Chapter 102

"..."

Kihara listened in silence.

"After all, if humans are inherently sinful and God is good, then from His perspective, all humans are equally evil."

He said, "At that time, no, actually it was the same for everyone. Regardless of whether they were so-called sinners or not, very few people who were given death obediently waited for punishment. Everyone believed that they had value, and no one wanted to die."

"Based on what you've said, it can be deduced that you were already contemplating suicide at that time."

The Black-Haired Girl spoke with a blank expression.

"Death may be painful, but that pain is unavoidable. To be honest, if I'm going to lie, I'll lie to the end. It's enough for me to bear the pain caused by myself. That's the premise that I am who I am. No, perhaps that pain is the price I have to pay for that moment?"

If one day I forget this, and think it's insignificant and unnecessary, then I've probably already been changed without even realizing it. (Tai.)

Without realizing it, the silver-haired youth's lips curled up, he cracked his knuckles with a hint of regret, closed his eyes, and quickly chanted:

"Haha, I'll make your eyes, nose, ears, internal organs, and even your bones all leave you, leaving you to live like this, replacing all your blood with the most unbearable poison of death, and then using bone regeneration to fix your soul, so that your soul can continuously extract essence to repay your Evil. I won't let someone like you be involved—"

"Aaaaaah, please stop!!!"

The Black-Haired Girl, whose 'dark history' had been exposed, was so ashamed that she could barely maintain her composure and shouted with a flushed face.

Novia opened her closed eyes, smiled gently, and continued:

"Every single part wasted... You've finally come to this, Kihara. Now, do you even remember me?"

"... Yes, Lady Novia, I remember you."

The Black-Haired Girl's answer was so-so, and it just didn't sound quite right.

For her, Novia held a place of longing and reverence in her heart, perhaps comparable to the 'Adam' in the Garden of Garden of Eden.

Therefore, she couldn't help but think that there might be other feelings she couldn't understand.

"Anyway, thanks to you for helping the Pale Rider take care of Tsubaki. If you need any help in the future, feel free to come to me."

Novia got up to leave, having finished what she needed to do at the hospital.

"That..."

Just as he reached the girl from behind, he felt his clothes being tugged.

Although it felt like too much of a coincidence, Novia still turned to look at her.

The Black-Haired Girl's lips moved slowly; she wanted to continue speaking, but she couldn't utter a word.

Like a lost child unable to say his own name, he lowered his head again, as if even the air had become heavy.

Just then, a voice came from behind the girl—

"Sister Kihara said she has been imprisoned by the Holy Church for several years, so she wants to escape. She hopes you can help her, and ideally, take her in, because Sister Kihara has always been alone."

"... Huh?!"

It was only then that Kihara realized that Xiao Chun had woken up. When she turned around in disbelief, she saw the girl who had just woken up on the hospital bed smiling encouragingly at her and giving her a thumbs up in an optimistic manner.

Then, the girl took a deep breath, straightened her back, her cheeks flushed, and nodded vigorously while biting her lip.

Perhaps it was because he knew this matter was easily exposed, and he felt deeply ashamed, or... excited?

"... Is that so?" Novia patted her shoulder and said solemnly, "In that case, let's go."

Then, watching Kihara being led away by Novia, Tsubaki Kuruoka smiled slightly from her sickbed.

She was thinking to herself that the way she had comforted Qi Huang in her dream, with her sharp tongue and Kihara, was actually quite effective against her older brother.

186: Charlemagne's Wish and the Sphere Like a Fly's Egg (4k5)

Police Department, Police Chief's office.

"Your Police Chief, could you tell me more about Francesca and Faldeus?"

Charlemagne, having reached a cooperation agreement with Alexandre Dumas, looks toward the Police Department Police Chief Orlando Reeves, one of the masterminds behind the Snowfield Holy Grail War.

"I'm sorry, although I discussed this Holy Grail War with them before, I only knew that Francesca was a Magecraft who had lived for many years, and that Faldeus had the support of the government. I didn't know much more about the situation."

Although the three are in the same faction behind the Holy Grail War, they do not trust each other. For the Police Chief, it is enough to protect all the residents of Snowfield City during the Holy Grail War.

In other words, if Francesca, Faldeus, or anyone else were to take up the Holy Grail and destroy the city and the entire country, Orlando would not back down and would fight back against destruction with his life.

"I see. So, what do you think of Bazdiloh Coati, who brainwashed your subordinate and turned him into a spy?"

"Bazdiloh Coati, an Italy mafia loyal to his gang, is determined to Overturning the entire country, even at the cost of his life, ever since the former boss was eliminated by the government. In short, he's a thug."

