To Become a King and a Magician 676-680

Title: Mash, This Is Your Mother, and This Is Your Father

After chatting briefly with Ritsuka, Naoki thought there might be more food at the feast, so he pulled her along to descend from the fortress wall.

And just as the two returned to the feast—

“So, should I call you [Mother]?”

Mash’s voice came from the crowd, followed by:

*THUD!*

*THUD!*

Two sounds, like heads hitting a table, rang out.

Pushing through the crowd to enter, Naoki saw Mash sitting between two Lancelots, and he immediately understood what was happening.

Raising her head with a slightly awkward expression, Lancelot (female) quickly waved her hands. “Mash… Lady, just call me normally. That way of addressing me is really not good for my heart.”

“I-I… feel the same.”

Lancelot (male) also covered his face.

The power of Galahad within Mash came from his son. Lancelot had always been unsure how to act toward his son, especially now facing Mash.

If Mash called the female version of himself “Mother”… well, it just felt incredibly strange.

Seeing the similar reactions from both Lancelots, Gawain (female) and Tristan (female) laughed and nudged her.

“Even if you say that, you’re secretly happy inside.”

“After all, in our world, the relationship between Galahad and his mother was never good. Even giving a gift had to go through several intermediaries.”

Speaking of this, Tristan (female) looked at Arthur. “By the way, didn’t Galahad once ask His Majesty for help?”

Arthur nodded. “Yes, it so happened that Sir Lancelot had just returned from an expedition. At the time, Sir Galahad asked me to check on the injured Sir Lancelot, but I was busy with official duties, so Merlin went in my place.”

(Good job, Merlin!)

(Though I apologized to Sir Galahad for his good intentions, Merlin did an excellent job.)

(That cursed succubus!)

Seeing the three Knights of the Round Table with their varied expressions, Naoki rolled his eyes, then smiled and said, “But, Mash, if you consider Arthur’s Lancelot your mother… then who’s your father?”

This sudden sentence stunned everyone present, and a few looked at Naoki with a hint of exasperation.

(Have you been corrupted by Merlin, Naoki…?)

(For a moment, it felt like Merlin was speaking.)

“Eh?”

Mash was also a bit startled, and her gaze unconsciously flicked to Lancelot (male)—with an expression full of hope but also a touch of restraint.

Then she glanced at Lancelot (female)—her eyes subtly shifting toward Arthur.

“Um… well, what does Mother think?”

After thinking for a long time, Mash turned the question back to her mother.

The impact of that title made Lancelot (female)’s body tremble slightly, her cheeks flushing. “I told you, don’t call me that… Um, if I had to say…”

Her gaze toward Arthur grew more serious.

But at that moment, Gawain (female) and Tristan (female) held her shoulders with friendly yet terrifying smiles.

“Oh, what are you thinking, Sir Lancelot?”

“Your thoughts make me quite sad, Sir Lancelot. In terms of blood relations, you should unhesitatingly say Lady Elaine’s name.”

“Eh? Elaine? But she…”

Elaine in Arthur’s world was a woman. So, that meant two women gave birth to a daughter?

(Magecraft is truly versatile in some ways.)

Hearing this juicy gossip, Naoki sighed, pretending to know nothing and pointing at Arthur. “By the way, I remember Merry once told me Arthur was very popular among the Knights of the Round Table… So, how about Mash calling Arthur once?”

“Cough cough cough—!”

Arthur, who was drinking, immediately spat out his drink, disregarding his image.

“Lord Natsukawa!”

“What are you saying!”

Gawain and Tristan also looked at Naoki nervously. The delicate balance among their Knights of the Round Table had been painstakingly maintained. If it was disrupted now by Lancelot…

Hearing Naoki’s words, Mash furrowed her brow. “Call King Arthur Father? What does Mother think?”

“Eh? Uh? I… I think that’s very—Ughhh!”

“Sir Lancelot, come with us for a moment.”

“I think we need a private conversation.”

Before she could finish, Gawain and Tristan forcibly dragged Lancelot, who harbored mischievous intentions, away.

Seeing this scene, Artoria and her Knights of the Round Table looked at Naoki with complex expressions.

(His behavior is exactly like Merlin’s.)

