Alaric's calm words echoed like thunder in the boy's heart. As a product of the artificial human technology, the boy had possessed a certain degree of intelligence since birth.
Although the only desire he currently had was simply to "want to live," the meaning of living and the future after surviving were questions he could not answer.
Moreover, the boy was confused by the two choices that Alaric presented—
As if sensing the confusion in the boy's heart, Alaric continued:
"Living doesn't require any reason; it's the instinct of life. As for the meaning of life, that is something you give to it yourself as you live."
Alaric didn't have anything specific to teach the boy; he simply offered him a choice.
The boy, at this moment, was no different from Alaric during the Sixth Singularity, standing on the brink of death, with the end of life constantly pursuing them.
However, the boy had more choices.
Alaric could resolve the lifespan limitations caused by the boy's artificial body, allowing him to live as a normal human. He was also willing to acknowledge and fulfill the boy's wishes.
But this was not the only path—
If the boy chose to leave with Astolfo and personally join this grand war...
He would face numerous Heroic Spirits and meet other extraordinary beings, but in the end, the one standing in his way would not be anyone else—it would be Alaric.
If the boy attempted to seize the Greater Grail or opposed Alaric, who sought to obtain it, then he would face an insurmountable obstacle.
Despite knowing the possibility of this outcome, Alaric didn't say he would kill the boy to lighten his burden.
As Ozymandias had once said: "I acknowledge your desires."
The knight who had once relied on others to survive now, at this moment, was finally able to make a move to save others.
Time passed bit by bit, and the boy's thoughts finally reached their conclusion.
The boy tightened his grip on Astolfo's hand. Though small, it was warm.
And this action declared his choice.
"I will go with him!"
The nameless boy stared at Alaric and said:
"I want to—save my kind with my own hands!"
The boy's desire was not just for his survival. To him, the artificial beings still in the workshop were his kin, existences he could not ignore.
And with his limited intelligence, the boy was acutely aware of the predicament he faced now.
If he handed everything over to Alaric to handle, it was a reality he could not accept.
Moreover, the boy believed in what Alaric had said—that with enough power, he could decide things for himself.
Although Alaric had not provided any reasoning or explanations, the boy believed him.
Seeing this, Alaric lowered his hand and no longer stopped Astolfo from taking the boy away. He merely smiled and said:
"Then, I wish you a safe journey. We'll probably meet again soon."
The boy left with Astolfo. Under Alaric's watchful gaze, they left the castle grounds, running through the forest under the night sky.
They moved toward the boy's new future.
What lay at the end of that future, no one knew.
"Did I not explain things clearly?"
Alaric, hands in his pockets, muttered to himself as the boy left. It seemed that with the boy's departure, Alaric had lost his reason to remain at the Yggdmillennia castle.
He had already experienced the effects of Chiron's divine wisdom. While it was great, it wasn't an advanced ability that would be of much use to him.
With the idea of wandering around before obtaining the Greater Grail, Alaric followed Astolfo and the nameless boy, intending to observe how things would unfold.
Additionally—
Alaric raised his eyes slightly. Just as the Ruler Jeanne d'Arc had said, her perception could cover the entirety of Trifas. Similarly, if Alaric fully extended his senses, he could achieve the same.
The battles under the night sky were indeed magnificent, and Jeanne, as the Ruler, had also entered Alaric's range of perception.
Alaric clicked his tongue, turned his head, and started chatting with Tiamat beside him.
"By the way, can you manifest the Sea of Life now?"
...
Meanwhile, the Yggdmillennia faction declared that Astolfo had fled with the artificial boy, marking their failure in the night's battle. Gordes, accompanied by Black Saber Siegfried, set out to intercept them.
Facing Siegfried, Astolfo was utterly outmatched. While being restrained by Siegfried's silence, Astolfo could only watch as the boy was killed by Gordes, his heart shattered along with his life.
As death approached, the boy's heart held not just fear but also a tinge of regret.
"I couldn't see him again…"
Even in death, the boy still believed in Alaric's words. He simply thought he couldn't reach the future Alaric had spoken of.
With his heart destroyed, unless magic or a Noble Phantasm intervened, the boy's death seemed inevitable.
And among those present, the only magus was Gordes, who had personally killed the boy. Gordes would never attempt to save him.
"Hey! Stay with me!"
Breaking free from Siegfried, Astolfo held the dying boy in his arms, desperately calling out to him, trying to hold onto this fragile life.
Astolfo, driven purely by emotion, acted without reason. The boy's existence was proof of the Oath he had sworn.
In this second life, Astolfo could not abandon the artificial boy he had met for the first time.
Gazing at the boy with a shattered heart, Siegfried recalled his past failures—responding only to requests directed at him, stubbornly clinging to his wishes, and turning a blind eye to weak individuals before him.
This was not the kind of hero Siegfried aspired to be.
"Master, please heal him."
The silent swordsman stepped in front of the enraged Gordes. His calm words did not soothe Gordes but instead fueled his anger, as his Servant even dared to plead for this artificial being.
"Are you joking?!"
Flailing his arms, Gordes tried to justify himself, boasting of his victory and how he narrowly avoided being killed by the boy. But before he could finish, Siegfried knocked him unconscious with a single-hand chop.
This scene surprised even Astolfo, who instinctively asked:
"What are you doing?"
