Chapter-44

Shirou, Robin

"Our goodness, modern armies are certainly a spectacle!" Richard exclaimed as a single Atlesian warship hovered above Oakshire, with many atlesian troops descending down on smaller bullheads. It was afternoon by the time Atlas' forces had arrived.

"If we had this thing in the Crusades, I don't think Saladin would have even thought of trying to resist us."

"Well, that is quite what happens when you put in something ahead of its time." Shirou spoke.

Shirou nodded in greeting as he spotted Winter Schnee walk up.

"Greetings, Atlesian commander. Our name is Richard, saber." Richard introduced himself as Winter nodded.

"Pleasure to meet you. Winter Schnee, Specialist of the Grand army of Atlas." She spoke before looking around at Oakshire.

"I remember this place from history lessons in Atlas academy, that Oakshire was established as a Mantleian airbase and later on served as a point for Huntsmen to cross over from the mountains into grimm-infested territory in East Sanus. It's a good thing you managed to reclaim it."

"Although the enemy exhibited strange behaviour during the battle." Odysseus spoke as he walked up.

"Whatever it is, it is certainly a relief to know about the noble phantasms being disabled." Winter spoke shaking her head.

"Why not talk about our further plans in our command room?" Richard spoke.

"Our?"

"Richard likes to refer to himself with 'We' or 'Our'."

"Well, that's not confusing. Let's go." Winter spoke as Richard led them to Oakshire's military outpost.

In the command room, the rest of the servants sat, with Sigurd reading a book, Cú lazily twirling his spear and Robin inspecting some plants growing in some pots.

"Ah, you're here." Sigurd spoke, closing his book.

"What's the situation in Vale?"

"Well, there was a case of some Atlesian Paladins being stolen, but fortunately our police force found them and they are now being shipped back to Atlas. Otherwise, the situation is stable. Nothing out of the ordinary as of now."

"Excellent. Let's begin." They spoke, sitting around the table as Winter had a holographic map of the mountains set up.

"So, I know where the base is." Robin began.

"Already?" Winter asked.

"Yes. I'm Robin Hood by the way. I know my way around forests quite well. From what I can tell, the base is about here…" Robin spoke pointing at a spot.

"Hm, that is actually an hour of flight from our position." Winter mused.

"There is a bounded field set up as a shield against attacks. So, we have to worry about that…"

"Actually, Atlas has a way to penetrate the shield as well as destroy the base." Winter spoke as Richard raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You actually do?"

"It is a technology developed based on the research of Dr. Arthur Watts in order to clear out hordes of grimm without expending too much huntsmen. It is known as the Atlas Bomb." Winter spoke.

Ah right, Dr. Watts' invention. Shirou thought. Dr. Watts did brag a lot about technology replacing huntsmen whenever there was meetings with Salem. The Atlas Bomb was the one example he used the most. Quite an arrogant person.

"Think of the Atlas Bomb as Remnant's own version of an atomic bomb." Odysseus spoke.

"Except instead of nuclear fusion, the Atlas Bomb apparently heavily destabilizes huge amounts of fire and lightning dust and uses ice dust to keep the basic crystalline structure of the dust crystals intact. Upon activation, the ice dust is shut off from the bomb's core, because of which the crystal structure collapses and all the energy explodes outwards."

Shirou frowned at the description.

"Well, then we don't have to worry about a full-scale assault after all!" Richard spoke with a smile.

"Huh, that's neat. So how are the grimm still a problem if you've got stuff like this?" Robin asked.

"Well, first of all, this is usually used in the defense of Atlas and Mantle against the grimm hordes that form in the Hel Mountains. It is useless if the grimm get too close to the cities, but the main reason is the principle of adaptation."

"?" All servants perked up, looking at Winter.

"It is something Ozpin and Thane had spoken of during a conference between the huntsman's associations of the kingdoms. They'd confirmed that if exposed to a certain technology long enough, the grimm are able to evolve into new species to counter that specific technology due to their bodies apparently being a shapeless ether that can mould to imitate any material."

"Of course, the only thing they cannot adapt to is aura, because aura is made of the soul, and grimm are creatures whose fundamental nature is not compatible with souls. Which is why huntsmen are still considered to be more efficient in killing grimm than even the best of technology."

