To Become a King and a Magician 691-695

Title: Naoki, the Army Destroyer

“So, you’ve come to my side?”

In Uruk, at the command room of the Northern Wall, the frontline against the Demon Beasts.

The “General” Merry mentioned spoke as she stared at Naoki in front of her.

“After all, I don’t have anywhere else to go. Please spare me from going shopping with the women. That’s something even I don’t want to experience.” Naoki gave a wry smile twice. “Still, I’m surprised you’re here. The ‘General’ Merry was talking about turns out to be you.”

“—Oda Nobunaga.”

The person standing before Naoki was Oda Nobunaga, her appearance unchanged from their meeting in the Tokyo Singularity.

“I thought you’d returned to the Throne of Heroes after the failure to defend the country back then. Did you show up here because you were summoned again?”

“No, I came straight here after that.” Nobunaga explained. “I had an agreement with that succubus. She helped me complete the Holy Grail Bomb, and I’d help her after finishing the tasks I had to do. Based on that contract, she intercepted me when I was about to die and brought me here.”

“I see.”

Merry even made arrangements like that.

Naoki could roughly guess why Nobunaga was brought to this Uruk.

“After all, your Noble Phantasm and Skills are trump cards in this Singularity.”

Tenka Fubu, Sansen Sekai, Dai Rokuten Maō Hajun—Nobunaga, who had transformed many tales and legends from her life into her own Skills and Noble Phantasms, was an exceptionally powerful mystery slayer. The stronger the mystery and Divine Spirit of her enemies, the greater the combat power Nobunaga could unleash.

Against the Three Goddess Alliance, she might be able to exert strength equal to or even surpassing them. For Uruk’s situation, she was truly a key asset.

Nobunaga snorted coldly: “Hmph! Even if you praise me, I’m not happy at all. Don’t think the issues between us can just be brushed aside.”

“You really hold a grudge.” Naoki shrugged. “But if I had to choose again, I’d still do the same. Besides, I didn’t just sit idly by. While you were desperately fighting to defend the country on the frontlines, I was helping the refugees. That makes us even, right?”

“Tch.”

Nobunaga scoffed.

“By the way, how’s she doing afterward? I asked you to take care of her, didn’t I?”

“If you mean Kaname, she’s now a cook at Chaldea.” Naoki explained. “Post-war Japan wasn’t an environment where that girl could live on her own. If she stayed there, she’d have had a very tough life, so I brought her back to Chaldea. She’s much more spirited than before and is aiming to become Chaldea’s Head Chef.”

Asama Kaname, Nobunaga’s Master in the Tokyo Singularity.

(Now she’s protected by him and brought to the world of the future… That’s better. At least I don’t have to worry about her safety.)

“Thank you.” Nobunaga said softly. “Even though I don’t like you, I at least appreciate your actions. Because of that, my view of you has slightly changed.”

“I’d like to get along with you, Nobunaga. Would you come to Chaldea later if possible? I think Kaname would be thrilled to see you.”

“Eh? Can I!?”

Nobunaga, who had been keeping a cold expression, suddenly couldn’t control her face: “No, no, no. I can’t go to your place, can I? I’m a Servant. Once the Singularity collapses, I’ll leave this place and can’t go to yours.”

“That’s not an issue. We can summon you again. Chaldea’s resources are plentiful now, and we can afford to support one more Servant.”

“Ugh… I’ll think about it!”

“Let me know if you decide to come.” Naoki laughed. “But I’m surprised. Merry said the Northern Wall has the most Demon Beasts. I thought the fighting would be intense on my way here, but it’s actually very calm.”

At least within Naoki’s range of perception, the number of Demon Beasts was very low. From the situation on the outer battlefield, it seemed they had just finished a battle.

Nobunaga crossed her arms at her waist and laughed: “Of course! This is the Demon Beast frontline I’m guarding! The power my rifle corps can unleash against these Demon Beasts surprises even me! With the other Servants, mere Demon Beasts are nothing to fear!”

