On Arion's back, Jeanne and I traversed the plains and forests that lay between Trifas and Yggdmillennia Castle. High above our heads, Stormhawks were looking for any signs of Servants, and they didn't need to look hard to find the first reaction.
Not too far from us, a Servant was fighting what appeared to be golems. Near them, there were a few more auras hidden, most likely other Servants waiting for an occasion to strike. I hid both Jeanne and me with night sorcery, approaching the battlefield to observe the situation.
-"Berserker of Red, Spartacus."-Jeanne spoke as soon as she saw the fighting parties.
-"A slave who rose in rebellion against Rome?"
-"Yes, a respectable figure."-Jeanne showed her appreciation for those who fight against tyranny.
-"I don't see it that way. At most, I can consider him a tragic person, pushed to the edge of the cliff by the circumstances, by in my eyes, he is not a hero."-I shook my head.
-"Why?"
-"Because in my eyes, the actions outweigh the intentions. He indeed fought for noble matters, but how he did it was beyond reprehensible. The people under his command razed many cities and killed countless innocent civilians, incurred the wrath of the then Roman Republic, and were ultimately brutally destroyed. Rather than a heroic martyr, he is but a bandit leader. Targeting subjects of an oppressive country doesn't change their evil acts."
Jeanne was silent after hearing my answer, thinking about my perspective.
-"Even so, I still believe that he isn't evil."
-"That may be, but remember, 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'. Don't be fooled by the idea that good people do good, while evil commits evil. As a Saintes who died branded a witch, you should understand that."
-"I will be careful, thank you."-Jeanne squeezed my waist a little harder.
We continued acting as spectators. Every time a new Heroic Spirit appeared, Jeanne would introduce their True Names to me.
-"This is Astolfo, one of the paladins under Charlemagne."-Jeanne pointed to the pink-haired person rushing this way.
-"I read about them, a group of knights inspired by Arthurian Legends."
-"So what do you think about her?"-Jeanne asked, wanting to understand me through my opinions about other heroes.-"As someone who knows the Knights of the Round Table, you should have some opinions about inheritors of their spirit."
-"First, it's him. But my opinion is rather neutral. Like the Knights of the Round Table in Legends, he is a great person with flaws. For some, those flaws were drowned by the greatness, for others, they caused their demise."
-"In the legends? Don't you know them personally?"
-"I only met Agravain, Gawain, and Gaheris. I'm still living, and in my point of time, that Knight Order is yet to be established."
-"Oh."-Jeanne nodded and turned to the battle, where two more servants appeared.-"Those are Vlad III the Impaler and Solomon ibn Gabirol, known as Aviceborn."
-"Two great figures. One of the fathers of Jewish mysticism and the king who stood up against the Ottoman Empire. While I hold Aviceborn in high esteem as a philosopher and mage, he is an eccentric, so don't hold any expectations for him; consider him a fanatical religious mage. As for Vlad, I respect him as a king who kept his country safe from much greater opponents, and as someone who could claw their way from the very bottom back to the top."
-"But isn't Vlad known for his cruelty? Why do you respect him and not Spartacus?"
-"Because Vlad's cruelty served a purpose. His act, while objectively evil even for his times, prevented an existential threat from destroying his homeland, saving the lives of his subjects. Spartacus never fought to create a home for those enslaved, and even the idea of bettering their lives was lost along the way. He wrought destruction as revenge, not thinking about the future."
-"Now that we speak like that, what do you think of me?"-Jeanne asked while carefully observing my face.
-"Hmm... To be honest, I have two somewhat opposite opinions about you. First, I admire your courage and spirit of sacrifice, and while you alone were powerless to change the status quo, you inspired the whole nation and are a pillar of their national identity to this day. But second is that I pity you, who threw her life for a belief that was burned as a witch. I pity the simple village girl who had to carry the whole country on her shoulders."
Hearing my opinion, Jeanne was silent. She just put her forehead on my back and hugged me more tightly. Knowing that my words weren't exactly polite, I let her be. After a few moments of such silence, she spoke again.
-"What about you? What do you think of yourself?"-She asked softly.
-"Me? I think of myself as a knight who wishes to uphold his duty."-I answered simply.
-"So why did you become a knight?"
-"To repay a life-saving grace."
-"I see. Can you tell me more about yourself?"