"Ah, so what you mean is that you don't want to speed up the adaptation process by exposing too many grimm to the Atlas Bomb." Sigurd spoke.

"Indeed. Atlas is not as keen to using huntsmen as the other kingdoms and prefers not depend too much on them."

"Moving on from that, since the Atlas Bomb solves the problem of a frontal assault…"

"Actually, we still need a ground offensive." Sigurd pointed out to Richard.

"...Why is that?"

"Prometheus. He's the Titan of Fire, so the Atlas Bomb would be near useless against him." Odysseus spoke.

"But devoting troops would be a wastage if we have the Atlas Bomb." Robin spoke.

"That can be resolved with your own group of huntsmen." Odysseus spoke up.

"I don't doubt Prometheus would be aware of the Atlas Bomb, and will be sending his forces to ensure the bomb isn't dropped. But if we could drop the bomb, then we can chase Prometheus."

"True. Trying to destroy the base and kill Prometheus will lead to complications of collateral damage. But we'll need someone to keep track of him." Winter spoke.

"Aegis can do that." Odysseus spoke.

"Perfect. Headmaster Ozpin has enhanced the Atlas bomb with his runes to penetrate the bounded field. All we have to do is defend this warship against Prometheus' forces before we drop the bomb…" Winter began.

"Eliminate any enemy servants that arrive to destroy the ship…" Odysseus continued.

"And kill Prometheus once we've dropped the bomb. A rather simple plan." Richard spoke.

"And if Prometheus manages to get away?" Sigurd asked.

"Aegis can still track him. We'll not give him any time to recuperate and form another army. We could send in a group of servants to bring him down."

"Fair enough."

"In that case, meeting is adjourned?" Winter asked as the servants nodded.

"Adjourned." They spoke.

"Very well, I shall discuss the plan further with the Atlesian troops." Winter spoke.


After the meeting Shirou quickly pulled out his scroll and went into a small empty room, where he contacted Prometheus.

"Ah, Shirou." Prometheus' voice came in.

"Lord Prometheus." Shirou spoke in a gloomy voice.

"Something wrong? You look much more tense than usual?"

"Nothing of concern, I can handle it. The plans have been drawn up for the attack on your base."

"I know. My counterpart in Atlas has informed me of the weapon Atlas has at its disposal that is known as the Atlas Bomb. Rest assured, they are certainly expecting us to destroy the warship carrying it."

"Yes."

"Good. Let them think that. You know your role. And I believe some of the servants at our disposal may perish in the attack that's going to come. But no matter, I will no longer need them after my little project is complete."

"I see."

"Also, you have the pages from Thane's diary?"

"I do."

"Good. Send pictures of the pages through your scroll."

"I will not bring the pages?"

"Now why would you do that? The Will has already arrived and only requires the information to make his modifications to the Wyvern."

"Very well. Anything else?"

"No. This is our last call before we meet again."

"I see." Shirou spoke before he went to cut off the call.

"Shirou."

"Yes?"

"I'm glad to know you have done your work well. And this is the last stretch, before we make our first big step towards the Salvation of Humanity. You will find your efforts will not go to waste."

Shirou gulped before Prometheus shut off the call.

There it was again. The Salvation of Humanity. He did express he wanted humanity's salvation. Perhaps he would have even used the Holy Grail to achieve his goals.

…Yet now that he stood here with what he'd experienced, that thought did nothing but terrify him.

How many times had he overlooked the atrocities committed by his comrades for the sake of a higher goal. How many times had he stained his religion for what he thought were the words of God? God had wanted him to save Christians from oppression by the Daīmyo of Japan, yet he watched and did nothing when those Christians did the same thing to Shinto and Buddhist shrines.

Can I really believe I have the right to bring Salvation to Humanity, when I couldn't even work to resolve the sins committed by my followers? Shirou thought.

Hara Castle was retribution for Shirou's inaction and his followers' extremist actions. Perhaps the Kami did answer the calls for help of their followers being slaughtered by Christian rebels, while the Christians lost the grace of God when they fell to the sin of Wrath.

Shirou could remember the scene vividly, as he stood with his Katana in front of the Cross, the screams of rebels being cut down outside piercing his ears, standing with a broken heart as all his hopes and dreams crumbled around him.

