Chapter 355
I feel like this Goddess is a bit too overly familiar? And some of her actions seem to be directed at me or provoking me.
"Familiar?" Li Pu shook his head and said, "Artoria, we will be comrades-in-arms in the Holy Grail War in the future, so let's put aside the issue of familiarity. I want to know why you are so cold to me."
"Is it because of the Holy Grail?" Li Pu said in a negotiating tone, "If you think we'll become enemies when we obtain the Holy Grail in the future, then how about you give me the Holy Grail and I grant you one wish? Anyway, for you, granting your wish is all that matters, but who grants it doesn't matter."
To be honest, Li Pu really didn't expect King Arthur to be hostile towards him. According to traditional time-travel stories, at this point, even if it's not exactly a romantic relationship, it's still preparing for his future conquest.
Why was King Arthur and himself both enemies and friends in reality? It must have been for the Holy Grail.
Everyone is trying to achieve their goals. If we cooperate now, we'll be enemies in the future. So those novels probably didn't consider this aspect at all.
"You are the Goddess of Fate, aren't you?" Artoria said. "I remember you said you were the Goddess who weaves fate, weren't you? That you weave the fates of everyone from gods to mortals."
"Yes," Li Pu asked curiously, "I am the Goddess who weaves destiny."
At least based on the character design she has received so far, that's how it is. She is a first-level non-limited Goddess, Belldandy, and not the fake identity of Vivian, but rather the Belldandy of the Three Goddesses in Norse mythology.
"So my fate was written by you?" Artoria asked, as if accusing someone. "And the fate of Great Britain, was it also arranged by you?"
"Why! Why did you arrange it this way!"
Artoria's question left Li Pu speechless for a moment. She really hadn't expected that her identity as the Goddess of Fate would bring her such an extra drama.
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What are you going to say? That you planned all of this yourself? If you say that, aren't you just asking for trouble?
If you say no, wouldn't that be lying?
"So you think I deliberately orchestrated the collapse of Great Britain for you?" Li Pu quickly countered. "Or do you think I deliberately orchestrated those betrayals for you? So you think that, ultimately, I am the cause of Britain's collapse?"
"That's truly laughable, Artoria Pendragon."
"If this is the truth you've come to," Li Pu said with a hint of sarcasm, "Then it's no wonder you were betrayed, no wonder some people say you don't understand human nature, and no wonder your Great Britain disappeared into the annals of history."
"I am the Goddess of Fate," Li Pu said coldly. "I am only responsible for weaving fate, but not for deciding anyone's future."
"You are the only one who decides your future!"
"Artoria Pendragon".
Chapter Four: Who's Showing Off?
"Weaving destiny, but not the future?" Saber asked rhetorically, completely bewildered. "What do you mean?"
"Every cause has its effect." Li Pu spread his hands and said, "That's the idea. Weaving destiny isn't about randomly linking two completely different things together. You can't expect a greedy and incompetent ruler to have a clean government and a prosperous country. Even if he suddenly repents, it might be too late. The fate of an incompetent and tyrannical ruler is actually not that many. It mainly depends on whether the country is rising or falling when he takes over. If it's rising, there's still a chance to fall. If it's falling, it's basically like a crooked tree on Coal Hill and a three-foot-long white silk ribbon."
"Of course, you might not understand this analogy." Li Pu gestured as if two circles and a line appeared out of thin air.
With a flick of her finger, the red thread moved from one circle to another. Li Pu smiled slightly and said, "The so-called weaving of destiny is simply connecting the causes and consequences of a person's actions."
"Therefore," Li Pu clapped his hands and said, "I will not let your country perish, nor will I let you be abandoned by your people. I am simply linking what you have done with the circumstances of your future. If your future does not have a happy ending, how can you expect me to weave the future you desire?"
"Besides, if you think I did all of this, even if I or the Holy Grail granted your wish, so what? All you've done is repeat the same mistakes."
Artoria paused for a moment, then said, "You know my wish?"
