Boyzilla: And yes, Lancelot is back, hoping that this time he will earn his place with King Arthur... of course, if everything went smoothly it would no longer be Lancelot. The reaction of women to his presence does not change, they all fall in love at first sight but he is only interested in one woman... Guinevere? Not in the Canon of Fate! And we will probably see the reaction of Galahad... (No, Mashu is not included in the program, she is a half-Servant specific to F/GO and does not appear in Fate/Extra... sorry).
The True Skull: You say: "If Nimue existed independently then Extraverse should have covered that." As a matter of fact, in Fate Extella Link, Lancelot has a skill named "Nimue protection".
Exspiravit Oppidum
(The Ghost Town)
The Pale Sisters form a northern extension of the Grey Mountains, between which lies the Gisoreux Gap, the confluence of all the overland trade routes between the Empire to the east and Bretonnian and the Estalian Kingdoms to the west and south. The mountains are largely barren, inhabited only by brigands and a small number of Goblins. Some of the peaks are said to resemble bent old crones, whilst the eternal snow covering gives them shawls, hence the name: Pale Sisters.
The Pale Sisters are of white rock and tend to rounded peaks, steep cliffs, and lots of high valleys. Access to the valleys is limited, however, and often involves climbing a cliff. Due to the Grey Mountains being characterized by very sharp terrain, more people of Gisoreux live in the Pale Sisters than in the Grey Mountains.
The Pale Sisters, Old World Encyclopedia.
Hakuno was dreaming.
In itself, it was a trivial fact. Except that she was a Moon Cell NPC and a Master. She only had two types of dreams. Either she dreamed of the terrorist attack that destroyed the city where the real Hakuno Kishinami lived... a trauma so powerful that it was transmitted to the copy created by the Moon Cell, or she relived a fragment of memory from the memory of one of her Servants.
Standing on a hill, Hakkuno flinched, looking around her. Her face was not very expressive but her hands tensed on her chest in an involuntary gesture of prayer.
She was standing on a hill... a red hill.
The sun was setting, dyeing the grass and the trees with a scarlet color, even the clouds were red. Around Hakuno it was only swords planted in the ground, bodies in armor, torn banners... and pools of blood. In the distance, castles and villages burned, projecting towards the sky black smoke and red flames.
It was really a Red Hill.
Nevertheless, Hakuno discovered a living presence, a knight in armor. His legs were partly hidden by a sort of dark blue fabric skirt that descended lower than his knees. His hair was blond... from the front, his hairstyle was almost similar to that of Artoria, except that he had no ahoge.
It was Bedivere of course... you only had to see that he had only one arm to recognize him. Yet the Inheritor of The Moon had a short hesitation. Even the features of his face - although a little more masculine - resembled those of Artoria.
The Knight of Loyalty walked among the dead and dying, stopping briefly in front of a body before resuming its journey. He was looking for someone.
It wasn't until he got up the hill that Hakuno found out who he was looking for. Artoria Pendragon was lying near another knight pierced by her spear. His armor was white and red and... the face of the dead knight resembled that of Artoria. Yet this teen girl knight looked exactly like a younger Artoria with a different hairstyle.
After verifying that the knight in white and red armor was dead, Bedivere knelt down before King Arthur and lifted her up with his only arm, placing her on his shoulders. Then, the Knight of the Round took Excalibur which was planted in the ground. Artoria was still alive because she was moaning as Bedivere moved her.
The Knight of Loyalty then turned back down the red hill.
As the dream began to crumble and break apart, Hakuno watched Bedivere walk away with Artoria and the woman knight on the ground, noting the expression on her face frozen by death: anger, but also grief and regret.
Why... why... why were Artoria, Bedivere, and that dead knight so much alike?
Hakuno opened her eyes lying on a canopy bed in a large, richly furnished room. It was still dark, but the young Master couldn't get back to sleep. There were too many questions in her head. Her feet touched the carpet and she took a dressing gown before carefully opening the door to the hallway.
"Can't you sleep, Master?"
Hakuno had to look up to watch Lancelot.
Standing by the door, his hands were crossed over Arondight's knob. Despite the late hour, he was vigilant. Over the past two days, he and Artoria had taken turns protecting her, never leaving her alone. Hakuno refrained from sighing with exasperation.
"I have... a dream?"
