Caster: I Knew Lancelot Wasn’t a Good Guy!

"Whoa… that was incredible… He took care of the enemy so cleanly and swiftly?"

Olga Marie's eyes widened slightly in shock at Gawain's overwhelming power.

Surely, strength of this level could only belong to a first-rate Heroic Spirit. And if that was the case, then he couldn't possibly be an obscure figure…

Yet from their casual conversation, that girl kept referring to him as "Gawain."

If that truly was his name—Gawain—then… wasn't that the same name as the adulterous queen from the Arthurian legends?

Except… the gender didn't match up?

Still, despite her suspicions, Olga Marie didn't dare ask directly.

After all, a Servant's true name was a highly sensitive issue. Revealing it meant exposing both their strengths and their weaknesses.

But then again, if you trusted someone whose identity you didn't even know, it was only natural to get stabbed in the back later.

She would have to be more subtle about it…

"Wow, he's really amazing… Come to think of it, we haven't done proper introductions yet, have we? I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru. What should we call you two?"

This idiot really just went and asked directly?!

Olga Marie's pupils quaked.

"Oh, names? Oh right! I know yours, but you don't know ours. That is a little unfair," Artoria nodded thoughtfully.

"Ah, wait! I'm sorry! He's still a rookie, so he doesn't really know the rules of the Holy Grail War or how Servants work. So if that question was too much, I hope you can forgi—eh?"

But before Olga Marie could finish her hasty apology, she froze.

Artoria hadn't shown even the slightest concern.

"Servants and Holy Grail War rules? Oh, that stuff doesn't matter. I don't really know any of it either." Artoria waved her hand dismissively and smiled.

"I'm Artoria Caster. And him? You can call him Gawain. Pleased to meet you."

"…Then—if I may ask—Gawain… is that his real name?"

Seeing that Artoria spoke with such honesty, seemingly indifferent to any rules or consequences, Olga Marie dared to probe further.

"Yup! Why? Is there something wrong with that?" Artoria asked, tilting her head.

"Ah, no, not really…"

Olga Marie rubbed her chin.

"But you're really amazing, Artoria. You were helping out during Gawain's fight just now, right? What was that spell? You two make a great team! Think you could teach me sometime? I've suddenly been thrown into this Master role, and I really don't want to drag Mash down…"

…Sometimes, amateurs do come in handy.

As Olga Marie watched Fujimaru skillfully shift the topic, she let out a silent sigh of relief—only to see Ritsuka sneak a quick wink her way.

"—"

Olga Marie suddenly realized she might've seriously underestimated this so-called "ordinary guy" who'd fallen asleep during her briefing.

He's… more socially savvy than he lets on, isn't he?

——But all of this was clearly visible.

Thanks to her Fairy Eyes, Artoria saw everything—the wink, the subtle exchange, the intent behind it all.

Strangely though, she didn't find it annoying.

Because Artoria could tell—Ritsuka wasn't someone who was playing dumb while secretly knowing everything.

Her initial question really was a genuine attempt to make friends, and when she saw Olga Marie's reaction, she immediately realized her faux pas. Then, when the conversation started veering into awkward territory, she steered it away on Olga's behalf without hesitation.

She might've had a little guile, sure. But thanks to the clarity granted by her Fairy Eyes, Artoria could tell—it was never out of self-interest.

This… might be the first time she'd met someone like that.

"Oh, you think our teamwork was that good? Hehe! Well, of course it was! We've been adventuring together for a long time!"

Artoria laughed bashfully, then continued,

"But the magic I used wasn't anything special. If you want to learn, I'd be happy to teach you!"

"Well, now, that's unexpected. You're a lot more kind-hearted than I thought. Especially considering you've got the same face as that one… Could it be that Saber actually has this side to her?"

A sudden voice rang out behind them.

Startled, Olga Marie, Fujimaru, and Mash all jumped to the side, instantly snapping into combat readiness.

"Who's there?!"

"Heh, only just noticed me now? Your sense of danger's pretty lacking. If I was an enemy, you'd all be—"

The blue-coated man was clearly proud of himself—until he noticed that one person hadn't reacted at all. In fact, she was smiling and waving at him.

"Oh! Long time no see, Grimm!"

"...Wait. What? How do you know that name? And have we met? Why are you acting like we're old friends?"

"Huh?"

Artoria blinked, confused. But before she could respond, Gawain placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, don't. I think this guy's still from before we met—he doesn't know us yet, get it?"

She turned to him, and Gawain winked.

Even though, for some reason, her Fairy Eyes didn't seem to work on him anymore…

But as someone who had inherited memories of their long companionship, Artoria understood right away.

He used to love acting cryptic, didn't he?

There's no way she was going to pass up the chance to be mysterious this time.

"I see. As unbelievable as it sounds, it must be true. Caster—Cu Chulainn, it seems we've met you before you've met us."

