Hearing Shinji's response, Mordred stood there as if struck by lightning, completely forgetting that Shinji had just called her an idiot.
"How... how did you know?"
Well, this was as good as admitting I was right. As expected, the Knights of the Round Table are just a bunch of king fans knights, hopelessly devoted to their king.
While silently making fun of them, Shinji casually replies, "Because I'm also a King fan, and I've met other King fans too, so I kind of get how you think."
"King fans? What does that mean?"
"A 'fan' is someone who likes something, and a 'King fans' is someone who likes their king. In a certain circle that studies the legend of King Arthur, you guys from the Knights of the Round Table are called the king-loving knights."
"King fans? Liking the king? No way. I don't know about those other guys, but I'm a rebellious knight. I hate King Arthur the most."
Mordred made a show of gritting her teeth, but anyone could tell from her stiff expression and trembling voice that she was lying.
Her Master, Kairi Shishigou, covered his face with his hand, unable to watch.
Shinji couldn't bear to watch either, so he chose to look away, turning his gaze to Artoria, though her expression wasn't much better than Mordred's.
She had always thought that Mordred despised her, hated her, but now—King Arthur's simple mind couldn't comprehend the situation and had effectively shut down.
"Hey, Artoria, Mordred just said all that. Aren't you going to say something?"
"She... I... I—" Artoria stammered, unable to say anything coherent.
"I really can't deal with you two. Fiore, prepare a room for them to talk things over."
"No, no need. We have nothing to talk about. I have some things to take care of, so I'll be leaving now. Master, let's go."
As she spoke, Mordred grabbed Kairi's arm and started to drag him out.
They hadn't taken more than two steps when Shinji spoke up.
"Is running away really the best option?"
"I—I am not running away."
Mordred's eyes darted around.
"Alright, I'll take your word for it, but there's something I need to remind you of—after I finish the surgery for Fiore, I'll be heading off to fight Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. Artoria, as my Servant and an observer for the Counter Force, will come with me. What will happen then, no one knows. Whether Artoria will respond to a future summons is uncertain. This might be your last chance to see her. Don't you want to clear things up?"
"I..."
Mordred wavered.
Seeing this, Shinji leaned in and whispered into Mordred's ear, adding fuel to the fire.
"The current Artoria is no longer a king and doesn't need to suppress her emotions. Understand? She might not acknowledge you as King Arthur's heir, but as Artoria's child, she won't deny you. Don't you want to be like other kids, to throw yourself into her arms and act a little spoiled?"
Mordred's face turned crimson in an instant.
"I—I don't want that."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Say it again?"
"I... I'll agree to talk to her, okay?"
"Alright, it's settled then. Remember, be honest and don't hide anything if you don't want to regret it."
"You're so annoying with all your nagging," Mordred muttered, but didn't argue.
"Thank you, Matou Shinji," Kairi Shishigou thanked him on behalf of his Servant.
"I just don't want to have any regrets."
For Artoria, for Mordred, and for himself as a king fans.
"If you want to thank me, let's make a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"I know you have a precious specimen. I need you to use that to make three doses of serum. In return, I'll lift the curse on you."
"How do you know everything? Do you have some kind of ability to foresee the future?"
The specimen Shinji referred to was the Hydra larva that Kairi had obtained from the Summoning Department's head, Belfeban. Only the two involved knew about this, which was why Kairi was so surprised.
"If I could foresee the future, why would I be in such a mess?"
"Good point. I agree to the deal, but I'll need a day to prepare."
"That's fine. Once you make the serum, I'll lift the curse."
"No need. The curse doesn't matter anymore."
Kairi's decision took Shinji by surprise.
"Huh? Why? If I remember correctly, this curse will..."
"I am well aware of the curse's effects."
"Then why..."
"This is the price I have to pay, the price the Shishigou family has to pay."
"I respect your choice, but in that case, the payment—"
"No payment is necessary."
His eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, glanced at Mordred. The anxious look on her face brought a slight smile to Kairi's lips.
"Unless you can bring the dead back to life, in which case, I'd be willing to pay any price."
"I don't have that kind of power," Shinji shook his head with a bitter smile. "Even the Greater Grail can only save souls that haven't yet dispersed. Once they're gone, they're gone for good."
"As expected, bringing the dead back to life is just wishful thinking."
Kairi silently lit a cigar but didn't put it to his lips, simply watching the smoke curl and change. His mind was filled with old, almost moldy memories and a forever-cherished face.