Shirou could remember his battle with the government troops, cutting them down until his wounds got too much and he was forced to escape.

In the end, Shirou could only repent his failure in a burning hut, his body too wounded to move further, before the government troops discovered him and promptly cut off his head.

"I want another chance. To bring the salvation I promised them."

When Shirou had first joined Prometheus, he'd been told about the plans his cause had for Remnant's humanity. A chance to fulfill the promise he'd made.

And yet, Shirou did not find it in his heart to go along with Prometheus' plans. Hesitation and doubt had clouded his mind back then, and had only increased with his interaction with the students of Beacon.

Here they were, young children, all happily learning to abandon their happy lives and devote their bodies to the survival of humanity in fighting against the abominations known as the Grimm.

Shirou was merely 16 when he heard the voice of God, finding courage in God's voice to stand up for his faith.

And these students, even if some did not have the wish to devote themselves to the cause of Huntsmen, many were essentially doing the same thing, without any voice of some outside entity encouraging them to fight against the Grimm.

Perhaps some of them might leave, believing the job of a huntsman is not for them, but for those that stayed, Shirou had nothing but respect…

…And hence why he hated going with the plans to destroy their school even further. Shirou didn't know what to do. Should he give up on the salvation of humanity, or should he destroy the bastions of hope for those living outside the safety of the kingdoms?

Shirou, in his musings, had found himself walking away from Oakshire and to a nearby cliff overlooking the mountains.

Shirou noticed the mountains, and remembered what they represented in Christainity.

Spiritual self-realization and transcendence. Shirou thought, remembering the important events of many Abrahmanic religions that took place on Mountains. It was on Mount Beautides that Christ laid down the foundational principles of Christianity in his 'Sermon on the Mount'. It was on Mount Hira where the angel Gabriel revealed the Word of Allah to Muhammad. It was on Mount Sinai where Moses and Joshua received the Ten Commandments from YHWH.

Shirou's hand went to his cross.

O Lord, dispel the darkness of ignorance and doubt that festers within me. Show me the path that I should take for my atonement. Shirou thought as he clutched his cross.

But of course, like it was when he came to this world, he could not hear the Lord's voice. The light that had guided him, the light that had given him the courage and belief in his faith, that light was gone, replaced by the demons of doubt.

"Deep thoughts, huh?" A voice came as Shirou spotted Robin come up beside him.

"Oh, right. I suppose my face told it all?"

"Yep." Robin spoke as he looked out towards the forests at the foothills of the mountains.

"Interesting thing I noticed." Robin spoke as Shirou looked at him.

"Hm?"

"You're staring at the peaks of the mountains, while I'm looking at their foothills." Robin spoke.

"And considering what I remember about the Christian faith, the Mountain peaks represent a closeness to the Heavens, the realm of God who is the source of wisdom. While for the Celtic faith, the forests are the source of strength and wisdom, where one can hear the whispers of the Otherworld revealing the secrets of life."

"Hm…that is an interesting comparison." Shirou admitted.

"Which is why I can probably figure out what's wrong." Robin spoke as Shirou looked at him in alarm.

"...You have that look on your face. The look of a confused man who has no idea what the heck he's doing, and the one thing that usually helps him to understand, is not present."

"T-That's right. How did you know that?" Shirou asked.

How did Robin Hood manage to guess his dilemma so accurately? He expected someone like Sigurd to do that.

"Pretty simple. It's because I've been there too." Robin spoke.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm sure like many other servants, I was really confused what was I supposed to do when I suddenly materialized in this world, with no master nor any Holy grail war to fight in. Remnant wasn't Earth, so I just had no idea what was I going to do after I'd materialized."

"So, you sought the wisdom of the forests?"

"Yes. Back on Earth, I would always listen to the words of the trees in Sherwood whenever I was in a fix. The Fae would often answer my questions, and I would have clarity of what to do…" Robin spoke before facing Shirou.

"...But that was not the case in Remnant."

"I assume that's because there are no Fairies?"

"No. While the Fae were a good source of wisdom, ultimately, my connection to the Green Man allowed me to hear the whispers of Gaia through the trees. Gaia was the reason why the trees could speak to me. Proof that even in silence there was life."