-"What would you like to know?"
-"Why and how have you become who you are?"
I nodded and recounted some details of my past while watching the battle in front of us. I mentioned my childhood in Laterano, about how it ended in a tragedy. About my arrival in Lands Between, studies of magic, becoming a knight, and serving the Carian Royal Family. I spoke about how I met Artoria and Morgan, and some details about my campaign in the North.
Jeanne listened, but seemed somewhat off.
-"You seem not satisfied with my answer."
-"It's just..."-She thought about how to convey her thoughts.-"Your story sounds like some historical description, not something you experienced personally. It's like you forgot why you did all that, only remember how it all happened."
This time it was my time to be silent. I stood by my conviction and lived by the idea that my actions were to represent my character, not my words or intentions. But Jeanne's words also hit a nerve in me that I wasn't aware of before. I wasn't angry or upset, just felt hollow, like something was missing, and I just noticed that void.
Before I could think about it more, another two Servants appeared in the Black faction crowd, attracting our attention.
-"Those are Siegfried, slayer of evil dragon Fafnir, and Frankenstein's Monster."-Jeanne spoke in her normal tone again.
-"A hero without much of his own will and a victim of circumstances."-I gave my opinion bluntly.
-"They are moving toward those last two servants hiding around."
-"I know them."-I spoke as I saw their appearance through the Stormhawks.-"Achilles and Atalanta. I met Achilles during my business, and I had heard of Atalanta and even seen her portrait once. They are typical Greek heroes, full of glory, but human to a fault. Both of them are proud and stubborn."
-"They sound like a great people."
-"They make for a good friend, great ally, and terrible enemy. You just need to approach them with patience and respect."
-"Then I must find a chance to get to know them."
-"He might not know me due to the different timelines."
-"But he won't be that different, right?"
-"Shouldn't be."-I nodded.-"We should move, let's not get involved in the fight right now."
I had Arion move, making her approach the Yggdmillennia Castle. We moved slowly, as I watched for anything that could detect or harm us. At the same time, I also put some runes around as insurance in case the Black faction also wished to attack us.
Just as we were to leave the forest and enter the plain before the castle, we ran into a strange duo. Astolfo was dragging behind him a person who appeared to be a homunculus, as their aura was chaotic and unnatural. Jeanne pointed at them, signaling us to follow them, so I made Arion do just that.
They ran for another five or so minutes, until they were far enough from the castle to escape their surveillance. But judging by the approaching Servant reaction, it was too late for that. We watched how, before the homunculi could escape, Siegfried and his master caught up and stopped both of them.
The following confrontation had a predictable ending. After striking the master, the homunculi received a mortal injury, leading to a tragic ending. But just as I was about to shake my head at this non-fantasy ending, Siegfried knocked out his master.
Jeanne and I listened as he decided to save this homunculus at the price of his life, but we had differing opinions about this act. I could feel that Jeanne's emotions were full of respect and gratitude, showing she agreed with this, and yet, in my eyes, it was foolish in not outright cruel. Noticing more approaching Servant reactions, I jumped from Arion back and walked forward, stopping Siegfried from his suicide.
-"Who?!"
-"You should stop."-I spoke from under my hood.-"Your kind act might bring him more pain than you can imagine."
-"He is dying!"-Astolfo protested.
-"That's not an issue."-I waved my hand, casting a simple druidic healing spell.
-"This..."
-"He will still die soon. His lifespan..."-Siegfried spoke calmly.
-"Three years, not that short, as your heart might make his lifespan not even days long."
-"What do you mean?"-Astolfo asked, not understanding my words.
-"If he receives your power, he will have to replace your position in the war. Think about what that means for him."
My words silenced the two heroes. They started to understand that their actions were about to bring this innocent homunculus into the war. But before they could think more, the sounds of hooves appeared behind, along with a small crowd of the remaining figures of the Black faction aside from the Assassin and their master.
-"I don't believe you are a Heroic Spirit of Red. Identify yourself, unknown knight."-Vlad spoke from his horse.
-"Consider me as the Ruler's partner."-I turned my head to them.
Jeanne also chose this moment to dismount Arion and came to my side.
-"I see."-Vlad nodded, not asking more questions about my identity.-"Mind someone explaining what had occurred here?"
-"Well..."-Astolfo showed an awkward smile.
