"Lancelot... He truly was a noble Knight to the very end."
Even Lancelot, after taking the full brunt of Guinevere's Noble Phantasm Release, only managed to hold on for a little while longer—just long enough to leave his last words.
When Guinevere and the others had finished clearing out the surrounding Enforcement Knights and followed his final instructions to a specific location in the desert, they found a large group of elderly, weak, women, and children.
Previously, Lancelot had been a guerrilla Knight tasked with eliminating resistance fighters. But it seemed he had only killed those who actively fought back, refusing to carry out the Lion King's extermination order.
"Mr. Tawara Touta, we'll need to trouble you to use your Noble Phantasm again."
"Miss Ruler, you're too kind. This servant of the banquet loves nothing more than sharing a lively meal with everyone."
[Inexhaustible Bale]—in this Singularity, where the world was nearing its end, this Noble Phantasm was arguably more valuable than any Holy Lance or Holy Sword.
It was thanks to this artifact that the Singularity could sustain its current population.
Guinevere, Mash, Ritsuka, Tawara Touta, and numerous Hassans were now busy working in the refugee camp.
Watching the swirling sandstorms that seemed to conceal the camp and the Sphinxes patrolling the perimeter, Guinevere wondered when Lancelot had managed to connect with the Sun King. She felt she owed the Sun King yet another debt of gratitude.
"Ritsuka, can you contact Da Vinci-chan? Didn't she go to the Sun King's temple? Why hasn't she returned yet?"
They had defeated Lancelot around 3 PM. Da Vinci-chan had left for the Sun King's territory at 11 AM.
By the time everyone arrived at the refugee camp, it was already 7 PM. After being gone for so long, they should have heard from Da Vinci-chan by now.
"Aha! Did Miss Ruler miss me?"
Another vehicle arrived, laden with fruits and vegetables, carrying a boisterous Da Vinci-chan. In the passenger seat, the lightly dressed Nitocris was covering her ears with both hands.
Nitocris's arrival, and the fact that she seemed to already know about this place, confirmed for Guinevere that Lancelot had indeed been in contact with the Sun King.
Smiling, Guinevere patted Mash's shoulder. Seeing Mash's own smile of relief, she knew Lancelot had managed to redeem himself somewhat in her "daughter's" eyes.
"Da Vinci-chan, did you bring all these gifts because the Sun King has forgiven us for skipping the banquet? Will he help us in the final battle? And what about this Singularity's Holy Grail?"
As Guinevere patted Mash's shoulder, Ritsuka had already rushed forward. She called for the Hassans to help unload the supplies while peppering Da Vinci-chan with questions.
But Da Vinci-chan's face immediately fell, and she glanced at Nitocris, who seemed hesitant to meet Ritsuka's gaze.
"Never mind, I'll explain," Da Vinci-chan said. "The Sun King was furious that you didn't attend the banquet. So he had me pack up all the food prepared for the feast and bring it back."
"Nitocris-chan is coming over. The Sun King demanded that we evacuate the refugees immediately. If we don't, he'll have her send every last refugee who overstays in the desert to the Underworld."
Da Vinci-chan only answered the first of Ritsuka's barrage of questions, but once that was answered, the rest became unnecessary.
If that was the Sun King's stance, then they would have to conquer his territory before dealing with the Lion King.
Chaldea's ultimate mission was to retrieve the King of Magecraft's Holy Grail that had fallen into this Singularity and then restore the distorted Foundation of Human Order.
The former concerned the Sun King, the latter the Lion King. Only in this Singularity were these two objectives located in separate places—at least for now.
"Ruler, are you saying we should conquer the Sun King's territory before the Lion King's? His current order is harsh, but Mash and I have met him before. I believe he's still someone we can cooperate with. The Holy Grail is useless to him, and he doesn't seem to care much about it."
Inside the small tent, Guinevere, Mash, Ritsuka, and the others gathered. Even Nitocris had been allowed in, though she was currently locked in a staring contest with Serenity.
Ritsuka Fujimaru—truly Chaldea's succubus, the most "sinful" woman in human history.
"Listen, Ritsuka," Guinevere said, "you all can figure out what to do about the Sun King. For now, I need to focus on storing mana in the Holy Sword to prepare for the final battle.
"Besides, haven't you already made your judgment? The Sun King is someone you can cooperate with, and for the sake of the refugees here, you must meet him first.
"He wants all the refugees evacuated before sunset, which is impossible. Since it's an impossible task, and he isn't a cruel or bloodthirsty man, he must have another motive.
"For example, maybe he wants you to sleep with Nitocris to win her over."
"Ah! Even if Ritsuka were to serve me in bed, I would never betray the Sun King!"
The joke had drawn out Nitocris's true feelings, leaving Mash stunned and sighing in disappointment. Serenity's gaze on Nitocris intensified as she declared, "Ritsuka and I have kissed. Twice in a row."
At that moment, perhaps because night was falling and the desert could no longer retain its heat, Guinevere felt a chill run down her scalp, as if a ghostly wind were blowing through the tent.
However, the tension broke as Ritsuka stepped before Nitocris, placed her hands firmly on her shoulders, and said seriously:
"I think the Sun King's true intention is for you to bring us to him and ensure we don't leave without saying goodbye this time."
The warmth from Ritsuka's hands seeped into Nitocris's slightly cool shoulders. Nitocris turned her head away, a faint blush coloring her cheeks, as the posture she had so often forced straight to maintain her dignity finally relaxed.
But her mind hadn't turned to mush. She considered Guinevere's assessment and Ritsuka's words, quickly nodding in agreement as she reached the same conclusion.
The Sun King she knew was tyrannical, but if he truly intended to kill them, he wouldn't have gone through such elaborate motions. Besides, he had previously sheltered these refugees.
"I understand. I will take you to see the King. This time, you are not allowed to run."
With that, the serious meeting drew to a close. The next step was to decide who would go to the audience with the Sun King.
At this point, Guinevere recalled another of her previous understandings: she didn't want to bow and scrape before the Sun King, nor did she want to risk a confrontation with him.
Her way of repaying the Sun King's favor was to stay away, allowing him to focus his full attention on Mash and the others.
Yes, in Guinevere's memory, their journey would lead them to a direct confrontation with the Sun King himself, and they would have to kill the shadow of a 'Demon God Pillar' he had summoned from the Holy Grail.
"Miss Ruler, are you really not going?"
"I trust you all. I also want to see if you can repair this Singularity without me.
"Let me tell you something you don't know yet. The next Singularity awaiting you will be even harder to conquer. If you can impress me even more, I'll leave something behind for you so you can summon me smoothly.
"Hmm, if you still need my help then, that is."
Guinevere truly had no desire to go to the Sun King's court, but she would stay here. If Mash and Ritsuka truly couldn't handle it, she would still intervene to rescue them.