By the time they left the Storm Border, night had already fallen. Along the beach road leading toward the village on Astraea Island, they could see warm lights shining from the settlement perched on the island's high ground.
"Is it really fine not to rest on the ship?" Shiomi asked.
"There's no need to rest. I'm filled from head to toe with the mana of love right now. Resting would only be a waste of time," Scáthach said, looping her arm through his without the slightest hesitation.
"You really didn't have to say it that bluntly."
Scáthach's one-liner nearly made Shiomi choke on his own saliva. He coughed a few times to catch his breath.
"It seems I've delayed important business. Archer Orion wanted to see my disciple, and yet you still haven't gone," Scáthach said.
"That's not your fault, Master. They never told me when to go," Shiomi shook his head. "Besides, we just went through a brutal fight. Everyone in Chaldea needs time to rest and recover. He's a Servant and a warrior too, so he'll understand."
"It certainly was a brutal fight," Scáthach said, savoring the words as though they carried an extra meaning. "Your master nearly couldn't handle it."
"…You start saying things like that the moment you're back to normal, Master," Shiomi said, half impressed. "Next time I should use Magecraft to record how miserable you looked and replay it for myself."
"Truly my disciple," Scáthach judged.
Shiomi could only grunt and move the topic along, turning back to what mattered.
"Still, I'm curious. What does Orion want with me?"
"You shot down someone's lover. Logically, there's nothing to criticize, but emotionally, it may not be something he can accept," Scáthach said, putting on a stern face. "Perhaps he wants to duel you and settle his resentment."
"Eh… then maybe I should just go back," Shiomi said.
"Are you really going to run?" Scáthach asked with a smile, acting as if she wouldn't stop him either way.
"I'm just saying," Shiomi replied. He had no real intention of avoiding it.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that his master was deliberately making it sound more serious than it was, as if he were about to walk into a life-or-death struggle.
After all, when Artemis was shot down, it happened at the same time Afrodite attacked. Besides his master, Orion had also been in that temple.
And beyond that…
There was Artemis's clone, or rather, her sub-unit.
If the main body was destroyed, the sub-unit would probably have stopped functioning on the spot, perhaps even vanished along with it.
Shiomi didn't know enough about the Olympian gods to be completely sure. He felt he should have consulted Romani before disembarking.
And then, a faint answer surfaced in his mind.
Seeing the sudden look of realization on his face, Scáthach didn't say anything further. She simply smiled and accompanied him toward the village.
In the village, it wasn't only Orion waiting. Drake, Bartholomew, and Jason were there as well, along with three other Servants.
Aside from Mochizuki Chiyome, who had records in Chaldea, the other two were introduced as Mandricardo and Charlotte Corday.
They were Proper Human History Servants scattered across the islands of Atlantis. Once Olympus pulled back its defensive forces, they gained far more freedom to move. With Drake and the others searching, they were finally able to reunite.
With that, Drake's ship gained additional fighting strength, expanding their strategic options for breaking through the gate to the Void Cavern guarded by Poseidon and advancing to Olympus.
Before Shiomi and Scáthach arrived, Nemo Sailor, along with Ritsuka and Mash, had already gone ashore to organize and procure useful supplies.
According to Scáthach, during the two days Shiomi had been sleeping like the dead, the pressure from Olympus had eased enough that everyone in Chaldea could finally relax a little. With the Storm Border docked for several days, it even started to feel, however faintly, like a seaside vacation.
Shiomi didn't mind that at all.
"So, what did you want to see me about, Orion?"
Shiomi looked calmly at the man in front of him, whose build was nearly twice as imposing as his own.
"That was a truly magnificent strike. A javelin throw of that level… as far as I can imagine, no one else could match it," Orion said first, offering praise. His expression was resolute and brimming with fighting spirit, as though he were ready to challenge Shiomi at any moment.
"I was just imitating what I'd seen," Shiomi shrugged. "If it were the great god Odin, it wouldn't have taken this much trouble."
"Is that so." Orion paid no mind to Shiomi's modesty. "Earlier, I asked the Director from Chaldea to arrange a meeting with you. There's something I need to ask of you."
"What is it?" Shiomi raised an eyebrow.
"Come with me."
Orion lifted the flap of the tent, and Shiomi followed him inside.
Inside was a simply assembled bed, upon which lay a silent goddess—the sub-unit of Artemis.
"So she's stopped functioning after all," Shiomi thought, the answer settling in his mind.
"This was Artemis's own choice. I respect it," Orion said as he held Artemis's hand. "I heard from your master that although the main body in satellite orbit has completely perished, you can make her move again."
Shiomi felt a headache coming on. He knew his master must have sympathized with Orion and Artemis and offered that hope without consulting him first.
Fortunately…
He really did have a way.
"To be honest, if it were the main body, I'd be completely at a loss," Shiomi said as he crouched down and placed his hand on Artemis's masked face. "But a sub-unit isn't that different from the Valkyries. Still, don't expect her to fight alongside you. Without the main body, forcibly reviving her will consume her lifespan. How long she can last is anyone's guess."
"I just hope it can last until my mission in this Lostbelt is over… so I can properly say goodbye to Artemis," Orion said, his face filled with loneliness.
"Then that depends on whether Chaldea can resolve things quickly," Shiomi said with a wry smile. "According to Kirschtaria, the Alien God will descend before long. Things may get even more troublesome."
Orion bared his teeth in a grin. "This isn't just Chaldea's problem. We, and the comrades who've already headed for Olympus, will all give everything we have for the final victory."
"Yeah," Shiomi replied, then withdrew his hand.
Moments later, Artemis showed faint signs of awakening, leaving Orion visibly shaken. He didn't understand how Shiomi had done it, but the reason no longer mattered to him.
Just as Shiomi had anticipated, repairing the sub-unit was no more difficult than restoring Sthr.
Shiomi quietly left the tent and saw his master clinking cups with Drake by the campfire, joining in the celebration of their earlier victory.
Just as he was about to head over and have a drink with them, he suddenly felt someone watching from somewhere nearby.
He turned his head, but the source of that gaze had already vanished. All that met his eyes was the dark forest covering the island under the night sky.
Shiomi couldn't help but fall into new contemplation.
At a time like this…