Chapter 747: Fujimaru's Three Life Questions
"Finally—it's over!"
Like the crack of a starting pistol, the moment Jaguar Warrior tearfully raised her arms in triumph, cheers of survivors erupted along the entire Demonic Beast Frontline.
At the base of the city walls, the beasts whimpered, abandoning countless remains of their kin as they retreated like a receding tide.
Pay no mind to the pungent stench of rotting flesh and blood, nor grieve for fallen comrades.
In victory, one should rejoice—on this new day where the long night has finally broken and dawn's light creeps in.
"Good work, Jaguar Warrior. Thanks to you holding the northwestern line." The white-haired sage climbed the city walls, surveying the devastated battlefield. "Though I still don't understand why these demonic beasts were so frenzied..."
"Who knows?" Jaguar Warrior scratched her head before flashing a toothy, utterly foolish grin. "Jaguar just needs to beat 'em up!"
Merlin sighed helplessly. "Ah, how does that saying go again? 'When scholars meet soldiers, reason falls on deaf ears...'"
He had thought that, having once served in the goddess's faction, Jaguar Warrior might know something.
Clearly, he had overestimated her.
"Ahh, I'm exhausted. I just want to get drunk at the tavern." Despite his words, Merlin waved his staff, summoning a messenger to methodically relay orders.
With Uruk left vulnerable—its king, Sakatsuki, and Fujimaru all absent, and most Servants incapacitated—even the lazy Merlin had been dragged into service by Siduri, forcing the Sword Saint and Sage of Britain back into action.
"The problem is, this isn't my job! Those Round Table pretty boys have endless energy anyway—I just need to cheer them on from the sidelines." The mere thought of the tedious tasks ahead made Merlin's head throb.
"No good. At this rate, I'll die from overwork. Waaah, my king, Fujimaru, when will you return...? Speaking of which, why is Anna so enthusiastic about killing demonic beasts? She's almost as bad as Jaguar Warrior..."
"Merlin, your wish has been granted." Jaguar Warrior's sharp eyes caught sight of a donkey cart approaching in the distance, her face lighting up. "It's Fujimaru! Fujimaru's back!"
But soon, her expression turned puzzled.
"Hey hey, Merlin, how many people did Fujimaru leave with?"
"What are you talking about? Fujimaru went alone."
"But—" Jaguar Warrior squinted. The smoke and figures on the battlefield blurred her vision, but she could just make out a faint purple silhouette.
"One thing's for sure—there's someone sitting next to Fujimaru."
"WHAT?!"
Meanwhile, on the donkey cart, a now-revived Fujimaru tilted his head, staring in confusion at the person beside him.
"Miss Gogh, what are you doing?"
"Me?" The purple-haired woman didn't turn, her tone sharp. "Isn't it obvious? I'm driving this cart for you, brat."
"But," Fujimaru blinked, "we're slowing down."
Indeed, if the donkeys had been trotting briskly minutes ago, their pace could now only be described as glacial.
Fujimaru's question went unanswered. Gathering his courage, he leaned forward—only to see Miss Gogh's face twisted in gloom.
Like a grade-schooler realizing summer vacation is down to its last day with homework untouched, or a corporate drone creating a new folder only as the deadline looms.
In short, it was a peculiar blend of 'reluctance' and 'inevitability.'
With a smack, Miss Gorgon slapped Fujimaru back: "What are you staring at?!"
"Do you have something on your mind...?" Fujimaru moved her hand aside, his expression earnest. "It's alright, I promise you—everyone in Uruk is very kind!"
Miss Gorgon's face darkened further. "Of course you'd say that. But I—"
Fujimaru blinked. "But what?"
"...Hmph." The woman snorted, turning her head away. Her violet hair cascaded, blocking Fujimaru's view.
Creak, creak. The little donkeys trembled, carefully placing one hoof after another.
No matter how slow their pace, the destination would eventually arrive.
This wasn't helping Miss Gorgon adjust to her new environment... Having dealt with Servants of all temperaments, Fujimaru was well-experienced. Seeing her still so resistant, he licked his lips and suddenly spoke:
"Are you scared?"
Boom!
