(—I'm lucky. Not only was I wanted… but I am cherished this much.)
"D'Eon, Mr. Sanson, are you okay? I'm going to heal you, so stay still."
"UWAAAAAAAGH?!"
Sanson was swallowed by black mud as his treatment began. The visuals were horrific, but it was indeed healing.
"Next is d'Eon!"
"W-Wait—Hyaaaaaaah?!"
She was sucked into the mud. It was treatment. Healing that soaked into the very Saint Graph.
(Not killing someone, but fighting for someone's sake. —It's not bad.)
Her black hatred had fused with pride, turning into a pitch-black Will. It had become a bonfire that saved lives by performing "evil," a raging fire that cleared the path forward.
"—Hehe."
The smile that once held madness and desperation had softened into something gentle. The smile of a young woman.
"Great job, Jalter! You were so cool!"
Rikka—her Master—hugged her. It was an all-out expression of emotion. Jalter blushed beet red but caught her carefully, making sure she didn't get hurt.
"Well, obviously. I am your Servant, after all. —Did I…"
"Hm?"
"Did I… work hard enough to be worthy of being your Servant? That's all I'm worried about."
With her face red to her ears, she asked while looking away. It was like a large dog wagging its tail, waiting to be praised.
Of course—she was no longer the jaded mad dog of the past, but a trained war dog who followed her master's orders with absolute loyalty.
"Of course! If Mash is my shield, then you are my pride!"
"…I see. Then…"
In a voice so quiet it was almost a mumble:
"…It was worth… all the hard work…"
She whispered, wagging an invisible tail.
"Oh, so these were stolen…? I didn't know. I'm so sorry. I ate a few, but please forgive me…"
"You are forgiven. Ignorance is a sin, but I shall overlook it in light of your sincere admission of fault. Innocence and longing are fine things, indeed. Umu."
(You're totally whipped by Air too, aren't you?)
"It is part of being 'Gorgeous.' It cannot be helped."
"If you had just said so from the start—wait, what?! This isn't nearly enough! There were three tons! This is barely a tenth of that!"
"Oh, that? On the way here, we met a group of three, and I gave them some as a gift."
"Several tons?! ARE YOU AN ID-ID-IDIOT?! That's a nightmare for everyone involved! The givers and the receivers alike!"
"Which way?! Do you know which way they went?! Um, since this Marie isn't 'my' friend Marie, I'll use polite speech!"
"I believe they said they were going to offer a prayer at the beach in Marseille. You can still make it!"
"Gil! Fou!"
"Umu. It seems our next objective is clear."
(A group of three, huh… I wonder what kind of weirdos we'll run into next.)
"Thank you, Marie! Thank you for being my friend!"
"Hehe, for some reason, I feel very close to you, Gorgeous One. I wonder why? …Are you offended by my lack of etiquette?"
"I mind it not. Are we not old friends?"
"Hehe, yes♪ Stay well, Gorgeous One, and your wonderful friend!"
"Let's go, Rikka! Goldie! We're gonna talk them to death next!"
"Munch, munch."
"Don't snack! Wait for the Rare Dango! Patience!"
"Rare Dango?! Now that sounds like fun! Alright, everyone, let's go! To the new world of dango!"
"—Now, wait a moment. Nothing good comes from rushing. My two idiots have caused you trouble. Would you care for a song as an apology?"
"! You are…!"
"I am 'Amadeus Mask.' A supreme genius of music, much beloved by God. I heard a relative of mine was recently implemented, so I'm feeling a bit excited!"
"Why are you showing up now?! If you had fought with Sanson and d'Eon, you might have actually won!"
"Because you guys were clearly in the wrong. These ladies, who advocated for discussion, were much more rational than you lot who resorted to violence, don't you think?"
"Well, sorry about that, but…"
"It's my family's mess, so this one's on the house. Go ahead, request a song fitting for such a night."
"I see… then, play that 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' song."
"Gil?!" "My…!"
"Gil, what a lovely choice! Can I ask why?"
"It has become something special. To the existence known as a 'Master.'"
(—Ah, that's right.)
"Hm, very well. Rikka-kun, is that alright with you? Or if you'd prefer, you can lick my—"
"I'M BARBARIC BUT I'M NOT INDECENT!!"
"Should I burn him? Rikka, should I? Insulting you is a burning offense."
"Whoops, poked the hornet's nest. Well then, let's go! 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'! Feel free to sing along! Except you, Sanson!"
"As if I'd sing! Ah, dammit! My moment of peace has turned into a disaster…!"
And so, the performance began.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are…"
(Don't take up six minutes of screen time, okay? People will think we're crazy.)
"You really are the best when it comes to music! Everything else about you is… well, terrible, to put it mildly!"
"Mhm. Let's look up the definition of 'mild' in the dictionary later, Maria!"
"Music, huh…"
"Do you hate it, Jalter?"
"No. …I just hate having 'preconceptions.'"
"Yeah! Twinkle, twinkle, lit-tle star…"
Under a sky full of stars, the voices and the music echoed.
"—As I thought. To dismiss it as useless would be a mistake; this civilization is filled with things both diverse and delicate."
As if cherishing the formless treasures created by humanity, the King folded his arms and listened intently.
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