Kapitel 500: C500
"Could it be him? No way... But that face..." the petite knight mumbled to herself.
Sisigou tilted his head, "Everything okay?"
She snapped back, "Oh, sorry, Master. Sometimes I just get lost in my thoughts and end up talking to myself. It sounds a bit crazy, I know. Feel free to tease me, I won't hold it against you." She paused, then added, "Of course, if you tease me too harshly, I will definitely kick your butt."
"And what exactly qualifies as 'too harsh'?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Of course, I'll be the judge of that. If I think it's too much, then I'll kick your butt."
Sisigou: "..."
Why did it feel like dealing with a child?
"Putting that aside for now, your plan kind of fell apart there, Sir Galahad."
She shrugged, "Plans fall apart all the time. It's the ones that don't that you should worry about. 'Those who scheme are bound to be schemed against.' 'The more detailed the plan, the more things can go wrong.' Engrave this in your mind, Master; these are…" She paused, then proudly concluded, "My words of wisdom!"
"Right... What's the plan now? Should we keep laying low here?" Sisigou questioned.
"Nah, time to meet with our delightful little allies," the petite knight grinned, "We're all on the same side, it doesn't hurt to help each other."
Rolling his eyes, he replied, "Who was it just now that said we shouldn't really be trusting our so-called allies and even thinking about backstabbing them?"
She chuckled, "Oh, that was definitely me. Don't take it the wrong way; I'm not bragging, but when it comes to scheming and stabbing people in the back, I'm really good at it. Huh? What did you say? Was that... praise? I'll take it. Thanks for the compliment." She gave a playful bow.
Sisigou: "..."
He was baffled. This knight really had no shame.
Rubbing his temples, he sighed, "Your character is about to collapse, Sir 'Galahad'."
She just laughed it off, "It's okay, if it collapses, we can just borrow another person's name." She pondered for a moment, "Got it, let's go with Mordred, the Rebellious Knight. Just call me Mordred from now on, Master. And keep calling me that, even in public."
"Alright," he sighed again in resignation.
But this new alias ruled out two possible identities. So, not Galahad or Mordred. Could it be Gareth, as he suspected? Would Gareth even act like this?
Sisigou shook his head, still grappling with the mystery of the small knight's true identity. Since when do Servants keep their real names a secret from their Masters? Isn't their partnership supposed to be built on trust?
He paused before voicing another concern, "We were planning an ambush on Lancer not too long ago, and now we're going to them for a visit. Is that wise? You just said that there's something not quite right with our 'allies'."
"Times have changed, and we need to adapt. Being stuck in your ways will lead to your downfall. Adaptability is key, Master. Even problematic allies might still be useful in some way. The key is, as long as they're still on our side, they're our allies," she chuckled darkly.
But he didn't find it scary; instead, he thought of her as very dependable.
...
Inside the Church...
Karna made his way back to the Red Faction's stronghold.
His battle with his long-time rival, Arjuna, left its marks. He was, after all, not invincible.
The priest attending to his wounds asked, "How are you holding up, Lancer?"
"The physical scars will heal, but meeting my archenemy and 'that person' in this Holy Grail War? It's either the hand of destiny or some twisted play of fate."
The priest's eyebrows furrowed, "'That person'? You mean the Assassin from the Black Faction?"
Karna simply nodded, "Yes, I'm talking about him."
Just then, Achilles, the Rider of Red, barged in looking none too pleased. "Lancer, you pulled back? Here I thought you'd take on that Archer till the bitter end. The priest even had to use a Command Spell to get you back! I backed you up, and now that venomous woman's got a bone to pick with me."
Venomous woman? Assassin's thoughts raced, a mix of rage and indignation. "Keep running your mouth while you can, Achilles. When this faction war ends, I promise you'll be the first to taste my poison!" she snapped.
Achilles laughed heartily, seemingly unconcerned.
The priest, however, wasn't interested in their bickering. His focus remained on Karna. "Do you know the Assassin's true name?"
"I don't know," Karna answered simply.
Achilles, now curious, chimed in, "You seemed to have some history with him."
"Arjuna and I were summoned by the Counter Force for a task in another world. During that mission, we crossed paths with that person. Because of this, even in my current form as a Servant, I still remember him," Karna explained.
"So, who is he?" the priest asked, showing more interest in the outcome than the details.
Karna responded, "I believe it's King Arthur."
"Arthur? The King of Britain?" the priest frowned.
Achilles snorted, "Him? He's nothing special."
Karna simply looked at him, "This one is no ordinary King Arthur."
Achilles raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean by that?" the priest questioned, his brows furrowing deeper.
Karna calmly stated, "He is an extraordinary person. In this war, perhaps even including myself, there might not be anyone who can truly stand up to him."
Assassin's low scoff cut through the tense air, showing her silent objection.
Achilles, ever the curious warrior, pushed further, "So, he's that powerful?"
Karna turned his eyes to him, "First seven at the pinnacle of Heroic Spirits."
Achilles was stunned, Assassin's expression froze, Atalanta's cat ears twitched, and even the priest's eyes contracted.
An uncomfortable silence took over, punctuated only by the steady rhythm of a heartbeat.
"The... seven strongest from that era?" The priest's words came out hesitantly, as if wrestling with the weight of the revelation.
Karna simply nodded.
[Note: Grand Servants are described as the "seven strongest from that era," the "first seven at the pinnacle of Heroic Spirits" that each hold the title of Grand position. The primary qualification is ability and anecdotes of a high standard that stand at the top of their Class. Each Class, with the exclusion of Grand Assassin, has multiple candidates, and the final decision on which Heroic Spirit is summoned is based on what needs to be overcome in that era.]
"Having a Grand Caster in the war... it's more problematic than dealing with a Ruler," the priest mumbled to himself.
"It doesn't have to be," responded Karna. "I can sense that his mana isn't at its full strength, so he's not a major threat right now. That's probably why he avoided a fight with me earlier. But we can't afford to underestimate him; he has the ability to rapidly recover his mana. In a maximum of five days, his mana will recover to the point where he can sweep through this Holy Grail War. If you ask me, we should force him to withdraw within the next three days."
The priest let out a weary sigh, "It's a bit unnerving to hear such grave words from your mouth," He then added, "This... King Arthur... who exactly is he?"
"Every heroic spirit on the throne knows him well. He's deep within the Throne of Heroes, in endless slumber, a king who never stirs. He's unique, the only one who has ever changed the course of human history, the absolute representation of the Arthurian legend, Eternal King," Karna shared.
Everyone from the Red Faction stopped, a heavy silence in the air.
"So, it's actually… the King the Counter Force has been dying to contract as a Guardian… It all makes sense now," the priest sighed heavily.
"He needs to be our top elimination priority," the priest murmured.
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