DISCORD SERVER CODE: 9274TfZtf9
"Sunsprite's Eulogy" audio
I recommend listening to this above "Video", "Sunsprite's Eulogy" is by SAD1ST and I was listening to the audio while writing this chapter.
I had taken a couple of hours to read the book back and forth, and I had to say that Zelretch had made quite the simple guide that even the most bone-headed of Shirou's could follow along to acquire their servant.
"Have you found that which is beautiful, Fou?" Merlin asked, he was holding me like I was a stuffed animal.
"I would say that which is beautiful is in the eye of the beholder." I said, honestly, why would I lie about something like beauty?
"I suppose so, old friend." It was at this moment that I choose to surround him with swords'o'plenty.
"DIE MERLIN!" I honestly hadn't expected the flower to summon Merlin, even then he can't be summoned, so he's here to cause something.
"Saber." Saber had taken her time to sit by the fire and just relax, Archer walked up and sat opposite of her as they watched Fou chase Merlin around the large area of forest her had secured for them.
"Archer." She greeted back, she didn't know what to think at the moment. It felt so much like it used to back when she was alive, to have merlin be his normal deviant self.
"My contract with Alaya, It has been voided." Archer said, he held a troubled look as he watched what could only be Primate Murder run after Merlin throwing swords like another version of himself did.
"Do you also retain your memories from Chaldea?" It was an odd question for her to ask, yet he did.
"The Moon Holy Grail War?" He asked in response, her simple nod told all he needed to know.
"I can not feel any connection to a Grail." It was a statement, one that meant a lot for servants like them. Yet they were imbued with an overabundance of Mana, all coming from the small white creature that could kill them with a touch.
"Who're you three?" Both instantly stood up and readied themselves for battle, turning to the voice they were met with, a girl who's dead eyes caused both of them pain.
"Archer-class Servant." Archer said, as the swords he was holding faded away, Artoria simple let go of what she was holding.
"Saber-class Servant." Artoria gave her a curt nod as both she and Archer sat down, the fire crackled as the young girl sat on the grass in-between them.
"And I'm the Caster-class Servant" Merlin said, he appeared behind her with a flourish of flowers blowing in the breeze. His smile never wavering as he stood there with arms open.
"I'm surprised my progeny has even survived as long as it has in this world." He leaned down, Harriet having turned enough that she could see him face to face.
"What do you mean, Caster?" Artoria stood up at the news, while Archer sighed, the fire cracked just before Fou hit merlin in the check and sent him sprawling backwards.
"I had suspected, but to think we're in a different world? That's something that should only be able to be done by the Wizard Marshal. " Archer said, turning his head to the early morning sky. He had suspected they were in a different world, with how Gaia's influence on his Tracings were less the usual.
"He not the only one with the Kaleidoscope, I do believe that I'm its second ever user." Fou said, momentarily stopping his beat down on Merlin. It was the instinct of his body that drove him to open a can-of-whoop ass on the Magus of Flowers.
Archer had frozen in place at this Information, why wouldn't he? A True Magic is attained by reaching the Swirl of the Root, and you must be the very first to travel a route that leads you to it, and if someone else followed the same path, they wouldn't be able to achieve Magic.
"You must be wondering how I got my hands on it if Zelretch, the immortal man he is, has it." Fou intelligently asked, it was at this point that both Artoria and Harriet's stomach's growled.
"Well, I do believe that we should shelve this conversation for another day, no?" Merlin asked as he sat up, draping on hand on his knee as he lied on his side, Fou and Archer nodded in sync as they had a couple of hungry people to feed.
I had sent Harriet off into the forest, so that I may have a private conversation with my three new servants. One that would sorely be needed to explain everything going on, and while I may not give the whole truth, I shall give them what I am able to.
"Out with them, the questions." I said curtly while sipping on some tea I had brewed not long ago, Archer and Artoria glanced at each other. All of us turned to Merlin as he spoke up.
"She is quite broken, isn't she?" Merlin said while lying on the grass, a flower in his hand brought to his mouth as he watched the clouds waft by slowly on the wind. It was a statement, one that brought many questions to the table.
"That she is, and it's not my story to tell. I wasn't strong enough to protect her again, I should've tried anyway." I said with a sorrowful nod.
"How has my contract with Alaya been nulled?" Archer asked harshly, one question that I expected.
"You're no longer in her reach, nor in the throne of heroes." It was such a simple answer, but that on that carried with it heavy implications, and one that came naturally when I didn't have one.
"Just as I am no longer locked in Avalon." Merlin said, they were all here, not just as servants but as living beings.
"I've been on many adventures, many having the same goal as the rest. If we are here not to fight to save humanity, to win a Holy Grail War… What ARE we here for?" Artoria astutely guessed the question I was most prepared to answer, not that she was trying to guess it.
"To teach." It was such a simple answer yet one that would change the outcome of this world. "To teach the young girl you've already met, to prepare her for the horrors of this world." I had run out of tea by now, pouring myself another cup with a nice long slurp to build tension.
"And the horrors of this world are?" Archer asked, a raised brow, he wasn't buying into any of this. "Besides, what stops us from just leaving? We don't have to do anything if we reject the magic that you give us." And if Archer was right, he would gain what he wanted by fighting his past self. Yet that little part of him was still back there, remembering Sakura and the horrors she endured. Would he forsake that young girl to the same horrors as Sakura?
"Then you die, your soul will not go back to the throne of heroes, and you'll finally pass on. There's nothing to stop you from making such a choice, only hopes." My solemn words spoke without heat, for who was I to dictate their choices.
-
Quest Unlocked
'Persona'
Your Servants stand by you, will you lead your companion to glory? Or will you lead them to their doom?
Objective:
Convince them to train Harriet 1/3
Rewards:
Magic Draining Metal 12kg
-
"Even if we don't choose that, what stops us from not doing anything to help the young girl?" Artoria asked skeptically, a fair question in all honesty.
"Absolutely nothing, you all are masters of your own fate in this world." A fact without lies, one that is whole yet fractured. Masters of their own fate they may be, but the world will still reject them.
"But enough of the philosophical side of things, Merlin is clearly on board. This will be interesting for him." I'm interested, will I be able to convince you to train my dear companion? Which version is the most dominant Shirou, which version will prevail in being a hero of justice.
Which version of Artoria is most dominant? The one who died after telling Shirou she loved him, or the one that continued to be with him after the 5th Holy Grail War?
Will the dominant pair be the one waited endlessly and the one who pursued endlessly?
Archer and Artoria Looked at teacher other, their hand subconsciously joined together to give each other a calming squeeze.
-
Quests
-[Available]-
'Persona'
Your Servants stand by you, will you lead your companion to glory? Or will you lead them to their doom?
Objective:
Convince them to train Harriet 3/3
Rewards:
Magic Draining Metal 12kg
-[Completed]-
-
[NEXT TIME ON THE F/SN-UB- *Ahem* Uh... Primate murder through a multiverse!]
A/N:
Original post: Nov 20, 2021. (Originally Posted to Webnovel)
Updated post: Sep 07, 2023. (Updated Revamp/Rewrite Posted to Wattpad, and Spacebattles)
This was originally posted to Webnovel, then Wattpad. I've since stopped supporting updates to Webnovel and have started Revamping/Rewriting the story to better comply with FF. Net and will be cross posting between Wattpad, FF. Net and Spacebattles.