"What kind of dream, Master?"
Quickly, the Sovereign of the Moon recounted what she had seen in her sleep.
Lancelot nodded as she finished.
"You must have seen a fragment of Bedivere's memory. I wasn't there, but it seems to me that this was the Battle of Camlann."
Hakuno blinked. Involuntarily Lancelot smiled because she was cute, although he almost immediately became serious, and even sad.
"As you know, Master, it was during this battle that King Arthur's and Sir Mordred's armies clashed... and annihilated each other."
Hakuno now understood why the female knight in white and red armor looked so much like Saber... Sir Mordred was the son... no, the daughter of Artoria... yet...
"Why does Bedivere look so much like Artoria?"
The question startled Lancelot. In Camelot, it was a taboo question, although the Knight of the Lake does not really know why. All the inhabitants of Camelot knew the truth, but no one spoke about it openly. Maybe no one wanted to grieve Sir Bedivere by reminding him of a painful memory.
"Do you know the law of succession to the throne of the Island of Britain," asked the Knight of the Lake.
A little surprised by what looked like a complete change of conversation, the Master from the Moon shook her head.
"According to the Celtic custom, the King of Britain had to be healthy, not handicapped, not sick, because the king is supposed to reflect his kingdom. The belief was that a king who was not healthy could only lead his kingdom to ruin."
Hakuno nodded, remembering the legend of King Fisher, the wounded king unable to stand, whose kingdom was reduced to a barren wasteland.
Lancelot looked at the ceiling for a moment, immersed in dark ruminations.
"Uther Pendragon, king of Britain, kidnapped Igraine, the wife of Duke Dumero of Cornwall, to have an heir worthy of him... but Arthur Pendragon was his second child. He had already had a son with his first wife. Only...
The Knight of the Lac hesitated. It was Hakuno who finished the story.
"Only his son had been seriously wounded in a battle against the Saxons, losing his right arm."
She already had a glimpse of Lancer's past in a previous dream. What Lancelot had just explained had enabled her to connect the dots.
Hakuno nodded slowly.
"Bedivere is Artoria's half-brother." (1)
"Yes, Master" confirmed the knight.
Hakuno remained thoughtful then...
"I'm going back to bed. Good night, Sir Lancelot."
"Good night, Master."
The luxurious living room was upstairs, close to the apartments occupied by Hakuno. A fire was burning in the fireplace decorated with a shield adorned with the arms of the Marches of Couronne. Sitting in an upholstered armchair, the Sovereign of the Moon ate in silence. With her mind preoccupied, she hardly paid attention to the taste of the dishes. After all, during the seven weeks of the Moon Cell Grail War, she had eaten Yakisoba at every meal and slept on a platform made up of school desks... Being an NPC of the Seraph, Hakuno got by very little comfort and variety.
That was not the case with Artoria.
One hand on one cheek, the King of Knights had stopped, her fork in the air, and the face reflected the most perfect gourmet happiness.
"This Comminée de poisson aux deux purées is a treat. The fish is perfectly cooked and the broth is just enough to flavor the fish without changing the taste... you hardly feel a slight almond taste. The split pea and squash purées complement each other wonderfully. The whole is a dish with balanced flavors, a perfectly delectable whole."
Hakuno smiled… If one day the universe no longer needed king knights to save humanity, Artoria could always become a food critic.
The two maids were watching King Arthur in awe. She was eating like it was her first meal in three days. Yet each of her gestures was perfectly graceful and mastered. Having quickly finished, she raised her plate with one hand.
"Please, I demand that you serve me again."
As already four empty plates piled up on her side of the table, the two maids looked at her with bug eyes, but hastened to comply...the charisma skill (B-rank) of King Arthur left no room for refusal.
Having finished her fifth plate, Saber elegantly wiped her mouth with a corner of her napkin before bowing slightly in front of the two maids.
"Please, pay my sincerest compliments to the chef. For today's dish was truly exquisite."
Artoria turned to her Master but frowned when she saw that she had barely eaten half of her first plate. The King of Knights was about to ask Hakuno if she was feeling well, but the sound of a quick step diverted her attention.
Lancelot du Lac had just entered the room, the gold crosses that ended the long bands of fabric attached to his shoulders clicking at each of his steps. As always, it looked like the paragon of chivalry, beautiful, proud, and impetuous and its purple armor was brimmed like a mirror.
