Encounter

Huff...

Huff...

Herds of proud, strong horses grazed on a vast, boundless grassland, searching for fresh forage. Hundreds of yards behind them, groups of brightly dressed nobles and their loyal guards stood watching these tall, handsome horses.

At this moment, an elderly nobleman, clearly standing at the very front of the nobles, was whispering to the steward beside him while nodding with satisfaction as he looked at the group of magnificent horses.

"Ranch Master Adel!" After hearing his master's instructions, the noble steward turned around and shouted towards the rancher standing about 100 yards away from this noble gathering area.

"Yes... Huff! Yes! Steward Sedra, what do you need me for? Huff?!" A chubby man, hearing the shout, practically rolled his way over to where the voice came from. This chubby man was the rancher of this horse farm, Adel.

Adel retracted his already short neck and obsequiously said to Steward Sedra.

"My master is very satisfied with the horses you provided, so he has decided to buy half of your warhorses for 200 gold coins! What do you say...?" Sedra said, raising his head haughtily, almost speaking through his nostrils to the fat man.

"Haha... 200 gold coins, isn't that a bit too little? I worked hard to feed these horses the best fodder... at least 250 gold coins!" Adel said, his voice on the verge of tears.

"Stop babbling! It's already giving you face that my master is willing to give you money! Don't forget your place! Commoner!" Sedra snorted haughtily, then turned his head and shouted to the knights in his noble convoy, "You few, hurry up and pick out half the horses and take them away. And that little one, named Artoria! You'll be in charge of handling the horses' feed." After giving all these instructions, Sedra twisted his backside and walked away without looking back.

His arrogant and condescending attitude made almost every knight's eyes burn with rage. But they couldn't do anything to him, as their master currently valued him highly.

Resigned to their fate, the knights dismounted their horses one by one and walked towards the horse herd on the grassland. None of them paid any attention to Artoria, who was referred to as "little one" by the steward. And the youth (or maiden?) named Artoria seemed accustomed to such things, silently turning away alone towards the feed cart behind them.

Once Artoria confirmed that no one could see their expression, they finally lifted their face filled with humiliation. Their large emerald eyes were constantly glistening with crystalline tears, yet they stubbornly refused to let them fall...

With red-rimmed eyes, Artoria climbed onto a hay cart and picked up a pitchfork, tossing the fodder up and down. Ever since Artoria gained memories, they had always aimed to become a knight.

Whenever they stood in a corner of the courtyard and saw the knights in their armor and uniforms training diligently, Artoria felt immense envy and longing.

Wishing to become one of them, wishing to become an upright and respected knight. They always trained themselves with the goal of becoming a great knight.

However, having been fostered in this noble household since childhood, Artoria could not become a knight. Because Artoria, who had been raised as a boy since childhood, was now merely a low-status servant, lacking even the qualifications to become a knight's squire.

Despite this, Artoria did not give up on the ideal of becoming a knight, always training themselves harder, harder, and even harder. Even if there was only a sliver of hope, Artoria would cling to it tightly.

Failure was not frightening; what was frightening was not seizing an opportunity when it presented itself.

Artoria diligently swung the pitchfork, tossing the fodder one forkful at a time. Occasionally, they would straighten up on the cart and look with envy at the knights in the distance who were busy driving the horse herd.

"If only... I were one of them..." Artoria said with a slightly bitter tone, then wiped the sweat from their forehead with the sleeve of their rough linen clothes, and continued to swing the pitchfork, tossing the hay.

{Perhaps I am not yet qualified to be a knight, but if I can work even harder, work hard enough to gain the master's (noble owner's) approval, maybe then it will truly be possible...} Thinking this, Artoria showed a slight smile and continued to work diligently.

However, on that very day, upon returning to the noble territory with the horses, Artoria received an order from the patriarch to become a knight's squire. This was the lord's decision to make this hardworking slave a capable assistant to his knight son. (To become a knight, one must have the recognition of a noble.)

