?"
Arthur stated, looking around the area. As always, it was a rather soothing place to be in especially at night with the glowing moonlight shining down through the glass ceiling. He wondered to himself as to where Caster and her Master were, as both were usually within the confines of the area.
"If you're wondering about Caster, she took her Master to bed and is watching over him. She says that he overworked himself and fell unconscious a short while ago."
"I see, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised..."
The young man stated, taking note of the numerous new golems that filled the area. They were far smaller in number compared to the forces that the Masters of Black had mustered during the battle against the Red Faction at their castle, and again during the battle against the assault by the Rogue Faction.
Still, despite their reduced numbers, they were still enough to form a small company if he counted right. Thanks to Caster's magecraft and their newer slimmer designs, they were able to fit within the garden for the most part. He didn't know if they would be enough to serve as proper defenses, having seen their predecessors easily taken down during the previous battles, but he supposed he should have faith in the blue-haired woman's capabilities.
"So then, why did you bring me here?"
"To discuss something important, something that may be of use to you in this war." The girl stated as she pulled out a bird cage from beneath her cloak. "I wanted to talk to you about it since that day, but there was never an appropriate time until now."
"Interesting, something that could be of use to me..."
Arthur asked as the girl nodded, his curiosity had now been piqued. Though he barely knew anything of Gray, he felt that he could believe her words. After all, he had doubted her once and he ended up being proven wrong. If she said that there was something that could be of use to him in this war, then there was no reason to doubt her.
Still...
"It's not something you wish to share with the others is it?"
"No, but if you desire it, I'll tell everyone else. I merely wanted to discuss it with you first." Gray stated, looking down as she continued. "It's family matters I suppose..."
"Family matters..."
Arthur repeated, the concept still so alien to him, as he shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be distracted by such things.
Before he could speak however, a voice called out to him.
"So then, what am I supposed to be looking at here?"
He asked, inspecting the bird cage which strangely enough lacked any birds at all. Instead, inside of it was a small box with strange markings on it. He had already seen it before but this was the first time he had seen it up close.
"Pleasure to meet you King Arthur, it's rather strange to be meeting with the legend himself in the flesh."
Arthur blinked at this. Well now, that was truly unexpected to say the least...
"This is Add, he serves as my Mystic Code." Gray explained as soon enough Add had disappeared from the cage and in her hands a scythe appeared. "He serves as my main weapon in combat, and he can even enhance my physical capabilities as well."
"I see." Arthur nodded in understanding. "But what does this have to do with what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"I was getting to that."
Gray simply stated as she held her hands out. Add momentarily glowed as a light appeared from it and shot itself towards the girl.
"Add has another function as well..."
The light gathered atop the girl's hands, slowly forming a shape as it took form while stretching horizontally.
Once the light died down, his eyes widened in shock and realization at what he saw before him.
"Rhongomyniad!?"
"Are you sure you don't want to rest more Aya? I can handle the preparations by myself."
"Don't worry about me grandmother, I need something to get my mind of things. Helping you out here does just that for me."
Aya replied as she helped set the table for dinner while her grandmother continued cooking. Given recent events, she really needed something to take her mind off what had happened regarding Lancer. Doing chores helped in that regard. With the temporary guests they had, her grandmother would have needed the extra hands. Granted the homunculi that Fiore and her family brought along were already helping as well, but she wanted to do so herself nonetheless.
...!
"Ah...!"
Before she realized it, as she was setting down the glasses, one slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor shattering into pieces as it did.
"Are you alright?"
Ayaka cried out in worry, turning off the stove as she went towards her granddaughter. Luckily there were no wounds on the young blonde.
"I-I'm fine... I just slipped up is all."
Sighing at this, Ayaka merely shook her head as she spoke.
"Why don't you take a moment to rest yourself some more? I can handle things from here."
"But-" The blonde started but quickly saw no point in arguing. "Alright then..."
Satisfied, her grandmother stood up and went on to clean up the mess despite her own insistence on doing it. One look from the former however quickly said otherwise as the blonde shrunk back in obedience.