"Oh, I see. Just hearing you say that, Police Chief, I can feel the determination he has and his willingness to destroy himself. Heh, if Richard were here, he'd probably chuckle to himself, thinking, 'There really is Lion, or rather, a lionheart, who has taken a completely different path from him?'"

Charlemagne muttered to himself, then rested his chin on his hand and continued to ask the Police Chief,

"Police Chief, you must have something else to say, right? Say it."

"... I am not someone who cannot accept the death of a subordinate."

Orlando's eyes were filled with a quiet Wrath, the source of Wrath was not directed at anyone else, but at Bazdiloh, who had twisted his subordinate, the one who made Heracles the Master of the Avenger.

The Police Chief felt guilty for letting them and their families get involved in Magecraft and mystery as their leader, and most importantly, he felt he should have taken better care of them but hadn't noticed that.

Orlando and Alexandre Dumas vaguely remembered the expression and words of the father of Western Europe when Charlemagne was taken to the police station after appearing on television:

"Kneel down and shed tears of joy, for I am the deliverer, I am the End Times, and I embody the will of the world."

Then, Charlemagne looked at the Twenty-Eight Police Officers constructed from Alexandre Dumas's Noble Phantasm, waved his hand, and the entire police station was instantly bathed in blue light.

"Behold, behold this blue radiance, the universal light, the radiance of the Holy Spirit, spreading love to every corner of the world, the ideal that the Roman Empire should have embodied but failed to achieve, the truth that should have brought eternal prosperity to mankind... You should not betray it."

Under such unparalleled authority, one of the Twenty-Eight Police Officers, who had been twisted into a Police Officers, suddenly broke down.

Seeing this, Orlando instructed Alexandre Dumas to remove the Noble Phantasm ability that allowed his Police Officers to become 'heroes,' and instead contacted the father of Western Europe, ultimately reaching a peace agreement with him.

"Thanks also to you, Charlemagne. After all, although I can filter dust, I didn't notice it at the time." Alexandre Dumas shrugged, paused for a moment, and then said fiercely, "Brother, I'm sorry, I should have been more careful when I used my Noble Phantasm to add pens for the Crowd."

"No, this isn't your fault," Orlando continued. "If it were just Bazdiloh's distortion, that would be one thing... but I'm afraid that old dog used illusion magic to conceal him, distorting the dominant Od to make it easier for his presence to be mistaken for mine."

"Old dog?"

Charlemagne asked curiously.

"My brother is referring to Francesca," Alexandre Dumas explained. "Francesca's idea was probably 'it looks interesting, so I'll lend a hand,' which Faldeus probably knows, which is why Bazdiloh Coati was exchanging information with him."

"Oh, right, just now a mercenary calling himself Sigma contacted me. He's going to take care of Faldeus," Orlando said thoughtfully, then nodded firmly. "Later, I'll personally go and seek justice for my subordinate. I'll personally deal with Bazdiloh Coati, that Italy mafia boss."

"Hahaha, my brother is a true hero, though I'll just laugh as I watch him die."

Alexandre Dumas, in an exaggerated tone, spread his arms wide in front of Orlando and sang as if he were an actor on stage. Then he straightened up slightly and bowed respectfully to Charlemagne in an elegant, aristocratic tone.

"But right now, our main concern is dealing with Novia. I don't have much expectation for the Holy Grail. As Playwright, I'm already quite satisfied with seeing a great story. What do you think, Charlemagne?"

"... Let me think about it."

Charlemagne answered with a wry smile.

Originally, Charlemagne was different from Alexandre Dumas; he wanted the Holy Grail and believed he had a high chance of success... until Novia's arrival.

"If I said I did it so my sister could get out, would my Brother-in-Law give me the Holy Grail?"

Charlemagne stroked his chin, muttering to himself uncertainly. At the same time, he saw his reflection in the mirror and sighed once more.

"... Ugh, this is such a hassle."

After all, he should normally appear as the elderly Carl the Great, who reigns over all of Europe, not as the young 'Charlemagne' on his journey.

The relationship between Carl the Great and Charlemagne was quite different from the usual, normal relationship between an old man and a young man, as is typical of Servant.

For Carl the Great, the Twelve Paladins were his elite forces; the Holy Sword, magical beasts, and Witch were irrelevant to his rule.

In simpler terms, Charlemagne's experience was a 'daydream' interwoven with fantasy and Present World, while Carl the Great, through ruthless means and Wisdom, established the 'reality' of the Europe Prototype.

In other words, it is absolutely impossible to summon Charlemagne in the Holy Grail War, because Carl the Great Charlemagne in human history.

The fact that Carl the Great could appear in his youthful appearance, that of Charlemagne, was a miracle even he could not have imagined.

