Bab 87: Chapter 87: Foreseen Revelation..?
"Nothing much changed."
"Yes… except for people clamoring to buy your magic swords."
When I was asleep, there was nobody who could replace the magic swords I made. It was imbued with the [Miracle Maker] skill plus the technicalities I learned in my world.
Miracle Maker…
Does it have something to do with the grail?
Considering its name and nature, I have a feeling it does.
As we walked in the north-west street, I saw many familiar establishments one-by-one. While I may have perceived everything as a swift but long dream, the memories of the ninth iteration made me feel nostalgic at its sight.
A ruined Orario…
That day should never come.
"I'm curious. Other than Filvis, Ein, and you, who else had mastered Mana Furnace?"
Lili's chientrope ears perked up.
"There's Lante-san as well as Haruhime-san."
"I see…"
Lante could definitely do it with her talent in magic. All mages had inherent advantages when practicing this spell for the first time. Felmenia-san was one such example.
Since they have their own viewpoints on magic, their foundations are deeper than the beginners.
But, Haruhime-san?
"Hephaestus-sama, Filvis-san, and Miku-san decided on it after seeing her persistence about being stronger. She wants to be of help to you, teacher."
"Sun Priestess…"
Knowing Haruhime-san's character, I am not surprised they decided on this. She is one of the few who survived until the final battle as well as became a strong support for the team with her ability to level up statuses.
"Is she diving the dungeon as we speak?"
"Yes. She's with Ein-san."
There goes the reason behind their absence.
Just as we were talking, we bumped into a familiar acquaintance.
"Sirius..?"
The green-haired elf wearing a hostess uniform looked at me with surprise.
"Greetings, Miss Ryuu."
I greeted her.
"It has been quite a long time."
"...Indeed." She replied. "I assume you are heading for Artemis-sama?"
"That's right. I had been a cause of worry."
As we talked, she reverted to her usual self.
It was also at this time did the murmurs of the surrounding people caught my attention.
"Sirius? That's him?"
"Who else?"
"Isn't he in a coma due to a failed magic experiment?"
"Huh? I heard it was caused by a new magic sword he was developing. Rumors has it the sword is unparalleled in the entire Gekai!"
"He's awake now..?"
"He's far different from before…"
"Wait, it's not just me?"
"Me too…"
Seeing the murmurs grow louder, I sent an apologetic look to Miss Ryuu. She understood it and bid her farewell.
"Until next time, Sirius."
"Take care."
We left before the crowd could even grow more interested. This is a norm for gods and adventurers alike.
"Lili."
"Yes?"
"Are you aware of the combat suits present inside the familia home?"
"The one safekeeped by Miku-san? I saw it once…"
"I'll give you one of them later."
"Teacher?!"
It is just enough. One of the suits is dubbed [Squire]. It specializes in close combats, unlike [Arbiter] that balanced both.
"You're already on the thirty-fifth floor. I'll help you catch up with Mana Furnace later." I said. "We missed many lessons. Were these fine for you?"
"Yes!"
Seeing her excited look, I was reminded of Gareth. She is the happy-go-lucky one out of us thirteen. She could even compete against Merlin in terms of liveliness, though that guy is something else.
Gun lance…
Should I let her try it later?
*****
While the sightings of Sirius spread, the duo arrived in front of the Artemis Familia home.
It looked the same as usual. There weren't any changes despite the familia's rapid rise within Orario's ranks.
Stepping within the barriers' range, Nobu found out they were far different from before. They are improved according to its controller's wishes. It has a touch of personal preferences compared to the textbook placement it has before.
Ba-dump-!
All of a sudden, his heart thumped loudly. He looked in a certain direction and felt a strong gaze from a goddess.
"Teacher, I will—"
"It's alright. I know the password."
The moment his fingertip touched an empty space, a dozen magic circles were revealed. Runes are written within their layers as they add up to the barrier's overall purpose.
Firstly, Nobu created his unique signature. Although, he noticed how it was slightly different compared to before.