Britain's best knight smiled and bowed slightly in front of Kishinami.
"Good morning, Master."
Then, he turned to Artoria bowing much deeper.
"My King, I hope you slept well."
A wrinkle of annoyance appeared briefly on Artoria's Forehead, but she greeted her knight with a nod.
"Thank you for asking, Sir Lancelot. I slept well."
With eagerness, Lancelot approached his king and wanted to offer her his arm to help her get up. But, anticipating his courteous gesture, Artoria left her chair and went around the table to stand beside the Sovereign of the Moon.
"Do you have any news for us, Sir Lancelot?"
Her voice was perfectly neutral as was the expression on her face. However, Artoria's attitude had completely changed with the arrival of the Knight of the Lac. Accustomed to extrapolating on the slightest hint to predict the reactions of her opponents, Hakuno Kishinami could not help but notice that the behavior of the king of Britain had completely changed. The happiness Artoria had shown during the meal had been replaced by distrust. King Arthur had even distanced herself from her knight.
As for Lancelot, his smile had briefly frozen when Artoria refused his help, but he continued to look at his king with devotion, admiration and smiling in the most seductive way possible.
Lancelot explained that Professor Gunther Braun of the University of Middenheim had just arrived at Belle Isle Castle to obtain permission to transport supplies and equipment to a dig site in the Pale Sisters. For the past year, this Sigmarite had been leading an archaeological expedition in the mountains to the southwest. Professor Braun had uncovered the ruins of a city that had been abandoned for five thousand years and whose origin was still unknown.
"I think it would be wise for us to accompany Professor Braun on his expedition. If I understand correctly, the lost city is located near the Ley Lines nexus where the Resurrection Cauldron that worries Taliesin so much lies. It would be better to travel with people who know the region than to venture alone into uncharted territory. In addition, archaeologists are escorted by some imperial mercenaries."
Temporarily forgetting the strange atmosphere between Artoria and Lancelot, Hakuno focused on the idea presented by the Knight of the Lake.
Shortly after their arrival in Mess, the Inheritor of the Moon had spoken with the two Knights of the Round. They had just lost Marienburg and all the opportunities offered by the control of the rich duchy. Lancelot proposed to install the New Round Table in Nancy, a town of which he was the new count. Saber was reluctant to Lancelot's proposal. Usually speaking clearly, King Arthur merely said that 'Nancy County was not suitable' before turning a blind eye. A behavior that was clearly unusual.
This caused a brief moment of discomfort until Taliesin intervened through Hakuno's mouth. Caster recalled that the Resurrection Cauldron continued to drain the Ley Lines around the Pale Sisters and that it was impossible to settle in the area without first addressing this problem.
This announcement seemed to invigorate Sir Lancelot. The knight bowed before Artoria and smiled again. "I understand, my king, that's why you said Nancy wouldn't fit."
Artoria Pendragon nodded her head, her face completely neutral.
Astralized, and therefore invisible to the other persons present in the living room, Sir Kay sighed at the behavior of his sister and Lancelot.
[Master, you want me to tell you a nice story? ]
Hakuno blinked, surprised.
[A nice story?]
[Yes, Master... like all beautiful stories, it starts with 'Once Upon a Time'. So once upon a time, there was a young French knight. He was an orphan but had been raised by a fairy that lived under a lake in Brittany. ]
Okay... so it was a story about Lancelot du Lac.
[The young knight's head was filled with rubbish. Because he was tall, strong, and dumb, and had never strayed from his lake, he was convinced that he was the strongest and the most knightly of all the knights. But one day he learned that, on the island of Britain, a king-child had gathered all the Bretons and that this paragon of chivalry had just crushed the Saxon army after three days of fierce clashes around Badon Hill."
Now Kay was talking about his foster sister. Hakuno's gaze quickly passed from Artoria to Lancelot, who continued to speak of the archaeological expedition to the Pale Sisters.
[Immediately the mama's boy, who had never left his lake, became angry: "How can one tell such nonsense? How could anyone be a greater knight than me, Lancelot du Lac, the knight who received Arondight from his mommy without having to lift a finger? It is obvious that I am better from birth than that king on his pitiful island who must have deserved Caliburn, the Sword of Selection."]