"What?" Cu Chulainn's eyebrows scrunched. "You actually know my name? Wait, do we really know each other?"

"Not only that—we also know that you're the type of pervy old man who likes to harass young girls. After all, the color of your soul shows it clear as day. Isn't that right, Child of Light from Ireland?" Gawain added.

"…What the hell? Did we fight together in a past Grail War or something? Why don't I remember any of this?"

"No need to worry, Hound of Culann. It's all fate. All shall be revealed in due time," Gawain said with a smug smile, holding up one finger.

"…I get it, I get it. You guys are being cryptic on purpose. But seriously—could you not?!"

Cu Chulainn's blood pressure spiked.

"Hound of Culann… so it really is you, Cu Chulainn? That's quite the strong Servant. But why were you summoned as a Caster and not a Lancer?" Olga Marie asked.

"Don't ask me! Caster totally messes with my combat style. But that guy insisted—uh, never mind. Just bad luck, I guess."

"Anyway, I take it you've been summoned into this Holy Grail War too. Do you know why this city's turned into… this?"

A glowing screen suddenly lit up in the air, displaying Dr. Roman's harmless-looking face.

"Oh, this is magical communication, right?" Cu Chulainn asked curiously.

"Yes, and—Respected Heroic Spirit Cu Chulainn, it's an honor to meet—"

"Skip the pleasantries, shrimp. Just get to the point. That's more your style, isn't it?"

"S-shrimp?!"

Roman's smile twitched, clearly offended.

"What did you just call him? A shrimp? And what does that make you? Some uncultured barbarian who insults people he just met?" Gawain snapped back.

"…Seriously? You're this combative already? What, did we hate each other in the future or something?" Cu Chulainn retorted, frowning.

"No. I just don't like seeing people like Roman get slandered like that."

Gawain shrugged.

"Anyone with half an eye can tell he's the kind of guy who pushes himself for others. Kind and soft-hearted. He's not some coward, and I won't stand for him being insulted."

"—"

On the other end of the screen, Roman fell silent.

He was so shocked to hear such genuine praise from a Servant that he forgot to crack a joke.

"All right, Roman's work ethic isn't the main issue here," Olga Marie cut in. "Let's get back to the point—what happened to this city?"

[...]

"So that's the situation. If you want to end this Grail War, go take down the Saber holed up in the Grand Hollow. Leave Archer to me."

After summarizing the events, Cu Chulainn concluded with a confident grin.

"You've fought her before, haven't you? Do you know her true name?" Olga Marie asked.

"Ahh… yeah. Funny story, actually."

His gaze paused briefly on Artoria's face, then flicked to the sword in Gawain's hand.

"If you've seen her Noble Phantasm, it's obvious to anyone. That's the second sword in the stone—used to choose the rightful king. Even in your era, it's a legendary weapon."

"Its name is—Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory."

Olga Marie's eyes flew wide.

"Wait—Excalibur?! Then the enemy is—?!"

"Yeah. None other than the legendary King of Knights—Artoria Pendragon."

"You want us to fight King Arthur?! Are you nuts?! Mash can't even use her Noble Phantasm yet—"

"Normally, I'd agree… but maybe take a good look at the two people standing beside you," Cu Chulainn said, cutting her off with a shrug.

"I mean, don't you find it odd that her name is 'Artoria'—awfully similar to the king's true name, 'Artorius'?"

"Wha—"

She had thought that when she heard the name "Gawain." Especially considering the sword he carried looked an awful lot like a holy sword…

But still!

"I've never heard of King Arthur being a woman, or his queen Guinevere being a man!"

Turning to Artoria, Olga Marie exclaimed in utter confusion.

"Ah, uh… wait. Did you say your Guinevere was the queen?"

Artoria had looked ready to deflect the question—but the moment she heard that, her whole demeanor changed. She lit up like a lightbulb and leaned forward excitedly.

Even Olga Marie, who'd been all fire and fury a second ago, was thrown off by the sudden shift.

"Uh… is that really the main point?"

"Of course it is! It's incredibly important!"

Artoria beamed.

"I knew I was compatible with Gawain! To think even in your Proper Human History, my wife is also named Guinevere!"

Come to think of it, she had dreamed about the King Arthur of the simulation before. And those stories did include a queen named Guinevere…

But back then, she'd been so consumed by the suffocating lifestyle of her Proper Human History counterpart that she hadn't paid attention to the names.

"Wait… Proper Human History?" Olga Marie caught the phrase, frowning.

"Ohh! I see now!"

Cu Chulainn, who'd been silently observing this whole time, suddenly clapped his thigh.

"I get where you guys came from now. Makes sense… yeah, it all makes sense!"

Then, with a wicked grin, he turned to Artoria.

"So tell me, Artoria… are you aware of what happens to Guinevere in Proper Human History? How she cheats on Arthur with Lancelot, and ends up helping to bring down all of Britain?"