Artoria was immediately devastated by this order. The dream of becoming a knight, which they thought could be achieved through more and more effort to gain the patriarch's approval, was shattered like this...

A knight's squire, to put it nicely! In reality, it was a position not much better than a servant. If the knight was thirsty, they had to fetch water; if the knight was hungry, they had to prepare food; at night, while the knight slept soundly, they had to stand guard in the dark night.

If one served poorly and had the misfortune of encountering a knight with a bad temper, they would be whipped. They might even be beaten to death without anyone asking why.

Artoria finally, unwillingly, let a crystal tear fall. They tightly clenched the hem of their clothes with both hands, forcing themselves to resist the urge to punch the steward, who was smirking triumphantly in front of them.

"I... I understand. I will obey the patriarch's arrangements..." Artoria said through gritted teeth, their voice strained.

"Heh... Heheheh... That's what a proper servant should be like. A mere lowly menial wanting to become a noble knight? Hahaha! You're killing me! You lowly menial who doesn't even know who your father and mother are! Hahahahaha~~!!" The steward, strongly suspected of having abusive tendencies, laughed maniacally while pointing at Artoria.

The servants who hurried past pretended not to see or hear anything, flashing by like shadows. Although each passing servant felt pity and wanted to help the youth kneeling on one knee with their head bowed low, shedding tears, it was better to just pity them in their hearts than to offend the steward, whom the patriarch currently valued. Actual help was out of the question.

"Heh... Do you know why the patriarch issued such an order to you, Artoria?" The steward, who had been laughing hysterically, suddenly stopped and then lowered his head, whispering into Artoria's ear.

"It's because I instigated it~~. And do you know why I'm doing this to you? Because I want to see... I want to see in those beautiful eyes of yours, which are always stubborn, serious, and never admit defeat. I want to see them filled with despair and helplessness towards reality! I'm sure it will be even more captivating??!! Heh... Heheheh, hahahaha!!" After speaking, the steward turned and left with a hearty laugh.

Artoria's eyes, which were practically spitting fire, stared intently at the steward's back. They tightly gripped the pitchfork that had somehow found its way into their hand.

"Huff... Huff..." The increasingly heavy breathing made Artoria's brain, already stimulated by rage, even more exhausted. Gradually, Artoria could only hear a voice in their mind, a voice that was constantly roaring and shouting, telling them to kill that despicable wretch!

"But... huh?!" Just as Artoria was about to explode, they lifted their head, intending to charge towards the steward who had caused them so much humiliation and kill him, but suddenly noticed... the steward, who had been walking arrogantly down the road, was now being pierced through the heart by a sword held by a youth!

Thwack~~~~!! The youth pulled the long sword out of the heart. Along with the pulled sword, a gush of fresh blood spurted out towards the sky!

Swish! A flash of white light, and more blood sprayed everywhere from a new gush at the neck~~. Artoria stared in stunned silence at the youth, who had just decapitated the steward with a single sword stroke and was wearing peculiar clothing. Their emerald eyes were filled with disbelief and confusion, but the emotion expressed in their eyes was more like the pleasure of revenge...

Gurgle... The steward's head rolled on the ground to Artoria's feet. The look of shock and fear on the steward's face before death was still visible.

But Artoria couldn't even be bothered to look. Their beautiful emerald eyes were fixed solely on the youth who was slowly walking towards them...

"Ah... Ah!! Murderer!!! Steward!"

"Quick, call the knights!"

"Report to the patriarch immediately!"

"Yaaah!!!"

"Run! Get away from them! You'll be dragged down~!!!"

Clatter, bang, crash! Only then did the servants, who had recovered from the shock of the steward being killed in an instant, start shouting in panic and running around, fearing they too would be killed or that the patriarch would vent his anger on them. Anxiety and fear permeated these servants.

Crunch.

The blood-soaked youth arrived in front of Artoria. The originally cold and ruthless expression vanished the moment they saw Artoria...

It was replaced by a warm smile. The youth slowly extended a hand towards the astonished maiden who was now sitting on the ground.