“The Northern Wall doesn’t just have you as a Servant? Who else is here?”

“They’re all my fellow countrymen—Oh, here they come!”

Nobunaga pointed behind Naoki. Turning around, he saw several very familiar figures walking toward them.

Ushiwakamaru, Leonidas I, Musashibō Benkei, and—

“It’s almost time for lunch, Oda-sama.”

A white-haired, red-eyed female samurai radiating a strong Yamato Nadeshiko aura spoke to Nobunaga. And upon seeing Naoki…

“Who is this gentleman?”

“Natsukawa Naoki, a foreigner who came to this Singularity as a member of Chaldea to restore humanity.” Naoki introduced himself.

Chaldea.

Hearing this term, the Servants present understood.

“You’re the one Merry and Morgan often mention, right? Nice to meet you. My name is Tomoe. People once called me Tomoe Gozen. I look forward to working with you.”

Tomoe Gozen.

If Naoki remembered correctly, the Servant before him should have died alongside one of the Demon Beast generals before he arrived. He didn’t expect her to still be here.

(Was it Merry? Merlin and Morgan only came later. Tomoe Gozen’s death should have happened before that. Only Merry could have saved her… Or did Nobunaga’s arrival change this outcome?)

Either way, her being alive was a good thing. At the very least, Naoki was eager to see this Servant, who had once consumed one of his donation stones.

White hair, red eyes, and a side-parted ponytail with a plunging neckline—Naoki felt his XP completely shot by Tomoe.

(I’ll have to make Rei meet Tomoe Gozen later.)

Naoki was sure Rei would know what he wanted to do.

And at that moment—

*WUUUUUUU!*

A muffled, prolonged trumpet sound suddenly echoed through the Northern Wall.

The Servants, who had just been discussing lunch, immediately turned serious upon hearing the trumpet. They all rushed out of the room and headed toward the city gate!

Upon seeing a massive number of Demon Beasts gathered outside the city, Nobunaga’s expression turned cold: “Tch, they’re as annoying as ghosts. They won’t even give me time to eat!?”

“Tomoe will prepare to attack. Leonidas, please assist in organizing the troops.”

“No problem!”

“Then Benkei and I will strike proactively as usual.”

“Please don’t be too reckless, Ushiwakamaru-sama.”

The Servants quickly divided their tasks. But just as they were about to act, Naoki raised his hand: “Um… you don’t need to be so tense. Leave this situation to me.”

“Eh?”

They were all stunned.

Tomoe couldn’t help but ask: “Do you mean you’ll face that horde of Demon Beasts alone?”

“More or less. That’s why I came here, after all. Judging by your expressions, you seem to think it’s ‘too dangerous.’ Don’t worry, I’m very skilled at handling large numbers of enemies. Besides, we’ll likely be together for a long time, so I’ll show you my strength to help you plan for the future.”

As he spoke, Naoki gradually floated into the air.

And then—

*CRACK!*

In an instant, the vast plain outside the Northern Wall turned into a field of white ice. At the same time, all the Demon Beasts on it were frozen into countless ice statues!

A single attack of total annihilation.

-

Title: The Ex-Husband Orders His Ex-Wife Beaten

The Demon Beast Frontline formation has been ongoing for half a year.

In these six months, the Demon Beast attacks haven’t stopped for a single day. All the soldiers and Servants stationed at the Northern Wall have to stay vigilant against Demon Beast assaults twenty-four hours a day. The only rest they get is a brief few minutes during shift changes.

But today—

“The snowfield outside the Northern Wall will take at least three days to melt naturally. With that level of cold, even Demon Beasts will freeze the moment they step onto it.”

At night, in Uruk’s Ziggurat.

Nobunaga, who had hurriedly returned from the Northern Wall, was reporting the battle situation to Gilgamesh.

“With that snowfield in place, we won’t have to worry about Demon Beast attacks for at least three days.”

