Fiore was a trustworthy and kind girl. When she promised to arrange a room for Shinji, she did just that.
Millennia Castle was large with many rooms, but only a few were actually in use. This was mainly because there were only seven—no, six—Masters who needed rooms. After all, this castle was once a military fortress designed to house a thousand soldiers. Despite the golems, homunculus incubation chambers, various materials, and defense facilities taking up much of the space, there were still plenty of rooms available.
The extravagance of each Master's quarters, each large enough for a family of three, was evidence enough of the castle's ample space.
The room allocated to Shinji was also spacious, roughly estimated at over 40 square meters, fully equipped with all necessary living facilities. It was located opposite Fiore's room, next to Chiron's, and diagonally opposite Caules's. However, so far, Shinji had only been to his room once, for less than two hours.
Of the two nights since being summoned, one was spent in Fuyuki, and the other accompanying Jeanne d'Arc. During the day, he was almost always by Fiore's side. Only after Fiore drank her pain-relief and calming potion and fell asleep quietly would Shinji return to his room to rest. Despite being in a Servant's body, which was far stronger than a human's, rest was still necessary to avoid wear and tear and fatigue.
"Based on yesterday's experience, Fiore's nap should last about two hours, so I can rest during that time. After a busy night, I am indeed a bit tired. I definitely can't keep pulling all-nighters. Immortality isn't so easy to achieve; not everyone can be as energetic as the Grand Duke in the night."
Casually making fun of Vlad III's dark circles, Shinji opened the door to his room.
Three seconds later, he swiftly stepped back out and checked the room number.
"This is definitely my room."
Unexpectedly, there were already three people in the room that was supposed to be empty. One of them, the only one Shinji hadn't met before, was occupying the bed he intended to use.
This was a young boy who had a similar androgynous quality to Astolfo, making it hard to determine his gender at first glance. His slender beauty and handsomeness were like finely polished gemstones.
The boy's sculpted features, which shouldn't exist on a natural human, along with Chiron and Astolfo on either side of the bed, immediately made Shinji realize the boy's identity. He was Sieg, the protagonist of the book Fate/Apocrypha. However, he didn't have a name yet.
Sieg's life was legendary and extremely fortunate, with a luck stat higher than any protagonist in the Fate series.
Born as a homunculus meant for supply purposes, he had only a three-year lifespan and knew nothing about the world, with even a faint consciousness. However, after witnessing the death of other homunculi, he awakened a fear of death and a will to live. Instinctively, he used magic to break the glass wall of his incubation chamber and escape.
The heavily guarded Millennia Castle was an impossible place for a homunculus who couldn't even walk to escape. But Sieg was lucky. First, he encountered the helpful Astolfo, who hid him. Soon after, during a break in the Red Faction's assault, Astolfo managed to smuggle him out of the castle.
Lady Luck continued to favor him. Siegfried, moved by the homunculus and Astolfo, took out his own dragon heart and placed it in the homunculus's body. This not only healed his injuries but also broke the three-year lifespan limit, allowing him to live like a human. The reborn homunculus named himself Sieg in gratitude to Siegfried for saving his life.
As a complete human, Sieg's actions became even more extraordinary.
He formed a bond with Jeanne d'Arc, who had come to investigate the Black Faction's Saber and gained her protection.
He intervened in the Red Faction's assault, saving Astolfo from Mordred. After being severely wounded by Mordred, he was revived by Frankenstein's self-destruction, which activates the dragon's heart, allowing him to transform into Siegfried for three minutes.
After the great battle, Celenike used a Command Spell to force Astolfo to kill Sieg, but Mordred, passing by, saved him. Mordred killed Celenike, and Sieg formed a contract with the now Masterless Astolfo, officially joining the Holy Grail War.
Returning to Millennia Castle, Sieg rescued his fellow homunculi and fought for their equal rights.
He reached an agreement with the remaining Black Faction, led by Fiore, and Mordred's team. Together, they launched an offensive against Amakusa Shirou. In the final battle, Sieg achieved consecutive victories, first killing Karna, then Amakusa Shirou. Finally, he transformed into a dragon, carrying the Greater Grail to the Reverse Side of the World, saving both the world and humanity.
You thought that was the end, that this was the legendary conclusion?
No, it wasn't the most legendary part. The most legendary part was that this newborn managed to win the heart of the saint, Jeanne d'Arc. Jeanne, for his sake, spent countless years and eventually left the Throne of Heroes to reunite with Sieg on the Reverse Side of the World.
The story ends with the young man and woman embarking on a journey around the world.
What a happy ending, truly a happy ending.
Happy my foot—this was exactly how Shinji complained after reading the novel, and he felt the same now seeing Sieg.
This ending was a total letdown. If it had been like other stories where a boy meets a girl and their relationship gradually develops through shared experiences, from acquaintance to friendship, to understanding, and finally to love, Shinji wouldn't have had any complaints and would have offered his heartfelt blessings.
But Jeanne and Sieg? Come on, there wasn't even a hint of such development; they skipped directly to the last step. It was so abrupt that it felt forced, like a poorly matched couple. The only hint was Jeanne's line, "Sieg-kun, do you want me to get pregnant?" which was mocked by Japanese netizens for years as out-of-character, turning into a meme.
Yuichiro Higashide-sensei, you truly lived up to your reputation for this whimsical storytelling.
Ahem, sorry for digressing. But these were Shinji's genuine thoughts. The moment he saw the boy lying in bed, a strong urge to rant surged up like bamboo shoots after rain, making Shinji's usually lazy expression twist with a few more sinister lines, and a dark, oppressive aura enveloped him.
"Um, Assassin, are you angry?" Astolfo was startled by Shinji's gloomy expression and shivered subconsciously.
"Heh, I was out fighting strong enemies, and when I returned, I found my home occupied. Do you think I'm angry, Astolfo-kun?"
PS: Shinji's role and opportunities related to Sieg are over. This summary serves as a conclusion for Sieg.
PS2: Some people asked who is Gray. Gray's name is Gray, the protagonist of The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II, and an inner disciple of Waver, currently one of the strong contenders for Waver's main disciple. Character traits: a descendant of Artoria (distant relative), guardian of the Artoria family gravesite, resembling Artoria in appearance (though she didn't originally look like this; since Artoria's first summoning in 1994, she gradually began to resemble her, likely due to her constitution and some meddling from her family, which is why she dislikes her face). She usually wears a cloak, has immense magical power despite not being a magi, possesses superhuman physical abilities, and her weapon's first form is a scythe. After unsealing it, it becomes Artoria's Holy Lance. In the latest volume, she has learned to use the Holy Lance, breaking five seals and, like her ancestor, destroying someone's chariot.