123 The Blessing and Curses of Immortality

Watching the figure storm away in anger, yet unable to unleash her own frustration, the man continued to wear a smile.

With a snap of his fingers, a fully autonomous spiritron network served up a cup of coffee.

It was an impossibly concentrated brew, less of a coffee beverage and more of a semi-solid, viscous substance. It was loaded with excessive coffee grounds and excessive sugar, followed by a generous dollop of butter and cream.

After taking a sip, a strong blend of sweetness and the unique bitterness of coffee surged into his brain, prompting a satisfied "ahh..."

It had been fifteen centuries.

He, Agravain, had lived for fifteen centuries in a human body.

In the face of time, even steel would rust.

Those once his comrade, the Knights of the Round Table, were now but a few remnants.

Some perished on battlefields akin to hell, sacrificing themselves for humanity's future.

Others fared even worse, with their spirits and souls pushed to their limits.

For fifteen centuries, it meant nothing to Phantasmal Species, nor to the other supernatural species. However, for humans, it was an undeniably prolonged journey.

"Youth, it's truly a blessing."

Continuing to observe Bazett, who left with a sulking demeanor, he genuinely sighed.

The fallen warriors, the Knights of the Round Table driven to their limits, would return to the Throne of Empire, where they would be cleansed, nurtured, and repaired until they were fully restored before being reincarnated into new bodies to continue fighting for the Empire.

Yet, for safety and for their own well-being, the process of nurturing their souls also involved stripping away their memories. The newly born infants were like blank slates, seen not as 'reborn' but as 'reincarnated.'

Unless absolutely necessary, Agravain didn't want to resort to such means.

Fifteen centuries had burdened him with infinite responsibilities and unending karma. Yet, it had also granted him countless beautiful and tender memories that were hard to let go of.

His loyalty to the Empire. His fanaticism towards the Emperor. The camaraderie among his subordinates and colleagues. The intense hatred and enmity toward his enemies. The anticipation and concern for humanity's future... and even love.

Yes, even someone like him had experienced love. Not just once, but more than once. It's just that none of those stories ended well.

His first wife was an ordinary-looking but exceptionally gentle woman. Initially assigned by the Empire to take care of his daily life, she eventually became his partner, his wife.

For Agravain, those were the most heartwarming and blissful days. Every day, he returned home exhausted, only to be healed by her tenderness and kindness.

She passed away at the age of 230. Prior to that, she had already fallen into madness due to the increasing mental strain she couldn't endure. Even worse, Agravain who was busy with work, hadn't noticed her condition at all.

She had endured it all silently. Even until her death, during those brief moments of sanity, she apologized to him tearfully.

She believed she was responsible for Agravain.

"What would you do without me, Agravain?"

"…"

Thinking of this, Agravain clenched his fists.

In the end, he proved much stronger than she thought. The day after her funeral, he returned to his post at work.

All those who made outstanding contributions to the Empire and humanity would have their souls retrieved by the Throne of Empire.

They would receive a brand new, superior body, and more beautiful life as if they had secured an excellent seat in the cycle of reincarnation.

Of course, this system was not without flaws. The biggest ethical and moral issue arose when it came to how their loved ones from their previous life should be treated in the next.

The Empire's approach was management.

All records would be sealed and periodically destroyed. The officials responsible for the reincarnation process would undergo regular brainwashing to forget it all. In theory, no one, not even the Emperor himself, could inquire about or be aware of these matters.

But this couldn't deter the Empire's most exceptional intelligence officer.

Agravain found a loophole and discovered information about his wife's reincarnation.

This privilege, knowing her fate, helped him endure ten unbearable months. And after that, he waited for two more years until he chanced upon her again.

Naturally, the child didn't remember him at all.

Under the protection of her parents, she grew up happily, enjoying the bliss that a human child should.

Basking in the sunlight, Agravain watched for a while before decisively turning away. Behind him, he faintly heard the children's conversation.

Her playmates, kids of similar age, watched him with fear, caution, and worry, advising her not to approach or look at the 'adult.'

"Don't provoke that man; he'll take you away."

"…"

"Oh..."

Despite subconsciously feeling curious, sad, and warm, the child eventually heeded her playmates' advice and returned to the game.

Perhaps tonight, she would have a hazy and vague dream.

Perhaps by tomorrow, she would forget all about this.

Either way, there was no longer a direct and close connection between her and him.

"That's human nature, Sir Agravain. I can understand and forgive you, but only this once."

The Emperor said with a tone that was somewhat resigned yet unwavering when he learned about the matter, admonishing the Iron Knight. He didn't disappoint the Emperor either.

Just like his second love story.

Unlike the first one, which was plain and prolonged, the second love story was quite thrilling and interesting from an ordinary person's perspective.

Firstly, the woman wasn't a human. She was a vampire, or more precisely, a Dead Apostle.

Although her appearance was far more beautiful than that of an ordinary woman, Agravain could never fall in love with such an inhuman creature, not unless he went insane. Just like how he still considered Artorius's affair with Morgan a stain in the endless glory of the Dragon Emperor.

The story begins with a small segment of the long war between the empire and the vampires.