(When did you become as bad as Merlin, Master?)

(It should be Father King who was corrupted by Merry.)

Merlin and Merry, far away in the seventh Singularity, had no idea they were once again being blamed for corrupting Naoki.

After wiping his mouth, Arthur approached Naoki and said with some frustration, “What were you even saying, Naoki…”

“No big deal, just trying to lighten the mood. After all, a situation like this is almost impossible.” Naoki laughed. “Well, and I felt bad seeing some of your Knights of the Round Table with their unrequited feelings, so even if it’s just a joke, at least let them have their wish fulfilled once.”

Arthur showed a slightly helpless expression. “You… Should I say it’s fitting that you’re fond of Merlin? You two have the same sense of humor.”

“I’m not as bad as her, don’t accuse me.”

If Merry’s level of mischief was a hundred, Naoki’s was only a one.

Smiling wryly, Arthur looked at the bickering lady knights nearby, then asked, “By the way, are you and Merry married? You mentioned it ten years ago. How’s your married life now?”

“Huh? That… um, not yet.” Naoki was a bit awkward.

“I was planning to get married, but… well, you could say I’m a bit stubborn. The Holy Grail War ten years ago ended in a draw with King Solomon, and in the end, he got the Holy Grail. I felt it didn’t count as my victory, so I told Merry we’d get married after I settled things with King Solomon ten years later.”

In other words, after this Human Order Incineration ended?

Arthur smiled. “Then I’ll congratulate you on your marriage in advance. After all, I won’t be able to attend… Though it might be late to say this now, Merry is a very troublesome woman. Even I’m a bit scared of her. You need to be careful.”

“Of course I know. Go to Avalon and sleep well.”

-

Title: The Unshattered Holy Grail

In the end, the feast continued until night fell.

Naoki’s last memory was drinking with Arthur.

And now, “Ugh… so heavy…”

Waking from his recovery sleep and feeling a weight on his body, Naoki instinctively pushed it away—as usual, it was something soft.

Was Rei still asleep?

“Ugh… I can’t eat anymore… Father King…”

He heard some mumbling.

Father King?

Not Rei?

“No… this is weird!”

Snapping out of his confusion, Naoki clearly saw who was lying on top of him.

It was Mordred.

The girl was dressed in casual clothes like she wore in Trefas a decade ago, just a bralette and denim shorts, now sprawled over Naoki’s body. There was a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth, and her face showed an expression of pure bliss.

What kind of sweet dream was she having? Judging by her words, was she still eating in her dream?

(This Ahoge family really can’t cure their gluttony?)

Sighing helplessly, Naoki pushed Mordred off his body, letting her lie beside him to continue sleeping, then got out of bed.

The house was one Artoria had prepared for him and Gray earlier. Since he had no memory after drinking with Arthur last night, there was no way he returned on his own.

(Maybe Gray brought me back, and then Mordred… snuck in here in the middle of the night?)

Besides those two, there was no one else in the house. Gray was nowhere to be seen either.

Was she outside?

Pushing open the wooden door and stepping out of the house, Naoki saw the fortress streets, already bustling with activity.

Perhaps because Vortigern was defeated yesterday and the dragon calamity had vanished, the pedestrians who had faces full of sorrow when Naoki first arrived were now brimming with vitality, looking like people earnestly living their lives.

Judging by the sun’s height, it was almost noon.

“It’s been years since I woke up this late when Rei wasn’t around. I’m too relaxed… Well, no harm done.”

After a battle, one must rest well. Only after recharging energy can one have the strength to face the next fight.

The battle in this Singularity was over. What he needed to do now was recover his energy, prepare to head to the seventh Singularity, and face an even stronger enemy.

Beast II, Tiamat, the Mother Goddess of Creation.

She would be the strongest enemy Naoki had faced so far, and in terms of nature, she was an enemy Naoki absolutely couldn’t defeat.

“Whatever, now’s not the time to think about this.”

Stretching vigorously toward the sun, Naoki didn’t lower his head but kept looking at the sky.

In the clear sky, vast ribbons of light were still visible.

(It’s been a day, and the Singularity still shows no signs of collapsing… Where’s the problem?)

“Oh? The Department Head’s awake.”

