Fiore, who was just within arm's reach, raised her hand slightly.
"In other words, you're another Ruler?"
Shinji nodded.
"I'm merely carrying out a similar mission. I don't have the privileges of an adjudicator. On the contrary, I can act more freely, participate in battles, and even pursue the Holy Grail."
"Even so..."
Fiore looked at the man in front of her with a rather complicated expression, "...I've summoned a special servant. I don't know whether to call it luck or misfortune."
"Whether it's luck or misfortune, there's one thing for sure: I can fulfill your wish."
After Justeaze's parting confession, Shinji seemed as if he had been jolted awake, experiencing a tremendous shift in his mindset, which also transformed his entire bearing from the inside out.
"To think you would say something like that, especially after losing the Greater Grail."
Fiore couldn't fathom where Shinji's confidence came from.
"I won't deny that we've lost the Greater Grail, but there are other ways to fulfill wishes. To put it bluntly, I can heal your legs. If you don't mind, I'd like to do it as soon as possible—"
"Wait, wait a minute."
"What did you say? Could you repeat that?"
The sudden good news made Fiore doubt her ears, and Caules was equally incredulous.
"I said I can heal your legs."
"Are you sure?"
"Why didn't you say this earlier?"
"Because I couldn't do it before. To be precise, before I became what I am now, I couldn't do it. Your leg condition isn't a disease in the strictest sense; it's a unique constitution that neither magecraft nor modern medicine can alter. If it were possible, Teacher Chiron wouldn't have been at a loss."
As Shinji spoke, he glanced at Chiron, who nodded in agreement.
"So, you placed your hope in a miracle. That was the right move. As far as I know, only the Third Magic can achieve this. Specifically, it involves removing the aberrant parts of your magic circuits and creating a new, flawless connection using the information inherent in your magic circuits. The principle is simple, and the procedure isn't complicated. It's not hard to accomplish with a basic understanding of the Third Magic."
"Easier said than done. That's Magic we're talking about. Even the top magi might not touch its edges," Caules muttered.
"You're right, which is why I said I couldn't do it before. But now it's different. That fool Justeaze used the Lesser Grail to create my body and imbued it with her Third Magic. Now, I can weave Fiore's magic circuits, thanks to the connection between us."
"That's wonderful, Sister."
Caules, still retaining a youthful heart, danced with excitement.
"Ah, yes, it is."
Fiore also smiled, though her smile carried a hint of reluctance and disappointment. This subtle feeling wasn't noticed by Shinji, who turned to look at the two servants standing closest to Fiore and Caules, who were once their enemies.
"By the way, I haven't asked. You haven't disappeared after three days, so you must have reestablished a master-servant contract. With whom?"
"You can see for yourself," Achilles said as he moved closer to Caules, while Atalanta stood behind Fiore.
This was the most natural development. Having lost their masters, the two, if they didn't want to disappear, had no choice but to find new masters and reestablish their contracts.
Chiron was Achilles' teacher and the person he trusted most in his life, so it was only natural for him to acknowledge Caules as his master.
Atalanta had vowed purity to Artemis, and her preference for a master was: females over males, chaste females over unchaste females. Given that Fiore had no certain experiences and had a calm demeanor, she was undoubtedly the best choice.
"Please take care of me, Miss Atalanta."
Shinji waved at Atalanta with a smile, but Atalanta snorted, flicked her beast ears and tail, and ignored Shinji.
"Uh, it seems she's still holding a grudge against me. But I was telling the truth."
This statement immediately earned a glare from Atalanta. Her new master was indeed excellent, but the only flaw was having to work with someone who had desecrated the great moon goddess. And now this guy was showing no remorse? Did he think she couldn't do anything about it?
"Truth, is it? I recall you said if it was false, you would let me deal with you."
"Yeah, so what?"
"Very well. Black Archer, you once studied under the great gods Artemis and Apollo, isn't that right?"
"That's correct."
Chiron, who was called out, looked bewildered.
"Would you dare to repeat the slanderous words you said about the great Artemis to Black Archer?"
"Uh... I advise you not to do that."
"You don't dare? So you admit your guilt?"
Atalanta pressed on relentlessly.
"You're forcing my hand."
Although Shinji was a bit flustered, he decided to go all out and began revealing various gossip about the gods.
"Artemis, the moon goddess, is a love-struck natural type who is hopelessly in love with the playboy Orion, and she's extremely jealous. Apollo, the sun god, is a super sister complex who prevents all men from approaching his sister."
"You, you even dare to slander the great Apollo—" Atalanta was trembling with rage.
"Don't rush to get angry. Ask Chiron-sensei first—Sensei, did I say anything wrong?"
"Well..."
Possessing Divine Wisdom and known for his sage and wise nature, Chiron seemed a bit troubled.
"Go ahead, Sensei."
"Speak, Black Archer, expose this sinner's crimes!"
With both pairs of eyes on him, Chiron's hesitation grew.
"Archer, just say it. I'm quite interested too," Caules's words became the final straw.
"Alright, though it's not quite appropriate for me to say, since it's the master's request... How should I put it, Assassin's words are indeed somewhat excessive but not false. I know a bit about Orion's story. If the sun god hadn't plotted to kill him, he probably would have married the moon goddess. Gods are often more emotional and extreme than humans. The sun god and moon goddess are no exception; their excessive protectiveness and possessiveness led to this tragedy."
Although Chiron tried to phrase it carefully to avoid overly damaging the gods' image, everyone could hear the underlying truth—Shinji was telling the truth!
Atalanta's vision darkened on the spot.
"Great Artemis... Great Artemis..."
"Sis, pull yourself together, Sis!"