I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [233]
They say a gentle blow on a sore spot can make the pain disappear.
Hmm... it seems to work.
Artoria decided to give it a try.
"Mordred, does it still hurt here?"
She leaned back to check Mordred's reaction, only to notice something odd.
"Hmm? Why is your face so red? And your eyes... they're unfocused. Hey? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, give me a response!"
Artoria placed her hands on Mordred's shoulders and gave her a light shake.
Mordred, her eyes spiraling like a stunned cartoon character, swayed helplessly under Artoria's grasp.
"Did she... lose consciousness?" Artoria tilted her head, puzzled. "Was the collision from earlier really that bad? Did I accidentally give her a concussion?"
She paused, frowning.
"But... does a concussion usually make someone's face turn this red?"
---
It was time for dinner.
Traveling to the nearby town for a meal would waste too much time, but fortunately, the Yggdmillennia family offered to provide food.
Though Mordred and Kairi Shishigou were also allowed to dine, they politely declined.
After all, with the decisive battle looming, there was no mistaking that they and the Black faction weren't truly allies.
During the day, Kairi and Mordred had eaten in a nearby town and brought back some leftovers for dinner.
That's when Kairi made an unexpected discovery.
"You mean to tell me you still haven't eaten the snacks Artoria gave you?"
His expression was one of sheer disbelief, as though questioning whether this was really Mordred in front of him.
"What's with that look?!"
"Nothing, I'm just... surprised. I didn't think there was any food that could survive in your hands for more than three seconds without being devoured."
"Th-that's because..."
Mordred's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she stammered, "This... this is a gift from Father! How could I possibly eat something so precious? It's got sentimental value!"
Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Artoria give it to you specifically to eat?"
"I-I know, but I can't bring myself to eat it!"
"But snacks have expiration dates. If you don't eat it soon, it's going to spoil!"
Mordred froze, her enthusiasm draining away as Kairi's words sank in.
He's right. Food doesn't last forever.
Her gaze fell to the small purple pouch in her hand. Her teeth bit her lip as memories of the moment Artoria gave her this gift replayed vividly in her mind.
"Master!"
"What now?"
"I entrust you with the fate of the world! Cast a spell on this snack to make it last forever!"
"There's no such spell! And how on earth does that have anything to do with saving the world?"
"Of course it does! If Father's gift spoils, then the world isn't worth saving anymore. I'll destroy it myself!"
"So the fate of the world is less important than a bag of cookies?"
Somewhere in the Throne of Heroes, the Counter Force couldn't have anticipated a Servant threatening the planet over a snack.
And this snack, no less, was a gift from Artoria.
Naturally, both Gaia and Alaya bumped up Artoria's threat level by two notches.
Artoria: ???
---
Later, on her way back to her room, Artoria bumped into Jeanne.
"Jeanne."
"Oh, Artoria!"
Upon seeing Artoria, Jeanne's lips curved into a gentle smile.
If it had been Gilles de Rais standing here instead, he might've burst into tears on the spot.
"The Black faction has prepared dinner. Would you like to join? You're in your human form now, so you still need to eat, right?"
"Well, I..." Jeanne hesitated. "But wouldn't that be improper? As Rulers, we're supposed to remain neutral. Accepting their hospitality so freely..."
"It's just a meal," Artoria replied nonchalantly. "They're not going to expect you to fight for them over some food. Besides, tonight might be the last night of the Holy Grail War. This could very well be our final dinner in the mortal world. Once it's over, none of this will matter anymore."
Jeanne sighed at Artoria's blunt reasoning. "Last supper? That sounds terribly ominous."
At dinner, Artoria and Jeanne sat together.
The meal, prepared by homunculi, was nothing elaborate. After all, the magi themselves wouldn't lower themselves to cook.
"...Wait, Artoria, you have memories of other Holy Grail Wars?"
As they chatted, Jeanne's curiosity piqued at the mention of Artoria recalling events from past Grail Wars.
"My situation is a bit... different. Let's just say there are some complexities in my summoning. Because of that, I retain memories of other Grail Wars."
Artoria polished off a slice of seafood pizza before continuing, "Speaking of which, I once encountered Gilles de Rais during a Grail War. He was summoned as a Caster. His Master, unfortunately, was a serial killer. They slaughtered countless innocents before other Servants, disgusted by their actions, joined forces to take them down."
"I see..." Jeanne's expression softened with sorrow. "So, that's the path Gilles has walked... how tragic."
To Jeanne, Gilles would always be the brave, honorable marshal of her memories—not the fearsome "Bluebeard" reviled by history.
"I can't deny my part in his downfall," she said, her voice firm despite the sadness in her eyes. "What's done is done. I can only hope his soul finds peace."
Artoria nodded quietly, impressed by Jeanne's resolve.
She continued, "When I met him, he was clearly unwell—mentally fractured from prolonged contact with... unspeakable entities. Worse, he mistook me for you."
Jeanne blinked. "...Me?"
"Yes. I told him countless times that I was King Arthur, not Jeanne d'Arc, but he kept calling me 'Jeanne, Jeanne!' no matter how much I corrected him. I couldn't shake him off... Do we really look that alike?"
Jeanne let out a dry, awkward laugh. "Ahaha..."
Come to think of it, Artoria vaguely recalled hearing—or maybe reading—about another incident in a different Grail War.
Something about Berserker Lancelot mistaking Jeanne for her?
He'd apparently screamed, "AR—THURRR!" at the poor girl.
In the end, Artoria concluded with a sigh.
"Well, I suppose this is all Takeuchi's fault."