After the Incident (Continued)

"Unnecessary."

The girl shook her head firmly, clearly having made up her mind to leave.

That was a character ingrained in her very being, something her upbringing had constantly taught her:

You are the heir to [Animusphere], and your every move is under the watchful eyes of others. You cannot cry, much less show any fear, for that would bring shame upon the family name.

Therefore, I cannot cry, I cannot. Absolutely not.

She kept telling herself these words, but why did her vision still blur?

[Trisha... I miss you so much...]

Tears welled up in her eyes, seemingly succumbing to gravity.

But it's okay, there are still... just two or three steps away... the door is right in front of us.

"That's good enough, you've already tried your best!"

Lily gently hugged the girl from behind and whispered in her ear.

My cold is almost gone, and I'm getting back into the swing of things.

And then there's this ridiculous approval process...

PS2: Book recommendation~

<Moon World Can Never Become an Online Game>

Introduction:

"I was so stupid, really."

Li Wei raised his lifeless eyes and continued, "All I knew was that Type-Moon was made into an online game, and I was the only one in the world who knew the story of Type-Moon; I thought I could use this opportunity to start a guild, become a streamer, and get rich."

"But I never expected... that everything in this was real."

The thought of the girl who might come knocking on his door sent chills down Li Wei's spine.

(This is a book by a master)

Regarding the latest updates

First of all, I want to apologize for not hearing from you for so long. Orz

Secondly, the recent situation

Regarding this book, I got writer's block and it drove me crazy...

(I even feel like I can't write anything anymore QAQ)

Also, some personal reasons related to reality have left me with little time to focus on organizing the plot.

So, give me some time to calm down and sort out the plot again...

Expected in one or two weeks

(I apologize again for the long delay.)

"That's enough."

The sudden sound from behind made Olga Marie stop in her tracks.

What are you talking about?

The girl's head was lowered, making it impossible to see her expression.

However, from her tense voice... one could tell that the girl's mood was probably not as calm as she appeared.

"If you're sad, it's okay to cry."

The gentle voice eased the girl's emotions slightly, but the image of the headless corpse resurfaced in her mind, causing her to unconsciously clutch her skirt.

"... No."

The death of the attendant who had been by her side since childhood made it impossible for the girl to stay here and peacefully enjoy the comfort of others.

"I am the heir of [Animusphere], this... this kind of thing... won't break me..."

The girl turned around and looked at the other people in the room.

Shirou could clearly see the girl's tightly pursed lips.

The tears welling in her eyes made this Lord's daughter appear to have lost her usual composure. Even so, the young woman still spoke without any politeness.

Anyway, thank you!

After leaving behind a curt thank you, the girl stepped off the heavy velvet carpet and left the room.

"What a smug person."

Watching the girl's figure disappear into the room, Mordred spoke in a rather displeased tone. Shirou then shifted his gaze to Lily, who was standing to the side.

"Teacher Lily..."

"Yes, I'll keep an eye on her."

"Thank you for your help."

After receiving Lily's reply, Shirou breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Regardless of her identity, she is currently just a helpless child. We can't just stand by and do nothing...

Thump thump thump--

Before Olga Marie had been gone long, another flurry of footsteps sounded from outside the door.

Immediately afterwards, the door was pulled open with a 'whoosh,' and at the same time, a hooded girl appeared in front of Shirou and the others.

"Please save my master!"

Gray stumbled into the room and pleaded with Shirou in a tearful voice.

Thank you so much!

Although the Lord El-Melloi II was still unconscious while lying in bed, his complexion had improved significantly compared to before.

Relieved, Gray bowed deeply to Lily.

After the treatment was over, Shirou had been waiting for some time, asked the girl in front of him, whose tear stains were still wet.

"Miss Gray, what exactly happened?"

It's important to know that when Gray carried the Lord El-Melloi II through the door, Lord El-Melloi II condition was far worse than it is now.

This can be seen from the coat that the Lord El-Melloi II Prince was wearing just now. The coat, which was once covered with numerous Magecraft barriers, has been completely carbonized.

This shows just how brutal the battlefield had been for this master and apprentice.

