章節 137: C137
Shirou gathered the knights under his command and held a strategy meeting for the upcoming expedition. During the meeting, he gathered intelligence from the leading knights of various kingdoms.
The Archbishop urged the army to set off as soon as possible to conquer the mountain giant and the workshop of the Dead Apostle behind it. The knights were eager to begin the war immediately, but Shirou urged them to wait for three days. He suggested that they use this time to plan their arsenal and tactics and send scouts to investigate the magic workshop and the giant.
Initially, the knights only wanted to conquer the giant to increase their own glory. However, Shirou's compelling arguments convinced them, especially after their defeat by Artoria.
Despite this, there was one thing that they could not accept. Jordanes sternly questioned Shirou, "Your Excellency Arthur, it's reasonable to let us rest for three days. But how can you let a woman be the strategist?"
Shirou intended to transfer that role to Artoria, a decision that was not only questioned by Jordanes but also by other knights.
Initially, Artoria was hesitant to take on the crucial role of strategist. However, after hearing Jordanes' remarks, she became indignant. She stepped forward, raised an eyebrow, and pointed at Jordanes, saying, "Sir Jordanes, if you're not satisfied, we can have another contest!"
Jordanes instinctively took a step back and his natural momentum weakened a bit in front of Artoria. He responded sternly, "My lady, strategy and combat cannot be confused! I acknowledge your strength in combat, but you are not capable in the field of strategy!"
Before Artoria could reply, Shirou stood up and looked at Jordanes. He said, "Sir Jordanes, I hope you can respect my decision. If you feel dissatisfied, why don't you and Artoria each take a hundred soldiers and engage in a simulation battle?"
Jordanes nodded, "Alright!" He did not believe that he would lose in the field of strategy to a woman.
As expected, Artoria, who was trained by Merlin, displayed exceptional strength in strategy. In the dream world's "King's Game," she led the army and never lost a battle, while Kay was defeated and ran away crying for his mother.
In the simulation battle with Jordanes, she quickly emerged victorious, completely suppressing him from start to finish. Jordanes was unable to accept this result and was left devastated.
Shirou then had those who did not accept Artoria as their strategist each engage in a simulation battle of strategy with her. Without exception, all were defeated by her. From then on, everyone acknowledged Artoria as their strategist.
What was even more remarkable was that this young girl was both exceptionally powerful in combat and strategy, despite being only an apprentice knight under Shirou. She wasn't even an official knight!
According to Artoria, Shirou was hundreds or even thousands of times stronger than her, and she had lost to him several times. This realization made the knights suddenly recognize Shirou's incredible strength and look at him as if he were a monster.
This left him feeling embarrassed, as in strategy, he had never won against her. The so-called losses that she had were actually in the dream world's "King's Game," where he had defeated her completely.
However, the knights were unaware of this fact, and Shirou had no intention of explaining himself. Therefore, people began to see him as a god of strategy.
Shirou used the excuse of inspecting the army to have the leading knights take him to inspect their camps. The first camp they inspected was controlled by Jordanes and his kingdom.
He approached a squad leader in charge of ten men and asked, "What's your name?"
The squad leader was overjoyed and quickly replied, "My name is Yul."
Shirou responded, "I remember your name," and patted the squad leader's shoulder before moving on.
Yul was dumbfounded when Shirou remembered his name. "I...I was remembered by His Excellency Arthur, the King of Destiny in legends?" he pointed to himself, feeling a great sense of honor surge from within him.
However, those around him laughed, saying, "Don't be silly! How could such a big shot remember our names?"
Yul realized they were right. He was just a common soldier, a squad leader in charge of ten men, not even a knight or a squire. Even the captain who led them often forgot his name. How could someone like the future king remember his name?
What Yul didn't know was that Shirou did remember. In fact, he remembered very diligently.
During his visit to the army camps, Shirou took the opportunity to learn more about the situation and remember the names of those in command. He remembered nearly a hundred names, from the leading knights who commanded legions to the squad leaders who commanded ten soldiers. This was something that an ordinary person could not possibly do.
However, Shirou was no longer bound by ordinary concepts, having undergone a Saint Graph alteration of Heroic Spirit EMIYA and experienced All the World's Evil. This had greatly improved his memory, making it easy for him to remember the names of those he encountered.
