Chapter 302

"Haha, you're quite polite now..."

A subtle expression appeared on Cú Chulainn's face. "But I was lucky, too. So let me introduce myself. My real name is Cú Chulainn."

As Cú Chulainn was essentially Odin, he felt that Novia might want to keep her true identity hidden, just like him, and he didn't care about the reason.

But using her original face, isn't she afraid of being recognized? Or does she intend to refuse to be recognized no matter what...?

Thinking of this, Odin gently shook his head and pointed to the side with his wand.

"Let's have a good talk over there."

"What! Novia, you've become Demi-Servant just like Mash!?"

A short while later, when the group was talking, Olga Mash learned that this Consultant from the Atlas Institute had become Demi-Servant. Olga Marie exclaimed in surprise, even omitting the usual suffix "Consultant" when referring to Novia.

"But if Mash said that you can't use Noble Phantasm because you don't know the name, then Novia, wouldn't you be..."

Olga Marie hesitated, not uttering the last few words.

"What you call Half-Baked."

Just then, Cú Chulainn added in a gloating tone, which prompted Olga Marie to quickly wave her hands and mutter things like, "I didn't say that," "He said it," and "It's none of my business."

"Even if I can't use my Noble Phantasm, I feel that the Heroic Spirit within me can take on more than five people at once. I'm quite confident in that. We absolutely cannot lose to Artoria Pendragon, the Britain King of Knights whom Cú Chulainn mentioned who holds the Holy Grail!"

Novia propped her chin on her hand and said without discouragement.

Upon hearing Novia's words, the reactions of the people present varied. Mash expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much, Consultant!" Ritsuka clapped her hands happily, while Olga Marie showed a subtle expression.

As for Cú Chulainn, who was essentially Odin, he was already sighing inwardly.

One against five? You really have the nerve to say something like that... I remember everything that happened back then perfectly well. Now you're playing dumb with me, huh? A collection of many Heroic Spirit, and you can only use them one by one. I must say, you're a young man after all, you really know how to operate a machine better than this old man...

Suddenly, Cú Chulainn, as if remembering something, moved closer to Novia, while Olga Marie, who had helplessly acknowledged Ritsuka Fujimaru as her Master, began to use her instincts as the Director to introduce some things about Magecraft and Chaldea.

Although Ritsuka had only just learned about it from Novia, seeing the Director's enthusiastic expression, she could only reluctantly listen to Director rambling along with Mash. At the same time, regarding Cú Chulainn, who was standing close to Novia, for some reason, she had a feeling that Mr. Cú Chulainn was getting too close, or even that he and Novia already knew each other. Ritsuka could sense that his attitude towards her and the others was slightly different from his attitude towards Novia.

Could it be that Lord Cú Chulainn wishes to become Novia's Servant...? But surely Demi-Servant isn't an option...

Having learned that Novia, though Demi-Servant, possesses abilities that do not require Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru was still somewhat disappointed.

"What are your plans after this problem is resolved?"

Cú Chulainn asked Novia in a low voice.

"Hmm? Once things are settled here, as a member of Chaldea, I will naturally return to Chaldea, Cú Chulainn."

"You're still pretending, aren't you? You really think I can't tell it's you?"

"What do you mean? Could it be that Cú Chulainn and the Heroic Spirit within me are acquaintances?"

"... Yes, yes, he's an old acquaintance. He owes me several favors. Why don't you, who possesses his power, help him repay them?"

Seeing that Novia still wouldn't admit it, Cú Chulainn immediately switched to his nonsense mode.

"I think our biggest problem right now is the King of Knights is guarding the Holy Grail-- "

"Is that a problem? That girl should be confused as to why you're standing here, when she thinks you should be with her."

The King of Knights of Singularity F is the Protection of Human Order, and this title alone is enough to say a lot. Of course, as Odin's son, Cú Chulainn's choice to fight alongside Chaldea is naturally based on his own judgment, and the King of Knights is simply protecting Human Order according to his own position.

After all, the title of "Protection of Human Order" is not a unique or special one. Other beasts that appeared later also had similar skill titles. Therefore, it can only be considered as a matter of perspective and cannot be used to conclude that taking this path is necessarily wrong.

Therefore, Novia smiled and replied to Odin:

Just like you.

This answer surprised Odin for a moment, then he burst out laughing.

"After all these years, you haven't changed at all."

Then, Odin spoke swiftly to Novia, giving him no chance to react.

"I was summoned before, from another world, seemingly a doomed world where the branch had gone astray. Anyway, I was quite surprised that someone there could summon me. So, I originally thought it wouldn't matter if I went after things here were resolved. But now that I've met you, I'd like to ask you to go in my place next time I'm summoned. How about that? Consider it my request."

"... another world?"