Hakuno remembered that the legends of the Round Table said that Sir Kay and Sir Lancelot did not like each other very much... Once again the legend only scratched the surface of the truth. Nevertheless, the Inheritor of the Moon did not interrupt the foster brother of King Arthur who continued to tell his "beautiful story".
[So here comes Lancelot, swollen with his own importance and childish certainties, landing on the island of Britain. He soon found King Arthur... it was not difficult, at the time, my brother was still in the middle of the fray. That's where Lancelot first saw Arthur, on a white horse, brandishing Caliburn, in the front row of the fighters, rallying the hesitant, reforming the broken ranks, charging at the head of his knights, breaking the skulls and swords of his opponents. A young and handsome god of war, illuminated by the golden light of his sword. And what do you think happened? ]
Surprised to be suddenly questioned by Kay, Kishinami blinked.
[I don't know] she ends up answering telepathically.
[He fell in love at first sight.]
There was a silence... a long silence.
[You have to understand Merlin had 'sold' to all the kingdom of Britain the promo pack 'Arthur, SON of Uther Pendragon' and so everyone believed that Artoria was an effeminate teenager. And you know, back then, homosexuality was a one-way ticket to the stake with a bonus sermon about being a devil worshipper. In short, Lancelot locked all these thoughts in a corner of his mind and repressed his emotions so deeply that he probably never realized that he had fallen in love. He convinced himself that his feelings were admiration, and decided to immediately rally Artoria, later adopting the behavior of a barking doggy running everywhere behind his mommy. Yuck! But, of course, that couldn't be enough. So Lancelot decided that he had fallen in love with Guenivere... Arthur's wife, the closest female substitute to Arthur himself. The rest you know. And now you know why Lancelot ended totally nuts. With all he refused to acknowledge, no wonder. ] (2)
Hakuno was lucky to have a poker face... otherwise, under the influence of Sir Kay's revelations, her face would probably have taken on a sickly green color. By lying about her gender to protect the Kingdom of Britain, Artoria Pendragon had in fact set in motion a chain of events that had driven Lancelot crazy before destroying what she had wanted to protect.
[What about Artoria?]
[Want to know if she understood that Lancelot was in love with her?]
Hakuno nodded.
[I don't think so... but I never asked her, either. But she is a smart girl, she stands at a distance from womanizers, cheap seducers eloping with the wife of their best friends. With Merlin and Uther, Artoria had enough examples of womanizers around her to have learned to run away from them. But, in case you haven't noticed, something has changed since the Arthurian era. ]
Hakuno frowned and thought. Causing Kay to sight, not amused.
[I really have to make the record very clear for you. Artoria accepts her femininity now. So...]
[Oh...]
[As you say, Master 'Oh'... looks at Lancelot hovering around my sister like a hungry bear that smelled honey. Now you understand why she is so uncomfortable? ]
Hakuno sighed and shook her head.
Only one thing comforted Hakuno as she watched Lancelot clumsily courting Artoria and the growing irritation of the King of Britain: this time, at least, they were both playing with the same game rule...
This would probably end with heartbreak and perhaps even a crime of passion, but perhaps not on a Red Hill when an entire kingdom was burning.
A few days later a line of horses and mules walked on a mountain road. At the end of the winter, the snow clung everywhere, in the slightest gully and in the shade, where the sun did not reach it. The vegetation was rare, consisting of very green grass and twisted trees, as well as a few bushes. Here and there appeared flowers of the mountains: asters, colchicums, edelweiss, arnica, centaury, yellow gentian, purple finger, snowdrops that formed colorful carpets that attracted bees and butterflies.
The road also skirted impressive abysses, shrouded in fog.
Even after several months in the Old World, Hakuno had still not become a good rider. Riding a peaceful gelding with a safe foot, she had her hands together on the saddle knob. Artoria held the reins of the Master's horse with one hand, guiding her peaceful mount.
Far ahead, preceding three Sigmarite mercenaries, Lancelot opened the way, ready to fight any enemy.
"Carefully, slowly... it's fragile!"
Hakuno turned around. Gunther Braun was hustling the muleteers who were driving three mules each loaded with two large crates containing the material necessary for the excavations that he directed.
The short-sighted fat man blotted his forehead with a not very clean handkerchief and rode back into the saddle, turning frequently towards the mule traders. Seeing that Hakuno was watching him, he smiled nervously.
