"Ugh... So heavy..."
Artoria mumbled under her breath as she dragged two unconciousness people who got stranded in this island, not even her strength wasn't any help despite the high rank and her race as a fae.
Perhabs the cause was she spending to much time in her hut, taking care of the island and the surving residents dropped her strength as the years goes away.
"I swear!!! If one of them woke up, she or he should explain immediately why it was a good idea to sail with an outdated boat that has not have the right equipment! Reckless humans they are! They should take care of themselves better!!" She complained and accidently dropped Dainsleif into the muddy ground that the mist produce to much moisture that the earth became so soft that the man was covered in mud which the nameless king hold her laughter even though it was her fault.
It's been a long time that Artoria laughed so genuinely ever since she got in this world along with the island, she glanced behind her back where Elaine was still deep in sleep against her which she lightly hold her chuckle how adorable that Demi-Servant sleeping without a care of a world.
"You sure made your goal here, strange traveler. Rest well here at the island of the Lost until you decided to move forward. Let your dreams be your guide but don't dream to much or else you trap yourself in that illusion you created it." Artoria whispers quietly while she grab Dainsleif's collar neck, not caring if his fancy clothing was ruined by her.
He can wash it once he woke up. If he wonders, take their shipwreck to the blame.
"....King?" The gray-haired girl voiced a word while she was still asleep, Artoria was frozen and narrowed her eyes when she sensed a hidden presence within the human girl.
"I see... If is so desired then so be it... Galahad. That fool, may his journey back to the throne be the last." She spoked in such a tone that Morgan used on her and her group then going back to her optimistic mood. "But you knew which one can you use your power for good of humanity. That girl will surely feel exhausted when she woke up, due the fact that she used a noble phantasm for the first time without a master. It's a miracle that she didn't die with that immerse power she unleashed."
Then Artoria glanced immediately to her hand when a masculine hands grabbed her to tightly.
"Ah. Are you quit to pretend to be unconscious, cursed man?" She eyed Dainsleif in boredom as he bore his glowing azure eyes at her.
"What are you? And what do mean that she was lucky to survive?"
She let his neck collar go as Dainsleif managed to get back to his feet, waiting for an answer but the fae keep walking ahead and he realized that strange person still hold that girl he has to protect.
"Where are you going?" His demanding questions hasn't answered right now when Artoria didn't turned towards him and waved at him to come with her.
"Don't stand here like a statue that asking some question so keep your mouth shut and follow me. That area will covering in mist again soon which that large tree produce." She said.
Dainsleif looking at her in wary even though that he saw many of them, that woman has the perfect shape of a human, so of course he don't want to follow her so mindless like a blind fool. But the way she acted and goes as she doesn't expecting to wait for him, he has no choice to follow her considered that this woman might now what's the true nature of the island.
So he steps his foot forward and followed behind.
"Can you tell me your name?" Dainsleif questioned.
"It's Artoria, and yours?"
"Dainsleif."
She stopped at the moment and looked at him without emotion in her eyes but he can't not help as Dainsleif tell that she has an aura of a king. "Your makers must be fools to name you that name and it become true on it's own. This must truly a cursed fate they afflicted you upon. A cursed sword that needed quench of blood from a person that die to be unheated again." Artoria commented him bluntly.
He knitted his eyebrows. "Excuse me?" Those words that the fairy told him were oddly accurate to him which it kind of bothers him how cryptic it was.
Artoria huffed at him and continued to walk from the road that leads to a cottage at the far distance while the blonde-haired man trailed behind her without speaking each other, didn't bothered as his clothes were bit dirty from the mud as Dainsleif looked with his eyes around at the environment of the island.
The flora and fauna are accustomed even they didn't receive enough sunlight. It fascinates him that how strong these plants are as few flowers opened their bud, showing their petals and tiny polls dancing around the air with a touch of soft blue glow like fireflies. Then he noticed that massive tree, Dainsleif never saw from the century he walked upon this land and started to questioned if it is related to a certain upside down tree.
He kneeled down his knees when he plucked down a lone white flower that resembles one back of his homeland and have giving to that thought of gifting to Elaine for saving from the big wave.
"Hurry up. You can pick those later when I place your friend somewhere safe." Artoria spoked with a small sigh without looking back at him as if she has no time to lose.
Dainsleif noticed her impatience and finally understood where she come from.
