It was a deep, dreamless sleep. When Ludwig woke up, he even felt a bit out of sorts.
Though his body and mind were fully rested and ready for the battles ahead, he was feeling quite pleased with himself until he suddenly felt movement under the covers. Looking closely, a tuft of white hair—the same color as the hotel linens—poked out from beneath the duvet.
It was someone's head—or rather, the head of a certain succubus.
Ludwig silently reached out and peeled back a corner of the blanket. There lay Merlin, clad in a hotel bathrobe that was in complete disarray, her collar loose enough to reveal the snowy-white skin beneath.
As the light from the lifted blanket hit her, Merlin knit her brows and let out a lazy, sleepy murmur. She slowly opened her eyelids, her violet eyes shrouded in a thin mist, looking exceptionally suggestive.
Ludwig's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't help but mutter to himself that she truly was a succubus.
Had he not witnessed her capabilities firsthand, he might have been a bit happier to wake up and find a beautiful woman snuck into his bed.
"Ah... Good morning, mgh—!"
Merlin greeted him languidly, but before she could finish, the young man pinched her face. Her features were quite petite, allowing Ludwig to catch both of her cheeks in a single hand.
"This is my room, right? Don't you have your own?" he asked with a bright smile.
"I was just... tucking Lutz in, and I fell asleep halfway through, mgh—"
With her face being pinched, her voice was slightly distorted. Merlin continued to spin her lies with total composure, showing no sense of danger at all. Consequently, before she could finish, he pinched harder, cutting her off entirely.
Ultimately, for a magus who wouldn't die until the world ended, neither Ludwig's current annoyance nor the danger Gilgamesh had presented yesterday could instill a sense of crisis in her.
Ludwig glanced at his bed and recalled that when he had laid down the previous night, he indeed hadn't covered himself. He wasn't the type to catch a cold from something like that, but regardless of Merlin's motives, what she said wasn't entirely a lie.
At that thought, the boy let go. Merlin rubbed her reddened cheeks, looking pitiful and aggrieved.
Getting off the bed, Ludwig walked to the window and looked at Durandal sitting on the table. The Noble Phantasm, which lacked a scabbard, was now fitted with a matching protective guard.
"Did you do this?" he asked.
"I just used a little magecraft," Merlin said. "This way, even if Gilgamesh tries to reclaim his Noble Phantasm, the interference from the scabbard will prevent him from pulling this sword back."
"Is this your way of picking a fight with him?" Ludwig asked.
Merlin nodded, her smile growing more mischievous. "Besides, I think it's more interesting this way. Also, you don't have a weapon of your own, do you? Were you planning to fight bare-handed?"
"Why shouldn't I fight bare-handed?" Ludwig found the question strange.
Had Merlin really not seen the battle in the sky because Gilgamesh had blocked her Clairvoyance, just as she claimed? Had she not seen that demonic sword?
"Bare-handed? I suppose that works, but it might be a bit... bloody," Merlin said, shrugging. "Just imagining the image of Lutz punching a Master or Servant's head like a ripening watermelon, with brains and blood mixing and splattering everywhere... even I find it a bit hard to watch."
"...Thanks for the vote of confidence." Ludwig plopped down onto the nearby sofa.
It had been several years since he last woke up without needing to prepare for combat or training. Ever since he was confirmed to possess the aptitude of a "Knight," the vast majority of his daily life had been occupied by combat drills—all to face those incomprehensible, extraterrestrial lifeforms from beyond the planet.
"If there's nothing else, go take a shower now," Merlin suddenly said.
Ludwig tilted his head, looking at her strangely. He had intended to sit for a while before bathing, but Merlin seemed to be rushing him.
"Why now? Does the hotel only have the room for one night? Are they clearing us out?"
"Of course not. The money I paid is enough for a month. No matter how long the Holy Grail War lasts, it'll be over by then." Merlin wagged a finger. "What I mean is, take a shower, and then come out shopping with me."
"Huh?"
"Don't you think that combat suit of yours is a bit of an eyesore?" Merlin climbed off the bed. "Change into some more ordinary clothes and act more like a person of this era. It's not like we can go back immediately anyway... except to the Inner Sea of the Planet."
Merlin was right about one thing, and Ludwig understood it to an extent: he could travel between the outside world and the Inner Sea of the Planet—more specifically, the Millennium Castle. However, he wasn't sure if the time in the Millennium Castle moved at the same pace as the outside world, or if his arrival here was a mere accident or some kind of destiny.
For example... interference from the Counter Force, or something of that nature.
But a journey was a journey. In his view, this trip full of uncertainties was more interesting than he had imagined.
"Is this an invitation to a date?" Ludwig asked.
"Yes, yes~~, a date," Merlin said in a natural tone. "The big sister of flowers is inviting you out for a walk and a date. As a boy, be a little more proactive. Otherwise, even if a girl likes you, she'll eventually grow cold."
As she spoke, she walked over to him and reached out to pull him up.
Ludwig remained as immovable as a mountain. Merlin didn't rely on anything beyond her physical strength, and the result was that she pulled for a long while without budging him an inch. Finally, her strength gave out, and Merlin tumbled into Ludwig's lap. She leaned against him, pressing close to his face to coax him:
"Or perhaps, do I need to accompany you in the shower before you'll move?"
It was a proposal full of charm and temptation.
However, Ludwig simply caught her face, treating her just as he had when he first woke up.
"Next time, for sure. After all, I still don't know what you're plotting." He pushed Merlin away with a grin and headed toward the suite's shower room.
"I'm not plotting anything at all! Don't go suspecting me of trying to take something from you just because I have succubus blood," Merlin explained with a look of mock-distress.
"That's not what I meant." Ludwig gripped the door handle. "By the way, are you really an observer for the Counter Force?"
"Actually, as long as you don't take any excessive actions that threaten the planet or the Human Order, those trivial details aren't worth worrying about."
"Is that so?"
Ludwig left the question hanging and stepped into the bathroom. A moment later, the sound of running water echoed out.
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