novelnext Chapter 361: Start Of Change
Chapter 361: Start Of Change
"Fuyuki city?" Arthur seemed to have recognized the place, especially so when the TV in the nearby store reported a massive gas leak that destroyed 134 buildings and claimed 500 lives on top of that.
This was the stage for the last Holy Grail war Arthur had fought in, the one war where she had almost won the Grail.
Adam noticed the change in her demeanor, there was a sense of helplessness and resignation, but also a hunger for an answer. One she wouldn't get right now.
"Grayfia, I would like for you to live in this city in the time I am away dealing with the contract."
This was the main reason he had brought her along, the reason this world's admin gave him this coordinate was to use it as an anchor point for what he would do. He needed someone related to him to stay here so he could return here and restart the loop, it would help him cut operational costs, and it would also be better for Grayfia to stay outside than to be cooped up in the library of the Wish Shop.
She looked at him, stopping her survey of the area.
"Will do, Master." She said without any questions.
"Here is the card, use it how you see fit, and don't skim on the costs. I'll contact you as soon as I am back." He said, handing her a black card and some documents he had created to smoothen anything she might need.
The time difference was something he had to keep in mind too, so he gave her enough funds to last decades even for a wastrel. The last thing he had to worry about was Grayfia's safety in this world.
"I'll be waiting, Master." Her strength had grown exponentially, and he could rely on the Administrator to see her safety to prevent any conflicts.
With that, he said goodbye to his maid. After a little detour, Adam arrived in an empty alleyway with Arthur. Now, with no one within a hundred feet of them, he started his work on the magic circle.
"This… is different." Arthur saw the lines and archaic words wrapping around her body with cold sweat. Her magic resistance did not affect this blinking magic circle, a sight she wasn't quite used to.
"It won't do you any harm, so just close your eyes." He instructed.
With a nod, Arthur closed her eyes becoming more conscious of the magic circle wrapping her. Even with closed eyes, she could see the circle, no she could only see the true extent of it now. The lines of the circle were like tendrils reaching deep into the ground, the words moved and crawled around like bugs gnawing at the leyline to power themselves.
However, her mind soon went blank. The stale air of the city, the cracked pavement underfoot, the unnatural heat lingering in the night, the faint buzz from the alleyway bulbs, the distant honking of cars—all of it faded away, one by one, replaced by something else.
A breeze from the sea, soft grasslands underfoot, the gentle warmth of the sun, the delicate flutters of butterfly wings, and the calls of farm animals. Arthur could remember it all as if it were yesterday, even though twenty years had passed.
"I am… back." Arthur took in the sight of her hometown.
Her eyes softened without her notice when she gazed at the old wooden house and stable attached to a field. There she saw the man who raised her, Sir Ector. He was in the middle of a spar with Sir Kay, her brother.
Even if they weren't related by blood, to her that didn't matter.
"So, what will you do first, Arthur?" Adam asked, standing beside her.
"Ah…!" His presence startled her a bit, before coming here she hadn't taken him out of her sight, but now that she lost her focus, he was simply untraceable. However, there was one thing she wanted to do first.
"Not Arthur… Call me Artoria, that's my name." It was the name only a few people knew, her birth name.
And above all, she wasn't the king now, so there was no need to pretend.
"Sure thing, Artoria." Adam said, but before he could speak further someone came running.
"You were here all this time Artorius! It's rare to see you trying to skip training." Kay ran over.
"A-Ah, well…" Artoria stumbled on her words, she didn't know how to handle the biggest problem. That was Adam's presence.
"Don't worry, they won't see me." He instantly reassured her with a thumbs up standing next to Kay.
It made a funny sight as Kay didn't react even when Adam tapped his shoulder for extra measure, but Artoria was too relieved to notice it. She followed Kay to the house, and with Sir Ector as the overseer, the duel with Kay started. It was proposed by him as a way to punish Artoria for trying to skip the training, and of course, was done in good faith and mischief.
The two had had numerous duels in their early years as Artoria learned from Kay as his squire. Usually, their duels ended in his victory, because of him declaring it one-sidedly. However, today was different.
"Start!"
As soon as the signal came Artoria blasted forward, even if she had lost the powers acquired over her kingship, the experience remained. Since her frame hadn't changed much, be it at 14 or 35, her senses were attuned to her current body.
Like a bolt of lightning, her sword knocked Kay Sword out of his hands. A single sweep of her leg brought him down. As she circled him before he could fall and placed her sword on his shoulder.
"Huh…" Kay could only feel the cold sword on his shoulder, his expression full of shock. He couldn't even declare himself the victor after some clashes.
"The match has ended, right?" Artoria looked at Sir Ector.
The man equally baffled, couldn't help but nod.
Artoria returned the blunt sword to the scabbard. She was about to walk away but Sir Ector stood before her.
"What's the matter, Father?"
Although she had asked that question in a neutral tone, her voice was low. A characteristic from her king days, but even if she had tried to make herself sound softer the power behind her eyes couldn't be hidden.
"N…Nothing. You've improved tremendously." He said.
"Thank you, Father." She bowed to him and walked into the house.
After watching her go, Sir Ector looked at his hand. Still shaking, he could see the sweat on the back of his palm.
'Blood indeed doesn't lie.' If he could feel the aura of a king from her before, now he witnessed it in its glory. The majesty and heart of the king, the girl had it several times more than anyone he had ever seen.
"The day is near… the end of the dark ages, is near." The old knight muttered with a smile that said a thousand words.
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300 power stones for the bonus chapter, give it fast!