Rustle...
Rustle, rustle...
The hurried passage through the grass made a rustling sound as I ran quickly through the bushes.
The sun hung high in the sky, still giving off warm light, but I couldn't feel any of it...
Nearly ten minutes had passed since I lost track of Artoria, but I hadn't found a single clue. It was as if she'd vanished into thin air.
Completely frantic, I ran wildly through the grass. How many times had I tripped? How many times had I crashed into trees because I was moving too fast? I didn't have time to pay attention to those minor injuries. But... the wound on my back, which hadn't healed yet, had split open again from the intense exertion, and thin streams of bright red blood seeped through my clothes...
"Ugh...!!"
I cried out in pain. My reckless behavior had finally made the wound on my back even worse. The pain, as if it had reached all the way to the bone, left me unable to straighten up.
I staggered forward for a few more hurried steps, then, unable to keep my balance, slammed sideways into a large tree and slowly slid down...
"Damn it! Where the hell did you go?! Artoria!!!"
My eyes bloodshot, I angrily pounded the tree and roared under my breath.
"Please don't let anything happen to you... Please, please don't... Artoria."
I bit my lip, forcing down my hatred of my own helplessness, and continued forward step by step, leaning on the tree trunks.
Splash, splash, splash...
I hadn't gone far when I suddenly heard the faint sound of water. It sounded like a waterfall plunging down from a great height...
"To the left?!"
Once I'd figured out the direction, I immediately bent forward and ran that way. If there's water over there, then maybe Artoria will be there too... At the thought, I ignored the fierce pain in my back and raced toward the sound.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud... I sprinted through patches of thick grass and quickly reached a lakeside waterfall. Beside myself with worry, I leaped out of the bushes, heedless of the leaves and branches clinging to me, and shouted,
"Are you here?! Artori—?! Uh...?!"
I stopped halfway through my shout. Frozen in midair, I stared blankly at the beautiful sight before me.
A golden-haired beauty rose from the water. Droplets clinging to her hair slid slowly down those brilliant golden strands, then fell with a soft drip onto a collarbone that made me want to gently nibble it. Her beautiful emerald-green eyes widened in surprise at my sudden appearance.
"Drip..." Another droplet landed on her body with a clear little sound. It didn't stop after falling onto that alluring collarbone, but continued sliding downward... all the way to Artoria's chest.
Just as I unconsciously lowered my head, following the trail of the droplet from her golden hair, I suddenly snapped back to my senses.
Damn it! Was I about to lose my mind just now?! I thought angrily, though I still felt a little regretful...
And so, under Artoria's astonished gaze,
Splash! I dropped out of the air and crashed heavily into the water.
"Ugh... that hurts."
Hearing the very real splash and seeing me land spread-eagled on the water before slowly sinking, Artoria said it as if she felt the pain herself.
------------Warming ourselves by the fire...------------
Crackle...
Pop...
The burning firewood formed a small bonfire.
I took off my clothes and draped them over a wooden rack, slowly drying them over the fire.
Bare-chested, I crouched down with my arms wrapped around myself, huddling close to the fire for warmth. Once I'd sat down, I glanced toward the girl sitting nearby, her cheeks flushed.
"If you want to wash yourself next time, please be sure to tell me or give me a warning. Do you have any idea how worried I was when you suddenly disappeared without a word?"
I pouted and complained to Artoria.
"...I'm sorry."
Knowing she was the one at fault, Artoria apologized in a dejected voice.
"...It's not that I want you to apologize, Artoria. You're the future Knight King, after all. You can't go around apologizing so easily!"
I scratched the back of my head, then said to Artoria.
Artoria looked at me as if she only half understood, then nodded. Perhaps she was still wondering why someone who couldn't even serve as a proper knight right now would one day bear a title like Knight King...?
Then we fell silent, and a strange atmosphere settled between us...
That silence lasted until my clothes had dried.
"Mm, they're dry now. You can put them on... Sorry, what was your name again?"