Upon hearing this, Novia already had a guess in her mind.

Odin was summoned to another world?

Isn't this the story of Ash summoning Odin in the Fairy Lostbelt, allowing him to possess a Fairy — the First Sage Grimr —from whom he learned Magecraft?

That's not right. First of all, Human Order Incineration, and Chaldeas's plan hasn't even started yet. Lostbelt can't appear, since there's no Fantasy Tree to provide them. And Beryl hasn't summoned Morgan from Pan-Human History to that extinct land.

In other words, without Morgan's grant of the Pan-Human History, even if the Second Fairy Era of the Fairy Lostbelt were to reappear, Viviane would still die in the 'Night of the Genocide,' followed by the Great Calamity and the destruction of everything.

Therefore, it would be impossible to summon Odin to become one's Magecraft Teacher, unless...

It is not Ash that is now summoning Odin, but some other being.

"Well, although I don't have much left to give you, I still have something to offer in return, even if it's not of much use to you now, but it was a request after all..."

Seeing Novia deep in thought, Odin immediately spoke again.

"Let's forget about it."

"Rejected? Fine--"

"What I mean is, I'll take it, but as for any reward or anything, forget about it."

Novia answered in this way.

"You've helped me a lot before, and you just saved Olga Marie, the Director of Chaldea. As Chaldea's maintenance Consultant, it's my duty."

Moreover, Novia now understood what the entity that summoned Odin was. Although he did not use that power at the moment, he subconsciously realized that it was the concept of the Star Sword and the Sacrificial God Cernunnos, whose soul had completely dissipated.

Despite his horrific resentment at being cruelly poisoned by the Six Primordial Fairies, Cernunnos's hatred stemmed not from hatred, but from Wrath and a sense of "responsibility." He felt he could not let these Sin creatures go unpunished. In other words, even in his current predicament, he still believed the Fairy could be saved, and so he prayed.

The world that was destroyed because of the unfinished Star Sword bears the greatest responsibility for failing to create the Star Sword on time. That is why the Inner Sea of Stars sent them to make the Fairy of Britain atone for their Sin of killing the Deity and abandoning the task of forging the Holy Sword.

When the Star Sword is recreated in that world, it will mark the moment of that world's destruction.

At the same time, where the Greater Grail was located, the King of Knights, clad in jet-black armor and stained with Black Mud, stood holding the Holy Sword.

Then, sensing that the aura that should have been with her was instead converging with the person she was waiting for and heading towards her, Artoria gently raised her head and naturally expressed her confusion:

"... Huh?"

Chapter 350 The Atlas Institute's Spiritrons analysis is omnipotent.

"You're here."

Confused by the question of why someone who should be with him is standing opposite him, the King of Knights stood calmly atop the Rocky Mountain, looking at Novia and her two companions who had arrived at the scene.

As for Cú Chulainn, he was entangled by the Archer Heroic Spirit on his way here, and therefore could not come along.

The sound coming from the distant mountain startled Ritsuka and Mash.

"Master, Consultant, I saw that person standing on that Rocky Mountain..."

Mash looked up. "King Arthur."

"Wow, there's more than one unexpected guy."

King Arthur's gaze lingered on Novia and Mash. "They're quite interesting."

That voice... So the King of Knights of Britain was actually a woman?

Ritsuka wanted to say something, but she trembled unconsciously due to the aura emanating from her and was unable to speak.

No, more than gender, it's this aura that's overwhelming. Even from such a distance, if you didn't hold your breath, you'd be crushed by her presence. There's no mistake, this King of Knights's strength is terrifying...

"So, would you like to give it a try?"

Just as Ritsuka was trembling uncontrollably, Novia reached out and touched her shoulder, which calmed Ritsuka down slightly and stopped her trembling so rapidly. Then, the silver-haired youth spoke to King Arthur through Book formed by Od.

"Oh? You and I shouldn't be fighting."

The Dark King of Knights shook his head. "My mother, my sister, would rather fight you than me. After all, a person who can't live without cursing others, upon learning that what he rightfully deserves can no longer be held, and can only 'humiliatingly' create a simulation using the lake as a catalyst, when he postpones that, the curse he harbors for you is probably beyond words."

"... How is the Court Mage?"

Upon hearing what the King of Knights said, Novia suddenly thought of Meli.

Although Meli is utterly shameless, as a hybrid of human and Nightmare, she has absolutely nothing to be pitied. However... I don't know if making her cry back then would have been useful. But whether she has any humanity or not doesn't matter anymore, since I still owe her a favor to this day.

It was she who made her take out the Star Sword, so if Morgan was angry with her for it, she herself bore a great responsibility.

Of course, Novia also understood that even without her request, Meli would have been imprisoned permanently by the Wrath Morgan sooner or later, which might be why she hadn't appeared in her soul. But since she had been helped by someone, she still had to repay them.

