Chapter 12. Help... Me...

I Will Eventually Embark on the Path of No Return Called a Hero [Arc2] - 12. Help... Me...

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"Let me personally take you to my castle as an apology," Vlad III said with a light cough.

"It's okay. I've been attacked by the Red side anyway," Cyd said as he pressed down on the head of the irritated Frankenstein, who was upset about having her head patted without permission.

"Ah, it was my mistake not to ascertain the truth," Vlad said awkwardly, though his royal pride kept him upright as he led Cyd to his stronghold. "Also... Saber, please keep Berserker in check."

Siegfreid nodded, lifting Frankenstein by her armpits with a straightforward expression that clearly indicated he intended to carry her back this way.

"Uuuuu!" Frankenstein struggled in discontent, but the difference in their strength was too great, and since Siegfreid didn't understand her words, she was carried all the way back like that.

"Smack---" Frankenstein angrily kicked Siegfreid and crashed through the slightly dazed girl at the gate, charging into the stronghold.

Siegfreid remained expressionless; the attack was below B rank and ineffective.

"Hmm? You are..." Vlad III squinted, noting that the girl standing at the gate was undoubtedly a Heroic Spirit. To avoid another mistake, Vlad III did not immediately attack.

"She is another Ruler of this Holy Grail War, the Saint of Orleans, Jeanne d'Arc," Darnic, leaning on a cane, emerged from the stronghold and bowed to Vlad III. "Welcome back, my King."

"I see... As someone who also heeds the will of the Lord, I am pleased," Vlad III nodded in satisfaction.

"Because you are also a listener of the Lord's word, you should understand that I will be fair and just."

Jeanne d'Arc's determined gaze made Vlad III smile.

"And... may I ask who you are?" Jeanne d'Arc looked at Cyd, who was neither from the Red nor the Black side; this Heroic Spirit was likely an anomaly summoned.

"Me? I am the Ruler summoned to ensure the fairness of this Holy Grail War. My true name is Cyd," Cyd snapped his fingers. "Don't look at me with such suspicion. You should be able to see my data, right?"

Jeanne d'Arc was taken aback. Indeed, she had just used her authority to check Cyd's information. The class was the same as hers, and there was no doubt Cyd was a Ruler summoned by the Holy Grail. It seemed that his status was a complete Heroic Spirit, unlike her own present-world Ruler form.

"Let's discuss everything further in the King's quarters. I am very happy to see both of you," Vlad III said with a mysterious smile. "There is a surprise for you here."

With that, Vlad III vanished into spirit form.

After nodding to Cyd, Siegfreid also vanished into spirit form.

"Please follow me," Darnic said respectfully, bending at the waist and leading Cyd and Jeanne d'Arc toward the King's quarters.

"Are they... artificial humans?" Jeanne d'Arc furrowed her brow at the servants who had nearly identical appearances and magical circuits.

"We also aim to minimize the involvement of humans in the Holy Grail War," Darnic lowered his voice.

"Even if they are artificial, they are still unrelated lives," Jeanne d'Arc said coldly.

She could imagine what these magi would turn these artificial humans into—cannon fodder and batteries.

The number of participants in the Holy Grail War should have been limited to the Heroic Spirits and Masters. Yggdmillennia had undoubtedly increased the number to an unimaginable level.

"Truly the Saint of Orleans. Even artificial lives receive your concern?" Darnic sneered. "Are we violating your rules?"

At the same time, Darnic glanced at Cyd, who was a Hero of Pure White comparable to Jeanne d'Arc in history.

"—It's not that severe," Jeanne d'Arc's face remained taut.

"It doesn't matter," Cyd stretched. "The rules of the Holy Grail War don't say that we can't use homunculi."

"Such understanding. Truly a pure hero," Darnic walked directly to Cyd and opened the door to the King's quarters for him.

Jeanne d'Arc tilted her head, feeling that Darnic's attitude toward her was markedly different from his attitude toward Cyd.

Nevertheless, despite her doubts, Jeanne d'Arc followed Cyd into the King's quarters.

"Welcome," Vlad III opened his arms from his throne. "First, I apologize for my previous actions, Hero of Pure White."

"It's alright," Cyd shook his head.

"Then... Rulers, what brings you to my territory?" Vlad III nodded and became more serious.

"I came to confirm the situation of the Black side," Cyd glanced at the Black side Heroic Spirits in the King's quarters; three were missing, and there was also one less Master.

"Me too," Jeanne d'Arc agreed.

"Oh? Then, Hero of Pure White~ What have you confirmed?" Vlad III asked with interest.

"Well~ Much more harmonious than the Red side," Cyd shrugged.

"Have you finished confirming?" Jeanne d'Arc gaped, not expecting that her colleague had completed the task during her meal and prayer time!

"Yes," Cyd nodded.

"Then should we leave?" Jeanne d'Arc blinked. Since she had only come to confirm Cyd's situation, now that it was done, she began to prompt him to hurry up and get some rest.

"Wait a moment, Hero of Pure White," Vlad III raised his smile. "There is a Heroic Spirit you must meet. He should... no, he has already arrived."

The closed King's quarters slowly opened. Chiron entered, holding the reluctant Astolfo in one hand and the unconscious homunculus in the other.

"Ah~ Just as expected," Cyd sighed and gave Chiron a thumbs-up. "Teacher, I've returned victorious!"

"Yes, I always believed you would return," Chiron looked at Cyd with some sadness.

Now that he had become a Heroic Spirit, it meant he had...

"Hey! Archer, let me go! You promised to help me!" Astolfo struggled in frustration.

"There's no helping it now that it's exposed," Chiron set the homunculus down, while Caster excitedly ran over to pick up the artificial human and began examining it.

"Why does he have so many injuries? His breath is almost gone," Caster muttered in dissatisfaction.

"Who knew he would struggle so much?" Chiron sighed. He hadn't expected that the struggling figure would punch him. Besides, he didn't resist either. It was the homunculus himself who forcibly used the magic circuit to become like this.

"It looks like he needs to be repaired before he can be used," Caster shook his head, carrying the artificial human on his shoulder and heading toward the exit of the King's quarters.

"What's going on?" Jeanne d'Arc frowned.

"Oh~ Our manufactured homunculus was taken by Rider. Now we're just bringing him back," Darnic said casually.

"That's not true! That child wants to live!" Astolfo continued to struggle and shouted toward the homunculus. "Hey! Don't you want to live? Quickly tell them you want to live!"

"Ha, how could a homunculus say such things? They don't even have that concept," Gordes, the creator of the artificial humans, sneered disdainfully.

Chiron lowered his gaze.

"Help..."

Gordes's expression froze as he distinctly heard a word he had never set.

"Help... me..."

The homunculus, who should have already been unconscious, raised his head, his brown eyes full of a desire to live.

Is it lying...?

Gordes was stunned. He had never thought of the homunculus as life; they followed orders expressionlessly and treated the corpses of their companions as garbage. They were just living machines, but now...

He couldn't see this homunculus as just a machine. Faced with those eyes full of survival instinct, Gordes turned his head away.

Jeanne d'Arc instinctively took a step forward, which gave Astolfo a glimmer of hope, but Vlad III squinted.

"Now that you are a Ruler, your jurisdiction is limited to the fairness of the Holy Grail War. Do not do anything superfluous."

Cyd's cold voice bound Jeanne d'Arc's body like chains.

"Remember your duty."

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