In the far east, where the Shishigou clan had settled, there was a cold, damp land almost always covered in rain or snow. Sunny days were few and far between, mostly confined to a handful of summer days. Most of the time, the land was shrouded in deep gray clouds.
It was a desolate place where just surviving seemed to consume all one's strength.
Although they were magi, they still needed to obtain food for survival. This was especially true for magi who had fallen into decline. Therefore, they had to start by earning the trust of the residents through mundane curses that barely qualified as magecraft.
"It's not too late, it's not too late, it's not too late."
What do you mean, it's not too late? You're already finished. You've helplessly reached the end. Your magic crest is deteriorating, and your power has dwindled to less than a tenth of its peak. With each generation, the magic circuits have become weaker and weaker. Soon, you'll just be ordinary people who know about magecraft.
Humiliation, disgrace, and shame. For a magus, this was the most desperately avoided outcome. It wasn't about dying in the pursuit of understanding the abyss or in a spectacular magical battle. No, it was simply about becoming a meaningless existence—this was the worst possible end.
No, that can't happen. That absolutely can't happen. No, no, no!
Like a child throwing a tantrum, they desperately sought help from familiar magi. Those who had benefited so much from them during their prime were now, without exception, showing them ridicule and contempt.
"What a pitiful family. You're already finished."
"What do you expect us to do for someone whose magic circuits are dying?"
"It's sad, but this is the fate of a magus. No matter how many letters you send, your wish won't come true."
In the end, the ones who fulfilled their wish weren't familiar magi. They made some kind of sorcerous contract with a near-demonic entity of unknown origin.
"Well, I can guarantee your prosperity—"
"That guy" said, laughing heartily.
"But this is just an advance. In the future, you'll still be cut off in an instant—"
Even so, the family made a decision. Before that moment arrived, they would conquer this magecraft. There were many methods they could use. Even if they couldn't do it themselves, they could pass it down to their descendants. One day—
There was probably also some prejudice and disdain toward the sorcery of the borderlands. Their methods were primitive and crude, far removed from their aesthetic sensibilities.
But on the other hand, the techniques were so simple and robust that they could be described as beautiful. How shallow they had been. The family began to inherit the knowledge, warning against the curse, and ordering their descendants to respond as quickly as possible.
The time of prosperity was like a dream. Their theses were acknowledged, and the Clock Tower accepted the Shishigou family with undisguised amazement. Though they didn't know how it was done, they were welcomed warmly—
Then, the downfall came just as suddenly.
It wasn't a gradual descent down a slope but more like being pushed off a cliff. A miserable end? No, it was a situation they had long anticipated—only, to their descendants, it seemed like a sudden disaster.
Shishigou Kairi's fate marked the beginning of the end. Among the Shishigou family, he had the most exceptional talent, surpassing his father and reaching deeper mysteries of magecraft.
As soon as he reached childbearing age, he was forced to marry. The family, never forgetting the curse, had to confirm as quickly as possible whether he could have children.
Then, the family finally understood that "it had begun."
"No, it's not possible. Kairi can't have children. Since there's no physical anomaly, this must undoubtedly be the result of the curse. How could this happen? It's finally starting—"
First, they tried various methods to see if he could have children. They used various drugs, held ceremonies, leveraged all their connections, and spent enormous sums to have magi skilled in healing check him.
In the end, all attempts led to devastating results. Children could be born, but only for a moment; they died soon after birth. No matter how many times they tried, the children were born, died, and disappeared quickly.
He and his wife quickly decided to divorce. With a cold gaze, she declared:
"You are an amazing magus. Because you can even toy with your children."
What she said was indeed correct, Kairi thought. Each child died the moment they were born—the responsibility lay entirely with him. No matter what he did, they died one after another—it was as if he had killed them himself.
However, at this point, his wife's family also finally realized that the Shishigou family was facing a decline, so they quickly decided to withdraw.
Kairi and his wife were, from a magical perspective, the perfect match. So, the family was always adamant that the child must be born from the two of them. But things had come to this. They had no choice but to decide to adopt someone else's child.
The Shishigou family had no retreat left. In any case, they had to make sure that Kairi Shishigou could somehow pass on the magic crest to another child. Whether it was a biological child or an adopted one, it didn't matter anymore.
Even in such a situation, they still hadn't truly understood the true nature of the "curse." The contract they had made should have been "to abandon magecraft at the moment of Kairi Shishigou's birth."
Giving birth to a child magus was fundamentally impossible.
