Chapter 926

"Your request to meet me at this time implies this is the reason... Is that how I should understand it?"

Her voice appeared resolute on the surface, but a hint of unease lingered beneath.

Artoria remained silent, then nodded.

Upon hearing the Child of Prophecy's answer, the Queen temporarily closed her eyes beneath her veil.

After an unknown amount of time, Morgan opened his eyes.

Having mentally prepared herself, she met Artoria's gaze once more.

The Child of Prophecy reported the situation directly to the Fae Queen.

"I think you've probably noticed... Shirou is dead."

"Smack!"

I heard the sound of something falling to the ground behind me.

Artoria turned around and saw Tristan hiding behind the crack in the door.

Because his mother's attitude was very unusual today, the somewhat worried Faerie Knight did not obediently leave, but instead hid outside the door to eavesdrop.

Tristan.

Morgan pressed his forehead as if he had a headache.

On the other side, the red-haired girl, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably, asked in an incredulous tone.

"Wait... wait a minute, Shirou is dead... what does that mean?"

She burst out from behind the door and grabbed Artoria by the collar. "You bastard—why did you lie!?"

"..."

Artoria remained silent, turning her face away.

Tristan recalled all the unusual feelings he had experienced over the past two days.

Shirou, who is inseparable from the Child of Prophecy, is not in Lundinium himself.

Her Majesty the Queen invited the Child of Prophecy, but not Shirou.

And—whenever he mentions Shirou, the Child of Prophecy always shows a gloomy, desperate expression.

The Faerie Knight, his face deathly pale, gaped open. "Liar..."

It's true.

Artoria's words sealed Shirou's fate.

--Thump.

Tristan loosened her collar and knelt down on the ground.

A sharp pain pierced her heart, and the girl couldn't breathe for a moment, clutching her chest and gasping for air.

"Haa... haa... it's a lie... it's a lie..."

Hah... it's a lie... hah... this can't be..."

--Splash splash splash splash splash.

Unbeknownst to him, Tristan's tears fell onto the floor of the Jade Throne Hall.

"Shirou...?"

The red-haired girl raised her head listlessly and called out the name of her beloved.

Memories spanning two thousand years, memories long buried in the past, flood my mind like a revolving lantern.

Shirou, like a hero, stood in front of Tristan when she was being bullied by the village fairies.

Shirou, who took her in as a travel companion, asked the witch to teach her magic.

When she felt discouraged because she wasn't smart enough or had no talent, Shirou told her the trick.

Because of the witch's presence, Tristan couldn't express the feelings that were growing in his heart; someone like him wasn't worthy to interfere between those two...

When she felt inferior, it was Shirou gave her confidence.

However.

He gave the girl a life she had never experienced before, and then left her again.

This time, we didn't even get a proper goodbye.

"Stop joking...!"

Tristan covered his face, crying uncontrollably as he shouted.

"Why would you make such an outrageous joke... I... I..."

Shirou is dead.

I just returned to this world, and now I'm leaving again.

I will never see his smile again.

He can no longer call my name.

I can no longer talk to him or share my feelings with him.

The happiness we once had is now all in the past.

"Waaaaah...!!"

In his grief, Tristan remembered someone.

Aside from Shirou, he was the only, and last, person in this world he could rely on and trust.

"Mother..."

With tears streaming down his face, Tristan looked up at the throne and cast a pleading glance at the person on it.

"... Huh?"

The Fae Queen's reaction was unbelievably cold.

Despite hearing the news of Shirou's death, Morgan remained completely unmoved, unlike the grief-stricken Tristan.

Morgan said calmly, "I'm discussing matters with the Child of Prophecy. Go back to your room and await further instructions, Tristan."

"Why..."

Tristan cried out in astonishment, "Mother... how can you be so calm! Shirou is gone!"

"..."

No matter how much Tristan cried and made a scene, Morgan remained expressionless and indifferent.

"..."

Tristan's expression changed from grief to despair.

I see...

My mother has long forgotten Shirou...

No, I think I still remember.

However, now that 2000 years have passed, she is no longer moved by Shirou's death.

Tristan felt only immense sorrow.

My mother took me in simply to fulfill a promise she made to her.

Perhaps there were feelings back then, but now nothing is left.

The place I had imagined as a refuge never existed in the first place.

"..."

Tristan, with an expression of utter despair, slowly stood up.

Then, she staggered out of the Jade Throne Hall like a walking corpse.

After the obstacle disappeared, Artoria voiced her doubts.

"Although I suspect you probably already knew about Shirou's death in advance through some means, but..."

You don't seem surprised at all. I thought you would be even more --"

"More..."

Morgan countered calmly, "Are you saying I should act like Tristan, weeping and wailing in front of the enemy?"

Artoria: "..."

The Fae Queen said, "I don't believe Shirou is dead at all."

The Child of Prophecy said, "Even if you don't believe it, it's the truth."

It was her mission to deliver the news of Shirou's death to the Fae Queen, so no matter how cruel the truth was, she had to tell it.

Stop deceiving yourself; with your abilities, you should have already discovered the truth.

"Shirou's magic no longer exists in any corner of this world."

Morgan said, "Even so, even if all the evidence points to Shirou's death—I still don't believe it."

Artoria: "Why?"

Because Shirou had personally promised...

He will come to pick me up after everything is over.

Morgan said, "I will verify the facts myself later."

Artoria asked, "If what I'm saying is true, Shirou dies—what do you plan to do?"

The Fae Queen answered without hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"If Shirou dies, I will die too."

Because of a promise she made in the past, she was bound in this cage called the Fae Kingdom.

However, now... nothing can stop Morgan from following Shirou.

"..."

Artoria felt a little relieved.

At least the woman Shirou cherished until the very end loved him from the bottom of her heart.

Morgan left the throne, turned and walked towards the terrace behind, gesturing with her eyes for Artoria to follow.

The Child of Prophecy followed the Queen to the terrace.

Before me lies the bottomless abyss that seals Cernunnos, the Origin and end of this world.

For the past 2,000 years, Morgan had been watching that place warily, but now she turned her gaze to the entirety of the Fae Kingdom.

"First of all, I want to thank you for Shirou's matter."

Her first words were expressions of gratitude.

"You did what I couldn't do before, fulfilling Shirou's wish in my place."

It wasn't spoken in the tone of Queen, but in the tone of a woman.

So Artoria answered her in her usual tone.

"That's something I wanted to do anyway, but I'll accept your gratitude."

The Fae Queen continued gazing at the twilight sky.

"I abandoned my mission, but I don't regret it."

No matter how many times I have to do it all over again, I'll definitely make the same mistakes and the same choices.

In my heart, there are things more important than mission-"

From her words, Artoria not only sensed optimism, but also saw a kind of lingering affection and a kind of persistence.

The Fae Queen turned around to face the Child of Prophecy.

Even if it was the wrong choice, even if the outcome was unavoidable, there are some things that cannot be compromised.