Just as Naoki was thinking, Ritsuka’s voice suddenly came from beside him. Turning, he saw her walking over with Mash and Gray, carrying something. A Fou was lying on Mash’s shoulder.

“Good afternoon, Big Brother.”

“You woke up a bit late today, Brother.”

Naoki smiled. “Probably because I drank too much yesterday. By the way, were you all out shopping?”

“Oh, this was given to us by the locals. They said it’s a token of gratitude for protecting them yesterday.” Ritsuka explained. “Since it’s about lunchtime, and I ran into Gray-senpai on the way, I thought I’d come straight to the Department Head.”

“Also, the Doctor said there’s something he needs to tell us.”

Ritsuka waved her wrist.

Roman had something to say?

“Alright, then come in—by the way, where’s Senior Hinako? Weren’t you with her?”

“Akuta-senpai doesn’t like crowded places and is still hiding in the house, refusing to come out.”

“…”

Typical as always.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Lunch lasted over forty minutes.

Though for Naoki and Mordred, who was woken by the aroma mid-meal, it was essentially breakfast.

After eating, they cleared the table and tidied the area. Mash placed her shield on the ground, transforming it into a round table. Accompanied by a flickering blue light, a projection from Chaldea’s control room appeared clearly before them.

Including Roman’s face.

“Um… Can you see clearly, Fujimaru, Mash?”

“I can even see how many pores are on your face.” Naoki interjected. “No need for pleasantries, get to the point, Roman. Fujimaru said you had something to report?”

Roman turned serious. “Yes, it’s about the analysis results for the sixth Singularity. The situation there is that Vortigern and the Holy Grail have been destroyed.”

Naoki: “At the very least, I don’t think the Holy Grail could’ve survived the Moon Fall attack.”

“But based on previous cases, if the Holy Grail, the root of a Singularity’s formation, is destroyed or reclaimed by us, the Singularity itself should start collapsing immediately. Yet, the sixth Singularity shows no such signs… So, though we thought it unlikely, we analyzed the battle area with Vortigern.”

“The result is that we detected a suspicious Mana reaction resembling the Holy Grail there.”

As soon as Roman said this, the four people in the room immediately looked at Naoki.

Naoki held his chin, thinking for a moment. “The power of the Moon Fall attack should’ve been enough to destroy the Holy Grail… Are you saying something abnormal happened there, causing the Holy Grail to still exist, Roman?”

“At this stage, we can only theorize as much. If the sixth Singularity is to collapse, we need to retrieve that Holy Grail. Additionally, we detected a number of faint Mana reactions there, much weaker compared to the Holy Grail. They’re likely enemies formed from residual Mana. Be cautious when you go to retrieve it.”

“Got it.” After nodding, Naoki looked at the others in the room. “Then, let’s treat it as a post-meal stroll. We’ll inform Artoria and the others, then go retrieve the Holy Grail.”

“Yes.”

-

Title: Using Moon Fall Multiple Times Isn’t a Dream

On the way to the meteor crater caused by Moon Fall.

*THUD!*

With her shield, Mash smashed a low-level monster formed from residual magic in front of her, panting slightly. “It’s all taken care of now, Master.”

“Good job, Mash.”

“Your movements are much cleaner and smoother than before. It seems you haven’t slacked on training.”

Like Ritsuka, Naoki, floating in the air, commented with a smile.

Since Gray had to stay at the fortress to assist Artoria, and Mordred wanted to bond with her former comrades, only Naoki, Ritsuka, and Mash went to retrieve the Holy Grail.

Receiving Naoki’s praise, Mash was a bit delighted. “Yes. During downtime after completing Singularities, besides accompanying Master back to Mifune City, I spent the rest of my time training in combat with Miss Atalanta and Miss Rei. Occasionally, Senior Gray trained me too.”

As a Demi-Servant, Mash had only existed for about six months. Though she possessed the strength and combat skills left by Galahad, mastering them wasn’t easy.

Through training from Atalanta and Rei, Mash significantly shortened this process—though, given Rei’s situation, Mash likely endured quite a bit of hardship.

“I’ve been training too.” Ritsuka puffed out her chest. “I can now activate my magic circuits and use some simple Magecraft. The Director taught me.”