He as well was impatient like her since he has to watching out the tiniest move the abyss order planning in the dark to the divine above and perhaps that place and Elaine would be involved to their plans aswell.
"Alright."
It was a simple answer that was coming in his mouth.
No words had been spoken ever since they finally arrived to the cottage.
It has an air of coming home after hardwork as Dainsleif steps in and took Elaine from Artoria's grasps which the fairy crossed her arms, her green eyes following each steps he took when the cursed man laid the girl down to the bed that is fit for one person.
He looked around the house, his gaze landed on the fae who looking back bored and couldn't helped but thought why she helped them and what her intentions are.
"Don't look at me like that as if I using you both for my own gain. I was only helping you guys out of my instinct." Dainsleif blinked in surprised when Artoria spoke to him with a sigh then shake her head. "But due from your circumstances. I believe that is fine to be suspicious which is good that you have it as a human like you, however put some little faith in me will you? After all I save you and your friend from these 'spores'."
Dainsleif wasn't so sure if she was mocking at him or not when the blonde haired women spoked to him.
"Whatever... Use this house as you please. We will talk later tomorrow about what I am going to do with you and that girl when she woke up."
"Wait!" Artoria was about going outside to patrol around the island when the cursed man grabbed her on her shoulder which she pulled away lazily and moved her head toward him.
"I know your head is surely filled with many questions and couldn't wait for these answers but tomorrow is another day. There is nothing rush here in this island, we have a lot of time can use for now." Artoria ensured him and glanced to the gray-haired girl who was still in her slumber, "The most important thing to do is watch over your friend. She surely must have someone to support her when she woke up and would perhaps having a backslash from her noble phantasm she used, for the first time with so much prana, it's a work of miracle that she didn't faded into dust yet." She pointed out flatly without a trace of evil as Dainsleif reading her face with complicated feelings stirred inside his chest when he graced his eyes back to Elaine with a thought of her about turning into dust just like one of his people, who where turned into Hilichurls from the so-called divine and repeating the same cycle again as they returned back then getting killed again.
'I don't want repeat the same mistakes again!' He gluped. It doesn't matter, if it was a contract formed by Solomon, just because Dainsleif wanted more powers from the beyond to help of the upcoming madness that Abyss Order planned that only caused more loss for the ordinary people when they sparked war against the divine and the world.
As he alone can't do it for a mere single person despite being cursed for 500 years long by the gods, so he has to make a contract upon the throne of heroes who would aid his help for humanity's sake if his payers can be heard from the beyond that it would not happening again and this why Dainsleif tracked Romani down as he knows the mechanism of the summoning.
Then Dainsleif found himself in a storm when he discovered that Elaine was one of these special people. But something doesn't felt right with these thoughts of using her against her will.
He doesn't want to put Elaine in any dangers that would catalysize a curse upon her and using her as tool will be the more inhumane thing that he was no different from abyss order.
A carefree and kind person like Elaine should continue her path where she had chosen and not be tainted by his burden, despite the fact that she is someone he need and protecting him with her power she recently awaken that literally putting her into a coma was certainly his fault.
The fairy was right for one thing that he rushed things up.
Artoria sighed her breath as she realized that her words were harsh but it was the truth nonetheless, "... Don't look like that as if you gave up that easily what you are trying to achieve which I don't actually care less about it. Tomorrow is another day and hoped you would spend the remaining hours to rest here. After all this place is mysteriously unharmed of this particular hour and we also have a lot to talk tomorrow. Please consider that I wouldn't leave you both this long and I'll be right back once I finished my duties outside."
She closed her eyes for a short moment as she opened the entrance to the outside. Dainsleif was suddenly in state of trance when he caught a glimpse outside.
From what he saw was something that this came nothing out this world.
A pitch-black space, with no moon or stars were shining only the large tree illuminate dimly but it doesn't shine the pathway they walked as if it existed no longer.
"... What in the world is this place?" Dainsleif wonders and feared at the same time with irritation in the mix. The more he learns this place, the less he understands it.
Artoria pitied him with a cruel yet sorrowful smile on her face.
"I, welcome you. This place is called the Island of Lost, one of the edges in this world were the sun nor the moon doesn't shines, that the 'gods' never has stepped upon as it has 'no' value for them." Artoria scoffed with a mockery tone when she introduced that place they stranded.