"I am the Goddess who weaves destiny." Li Pu held up a cup of black tea with both hands, and floated down into the chair in a very ladylike manner. "In my long life, I have witnessed the birth and death of too many heroes, their great achievements and their unwillingness and loneliness. And you, Artoria Pendragon. Of course, I have witnessed your birth, growth and fall."
"So how could I not guess what your wish is?"
Hmph, I won't tell you that when I went to Fuyuki City, I also robbed the bookstore there and devoured the entire history of this world. I also paid special attention to the histories of Golden Flash, the King of Conquerors, and Saber, carefully studying them all! In this world, lacking strong support and without the assistance of Yugrashu's system, knowledge is power! Knowledge is her capital for surviving to the end!
Knowing what kind of Heroic Spirit she would encounter in the future, Li Pu naturally had to conduct targeted research!
"Ah~" The lady asked curiously, as if she had discovered something new and interesting, "So the Goddess also knows Kiritsugu's wish?"
"His wish..." Li Pu took a sip of black tea and said, "His wish can certainly be fulfilled, but the price... is probably that everyone in the world except his family will die."
The lady froze, her astonished expression unreadable. After a long pause, she finally said, "Goddess Majesty is just joking, isn't she?"
"There is a difference between ideals and reality." Li Pu did not answer directly but said, "Some ideals can never become reality. If you insist on making an ideal a reality, you will have to pay a huge price."
"I told Kiritsugu about this from the very beginning."
Of course, Li Pu knew that Kiritsugu ultimately destroyed the Holy Grail because of this, so he might as well give him some hints now. Perhaps it could slightly change some of the unfortunate ending in the future—after all, he quite liked Kiritsugu. Kiritsugu wasn't exactly a bad person; he was just overly idealistic. If he really had the chance to change his fate, it might not be a bad thing.
Maybe.
"Are you saying our wishes are destined to be unfulfilled?" Artoria couldn't believe Li Pu's words. She questioned him with great resentment, "Or are you saying that you, as the Goddess of Fate, have already woven our destiny?"
No, this is called plot.
Of course, Li Pu wouldn't say that. She put down her cup and floated to the window, looking at Kiritsugu playing with Illya outside. She clasped her hands together and whispered, "Dear spirits of nature, please listen to their hearts. After this biting cold wind, before the darkest night, please bring them warm blessings and care."
Li Pu's voice was soft, gentle, and pleasant, which temporarily eased the tension and worry in the hearts of Artoria and her wife.
The room seemed to grow warmer. A gentle breeze opened the window, the snow began to melt, revealing green grass, trees sprouted new buds, and walnuts blossomed.
In that instant, spring seemed to have arrived in this cold winter covered by heavy snow.
This is Belldandy's power. Whether it's because the character has replaced the original body or because the current setting is closer to the original setting, Li Pu's use of this divine power is much stronger than before.
Outside, Illya seemed to realize that Li Pu had done all this, and she happily waved her little hand at Li Pu.
Li Pu also waved in response.
"I am the Goddess of Fate; I weave destiny but do not determine the future," Li Pu said, leaning against the window. "I also do not have the inclination to reveal one's fate to mortals and watch them struggle endlessly within their predetermined destiny, unable to escape."
"So your fate and future are not in my hands, but in your own, and so are your wishes."
Li Pu's words and the brief but warm spring she brought seemed to melt away the previous tension, and the atmosphere in the room became peaceful. The lady's expression returned to calm and elegance as she said, "That's true. Perhaps the key to fulfilling our wishes still lies with Kiritsugu."
Artoria wanted to say something, but she suddenly noticed another pastry floating by and landing near her mouth. Then she looked at Li Pu, who was propping his head up with one hand and pointing with the other.
"What do you want to do, Goddess of Fate?" Artoria's ahoge (cowlick) stood up straight; this wasn't the first time Li Pu had done this.
What exactly does this Goddess of Fate want to do? Artoria couldn't understand it at all. She always felt that this Goddess of Fate seemed to be targeting her intentionally or unintentionally in some ways.
"I'm not doing anything," Li Pu said cheerfully. "Since we're all comrades, I'll be honest with you. Actually, I'm still very interested in your Artoria and have quite a good impression of you."
