"What exactly do you want?" Artoria asked, turning toward him the moment she noticed Arthur had lowered his spear.
"A particularly repulsive Servant has been summoned… and I want to kill him with my own hands."
Arthur answered bluntly, a subtle coldness in his tone contrasting with the faint smile still on his face.
"To be honest, I don't want to put the girls in danger. So I'm hoping we can form an alliance… and that they can stay here until the end of the Holy Grail War."
He made no effort to sugarcoat his intentions or hide his motives.
Artoria held his gaze for a few moments.
After that brief assessment, she looked away and turned to Kiritsugu.
"What do you think, Master?" she asked.
"It's your decision, Kiritsugu," Arthur added, crossing his arms calmly. "Would you rather ally with me… or fight me here and now?"
It was a clear choice, with no middle ground.
Kiritsugu remained silent for a moment.
His eyes dropped briefly to the ground as his mind worked at high speed.
If that man was trustworthy, then forming an alliance would undoubtedly be an excellent option.
Not only because of the power he had demonstrated, but also because of how he had completely dominated Lancer in direct combat.
That alone placed him far beyond any normal standard.
Furthermore…
Even in the worst-case scenario, if only Lancer and that man remained at the end, Kiritsugu still believed in victory.
He didn't see how he could lose—because he held an absolute advantage.
The combination of Lancer and Avalon.
Even so, trusting an unknown individual was a risk.
And risks were something he wanted to avoid as much as possible.
His eyes slowly lifted, settling on Artoria.
"Lancer… what do you think?"
It was difficult to truly trust a Berserker-class Servant—especially one who retained their sanity.
The very existence of such a being already broke one of the most basic assumptions of the Holy Grail War.
A rational Berserker?
That alone was an anomaly.
Although he had already reached a decision, Kiritsugu still looked to Artoria. After all, she had just fought him directly.
Her opinion carried weight.
He did, in fact, despise Artoria's identity as a woman—not out of simple prejudice, but because he saw it as a distortion of the "king" ideal he had constructed in his own mind.
Even so, he had no doubts about her character.
"Although this man may have a questionable character… I believe he is trustworthy," she said, looking at Arthur.
Questionable character…? Arthur thought.
"Is that so…?"
Kiritsugu murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
After a brief silence, he holstered his weapon with a calm, controlled motion—without fully lowering his guard.
Then he stepped forward and extended his hand.
"It's a pleasure working with you, Berserker."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"The pleasure is mine, Kiritsugu." He shook his hand.
Kiritsugu knew that having an ally of that level would significantly increase his chances of obtaining the Holy Grail.
An agreement had been reached.
---
A few hours passed.
The atmosphere in the Einzbern castle had changed.
It was still cold—but now far livelier than before.
The children quickly grew close to Illya.
With her cheerful and outgoing personality, she had no trouble breaking the ice.
Because of that, Arthur no longer needed to stay by their side all the time.
Still, every now and then, he would pause to watch them silently.
Like a father seeing his daughters finally making friends their own age.
"Why are you staring at me like that, Berserker? That's quite rude," Artoria said.
"Hmm~"
Arthur tilted his head slightly, as if analyzing something interesting.
"I'm still surprised when I think about it."
His eyes traced over her figure without the slightest attempt to hide it.
"Who would've thought that the legendary King Arthur… would actually be such a beautiful woman? It's making me more and more curious about you."
Artoria narrowed her eyes, her expression hardening.
"Have you ever heard the saying… curiosity killed the cat?" she replied dryly.
"Maybe." Arthur shrugged. "But they also say curiosity is what moves the world."
Before Artoria could respond—
"I was surprised too when I found out."
Irisviel's voice came softly from beside them.
She watched their interaction with a gentle smile.
"By the way, Berserker… unless necessary, keep Lancer's true name a secret."
"I understand."
Arthur nodded slowly—but then a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.
"I was originally going to reveal my true name to you… but I've changed my mind."
"Don't you think that's a bit unfair?" Artoria raised an eyebrow, her gaze firm, with a hint of irritation.
"I think you're forgetting something, dear."
Arthur replied casually—and without warning, flicked her forehead lightly.
"It would only be unfair if you had told me your true name… which you didn't, right?" he added with a calm smile.
Artoria remained silent for a moment. Her brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed.
She let out a small sigh.
"You're right."
She admitted without resistance.
Arthur had said her name so naturally earlier that, for a moment, she had simply accepted it without questioning it.
"I could tell you, actually…"
Arthur continued, stepping forward and closing the distance between them.
"…but on one condition."
Artoria held her ground, her gaze steady.
"And what would that condition be?"
Her tone was neutral, but clearly cautious.
Arthur tilted his head slightly.
A more obvious smile formed on his lips.
"How about a romantic candlelit dinner?"
Without ceremony, he gently lifted her chin, forcing their eyes to meet directly.
The height difference between them became even more apparent.
His eyes carried a teasing gleam.
But then—
Tap.
Artoria brushed his hand away with a light slap.
Her answer was clear.
"I refuse."
Her expression returned to its usual composure.
Arthur laughed.
"How boring."
Then, without a care, he let himself fall backward, lying down on the cold snow.
Snowflakes gathered around him as he rested his head on his hands, gazing at the sky.
"The more you refuse… the more I feel like winning you over."
His tone was light—but filled with conviction.
Artoria looked down at him.
"You have a long road ahead of you, Berserker," she replied, turning her face slightly, as if ending the conversation.
But there was no disdain in her voice.
Arthur's smile widened.
"Don't underestimate my charm, Lancer."
---
(End of Chapter)