“Hmm.”

Gilgamesh nodded and looked at Naoki standing beside her: “You truly made a grand entrance… No, you’ve rendered a great service. Even if it’s only three days, it’s a rare chance for the Demon Beast Frontline to rest. You did well, Holy Sword Wielder.”

“It’s just a small help. I came here to do things like this.” Naoki, visiting the Ziggurat for the second time today, said with a laugh. “If conditions allow, I could hold the Demon Beast Frontline on my own, but that might trap me in Uruk, unable to leave.”

“Hmm… That would be excessive. Wasting your power on mere defense is too extravagant. I believe the best role for you is as a Firefighter.”

“You mean I should rush to wherever there’s a crisis?”

“With your sensory abilities, you can handle that, can’t you?”

Naoki spread his hands: “Sure, of course. But in the current situation, I think a crisis will only arise when the Three Goddess Alliance actually launches an attack. At this stage, Demon Beasts can no longer pose a significant threat to Uruk, right?”

Five Servants gathered at the Northern Wall, the Authority Seal created by Gilgamesh, plus Morgan assisting in reinforcing Uruk’s barriers. If the enemy only keeps sending Demon Beasts to attack the city, Uruk no longer has much to worry about.

“No, there’s one more enemy you need to face.” Gilgamesh shook his head. “Though it’s only a rumor, many soldiers have seen it. If it joins the battle, only you and Nobunaga can confront it.”

It?

“May I?” Naoki asked in return. “That person… you mean Enkidu, don’t you? Is it really okay for Nobunaga and me to face them?”

Enkidu.

A divine weapon created by the gods in mythology, the Chains of Heaven meant to bring Gilgamesh, the Wedge of Heaven, back to the gods’ side. They possess power equal to Gilgamesh.

After their first battle, Enkidu became Gilgamesh’s close friend, together guarding Uruk, driving the Demon Beast Humbaba from the forest, and slaying the Bull of Heaven that ravaged the earth. In the end, their soul was shattered for rebelling against the gods.

That was something that had already happened.

But after the Demon Beasts began attacking Uruk, Enkidu, who was supposed to be dead, rose again and destroyed many cities in succession.

“If you’re worried about this King’s feelings, then I really need to split open your head and see if something’s missing.” Gilgamesh said angrily. “Whether it’s truly Enkidu or not, it is now undoubtedly an enemy of Uruk, and that makes it an enemy of this King. You just need to use all your strength to crush it again.”

Crush it again?

(What are you really thinking deep down?)

“Since you think that way, I’ll do it. If I encounter Enkidu, I’ll shatter them to pieces.”

“That’s better. Now, stand down. This King still has state affairs to attend to. Nobunaga, since the Northern Wall is temporarily secure, reduce the number of Servants on guard to three. Let two rest in rotation each day—even Servants can tire if mental fatigue keeps piling up.”

“Understood!”

After responding, Nobunaga left the throne room with Naoki and headed outside the Ziggurat.

Looking up at the night sky, Naoki stretched his arms and legs slightly: “The sky’s completely dark now… Fujimaru must be done too. It’s almost time for dinner. Nobu, want to join us for dinner at my place?”

“Nobu?”

Nobunaga frowned: “You’re calling me that?”

“Yeah. Your full name is way too long. This is shorter and easier to understand.”

“That makes sense—No, no, no. A nickname like that might be fine in private, but not at official events, right? Are you the type to get chummy so easily?” Nobunaga held her forehead. “Have you forgotten that not long ago, we were practically enemies fighting for life and death? Besides, I don’t particularly like you.”

Fighting for life and death?

Naoki clapped his hands and laughed: “Oh, you mean our encounter in the Tokyo Singularity? Even if a fight had broken out, you’d definitely be the one to die. I can’t die, after all—there’s no way Nobu could kill me.”

“Even though I know that’s probably true, it still really pisses me off. I really want to shoot you right now.”