"I need some milk..."
Aya muttered to herself, going towards the fridge, opening it, and took out the milk carton within. Right now, she needed something to calm the nerves. And for her, milk was just that. It was a source of nutrition after all.
Deciding that she had broken enough glasses for one night, the young blonde began drinking straight from the carton itself.
"Tired?"
"...!?"
She nearly choked, coughing somewhat as she turned to towards the source of the voice that spoke out to her.
"C-Caules-kun...?"
Aya stated in realization as she saw the young man standing a short distance away from her with a hand on his hip.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Caules spoke with an apologetic wave of his hands. "I heard some glass shattering and wondered what happened."
"I-I'm fine... just a little shaken up I supposed." Aya replied, wiping her mouth as she continued. "How about you? I heard from grandmother that you all encountered troubles of your own. She said something about running into great-aunt Manaka's Servants?"
"We did, and we were lucky enough to escape."
The young man replied as the two headed towards and sat together in the living room. The former recounting the events of the other day as best he could to the blonde.
"I even got myself poisoned by Assassin together with Berserker. Now that was a real close call."
"Poison!?"
"Don't worry, Archer gave us something to deal with it so we're good right now." He quickly added as the girl sighed in relief. Soon, Caules began fidgeting. "Um... I heard about what happened to your Lancer. It's too bad..."
"It's fine, it's not like denying it will help me either way..." Aya merely sighed with a crooked smile on her face. "Anyway, how's your sister? I haven't seen her since I woke up."
"She's been busy making adjustments to Bronze-Link Manipulators ever since we got back earlier." Caules replied. "Since the war is only going to get more intense, she figured that being prepared wouldn't hurt. As for me..."
The bespectacled youth stated, pulling out the gun that Kairi had given him the other day.
"Still haven't gotten around to using this thing, not really much to shoot at I guess..."
He said, staring at the weapon in his hands. The mercenary had told him was specially modified to be able to deal with magically enhanced creatures, but against Servants the weapon was next to useless at best. Caules wondered to himself why he had been given such a thing, but perhaps it was to ensure that he had some form of weapon to fall back upon in the worse case scenario.
Not that he was really complaining, having understood the necessity of it, but it did feel somewhat strange to be holding a gun. There was a certain weight to it that he couldn't describe and it wasn't because it was heavy or anything. Perhaps it was because it was an item meant to do harm to others?
"Say, you said before that the only reason you decided to take part in this war was because you wanted to protect your sister right?"
Aya suddenly spoke out, breaking the young man out of his thoughts as he nodded in reply.
"You know, I've been wondering to myself why I decided to join in on the Holy Grail War in the first place. I mean, why would a mage with less than stellar talent decide to join in on something so dangerous?"
" Wasn't it because you wanted to stop that Kotomine guy?" The former asked.
"I like to believe that's it, but when I really think about it now, I think maybe it's because I was being a little selfish on my part."
"Selfish?" Caules repeated in confusion.
"Yeah, selfish..."
Aya replied, placing her hands together on the table, staring at the one that still had the Command Spells that signified the pact she had with Lancer.
Or use to have anyway...
"I told you before didn't I? My cousins were always so much more talented than me in the things we did together and especially in magecraft. Because of that, I was always kinda jealous of them. Maybe I wanted to prove myself in this war, that I can do something right without being shown up by them. Compared to you and everyone else, my goal seems so small in comparison. And I feel like because of that, it's probably what got Lancer killed. Maybe if he had a better Master..."
"..."
Caules remained silent, not knowing how to reply to the girl's words. What could he say to her to begin with? He didn't exactly have the experienced necessary to comfort people, especially girls his age. Hell, he never really interacted enough with them in the first place due to his role in the clan.
Still, he might as well give it his best shot.
"Well, even if that's the case, it's not really bad is it?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" The girl blinked in surprise.
"I mean yeah, you might have started out wanting to prove yourself, but in the end that also led to you telling us everything about what that Kotomine guy was up to didn't it? So I guess it evens out in a way?"