"This material is very valuable Lady Kishinami. My associate Werner is waiting for this equipment to start excavations in the ruins."
The Sovereign of the Moon was curious, but also shy. Since they left Mess, she had questions but was content to smile and nod. This time...
"Professor Braun?"
"Yes, my lady?"
"Can you tell me about this city?"
The old man makes a big smile.
"Sure, but I really don't know much about it."
He scratched his grey beard.
"It all started a few years ago. While searching the Elven ruins before the Beard War, I found a small chest in the foundations of a building. There were books in that safe that had stood the test of time. One of his books was a diary written by an immigrant from Ulthuan. This diary told of a boat trip, a storm, and how the survivors got up a tributary before settling in the mountains. After several months of searching I ended up finding the site of this colony... and the ruins of an ancient city long forgotten."
Artoria turned to them, visibly surprised:
"I have never heard of an elf city in the mountains!? Before the War of the Bearb, Elves and Dwarves had divided the territories open to colonization. And the Dwarves had reserved the mountains for themselves."
It was knowledge of the Old World that the Moon Cell Automaton had given to all the Servants summoned by Hakuno... and, in general, the Moon Grail was not mistaken.
"That was exactly my first thought but... I doubt more and more that those who built this small city are Asurs."
Saber frowned.
"I don't understand. You just said that..."
In his enthusiasm, Gunther Braun cut Artoria off. Behind his small round glasses, his short-sighted eyes shone with an excited glow.
"I know, I know, the diary was written by an elf from Ulthuan. I had a lot of trouble deciphering the runes, the language of the Asurs is complicated, but this is something I'm sure of. However, the city is different from anything I've seen. There are many architectural elements typical of the Asurs, such as towers that look like trees, and the use of white alabaster, glass, and crystal. Undeniably the creators are elves. But at the same time, there are many differences including superb frescoes that use color palettes darker than the compositions found in the ruins of the High Elves. I discovered the traces of an unknown elven civilization."
Two days later, the expedition came across some mercenaries. The two groups looked at each other with suspicion before the newcomers identified themselves as guards hired by Bretonnians that mined the mountains. They were hired three months earlier to protect the mine, patrol the mountain roads and escort the convoys.
Their leader, a one-eyed brute disfigured by a sword stroke and wearing an eye patch adorned with a skull drawing, took his pipe out of his mouth and spit on the ground.
"The miners hired us after several unexplained disappearances. Some miners say they saw stealthy silhouettes in the camp, after nightfall. Bah! I don't complain about their night scares, they allow me to win a few coins. But you know, other than goblins, there's nothing really dangerous about these mountains. And gobs only attack isolated humans, they're a cowardly bunch if you know what I mean."
The other mercenaries began to chuckle.
The journey resumed. And six days after their arrival in the mountains, the small troop (Hakuno, Artoria, Lancelot, Braun, five mercenaries, and six muleteers) discovered a long narrow valley.
Professor Braun showed it with a gesture of his hand:
"The valley widens further, but you can easily pass the entrance crack without seeing it. The configuration of the terrain helped to hide the inhabitants. Nevertheless, the valley ends in a dead-end. Come down."
The horses and the mules set out on the way down to the bottom of the valley.
The afternoon ended and the shadows grew thicker and thicker in this narrow canyon. The place was desolate, the vegetation rare and it was cold.
Turning his head from one side to the other, Hakuno was inspecting the rock cliffs.
"Where are the other archaeologists?"
"I don't know," replied Braun. "The city is made up of several small urban nuclei spread over twenty kilometers. Werner may have set up his excavations anywhere. We may even have to search for his camp for several days."
He paused to show the foundations of a tower emerging from the ground. The ruins had apparently been excavated around.
"This was the first building we searched last summer. It was a fortress defending the entrance to the valley. Let's sit here for the night."
As the others began to set up camp, Hakuno surrender to curiosity and descended into one of the trenches. The earth and the stones formed several layers superimposed, like a sort of mille-feuilles. Kishinami noticed that the layer corresponding to the ground level was made of... ashes. Scratching a little, she released a small object... a rusty arrowhead.
The ash layer could have been the result of an accidental fire, but arrows and ash were the traces of war. The city had not been abandoned, it had been destroyed.
She exchanged a look with Artoria. The King of Knights nodded as if to confirm her inferences.