“That’d probably hurt a lot, so I’ll pass. My personal mystery level is pretty high—Anyway, want to join us for dinner? I think Rei’s already prepared it. You can meet my friends while you’re at it.”

“Friends? That succubus’s Chaldea?”

Naoki nodded: “Exactly. Since Gilgamesh plans to use me as a trump card for critical moments, they’re the ones who’ll have to fight alongside you in the daily battles against the Demon Beasts.”

“The last Master of humanity?” Nobunaga pondered for a moment. “Hmm, fine. Let me go see what kind of person they are. They’re a descendant from my country, after all. As their predecessor, I should give them a little warning!”

“Then invite Tomoe Gozen and the others too. I think Fujimaru would be thrilled to meet ancient Japanese heroes like you all.”

“Eh? But they’re still at the Northern Wall, aren’t they? That’s pretty far from here—”

Before Nobunaga could finish, a flash of white light passed before her, and she was shocked to find herself instantly transported from the Ziggurat back to the camp below the Northern Wall.

“Spatial Movement—I’m pretty good at this sort of thing.”

Hearing Naoki’s explanation, Nobunaga’s jaw practically dropped.

-

Title: High-Stakes Life-and-Death Conflict

At the Chaldea Embassy in Uruk.

Thanks to Naoki’s Spatial Movement, the Servants who were supposed to be stationed at the Northern Wall were now all gathered inside the building, seated around a large round table for dinner.

Of course, the embassy in its original state couldn’t accommodate so many people, so Naoki effortlessly conjured a large dining room out of nothing using Imaginary Manifestation, complete with a table, chairs, and dining utensils.

Sitting at one side of the round table while chewing on lamb ribs, Nobunaga glanced at Naoki, who was busy with Rei near the stove: “You, man, are cheating to the core! It’s bad enough that you’re so powerful, but you also have a cheating ability like Imaginary Manifestation, and your cooking is this good too… If only you’d been willing to help me back then!”

“Still spouting nonsense like that?”

Ushiwakamaru, seated beside Nobunaga, laughed as she set down her wine glass: “If Natsukawa-dono had helped you back then, humanity would definitely be in trouble now. Don’t meddle with the course of history just because of your personal feelings, Oda-donk.”

“What Ushiwakamaru-sama said is true… Well, even so, if my country were in distress, I, a monk, cannot guarantee I’d stay as clear-headed as this.” Benkei said, looking at Tomoe across from him. “What do you think, Tomoe-sama?”

After a brief silence, Tomoe gave a faint smile: “That’s true… I might be the same as Oda-sama. Even knowing it’s wrong, I couldn’t let my country fall into crisis.”

“Exactly, right!? It’s unavoidable!!”

Nobunaga jumped to her feet, but as soon as she stood, Naoki pressed her back into her chair with a plate of food over her head: “Your head! The Singularity issue is already settled, so why are you still talking about this stuff? Just eat your food, you big idiot from Owari.”

“I’m not an idiot! Are you being too disrespectful to me!?”

“You expect people to respect that little-girl appearance of yours? Become a real Demon King first, then we’ll talk.” Naoki said, glancing at the other Servants. “Don’t bring up past regrets at the dinner table. You can take this chance to rest properly. I don’t know if this food suits your tastes? I’m not too well-versed in Japanese cuisine, just at a general level.”

Ushiwakamaru quickly waved her hand: “Not at all! Natsukawa-dono’s cooking skills are already extraordinary! Just being able to eat hometown dishes in a foreign land like this makes us incredibly grateful!”

“Good to hear. If you want to eat more in the future, just let me know. I’m basically a free man now. No need to worry about trips to the Northern Wall—I’ll handle sending you back. It’ll only take a moment.”

“That’s too much trouble for you…”

Without realizing it, Ushiwakamaru had even started using polite language with Naoki.

Seeing this, Ritsuka, sitting nearby, was slightly stunned: “The Department Head… he’s really something else. He’s already so chummy with the Servants, like old friends who haven’t met in ages.”