"But when I tried to talk to the trees of Remnant, I received no answer. The trees were living objects, yet they lacked a certain…soul to them that allowed them to speak. It always makes me feel uncomfortable whenever I look at Remnant's forests."

"..."

"Remnant is a lifeless world. There is a sense of dread and despair that hangs over every organism."

"Well, I didn't really find that feeling…"

"Because you understand the Sky better than you understand the Forests. Those who have a connection to nature can feel the emptiness that is prevalent in Remnant."

"To me, a world that has life yet feels lifeless is scarier than a wasteland devoid of any life. And the fear threatened to consume my mind. I aimlessly wandered the forests, trying to understand what should I do in this lonely world while trying to survive the Grimm…"

Shirou felt his gut twist in pity. Robin had been in the same situation of doubt and fear that he was feeling as of now.

"...Until I stumbled upon a village."

"Hm?"

"A village that was being attacked by the Grimm. At that moment, I do not know how, but my body moved on its own. I assisted the huntsmen and village militia in fighting against those soulless abominations. And after that, the people of the village gave me shelter and thanked me for helping to protect their village."

"..."

"I spent a few days in that village, and during that time I finally realized where I should devote my strength." Robin spoke before grinning.

"That village was Oakshire, which soon became my home. I met His Majesty not long after, and we became the protectors of the village, with me scouting out the movements of the Grimm, while His Majesty tore through them in battle."

"..."

"Shirou, the reason I'm telling you this, is because when there is no one to tell us what we are to do, we simply listen to what our humanity says. The Forests couldn't speak to me, and in the end, it was my sense of justice and willingness to protect the innocent and weak and spurred me to help in Oakshire's defense."

"If you can't hear your god's voice, listen to your humanity's voice. Think of what you're supposed to do as Amakusa Shirou, if no one else can advise you."

"..."

Listen to our humanity. Shirou thought. Is that the solution to his problem? Simply listening to what he as a person wants to say?

"I-I see. Thank you, Robin. That has given me some things to ponder upon."

"Happy to help. We need everybody in proper shape for the big battle, so no doubts and hesitation now." Robin spoke as Shirou nodded, before walking off, keeping Robin's words in his head.


Robin sighed as he looked back at the forests.

"Seriously, what happened to this world? It's Soulless Plains are unnerving." Robin mused to himself.

"Ah, Robin! We weren't expecting to find you here?" Robin heard His Majesty's voice as he walked up.

"Quite a long talk you were having with Shirou over there." Richard spoke.

"Nothing much. Just me giving him advice about something that was troubling Shirou's mind."

"Ah, we see. So, you were essentially having a deep talk with Shirou. Then this is perhaps a good time."

Huh? Robin thought.

"Good time for what?"

"A question that we haven't asked you yet has been plaguing the back of our mind for a long time. It's amusing why we haven't asked this question sooner."

"Okay…What is it?"

"Tell me, Robin, what do you think of my reign?" Richard asked as Robin blinked.

My. He said 'my'. Robin thought. Richard almost always referred to himself as 'we' or 'our', so hearing him say 'my' meant this was serious.

"You fought a partisan war against the 'tyranny' of my little brother John, and my subjects claim you did it because you did not accept John being the King of the throne of England while I was away fighting to reclaim the Holy Land."

"Um…"

"It tells me you supported me being the King of England, so I ask you, what do you think of my reign?"

"Well, you are a kind and just king. You sparing the boy who shot you with the crossbow that took your life. You expanded England's territories and were a distinguished commander as shown by your performance in the Third Crusade."

"Hm, go on."

"And…and…" Robin spoke. "Well, there's not much else to talk about."

"Alright. What are my achievements?"

"Conquering Sicily and Cyprus, defeating the Muslim armies under Saladin multiple times, almost recapturing the Holy Land, constructing the Château Gaillard…"

"..."

"..."

"Nothing to say, Robin?"

"Well, uh…"

"That's fine. Now let ME talk about what I think. I think I was a selfish fool who abandoned his kingdom and placed his religion above England and caused all the problems that you were fighting against."

"Wha…huh?" Robin spoke.

What did he just say? He thought as he stared at Richard in shock, who kept staring in the distance.

"Let me recount my life. I first went along with my brothers Henry and Geoffrey to France, to seek King Phillip's help in overthrowing my father Henry II. After that, I become the King, and then I fail to quell the Anti-Jewish riots that took place in London during my coronation."