'Galahad.'
It didn't pose a problem. All he had to do is to call out the remnants of his previous signature inputted before it served as a master key. Even though it was upgraded and lost most of its previous syntaxes, Nobu bypassed everything and opened the gate.
There wasn't anyone who welcomed him. It was a sudden visit that nobody could've predicted.
The first person they came across was none other than their 'healer'.
"Ah."
"..."
"Ah..?! Sirius?!"
She dropped a part of the rifle she was doing maintenance on. She abruptly stood up from her seat, causing everything to fall down—and in turn, break into several pieces.
It didn't matter to her.
"You… You're… awake?!"
"Yes. You're not hallucinating or dreaming." He replied. "I couldn't seem to find the others. Did they do something?"
"They… went out. Buying ingredients, condiments, and stuff." Nana answered blankly before she could regain herself.
Noticing her current state, he decided to give her some time to process it.
"Then, I'll be seeing her."
When he left, Lili remained. She somehow knew about the special relationship between her teacher and their familia's goddess.
She was extremely surprised at first but she was able to process everything after six months.
"Lili-chan… Was it only just now?"
"Yes. Teacher insisted on coming here the moment he woke up." Lili replied with a complex look. "From the looks of it, he wanted to see Artemis-sama immediately."
For the past six months, everyone in Artemis Familia got to know Lili. It is inevitable due to her identity as Nobu's first student. As such, she was not surprised when the revelation about the two did happen.
"...alright."
Nana ended up accepting everything. Thus, the two started coversing regarding the incidents this morning.
*****
I could feel it.
It is a vague connection at first. It didn't help much as it turned most of our interactions awkward. Having someone whom you don't know perceive your truest feelings is embarrassing to both sides.
But, ever since that day, this connection was strengthened. My magic [Orionids • Moon Hunt] is proof of it.
In a sense, it is a vow of our hearts.
Upon opening the door, someone jumped in front of me. A familiar fragrance invaded my nose.
At this moment, Artemis is shorter than me. It resulted in having our roles reversed.
"Orion…"
"... I'm back."
All the words I previously orepared ended up in two words.
"I'm sorry for making you worry."
Much to my surprise, she fell silent after that. I could feel drops of liuqod on my chest.
These are… tears.
I didn't think much. I patted her head while hugging her waist with my other hand.
No feelings of embarrassment and the likes appeared. It felt extremely natural to do this.
While this made me feel guilty, it also felt warm.
Perhaps, this is something Galahad hadn't experienced.
In such a manner, we stayed still until a few minutes later.
Artemis wiped the tears on her reddish eyes. I saw her fragile side.
'I'm not doing something like this again…'
A sudden thought struck me.
'If Artemis already felt like this… what could've our other versions…'
I shook off that thought.
It turned into a strong conviction that swore not to repeat this again.
"It's not your fault." Artemis spoke. "You saved a world, didn't you? It's not in my position to hold you back."
"..."
I knew Artemis enough to know it'll be like this. Just like Hephaestus-sama, she never held me back on my decisions. Instead, they supported me thoroughly.
Artemis wouldn't hold me back even if she knew my decision during the ninth iteration.
I fell silent for a moment before a thought entered my mind.
Without hesitation, I pressed forward. My lips made contact with hers. The familiar sensation of warmth during our first date appeared once again.
She was caught off guard at first, but she accepted me.
We delved into something deeper. This time, she took the initiative to invade with her tongue. It was only our fifth time, yet it felt vastly different. It's as if we could perceive our emotions in a deeper state—something that brought a sense of satisfaction.
After a while, we managed to regain ourselves before we parted.
"You still owe me much more…"
"...yes."
Her words coupled with the look on her face made it a critical hit. It felt complicated seeing the usual Artemis being this… clingy.
Perhaps she changed after we affirmed our relationship.
"Something changed on you… Was it your aura?"
"My aura?"
"Mn. Your gaze as well."
It didn't take me long to realize where it came from.
"Galahad… It must be due to my dreams."