At first, he only sensed El-Melloi's overwhelming fear, and remembering that his Brother-in-Law had been Lord of the El-Melloi and thus was born before Richard the Lionheart, he figured he might as well do him a favor...

However, it turned out that it wasn't one of El-Melloi's people, but rather someone who was an incarnation of El-Melloi's Mana Furnace.

"Ugh, no matter how I look at it, I have absolutely no chance of winning!"

Charlemagne, without any regard for decorum, covered his head and shouted in front of Alexandre Dumas and Orlando.

Perhaps it was because he Present World with a youthful attitude that Carl the Great's mentality returned to the cheerfulness of his youth, rather than the hardened heart that had become difficult to be swayed by the various experiences he had gone through. This is probably why he referred to himself as Charlemagne rather than Carl the Great.

Being young means having the vigor that comes with youth.

"Even the Alien Star Key aren't reacting at all, how am I supposed to fight this... no, it's practically impossible to fight..."

In fact, besides the desire to save humanity, Carl the Great had another wish, and the reason he wanted to obtain the Holy Grail was simply because he wanted his Brother-in-Law and sister to be reunited.

In the distant past, Charlemagne, traveling through the incredibly cold Himalayas, entered the Giant God Ruins with his knight Astolfo. When he touched the stone tablet, he saw a very lonely brown-haired girl Attila.

The girl looked very lonely, trembling with loneliness, waiting for someone.

Then, through the Alien Star Key, the words that Avia had Avia's Inscription here entered Charlemagne's mind.

Those were the words of the silver-haired man who wanted Attila to no longer be alone.

Even though the passage of time will turn the ocean into mulberry fields, and countless heroic deeds will be buried deep in the dust of time.

A civilization that was once as vibrant and colorful as a profusion of flowers may one day vanish without a trace.

However, this affirmation and expectation placed upon him will surely remain forever beneath the Alps, silently awaiting Charlemagne's arrival, as long as the Alien Star Key remain intact.

"You will succeed, I have no doubt about that, not because of some so-called destiny, but because of your tireless efforts to bring peace, and your friends. Yes, that's right, I also think that people who work hard and are serious are very admirable."

In fact, Charlemagne had already killed people by that time. To inherit his father's profession, it was only natural. On the battlefield, that's what a knight is.

He felt content just being able to joke around with Astolfo and the others and help people in need.

However, because he was a prince, he could not do that.

The only option was to kill, kill, and kill relentlessly, burning and looting to defeat the enemy.

On the battlefields of that era, so-called knights had no concept of chivalry whatsoever.

Charlemagne felt very unwilling and did not want to continue the killing. He just wanted to fight the enemy openly and honestly, to spare their lives if they surrendered, and to fight a war to defend peace, regardless of their status. He wanted to be able to drink and talk with anyone, and to make friends with people of different Faith. That was the kind of person he originally hoped to be.

No, he genuinely wanted to be that kind of person, and that might just be the point of contention between Charlemagne and Carl the Great.

Charlemagne pursued that world in his imagination, while Carl the Great used countless means and spared no expense in reality to become the father of Western Europe.

Even so, both share a common desire—

To allow Avia and Attila to be reunited.

I want these two people to stay together and live happily ever after.

Both of them felt that way.

"... If all else fails, just let my Brother-in-Law -law make a wish. Whatever it is, I'll support him."

Charlemagne, having racked his brains but unable to come up with any good ideas, said this.

Meanwhile, underground in the snowfield.

When Sigma arrived there, there was absolutely no sign of anyone around.

However, although there was no one there, the atmosphere was so relaxed that visitors could fully feel the resentment that people harbored.

"Don't let your guard down, buddy. The Od here is distorted, and the Watcher's eyes aren't reliable either."

Following the words of the old Captain, Shadow Mage, Sigma, panting, looked at 'that'.

It was like Red and Black magma, encircling the Modern Steel Framework frame on the hollow outer wall, and could be seen from all directions as the vessel of the Greater Grail.

The Underground Natural Great Hollow existed before the streets of Snowfield City were built.

This place, considered a forbidden Holy Land by the family of Tiny Cerque, the Master of the King of Heroes, is Great Spiritual Land through which a massive Dragon Vein, and is also the place where preparations are being made for the coming of the Greater Grail.

Earlier, Sigma had to deal with Faldeus, with whom he had a close relationship, before he could deal with Francesca. When he arrived at the monitoring room of Faldeus's Private Prison, he found it full of corpses, and Faldeus himself was also dead, apparently killed by Servant.

He then went to the place Francesca had mentioned to him, intending to see if he could find her and kill her.

But--