Holy Grail

Artoria, upon hearing Vortigern's words, almost launched another attack against him. However, in the end, she refrained.

After being defeated by Artoria, regardless of Vortigern's ambitions, he was powerless.

A few minutes later, the old man died, laughing happily. Amidst his laughter, his castle dispersed like dust.

In the sky, the dark clouds dissipated, and sunlight poured down.

Artoria, bathed in sunlight, walked towards the army amidst the cheers of the masses. Artorius followed closely behind her. He observed his mother, the so-called 'Perfect King', resembling a divine being from a close distance. On the other side, Gawain trembled with excitement.

At that moment, everyone believed that Britain's future was bright and that following King Arthur would lead them to the pinnacle.

Although, in reality, Britain was on the verge of destruction.

===

That night, in Artoria's tent.

"Artorius."

Artoria gazed at her son with a complex expression. He was the blessed Son of Britain, with a hint of regret in her heart.

'If only I had shown more affection to Artorius...'

'If only I had paid more attention to Artorius... Would things have turned out differently?'

"So..." Unlike Artoria, Artorius appeared relaxed, as if nothing had happened.

But that wasn't the case.

If one observed closely, one would notice the differences in Artorius now.

His skin was fairer, and his platinum-blonde hair color had lightened. If it were a little whiter, it would be close to the level of snow white.

Moreover, upon careful perception, one could sense that the power of the Son of Dragon, belonging to the 'Dragon', had been fully awakened. It was different from before when it was 'immature' and 'still adapting'.

Now, Artorius could call upon the power of the highest-level Phantasmal Species at any time, with a power close to that of a 'near-divine existence'.

This was the parting gift of the White Dragon King upon his death.

Due to their blood ties, close kinship, and the proximity of their power attributes, Artorius absorbed almost all of Vortigern Pendragon's power, acquiring more than ninety percent.

"...I can explain these matters."

Artorius began, not with questions like 'Why did you summon me?' or 'What do you want me for?' but rather straightforwardly.

"Britain is about to be destroyed, isn't it? As for the reasons, I already know them completely."

Upon hearing Artorius speak in this manner, Artoria couldn't utter a word of her usual admonishing remarks such as 'Why did you do this?' or similar phrases.

Because she had no right, nor any reason to do so.

If Artoria were to tell her son like, 'You're still too young, you don't know what you're doing', it might seem ironic. After all, she herself drew Caliburn, the Sword of Selection at a relatively young age of fifteen, not far from her son's current age.

In a way, she felt her son was much smarter than herself. Compared to her, who was moving forward step by step, driven by the wheels of history, Artorius had more plans and foresight for the future.

"So, what do you mean?" Artoria suppressed negative emotions and asked Artorius.

"What I mean is, Britain is no longer suitable for habitation," Artorius calmly replied. "Father, do you have any solution for this?"

"...Actually, I have thought of a solution."

To Artorius's surprise and resignation, Artoria continued, "Britain lacks True Ether. To reverse the problem of True Ether gradually dissipating, we need a miracle. So, I plan to search for that miracle, something that can restore the concentration of True Ether in Britain."

"..."

"Don't tell me, the Holy Grail?" After a brief moment of contemplation, Artorius provided this answer.

Not the one for Third Magic, the so-called Holy Grail created by the Three Founding Families of Fuyuki, but an actual Holy Grail, a universal wish-granting machine capable of creating miracles. It was also the latter half of King Arthur's legend, the object that the Knights of the Round Table seemed to obsessively search for.

—As long as we find that thing, we can save Britain. Therefore, we must give our all, we must go all out.

And so, countless Knights of the Round Table embarked on the path to find the Holy Grail. Countless Knights of the Round Table died on the path in desperate exploration.

The final result, however, was incredibly absurd.

After sacrificing numerous lives, the Holy Grail was actually found.

But Galahad, who found the Grail, was said to be a saint who had 'no desire and no wish'. Therefore, the moment he held the Holy Grail, it returned to heaven, as did Galahad's soul.

===

However, there are two points that contradict the legend.

First, only a saint with 'no desire and no wish' can hold the Holy Grail. One can check with Gudako about that. Everyone knows what kind of person she is. Since she collected so many Holy Grails on her path to saving humanity.

Second, considering the current situation in Britain, Galahad cannot be a person with 'no desire and no wish'.

Unless he is a very heartless bastard, he cannot remain indifferent to the impending destruction of Britain and his colleagues in the Knights of the Round Table who are risking their lives.

However, according to Artorius's judgment, it is clear that he is not that kind of person.

Galahad is not an indifferent person. So, it's impossible for him to be a person with 'no desire and no wish'.

He is just like the other Knights of the Round Table, full of compassion, friendly to his colleagues, respectful and admiring of King Arthur, sincere with friends, and even willing to betray his father for justice.

How could such a perfect knight be indifferent?

So, there is only one truth.

Galahad did not return to the heavens; he was eliminated.

And the one who eliminated Galahad was someone like 'Ultimate One', 'Gaia', or 'Alaya'.

If we reason further, everything is part of Gaia's conspiracy.

If fate were to mysteriously recede, Gaia, who obeys fate, would never allow Britain to remain in an 'Age of Gods' and a 'True Ether' kingdom. It absolutely won't allow Britain to obtain the Holy Grail.

So, they must kill Galahad. They must make the Holy Grail return to the heavens. Or rather, they must take back the Holy Grail to the Reverse Side of the World.

From this perspective, the effort to find the Holy Grail is undoubtedly futile.

===

"Artorius?"

As Artorius's expression kept changing while pondering about the Holy Grail, Artoria became slightly worried.

She continued to comfort him, saying, "Don't worry. We will succeed."

"Uhh, yeah, I believe you, Father." Artorius, like the most ideal attractive boy, displayed the most perfect smile to his mother. "But, Father, how long will it take to find the Holy Grail? What should the people of Britain do during that time?"

"..."

Seeing Artorius, who had grown up and resembled her reflection, Artoria displayed a troubled expression.

Artorius reached out and held her hands. "Please leave this difficult problem to me. How about that?"