"Right, because some Jews came to Westminster Abbey during your coronation despite tradition stating otherwise. Some took refuge in the Tower of London but to no use."

"My reign started off in a bloody manner, and I decided to take a foreign power's help and led my armies against England in order to become the King. Moving on from that, comes the Third crusade." Richard spoke as his face twisted in disgust.

"That Crusade is the biggest contributor to my fame in history. Most know of me today as the English King who was the practical leader of Christianity during the Third Crusade. Yet, no one despises that part of my life more than I do."

"..."

"I first conquered Sicily and Cyprus. After that, I led victories against Saladin in the Levant. Yet I failed to capture Jerusalem and was left with a pile of debts and expenses caused by my antics during the Crusade. Not to mention Cyprus came to haunt me when Byzantine Emperor Isaakios Comnenos Angelos called for my capture since Cyprus was Byzantine territory."

"..."

"And of course, the next comes the one event that truly signifies my failure as a king - My humiliation at the hands of Leopold V of Austria and Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI. All of that happened because the accursed Hassan-I-Sabbah murdered Leopold's cousin Conrad of Montferrat and blamed the murder on me while slinking away back to his fortress in Masyaf."

As Richard continued speaking, Robin could see his king becoming more and more agitated, especially at what he was talking about now.

"And after that entire ordeal, I lost faith in my ability to rule as a king."

"..."

"I don't want to insult all that you have done, Robin, but if there's one thing I do not regret, and that is making John my heir."

Robin's eyes widened in shock.

"WHAT?!" He yelled as Richard looked away.

"I have caused nothing but trouble for my brother. It was my expenses during the Third Crusade that forced John to impose a tyrannical taxation regime which perpetrated your revolt. It was the ransom demanded by the Holy Roman Emperor as a result of my foolishness that John was forced to extort my subjects."

"It was my disgrace that had the Pope excommunicate England from the Catholic Chruch and push John to seek the help of the Almohad Sultan of Spain and turn England into an Islamic state. Imagine, England almost became the very same entity I fought against in the Third Crusade because I was selfish."

Robin was silent as Richard kept on talking.

"John was merely an instrument. He was a poor weak man controlled by the demons I had created with my selfish desires…"

"...Y-You can't possibly be…John was a snake who rebelled against you to make himself the king!" Robin snapped.

"Because I was doing nothing as the King of England! It was because of me that John sought the help of Phillip so that he could keep our kingdom from collapsing!" Richard snapped back before looking down.

"I failed John. I threw him into a position he was not ready for and made things harder for him." Richard spoke, shaking his head before he smiled.

"When I came to Remnant and met you in Oakshire, I was reminded of my failure. You were the symbol of rebellion, the very reminder that I had caused a lot of pain to my dear subjects and abandoned them when they needed me…"

"...In the end, Oakshire is my way of seeking forgiveness from John. I will not abandon Oakshire like I abandoned John and the people of England." Richard spoke looking up at the sky.

"I just wish I could meet John once again, and tell him that I'm sorry." He spoke.

"But until then…" Richard spoke before kneeling in front of Robin.

"I am ashamed of what I have done, Robin. I have caused much pain to you and my other subjects."

"M-Milord!" Robin spoke. "What are you doing?! Kneeling in front of me!"

"...It is my way of apologizing. I doubt I can get forgiveness, but I simply wanted to get this off my back. It isn't a good thing to keep a burden of guilt before battle."

Robin stared at Richard. Robin had never met King Richard in his life, but he'd heard enough from the words of people that he was a kind person, who would make a better king than John. And having seen John's atrocities firsthand, Robin had launched a struggle, refusing to accept the cruelty meted out to his people and fighting to bring joy to the poor and deprived, until Richard returned to take his rightful place as the king and take England to a better future…

…Only Richard never truly returned. Robin was aware of all the mishaps Richard faced, and even after he was reinstated as King, he was too busy in France until his death. In the end, Richard had been in England for only six months in his 10-year long reign.

Yet even after death, Robin knew that when summoned as a servant, he would still cherish the hope of a better England under Richard's rule.