Ushiwakamaru, Musashibō Benkei, Oda Nobunaga, Tomoe Gozen, Leonidas I.

Any one of them was a legendary hero Ritsuka had studied in history books. Especially the first four Japanese Servants—there wasn’t a single Japanese person who didn’t admire their legends.

Swirling the wine glass in his hand, Merlin laughed: “Well, it shows that Natsukawa really has the knack for getting along with them harmoniously. I heard the Northern Wall out there has turned into an ice field—that must be Natsukawa’s work.”

“That’s definitely his style.” Morgan nodded as well. “If he wanted to, he could hold the Demon Beast Frontline all on his own. But from what he said, it seems he has no intention of doing that.”

“Why does King Gilgamesh want me to be a trump card?”

Naoki, overhearing Morgan’s words, sat beside her and said: “He said he wants me to be a firefighter, rushing to wherever there’s danger. That basically means letting me improvise. That setup works for me too.”

“Exactly, exactly. Our King won’t stay in one place forever.” Merry said, leaning against Naoki’s back. “It’s a pity I’ll be Ritsuka-chan’s special liaison agent starting tomorrow, so I can’t always stay by the King’s side to keep him from getting bored.”

“No need to worry about that, Merry.” Rei said, pulling Merry away from Naoki by her collar. “I’ll take your place and stay with Master all the time.”

“Arara~~~ That’s really reliable.”

Though it sounded like a normal, harmless conversation, Ritsuka, sitting close to them, somehow sensed a sharp aura of rivalry.

Leaning toward Naoki, Ritsuka whispered: “Department Head, are Merry-sensei and Rei-san not getting along?”

“Don’t worry. They’re just like that. Let them interact on their own—they’ll come to an understanding soon enough.” Naoki laughed. “Rather than that, don’t you think this scene is a bit unexpected?”

“Eh? Which part does the Department Head mean?”

Naoki pointed at Tomoe and Ushiwakamaru.

After thinking for a moment, Ritsuka understood: “Now that you mention it… It’s really amazing that those two can get along like this.”

Tomoe and Ushiwakamaru were contemporaries in life, but they weren’t allies—they were enemies. Ushiwakamaru even killed Kiso Yoshinaka, Tomoe’s lord and husband, on the battlefield.

Thus, it’s no exaggeration to call them sworn enemies, yet now they could sit together calmly. Though it was clear they were deliberately avoiding interaction, this was still a rare sight.

“But it’s not something we need to worry about. They can handle it themselves. And to be blunt, it’s their personal matter. We’re just newcomers here—we shouldn’t, and don’t need to, meddle too much in their affairs.”

“That’s true. The Department Head really has experience with this kind of thing.”

“Only because I’ve seen similar situations often.” Naoki laughed.

“By the way, how’s your situation? Has Merry already taken you to find a suitable place to stay?”

“Yeah, we found one, and it’s not far from here.”

The dinner continued amidst their conversation.

-

Title: The Delight of a High-Class Free Meal Voucher

In the end, the dinner lasted until around nine in the evening.

Looking at Tomoe and Leonidas I, who were fast asleep at the dining table due to drunkenness, Naoki glared at Merlin and Merry with some annoyance.

“You two… do you really have to force people to drink like that?”

Although everyone present, except for the underage Mash and Ritsuka, drank quite a bit, only Leonidas I and Tomoe were truly tricked and made drunk by Merry and Merlin.

Leonidas I wasn’t skilled at drinking. Moreover, as a warrior, while it wasn’t an issue after a war, drinking too much during wartime was not ideal. Thus, Leonidas had initially been drinking sheep’s milk.

However, halfway through, when no one was paying attention, Merlin secretly swapped his sheep’s milk for alcohol. Leonidas, who collapsed after a single glass, went on a drunken rampage and only calmed down after Naoki hit him hard on the head.

