Capítulo 286: C286
Irisviel noticed the girl's keen perception. Though graceful and composed, she possessed a childlike curiosity and innocence.
One incident stood out vividly in Irisviel's memory: while on a flight, the girl eagerly pointed at birds gliding outside the window, inquiring about their species.
The girl's vibrant curiosity and genuine enthusiasm reminded Irisviel of a child, both amusing and bewildering. Nevertheless, she enthusiastically shared the bird's name and details with the young girl.
However, Irisviel had many concerns weighing on her, particularly when it came to her husband, Kiritsugu. She loved him immensely and had grown to understand his distinct character, but there were times when she felt unsure about how to truly connect with him or bring him joy.
This predicament puzzled the young girl. They had already brought a daughter into the world, so why did Irisviel still feel like an enamored teenager? Despite this, she decided to offer her suggestion.
"Um... giving him meaningful gifts and providing gentle support when he's tired...?" Irisviel repeated.
The girl nodded.
Irisviel looked at her with a puzzled look.
"What's wrong, Irisviel? Is there something weird on my face?"
"No, not at all. I just didn't expect Saber being familiar with these things."
The young girl felt a twinge of underestimation and expressed her displeasure, saying, "Irisviel, even I know how to please a man!"
Irisviel's laughter grew even more joyful, while the young girl's sense of being underestimated and annoyance continued to escalate.
However, despite this woman who possessed childlike qualities, the young girl made a solemn vow to protect her as a knight until the very end of the war.
The first battle of the Holy Grail War began shortly thereafter.
It was Saber who took the initiative and engaged in combat with Lancer.
The young girl approached the fight cautiously, aware that close combat was not her area of expertise.
When it came to swordsmanship alone, she was even inferior to Lancelot, not to mention Merlin, who served as both her swordsmanship teacher and was widely regarded as the greatest swordsman.
She refrained from resorting to harsh words against Lancer, as such behavior didn't align with her personal style. Instead, she chose to communicate through her weapon, expressing herself against her enemies.
However, whether it was a mere perception or something more, she couldn't help but sense a peculiar similarity between herself and the polite, chivalrous Knight, Lancer. It wasn't rooted in the spirit of knighthood or martial skill, but rather a shared sense of guilt as knights towards someone.
But could this truly be worthy of the name "Holy Grail War," a clash that gathered extraordinary individuals spanning different eras?
Merely facing Lancer in the opening skirmish proved to be a formidable challenge, and matters grew even more difficult with the entrance of Rider and Archer.
She couldn't help but lament the unfortunate circumstance of not being summoned as a Rider. Perhaps then she would have possessed a slight edge in the battles that lay ahead.
Bound by her manifestation as a Saber, her abilities were limited to wielding the Sword of Promised Victory. However, whether as a king or as a mother, she refused to yield. With unwavering determination, she pressed on until the final moments, her gaze fixed upon victory and the acquisition of the Holy Grail.
Soon after, Archer forced that peculiar Servant out of his hiding place.
Donning an exceptionally unusual attire, complete with bulbous eyes adorning his mask.
Perhaps it was some sort of eccentric costume.
And this particular Servant... she despised him!
He was a cunning person!
With the appearance of that particular Servant, she realized that a portion of the child's innate darkness had now befallen her. The amplification of her own legend had been weakened.
That Servant seemed to embody all that was wicked and had the ability to diminish not only her legend but also that of others. In this situation, he truly resembled a deceitful scoundrel.
Lancer initiated an attack against that Servant, while Berserker abruptly emerged to protect him.
At this moment, it became evident to everyone, including herself, that Caster was not the deceitful scoundrel they had initially thought.
Archer and Rider managed to defeat Berserker, while Lancer continued his assault on Caster. Meanwhile, she prepared to retreat.
As she had pledged to protect Irisviel as a knight, she couldn't allow any harm to befall her.
Caster's revelation brought to light Lancer's true identity, exposing him as Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, the unparalleled knight who had betrayed the Knights of Fianna.
Remarkably, their identities, histories marred by betrayal, and even their destinies held uncanny resemblances. As Caster ruthlessly exposed Diarmuid's painful past, mercilessly tearing at his heart, an unexpected surge of empathy washed over her. It was as if she could feel the anguish tearing at her own soul.
She was too immature. Unable to restrain herself, she drew her sword and interrupted Caster, "Interfering in a knight's duel goes against my principles. But this is enough! The insult to the knight, that's enough! Lancer and I have fought before, he is a true knight, I won't allow you to insult him anymore!"
She had no intention of engaging in a full-blown battle here, nor did she intend to fight Caster to the death. Her goal was victory, the Holy Grail. There was no need to engage in a life-or-death struggle in such a dangerous situation. As long as Caster would shut his mouth and stop hitting sore spots, it would be enough.
However, that Caster turned his artillery towards her.
"A knight? Are you saying that knights are only allowed to be praised for their fairness and integrity, even if it's not true?"