Caules suggested, pausing for a moment as he was not really sure if his point was getting across before continuing.
"Look, I know it's too bad what happened with Lancer, but thanks to you we know what that Kotomine guy's planning and were able to unite the Yggdmillenia and Association team together. Given my family's history with the association in the first place, that's a miracle in itself I'd say."
"Really? Because I think even without me Lord El-Melloi, your sister, and Ruler-san probably would have been able to do it either way."
"Ugh, I suppose you have a point... but with your help, you probably got them to do it sooner rather than later. So I guess that's a win?"
Caules replied once more, hoping that he wasn't screwing up right now.
"Maybe... I guess you might have a point."
Aya stated. Lancer's death had left her wondering if it was even alright for to have taken part in the conflict. She still wasn't fully convinced but she supposed that Caules had a point in a way. She only hoped that was the case.
Turning to the brunette, the young blonde gave a small smile as she spoke.
"Thanks Caules-kun, I think I needed that."
"A-Anytime..."
Caules muttered, blushing somewhat in embarrassment. Being smiled on by a cute girl like Aya could be considered an achievement among teenage boys like himself.
"Hohoho~! Be sure to take note of this Sieg, this is youth!"
"Right it is, it kinda reminds me of myself when I was his age."
"Youth..."
Hearing two whispers coming from behind them, Caules looked over behind the sofa and frowned.
"How long are you three going to sit there!?"
Caules demanded in annoyance at the pink-haired paladin Astolfo, his Master Sieg, and the one and only Greek Hero Achilles. The former of the trio having a wide grin on his overly feminine face as he began speaking.
"Oh don't mind us, please continue~" Astolfo waved in reply. "We're just helping Sieg gain some more perspective on social interactions is all. Isn't that right Lancer~?"
"Yup, thought I'd lend a hand and help give the kid some examples of what it means to be a man." Achilles replied with a similar grin on his face as he pulled Caules into a headlock. "Trying to get cozy with the little miss eh? Not bad for someone so skinny!"
"How did you come to that conclusion!?" The bespectacled young man demanded once more as he tried freeing himself to no avail. "All we were doing was just talking!"
"That's what they all say~!" Astolfo added, nudging the youth by his sides. "If you want, I'll happily give you some tips."
"Who asked you!?"
At this, Aya merely shook her head in amusement, giggling slightly at the situation.
She felt a little sorry for Caules, he wasn't getting out of the former's grasp anytime soon.
"Hehe..."
Unbeknownst to the group, someone had been watching the entire scene unfold with a smile on her face.
Said someone was Jeanne, who stood by herself in the hallway while turning her head away from the situation within the room. It was always nice to see allies getting along with each other, especially for Achilles who was someone who had been the enemy of the Black Faction before their alliance came to be.
"You aren't going to join them?"
Waver asked, appearing behind the young saint much to her surprise.
"No, there's no need for that." The latter merely shook her head and smiled. "Speaking of which, how are you doing Lord El-Melloi? After what happened with Rider..."
"It's alright," Waver replied with a wave of his hand. "I was already prepared for it to happen again to begin with."
"That's right, you once participated in a subcategory Holy Grail War didn't you?"
"Yes, ten years ago when I was still an inexperienced brat." Waver smirked to himself with a chuckle. The him from back then truly was an embarrassment compared to the him of today. "At any rate, I'm not here to discuss myself. I've come to inform you about the ongoing situation regarding what happened in the forest where Shishigou and others battled against Sajyou Manaka's Servants."
"I've heard, the populace believe that terrorists were behind the amount of destruction correct?"
"That's right. Thanks to cooperation from the Church and other local authorities, we've managed to keep news about what really happened from spreading." The former stated with a sigh, crossing his arms as he continued. "Still, there were civilians who got caught up in what happened..."
"Civilians?"
"Yes, though they were only a few on a camping trip that mainly got caught up in the destruction unleashed by that Sphinx that Saber of Black told us about. Some of them were killed and the lucky ones ended up in a comas."