Artoria pinched the hem of my clothes on the rack, then rubbed it a few times to make sure they were completely dry before taking them down. But when she told me I could put them on, she tried to call me by name and suddenly realized she'd forgotten it. She asked awkwardly.
I reached out and took the clothes, then quickly pulled them on with a rustle. Turning to Artoria with a bright smile, I said, "Drake D. Xia. My name is Drake D. Xia. You absolutely have to remember it, future Knight King."
"Mm, I'll remember..." Artoria said, sheepishly scratching her cheek.
Heh, Saber is much cuter before she becomes the Knight King. I smiled at the girlish Artoria sitting in front of me.
"Then... what should we do next, Xia? If possible, I'd like to start training to become a knight right now."
Artoria looked at me with eager anticipation. To her, becoming a knight was probably more important than anything else.
When I heard that request, I instinctively felt a little resistant. Everyone who had seen Fate/stay night knew how Artoria had eventually become a Heroic Spirit, in what form she had become one, and how her life had ended.
When Artoria saw me furrow my brow, her excitement quickly faded. She looked dejected and sat silently on the ground without saying a word.
As expected, no matter how nicely this person puts it, it's still impossible... To become an honorable knight... How could someone as lowly as me ever do that?! Is my dream of becoming a knight nothing but a dream after all? Let alone becoming the kind of knight this man said would be called the Knight King. Am I really incapable of it...? Am I truly nothing but a lowly servant? Will I never be able to become a noble knight?!
Even though... even though I tried so hard. I worked harder than anyone, practiced more diligently than anyone, endured more hardship than anyone. But... but... why? Why?! It's so unfair... so unfair...!! Hic... sob!...
Huh? I'd been thinking about how to train Artoria to become a knight without making her rigidly obey the code of chivalry, when I suddenly heard muffled sobbing.
I turned toward the sound, and when I saw where it was coming from, my pupils abruptly shrank.
Artoria was curled up in the grass, her arms wrapped around her knees, her head buried deep between them. Her whole body was trembling slightly, and she kept making soft, tearful sobbing sounds.
Was she upset because she couldn't become a knight? Or was she hurt because my momentary hesitation had made her feel deceived?!
Seeing Saber like this, I crouched down slowly, my face full of concern...
I reached out and gently patted Artoria's little golden-haired head.
"Sniff... No! Don't touch me, you liar! Sob..." Artoria shook her head, pushed my hand away, then buried her head between her knees again and continued to sob.
Seeing Artoria act so petulantly, I couldn't help wanting to tease her some more...
But not now. I couldn't forgive anyone who made Artoria cry! Not even myself!
I opened my arms and suddenly pulled the still-crying Artoria into my embrace.
"I understand... Your wish is a goal I'll pursue even at the cost of my life. Your dream is one I'll strive to fulfill, even if I have to be reincarnated a thousand times. I apologize for that moment of hesitation just now... Artoria."
Held in my arms, Artoria stared blankly up at the sky, eyes wide. She had never been so close to a man before, so she froze, unsure what to do. (Being raised as a boy didn't mean she was the same as one in every way. Did you expect to let someone take advantage of Artoria? Die!)
"Then... are you... willing to help me become a knight?" Artoria asked, still a little dazed.
"Your will, my King, stands above Alaya..." I let her go and smiled at Artoria.
"You won't lie to me? You're not just saying that to humor me, right?! Xia."
"I will serve you unto death. My oath of loyalty is higher than the heavens."
"Even if I might not become the outstanding knight you described, you still won't betray me, right?"
"Your name is Artoria. That is the contract that binds me to serve you with my life..."
"Then let's begin, Xia! My special training to become a knight." Artoria finally smiled. Her happy, satisfied expression, and that smile, were enough to make my soul burn with fervor...
"Yes! May the Goddess!"
I knelt on one knee, my right hand pressed to my chest. For my soul, I offered up my first tribute...
First, we would strengthen her body.
Two years, nine months, and twenty-three days until the Sword in the Stone was drawn.
-------------------------OVER-------------------------
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