At that time, the Empire's strength wasn't as formidable as it is now. However, thanks to the help of the Counter Force, the power of the vampires was even stronger than it was in the original history.

Even though the Dragon Emperor was by no meant inferior to the King of the Moon (Crimson Moon) in terms of top-tier combat power, the Empire's overall strength was slightly inferior to the enhanced vampires. The Empire was slightly at a disadvantage in the ongoing wars.

Every victory came with an extraordinary level of difficulty. Even if they managed to kill all those vampires, it wouldn't take long for the Dead, like a malignant disease, to replenish their numbers. The war seemed endless. {T/N: The Dead - Dead Apostle's familiars.}

The arrogant Vampire Duchess was Agravain's old nemesis.

Like all arch-enemies, they had countless clashes, battles, and life-and-death struggles, and through these battles, they developed peculiar emotions.

Love.

The Vampire Duchess fell in love with Agravain, wanting to make him her partner. After the Iron Knight refused her outright, she settled for a compromise, asking him to run away with her and leave the war behind.

Agravain felt astonished and skeptical. After all, he was never the kind of popular man that got pursued by a woman.

"I'm tired."

The Duchess said wearily, "I'm tired of everything, the war, the madness, and the corruption of the vampires. I just want to leave this place now. Go somewhere where no one can find us and live a peaceful life."

"Don't you feel the same, Agravain? Aren't you tired of your Emperor, your Empire, their boundless ambition and desire?"

'Of course not.' Agravain sneered in his mind, knowing that the corrupted vampire could never understand the loyalty of a knight. But on the surface, he pretended to be conflicted, drawing the vampire closer.

Several months later, Agravain used this emotion to his advantage. He set up a trap and captured the Duchess.

Ignoring her shocked and sorrowful eyes, he imprisoned her, interrogated her, tortured her. He used magecraft and drugs to tame and turn her into his spy. Then, he sent her back to the vampire's side as his spy.

With insider information and intelligence, the Empire achieved several victories, which pleased Agravain. Until her identity as a spy was exposed.

What happened next was as expected.

The last words of the Duchess were—"I never betrayed you."

She looked at Agravain expectantly until he nodded and replied—"I know."

Only then did she take her final breath.

For the next six hundred years, Agravain drowned himself in work. He encountered wonderful women along the way, but his heart remained unmoved.

'The immortality bestowed upon us by His Majesty is both a blessing and a curse, a reward and a punishment, and more importantly... a trial.'

Thinking this, Agravain opened his eyes again. With the assistance of his self-customized Mystic Code called 'Will of Steel', his strength, stamina, and willpower were restored to their peak.

"I must continue to work."

Purging the Empire of internal pests, crushing enemies and competitors... and most importantly, engaging in seemingly hopeless battles against enemies from higher dimensions and greater power.

There's an endless amount of work for the Empire's Iron Knight. There's no time to dwell on lost love.

===

At the same time, Artorius's airplane came to a steady stop on the tarmac of Tokyo International Airport. As he stepped down from it, he looked around and couldn't help but marvel.

After all, it was an international metropolis, with futuristic skyscrapers soaring hundreds of meters high, three-dimensional overpasses in all directions, massive neon-lit billboards, and well-planned streets bustling with pedestrians. All of it brought a strong sense of excitement to the women who had never left the Einzbern castle since birth.

"Ahahaha~"

"Illya?!"

"Miss Illya?!"

Just like any energetic child, Illya, who had been drowsy on the plane just moments ago, now happily ran forward on the vast and spacious tarmac. Turning back to the worried Sella, she called out, "Come chase me, Sella~" in a playful invitation.

Due to various 'reasons', the maids' energy and stamina were significantly lower than Illya's. Therefore, they could only rush behind her anxiously.

Until Artorius intervened.

With a snap of his fingers, Illya looked back to find Sella had vanished. At the same time, her little head bumped into something.

As the impact force threatened to make her fall backward, Artorius reached out and caught her, pulling her into his arms.

"Be a good girl, Illya. Don't trouble Sella, okay?" He gently advised her.

The gentle and attractive big brother-like admonishment made Illya blush and shyly lowered her head.

"Mhm..." Illya only replied softly and snuggled into Artorius's embrace, enjoying the warmth of her gentle big brother.

"Illya is a good girl..."

"Hehehe~"

Amidst her cute laughter and the roar of the plane's engines, a middle-aged gentleman in a fiery red suit knelt before Artorius.

"Your Highness." The man said and tugged slightly at the twin-tailed young girl standing next to him, prompting her to bow like him.

"Tohsaka Tokiomi, a Mage hailing from the Clock Tower of the Mage's Association, humbly presents his respects."

"Lord Tohsaka."

Artorius released his hold on Illya and gently reached out to help him up.

"During my time in Japan, I entrust myself to you."

"It is my honor..." Tokiomi replied while bowing even lower.

===

Author's Note:

The road of the empire conquest was far from smooth sailing. For one and a half millennia, the battles between the surface world and the reverse side seemed endless and would continue indefinitely.

For the sake of humanity's future, those who participated in the war made many sacrifices. Agravain was among them.

This Holy Grail War was merely a brief break amidst the endless conflict.