Chapter 4

Leaving the house, I felt something on my head, and before I had time to say anything, I heard a sound.

"Fou, Fou." It was a small animal that looked like a mix between a rabbit and a fox. It had a furry body, white in color, with purple eyes that were large and bright. It still had its large pointed ears and a fluffy, furry tail.

"Fou! I told you not to leave!" Mash said to the creature on my head. Fou looked at Mash, then at me, and remained still.

"I think he likes you," Ritsuka said, a little impressed by how quickly Fou had gotten used to Dante. She remembered that Fou had taken a liking to her too.

"Lancer, he won't do anything," I said to Altria, who was looking closely at Fou.

Altria looked at Fou again and, seeing that he posed no threat, relaxed a bit. "I see. It's good to know he's harmless."

Although she said that, I knew she hadn't really relaxed. She was still quite alert.

"Shall we go, then?" I asked the others. Olga took the lead, bravely stepping forward without any servant.

We walked to a bridge, and several parts underneath were on fire. Fou had not left my head since we left the house.

As we approached the bridge, I could smell the strong smoke and hear the sound of the flames crackling. I looked around and saw that several parts of the bridge were on fire, making it difficult to pass.

That was when Fou started to move on my head, probably bothered by the strong smell. He jumped onto Ritsuka's shoulder and stayed there, watching everything around him with his bright and curious eyes. It didn't make much sense, though. Even on her shoulder, he wouldn't be able to avoid the smell of smoke. That crazy creature.

Mash looked at the bridge with concern. "We'll have to pass through those flames, but the danger is the enemies."

Ritsuka nodded. "Yes, we need to be careful. They might be nearby."

Meanwhile, Altria remained alert to any suspicious movements, ready to protect her master at any moment.

"Hey, Ritsuka, I haven't forgotten, you know?" Olga, who had been silent, spoke, looking at Ritsuka, who wondered what she was talking about.

"I don't think the master remembers what happened, Director," Mash began with a bitter smile, remembering that he had fallen asleep during the lecture the Director was giving at Chaldea.

"You... changing the subject. Mash, can you use the noble phantom of the servant you fused with?" Olga asked hopefully, uncomfortable with depending on an unknown master.

"No, Director. He didn't tell me his name when he ended up being fused with me. I have to find out," Mash said, a little disappointed with herself, even though it wasn't her fault.

"Ritsuka, you have to help Mash. As her master, you can help her unlock her full potential!" Olga exclaimed to Ritsuka, who quickly straightened up.

"Don't worry, Director. I'll do my best," Ritsuka said.

With renewed confidence, Ritsuka and the others began to devise a plan to cross the bridge and face any possible enemies that might be nearby. Mash prepared to take action, confident in her ability to protect Ritsuka, while Altria remained alert, ready to face any threat.

Fou was still on Ritsuka's shoulder, observing everything with his curious and bright eyes. He seemed to be enjoying the adventure, even though he was bothered by the strong smell of smoke.

As they prepared to cross the bridge, Ritsuka remembered Olga's question about Mash's fused Noble Phantasm servant. She wondered if she could help Mash discover the name of the servant and unlock their full potential.

Determined to assist her friend and ally, Ritsuka promised Olga that she would do her best to help Mash reach her maximum potential.

"Someone seems quite motivated," I spoke, standing near the water, leaning against an iron barrier, with Altria as always by my side.

"Yes," Altria replied in her cold voice. I looked at her, mounted on her horse, and wondered if she missed her life in Camelot.

I had nothing to do but wait for them to finish talking. I think I'll take a look at Altria's stats. I won't find anything new, but there's no harm in taking a look, right?

[Name: Altria Pendragon (Alter) - Lancer

Height/Weight: 171cm, 57kg?

Origin: Legend of King Arthur

Region: Europe

Affiliation: Lawful-Good

Gender: Female

Attributes:

Strength: A

Agility: C

Endurance: A+

Mana: A+

Luck: D

NP: A++

Active Skills:

Charisma E (+)

Protection of World's End A

Mana Burst A+

Passive Skills:

Riding Skill A

Magic Resistance B

Noble Phantasm: Rhongomyniad Anti-Fortress EX]

Oops, there's something different here. There wasn't a (+) sign before. Can I increase her skills using Saint Quartz?

I'm excited. If Altria becomes stronger, our survival chances increase. For now, it's pretty easy, but I'm sure when we start facing the other servants or even beasts, we'll need to be as strong as possible.

Excited, I clicked on the (+).

[FIVE SAINT QUARTZ ARE BEING ABSORBED TO IMPROVE THE SKILL {Charisma E} ---> {Charisma D}

{Charisma D: Increases the confidence of those under her command, as well as subtly enhancing their physical abilities.}

"Did you feel anything different?" I asked Altria, who furrowed her brow. She looked at me, and I couldn't see her face because of her helmet, but I'm sure she had a surprised expression.

"How did you do that? I feel like one of my skills is stronger," Altria responded, her voice cold but now accompanied by a surprised tone.