Although Astolfo wanted to save the boy, he had never considered Saber attacking his Master. Siegfried's actions truly shocked him.
Faced with Astolfo's confusion, Siegfried gave his answer:
"I cannot compensate.
Rather, perhaps it's because I burdened him with a fate he did not deserve. Even so... I still have a life that ought to be devoted to him."
Step. Step.
Accompanied by approaching footsteps, the tardy Ruler finally arrived—and saw it: the greatsword and armor of the Dragon-Slaying Hero dissolving into particles of light. At this moment, his body was utterly defenseless.
Splurt.
What followed was an act no one could have anticipated. The Dragon-Slaying Hero reached into his chest and tore out his heart—his Dragon Heart, a vessel containing the overwhelming power of dragon blood.
Under Astolfo's gaze, the Dragon Heart merged into the boy's body, connecting with his magic circuits. It began pumping dragon blood through his veins, strengthening his fragile frame.
The boy, whose life was slipping away, now had a renewed possibility of moving toward the future.
Seeing this unfold, Siegfried finally smiled in satisfaction and slowly backed away until he leaned against a tree trunk.
If there was anything that could save the boy now, Siegfried could think of no solution other than offering his own heart. He had nothing else to give.
"Sacrificing yourself to save others..."
Even Jeanne d'Arc couldn't help but feel shaken by the sight of such selflessness. She asked, "Why would you do something like this?"
"I'm not trying to fulfill anyone else's wishes. I want to fulfill my own."
Leaning against the tree trunk, Siegfried's lips curled into a faint smile.
Not long ago, when his Master Gordes had summoned him, Gordes had asked Siegfried about his wish. At the time, Siegfried could only respond that he had no particular wish.
But now, Siegfried could stand tall and declare his only desire.
"Though this desire may be greedy and shallow, I cannot let it go. Just once, I want to save someone with my own will—and take pride in it. Even if no one prays to me, even if no one asks for my help, I've always wanted to do this."
This was the sole wish of the hero Siegfried, who had always acted to fulfill the wishes of others.
With this thought, Siegfried turned to Jeanne and said, "Ruler, though it may not be my place to ask, please grant that boy his freedom. I beg you."
What the boy's fate would be after receiving his heart, Siegfried couldn't be certain.
But he sincerely hoped—the boy could live a normal life.
Before fading away, Siegfried looked at Astolfo, who was holding the boy and said, "Rider, please apologize to my Master for me. Tell him I was not suited to be his Servant."
Before he could finish his words, Siegfried, who had lost his spiritual core, reached the end of his second life and dissolved into particles of light.
"I swear I'll do my best—"
After witnessing Siegfried's death and pausing in silence for a moment, Jeanne decided to grant his request. But—
"You've accomplished nothing."
A voice interrupted Jeanne, sharp and impatient, as Alaric emerged from the shadows. His words carried a tone of irritation:
"If you're going to act as Ruler, then act like one. His freedom has nothing to do with your choices."
Having observed everything, Alaric was clearly out of patience, especially after Jeanne decided to intervene.
Siegfried's resolve had earned Alaric's respect. Though he would lose a potential sparring partner because of it, Alaric did not regret Siegfried's decision.
At the very least, the boy had obtained the strength he needed. Jeanne's interference, however, was untimely and unnecessary.
"!"
Jeanne, who had long been aware of Alaric's presence, immediately tensed at his words.
It wasn't just the mystery surrounding Alaric that unsettled her; it was also the criticism embedded in his tone.
"My actions do not violate the rules of this Holy Grail War. The boy is not a participant in the war. As the Ruler, I am simply protecting an outsider. There is nothing improper about that!" Jeanne declared.
"He's not an outsider. His wish has already surfaced."
Alaric stared intently at the artificial boy, who was now glowing faintly. The boy was in the process of fully fusing with Siegfried's Dragon Heart. During this process, the dragon's blood would transform his body, strengthening it and pulling him back from the brink of death.
Though similar to the enhancements Alaric himself had received from the Lion King's dragon blood, the boy's transformation was far less potent in comparison.
Once the boy fully fused with the Dragon Heart, it would not grant him immense power but would merely pull him back from the edge of death, erasing the short-lived nature of his artificial body and allowing him to live as a normal human.
But the power Alaric referred to was akin to self-annihilation—the transformation of oneself toward becoming a dragon.
"What does that mean?"
Unwilling to abandon her promise, Jeanne stepped between the boy and Alaric, her solemn expression demanding an explanation.
"Is it so hard to understand?"
Hands still stuffed in his pockets, Alaric raised an eyebrow and stared at the saint:
"Is it because of your host body, or were you always like this? Why do you become so sentimental every time you see a beautiful boy?"
"Let me put it simply: the boy has his wish. You cannot deny his decision."
Alaric's steps brought him closer, standing face-to-face with Jeanne.
The saint, standing at a mere 159 centimeters, had to tilt her head to meet Alaric's gaze. But in doing so, her aura of authority inevitably diminished.
"He has already made his choice. I will not allow anyone else to interfere."
Alaric's words carried an undeniable will, leaving Jeanne momentarily stunned.
This moment of disbelief didn't last long, however, as the atmosphere of tension was broken by the boy awakening from the brink of death behind them.