But now, the man himself had gone and declared himself a failure, taking upon all the problems caused by John upon himself. Robin wanted to say that he was simply taking the blame off John, but Richard was in a way, right. Many of John's extortions happened because Richard's exploits sucked the Royal treasury dry.

Did his rebellion have a meaning when the King he and the other rebels dreamed of returning to rule England did not have faith in himself?

It did. Robin thought. Even if Richard didn't believe he would have been a good king, Robin still had fought for the justice of those whose lives had been ruined by John and his nobles. It was his sense of justice that motivated him to take up arms and bring his druidic knowledge to become the outlaw Robin Hood.

"Your Majesty…you do not need to apologize to me." Robin spoke as Richard looked up.

"I still believe you would have made a great King. If only you'd returned to England sooner, I believe we would have had a different story."

"But…"

"All your problems that you mentioned were caused by you not remaining in England. I still believe in the Good King Richard who would have saved England from John if he had managed to come back home."

"Besides, it's not like England ever really fell. It simply continued existing, and continues to exist today in the form of the United Kingdom. What has happened in the past, has happened."

"..."

"You and I are no longer who we were in the past. Richard, the King of England, is now Richard, guardian of Oakshire and soldier for humanity, and Robin hood, outlaw of Sherwood forest, is now Robin hood, guardian of Oakshire and soldier for humanity. I believe it is time we let go of the past and focus on our current roles in the present."

"...Right. The England I knew has changed. I am in a different world, and pondering upon my reign has run its course." Richard spoke getting up before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Goodness…that feels liberating."

"I know. Sharing and opening up about your problems can have that effect."

"We feel much better now!"

"Oh great, now you're back to using 'we' again." Robin grumbled, although inwardly he smiled.

At least his majesty's mind has cleared up now.

"Come on, Robin, now that we've had our talk, all that's left is thinking about our incoming assault." Richard spoke.

"Indeed." Robin spoke before noticing the sun was setting.

"Well, it's getting dark. We suppose that it will take a few days to ready up for the assault. After that, we probably have to say goodbye to Oakshire." Richard spoke as Robin looked at him.

"Why?"

"Well, have you forgotten about our network?"

"Ah, right. They're going to ask us to join Ozpin, aren't they?"

"I don't think that's such a bad thing, really. We will get a lot of reprieve should we crush Prometheus, and we could spend our time helping the other villages across Vale against the grimm."

"Alright then. We'll see after the battle, your majesty."

Richard smiled as he and Robin continued to stare at the sunset.


"The future does not hold well for the humans." Skuld spoke as she continued inscribing runes on the fabric of fate.

"Indeed, our Greek counterparts in the other universe have already reported a possible distortion in Fate." Urd spoke.

"Ah yes, Clotho did mention about a Roman demigod named Jason grace plopping into another reality on the planet of Remnant." Verdandi spoke.

"Hm, it is upto Jason and the other Remnantians to look into the origin of this distortion. And that distortion is set to bring a massive threat into our world." Skuld spoke.

"It reminds me of the seeker who came to our well. Quite an interesting fellow, that one." Urd spoke with a chuckle.

"His face when we showed him what was to come in the future was amusing."

"Perhaps he is connected to what is happening in Remnant." Verdandi spoke.

"I don't doubt it. And speaking of which, how fares Fafnir's slayer?" Verdandi spoke.

"Took him quite a while, but he's finally getting to the front lines. Although, you do realize the implications of him succeeding?" Skuld spoke as the other Nornir were silent.

Skuld plucked a string of the fabric, as Sigurd's face shimmered into existence.

"You have a much bigger role than you realize, Sigurd. What you do on Remnant, will decide Earth's future."


A/N: So, when I looked at the whole stuff about the Atlas bomb, it did make me wonder how exactly would the grimm remain a threat if humanity has already started developing what are essentially nukes, even if they can regenerate their numbers. So, I came up with the whole 'adaptation' principle, just to keep the grimm a relevant threat to humanity by essentially adapting to almost anything humanity comes up with except for aura. Of course, so far I've shown mostly the canon Grimm species, but there are a lot of species I've thought of on my own that counter a lot of technology, which I'm going to reveal in the Final Battle.