"The Servant..."

Gray said in a low voice.

"Is it that guy? That guy named... [Hephaestion]?"

After hearing Gray's answer, Mordred couldn't wait to ask.

"Yes, she did say she was [Hephaestion]..."

However, this name was completely unfamiliar to Gray, who had lived in a cemetery since childhood.

Gray then briefly recounted all the events that had occurred so far to everyone in the room.

The invitation found at the site where the [Relic] was lost initially forced Lord El-Melloi II and his apprentice Gray to board the Rail Zeppelin.

(As for Caules? He was just a side effect.)

Then, they received a second invitation, asking the Lord El-Melloi II to go to the last freight car of the train at dusk. The master Lord El-Melloi II apprentice, who had already made preparations, did not expect that the Magecraft would die unexpectedly on the train.

Although this matter slowed them down, the Lord El-Melloi II and Gray still arrived at the agreed location at the appointed time.

Then, the two encountered the Servant who called himself "[the King of Conquerors's First Trusted Confidant]"

[Hephaestion].

Next comes the story of the Lord El-Melloi II master and his disciples facing Hephaestion.

Although Gray possesses abilities beyond those of an ordinary Magecraft, her opponent this time is a Servant beyond the Human Order. Given that the Lord El-Melloi II requested that Noble Phantasm not be used, the outcome of this battle was already determined from the start.

What's strange is that--

After severely injuring the Lord El-Melloi II, the opponent did not press their advantage. Instead, as if receiving some order, they left the battlefield immediately.

"Tsk, did that guy run away again? He's like a rat."

Upon hearing this, Mordred showed a displeased expression.

That's how it was before; after Shirou summoned him, that guy left the battlefield without even saying goodbye.

Mordred found this behavior utterly despicable.

"It's a pity I wasn't there. If I had, I definitely could have caught that bastard!"

"Alright, Saber, calm down. If we run into them again next time, I'll definitely let you have your turn."

Shirou shook his head helplessly and said this to Mordred.

Based on the information revealed by Gray earlier, the enemy's target is the currently unconscious Lord El-Melloi II. Therefore, there will definitely be further actions targeting Lord El-Melloi II, and all we can do is wait for the right opportunity...

After calming Mordred down, Shirou turned his attention to Gray.

"Miss Gray, it's getting late. Mr. Waver is still unconscious. If you don't mind, please stay in this room and rest."

"Then I'll take my leave."

Without refusing, Gray nodded and accepted Shirou's invitation. For Gray at this moment, nothing was more important than her master's safety.

In fact, even if Shirou hadn't said anything, Gray would have asked to stay and take care of her teacher.

Perhaps the battle had taken a toll on Gray, for not long after, the silver-haired girl lying beside the Lord El-Melloi II's bed began to breathe softly.

Upon seeing this, Shirou and Lily unconsciously lowered their voices a few decibels during their conversation.

In the slightly swaying train carriage, a figure suddenly stood up and walked towards the door.

"Going out?"

Kayneth, who was leisurely reading a thick book on the sofa, looked up at the already pitch-black sky outside the window and then asked Wang Xiaoming a question.

"Yeah, I need to get some fresh air. I've been cooped up here all day and I feel like I'm going to grow weeds."

After stretching vigorously with his hands raised, Wang Xiaoming replied in a lazy tone.

According to the train's schedule, there will be no other activities throughout the day except for the exhibition at breakfast; the rest of the time will be free for passengers.

To be on the safe side, and also considering the mastermind lurking in the shadows, Kayneth decided to have Wang Xiaoming stay in the room and remain still.

As for Aoko Aozaki, considering her strength and unreliable personality, Kayneth did not stop her actions.

So Wang Xiaoming stayed in his room all day, while Aoko Aozaki went out and had fun all day.

I'll be back in a bit.

After waving to Kayneth, Wang Xiaoming left the room.

"That's true. Rather than remaining inactive, taking the initiative might yield unexpected gains."

After Wang Xiaoming left the room, Kayneth closed his book and looked up at the ceiling.

But the sounds echoing in the room seemed to convey a deeper meaning—