Gunther Braun was sitting on a bag. In the light of the campfire, he drew in his sketchbook and took notes. He seemed in an excellent mood. The mercenaries who didn't keep watch played dice, drank beer, and sang naughty songs.
It was like that every night... although Artoria accuses them of offending the ears of her Master.
Which was not the case... after surviving Nero's voice, Hakuno was able to endure much worse.
The last light of day had just disappeared.
The night was silent except...
Hakuno frowned.
She heard a growing rumor. Around her, mercenaries and mule drivers suddenly shut up. They also heard voices... distant... indistinct... but it was a chorus of thousands of voices. As if an innumerable crowd gathered at a few distances.
Then suddenly the voices stopped murmuring to shout a protest... which stopped at once.
Pale, Hakuno receded and flickered... avoiding the strangely dressed elf that had materialized before her. Without a glance at the Sovereign of the Moon, he continued on his way.
The mercenaries, the muleteers, Braun, Artoria, and Lancelot... all had stopped, their eyes were wide with an expression of stupor.
Their encampment now stood in the middle of a market square. Elves came and went between buildings with elegant architecture but which had something unhealthy. Similarly, the Elves were dressed in dark colors, mostly black and purple.
When Hakuno turned around, she discovered a first element that made sense.
A high tower stood facing the entrance to the valley, at the corner of a triangular fortress. This building occupied exactly the site of the ruins she had inspected when she arrived.
As if some sort of extraordinary magic had rebuilt the ruins, and brought the dead back to life!
But that wasn't really the answer...
The strange elves had had no reaction to their presence. In fact, the few guards present had not drawn their weapons... they had not even questioned the members of the expedition. Actually, they didn't seem to notice them. In fact, nobody was even looking in their direction, Hakuno realized.
At this moment, a mule-driver approached one of the elves and wanted to touch him... his hand passed through the elf's chest without resistance, and the specter continued his route without reacting.
They were in a ghost city!
(1) It's not written anywhere in the Arthurian legend and yet... it's obvious, and there are many clues scattered in the oldest texts. But what's also true in Nasuverse? To begin with, the physical resemblance between Artoria and Bedivere is a choice of Takeuchi Takeshi the original designer who paid special attention to his hairstyle. In addition, Kinoko Nasu shows only one Knight of the Round in the original Fate/ Stay Night game except for King Arthur and its Bedivere. What other reason could he have had to underline the link between Artoria and Bedivere? At the end of the Arthurian saga with Bedivere looking after Arthur dying, the knight repeatedly refused to throw Excalibur into the Lady's Lake. Why? Because he thinks he can keep the sword and be recognized as king in replacement of his brother, Arthur (at least in the original myth). Bedivere's reasons for refusing to give Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake are different in the Fate License from classical Arthurian myth... But that doesn't mean that the rest is so different.
Similarly, Bedivere's Noble Phantasm in FGO equates Bedivere with Nuada Silver Arm, the son of a king who could not be crowned because he had lost an arm. At least until he gets an arm of silver. It is not a pure invention of the creators of Fate/ Grand Order. The comparison between Bedivere and Nuada was often made by connoisseurs of the Arthurian myth, especially because they're both missing an arm.
In addition, Bedivere's silver arm is none other than Excalibur in another form. Nuada can reign because of his silver arm (Airgetiám). And Bedivere could reign if he kept Excalibur.
It's perfectly clear in FGO, that the Lion King is not the king destined to save humanity, just an impostor. On the other hand (no pun intended), Bedivere with his Silver Arm (Airgetiám/ Excalibur) is the true savior king* designated by the Sword of Promised Victory.
By now, you must have understood why in Order ab Chaos, Bedivere is a Lancer-class Servant and doesn't have Airgetiám.
I always think a lot about the consistency of what I write.
*To be exact, it is rather Ritsuka Fujimaru (Bedivere's Master) who is the King of the End of Time, the legendary character destined to save humanity and whom Christians and Jews call the Messiah, in the Greek mythology it's Heracles... and in the Arthurian legend... it's Arthur (Rex quodam Rex que futuram).
(2) In Einzbern Consultation Room Lancelot admits he prefers Saber over Guinevere. The rest is Sir Kay's interpretation, not a neutral one since he hates Lancelot. But... he's not necessarily in the wrong.