Unlike Japan, Einzbern Castle in Germany remained buried beneath a world of pure white snow all year round. It was like this now, and it would remain so in the future.
"Alright! Today there's no way I'm going to lose to Kiritsugu!"
Walking out of Einzbern Castle, two sets of footprints—one large and one small—stretched across the pristine snow.
Wrapped up in heavy winter clothing, a thick coat, and a fluffy hat, the small white-haired girl with crimson eyes clenched her tiny pink fists—both of which together were barely bigger than a sandbag—and spoke with great determination.
She looked left and right carefully, as if searching for something, with the seriousness of a little adult.
Following behind her, Emiya Kiritsugu walked silently with his hands in the pockets of his black coat.
He seemed somewhat troubled.
In truth, his worldview had recently been shaken by a certain historical fact that overturned conventional assumptions—one that involved a legendary figure whose gender turned out to be the opposite of what history recorded.
The two walked through the snow, leaving footprints of varying depth. The soft snow compressed beneath their boots, producing a gentle rustling sound.
It wasn't particularly beautiful, but it carried a peaceful sense of quiet.
Suddenly—
Kiritsugu stopped.
He pulled his right hand from his coat pocket and pointed toward a nearby tree—its leaves long gone, leaving only a bare trunk coated in snow.
"I found one, Illya."
"Huh?! No way!"
"Where?! Where is it?! I checked everywhere!"
Illyasviel von Einzbern, who had been several steps ahead of Kiritsugu, turned back unwillingly and jogged back to his side.
"This is today's first walnut winter bud."
Kiritsugu crouched down slightly to show her the bud, then stood and announced:
"That means I get the first point."
"I… I won't lose!"
Illya puffed up her cheeks like an angry pufferfish.
She quickly ran ahead and eventually found her own walnut tree bud. Proudly, she showed it off to Kiritsugu—
Only to hear him say calmly:
"I've already found the second one."
"Huh?!"
The competitive little girl felt utterly defeated.
Unfortunately, her father clearly had no intention of going easy on her.
A while later—
Seeing Illya's dejected expression, Kiritsugu smiled gently and said:
"As punishment for losing the game, Illya has to be lifted up high."
"Huh?!"
"Lifted up high means—waaah!"
"So high! So high!"
The disappointment in Illya's eyes vanished almost instantly.
When Kiritsugu lifted her onto his shoulders, the sudden height gave her the thrilling feeling of seeing the world from above.
The excitement of being high up mixed with the surprise of receiving a "punishment reward."
For the seven-year-old Illya, this was one of the happiest moments imaginable.
Inside the castle—
A petite figure stood by the window watching the father and daughter playing in the snowy forest outside.
She had the body of a young girl, yet the aura she carried was like a sword drawn from its sheath—sharp and dignified.
She wore a blue dress, and her golden hair was tied behind her head with a blue ribbon.
"What are you looking at, Saber?"
Irisviel von Einzbern approached with two cups of steaming black tea and handed one to the blue-dressed girl.
The girl known as Saber accepted the cup and thanked her.
"I was watching your daughter playing with Kiritsugu in the forest."
"Are you surprised?" Irisviel asked with a warm smile while looking at her husband and daughter outside. "That Kiritsugu would do something like this."
"In my impression, my Master is a far more cold and ruthless man."
Saber's emerald-green eyes flickered with a hint of melancholy.
"Well, it's understandable that you'd think that."
Irisviel smiled helplessly.
"If that's truly Kiritsugu's real personality, then it seems my existence must make him rather uncomfortable."
Saber recalled the first time she met the man named Emiya Kiritsugu.
The shock on his face.
The confusion.
And the undisguised disgust.
Even now, the memory remained vivid.
Hearing this, Irisviel couldn't help covering her mouth as she laughed softly, breaking the slightly heavy atmosphere.
Saber frowned and protested:
"Irisviel, laughing at me like that is rather rude."
"Sorry, sorry~"
Irisviel blinked playfully at her.
"After all, who would have imagined that the legendary King of Knights—King Arthur—would actually be such a petite girl in reality?"
"Although I did present myself as a man during my life, Kiritsugu's reaction was still excessive, wasn't it?"
Saber truly couldn't understand it.
"Well… there's nothing we can do about that."
Irisviel looked at her apologetically.
Saber turned her head slightly.
"Is it because I'm actually a woman that Kiritsugu looks down on me?"
"Actually… that's not it, Saber."
"Kiritsugu… is probably angry because of the people who placed someone like you—just a young girl—into such a heavy role."
"The people who placed the burden of kingship onto a young girl."
"I'm not saying those people were evil… but to Kiritsugu, that kind of decision violates his sense of justice."
"But in order to obtain the Holy Grail, he now has no choice but to rely on your strength."
"In the end, he's doing the exact same thing as the people he despises."
"That's probably what makes him angry."
Irisviel smiled gently.
Within her eyes were reflected two figures—one a young girl, the other a man.
"It can't be helped."
Saber's words sounded resigned, yet there was no true resignation in her tone.
Instead, it revealed the responsibility of a king.
"From the moment I drew the Sword of Selection from the stone, I had already made my decision. I was not forced into becoming king."
"And that's exactly why it makes him even angrier."
"If it were Kiritsugu, he would definitely search for another path."
Irisviel said with a sigh.
"That's nothing more than pointless speculation…"
Saber's expression showed slight displeasure, even though she had gradually come to understand the man named Emiya Kiritsugu.
However—
"I still cannot get along with my Master."
"He has no right to judge my era or the decisions made by me and my people."
"My life was simply…"
By the end, Saber's voice had grown quiet.
In truth—
No one understood better than she did just how much of a failure her life had been.
That was precisely why she sought the Holy Grail—to overturn the failures and tragedies her reign had brought.
The king who brought victory…
Ultimately fell while pursuing victory.
BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 + chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789