Gently patting Artoria's shoulder, the completely despondent Artoria had lost all motivation to act. Rin looked at the Little Knight King, whose eyes were hollow and lifeless, silently shedding tears, and suddenly felt a strange aversion—not to Artoria as a young girl, but to her fragile, helpless, and weak appearance. The Artoria in Rin's heart should not be like this.
Since that's the case, I'll help you perk up!
Rin quickly took a few steps to stand before Artoria. Artoria remained completely still; at this moment, she had no reason to continue fighting. Even if Rin were to swing her sword and cut off her head right now, Artoria probably wouldn't dodge.
"How unsightly!"
Rin did not attack. Instead, she swiftly knelt before Artoria, and her right hand quickly and forcefully gripped Artoria's pale chin! Before Artoria could recover from her astonishment, Rin rapidly leaned in again, taking Artoria's red lips—
A forceful kiss!
"Ugh...!"
Soon, Artoria reacted to the sudden surprise and was about to resist Rin's rude and crude action with shame and anger when fragments of memory, striking deep into her mind, were transmitted from the point of their intertwined contact.
Magic transmission, using physical contact as a medium to transfer one's knowledge or memories to another. The more intimate the contact, the better the effect, with XX contact being the most effective!
"Tell me honestly, Berserker, what is your wish?"
"My wish is to atone to my King, to offer her one more victory, and then to be personally judged by her, to find peace for my soul."
This was when Rin and Lancelot first met and revealed to each other why they were participating in this Holy Grail War. What was novel was that neither of them had any interest in winning the war or the Holy Grail.
"Even after such a long time, will the maddened Lancelot still be drawn by that radiance?"
"The memory of gathering under that radiance in the past, as Knights of the Round Table, and fighting alongside my King on the battlefield, is a sight that Lancelot will never forget, even after one hundred, two hundred, or even a thousand years. It is a memory that he will never let go of, even if he falls into hell!"
The ethereal Berserker still gazed at the lingering glow of the holy sword. The light had faded and dispersed, but he still faced that direction.
"Berserker, even if she denies everything of the past, do you still wish to pursue that wish, to acknowledge her, to revere her as King?"
"It is precisely because she is too gentle that the King harbors such a mistaken wish. She never considered whether such a wish would erase or destroy anything. She simply wanted to change that tragic outcome, blinded only by her deep love."
The conversation between Rin and Lancelot after the Banquet of Kings.
"I once felt anger. My King loved her people more than her country. For this, she sealed away her emotions and her life, yet her intentions were not conveyed to the people. A knight once said before leaving the Round Table, 'The King does not understand human emotions.'"
"I probably started going mad when I heard that. Who doesn't understand emotions? Who, even when isolated in Camelot, still loved her people until the very end? Who was it that never received love from beginning to end?"
"I felt angry about everything the King endured. In the end, this resentful obsession focused on my own unworthiness. No one living in Britain during that era had any reason to express dissatisfaction with my King! Because my King was the most unfortunate person of that era!"
"Even if the King demands to return to the past and erase all of this, we have no right to stop her. The King protected the country, but the country did not protect the King. If anyone is truly at fault, it is we, the knights who failed to protect the King. The King was just an ordinary young girl; this, every single one of us knew perfectly well."
After an unknown amount of time, Rin finally released Artoria's lips. Two pairs of spiritual eyes, as lively as emerald lakes, met. One was clear and calm, the other slightly dazed.
"Do you understand? Those who gathered under your banner and walked behind you never regretted it. Lancelot is like this, and so are the other Knights of the Round Table."
"I..." Artoria didn't know how to speak.
"If they were to die with any regret or unwillingness, it would surely be because they failed to save a young girl named Artoria. I have told you many times that your path as King was wrong, but what I wanted was not for you to agree with this, nor for you to panic and angrily argue."
The mist in Artoria's eyes gradually cleared, and her holy azure-green eyes shone brightly once more.
"I... am I correct?"
"Yes, you did not do anything wrong. Whether as King or in protecting the country, you did nothing wrong. If you made any mistake, it was taking all responsibility upon yourself, believing that you were the source of all misfortune, and that everything should be solved by you. That's why you had the absurd idea of trying to save an era all by yourself."
Rin stood up, and Artoria also stood up again. A purer, more dazzling light of a knight gradually shone from Artoria's soul.
"The path of a King, from the very beginning, has no right or wrong. There's no reason why a delicate young girl cannot become a ruler. The King's path is unbiased; if you see it through to the end, no matter what the outcome, if there is no regret, there is no wrong."
Artoria closed her eyes, as if savoring Rin's words, or perhaps recalling Lancelot's memories. With this silent contemplation, Artoria's body finally began to radiate the light befitting a King. Artoria opened her eyes, her gaze clear and resolute.
"I understand. In the past, I swore to fulfill the King's responsibility, thus I drew my sword, cast aside many things, and fought for my people because I loved them deeply. There is no regret in this, and therefore my life is worthy of pride. Even if the ultimate outcome was destruction, I do not need to start over. The King protected the country, but the country did not protect the King. It was merely that. Although the ending was tragic, the process was flawless. The King fulfilled her responsibility to the very end, so there is no need to demand another chance. Thank you, Rin."
Hearing Artoria's words, Rin smiled, a genuine smile. This was the result she wanted: an Artoria who had shed her naivety and regret, capable of calmly and composedly accepting the throne without complaint.
"That's right. A young girl can have the dream of becoming a King and become one, but a King cannot remain a young girl. I will uphold the promise between Lancelot and me. The Holy Grail is in the lake behind the temple. It is not something worthy of praise... You may go."
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