Olga Marie had been teaching Ritsuka Magecraft over the past six months.

Naoki raised an eyebrow. “That’s impressive. You got started in just six months? What specific Magecraft have you mastered?”

“Simple reinforcement Magecraft and Gandr magic bullets. The Director said my magic circuits are very unconventional, so I can only learn simple stuff like this.”

Like Naoki, Ritsuka was a first-generation Magus, naturally endowed with complete magic circuits in her body.

However, compared to a first-generation Magus like Naoki, Ritsuka’s talent was at the lowest tier. At the Clock Tower, she’d likely be labeled mediocre—but even so, she was still better than Waver, placing her at an average level among Magi.

“Also, Touko-san actually taught me runes, but I’m still learning and can only use one or two, like igniting fire or creating light.”

“That’s already pretty good.” Naoki laughed. “Learning Magecraft isn’t something you can rush. Except for a handful of geniuses, long-term research is unavoidable to become a good Magus.”

“Like the Department Head?”

“No, I’m an exception. Honestly, as a Magus, I’m only third-rate. If you asked me to fight another Magus using Magecraft, I’d probably get crushed.”

That was Naoki’s reality.

In terms of Magecraft skill alone, he was roughly third-rate by Clock Tower standards, and that was based on the Summoning Magecraft granted to him. Without it, his level would be even lower.

“But Magecraft itself isn’t a technique for fighting. No matter the Magecraft, its ultimate goal is to reach the Root. Offensive Magecraft is just something that comes along in the process.”

“By the way, Fujimaru, if you’re interested in becoming a Magus after all this is over, I can introduce you to a teacher. Though he’s terrible as a Magus, his talent for teaching others is unmatched. He taught me back then too.”

The teacher who taught the Department Head?

Ritsuka thought for a moment. “I’ll think about it…”

“Well, it’s fine if you don’t want to be a Magus. Personally, I don’t recommend it either.”

Besides, Ritsuka wasn’t suited to be a Magus. By nature, she was better suited to be a Magician.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Time passed as the three chatted occasionally and dealt with incidental battles.

After walking (while Naoki floated) for about an hour, they finally arrived at the massive crater created by Moon Fall.

Standing at the edge and looking down, Ritsuka shivered slightly in fear. “Even though I saw it from afar yesterday, seeing it up close like this is still… Department Head, you’re incredible. You can drop a moon that big in an instant. That’s your super ultimate move.”

“Huh? No, I can use it multiple times.” Naoki calmly uttered terrifying words. “Basically, among all my current abilities, only the release of the Holy Sword counts as an ultimate move. I can use the others as regular attacks in succession; the only difference is the preparation time.”

“…”

The faint smiles on Ritsuka and Mash’s faces froze.

(Yesterday’s attack counts as a regular attack?! Just how dangerous is the Department Head?! He’s too strong!)

(As long as Brother wants, he could destroy the world anytime… Thank goodness he’s a good person.)

“But with such incredible abilities, hasn’t the Department Head ever faced unfair treatment? I often see similar plots in movies and light novels, where protagonists who are too powerful are treated as terrorists because people fear them…”

“It’s happened, but that was in a parallel world, and it was quite a while ago.”

After all, it was something from fourteen years ago. After leaving that parallel world once, Naoki never returned. He also didn’t know how the people he knew there were doing.

Ayaka was doing fine in this world.

“I’ll tell you about my past in detail when we have time, maybe over afternoon tea or something. For now, let’s deal with the important matter—wait here. I’ll go down and find the Holy Grail. Once I have it, I’ll teleport back instantly.”

The next moment, Naoki vanished from his spot and reappeared at the deepest part of the meteor crater.

Due to Moon Fall’s single strike, there was essentially nothing left in the crater. Everything had been obliterated by Moon Fall, including Vortigern’s body—at least, that’s how it should’ve been.

But when Naoki arrived, he saw a strange [object].

*BA-DUMP!* *BA-DUMP!* *BA-DUMP!*

A sound like a heartbeat continuously emanated from the strange object.

Looking at it, Naoki narrowed his eyes. “It has the same Mana reaction as Vortigern. Is that… his egg?”