"It's not like that! But you are insulting a knight!" She stared at him, with no intention to attack.
"I am stating facts! Are the things I am saying not true events that have actually happened? Knight King, are you praising knights while denying the reality created by someone named Diarmuid? Just like you want to deny the destruction of Camelot?"
Camelot...!
She tightened her grip on the holy sword.
This Servant's perception of her, as well as those experiences, seemed to be influenced by the current era's understanding of that history. Similar to Irisviel, there were certain aspects that were inaccurately portrayed.
However, only a few specific points managed to shatter all of her defenses completely. The civil war among the Knights of the Round Table, the downfall of Camelot, the Battle of Camlann, Mordred, Guinevere, and the King of Knight—the woman who, even in death, yearned to restore the kingdom... The pain, the struggle, the inner weakness that threatened to overwhelm her, almost bringing tears to her eyes.
But she couldn't allow herself to break down.
Especially not in this moment.
Instead, a surge of anger began to replace her weakness.
An all-consuming anger.
She was foolishly deceived by that Servant's persuasive words, allowing him to escape without a fight. The overwhelming anger within her compelled her to make a resolute vow: to bring about the demise of that Servant.
Irisviel was somewhat afraid of Saber in that state.
But she had no other choice.
The pain of her heart being torn apart became unbearable, and she found herself consumed by anger.
The King had once spoken about how all human anger stemmed from the pain of one's own incompetence. However, an angry person is unable to perceive this truth.
She had remembered every word the King had spoken, yet she couldn't help but remain immature in the end.
Despite declaring her determination to defeat that Servant with honor, she wasn't prepared to take immediate action.
Her ultimate objective was the Holy Grail, and defeating that Servant served as a necessary step towards it.
However, the true formidable enemies were Rider and Archer.
If only she had been summoned as a Rider.
But such thoughts were mere wishful thinking.
Deep within her, the young girl held a sense of dissatisfaction and an underlying feeling of not truly fitting in with her Master.
The person she had once served, the one who commanded her and harnessed her abilities, was the King who possessed the remarkable ability to bring out the best in everyone. In contrast, her current Master constantly sought to shoulder everything on his own.
Similar to Vortigern, her Master was someone who lived within the confines of his own world, determined to see only what aligned with his desires and relentlessly persisting on a singular path.
The young girl found herself unaccustomed to this particular Master, yet it held little significance. Her sole focus rested on the attainment of the Holy Grail, and as long as she could achieve that, it would be enough.
Nevertheless, this particular Master possessed the mindset of a person willing to go to any lengths in order to secure victory.
The young girl did not object to using whatever means necessary to achieve victory. She had even resorted to disguises and carried out the assassination of Attila.
However, the Holy Grail War was meant to be a conflict between seven Servants, not a war involving innocent people. Why did they have to involve the lives of innocent people in this conflict?
Ultimately, this fundamental contrast in perspective became the primary reason why the young girl and her Master chose to part ways.
If the King were here, he would likely be incensed and wage war against all those responsible for involving innocent people, much like his reaction to Vortigern.
In an attempt to calm her restless mind, she decided to take a stroll through the streets. As she walked, her attention was caught by an person who bore an astonishing resemblance to Guinevere. Overwhelmed with excitement, she approached the person and instinctively grasped his shoulder, eagerly asking, "Guinevere! Are... are you Guinevere?"
"Auntie, did you mistake me for someone else?" the person, or rather the child, asked with a mixture of innocence and fear.
She reminded herself that this was not her Camelot, but rather the modern world, separated by over 1,500 years. The wise princess had long since vanished, having returned to her own realm.
Nevertheless, the resemblance was uncanny. It was not only their delicate features, but also their fearful expressions and the timid aura they both carried. Were it not for his short hair and the fact that he was a boy, she might have genuinely believed Guinevere had returned to this world.
The King and Guinevere had the same face.
But Guinevere had always been gentle and timid. No matter from which angle she looked at it, that child looked so much like Guinevere.
She took one last glance at the boy's back and then turned away.
For the sake of Camelot, she needed to obtain the Holy Grail at any cost.
And afterward, Rider, accompanied by Archer, arrived at the Einzbern castle to engage in a conversation with her, seeking to sway others with their ideals of kingship and the desires they yearned to fulfill once the Grail was in their possession.
The King had once said that the highest level of strategy was to bend others to yours will without fighting, so she agreed.
However, the most crucial point was that as Saber, even with the Sword of Promised Victory in her hand, she lacked confidence in defeating these two kings.
She would have complete confidence in defeating these two kings only if her own King were to manifest.
However, should the King manifest in this Holy Grail War, her only choice would be to take her own life and hide from him.
Because... she had no face to meet the King.
Merely hearing the King's name invoked a deep sense of shame in her, driving her to thoughts of suicide.
However, this debate about kingship made her incredibly furious.
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