I'm not, I don't have it, don't make wild guesses.
The three phrases of denial almost subconsciously tumbled out of the Servant Aslan's mouth. After all, whenever the Sword in the Stone was mentioned, this had become his subconscious reaction. The Servant Aslan looked at his little sister beside him, his eyes widening slightly. If he remembered correctly, Artoria's purpose in participating in the Holy Grail War was to change the outcome of the king's selection. Because she had led Britain to ruin, she wanted to go back to the past and have herself give up on becoming the King of Great Britain, instead choosing a king who would be more outstanding than her, one who could make Great Britain a better place.
So, the reason his little sister was asking him this... could it be that she had set her sights on him? Perhaps in the eyes of the golden-haired girl before him, he, the other one chosen by the Sword of Selection who had not ascended the throne, was the number one choice at present. Whether in terms of strength or other aspects, he was no weaker than King Arthur.
What's more, in the battle to subjugate his cheap old dad, he had indeed won the hearts of some people when he provided support. Even after he left Great Britain, there were still many people who were concerned about his safety and whereabouts. Artoria surely knew of these things. This meant that this cousin of his understood that he had the ways and means to win the hearts of the people. And now, he had been summoned as a part of the Arthurian legend that had been mixed up, descending upon this world at the same time as his cheap cousin was summoned. This, in a way, showed that his actions had, at least by many unknown people, been attributed to King Arthur. In other words, the masses had acknowledged that some of his deeds were things only a king should do.
If Artoria were to look into these matters deeply, could it be that her wish would become to first push him onto the throne of Great Britain and see what happens?
NO!!
Becoming a king is too much trouble, absolutely not! May the Fourth Holy Grail War pass quickly, and may the Fifth Holy Grail War arrive soon, so that his cheap cousin can find peace!
"But brother Aslan, in the end, you still took the Golden Sword of Assured Victory with you, didn't you? That holy sword has always wanted to be by your side, Brother Aslan. This also means that the Golden Sword of Assured Victory perhaps recognizes your way of the king more."
Aslan listened to the words of the golden-haired girl before him, his expression changing again and again. Please, stop talking. And stop calling me brother. To use such an intimate form of address to get closer to him... he was truly a little scared. What if, the first moment the Holy Grail appeared, Artoria rushed up and said, "Please let my brother, Aslan Pendragon, ascend the throne!"
At that point, if a new Type-Moon parallel world were to open up directly, that would be troublesome. He had no desire, after having enjoyed the various conveniences and beauties of the modern era, to have his consciousness thrown back into that distant past. Most importantly, who knew if Melusine even existed in a parallel world...
"Well... it's all in the past now. But you still can't let it go, can you?"
Upon hearing Aslan's words, the golden-haired girl stopped in her tracks, her eyes cast down. She had, after all, been the king of Great Britain for 10 years. Whether she was respected by the people, loved the people, or was hated by the people, she had always hoped that that land could become a better place. How could she let go so easily?
If it could be easily let go, it wouldn't be an obsession. If she had no obsession, how could she have signed a contract with Alaya before returning to tranquility, becoming a Heroic Spirit in pursuit of the Holy Grail?
Artoria sometimes truly envied this brother of hers. At least Aslan, in his long life, probably didn't have any particular obsessions. This meant that at least in his brother's eyes, his life was complete. Perhaps it was precisely because he acted as he pleased that he never had any regrets.
"Listen, Artoria, none of this is your fault. All of this is because of Merlin. So if you're going to blame someone, blame Merlin. After all, the one who guided you and taught you the way of the king all along was that old bastard, wasn't it? So when you see that old bastard, just beat him up fiercely. You've really done well enough."
Artoria looked at her own palm, then sighed. Perhaps.
---
In the reception hall, Irisviel had already prepared the black tea and had even had the other homunculi bring over some pastries. Although she didn't know what kind of existence the Throne of Heroes was, it surely wasn't a very happy and relaxing place. Therefore, she wanted the two summoned Servants to relax as much as possible.
"Saber~ Hmm... and... may I call you Mr. Aslan directly? After all, in a Holy Grail War, once a name is exposed, one's weaknesses will always be exploited."
Irisviel's expression was a little melancholic. She was clearly very knowledgeable about the Holy Grail War. But that was also very normal, wasn't it? They were participants in the Holy Grail War, and on the other hand, also the creators of the Holy Grail. And they had already failed three times. This had naturally allowed them to summarize many points of caution in the Holy Grail War.
Aslan waved his hand. "No matter. I am an existence that was summoned as an add-on anyway. It would be better to put me in the open and let Artoria hide for the time being. I imagine Kiritsugu would also choose this way, right? After all, if something happens to me, Artoria, as the main body, will not be affected in the slightest. On the contrary, if something happens to Artoria, I will disappear along with her."
Aslan narrowed his eyes, a hint of calculation in them. "What's more, if I, as the bonus prize, really have an 'accident,' perhaps it would be a good thing for Kiritsugu's entire plan. Who would have thought that the Knight of the Sword who had made their exit was actually not the real Knight of the Sword? As long as I am treated as the Servant you summoned, and then make my exit, the true Saber will be perfectly hidden."
This was far more realistic than Hassan of the Hundred Faces sacrificing a single body.
Artoria said nothing. If they were really to carry out such a plan, she understood. Of course, from an emotional standpoint, she naturally did not wish for Aslan to be sacrificed in front of her. But since it was a war, there would be conspiracies and open schemes.
"Aslan, how much of your strength do you still retain? Can you survive until the end while acting as the decoy?"
The Servant Aslan looked at his own palm and sighed with some helplessness. "My three EX-rank Noble Phantasms didn't come with me. From my current state, I'd say I've retained about 1/6th of my power. But rest assured. When I get serious, the current me is no weaker than you."