In shape, the object before him closely resembled an egg. It was enveloped in black magical mist, with a swirling vortex of pitch-black water on its surface.

A jet-black egg—that was the most fitting description Naoki could think of.

(The Holy Grail is inside this… Though I’m a bit curious about what this thing is, it should be fine if I just retrieve the Holy Grail.)

(No, better to cut it.)

Touching it directly might trigger something. As a precaution, Naoki drew his Holy Sword, preparing to destroy the jet-black egg with a single strike.

But the moment Naoki drew his Holy Sword—

The mist enveloping the egg’s surface suddenly expanded and spread, transforming into an unrivaled sea of fog that swept across the entire area. Naoki, standing nearby, was instantly engulfed in the sea of mist!

(Damn it.)

That was Naoki’s last thought.

-

Title: Perverted Uncle Naoki

(I didn’t expect it to be a trap triggered by the Holy Sword’s detection… I was completely fooled.)

In the dense sea of black mist, Naoki sighed helplessly.

(Should I say I let my guard down? Or was I just not paying enough attention? I should’ve been more careful with that black egg. Getting too close was a bit reckless.)

“What exactly is this black mist?”

The moment he was engulfed by the black mist, Naoki initially thought he was under attack, but the mist only enveloped him. Beyond that, there was no other reaction.

It was like a water balloon being pierced, with the water inside spilling out.

Waving his hand randomly and releasing a shockwave, Naoki could feel the ground in front of him tear into a fissure from his attack. Yet, even with such an attack, the black mist showed no signs of dissipating, as if it was completely unaffected.

Immune to physical interference?

(Considering this black mist was triggered by the Holy Sword, using the Holy Sword to destroy it probably won’t work either…)

“Department Head! Can you hear me?!”

Just as Naoki was thinking, Ritsuka’s voice suddenly came from above.

“Yes, I can hear you. How’s the situation up there?” Naoki replied. “This black mist isn’t affecting you?”

“Black mist? What are you talking about, Department Head? Where’s any black mist?”

Ritsuka, standing at the edge of the meteor crater, scratched her head in confusion. Black mist? From her perspective, all she could see was Naoki standing in the middle of the crater, and due to the distance, she couldn’t see him clearly.

“Department Head, did you encounter an enemy? We just saw you suddenly create a huge fissure!”

(Fujimaru can’t see the black mist? But she can see what I’m doing?)

Naoki furrowed his brow.

Could this black mist be visible only to him?

After a moment of thought, Naoki shouted, “I’m fine, nothing’s happening here. Stay on standby up there.”

“Huh? Okay!”

After getting Ritsuka’s response, Naoki refocused his attention on the black mist—or more precisely, on the egg that released it.

Though he couldn’t see it clearly due to the dense black mist, as a fairy, he could grasp his surroundings at all times, even with his eyes closed. After passing through a layer of the mist, Naoki returned to the front of the egg.

“Let me prepare first… Conceptual protection, physical protection, magical protection, three layers each. That should be enough.”

After adding several layers of protection to his hand, Naoki clenched his fist and struck the egg.

*BAM!*

A tremendous shockwave spread instantly.

The entire meteor crater visibly trembled, startling Ritsuka and Mash at the edge.

“An earthquake?”

“No, it must be caused by Brother’s actions.”

Mash observed the situation in the crater and said, “Brother seems to be trying to break something.”

Inside the black mist, seeing the unmoving surface of the black egg, Naoki clicked his tongue. “I used a lot of force, and this thing is that tough? If it can’t be broken, the Holy Grail can’t be retrieved either… Huh? What’s this?”

Just as Naoki raised his fist to strike again, a sudden piece of information in his mind made him pause.

“[Don’t… hit me…?]—What does that mean? Is someone using mental Magecraft on me?”

No, that was impossible. Mental Magecraft was one of the hardest to apply to him.

So how did this information get into his mind?

And what did [don’t hit me] mean?

“Is it… you?” Naoki looked at the egg in front of him, shocked. “You mean, don’t hit you?”

[Yes]

[Because, it hurts]

[I’m scared]

“Why does it feel like a little Gray talking?” Naoki lowered his fist. “If I don’t hit you… the Holy Grail is inside you. I need to take it out. What exactly are you?”

