Vol. 2 Chapter 61: I have Something to Say, But I don't Know if I Should Say It

Back on the road again, Mordred held a mana detector in her hand and finally arrived at a riverside soccer field.

She hid behind the fence and peeked inside—there sat Gilgamesh, lounging with her legs crossed, clearly bored. In front of her, Kirei Kotomine, who'd been beaten up by Mordred just yesterday, now wore a blank expression while playing soccer with a cheerful, Tan-skinned young man and a group of kids. Everyone seemed to be having a great time.

"Huh? Gilgamesh, playing with kids?" Nero whispered to Jeanne from their hiding spot. "Isn't she the type to look down on brats?"

"Don't say that, Nero," Jeanne replied in a hushed tone. "If Gilgamesh is changing for the better... isn't that a good thing? Even if I can't quite believe my own eyes right now."

"And that smiling guy—he's a Servant, right?" Nero added. "That meteor last night must've been from him… He even shot down Vimana, and yet Gilgamesh is still peacefully hanging out with him…"

The same doubt echoed in Mordred's mind. Lying low in the grass, she silently observed Gilgamesh, who looked visibly irritated on the edge of the soccer field.

"Hey, how long are you planning to keep playing?" Gilgamesh impatiently tapped her foot. "You really get this much joy from kicking a ball around with some brats?"

"Hey, catch this!"

Arash gave the ball a powerful kick toward a nearby little boy, then turned and said, "No need to rush. My Master hasn't been captured yet, so it's pointless to talk alliances for now... Besides, even if I stop playing, you still need to keep watch, don't you?"

He glanced toward Kirei, whose tall figure made him stand out among the kids.

Gilgamesh sighed. "At least discussing the plan with you would be better than just sitting here watching a bunch of kids run around... Not that I hate children, but it's embarrassing for someone like me."

"Alright, alright—just one last game," Arash said, waving a hand with a smile. Then suddenly, he turned and shouted toward Mordred, who was lying on the hill above the field:

"Hey, little one! Wanna come join us?"

Mordred flinched but stood up and walked over to Arash and Gilgamesh.

"Ah, you're that kid from Dracula's side, right?" Gilgamesh asked, narrowing her eyes. "Your name was… Mordred? Why're you out alone today? Where's Dracula?"

"Oh, Mr. Dracula's at home being lazy," Mordred answered honestly. "Also, I'm not a kid! And how did you even spot me?!"

She turned to glare at Arash.

Arash chuckled and pointed to his eyes. "My eyesight's pretty sharp, you know. As a Heroic Spirit, it's about the only thing I've got going for me—my vision and archery."

"Also, are you really not a kid?" he added, tilting his head at the much shorter Mordred.

"I'm not!" she shouted back. Then she started counting on her fingers, "Even if I look like I'm sixteen, I'm actually older than that... probably?"

But halfway through, her train of thought derailed, and she got lost in confusion.

"Well then, I'll call you Lady Mordred," Arash said casually. He offered her a hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Arash, a third-rate Servant no one's heard of."

"Hi, I'm Mordred." She shook his hand, tilted her head, and added, "I'm... Mr. Dracula's adopted daughter."

"Way to go, Mr. Dracula!"

From the bushes, Nero and Jeanne high-fived.

"That's right! Little Mo's one of us! No way we're letting her go back to that heartless dad of hers!" Nero said.

"As expected of Mr. Dracula!" Jeanne added, fists clenched in admiration.

Back in the demon castle, Dracula smiled in satisfaction.

Unaware of all this, Arash invited Mordred, "Wanna play soccer with us?"

"No, actually, I wanted to ask you both something," she said to Gilgamesh and Arash. "How can I become a great knight?"

Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow. "How should I know? In my time, there were only kings and commoners. Knights? What are those?"

"I don't really know either," Arash admitted. "Could you tell us what a knight is supposed to be?"

"A knight is someone who upholds chivalry and protects the kingdom and its people," Mordred said proudly. "Humility, honor, sacrifice, bravery, compassion, honesty, justice, and spirit—these are the eight virtues of knighthood!"

"Sounds like a bunch of noble idiots," Gilgamesh scoffed.

Mordred glared at her.

"So, people with noble hearts, right?" Arash mused. "Then tell me—which of those values do you think is the most important?"

"Umm... probably... honor?" Mordred replied uncertainly.

"Nope," said Arash. "I think it's protection. Even though that's not listed, isn't a knight supposed to exist to protect their country? Whether you're a great knight or a true hero, you should have something worth risking your life to protect."

Mordred lowered her head in thought.

"Arash! Are you coming or not?!" one of the kids called.

"Ah, sorry, coming!" Arash called back, then turned to Mordred and said, "That's just my personal opinion. Don't take it too seriously."

With that, he ran back onto the field.

Mordred pondered a moment longer, then turned to Gilgamesh.

"Miss Gilgamesh, can you tell me what makes a great king?"

"Heh, now that's a question for me." Gilgamesh's mood immediately improved. She puffed out her chest proudly. "When it comes to kingship, I am the oldest king—far superior to your foolish father."

"Please," Mordred bowed respectfully. "I really want to know."

"Well, for Dracula's sake, I'll tell you," Gilgamesh shrugged. "A true king—"

"Gil!"

A voice suddenly called out. Gilgamesh turned and saw Enkidu running down the slope toward her.

"Enkidu!" Gilgamesh's expression lit up.

"Gil, I'm really happy to see you helping that guy become a better person," Enkidu praised her.

"Of course. Guiding others to good is a king's duty," Gilgamesh said, clearly pleased.

Mordred quietly jotted that down in her notebook.

"Enkidu, have dinner with me later," Gilgamesh invited.

"Sorry... I can't right now," Enkidu replied apologetically. "I'm taking my paralyzed Master on a walk..."

Gilgamesh followed his gaze and spotted Lord El-Melloi, looking miserable in a wheelchair.

"Well then, see you next time, Gil," Enkidu waved.

The green-haired beauty jogged back to the wheelchair and began pushing it away. As he left, El-Melloi shot Gilgamesh a smug look that clearly said:

"Enkidu's mine, suck it."

Gilgamesh's crimson eyes narrowed sharply, brimming with an unmistakable killing intent.

A suffocating aura began to settle over the surroundings. Even Mordred, who had once faced her own father in battle, had never experienced such a terrifying presence. It was clear in an instant—this was the wrath of a true king.

"Arash," Gilgamesh called out coldly. "Get over here."

Sensing the tension and unwilling to cause a scene, Arash obediently approached. The children nearby, sensing the danger, wisely chose not to intervene.

"Contact your Master," Gilgamesh ordered, her tone regal and unyielding. "I shall collaborate with him."

Elsewhere, after waiting uneasily for quite some time, Lancer Diarmuid felt something amiss and dematerialized. He dashed into the fitting room where Sola had been—only to find it completely empty. A single slip of paper lay where she had stood.

At that same moment, Kiritsugu Emiya, having just loaded the unconscious Sola into the back seat of a car, received Arash's message.

"Keyneth, you're out of the game."

Kiritsugu thought to himself quietly.