Tomoe’s situation was similar. As a daughter of a samurai family, combined with her gentle nature, she was the perfect target for entertainment in Merry’s eyes. Merry essentially teased and harassed her with dirty jokes the entire time, then kept toasting her with glass after glass of alcohol, certain that Tomoe wouldn’t refuse due to social etiquette.

The result was as seen now—both Servants were completely drunk and unconscious.

After delivering two consecutive punches that sent the two “trash Incubi” crashing into the ceiling, Naoki let out a helpless sigh: “Seeing their condition, it looks like they’ll have to stay here. Luckily, King Gilgamesh also said they can take turns resting over the next two days.”

“Mmm, that’s good.” Ushiwakamaru nodded. “After all, those two are probably the ones who need rest the most. It’s great if they can take this chance to clear their minds. Especially Tomoe-dono—it’s clear she’s holding herself back with great effort.”

Leonidas I needed rest because he had been busy training soldiers and fighting Demon Beasts since he was summoned. According to his personal rule of taking a fifteen-minute nap after fighting for two hours, he hadn’t followed it even once. He often fought continuously for three or four hours without a break.

Although Servants don’t require sleep, continuing like this would create significant mental strain. He truly needed to be allowed to relax.

As for Tomoe’s situation…

“It’s really tough for her to keep suppressing the Oni blood within her.”

Placing her hand on Tomoe’s forehead and weaving a dream she hoped for, Merry smiled and looked at Ushiwakamaru: “It’s practically a miracle that you two have gotten along this far without fighting. Tomoe-chan is barely holding it together—she’s on the verge of getting into trouble.”

If asked whether Tomoe hated Ushiwakamaru, the answer would likely be yes.

After all, Ushiwakamaru was the enemy who killed her lover and lord. Even as a Servant, that wasn’t something she could simply overlook.

However, the current situation didn’t allow her to seek revenge against Ushiwakamaru. Both were now Servants summoned by Gilgamesh, comrades fighting together against Demon Beasts to protect Human History. She couldn’t let her personal emotions affect the bigger picture.

Thus, Tomoe suppressed all her feelings and deliberately avoided excessive interaction with Ushiwakamaru during the day.

Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t cause issues. At most, she’d experience some psychological depression, which Tomoe could handle herself.

But the problem was—Tomoe was half-Oni.

“The Oni blood keeps affecting her spirit. Though it’s still within a controllable range, if she keeps suppressing it, it’ll cause problems sooner or later. You could say this rest is like timely rain.”

“I’m truly troubling you, Merry-dono.” Ushiwakamaru bowed deeply to Merry. “In that case, it’s getting late, and we should return to the Northern Wall. Even though it’s safe there now, we can’t let our guard down.”

“I’ll take you.” Naoki stood up. “With my Imaginary Manifestation, we can get there in the blink of an eye. Leonidas I and Tomoe’s arrangements are up to you, Merry, Rei. I’ll be back soon.”

“Yes, leave it to us. Be careful on the way.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

At the camp below Uruk’s Northern Wall.

Accompanied by a dazzling gate of light, the figures of Naoki, Ushiwakamaru, Benkei, and Nobunaga appeared instantly.

(Even though I’ve experienced it a few times, this ability still feels incredible.) Ushiwakamaru sighed inwardly.

If she had met someone like Naoki in her lifetime, she might have been able to prevent more tragedies and save more people.

“Thank you so much for tonight, Natsukawa-dono. Thank you for the dinner.”

“It’s nothing. If you want to eat, Ushiwakamaru, I can pick you up from the Northern Wall every day.”

“Hahaha, that would be too presumptuous. If I could eat such delicious food every day, I’d feel like I owe you a huge debt.”

“You’re way too saintly, Tengu. I’m planning to eat there every day! Now that I know there’s food this good, wouldn’t it be a waste not to eat my fill?” Nobunaga laughed, patting Naoki’s back. “Pick me up for dinner tomorrow too! And it doesn’t have to be Japanese food!”

