After the meeting, Shiomi made his way into the garden to find Morgan.
The Witch of Britain clearly had endless patience for entertaining children. As Shiomi crossed the soft green-and-gold grass, he saw Sakura and Caren using Magecraft to awaken blooming flowers and weave them into a crown, which they then placed atop Morgan's head.
It was a make-believe coronation ceremony.
"It wasn't my idea—it was theirs," Morgan said from where she sat on a blanket, as if trying to explain herself.
Shiomi let out a dry chuckle. "I didn't say anything."
"..." Morgan, seeing no way out, silently accepted the jab and changed the subject. "Is the meeting over?"
"Didn't I share my senses with you during the talk with the Einzberns?" Shiomi replied.
He slowly sat down beside her. The sun-warmed blanket helped ease the aching fatigue in his body. As he watched Sakura show off her Magecraft to Caren, he continued, "I thought you'd object to forming an alliance with the Saber faction."
"The Holy Grail War isn't some solo duel. When necessary, forming an alliance to take down another side is a perfectly rational strategy." Morgan gave a faint smile. "I don't have any lingering attachment to Artoria Pendragon. I'm just... curious."
Shiomi found her phrasing odd but wasn't sure how to press further.
She had lived through that age of legend. For someone like him, from long after, there was no way to fully grasp it.
In the end, Shiomi chose to trust Morgan's stance.
The alliance was temporary, after all. Once the current crisis passed, hostilities would resume. He was already mentally prepared to be the one to break the ceasefire first.
"But when I told them Archer's true name, they were stunned," Shiomi said, shifting to lie lazily on his side. "...Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes. The legendary figure from humanity's oldest epic. The one who led mankind in its parting from the gods, opening the curtain on the decline of the Age of Gods."
From the age of Gilgamesh, it would be roughly fifteen or sixteen centuries before Solomon, the King of Magecraft, returned divine blessings to the heavens—marking the true beginning of the gods' withdrawal from the world.
No matter how he looked at it, Shiomi knew Gilgamesh would be the most difficult enemy in this Holy Grail War.
And to make things worse, he had manifested as an Archer, possessing the Independent Action skill—allowing him to act even without a Master.
Even if the contract with Tokiomi was severed, he would still have time to find a new one and continue fighting.
"You really know history," Morgan said with a half-teasing tone.
Shiomi rolled his eyes. "If that's supposed to be praise, I'll take it. But there's something I don't get—how could you recognize the King of Heroes? The end of the Age of Gods in Britain came almost two thousand years after the Fifth Dynasty of Uruk."
"There's a reason. We've met... a few times," Morgan replied vaguely.
She didn't want to go into detail. Explaining further might reveal glimpses of the future, and tampering with fixed quantum records could shift outcomes in unpredictable ways.
"Long life sure has its perks, huh? You get to witness all sorts of things," Shiomi said, dropping the topic.
After all, the Holy Grail War system in Fuyuki had only been officially established about two centuries ago, but according to Church records, it was already the "726th Holy Grail."
If similar rituals had existed before then—especially during the Age of Gods—then it wouldn't be strange if Morgan had encountered Gilgamesh before. That's what Shiomi believed.
Even without Morgan's help, he could have uncovered Archer's true name. But explaining how... would have been much trickier.
[Additional Task: Put that arrogant Gilgamesh in his place, wherever he may be.
Reward: Archer's true name.]
After Gilgamesh's appearance last night, Shiomi received this notification.
Since he hadn't had a chance to communicate with Morgan, he didn't realize she already possessed such vital information. So at the time, feeling both helpless and obligated, Shiomi took it upon himself to probe Archer.
Naturally, he did so with confidence—certain that even if his opponent was absurdly strong, he could still pull out safely.
That Morgan had uncovered Archer's true name was a mixed blessing for Shiomi.
The downside? It wasn't the least bit useful.
"You look rather gloomy. Is it because knowing your enemy's identity has made you anxious about the Holy Grail War? If that's the case, I permit you to sever our contract now."
"Don't try that reverse psychology crap. I may not have joined the Holy Grail War by choice, but I'm not so spineless that I'd back out," Shiomi snapped, flashing a grin as he dismissed Morgan's provocation.
Morgan gave a small nod. "That's more like it. Those are the words and attitude my husband should have."
"...Seriously, how long are you going to keep playing this pretend marriage thing? Until the Grail War ends?" Shiomi still wasn't used to Morgan's bizarre treatment.
"Is being my husband really so unbearable?" Morgan asked with a look of mock contemplation.
"Ugh, whatever. Do what you want. It's not like I'm losing anything."
Giving up, Shiomi shifted his position and laid his head on Morgan's lap like a pillow.
After all, Morgan was a breathtaking beauty. Even if this was just playing house, Shiomi didn't exactly feel like he was coming out on the losing side.
A little indulgence—a lap pillow—wasn't going to hurt.
"Turning in already? What a poor example for your children," Morgan teased, entirely unbothered by his behavior.
"Just conserving energy. The Einzberns will be contacting us tonight. If Caster really insists on mistaking Saber's identity and tries a surprise attack..." Shiomi closed his eyes, avoiding Morgan's gaze. "Then we'll be waiting in ambush, ready to catch him mid-strike."
"Isn't it just a forest over there?"
"..."
Morgan's jab hit harder than expected. Shiomi, who had been privately excited at the idea of confronting a legendary hero and staging a dramatic battle like in the stories, was left speechless.
"In your opinion, do you really think Lancer's Master will head for the Einzbern Forest instead of launching a direct attack here?" Morgan suddenly shifted tone, like a lord consulting her strategist.
"It's hard to say. That's why I plan to bring Sakura and Caren with me when the time comes," Shiomi replied. "I don't want them dragged into the Holy Grail War... and you can't be too trusting of allies—let alone enemies."
"Human Magus never do learn, do they," Morgan remarked with cutting sarcasm.
Shiomi chuckled softly with his eyes closed. "If that's the case, then I'm a human Magus too. Do I fall into the 'never learns' category?"
"Hard to say," Morgan replied offhandedly. "You're more the type who never learns... but is really good at not learning."
"…You really don't hold back, do you?"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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