Within the Sea of Trees, at Einzbern Castle.
Alicephil stood by the bed, watching Artoria fall into a deep sleep after drinking a Magic Potion to stabilize her emotions. With a relieved sigh, she rose, quietly left the bedroom, and carefully closed the door.
"She awake? How is she?"
"She's fine. Her condition has stabilized."
Alicephil was not surprised by the sudden murmur behind her. She turned toward the figure leaning against a scroll pillar and smiled.
The one who had appeared at Einzbern Castle was, naturally, Samael.
Although he had previously succeeded in subduing the out-of-control Artoria, to ensure that the King of Knights would not turn on everyone after waking and threaten Alicephil, the Ancient Serpent had naturally needed to keep watch in secret, just in case.
A breeze drifted past. The two exchanged smiles, walked to the railing, and stood side by side. An inexplicable harmony filled the space between them.
During the Holy Grail War, strictly speaking, they were still competitors.
But one had exposed himself to save an enemy in her hour of need.
And the other had opened her doors, allowing her opponent's Heroic Spirit into her own fortress.
After everything they had been through, the trust between them had become quite solid.
After a few casual remarks, Alicephil brought the conversation back on track and told Samael what she had learned from Artoria.
I see...
After hearing her account, the Ancient Serpent rubbed his chin, his flickering gaze thoughtful.
Chloe von Einzbern... another mother... and a woman identical to Alicephil...
Based on the information available, the Ancient Serpent could basically confirm that there was an eighty or ninety percent chance his "good daughter" was behind this.
Yet whether due to the powerful blessings of the Greek Gods or her own exceptional talent, that