That's right, Chiron, being the Great Sage, couldn't possibly be unaware of Fiore's condition. But precisely because he was aware, he was helpless. Fiore's ailment wasn't a disease; it was a talent. This was the pressure exerted on the body by an overly excellent talent, for the human body was simply too frail. Chiron also knew that merely strengthening Fiore's body would suffice, but this was no longer the Age of Gods. Many of the ingredients required for the recipes he knew could no longer be found.
And this was the key.
"Is there no way then?"
...
"Perhaps there's another possibility." Sensing his archery stepping into the divine realm, Shirou looked at Chiron, who had taught him the skill, and slowly spoke after some thought.
After diagnosing Fiore's condition, Chiron wasn't troubled by Shirou not being able to help. After all, it was a slim hope to begin with. Afterwards, he asked Shirou what he wanted to learn. Just as he said, even if Shirou couldn't cure Fiore, he would impart the
knowledge he desired.
"I want to learn archery!" As a natural archery prodigy, Shirou's archery continuously grew through self-discovery. Especially in Orario, constant practical experience led his swordsmanship to rapidly advance, reaching a superhuman realm. Even then, he was only a step away from the divine realm. But it was this one step that he had been unable to cross. The gap between superhuman and divine had hindered the progress of countless heroes.
Even Heroic Spirits as strong as Siegfried only had superhuman swordsmanship. But as an archery prodigy, Shirou believed that he would eventually overcome this obstacle and reach a higher domain. However, that would take a long time, and countless accumulated experiences would offer only a tiny possibility.
But now, he desperately needed this skill. In his fight against Atalanta, due to the difference in archery, he was constantly suppressed. This made it very clear to him: when fighting these mythological figures, if he didn't have the corresponding skills, he would always be at a disadvantage.
And beyond that, more importantly, was Chiron's existence. As a world-renowned Great Sage and mentor of heroes, Chiron possessed a skill called Divinity's Wisdom. Divinity's Wisdom refers to the various wisdoms bestowed by the gods of Greek mythology, functioning as a sage. Aside from a hero's unique skills, almost all skills (limited to the ancient Greek domain) could be demonstrated with B~A rank proficiency.
Furthermore, if the Master agreed, skills could also be granted to other Servants. With him, Shirou might be able to cross this barrier and reach an even more
profound domain.
What happened next was exactly as Shirou had anticipated. After a full day of instruction, under Chiron's tutelage, this archery prodigy finally broke through the superhuman limit and stepped into the divine realm. It was for this reason that, at this moment, he excitedly blurted out his conjecture.
"You mean there are other methods?"
"Not other methods, but other possibilities to strengthen Fiore's body."
"But it's just a possibility; I'll need to level up to see if it's feasible."
"I see!" Looking at the setting sun, Chiron quietly said, "Then I'll leave it to you, Shirou!"
"Don't worry, Teacher Chiron!"
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Evening arrived, the sky gradually darkening. Though not completely dark, night was not far off. In the church courtyard, Jeanne, who was staying there, was helping clean up. Having been busy all day, she was sweeping the ground.
"Day has ended, night is coming. I wonder if Red and
Black will clash tonight."
"Yo, Jeanne, good evening!"
"Eh?" Hearing the voice from behind, Jeanne quickly looked back. Shirou, whom she had shared a ride with, was standing behind her, greeting her.
"Eh. Assassin, why are you here?"
"It's normal for me to be anywhere. As for you, could you please not call me Assassin? Just call me Shirou!"
"Can I call your True Name?"
"Of course, it's fine. Anyway, no one here knows me."
Spreading his hands in a helpless gesture, Shirou said with a chuckle.
The sky was darkening, and night was approaching.
Shirou, whose archery had entered the divine realm, naturally came to Trifas city, waiting for darkness to fall. When that happened, it would be his duel with Mordred. Tonight, only one of them would leave alive.
But it was still early, and with nothing to do, Shirou naturally came to the church in Trifas to catch up with Jeanne. Although they weren't that close. But isn't a relationship built through conversation?
"Shirou?"
"That's right! Just call me that." Shirou replied with a smile, then said, "But you didn't even notice my presence until I was close. Were you working that diligently?" As the Arbiter of the Holy Grail War, Jeanne possessed the ability to detect Heroic Spirits within a ten-kilometer radius. But that wasn't a passive skill; it required active activation.
Just like when she faced Karna, she didn't realize his presence until Siegfried approached. And Shirou, due to having a physical body, had an even fainter Servant presence. So much so that he had walked behind Jeanne, and she hadn't noticed his presence. One could only say it lived up to its name, Presence Concealment.
"Of course. Since I'm staying here, I naturally have to contribute my labor."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't even be able to eat the food here in peace."
"Besides, I believe you mages will cease fighting during the day." Facing Shirou's question, Jeanne calmly replied.
"I see! That's true, mages generally do cease fighting during the day." After all, magic itself is something that cannot be exposed. Daytime battles could easily lead to many ordinary people witnessing them, which would undoubtedly violate the rules of the magecraft world.
Ultimately, the duel between Red and Black was to gain influence in the magecraft world. Unless absolutely necessary, no one would do such a thing.
"I see, it seems you haven't eaten yet, Jeanne! How about
I treat you to dinner?"
"Treat me to dinner? Why?" Facing Jeanne's question, Shirou smiled and said, "If you ask why, I can only say that I'll have a big battle tonight, so how about I bribe
the judge first?"
"Huh?"
________________________________________
In a certain restaurant in Trifas. Shirou was enjoying the local cuisine. Although he was a skilled cook himself, he specialized in Japanese and Chinese cuisine. He wasn't very proficient in foreign dishes. Therefore, he savored the local delicacies with an appreciative attitude. And at this moment, sitting opposite him, was our judge, Miss Jeanne.
"So, you're fighting Red Saber tonight?" Ignoring Shirou's
talk of bribing the judge, as it was merely a joke from Shirou. To invite her, Shirou used the excuse of "an invitation from a former traveling companion, unrelated to the Holy Grail War," which convinced her to come.
"That's right, tonight, only one of us will leave alive!"
"Is that so? You're leaving then!"
"Pfft!" Hearing Jeanne's response, Shirou, who was savoring red wine, immediately spat it out.
"Why is it always me who has to die?"
"The opponent is a Saber, the strongest class. And you are an Assassin, the weakest class."
"There's simply no comparison!"
"So should I say, I'll defeat his strongest with my weakest!" After a brief retort, Shirou seriously said, "The final victor will definitely be me!"
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