This big idiot from Owari really didn’t bother with any pretense of politeness.

Though Naoki didn’t expect her to be polite either: “Alright, tomorrow I’ll cook whatever I feel like.”

“Oh!”

After responding, Nobunaga walked toward her tent with a swagger.

Ushiwakamaru and Benkei also waved.

“Well then, we should take our leave too. Natsukawa-dono, you should hurry back to rest as well.”

“Wait a moment, Ushiwakamaru.”

Naoki called out to Ushiwakamaru as she was about to leave.

After gesturing for Benkei to go ahead, Ushiwakamaru frowned: “Is there something else, Natsukawa-dono?”

“You could say that. It’s about Tomoe… I just wanted to know, personally, you seem to care about her a lot?”

“Oh, that matter.”

Ushiwakamaru smiled: “After all, we’re from the same homeland and era. Since we’re together in this foreign land, it’s only right that we look out for each other, isn’t it?”

“Moreover, though it was forced by circumstances, I did bring tragedy into her life. This small concern of mine is a belated apology and compensation. I always said I wanted to prevent tragedies, but in the end, I created one myself…”

“Oh, right! Please don’t ever tell her this! She’d definitely get furious!”

Ushiwakamaru had once witnessed Tomoe transform into an Oni out of rage on the battlefield. It was quite terrifying.

Naoki chuckled: “Got it. Thanks for telling me this. Sorry for bothering you.”

“No, it’s fine. See you tomorrow, Natsukawa-dono. And please take care of Tomoe-dono.”

-

Title: The Shocked Tomoe Gozen

She was dreaming.

Since Servants don’t require rest—as long as Gilgamesh’s Mana supply remains uninterrupted, a Servant can keep fighting—Tomoe had not rested once since being summoned half a year ago.

If “rest” meant eating or recovering after a battle, that did happen. But true rest, where she could let go of all thoughts and sink completely into sleep, had never occurred.

Yet this time, she fell asleep.

And for the first time in a long while, she had a beautiful dream.

Kiso Yoshinaka.

The lord she served, the lord she should never have been able to meet again, the lord whose face had begun to blur in her memory—she dreamed of him now.

Memories of childhood together, memories of fighting side by side with him as adults… If this was a dream, it was too vivid and profound, as if every deepest part of her memory had been unearthed and presented before her.

There was a feeling that all her secrets had been laid bare.

But honestly, Tomoe loved this dream. She would be happy to have dreams like this again and again, even if it meant paying a certain price.

“Ugh~~~”

Her consciousness began to stir.

Her body slowly woke from sleep. Tomoe sat up and rubbed her sleepy eyes, looking around with slight confusion.

It was Uruk-style architecture.

“I…”

After sorting through the overly chaotic memories in her mind, Tomoe quickly recalled what had happened earlier.

She had accepted Naoki’s invitation and returned to Uruk for dinner, but because Merry forced her to drink too much alcohol at the table, she accidentally got drunk and passed out.

“How dare I be so careless… Next time, I absolutely must not drink any alcohol.”

After slapping her face in frustration, Tomoe carefully surveyed the room again.

The once-messy table was now completely clean, and Leonidas I, who had gotten drunk from excessive drinking just like her, was fast asleep on the table. Since it was late at night, there were no lights in the room, only the clear moonlight shining in from the window.

Standing and walking to the window, Tomoe gazed at the moon in the sky. Judging by its position, it was likely around two or three in the morning.

“If I leave now, I should be able to return to the Northern Wall before dawn.”

With that thought, Tomoe turned to the cabinet near the dining table, preparing to find something to leave a note saying she had left. After all, she had received care from Naoki and the others, so it would be impolite to leave without a word.

However, as she turned, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs came from nearby, and soon Rei appeared in front of Tomoe.

Seeing that Tomoe had woken up, Rei adjusted her slightly wrinkled clothes: “Good evening, Miss Tomoe. You’re awake at this hour. I thought you wouldn’t wake until morning after getting that drunk.”