A violent aura erupted skyward. The donkeys let out pitiful whines, collapsing under the pressure. An invisible shockwave sent the woman's hair flying as she glared, her eyes sharper than any monster's, her voice dripping with serpentine venom:
"What did you just say? Me, a demon—afraid? Don't make me laugh!"
Provocation might be an old trick, but it worked—regardless of gender... Thinking this, Fujimaru smiled warmly yet pointedly:
"But Miss Gorgon, your expression tells a different story."
"Urk, that's—!" Gorgon tried to argue, only for Fujimaru to pat her shoulder.
Under the stunned gaze of the Monster Goddess, the boy straightened proudly and declared, "It's alright. Whatever worries you have, I'll help you resolve them!"
Taking the whip from her hand, he gave it a light flick. The donkeys scrambled up as if pardoned, trotting forward eagerly.
The sudden acceleration made Gorgon's slender waist arch backward, her gaze lifting involuntarily—revealing the dawn-lit sky and the smiling faces of Uruk's people atop the walls. Among them, a white-haired sage and an orange-gold leopard woman watched with curiosity.
She instinctively tensed, but laughter sounded beside her:
"So, relax." The young Master said. "On behalf of Uruk, I welcome you, Miss Gorgon."
"No matter who you are, or what you once were—you can stay here without fear."
"In this place that belongs to all of us."
The carriage creaked onward, the donkeys braying cheerfully as they neared home. The sound reached Merlin and the others, who exchanged knowing smiles.
"Where's little Anna?"
"She was here earlier... Probably ran to the gates to greet them."
"She's unusually excited."
"Haha, well, she did receive a lovely gift... Eh?" The leopard woman's voice faltered as the approaching figure grew clearer, her jaw slowly dropping.
Similarly, Merlin glanced down just in time to see Miss Gorgon's unmistakably displeased face.
The well-traveled sage of Britain—
A deity once belonging to the Goddess Alliance.
The two Servants simultaneously fell into deathly silence.
The cheerful banter from moments ago came to an abrupt halt.
"Huh??!!!!"
They could only stare dumbfounded as the boy practically dragged the purple-haired beauty along in the carriage. The beautiful woman appeared aloof, but her eyes kept darting around, completely avoiding eye contact with anyone present.
But Merlin and Jaguar Warrior had already recognized who this was.
Fujimaru spotted the two on the city walls and cheerfully waved: "Merlin! Jaguar Warrior! I've brought another Servant who can definitely help us!"
"Who wants to help?!" Feeling the scorching gazes from above, Gauguin showed displeasure and made to rise. "I'm getting off."
"Hey, don't go!"
Fujimaru grabbed the woman's cold arm, gave Merlin an apologetic smile, then suddenly cracked the whip.
"Giddy up!"
The little donkeys obediently brayed and raced through the city gates, heading straight down the main road.
"I'll take Miss Gauguin to the palace first! Merlin, let's meet at the tavern later!"
Merlin: "..."
Jaguar Warrior: "..."
After a long pause, Jaguar Warrior sucked in a sharp breath: "Does Fujimaru know who he's just grabbed?"
The white-haired sage suddenly burst into laughter, clutching his stomach with tears of mirth at his eyes: "Marvelous, absolutely marvelous. Following Fujimaru is far more exciting than staying in Avalon..."
The next second, he abruptly stopped laughing as if someone had grabbed his throat.
"Oh no! Anna's waiting for Fujimaru at the city gates!"
No further explanation was needed. Jaguar Warrior had already vanished from the ramparts in a blur, while Merlin cast a spell, dissipating into a shower of petals as he pursued Fujimaru's direction.
By the time they arrived, it was too late.
On the main road where the frontline met the city, the donkey cart had once again come to a halt, blocked by a petite figure.
Anna, wearing her cat-eared hood, glared coldly upward at the curvaceous purple-haired beauty in the carriage.
Gauguin's pupils kept contracting as she stared at the adorable girl, murderous intent flickering like mist—faint yet persistent.
Meanwhile, Fujimaru sat on the cart wearing an expression of utter bewilderment, as if the three fundamental questions of life were looping endlessly in their mind:
What the hell is this?
How did this happen?
What am I supposed to do now?