After the banquet wrapped up, Shichen and Saber didn't stick around—they were the first to leave.
Rider and Archer obviously weren't going to hang out together either, so they went their own ways.
It was the Holy Grail War, enemies by definition, yet somehow no fight broke out in the end.
Well, Assassin did end up dead.
That made three Servants gone now—starting with Lancer, who was eliminated right at the beginning, and the scum-of-the-earth Caster.
Two factions were completely out since their Masters had died as well.
Assassin's Master, though, could still be trouble. There was always the chance he'd land another Servant.
Shichen didn't care. Even if the guy did, it'd just be stolen from someone else, so the number of enemies wouldn't actually go up.
After all, if the original Master was still alive, no one could have taken their Servant in the first place.
And honestly, no matter what Servant it was, Shichen wasn't worried. Right now, he was more concerned about Saber.
"Saber, you okay?" he asked, noticing how she'd been quiet and distracted since they left the garden.
She didn't answer, didn't even react, as if she hadn't heard him.
He was holding her hand, yet she gave no response. Her hand was small, delicate, with no calluses from years of fighting or holding a sword.
Still, he wasn't exactly in the mood to admire it.
"Saber," he called again, louder.
"…Hm? Shichen, what is it?" She finally blinked and looked at him.
"You sure you're alright?"
"I…" She opened her mouth but couldn't seem to find the words. She knew what he was asking but didn't know how to answer.
"Look at me."
He stopped, let go of her hand, and held her slender shoulders so she was facing him.
"Shichen…"
"Saber, you're my Servant. I'm your Master. That means you're mine. Whatever's on your mind, I want you to tell me," he said, almost like an order.
"…I'm not yours," she murmured.
"Isn't that what being a Servant means?" He smiled slightly.
"We're just… partners."
"What? After all this time, we're still just partners?" He looked almost hurt.
"…At most, friends."
"Only friends?"
"What do you want us to be?"
"How about family?" he asked without missing a beat.
"…Family?"
She repeated the word softly, letting the meaning sink in. She realized she'd never really had something like that.
"Yes. Me, Iri, Frieren, Illya—we're all your family," he said with a warm smile.
"…Family…" she echoed, a little dazed.
"Meeting is fate. If the Grail War brought us together, why not appreciate it? The Grail isn't everything." He gently cupped her cheek with one hand.
"But I… I have a wish I want to see through," she said, meeting his eyes.
"I know. Every Master and Servant does. But that's not what I mean right now."
"What do you mean?"
"Before we win the Grail, can't we enjoy the journey? See the beauty of this era, notice what makes it different? The wish is just the destination."
"…A journey? You really think of it like that?" She seemed surprised—she'd never thought of the Grail War that way before.
"Yeah," he said with a nod. "Meeting you has been amazing. If I had the choice, I wouldn't let anything else get in the way. I just want to spend this journey with you."
"…Shichen…" Her gaze softened, catching the light.
"So, tell me what's on your mind. I want to think it through with you."
"…Alright." She nodded, as if coming to a decision. "Honestly, I've been thinking about what Rider said."
"I figured."
He shook his head, let go of her shoulders, and took her hand again, holding it firmly as they walked.
This time, she noticed their fingers were intertwined. She gave a small tug, but he didn't let go, and when she looked up, he acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. It made her want to laugh.
Forget it—she let him hold her hand. For some reason, she didn't mind at all. Maybe she did need someone beside her. And really, who else would it be but the one who had been with her the whole time, protecting her?
"You really don't need to take Rider's words to heart," Shichen said.
"Why not?"
"It's simple—everyone's different. Everyone has their own thoughts. That's what makes people interesting. Rider may be a king like you, but he's still him, and you're still you. The paths you choose will never be the same."
"But… his path is right, and mine is wrong…" She lowered her gaze.
"Why would you think that?"
"You saw it—his people, his warriors, follow him even in death, even as Heroic Spirits. And me…"
"And?" he prompted.
"…?" She looked at him, unsure.
"Rider's path wasn't necessarily right. If it was, his kingdom wouldn't have fallen either," Shichen said, shaking his head.
"But as a king… his way must have been right," she insisted.
"Saber, why are you agreeing with him so much?" he asked.
"Because I… My knights once told me…"
"They said you don't understand people?" he guessed.
Her eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"Because that's the only thing you've been stuck on," he sighed.
"How could I not be? That one sentence started the fall of my kingdom."
"How could you not understand people?" he countered, ruffling her hair.
Her ahoge swayed between his fingers. He remembered it was supposed to be the king's pride—untouchable—but he'd already touched it several times.
"Maybe… I really don't," she said quietly.
"Idiot." He flicked her forehead, hard.
"Ow…" She frowned.
"Of course you understand people," he said firmly.
She'd always believed a king couldn't rule with too much mercy or hesitation. On the throne, she never showed sadness. Her decisions were precise, her punishments unbiased—like a perfectly balanced scale, calculating every gain and loss.
It was that cold decisiveness that made her knights fear her.
But Shichen didn't think she was wrong. She had no one to lean on, no one who truly understood her. Her knights couldn't share her burdens—they made them heavier, until civil war destroyed everything.
The so-called Knights of the Round Table? In his eyes, overrated.
"Then why did Tristan say that?" Saber asked quietly.
"I don't care why," Shichen said flatly.
"…?" She blinked at him.
"Maybe he didn't understand you—that's why he said you didn't understand people."
"What?"
"If they didn't understand your situation, how could they understand your choices?"
"But… a king shouldn't need their subjects to understand—"
"Really? If they don't understand you, how can they trust you more?"
"Being king is enough."
"And then the kingdom fell?"
"…!"
"So it's not you who was wrong—it's your knights for not understanding you."
"That's not…"
"Enough. Stop defending them. You know their foolishness doomed the country."
"…!" She had no comeback.
"Just listen to me—it wasn't your fault. Don't regret what happened."
"How can I not…" She shook her head.
"I'm your Master. My word's final. If you don't listen, I'll use a Command Seal."
"You can't waste a Command Seal on something like that!" she protested.
"Then just listen."
"…Fine."
"Alright, let's head back. Iri and the others will be worried." Without waiting for her reply, he led her back to the hotel.
He knew she wouldn't be convinced so easily—but the past was the past. It didn't matter anymore.
All he wanted was for her to say it out loud. Some burdens get lighter just by being shared.
~~~
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