Knowing that he couldn't depend on his teammate, Siegfried sighed and explained what had happened. After hearing the details, Vlad nodded, but his eyes showed that he no longer considered those two reliable.
-"Ruler, if I may, what are your plans?"-Vlad's master, leader of the Black faction, asked Jeanne.
-"We will remain neutral."-Jeanne answered curtly.
-"I see."-Vlad expected this outcome.
-"But we can offer you a deal."-I spoke up.
-"Oh? Can his words represent you?"
-"Fully."
-"Then please, unknown knight."
-"Both of us must remain neutral until a breach of rules appears, but we have limited ability to see when the rules were broken."
-"You want us to find proof."-Archer of Black finished my words.
-"Indeed. If you provide proof, we will act on it and exchange it for a command spell. If the breach is serious enough, we will pay more."
-"We accept."-Vlad nodded, well aware that this is the only thing we as a neutral party can agree to.-"Now we have to speak about this homunculus."
-"Leave him to me. He will be the perfect Reactor Core."-Aviceborn spoke up.
-"Good. Let him serve his purpose."
-"Stop."-Jeanne stepped in front of the unconscious homunculus.
-"Ruler. This homunculus is part of the resources of our faction."-Vlad's master looked at the ruler.
-"Even so, he deserves to live."
I sighed, knowing that Jeanne had made her decision. I condensed a fist-sized crystal, filled with magical power, and threw it to Aviceborn.
-"It should be enough value to exchange for that one homunculus."
-"This homunculus is special."-Aviceborn pushed back.
-"And the magic energy I provided is not only pure but also special."-I condensed a Glintstone pebble and launched it at Aviceborn. He deflected it without any issue, but in the process also noticed its uniqueness.
-"You..."-He looked me up and down, as if trying to confirm something.
-"You can take the homunculus, consider it giving Ruler a face."-Vlad's maser spoke up.
I nodded and called Arion to my side. She easily carried three of us from there.
When we left, Vlad looked at Aviceborn.
-"Do you know that Heroic Spirit?"
-"No."-Aviceborn quickly denied.-"But his magical power is so special that it made me think of something absurd."
-"He has a familiar air to him like dryads and nymphs."-Archer of Black joined their conversation.
-"Are you suggesting that he is some kind of spirit?"-The wheelchair bound master asked.
-"Most likely, and looking that he is by the Ruler's side..."
-"He might be connected to the Planet."-Vlad's maser agreed with Archer's suggestion.-"Then we should be wary of him more than the Ruler. Ruler at least is a saint, being who is inherently good. He..."
-"You underestimate him."-Aviceborn finally spoke up.-"He isn't some wild spirit or monster. This power is something that shouldn't exist on this planet. To my knowledge, he is either some kind of Divine Spirit, or someone from outside this Planet."
Aviceborn words silenced everyone.
-"Either way, they won't be our enemies if we don't break the rules. Let us go, we need to prepare."-Vlad started to leave.
One by one, everyone followed him; only Aviceborn remained still. He held the crystal in his hand and continued examining it. Under his mask, his expression showed an almost fanatical expression.
-"Oh... This time, he will be perfect."
After saying this to no one in particular, he disappeared.
Jeanne and I returned to Trifas, knowing that there would be no more combat tonight. The remaining girls were already asleep long ago, so after taking the homunculus to an empty room, Jeanne decided to also go and rest. Having nothing better to do, I also went to rest.
As soon as I closed my eyes, I found myself in a dream. I was already used to it, so I quickly started to look around, but this time I noticed that something was different. Usually, I would dream about normal, day-to-day situations, but now the whole atmosphere felt heavy.
By the surroundings, I understood that I stood in some kind of shrine, standing in ankle-deep water. In front of me lay a giant stag, but I could feel that it held no breath of life. Around, a group of priestesses was chanting some incantation, and leading them was the woman I was familiar with from my other dreams.
Before I could comprehend everything that was around me, I felt the enormous power enter my body. I couldn't help but fall to my knees, my whole body under enormous strain. Before my eyes, I watched as the stag disappeared into motes of light, which fused into my body. I saw how my skin darkened and lines of pure white magical power formed on its surface.
I could feel that my consciousness was slipping away, and as I was about to fall, I heard something from whoever was granting me this power.
~"Go, my Warrior. The night will always be on your side."