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"Gray, lying is not a good habit, you know," Artoria said seriously. "I was directly involved in the Fourth Holy Grail War, and you can't deceive me. That Caster is a hero, a hero who is willing to listen to the sorrows of others. A listener, not a king."

Pausing for a moment, she continued, "And also, I am the King's knight. If that Caster were my King, I would have recognized him at first sight! Moreover, if that Caster were my King, he would have definitely recognized me at first sight as well. In that case, I would have become the King's sword, cutting through thorns and obtaining the Holy Grail. In fact, with the King's character, he would never be interested in the Holy Grail. Furthermore, that Caster... that Caster..."

Artoria's recollection shifted abruptly to the tender and comforting gaze she had once witnessed during her Alter Saber phase. The memory of those warm eyes brought forth thoughts of the Young King's gentle gaze, causing a cold sweat to dampen her forehead.

"Well... uh... regardless of anything else, there's just no way that Caster could be my King!"

"But, the teacher mentioned that the Eternal King was actually the Caster in the Fourth Holy Grail War. Um..." Gray paused for a moment, thinking. "The teacher also said that back then, the Eternal King hadn't awakened fully and was dressed in really peculiar clothes. And, well, he was being pursued by the Saber and Lancer of that time... Huh? Your Highness, why do you look so strange? Why are you even crouching in the corner like that?"

Gray was utterly perplexed. She hadn't even finished her sentence, yet her respected King of Knights now appeared ashen-faced, clutching her head and crouched in the corner of the room.

Cold sweat trickled down Artoria's exquisite and striking face. 

Something was clearly wrong. Gray's eyes filled with worry as she approached her, "Um... Are you feeling unwell?"

Artoria's quivering lips struggled to form words as she mustered the courage to speak. "I... I... Do... do you have a knife?"

Confusion clouded Gray's face as she responded, "Yes, I do. But why, Your Highness?"

Tears welled up in Artoria's eyes, her entire body trembling uncontrollably. "I... I want to end my life... I can't bear to live in this world anymore!"

Upon careful consideration, she realized with certainty that those eyes could only belong to her beloved King. Memories of the Fourth Holy Grail War flooded her mind, particularly the moment she raised her sword against the Caster in the strange outfit, vowing to bring him down.

It's over...

Everything, it's all over now!

The weight of failure as a knight washed over her, engulfing her in a profound sense of disappointment and self-doubt.

How much of a failure had she become?

Ah—! She tightly clasped her head, her once-calm and resolute eyes now empty and hollow.

"Um... Are you okay?" Gray asked cautiously. This king, who had been her guiding light, helping her find her own path in life, seemed completely off in that moment.

"Do... do you have a knife?" Artoria looked up with empty eyes, her voice devoid of hope, and made the startling request to Gray. "Please give me one."

Confusion etched across Gray's face as she held the knife in her hands, unsure of Artoria's intentions. "Yes, I do. But what do you want to do?"

"I... I want to end my life! I can't bear to live in this world anymore!"

"Why would you say that? Why do you want to end your life? Besides... you're a spiritual entity, so... you can't really end your life, can you?"

Artoria: "..."

Doesn't this child understand human emotions? Shouldn't she be comforting her at a time like this?

Her heart is in so much pain... Artoria clutched her head, her mind in chaos.

What can she possibly do? What options does she have?

She already has no face left to show the King. And yet, she even dared to confront the King with her sword...

Ah, ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh—! She want to die!

"So... um, what did you do in the Fourth Holy Grail War?" Gray cautiously asked, realizing that her question had struck a nerve and caused Artoria some distress.

"I... I was the Saber who hunted down the King..."

Gray: "..."

"I'm a complete failure! How could I have failed like this? I couldn't protect the kingdom, I couldn't safeguard anything, and I couldn't obtain the Holy Grail... In the Fourth Holy Grail War, I couldn't even recognize the King and ended up confronting him with my sword... I'm such a failure! Why am I such a failure? Why am I the only one who feels this way?"

Gray was taken aback by the sight of the beautiful woman who cried with sorrow. She had always appeared composed and strong, but now tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving Gray feeling utterly flustered.

"Um... um..." Gray stumbled over her words, never being particularly good at comforting others, especially in such delicate situations. She could only offer a flustered attempt at comfort, "D-Don't... don't cry... um... don't be scared... um!"

Unable to contain her emotions, Artoria sought comfort in Gray's embrace, her tears flowing freely.

With a noticeable height difference—Artoria standing at approximately 1.7 meters and Gray at around 1.5 meters—it felt like an older sister hugging her younger sibling as she wept.

This only served to intensify Gray's flustered state.

Gray's admiration for this King of Knight was immense, and now, witnessing the King's vulnerability as she held her and wept, confessing her feelings of failure, it struck Gray deeply.

The King of Knight practically demeaned herself, disparaging her own worth as if she were a mere loser.

Comforting others was never Gray's strong suit, and in this moment, she felt the weight of her inadequacy. She could sense the immense admiration and unwavering loyalty this King held for the Eternal King, not as a ruler herself, but as a proud knight devoted to the Eternal King. And yet, unbeknownst to her, she had been on a quest to hunt down the very person she revered and pledged her loyalty to—the Eternal King.

How could Gray possibly find the right words to provide comfort in such a complex and distressing situation?

She hesitated for a moment, but eventually reached out her hand and gently stroked Artoria's head, offering words of comfort. "Don't cry... It'll be okay."

Artoria's emotions began to settle, and her tears gradually subsided.

After all, she was the King of Knights who had triumphed over Attila. Her spirit was remarkably strong.

In that moment, fragments of memories from the Fourth Holy Grail War flooded back to Artoria's mind. The battle in the warehouse on the first night stood out vividly.

She recalled the reason why she had vowed to hunt down the King, and her face paled. She found herself momentarily frozen in place.

A wave of immense fear washed over her, gripping her heart tightly.

"Has the King... already known? And... is that a reprimand directed at me? A reprimand aimed at this failed knight, failed king, failed mother..." Artoria's thoughts raced, questioning whether the King intentionally refused to acknowledge her, the knight who had betrayed her.

The mere notion sent shivers down her spine, and she couldn't prevent the cold sweat from trickling down her brow.

"What... what should I do?" Her tears began to fall uncontrollably.

Gray grew increasingly flustered.

Why was the King crying again? Wasn't she the King of Knights who had banished the era of chaos and darkness?

Besides, based on their prior encounters, she seemed highly knowledgeable and strong. So why was she now breaking down in tears at the drop of a hat?

And without any warning, she burst into tears!

"Um... um... please don't cry, don't cry..." Gray had no other choice but to keep stroking Artoria's head, offering her comfort in the only way she knew how.

Gray couldn't help but feel an odd sensation in that moment.

It was as if the roles had flipped, with her being the grown-up and the wise King standing in front of her appearing almost childlike.

Gray grew increasingly flustered, with beads of cold sweat forming on her face, but she couldn't understand why. What was the reason behind this oddly subtle delight?

Huh? Why did her heart stir with this strange mix of emotions as she gazed at Artoria, who held her tightly while shedding tears?

Gray was very confused.