บท 502: C502
Astolfo led the way to Shirou and Jeanne's assigned quarters.
"This is the castle's main hallway. Oh, and there's a bathroom over that way." Astolfo pointed, singing a light tune under his breath. He enthusiastically explained the various architectural details of the castle to the two of them. His little braid bounced behind him, causing Shirou's hand to itch slightly.
It was an odd scene. Jeanne wasn't part of the Black Faction, yet here was Astolfo, introducing the castle's layout with no reservations and seemingly no ulterior motives.
He definitely didn't come off as a scheming person; he seemed downright innocent.
Was this Vlad's plan all along? To have Astolfo show them around, not just as a gesture of goodwill, but maybe to send a message about the kind of people they were dealing with?
But who could say for sure?
Shirou didn't bother overthinking it. The Holy Grail War, despite its name, was more a personal battle than anything else. The sort of strategies used in wars between nations didn't quite apply here.
Thinking there wouldn't be a conflict anytime soon, he decided to use All the World's Evil and reverse his Saint Graph.
The air around him began to ripple with a cursed, sinister energy, causing Jeanne to furrow her brows.
Even Astolfo, usually all smiles and sunshine, couldn't help but stiffen his expression.. He glanced at him, confusion lining his face. "Assassin, you seem different. What's going on?"
"Don't worry, it's just my Noble Phantasm," Shirou said gently.
"Oh? What kind of Noble Phantasm gives off such an unsettling aura?" Astolfo asked with great interest.
Shirou gave a light laugh, "You're pushing your luck there, Rider."
Astolfo blinked, then let out an awkward laugh, scratching his head. "Oops, my bad, Assassin. I can be a bit nosy sometimes, but promise, I'm just curious."
"I don't mind; I actually find your honesty quite refreshing."
Just then, a group of attendants walked by them. They were a mix of men and women, all armed. While they looked human, their blank expressions and vacant stares made them seem more like robots than people.
"Who are they...?" Jeanne stopped and looked at the attendants with a serious and curious expression.
Astolfo explained, "Don't mind them; they are artificial lifeforms created by Caster for the Holy Grail War."
"Artificial... lifeforms?" she was somewhat surprised.
Astolfo nodded, searching for the right words. "Yeah, like... today's robots, I guess? Back in the day, you'd probably call them golems or puppets."
"So, they're combat weapons with no self-awareness?" she wondered aloud.
Astolfo laughed lightly, "Well, if they had self-awareness, they'd pretty much be human, right? We're heroes; we wouldn't do such things."
"Not necessarily," Shirou interjected.
"Huh?"
Both Astolfo and Jeanne looked at him.
He waved off their concern. "Never mind. Anyway, Rider, mind showing me to my room?"
"Sure thing!" Astolfo agreed with a nod.
Shirou took another look at the artificial beings.
There was no doubt about it; his evil was siphoning off mana from them, albeit in an incredibly small amount.
His skill transformed mana from evil emotions. From this alone, it was clear that these so-called artificial lifeforms might not be as devoid of emotions or consciousness as Astolfo had suggested. Whether it was the Caster of Black who created them or the Servants who enslaved them, fundamentally, they were oppressors.
If the hero known for fighting oppression were here, he'd probably start revolting in no time. However, Shirou didn't take any action, nor did he share his thoughts.
The opinion of other Heroic Spirits aside, from a modern ethical standpoint, isn't creating artificial life forms something worth questioning?
...
Shirou's room had a window view, and Jeanne's was just next door.
Once Astolfo settled Jeanne in, he popped into Shirou's room, saying, "Hey, if you ever need anything or have questions, just give me a shout. We're all on the same side here. And, to be honest, I'm the only one with nothing to do now, and I'm quite bored."
Shirou arched an eyebrow. "You don't think I should be assigned to a task right away?"