"So I want to feed you some food myself."
Come on~ open your mouth~
Chapter 5 Peaceful Fuyuki City
A brief spring is also a brief moment of beauty.
As the darkest night was about to descend, Einzbern Castle fell into a state of silence and tension.
"Assassin is dead."
In a small conference room on the middle floor of Einzbern Castle, Kiritsugu was holding his final operational meeting. As he made the final preparations before the battle, his face never showed any emotion, neither in the past nor now. Even upon hearing the news of Assassin's death, which seemed to mean the loss of a competitor, he showed no joy whatsoever.
"He was discovered and killed by the Tohsaka Heroic Spirit while infiltrating the Tohsaka Family," Kiritsugu said. "That Heroic Spirit looks like he'll be very troublesome."
Kiritsugu focused his gaze on Li Pu, seemingly hoping to glean some information from her.
"Don't look at me," Li Pu replied. "I didn't go. I have no interest in this battle. It was just a show of firepower, and in my opinion, it was the most foolish show of firepower ever."
Having seen it and having a deep impression of it, I know that the essence of this battle is to create the death of an Assassin, thus pulling both the Assassin and the Master behind the scenes to utilize the Assassin's strengths. Another objective is to demonstrate firepower to intimidate and threaten other Master and Heroic Spirit, disrupting their plans.
Therefore, Li Pu did not go to the site to observe. Judging from the overall plan, the former was very successful, which can be considered as playing to its strengths and avoiding its weaknesses.
However, the latter is not necessarily so successful. A display of firepower may not disrupt the plans of other Master and Heroic Spirit, but may instead expose the characteristics of Heroic Spirit and arouse the vigilance of others.
The consequence could naturally be facing united front and targeting.
Of course, looking back, no one joined forces with him, so he didn't encounter the worst outcome.
"Anyway, in my opinion, this is like making a plan with your brain but then carrying it out with your ass on a banana peel," Li Pu said with a slight sneer. "It's very much in line with the personality and strategic characteristics of people from that region."
"Foreigner, you seem to have a different perspective on this matter," Kiritsugu said.
"Assassin isn't necessarily dead; he's just gone behind the scenes. The Tohsaka's Heroic Spirit is powerful and willing to cooperate in this charade shows that they've formed an alliance," Li Pu explained. "Actually, we could kill Assassin without a show of force, because Assassin himself isn't that strong, and ace heroes often need to be kept hidden until the most crucial moment."
"It's not a wise thing to film it now," Li Pu said, shrugging. "Anyway, it's already done, so I won't comment."
"Then do you know who the Foreigners are?" Kiritsugu asked again.
"If you meet them, you'll recognize them." Li Pu shook his head and said, "It's a bit much to ask you to tell me who they are without even seeing them."
"Hmm." Kiritsugu wasn't disappointed by Li Pu's words. He simply said, "Then let's proceed as planned. The Foreigner will enter Fuyuki City ahead of time. Saber and Ellie will travel there by plane, and Maiya and I will follow. After arriving in Fuyuki City, the Foreigner will meet up with Saber and Ellie first. If any support is needed, the Foreigner will provide it."
"Let's get started!"
The night in Fuyuki City was about to become lively, though the Fuyuki City's residents were unaware of what was about to happen. For ordinary citizens, the landing of a plane on an otherwise ordinary afternoon meant nothing. But for the Holy Grail War, this landing marked the beginning of the Holy Grail War.
Saber and her wife walked out of the airport. As Heroic Spirit who came from ancient times to the modern era, Saber was not shocked by modern technology. She already knew about this era when she descended.
On the contrary, the wife felt a little bit of the novelty of Liu Laolao visiting the Grand View Garden.
"Is this Fuyuki City? Kiritsugu's hometown?" The lady took a deep breath and said, "It really seems like a vibrant place."
"Kiritsugu should have arrived in Fuyuki City by now." Saber, however, was not as relaxed as his wife. "With her abilities, the Foreigner should have arrived here much earlier."
"The foreigner said she would pick us up at the airport," the wife said, looking around. "But I haven't seen her anywhere."