Without realizing this, they went to great lengths to find a distant relative's girl with high adaptability. When they arranged the first meeting, Kairi knew she was afraid of him and felt deeply frustrated.
To further improve compatibility with the girl, Kairi lived with her.
"In that case, I can become a magus like you, Brother. I'm really happy—"
She said, smiling. She was a weak-bodied, smart, and well-behaved girl. Every time it rained or snowed, her condition worsened. When she heard that transplanting the crest would make her healthy, she smiled happily. But until the transplant, she had to remain in poor health. Because there was no other way, Kairi read books to her bedridden self to pass the time.
"After becoming a magus, you won't read to me anymore. That's unfortunate—"
She said, lowering her head in disappointment. Kairi whispered to her, "Once you're healthy, you can read whatever books you want yourself." Seeing her puff out her cheeks and say, "That's not what I meant," Kairi finally realized that she wanted him to read to her.
"Fine, I'll keep reading until you get tired of it."
Hearing this, the girl finally smiled again.
Both before and after—
In Kairi's life, he had never experienced such a peaceful period.
That kind of life,
one day, disappeared like magic without a trace.
The body, which had turned purple, was sent for cremation. Following local customs, and more importantly, to avoid polluting the land, they burned the body with fire. There were no tears, nor could there be any.
The one who had always turned a blind eye to the possibility of "this might happen" was, without a doubt, Kairi Shishigou himself.
Because he harbored the hope that "maybe it will succeed." Because his father and the family's people all said there was no problem, he had the hope that "maybe it really will be okay."
All these reasons were just lies. It was impossible to hold anyone responsible for this.
Because Kairi Shishigou wanted to become her father, it was this dream of his that tragically crushed the girl.
That was the truth, and there was no other reason. Tears and apologies were now far out of reach.
Kairi Shishigou silently accepted everything about the curse. He pored over books, almost driven mad with desperate thoughts, and in the end—he finally decided to accept this end.
The rest of his life was just a matter of discarding his life. Even for a necromancer, the modern battlefield was still too dangerous.
He was not a magus but something akin to a magic user—or perhaps entirely equivalent. However, none of this mattered to him anymore. It was as if a man who realized his death was near intentionally squandered all his accumulated assets.
Whether it was sheer luck or a persistent refusal to choose death actively was hard to say.
Kairi Shishigou barely managed to survive with half of his being intact. As for the other half, it had died along with the girl.
Every time he bled and fell on the battlefield, he would recall:
"When I wake up next time, I can call you Father—"
Ah, he had committed the sin of wishing for the girl to call him that. It was painful, excruciating, and exhausting—dying would be easier—then, he would clench his fists, spit out a mouthful of blood, and stand up again.
As the years passed, his soft exterior had become as tough as steel, and his hand that wrote theses was marked with countless scars.
He scavenged corpses, processed them, crafted spells, earned money, and then squandered it recklessly.
He was guilty.
Precisely because he was guilty, he had to continue living. He had not yet found a way to atone.
At the very least, he had to experience something akin to death.
And now, Kairi Shishigou encountered the Holy Grail. It was as if fate had led him to the Holy Grail.
Reviving the dead was impossible—his knowledge as a magus told him so.
The possibility was almost zero—his experience from countless battlefields declared this.
But even so, perhaps there was something new to discover. With a semi-desperate mindset, suppressing the hope that began to swell—he reached out to the Holy Grail.
This was the only reason the man sought the Holy Grail.
It was an extremely ordinary and mundane story, one that could be found countless times in the world by just changing the circumstances.
However, there was not a shred of falsity in this passion.
It was a very insignificant, almost unconscious sense of dignity as a magus, as well as a hard-found means of atonement. In the deepest part of his instincts, he had clearly understood this.
That was—Kairi Shishigou's place to die was here.
But now, even this final hope was shattered, and he had truly lost everything.
The man did not feel despair because, when his dream was shattered, he, like his partner, finally understood his true desire.
What he wanted was simply for that girl, with her delicate and fragile smile, to be alive and smile at him. That alone would have been enough.
He lived a half-dead life because he wanted her back. But her resurrection was utterly impossible, an irreversible fact.
Precisely because of this, he was so reluctant to let go and led a life of wandering aimlessly.
So be it. With all hope severed, he would bear everything and slowly walk towards the end of his life.
However, before that, there were still some things he could do. As the Master of that troublesome guy, he could go crazy once for this fool who didn't even properly understand his own wish.
As the cigar burned out, Kairi made his decision.
At the very least, he couldn't let that guy end up in an irreparable state like himself.