Jeanne merely frowned at this, her hands curling into fists. She always knew that something like this was inevitable. The longer the war went on, the more dangerous it was going to be for those involved and even those not involved.
"Lord El-Melloi, do you have any ideas for our next course of action?" The young saint asked firmly. "As Ruler, as Jeanne d'Arc, I cannot idle by when innocents are starting to get caught up in the war. We need to put an end to everything soon, otherwise things will only get worse if we don't."
Waver nodded in agreement, though he was somewhat miffed by Ruler continuously referring to him by his title without adding II to it. But he wasn't about to argue semantics with a Servant so he allowed it to slide.
Back to the topic at hand...
"I think we may have something to help with that." He stated. "Archer and Reines are coming back soon, she sent a familiar ahead that says she has news that we'll wanna hear about regarding Sajyou Manaka."
"Truly? I was wondering where Archer and his Master had gotten off to. In that case, I suppose we should prepare for them then." Jeanne nodded in understanding as she turned to leave before stopping. "Speaking of which, have you seen Arthur around?"
If all else failed, the young blonde could have easily used her abilities to find her friend in a heartbeat. But she felt that relying on them too much was unwise and lazy of her. She believed that some things were just best suited to be done the old fashion way.
"The King of Knights? I believe Gray wanted to speak to him about something."
"Gray?"
Jeanne muttered in confusion, wondering to herself as to what the girl could have wanted with Arthur.
"If you're curious, then you'll probably find them in the greenhouse. Gray told me that she wanted some solitude with Saber."
"I see, thank you for that Lord El-Melloi..."
Without bothering to give the former a second glance, the young saint went on her way towards the greenhouse.
Gray... now that she thought about it, there was also that one time the other day back near the vicinity of the Yggdmillenia castle where she caught the two together as well. She didn't really pay it any mind back then, but now her curiosity had been piqued.
What were they doing together back then? Could it have something to do with with what they were doing now? What was the relationship between the two of them?
Could it be... that they were having some sort of secret rendezvous?
'No, no, as if such a thing could be true...!'
Jeanne frowned to herself, stopping for a moment as she shook her head at the idea. It was nonsensical at best. She knew Arthur well enough to know that he wasn't a frivolous man. He had a habit of teasing her, but he was a gentlemen all around. Why would she even come to that conclusion?
Why would she...?
Why would...
'No, that's wrong.'
She sighed to herself, that wasn't a question that needed asking for the answer was too obvious already.
Taking a deep breath, the young saint placed both her hands together above her heart.
'For me to even think of such things in the first place... it can only be because I really do have feelings for him.'
The young saint blushed to herself, not knowing to how react to her own self-admission even if they were just in her thoughts.
Perhaps it was too early to say if it was love, but she couldn't deny any longer that she was attracted to Arthur the same way a woman would to a man. She had casted aside such feelings long ago when she had taken up her sword and banner, she didn't think that they would resurface like this.
Jeanne couldn't tell when it started, but warm feelings unlike any other she had experienced in her life would surface whenever she thought of him lately. Laeticia was just an excuse that she kept telling herself, so that she wouldn't be distracted in her duties as Ruler. An excuse that failed miserably, as more and more her feelings kept growing.
What was it? Was it truly love she felt for him or were her feelings just nothing more than a physical attraction? If it was the latter, she felt incredibly ashamed of herself. These were not thoughts someone of her position should have. She couldn't call herself a servant of God if that was the case.
But, if it was the former...
Her blush deepened, the mere idea of it flustering her greatly.
"How? Just how did this come to be...?"
She asked herself, placing both hands on her cheeks and felt an ever growing warmth emanating from them.
"Hmm? What are you talking about?"
"Hyah!?"
Jeanne nearly leaped into the air when she heard someone speaking behind her. Turning around, she saw the last person she had expected to see.
"M-Mordred...!?"
"Why are you acting so surprised like that?" The other blonde asked, her eyes narrowing.
"I-It's nothing! I assure you it's nothing at all!"