For people from Britain, many looked alike, making it difficult for Shirou to match the names and faces of those he encountered. However, during these three days, he made a great effort to do so.
Artoria noticed his actions, as did other knights like Tristan and Lamorak. However, no one thought it was strange, except for Artoria, who took it seriously.
She had always viewed Shirou as a model for the ideal king and felt the need to learn from his every move. However, upon reflection, she realized that grabbing her ponytail was a very rude and unworthy behavior to be promoted.
After inspecting the camps, Shirou returned to his residence. Artoria had some questions and was about to go after him to ask, but she was stopped by Bedivere. He apologized to Artoria for his faulty sword, which almost caused her to lose to Lamorak.
"Sir Bedivere," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "Please lift your head. You've done nothing wrong. I'm grateful to you for lending me the sword, and I haven't lost, so there's no need to apologize. However, I do have some questions to ask our king, so I must take my leave. Please excuse me."
As she departed, Bedivere watched her retreating figure with admiration. "She is a truly sincere knight. If she serves King Arthur, then he must be a sincere person as well to have earned her loyalty."
But Merlin, if he were present, would have thought differently. He would have remarked that Shirou was quite dirty.
In reality, Merlin was observing from afar with Clairvoyance and thinking just that.
...
Artoria entered Shirou's room and deftly pulled a notebook from her pocket as she approached him. "I have a question," she said, her demeanor that of a diligent student poised to take notes. "Why did you ask for the names of those squad leaders when passing by an army camp?"
As Shirou gazed at Artoria, a sudden wave of stomach pain overtook him.
After a brief pause, he posed his own question. "If you were a commoner and I were the king, and I remembered your name, how would you feel?"
She took a moment to consider before answering in earnest. "I wouldn't feel anything,"
Shirou: "..."
He fell silent at Artoria's response, feeling a pang of sympathy for her. He realized that she had likely suppressed her emotions for so long that she struggled to empathize with others like a normal person. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "It's hard to explain. Maybe you could write it down for now?"
"Of course, my king!" she replied with a nod, burying her head in her notebook to take notes.
She seemed to treat Shirou as her teacher, eagerly absorbing the knowledge of how to be a king from him like an obedient student.
Once she had finished taking notes, she turned to him and said, "Please rest well. As for dinner, let me bring it to you."
"No need," He replied. "I'll go to the army camp and eat dinner with the soldiers."
"Okay, I understand," she noted in her notebook before taking her leave.
Shirou felt somewhat helpless as he watched her go. He couldn't quite articulate his reasoning for wanting to dine with the soldiers.
His actions were guided by the principle of "A true gentleman would die for his friends," which emphasized the importance of human relationships and the meaning of life in reality.
Shirou, being a person with a modern mindset, understood the importance of human connections and knew how to leverage them effectively.
Remembering the names of the squad leaders might not appear significant to those knights, but for the soldiers, it played a crucial role in boosting morale and loyalty. In the soldiers' eyes, a leader who made the effort to remember their names demonstrated that they valued and respected them as individuals. It was a powerful way to win the hearts and minds of the soldiers, fostering camaraderie and loyalty within the ranks. On the other hand, a leader who couldn't recall the names of their soldiers was seen as indifferent and uncaring, which could erode trust and commitment among the troops.
There's a saying that a true gentleman is willing to lay down their life for their friends. However, when the decisive moment arrives, it can also mean shifting one's loyalty and allegiance.
It was a blind spot that Shirou was able to analyze thanks to the wisdom of a king, drawing from his own case studies and modern wisdom. Despite being an ordinary person without innate intelligence, Shirou's ability to learn was precisely what set him apart. He was determined to make progress, and that was all that mattered!
As night fell, Shirou left his room and joined the soldiers for dinner. This was a pleasant surprise for the soldiers since the commanders, who often regarded themselves as nobility, seldom dined with them.
Despite the fact that Shirou was soon to be crowned as king, he ate with the soldiers, which made them feel both honored and humbled.