[I’m not a thing]

[Vortigern, my name]

[Daughter, by nature, like that]

“Vortigern… daughter?”

Naoki’s eyes widened slightly, and he hurriedly placed his hand on the egg. “You… you’re the daughter of that demon dragon?”

[Ugh ugh ugh, please be gentle, it hurts]

“Oh, sorry… Wait! You said you’re Vortigern’s daughter? He was obliterated without even ashes left. Where did he get a daughter?!”

[Ugh, the reason is…]

The egg, calling itself Vortigern’s daughter, explained itself to Naoki in broken sentences mixed with slight whimpers.

In summary—

Yesterday, as Vortigern was nearly obliterated by Moon Fall, just before he completely vanished, he made a decision during his conversation with Arthur to pass his will and power to the next generation. He used all his remaining strength to protect the Holy Grail and, at the same time, made a wish to the Holy Grail—[May my successor fulfill my long-held desire.]

From that action and wish, this egg was born.

By nature, it was indeed Vortigern’s offspring. As for why it had a female personality… who knows.

However, though it was called Vortigern’s daughter, it also inherited all of Vortigern’s power and will. But this egg was still an unborn infant, with no intention of carrying out the obsessive commands in its mind. If it hadn’t sensed the aura of [death] just now, it would still be sleeping soundly.

(It must’ve been the Holy Sword… This means it would indeed be destroyed if struck by the Holy Sword.)

[This is all the information I know]

[Please, don’t hit me anymore]

[Your hits hurt]

“…”

For some reason, Naoki suddenly felt guilty, as if he were bullying a little girl. In fact, given the situation, he was even bullying… an unborn baby?

Though he never cared about others’ opinions, this was really hard to accept—he’d definitely be mocked for this.

“Even so, if the Holy Grail is inside you, I still have to break you.”

[Break, you want to destroy me?]

[I, don’t want to be destroyed]

[Please, don’t hurt me]

“I’m exhausted.”

Rubbing his forehead in frustration and letting out a long sigh, Naoki gently placed his hand on the egg. “Alright, I won’t destroy you. But for certain reasons, I need to take you away from here first. After that, we need to discuss some things. Is that okay?”

[Take me away?]

[Are you a liar?]

“Ugh… Based on my actions, I might seem a bit like a liar, but I’m not lying to you. I can at least guarantee that now and in the future, I won’t do anything to hurt you.”

[Ugh, okay, I understand]

[Following you, I agree]

-

Title: Merlin is Angry, and the Earl is Laughing

Inside the fortress.

Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, Artoria and her Knights of the Round Table, plus the Chaldea members led by Naoki.

Over a dozen people were now gathered around an open dining table, staring at the Vortigern egg that Naoki had brought back from the meteor crater, now placed on the table.

“—That’s basically the situation.”

Naoki briefly explained what had happened between him and the black egg.

After hearing Naoki’s account, the Knights of the Round Table on both sides displayed varying degrees of shock.

“That Vortigern… actually passed his power to the next generation?” Arthur’s face and eyes were filled with disbelief. “It’s absurd that he’d make such a decision.”

“Compared to that, what’s even more absurd is that he actually left an egg. Even if it’s the result of a wish to the Holy Grail, it’s still too bizarre.”

Vortigern was the final device born on the island of Britain to destroy itself. By nature, it shouldn’t have a successor.

[“Perhaps he found a loophole.”]

Roman’s voice came from the communication device on Ritsuka’s wrist.

[“If he wished for another final device, that would’ve been impossible. But wishing to have his own offspring? That’s entirely feasible. Having a descendant, passing his power to the next generation, engraving his desire to destroy Britain as an obsession into his offspring’s soul—it’s similar to the situation of a Magus’s Crown Designation.”]

Crown Designation (Grand Order).

The most noble blood oath in the world of Magecraft. A primal command held by families existing since before the Common Era, requiring them to sacrifice everything for that mission until their lineage ends—a pride wholly revered, like a curse.

That’s the meaning of a Crown Designation.

If the unborn second-generation Vortigern in the egg is considered a first-generation Magus, then everything the original, now-dead Vortigern passed to it is the Crown Designation he bestowed.