The young saint quickly waved off, panicking slightly as she calmed herself down. The last thing she needed to deal with was her feelings being discovered by others especially by Mordred of all people. She didn't really know how the latter would react, but she had no intention of finding out either.
"Right..."
Mordred stated, somewhat unimpressed by the former's reply. Ruler was definitely hiding something from her. She supposed that her timing just now was perfect then, as the knight had been meaning to speak to the former. She had been meaning to do so for some time now, just her and Ruler without her father's presence.
"A-Anyway, I need to get going. I'll see you at a later time then!"
Jeanne quickly stated, heading in the opposite direction as she left the other blonde by herself.
"Huh? Wait a minute!"
Mordred called out, chasing after the young saint.
"Rhongomyniad!?"
Arthur cried out in surprise, having never expected to see the Holy Lance here of all places in the hands of the young girl in front of him.
"But how? Where did you even...?"
He asked as the girl lifted the weapon towards him.
Taking the lance into his hands, Arthur closely inspected it. To him, it had only been a short while ago since last held it. To the world however, fifteen hundred years had already passed since Arthur's time and it still looked quite brilliant as ever.
"The lance has been passed down through my family for ages now. I don't exactly know when it came into our hands, but it was recently passed down to me shortly before the Holy Grail War began." Gray replied. "I though it was strange, as it's normally passed down once the next heir is an adult. But seeing as how you're standing in front of me right now, I can't help but wonder if our meeting was foreseen."
"I see..."
Arthur nodded in understanding, turning his attention back towards the lance. He could still feel power resonating from it, he was amazed that it hadn't really wavered after so much time had passed in an era where magecraft and the like were in decline.
Then again, considering what the lance was to begin with, perhaps it was to be expected.
"Saber, if you had this, you'll become stronger wouldn't you?"
Gray suddenly spoke up, surprising Arthur as he turned his attention back towards his descendant.
"If that's the case, then please take it. It's better in your hands than in mine." She explained. "A Servant gaining an additional Noble Phantasm after their summoning is rare, and since you're a Saber-Class Servant, they may not even see it coming at all."
"You have a point, having Rhon would be quite beneficial to our cause..."
"So then..."
"But that's not what this lance's purpose is supposed to be."
"Huh?"
"If you're family has kept this lance for generations now, then I assume you've been told about the truth regarding this weapon?" Arthur asked, to which Gray nodded. "In that case, I ask that you keep this with you for now."
"But why? You should know of the power that it's capable of don't you?"
"It's exactly because I know what it's capable of that I refuse to use it." Arthur simply replied, placing a hand over the girl's shoulder. "This lance is not truly meant to be used as a weapon, but rather as an anchor that helps fasten together the reality of our world. To use it as a weapon sullies that purpose, and twice now I've done just that. I'd rather not do it once more if I have to."
Removing his hand from her head, the young man gazed at his empty palm.
"Besides, to me it wasn't long ago that I used it to slay Mordred."
He stated, a crooked smile on his face as old memories flashed in his mind. Particularly of Mordred's face when he had pierced her abdomen that faithful day, killing her where she stood. He could feel his hand shaking slightly as remembered that day.
The young man then shook his head, not wanting to think anymore about it.
"Seeing Rhon pleases me, knowing that it's still in good condition and in good hands, but at the same time it has brought up some rather unpleasant memories as well. You can understand that can't you?"
"Yes, my apologies." Gray stated, shame evident on her face as she bowed her head. She should have realized that sooner. "I didn't mean to upset you, it's just that..."
"I know, you were simply trying to help weren't you?"
Arthur said, placing a hand over the girl's head smiling at her. He appreciated the sentiment, but for him it was still too soon to consider using Rhongomyniad as a weapon once more. There was also the fact that Merlin had told me him be conservative when using it, as problems could arise if he started abusing Rhon. He didn't really know what that meant, but he heeded the former's words and only ever used it twice in battle.
"Keep it with you for now, I believe I simply need more time to consider it."
"Understood."
