"Hm?"
At this moment, Darnic noticed that the Shogun, still standing upright, had slightly furrowed her brows.
"Why do you not kneel before my king as a vow?!"
By his side was Vlad, his Servant. From the moment of Vlad's initial summoning, Darnic had adopted the posture of a vassal to flatter him and earn his favor. After all, as a Lancer, Vlad was one of the Black Faction's most precious assets. If such incidents soured his mood and delayed important matters, it would be disastrous.
Although he held the Command Spells as a last resort, there were only three. Unless absolutely necessary, he would never use them! Thus, keeping the Servant in good spirits was the truly wise course.
"?"
Hearing Darnic's questioning tone, the Shogun slowly turned her violet, oppressive gaze upon the man and the Vlad at his side.
"…That gaze… what do you mean by it?"
At that moment, Vlad also met her eyes, his own carrying an equally oppressive pressure as he stared her down.
"…Um… Uncle—!"
Sensing the tension, Fiore grew uneasy. She did not wish for her Servant to come into conflict with the others. She hurriedly tried to wheel herself forward to explain on the Shogun's behalf, but before she could—
The Shogun spoke first.
"The God of Thunder… does not kneel to the mortal world."
Even for the sake of national custom, such a principle could not be broken. This was not only the Shogun's belief, but also Ei's. Her words came calmly, her face still as cold, beautiful, and authoritative as ever.
"!"
Hearing this, Fiore's heart sank… She understood the Shogun's meaning, but others might not.
"Should I take these words as insolence? The Black Faction does not tolerate rebellion!"
Darnic's face grew dark with anger, his tone sharp and condemning.
"This vessel… merely states the truth. That you would call such truth insolence and rebellion…"
The Shogun's tone carried a faint trace of mockery.
"…Only proves that you lack the capacity for greatness, and are foolish enough to invite ridicule."
"You!!"
Darnic, unable to contain himself, ground his teeth and pointed at her in fury.
The atmosphere in the hall grew tense. The other Servants and Masters all turned their gazes toward the Shogun, Darnic, and the silent Vlad, who had yet to speak.
"Sister…"
Caules worried for his sister, afraid her Servant might drag her into trouble.
But Fiore herself was not particularly flustered. In fact, she remained calm. She did not command the Shogun to kneel, but silently stood by her Servant's side. From the instant the Shogun had appeared before her, Fiore knew she belonged to her faction. In this situation, she would instinctively support her own Servant.
Crack…
The hall's lights flickered on. The grand chandelier on the ceiling lit up with warm, white light, dispersing the suffocating tension.
"Is that so… this is your path as a hero? You claimed yourself the God of Thunder, did you not? Then as a god, what need is there to kneel to us mortals, Darnic?"
Vlad's gaze shifted in that instant, softening with warmth that matched the hall's light.
"But… my king…"
"Enough~! Perhaps this is the very charm of the Holy Grail War—the clash of heroes' ideals. Do you not agree, Darnic?"
"Ah… yes."
Darnic could only bow his head in reluctant agreement.
With Vlad's words, the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. Their expressions eased.
"Phew…"
Caules let out a heartfelt breath, and so too did Fiore at the Shogun's side.
Several of the other Servants, meanwhile, cast looks of approval and admiration toward the beautiful, violet-haired woman before them.
"…"
The Shogun's face remained expressionless. To be truthful, she was still somewhat bewildered. Though she had been informed of the Holy Grail War's rules and its worldview, to suddenly arrive here like this was disorienting. Only a moment ago, she had been within that mysterious passageway.
[Do not look at me… I am just as confused.]
Ei interjected suddenly.
'I did not intend to ask you.'
[Really? Yet in the next moment you were about to call for me?]
'A mere illusion.'
[Shogun, denying your own heart… that is not a good habit.]
"Alright! Everyone, attention~?!"
A lively, somewhat playful androgynous voice drew everyone's attention. It was the same effeminate youth from before—now clapping his hands, striking girlish poses as all eyes turned toward him.
"..." ×N
"Huh?"
The burly Gordes turned in confusion to stare at him, as did the other Masters and Servants present—including the Shogun and Fiore at her side.
[Is this person also a hero? Why does he appear so strange?]
Ei wondered.
'Likely just his personal affectation.'
The Shogun replied calmly.
The youth continued to chatter.
"Since we're already comrades now, right~? So, so! I think it'd be way more efficient if we all revealed our true names, don't you~?!"
Bouncing on his feet, he hopped about before them, his speech and gestures exaggeratedly feminine—brimming with energy like a lively maiden. The Shogun could not fathom how one could be so practiced in such behavior. In Inazuma, this person would surely have been dealt with by the Shogunate without hesitation.
"Then~ my name is Astolfo! One of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins! My class is Rider~! Pleased to meet you all~? Hehehe (^_-)!"
Tap tap…
After his cheerful self-introduction, he skipped merrily over to the brown-haired young man, leaning close to his face.
"And you~?"
He asked brightly.
The man leaned back slightly, glancing toward his Master, Gordes.
"Do not speak, Archer! You must not reveal your true name."
Gordes immediately cut in, stepping forward.
"Understood."
Archer nodded in agreement.
"Eh~? Tell us, pleeease~!"
Astolfo's tone shifted into a coquettish whine, enough to make the silent Shogun's skin prickle with goosebumps.
"…My apologies."
Archer simply smiled politely and refused.
At this, Rider's Master, Celenike, voiced her displeasure.
"Didn't we agree to reveal our true names? Why back out now?"
She sneered, pushing up the glasses at her nose.
"I rescind that. The fewer who know our true names, the better. For safety's sake."
In this matter, Gordes was uncharacteristically prudent. He shared his reasoning openly, especially given Rider's loose tongue and inability to keep secrets.
After finishing, Gordes turned his gaze toward Fiore…
"…Uncle Darnic?"
Fiore, catching her uncle's look, softly appealed to him for a decision.
"…"
Darnic met Gordes' eyes. After a pause, he answered.
"Very well. If you are willing to take responsibility, Gordes, then I permit it."
"Of course!"
Gordes answered with a confident smile.
"…"
But the Shogun's concern was not these trivial exchanges. Instead, her violet eyes fell upon the girl named Fiore—her body in a wheelchair. The rules stated each Holy Grail War was fought with a Master and Servant paired together. From what she had seen, this girl was indeed her Master.
Seated in that device… did it mean her legs suffered an affliction?
So be it. Such private matters were best left unspoken—for every mortal bore their own burdens.
Fiore seemed to sense the Shogun's gaze. Her expression faltered for a moment, then her cheeks flushed faintly. A heartbeat later, she looked back at her Servant and returned the gaze—with a smile, gentle yet tinged with shyness.
"…"
Seeing that tender smile, that hint of shy warmth, the Shogun could not help but recall another girl's face. The young lady of the Yashiro Commission had, on occasion, smiled at her in much the same way.