"No...she should have already...arrived..." Saber's ahoge stood on end, and her whole body was trembling.
This wasn't from cold or excitement, but from anger, because she saw a strawberry daifuku hanging from a fishing line in front of her. And no one but that Goddess could do something like that!
"That Goddess of Fate ..." Saber said through gritted teeth, "What does she take me for?!"
"Sharing food is a way of expressing recognition and friendliness among people." Before Saber could grab it, a voice said, "As the saying goes, 'When friends come, we will naturally welcome them with fine wine and food.' Why does it seem that Saber is quite dissatisfied with my way of welcoming them?"
Dressed in his Divine Attire and carrying a fishing rod, Li Pu walked through the crowd with an innocent expression to his wife and Saber, saying, "Refusing the kindness of the gods usually doesn't end well. Of course, I'm not the petty kind of god who won't do anything to you. But Saber, your behavior still makes me quite sad~"
"Waaaaah~"
"Goodwill?" Saber raised an eyebrow and said, "You're clearly planning to treat me like a pet and play with me. It's not goodwill at all!"
I feel like this isn't an expression of goodwill at all, but rather a game! A blatant game!
"It's just a little game," Li Pu argued. "You can do it if you want, and I won't be angry at all."
After saying that, Li Pu even handed over the fishing rod in his hand, seemingly not minding it at all.
Seeing the fishing rod in Li Pu's hand, Saber wished she could rush up and snatch it and break it in half! This damn Goddess's ability to annoy people is truly first-rate!
The lady didn't seem to mind. She hung a pair of daifuku from the fishing line and ate them while asking, "Has the Foreigner met Kiritsugu?"
"Seen it? Of course not." Li Pu didn't answer directly but tilted his head and looked at the maid behind his wife and Saber, saying, "You go back first. I'll take my wife and Saber for a stroll in Fuyuki City."
The maids seemed to resist, but after a sudden tremor, they left without a word, dragging their luggage like mechanical wooden figures.
"What did you do?" Saber asked nervously.
"Don't be so nervous," Li Pu said, putting away his fishing rod. "It's just a normal divine word; beings of that level cannot resist it."
This is also the Goddess's power; Belldandy doesn't use it often, but Urd has used it quite a lot.
"Let's go," Li Pu said. "I drove here from Einzbern Castle, so don't worry about anything. Especially Saber, I'm your comrade. At least until the Holy Grail appears, I won't fight with you."
"So what are you planning to do?" Saber thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case, so she asked with relief.
"Go and relax," Li Pu said calmly. "Saber, there's always a period of rest during a campaign, and pre-battle rest is very important. Sufficient rest is essential for maintaining peak combat condition."
At least tonight is the real Holy Grail War. Now is a rare time for rest, and Li Pu doesn't want to get back into battle so soon.
Besides, I always felt that Saber seemed to harbor hostility towards me, so I thought I could take this opportunity to eliminate that hostility. I really don't know why she hates me.
Wasn't that explanation enough?
Perhaps Saber wasn't particularly interested in shopping, but for his wife, it was more than enough. Everything on the street was so new and exciting, making her incredibly happy.
Li Pu bought a lot of snacks, some of which he ate himself, some he gave to his wife, and of course, some he gave to Saber.
The three strolled around for a while before arriving at the beach, where Li Pu had already prepared a barbecue. His wife, who was visiting the beach for the first time, was especially happy and couldn't wait to take off her shoes and play on the sand like a child.
Li Pu then started a fire to make barbecue.
"Speaking of which," Li Pu said while preparing the skewers, "Saber, I'm curious to know if your continued hostility towards me is due to your fate or because I am the Goddess of Fate?"
"Hate." Saber said, neither confirming nor denying, "If you feel that I am hostile towards you, then so be it."
"Why?" Li Pu asked, "Is it because my previous behavior made you feel disrespected? I didn't mean any harm."
If we're really talking about feeding them, it does seem a bit excessive. If that were the real reason Li Pu would have stopped doing it. But Li Pu just doesn't think so.
"If you're really asking why," Saber said seriously, "Then tell me what your wish is."