Gray nodded in understanding, the lance in her hands going back inside of Add. If that's what her ancestor wanted, then she would oblige his desires.
Still, it was really strange being able to talk with him like this. The way he assured her just then felt oddly comforting. Perhaps it was because it was true, but talking to him really did felt like she was talking to a family member.
...!
A loud growl echoed throughout the area, to which Gray simply blushed in embarrassment as Arthur simply chuckled in amusement.
"Haha! Well you are my descendant after all." He joked, smiling at the white-haired girl. "Well to be honest I'm feeling rather famished myself. How about we join the others for dinner? I believe Ayaka should be finished already with the preparations."
Gray simply nodded, and soon the duo left the area. Soon enough, the greenhouse was abandoned once more.
All except for two people...
"Did you hear that...!?"
"I-I did...! Is that true Mordred?"
"How should I know!?"
Jeanne and Mordred appeared from behind a corner, having listened in on the conversation between Arthur and Gray. The two had arrived just then when they both heard Arthur speak a surprising truth. Both had come here for answers, Mordred more than Jeanne herself as she was simply hoping to talk with Arthur about something, but both had never expected something like this!
"The two of them are family...?"
The young saint muttered to herself, trying to make sense of the idea.
Well, she supposed that it did make sense to a degree, as it would have explained how Gray could have looked so much like Mordred to the point of looking they could have been twin sisters their hair color notwithstanding. Was it fate that was at play or was it simply an incredibly coincidence that one of the Masters happened to be Arthur's descendant?
But wait, if she was his descendant, did that mean that Mordred actually had-
"What the hell are you thinking?"
"Huh!? N-Nothing!"
Mordred narrowed her eyes at the young saint, the latter of whom had a flustered look on her face. Something about the way she started to lose herself in thought shook something in her. Well, she wasn't important to her right now, as something else had just come up.
Gray was a descendant of her father? But how that could that be!?
She'll get to the bottom of this soon!
"Finally we're back..."
Reines sighed to herself in relief, standing in front of the gates to the Sajyou Estate.
Instead of coming back via one Archer's flying machines, the latter had insisted on once again riding the motorcycle he had taken a liking to. She was starting to regret buying that for him, as twice now she had to suffer through the King of Heroes going on a joyride.
"Come now Reines, stand strong. You'll shame yourself as my Master if you allow yourself to look so pathetic."
"It's your fault I'm like this to begin with!" She retorted, currently in the process of fixing her hair as a result of the wind. "At any rate, we're going to have a lot to discuss with the others, so don't you dare leave my side until I say so."
"Do not fret, I have no intention of letting you speak everything to the others. I need to discuss something with Ruler and the King of Knights."
Gilgamesh replied, smirking at his Master while messing with her hair much to her annoyance as he walked past her into the building. Right now, there was really one thing he had on his mind at that moment. He wasn't about to let himself be distracted by anything else.
'Sajyou Manaka... she needs to be dealt with soon.'
END
Author's Note:
And that wraps up CH27. Sorry if this chapter comes off as one of those that needs more work, the guy who's basically my beta (who, along with helping me in grammar, is someone I discuss matters of the story with) is busy with stuff and I didn't want to bother him too much. I already double checked it myself, so does this chapter come off as okay? Please me gentle XD If there are problems then I'll fix them up as soon as I can.
To be honest, even if my beta guy was available, this chapter was another hard one for me to write. Mostly due to two particular scenes which you guys probably will note as belonging to Mordred and Jeanne. The first was basically a continuation of what happened last time. To be honest, it was really weird to write down a scene where Mordred isn't being her delinquent self. Anyway, think of it as a sort of wrap up to the events of last chapter. And I hope its good.
As for the scene with Jeanne, I hope that it worked well too. Again, romance isn't really one of my strong suit so I'm kinda nervous of how it turned out as I hope it doesn't come off as too fast even though it really is fast considering the time frame.
Guest Reviewer Section:
Guest: Just read the story.
Pluto III: That's not even a smart question.
That's it for now. Again, you guys liked the chapter please review :D