However, recently while in Chaldea, Novia didn't see Romani watching True Magic Meli, meaning he wasn't actively streaming online as a virtual streamer. This is quite rare for the 'Star Beast'. Could it be that some new 'fun' has arisen in the tower, causing him to neglect the Human Order Incineration?

"He could be considered a decent Teacher, but it's understandable that he was imprisoned in the tower by that guy because of his personality."

"That's fine, after all, it was something we had no other choice about."

"... In that case, do you still intend to stand on the opposite side of 'us'?"

The King of Knights gripped his sword.

Since she began facing Novia, the pseudo- Holy Sword in her hand had started emitting a low, guttural growl.

The Holy Sword given to the king by Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, one aspect of the Pan-Human History Morgan, was a pseudo- Holy Sword created because after the Fifth-Century War, the true Star Sword merged with the Magic Sword: True World, and no one could lift it. It was based on the lake where the sword was kept as a catalyst.

Having already experienced the Great Holy Grail War, Apocrypha version of the Apocalypse, in another world, Novia naturally learned from Mordred about the King of Knights who had become the 'Storm King,' and the King of Knights wielding what appeared to be Holy Sword must also be from another world.

The reason why the pseudo- Holy Sword emitted a low growl is quite simple. After all, the Star Sword kept by Novia is its source. Although there is no reason why Fake can't beat the real thing, even though the swords are rated the same from the perspective of the Throne of Heroes, the people who wield them are different.

Artoria, the King of Knights of Britain, possesses a heart formed from the concept of a dragon, and is imbued with Od comparable to geothermal energy.

Each time he swings the Star Sword, it's like the roar of a dragon transforming into a heartbeat. People have said, 'The reason the Holy Sword is the strongest is because of the power of its wielder.'

Then what about the Star Sword wielded by the being who possesses power far exceeding that of the original being, who embodies the fusion of the two great concepts of the primordial Holy Sword and the final Demonic Sword?

The Answer to this question can be sought from Ista, the 'Mistress of Heaven' of Babylon, who is now possessing a Homunculus in a mysterious decline.

After all, during the Holy Grail War in the snowfield, when she attempted to recreate the past, she and her pet 'Bull of Heaven' were completely obliterated by a single blow from Novia wielding the Holy Sword, shattering their concepts of Goddess and 'god,' causing them to fall from grace.

"I stand here, and that is my Answer."

Novia answered thus, as the King of Knights who Protection of Human Order.

"... Yeah."

Even now, the King of Knights still couldn't understand why Novia, who was recognized by Human Order, insisted on doing this. After all, if she was recognized by Human Order, she should have known the consequences of her actions, so joining him was the right thing to do...

Ah, I see, I see.

Suddenly, the King of Knights recalled the distant past, the time before he drew the Holy Sword.

"Little Lia, quickly pick up that sword. Although doing so will eventually make you no longer human, and you will be hated by everyone, ultimately leading to a tragic death, there is a small possibility of saving this country. What do you say? With your personality, you'll definitely draw it, right?"

Aside from her good looks, the Teacher was so overjoyed, eagerly awaiting her tragic end.

However, this only made her think to herself, 'Many people are laughing, I think that can't be wrong,' and she drew the Holy Sword.

Such a noble vow, yet who will ever know of it?

"That's fantastic, that's exactly how it should be! Although this path is arduous and sorrowful, it's worth it."

Although the Magecraft seemed excited and turned his head away, he was inwardly conflicted about her choice.

She wanted to see beautiful things, it was that simple, so it was only natural that she was innocently, and wickedly, excited about such a choice. But then, in a daze, she saw a single, Flower of Fantasy beside the Holy Sword, swaying in the wind like a recurring memory, as if telling a story in the Future.

"... Miracles come at a price. The perspective of a king and the perspective of the people living on this land cannot be reconciled."

The Magecraft uttered something seemingly out of nowhere, then added, "Even though you could have disregarded it, you chose to resist the most powerful thing for something insignificant, even if it wouldn't affect you personally. That's a similar choice, isn't it? You'd rather exchange it for something truly important."

Then, she gave that advice to the newborn king.

"Well, if we're talking about the Ideal King, then 'King of the Wild Hunt' would also be a good choice, or rather, it would suit you even better Little Airi..."

However, I didn't heed the words of this Teacher who had this rare moment of conscience. Perhaps she spoke too late; if she had spoken earlier, it might have been alright. I hope she in another world could have spoken sooner.

The King of Knights sighed inwardly.

At this moment, facing Novia's words, she understood why she was standing against her: even those who should fight together would stand on opposite sides because of their respective positions.

She understood that she was no match for Novia, but that was not a reason for 'not fighting,' therefore—

"Let's go then!"