Astolfo took a moment to consider. "What Lancer is trying to say is that since you've just arrived, Assassin, it might be a good idea for you to familiarize yourself with the place first... right?"
"I see. I've always been the type to stay busy, and having too much free time makes me uncomfortable."
"Huh? Does that mean Assassin was quite busy during his lifetime?"
"Ah yes, I was always pretty busy. Now that I'm not, it feels... uncomfortable."
Astolfo gave a sympathetic nod. "Sounds like a lot to handle. As for me, I've always tried to find ways to be lazy. But my friends don't mind, and even my king would slack off with me. Good times..." he chuckled. "Anyway, if you need anything or have questions, feel free to give me a shout. Consider me your tour guide."
Shirou nodded, "Alright."
Astolfo left the room.
Shirou leaned against the window, staring at the black ring hovering in the sky.
His brow creased in thought. He wasn't the type to play hero or poke his nose into affairs that weren't his. But something about that ring was hard to ignore.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Three soft knocks came from the entrance.
The door wasn't even locked, yet someone chose to knock. Definitely someone with good manners.
He glanced over his shoulder. "Come on in."
The door creaked open, and there stood Ruler, or as many knew her, Jeanne.
She held a book in her hands, pausing briefly as their eyes met.
"Do you need something?" He asked. "I thought you were off to scout the castle?"
"I was planning on it, but... I'm quite concerned about the answer you mentioned earlier, Assassin."
He raised an eyebrow. "Which answer?"
She set the advanced math book she'd been holding on the table, flipping it open to a particular problem. "This one right here. You said the answer was 1.3454. How did you come to that conclusion?"
He blinked, a hint of confusion crossing his face. "Is this really what you should be focusing on right now?"
"Please, I really need to understand. My thoughts are all over the place, and if I don't solve this, it might just make things worse," Jeanne said, a hint of desperation in her eyes.
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you have OCD?"
Jeanne looked away, a touch of red on her cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about…"
He chuckled lightly. "Alright, come here." He beckoned her over, grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen from a nearby table. "Watch closely. I'll walk you through it."
She nodded eagerly, looking very serious.
"This problem is actually quite simple; it involves several formulas. Let's consider a function f(X), and we have a value a = 8. To solve this problem, we'll begin by finding the derivative of f(X) with respect to X. So, as X approaches values within the interval (0, 1], we need to calculate the derivative of f(X)..."
He was deep into his calculations, detailing each step as he solved the problem.
Jeanne started off with an earnest look, trying hard to follow. But as the minutes passed, her face transformed from concentration to confusion, and then to sheer bewilderment. She thought, do they even speak the same language?
After jotting down the final step, he said, "And there it is, 1.3454. Simple when you break it down, right?"
Lifting his head, he was met with Jeanne's dazed expression.
"Uh... um..." she hesitated.
"What's wrong?" He asked gently.
With a sheepish smile, she replied, "Could you, um, explain it in a way even a village girl could understand?"
He gave a bewildered look, "I thought I broke it down pretty well. It's not that hard of a problem."
"As expected of advanced mathematics!" Jeanne could only sigh.
He laughed lightly. "Ruler, this is just standard high school math."
With a hint of confidence, she nodded, "I know, high school math is considered advanced too, right?"
Shirou: "..."
"Anyway, can you try making it simpler for me, Mr. Assassin?" she gave him a pleading look.
He sighed. "Alright then. I have some time to spare. Let's work through this."
Over the next ten minutes, he patiently went over the problem, trying different methods and explanations.
Throughout it all, she remained quiet.
"You're still not getting it? It's alright; we can try another approach."
Slowly, Jeanne closed the math book. "I think we should stop here."
"Is something wrong?"
Holding the book firmly, she replied with determination, "I am a Ruler. How can I waste time on something like this? It's blasphemy against my Lord. I must focus on inspecting the Black Faction's camp. I apologize for the trouble, Assassin."
Without a second thought, she walked out, math book in hand.
...
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