After that, more character exploration for Shirou, because I'm personally not satisfied with the route they took with him and wanted to put in my own twist of a redemption arc. Shirou's talk with Robin also showed an interesting piece of comparison between different faiths. Some faiths like Christianity look to the Heavens for wisdom and thus Shirou focusses on the top of the mountain that is closest to the sky, while the Celtic faith regards the forest as a source of wisdom, and hence Robin focuses on teh bottom of the mountain that is a forested area. An interesting contrast I noticed while writing the scene between shirou and Robin.

But for me, the hightlight was Richard and Robin. Fate has given Richard an interesting take towards his rule, Richard regretting his reign as a King like Artoria, except his reasons are a lot more solid. Because while Artoria did project herself as an aloof monarch, she did still defend Britain against the Saxon invasions successfully until her death, while Richard basically left England behind to fight in the Crusades and leave the people at the mercy of John, perpetrating people like Robin to rise up. You could say that Richard had an indirect role in England almost becoming a Muslim kingdom (Which yes, that is something that almost happened), ironic considering how much Richard placed himself as a Soldier of Christianity.

Lastly, the whole Nornir segment is just to tie up this story with Under the Rowan's Shade. A little spoiler, but I've anyways planned to create a sort of Universe to connect my fanfics with each other with only a few exceptions being independent stories. Besides, the Nornir haven't popped up in this story since the PROLOGUE, so they were missing for 43 chapters.

Hence, a little foreshadowing for the future.

Hope you guys enjoyed and Constructive Criticism is appreciated!


Foot Notes:

Richard's Humiliation: Basically, after Richard went to return to England after the Third Crusade he faced two problems. First, he had annexed Cyprus to England, which was Byzantine territory, hence the Byzantine emperor got pissed off at Richard and wanted him captured. This forced Richard to disguise himself as a Templar Knight and escape Byzantium.

After that, comes the more infamous incident of Richard's capture. Basically, Leopold V, the Duke of Austria, had a cousin, Conrad of Montferrat, who had been murdered in the city of Tyre. There's no concrete evidence of Conrad's murderer, but some scholars believe the Hashashin (Assassins) had killed Conrad and pinned his murder on Richard. Leopold believed Richard was responsible and hence captured him, before the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI held Richard in ransom for a huge amount that John and Richard's mother Eleanor of Aquitaine were forced to pay.

England becoming an Islamic kingdom: This is a pretty funny story. Basically, Richard's exploits in the Third Crusade and his ransom really sucked out the English Royal Treasury. Along with that, John pissed off Pope Innocent III by refusing to appoint John's political rival, Cardinal Stephen Langton, as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest seat of authority in the English Catholic Church. The Pope then excommunicated in John, who began losing territories in France to King Phillip.

With all these problems, John's solution was approaching the Almohad caliph Muhammad Al-Nasir in Spain and told him 'Hey bud, if you could help me take back my lands in France, I'll convert to Islam and make Islam the state religion of England'. Of course, the monk leading the English delegation told Al-Nasir not to accept John's offer and later on Al-Nasir himself died at the hands of Spanish troops in the Battle of Las Navas De Tolosa. Really makes you wonder what would have happened had England actually become an Islamic kingdom.


Response to Reviews:

Zoukuyuujinchou: Don't worry about my health. Right now I'm on a large break between school ending and my college starting, so I have a lot of time to pump out chapters.

Anon: Fair enough, your points make sense and I concede to your argument. I guess I started confusing the canon lore of RWBY with the things I've made up, because of a lot of the problems you've mentioned can be explained away in the Fanon lore of this fanfic.

But the 'covert student operations' point, I'm first of all confused which part are you referring to. If it's about team RWBY doing operations, it's basically how Raven describes Team STRQ working for Ozpin in Volume-5 - Extra assignments and special missions and stuff. And even then, I'm pretty certain about not making Team RWBY do these tasks until they're in their third year (Yes, this story will be spanning all four years of Team RWBY).

But, I do agree hiding a big operation like this from the Beacon students is also not possible.

And regarding the first year comparison, alright, that also is fair, Team RWBY and JNPR have been shown to be the star teams, but they're still pretty inexperienced, except for Blake, maybe.

I won't be touching too much upon the reactions of the citizens until the Vale arc is over. It would be better what the citizens think after I've covered the Battle of Beacon.

But even then, thanks for correcting my misconception.