“Good evening, Sajyou-san.” Tomoe greeted simply. “Though I was drunk, Tomoe is fundamentally a warrior, so it’s natural that I can wake up on my own. Since you’re here, Sajyou-san, let me inform you. I’m preparing to return to the Northern Wall now. I’m very grateful for the care you and Natsukawa-sama provided tonight. Tomoe will prepare a return gift later.”

After saying this, Tomoe bowed deeply and prepared to walk out the door, but Rei grabbed her hand.

“There’s no need to rush back, Miss Tomoe.” Rei smiled. “Lady Ushiwakamaru, Miss Nobunaga, and Master Musashibō have already returned to guard the Northern Wall. You and Master Leonidas should rest well here tonight. This is also King Gilgamesh’s wish.”

Rei briefly explained Gilgamesh’s rest rotation order and its reasoning to Tomoe.

After listening, Tomoe let out a soft sigh.

“Since it’s King Gilgamesh’s order, Tomoe will accept this kindness.”

“Yes, that’s good. My Master will escort both of you back to the Northern Wall tomorrow morning. Until then, just relax.” Rei said.

“Thank you very much, Sajyou-san.”

After bowing in thanks again, Tomoe sat back down in her original seat and began searching for a topic: “By the way, it’s already so late, and you haven’t slept, Sajyou-san.”

“Hmm?”

Rei, who was pouring water, smiled: “Oh, because it’s not my rest time yet. Although I don’t generally need sleep, tonight is a bit special. It’s like a shift change now.”

“Shift change? Like a night watch?”

“Something like that. Sometimes you can hear certain sounds, right?”

Sounds?

Prompted by Rei, Tomoe focused and listened—and then she heard noises coming from upstairs.

(That’s Merry’s voice… Ugh, this is…)

From the content of the sounds, Tomoe vaguely guessed what was happening upstairs, and her cheeks flushed for a moment.

Night watch meant this kind of night watch.

“I was on duty for the first half of the night, and Merry is ‘on watch’ now, but it’s the second half of the night, so we’ve switched shifts. In about an hour, we’ll switch again until morning.” Rei said with a smile. “Merry’s stamina is terrible. Since she locked herself in Avalon for thousands of years and barely exercised, she’s a complete physical weakling. She’d give up in seconds in front of Master.”

“I-I see…”

(So Natsukawa-sama and Merry have that kind of relationship… That’s surprising.)

Tomoe hadn’t interacted much with Merry. After all, Merry rarely left Uruk over the past six months. In her own words, “What if something happens after I leave? It’d definitely trigger the end of the world.”

Since Gilgamesh agreed with this statement, Tomoe had accepted it at face value.

(In the end, Merry just wanted to slack off…)

It was just a gut feeling, but Tomoe felt it was true.

And as she sighed about it, her gaze briefly caught Rei. She wondered if she had seen wrong, but she felt Rei’s face looked strikingly similar to her own. Moreover, she hadn’t noticed before, but Rei’s previously blonde hair had now turned snow-white.

“Sajyou-san, your hair color…”

“Hmm? This? It’s a bit of Magecraft. Master really likes mixing different hair colors, so I specifically learned Magecraft to change my hair color.”

As she spoke, Rei instantly changed her hair color to red, then blue, purple, and green, leaving Tomoe mesmerized.

Magecraft could truly do anything and was incredibly convenient.

At the same time, the faint sense of similarity Tomoe had felt vanished without a trace.

(It must’ve been my imagination. There’s no way two people in this world could look almost identical.)

“Remarkable Magecraft, Sajyou-san.”

“Just a small trick. Almost any Magus can do it—the difference is only in the method used.” Rei smiled, quietly relieved in her heart.

(I was a bit careless. Since there are usually no outsiders, I got used to maintaining my disguise afterward. I need to be more careful in the future—causing misunderstandings wouldn’t be good.)