“So, Master, what’s your purpose in bringing this egg back?” Artoria asked, her brow furrowed.

“Of course, to discuss with you all how to handle it.”

Naoki tapped the black egg’s shell. Since he used no force, the egg didn’t complain.

“The root of this Singularity, the Holy Grail, is now inside this egg. Um… frankly, the situation is similar to Jeanne Alter. The new-generation Vortigern is a living being created based on the Holy Grail, and its existence is sustained by the Holy Grail, so—”

To resolve the Singularity, the Holy Grail must be retrieved or destroyed. But in the current situation, retrieving the Holy Grail would require breaking the egg first, which would inevitably harm Vortigern.

The same applies to destroying the Holy Grail.

“Though this egg’s shell is very tough, I think it’d be easy to destroy with the Holy Sword. The question is—is that really okay?”

Naoki’s words silenced everyone.

Simply put, it was a matter of morality.

Though it was Vortigern’s successor, in its current state, the second Vortigern was harmless. In fact, based on its words and actions, it had no intention of acting on the obsession left by Vortigern. It was an innocent living being.

Taking the Holy Grail would mean killing an innocent life… This wasn’t a decision to be made lightly.

“By the way, I vote in favor.”

Naoki was the first to voice his opinion.

“Even if it’s harmless now, there’s no guarantee it won’t be influenced by Vortigern’s obsession after it fully hatches. It might hatch halfway, and its soul could be infected by Vortigern’s obsession, which would definitely cause another major problem. Better to end it here now.”

Prevent it before it happens.

After a moment’s thought, Mordred and both Gawains raised their hands.

“I share the same opinion as Father King.”

“I agree with Lord Natsukawa’s view.”

“Me too.”

There were thirteen people present—four from Arthur’s side, five from Artoria’s, and four from Chaldea (Akuta Hinako was absent).

Though not explicitly stated, everyone knew that if an opinion was supported by seven people, it would become the final decision.

Taking a deep breath, Ritsuka shook her head. “I object. Even if it’s true, as the Department Head said, that the second Vortigern might be influenced by the obsession, we just need someone to guide it. It seems capable of communication.”

The second Vortigern’s intelligence was like that of a child, its personality unformed, like a blank sheet of paper. If they didn’t want it to be stained black, they could color it with the right hues before that happened.

This was also a solution.

“Besides, since the Holy Grail is inside its body, taking it out of this Singularity could cause the Singularity to collapse. We don’t necessarily have to extract the Holy Grail.”

[“Theoretically, that’s possible. Though it can’t be brought back via Spiritron Transfer, it shouldn’t be an issue if Natsukawa carries it back.”]

Hearing Roman’s words, Naoki couldn’t help but pause. “I just said… I was going to destroy it, and now you’re telling me to bring it back? And you plan to keep it in Chaldea?”

“At this stage, our facility is the only place that can contain it.”

“Avalon could too,” Artoria said. “Master, I think Fujimaru’s method is better. No matter how bad the future might be, it’s still the future, and it can’t be changed now. There’s no harm in trying.”

“Yeah, and when something goes wrong later, I’ll be the one cleaning it up.”

Words that should’ve been filled with disgust and impatience were spoken by Naoki in a helpless tone, as if he were used to it—like a doting father finally giving in after being persuaded by his child.

Sighing, Naoki looked around, and everyone seemed to think the second solution was better.

(Now I, both Sir Gawains, and Mordred feel a bit awkward… I brought this on myself. And I’ve added more work for myself for now.)

“So, that’s that. Do you want to leave with us, black egg?”

[Leave? To where?]

“To a place… full of interesting people.”

[An interesting place?]

“Yeah, there’s a doctor with unclear sexual orientation who loves eating strawberry cake, a genius who turned himself into a woman despite being a man, and a heavy smoker who turned his entire body into a puppet… In short, all kinds of people.”

Doctor Roman from Chaldea twitched at the corner of his mouth upon hearing Naoki’s assessment—his orientation was clearly women! The virtual character and the person behind it are completely separate entities, got it!

Don’t equate the virtual character (the role) with the person behind it (the voice actor)!

Listening to Naoki’s description, after a brief silence, the black egg faintly glowed.

[I understand]

[I’ll go with you]