"Do you want to come with me? To see the wider world outside." The youth said with a smile on their handsome face.

Artoria simply stared blankly at the young man, then seemed to snap back to reality and asked, "Who are you?"

After asking the question, the young man didn't answer. He bent down, extended his hands, forcibly picked up Artoria, and then said with a smile.

"My name is Drake D. Xia. Please remember it. May Artoria."

"Why... do you know my name...?" Artoria's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the young man before her.

"Why...? Because I am a person of destiny! Sent down to assist the newborn king and end this era called 'the days as dark as night.' Are you ready?! Next... the world will be watching you! King Arthur!"

Whoosh~~!

A gust of wind blew~ A falling leaf from under the tree slowly obscured their vision. When the fallen leaf landed, and she tried to look again.

She found that the two people who were originally standing there had already disappeared. Only a disgusting head and a worn-out long sword were left on the ground, testifying to the reality of what had just happened...

"Born as the heir to the throne, Artoria, due to her identity, had to be fostered in a noble family."

"A year after King Uther's death, the same year the girl named Artoria came of age, the great mage Merlin summoned nobles and knights from all over the country to a tournament to select the warrior who could draw the Sword of Selection, the Sword in the Stone."

"However, according to the original historical progression, Artoria, who was supposed to be a knight's attendant, was sent to fetch the sword by the knight himself when he forgot to bring his dueling blade."

"But Artoria couldn't find the sword the knight had forgotten and was troubled. She unintentionally saw an old man in black sitting on a stone, with a magnificent sword stuck in the stone beside him."

When Artoria was about to step forward to draw it, the old man in the black robe slowly turned around and asked, "If you can draw this sword, you will no longer be human. You must abandon your human body and emotions, and dedicate everything to your country."

Hearing this, Artoria paused slightly, then turned her head to look at the old man in the black mage's robe, and then turned her head back to look at the Sword in the Stone, firmly planted in the stone...

Artoria slowly closed her eyes, as if contemplating something, judging something, sometimes frowning, sometimes smiling, sometimes seeming to cry, sometimes seeming to be angry.

When Artoria opened her eyes again, a resolute expression had taken its place. Her strong gaze looked straight ahead, as if nothing could block her sight and determination.

"Have you decided? Although you can draw this sword, I still hope you will consider it carefully. After all... the end for the one who draws this sword is bound to be tragic," the old man said, seemingly trying to persuade Artoria to give up.

"No..." Artoria firmly shook her head, then placed her hands on the hilt of the Sword in the Stone planted in the stone.

"Many people are smiling... many people are celebrating happily. Then... I think the path I've chosen must be the right one!" Artoria unconsciously curled the corners of her mouth and smiled.

The old man seemed troubled, turned around, and said, "Whatever you say..."

"...For my country! For these people who have been suffering from war! Answer me!! Genesis Sword!" Artoria tightened her grip on the sword hilt with both hands, then lifted it outwards with great force~!

Swish~!

The Sword in the Stone, instantly drawn, emitted a dazzling golden light. The radiance, enough to dispel the clouds in the sky, shone upon the entire grassland...

Artoria, clad in armor, stood on the grassland, raising the Sword of Kings high.

Not far in front of her, the knights attracted by the divine light knelt down one after another, with one hand behind their backs and the other held across their chests. They offered their loyalty to their king, to the warrior who would lead them out of hardship and towards victory!

But... this was merely the original history.

From the moment Drake D. Xia, the outsider, intruded, the world's script began to change...

Xia arrived just as the butler began talking to Saber.

By the way, A skill gifted by Alaya to protect Xia and ensure his basic survival.

Powerful intuition against danger.

He will officially enter the Fate storyline within three chapters at the latest; this is the medium.

And I haven't read any introductions to Fate; this is all based on my own settings.

So please forgive any deviations. Saber is my favorite, so it must follow my script.

The basic settings will not change, but the twists and turns will be decided by me.

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