During dinner, Shirou managed to lift the spirits of the soldiers. He called out the names of the squad leaders he had memorized and had them compete in front of the campfire. The clashing of swords and metals instantly enlivened the atmosphere among the soldiers, who were surprised and honored by Shirou's ability to recall their names. This brought them closer to him, creating a strong bond between them.
In a moment, Shirou had successfully enlivened the atmosphere, and the soldiers celebrated by patting each other on the back and dancing around the campfire. They even invited Shirou to join in, and he fearlessly accepted, happily dancing with them around the campfire.
As Shirou was about to leave, he heard the beautiful sound of a harp emanating from the forest, which was very pleasant to the ears. It was around eight o'clock in the evening, and with the moon being scarce, it was difficult for modern people to fall asleep. Intrigued, Shirou decided to follow the sound of the harp.
He came upon the same scene as before. Tristan was sitting on the treetop, gently stroking the harp, and the fairies, who had been drawn in by the music, were circling around and listening to the enchanting melodies.
As the song came to an end, Tristan opened his eyes and was surprised to see Shirou. "You've come to listen again?"
"Of course,"
"Not many men listen to my music."
"I don't understand why there should be a difference between music for men and women. I only know if it sounds good or not. If it sounds good, I'll listen, and if it doesn't, I'll walk away," Shirou replied honestly.
Tristan jumped down from the tree and approached him. "Can you play the harp?"
"A little bit."
Tristan then handed the harp to him and said, "Why don't you give it a try?"
"Sure, I'll give it a shot."
Shirou eagerly took the harp and rubbed his palms together in excitement. He had always dreamed of playing music and had even learned to play instruments and sing. However, his homeroom teacher in elementary school never allowed him to participate in the class choir competition.
Despite this setback, music remained one of Shirou's few talents. With the harp cradled in his hands, he braced himself and began plucking the strings, letting the melody fill the air.
"Ah! Help meeeeee!"
"What on earth is this?"
"Help me...help me...What kind of music is this? It's like it's crawling out of a sewer! Ahhhhhh, I want to go back to fairyland. The human world is too scary!"
"Oh my god, Mom!!!"
Shirou was immersed in his own musical world, while the fairies covered their ears and fled in terror.
"Gagagaga--"
The birds in the forest flew up in alarm and fled as if they were escaping, while Tristan fell to the ground, clutching his stomach with a look of agony.
"Stop it, quickly! Stop!" he cried out, consumed with regret. He was almost in tears as he realized his mistake. If only he hadn't assumed that just because someone could listen to his music, they must also understand music. Then he wouldn't have had to endure this hellish wailing of sound.
Not only was it completely out of tune, but it also gave people the sensation of having a heart attack!
Tristan couldn't find the words to describe this kind of music. But if someone from the 21st century were here, they would definitely recognize it. This-- was the sound of nails scratching against glass!
Shirou played the sound of nails scratching against glass on a harp, and he was completely absorbed in it!
He also occasionally hummed completely off-tune sounds that could hardly be described as singing.
In a way, Shirou's ability to produce such a sound could also be considered a talent. However, it was no surprise that prior to his transmigration, his homeroom teacher never allowed him to participate in the choir. It's one thing if he couldn't sing well, but it would be quite another if someone got hurt because of his singing.
Just like now. Tristan clutched his chest, collapsed onto the ground, and turned pale as if he were on the brink of death from a heart attack.
The sound of nails scraping against glass is unbearable for most people, let alone the agony of prolonged torture.
As the music came to an end, Shirou let out a contented sigh. He had once dreamt of a future in music, but the harshness of reality had crushed those aspirations. He had assumed that his musical talent had withered away over time, but after playing this piece, he realized that his talent still lay dormant within him, waiting to be revived.
But--
"Huh? Where did the fairies go?" Shirou panicked, "Sir Tristan, what's wrong with you? Are you having a seizure? Please don't roll your eyes!"
Tristan regained his senses and grabbed Shirou's arm with a stiff hand. He spoke with a sorrowful tone, "Your Excellency Arthur, please refrain from touching my harp again, and do not play music in front of me."
Shirou responded with a smile, "Why not? I believe music is a way for us to communicate. Let me sing a song for you first."
Tristan's response was immediate and resolute, "No--!!!"
The scene was too overwhelming for Tristan, and the encounter ended in tragedy as he fainted.
...
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