I started explaining the things I could remember to her. In my sleep, I dreamt of being Galahad. However, the finer details are too vague that I could only remember several events such as the moment I found [Sword of Strange Hangings] and fighting Klingstor in the Corbenic Castle.
Nevertheless, I knew the reason why I forgot them.
Galahad was right.
I wasn't ready to accept everything in full. I experienced one shocking thing after another that my mental state isn't up-to-par.
"Galahad… You're previously a knight?"
Hm..?
"N-nothing. Don't mind it."
"I'm interested."
I didn't back down from her slightly flustered look. It is cute…yes, but I am genuinely interested if I heard things right.
After receiving her look, I knew I was right.
With a faint smile, I knelt on the ground. I gently held her hand before kissing it.
"I shall protect you with my life, my lady."
It is a knight's pledge.
A vow that shouldn't be broken even at the cost of a knight's life.
After a while, I stood up. Artemis is visibly embarrassed with the cheesy stunt I pulled over. Although, no matter how cheesy it is, that was the norm in Galahad's time.
There is a high chance that Sir Tristan and Sir Lancelot pulled it over the same stunt over countless women.
…
Thinking about the future I saw in my ninth iteration, I fell silent.
Would I really do that..?
I can't imagine how everything ended like that.
I don't even know how to break the news to Artemis.
"Orion..?"
"Fu…"
Why would I be afraid?
In the end, all I have to do is to trust her completely.
"Actually… I left out something in the ninth iteration. I didn't manage to say it before I went into a coma."
At this moment, the [Pure Heart] skill made my mind clear. I saw its description when I woke up.
[Pure Heart]
-Grants immunity to invasive powers to mind
-Increases the intensity of willpower
-Increases damage against evil entities
The sanctimony of the holiest knight.
That was the phrase that appeared on my mind when I saw it. Galahad has unprecedented levels of spirit and willpower that it is considered inhuman. It is the reason behind Galahad's inability to express himself properly.
Fortunately, I have what he lacked.
"In that time, besides you…"
Her countenance changed to that of a surprise when she heard it. She knew what I was about to say with our connection.
Nevertheless, I finished the sentence properly.
"...I had another lover."
As if it was an instinctual move, she asked:
"...It's Hephaestus, isn't it?"
Now, it was my turn to be surprised.
"When you were not looking… I saw how she looked at you."
Come again?
"Since when..?"
"Three weeks after becoming her familia member."
"...Huh?"
Truly, I want to smack my past self for overlooking those details..!
*****
Omake: Accidental Summoning (Non-canon)
Chaldea's makeshift summoning system glow brightly. With Mash's shield as the core, it was able to summon heroic spirits from all ages.
It was Gudako's another day of hoping for someone shocking to come out. She stored the energy prisms—Saint Quartz—to spend everything in one go.
'Someone good… Please..!'
Unfortunately, her luck was rotted to receive freshly-cooked [Mapo Tofu] from somewhere. It was a flaw that they hadn't fixed as of the moment.
As for saving the Saint Quartz until the flaw was repaired, it is not possible. The next singularity they would enter has a difficulty of EX—the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Thus, many fighting forces are welcomed.
The light from the shield died down.
Just then—
Beep-!
—the security countermeasures inside Chaldea activated all at once.
'What?!'
"Senpai..?"
In the center of the shield stood a man. His ashen-white hair and golden pupils were unfamiliar to Gudako—even to Mash—but she felt a strange familiarity out of him.
"...I see."
In an instant, the pressure that threatened to destroy everything disappeared. The dream organs possessed by the man gradually went to an inactive state.
"You might have mistakenly summoned me, but I shall help you one time." The man said. "As long as you give me three of those defective grails, that is."
"Ah..?"
Seeing their confusion, the man immediately said:
"Apologies. I haven't introduced myself yet. You can call me Sirius and I am what you consider as a Caster."
He paused before continuing:
"I am more known in this place as… Galahad."
"..!"
At this moment, the elusive shielder met one of his parallel selves
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone