Capítulo 360: C360
The night settled over the land, casting it in darkness, while a full moon proudly illuminated the sky. A stillness hung in the air, wrapping everything in silence.
In the heart of Cornwall, right before the faceless statue of the Eternal King, a cloaked girl delicately brushed her fingers against the faceless King.
Altrouge, accompanied by Rizo-Waal Strout and Fina-blood Svelten, approached with an air of authority, exuding an imposing aura. Her voice cut through the stillness, carrying a hint of aggression, "Morgan!"
The girl ceased her caress, turned her head, and slowly lowered her hood, revealing a smile on her face.
"You owe me an explanation!" Altrouge said.
An intrigued expression crossed the girl's face as she responded, "An explanation? Explanation for what?"
"For killing one of my followers, Wallachia Night!"
"And what makes you so certain it was me?"
"Only someone like you could have transformed that human into the Night of Wallachia and placed him beside me without my knowledge!"
"That alchemist and I are somewhat partners. I didn't kill him, nor was I responsible for planting Dr. Heartless by your side."
Altrouge's brow furrowed as she demanded, "Then who was responsible?"
A mischievous smile played on the girl's lips, "The one who took his life is a magic from a distant past. And as for the one who brought him to your side... guess?"
Rizo-Waal Strout, with a stern expression, interjected, "Morgan, remember your position as a servant to Her Royal Highness. Show some respect!"
"I may possess many names and identities, but from the beginning to the end, my loyalty lies with only one king," the girl turned her gaze towards the crownless statue of the Eternal King, delicately plucking a fallen leaf from its surface.
For a millennium, her favorite activity had been cleaning the statue of the Eternal King, ensuring its surface was free from any trace of dust.
Altrouge fixed her gaze on the girl and asked, "You orchestrated the incident at the Castle of Separation, and that king made an appearance. Why didn't you go to meet him?"
A sudden realization dawned on Altrouge as she pointed at the girl and sneered, "Ah, I see! You're too ashamed to face the king!"
Shaking her head, the girl replied, "No, it's not just the king. I'm too ashamed to face anyone. Besides, I have already heard what the king had to say."
"When?" she asked, startled.
The girl simply flashed a smile and remained silent.
It was at that moment that Altrouge's eyes caught sight of the lollipop in the girl's hand.
"What's that?"
"Just a cheap lollipop."
She scoffed, "So, an ancient dame who's lived for over 1,500 years has a fondness for little girls' treats of this era? How ridiculous!"
"Well, I've always been quite the oddball," the girl chuckled, playfully poking fun at herself, choosing not to argue. She turned around, giving a wave of her hand, and cheerfully said, "Until we meet again, my Princess~!"
With a swish of her black cloak, the elegant girl transformed into a blond little girl in the blink of an eye, clutching a lollipop, and skipped away with delight.
Altrouge watched the petite figure recede into the distance, her brows knitting tightly, remaining silent.
"Your Highness, what shall we do next?"
She pondered for a moment and replied, "First, let's investigate who's responsible for killing my people!"
"Yes!"
...
Shortly after Waver returned to London, he fell ill. Astraea's Noble Phantasm possessed the incredible ability to restore everything to its original state, bringing the deceased back to life and mending injuries. However, it appeared to have no effect on mental fatigue.
Waver had been pushing himself to the limit to make amends for stealing Kenneth's Conqueror King's relic. He tirelessly worked, braving the wind and rain, yet still found himself burdened with mountain of debts. Therefore, he frequently worked overtime, neglected exercise, and coupled with the recent shocking events, it eventually took its toll. He collapsed and had to be hospitalized for recovery.
His students paid him a visit, but instead of improving his condition, their presence only made his condition worse, causing his stomach to ache as if he had appendicitis. Especially that golden-haired girl.
"Oh, Professor, did you miss your adorable student?" Reines playfully covered her mouth, a mischievous smile on her face. "Would you like this adorable student to peel an apple for you?"
Waver's face twisted with pain in his stomach. He knew all too well that whenever Reines wore that particular smile and attempted to please him, it meant that something had gone wrong and she needed him to clean up the mess.
"Stop beating around the bush. What have you done this time?"
She couldn't help but chuckle. "It's not a big deal, really. I may have accidentally taken a bite out of Valualeta's cake..."
Waver's breath caught in his throat. "That woman happens to be the teacher of that Puppet Maker! And you had the audacity to lay a finger on her cake?"
"Well..." she clasped her hands together, her expression turning pitiful as she pleaded, "Professor, you wouldn't stand idly by and let your adorable student get beaten up by others, would you?"
"You... You devil...! You came here just to purposely annoy me, didn't you? Get out!" His anger trembled through his voice as he pointed toward the door.
"In that case, I'll leave it all to you, Professor~!" she left with a delighted smile on her face.
Apart from her, Caules and the others also paid Waver a visit.
To worsen Waver's stomachache, his other students arrived bearing gifts, no less extravagant than Reines'.
His discomfort intensified in an instant.
Shirou also dropped by to visit Waver, bringing some fruits and suggesting that he should exercise more before he left.
The whole Castle of Separation ordeal had finally wrapped up, but that didn't mean everything was resolved.
The Adra Castle incident was merely the start. The bigger problems lay in the revival of the Age of Gods and the existence of parallel worlds.
But seriously, Zelretch was unbelievably slow and inefficient!
He had been back and forth numerous times, but Zelretch still hadn't returned.
On top of that, Shirou couldn't shake off the feeling that everything around him had become incredibly strange. He vividly recalled asking Lorelei for a favor—specifically, to keep his identity under wraps so he could stay undisturbed.
Lorelei must have tried her best, but the outcome fell far short of his expectations.
It was true that no Lord or magus family came searching for him, but what baffled him was that every time he went shopping, the storekeepers, dressed in fancy suits like high society figures, would gaze at him with awe and say that his purchase had already been paid for by someone else.
From a distance, they appeared to be regular shopkeepers, donning plain white undershirts and appearing somewhat unkempt. However, as Shirou drew closer, they underwent a miraculous transformation, morphing into impeccably dressed upper-class elites, sporting suits and wearing expressions of sheer admiration.
He didn't need more than a hunch to realize that this wasn't the handiwork of the Barthomeloi family but rather some other magus family that had discovered his true identity.
And if that weren't already exaggerated enough...
The most mind-boggling part was when he had the simple desire to visit the snack street for some treats. The moment he approached, the messy snack street vanished without a trace, replaced by a proper, clean, high-class street filled with British gentlemen.
Furthermore, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong with his condition. Ever since he had used the Class Card, he hadn't been himself. It was like he was reliving his childhood all over again, and it left him with an odd and uncomfortable sensation.
But that wasn't the only bizarre thing happening. Arcueid, for some unknown reason, had completely lost it. Lately, she'd been sneaking into his room at night, taking the Class Card from his pocket, and sticking it on his head.
"What on earth are you doing? Can't you let me sleep?" He took the Card off his head and looked at her with a speechless expression.
She said seriously, "Shirou, you're so strong in that chibi form! Come on, let's do it again!"
Shirou, however, grabbed her by the hair, threw her out, and then locked the door before returning to bed to sleep.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
She frantically knocked on the door from outside, crying out, "Shirou, Shirou! Let me in, let me in!"
Ignoring the commotion, he buried himself under the covers and drifted back to sleep.
"Waa... When you need me to do something, you call me 'Little Troublemaker,' but when you don't need me, you just throw me away! So heartless! You're truly heartless, Shirou! Wahhh!" she burst into tears, waking up the other people in the hotel who looked at her curiously.
Unable to bear it, he reluctantly opened the door and pulled her inside, giving her a stern warning, "No more interrupting my sleep!"
"Okay, I promise!" she obediently nodded.
However, as soon as he settled back into bed, showing signs of falling asleep, she once again placed the Class Card on his head.
Shirou: "..."
...
Gray had just returned from her visit to Waver's hospital room. She didn't feel comfortable staying there for too long since Svin Glascheit, another one of Waver's students, was there.
Svin was the oldest among Waver's current students and held the same Third Rank, Pride, as Matou Zouken. He was undeniably a complete genius.
Svin had a remarkable talent for Beast magecraft. Despite his handsome and elegant appearance, resembling a well-mannered British gentleman, his behavior would take a peculiar turn whenever he encountered Gray or caught a whiff of her scent. His friend, Flat, teasingly referred to him as "Le Chien," which meant "dog" in French.
In fact, Beast Magecraft was a unique form of magecraft that involved a gradual transformation of oneself, including the brain. As a result, Svin's past self had become hazy, with memories intact but the emotions associated with them difficult to recall. The entity known as Svin Glascheit was slowly becoming a mere symbol.
Even within the Clock Tower, Svin always felt like a different creature, constantly plagued by a sense of alienation.
However, everything changed just half a month ago in the El-Melloi Classroom when he first encountered Gray. It was as if he had finally found a kindred spirit, and the sense of alienation disappeared. Unfortunately, this newfound connection also triggered his peculiar and, at times, almost perverse behavior.
However, Gray remained unaware of Svin's situation. She simply felt troubled by his behavior. Being self-doubting and gentle by nature, she chose to avoid him rather than confront the issue directly.
Artoria, noticing her distress, positioned herself in front of her with a serious expression. "If you're uncomfortable with his attention, it's best to address it openly," she advised.
Gray hesitated, her delicate heart torn between her own concerns and the fear of hurting Svin. "But... but wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
She responded earnestly, "No! The King once said that when uncertainty persists, it breeds confusion! Only through establishing clear boundaries can communication and interaction be truly harmonious."
"The king... said that?" Gray was taken aback.
Artoria nodded confidently and reached into her pocket, producing a small book. She flipped through a few pages before explaining, "The King spoke of the importance of caring for others' emotions as a sign of personal growth. However, constantly prioritizing others' emotions without establishing clear boundaries can lead to a lack of self-identity. It often manifests as taking on others' problems as one's own and consistently assuming responsibility for their emotions."
Gray couldn't help but shrink back, feeling as though she had been singled out.
She looked at the book in Artoria's hand and asked, "What... what is that?"
Artoria smiled warmly, "It's the book of King's wisdom!"
Gray's eyes widened. "Is it the wisdom of Fujimaru-sama?"
"Fujimaru? The King's true name is Guinevere," Artoria clarified, her expression serious and assertive.
"Oh, I see..."
Gray hesitated for a moment, her gaze weakly meeting Artoria's, "Um... can I take a look at it?"
"No, you can't." she closed the book and carefully returned it to her pocket, her tone serious. "Children shouldn't read this."
"Uh..." Gray shrank back. The words from the Book of Wisdom had struck a nerve. Deep down, she wanted to change her troublesome personality, but sadly, she had no idea how to go about it.
Looking at the timid Gray, Artoria's face gradually softened.
She couldn't help but notice how much Gray resembled her past self—the version of her who didn't understand herself.
And also, how much she resembled...
Artoria fell silent for a moment, then gently patted Gray's head, a warm smile forming on her lips, "I will teach you slowly, there's no need to rush."
"Ah?" she looked at Artoria in a panic, her expression uneasy. She managed to stammer, "Tha... thank you..."
Gray made her way back to her own residence.
On the way, she asked, "By the way, Your Highness, do you have any impression of our teacher?"
Artoria pondered for a moment before responding, "There's a sense of familiarity, why do you ask?"
"Our teacher took part in the Fourth Holy Grail War, just like you..."
"I see now. It's coming back to me. He used to be the Master of the Conqueror King, but he's changed so much. He used to hide behind the Conqueror King's shadow, but now he can stand on his own. I'm sure the Conqueror King would be pleased to see that. I'm just not sure how that Caster is doing... I owe him a favor."
"Caster?" Gray stopped in her tracks.
"What's the matter, Gray?"
With an odd expression, she looked at Artoria and revealed, "Our teacher mentioned something about it. The Caster who took part in the Fourth Holy Grail War was none other than His Majesty, the Eternal King. Weren't you aware of that?"
"Huh?"
Artoria was caught off guard.
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