--Is that so?
Since that was what you expected of me, then naturally, I would live up to those expectations.
And so, Ophelia managed to sort out her feelings for the time being and returned to her own Scandinavian Lostbelt.
But—
What kind of relationship should a Master and Servant have? For a Master who commanded a Servant, this seemed to be a subject that would be debated forever.
—Some believed that the Master should maintain absolute authority in such a relationship. No matter what kind of Servant they faced, so long as they still possessed Command Spells and a contract, they were naturally entitled to suppress their Servant. A Servant was a familiar, merely a manifestation of the Master's power. Nothing more.
—Others believed that a Master should interact with their Servant as an equal. Servants were, after all, projections of Heroic Spirits—people who had left their mark on history through their own abilities. Such people deserved respect no matter what, and even if they were familiars, one should leave them some room—while remaining wary.
As a traditional magus, Ophelia naturally supported the former view. In fact, within the Clock Tower, that theory was indeed more widely accepted among magi.
But—how was one supposed to treat a Servant like Surtr?
This was an unprecedented challenge.
However, since I had accepted Kirschtaria's expectations, I absolutely could not make a mistake.
Absolutely not.
I would not fail.
Together with my knight, I would nurture the Fantasy Tree.
Together with the queen of the Lostbelt, I would ensure that my Lostbelt continued to exist.
—Everything had gone so smoothly.
There was no problem.
There was no, problem, at all.
I—
"Pleased to meet you, esteemed Crypter!"
That voice rang in my ears at some unknown point.
"I am a Servant of Proper