When leaving the Einzbern forest, Ludwig did not fly back with Saber. Instead, he chose to depart on foot.
The journey from the suburban forest to the Fuyuki city center was quite long; most citizens would opt for a taxi if they needed to make the trip. However, for beings like Ludwig and Saber, such a distance was hardly a concern.
Moreover, the Einzbern Castle was situated southwest of the Miyama-cho district in Fuyuki's old town. By walking back, Ludwig could intentionally choose a route that offered a vantage point of the Tohsaka estate. He wanted to see what the Archer camp was up to during this interval.
Ludwig walked ahead while Saber followed behind at a perfectly measured pace. Neither of them spoke after setting out.
As time passed, Ludwig began to find the silence a bit stifling, so he turned his head to check on Saber.
Her posture was ramrod straight and her stride steady, but her head was slightly bowed. The shadows of her bangs obscured her eyes, and as her gaze fell toward the ground, her expression seemed quite somber.
It wasn't difficult to imagine why.
In legend, King Arthur, the King of Knights, was renowned for being upright and incorruptible. Though her end was tragic, it did not tarnish her personal brilliance as a hero. She had likely declared her oath to Emiya Kiritsugu or Irisviel after contracting with them, just as she had in her past.
But all of that had vanished like a bubble against the cruelty of reality. Even if she wasn't incapable of accepting a change in Masters, Saber couldn't help but feel a profound sense of frustration.
"...Is something the matter, Ludwig... Master?" Saber was not yet used to addressing her new Master.
"Just call me Lud. Titles like 'Master' aren't that important," Ludwig said. "After all, our route back to the city might result in a brush with the Archer camp. For all we know, our contract might end right then and there."
Saber looked up, meeting the youth's playful expression.
She suddenly understood. Perhaps the boy had only recruited a Servant to facilitate dealing with Archer. For any battles after that, he wouldn't mind even if Saber simply sat on the sidelines and ate while watching. He didn't need her; he possessed the strength to resolve the other camps single-handedly.
"In that case... Lud, is there something you need?" Saber asked.
During non-combat periods, she found using a name felt more relaxed.
"You look gloomy," Ludwig remarked. "Are you still worried about things back there?"
"We were allies before, and we haven't completely broken ties now," Saber said, shaking her head.
She had stayed behind at the castle for a while to help settle various matters. Besides tending to the unconscious Irisviel, she had accompanied Maiya to inspect and recover Emiya Kiritsugu's remains, which they then buried beneath a large tree near the castle.
Irisviel had woken up just as Saber finished these tasks and returned to the room to check on her before leaving. Though grief-stricken, after learning of the events from Saber, Irisviel had no choice but to accept the fact of Kiritsugu's death.
Failing in a direct confrontation, attempting a sneak attack, and being killed in a counter-move... No matter how one looked at it, Kiritsugu's death was essentially the result of his own obsession.
Afterward, Irisviel expressed her understanding when Saber confirmed her intention to leave and continue the Holy Grail War with a new Master. As the vessel for the Grail, Irisviel would head to the Fuyuki Church on her own once she had recovered. Aside from seeking nominal asylum, the church was the site of the Descent; as someone who could not be a Master, it was the most appropriate place for her to stay.
Hisau Maiya would be responsible for the escort mission.
Finally, Irisviel returned a certain item she had been keeping to Saber. To her surprise, Saber accepted it.
She had followed Ludwig out of the castle without mentioning these details. Ludwig, for his part, only asked general questions and didn't intend to pry further into the specifics.
"You really are a person of great sentiment and loyalty," Ludwig said, tilting his head and smiling at Saber.
"Please rest assured, I will not betray my new Master because of this," Saber admitted candidly.
Kiritsugu's death was not caused by her betrayal. Perhaps she had accidentally made a self-fulfilling prophecy, or perhaps she had sensed this possibility after the battle at the harbor the night before last. Regardless, Saber didn't want to parse out which side the current reality fell on.
"How is the state of your Spirit Foundation?" Ludwig turned his attention to Saber's condition.
"...It is fine." Saber lifted her right hand. "The 'scent' of your magical energy is a bit strange, but it doesn't hinder my movements."
"I see." Ludwig knew exactly what the situation was.
As a "Knight," the "magical energy" he possessed was not composed of the Ether of this era. Instead, it was an element known as SIN, which flooded the atmosphere and existed widely within the bodies of the Arayashiki in his original era.
Some scholars had hypothesized that SIN was similar—though not identical—to the Fifth Imaginary Element that once composed magical energy, or the even earlier True Ether of the Age of Gods. However, because neither existed anymore in the era of the Land of Steel, the hypothesis could neither be proven nor disproven.
Now, as a "Human Species: Knight" who had arrived from a world on the brink of the planet's death, Ludwig had recorded his subjective experiences of these matters in his terminal.
The taste of SIN is indeed not much different from the taste of the Fifth True Element and the Fifth Imaginary Element.
Furthermore, for Saber—or rather, for a Servant—no issues of incompatibility had surfaced.
"Ludwig... you aren't actually human, are you?" Saber asked hesitantly.
The "strangeness" she mentioned lay precisely here. Unlike her original Master, and unlike Irisviel who had supported her with healing magecraft, Ludwig's magical energy was significantly different even from her own as a Dragon-kind, let alone other Servants.
Ludwig stopped in his tracks and looked back at Saber.
Saber realized she had hit upon a truth that others were likely unaware of.
"In a sense, compared to the humans of this era, I really do count as another species." He grinned, revealing a bright smile. "I didn't expect you to notice before I even explained it."
"I am not a pure human myself, after all." Saber's clear smile contained a sense of shared experience.
Having inherited the bloodline of the King of Britain and the Factor of the Red Dragon—the incarnation of Britain—she and Ludwig could be considered kindred spirits.
"Oh... I think that guy mentioned something about that," Ludwig realized, muttering to himself.
Saber felt a slight surge of curiosity, but before she could ask who he was referring to, he changed the subject.
"It's a long way from here to my base in Shinto," he said.
"It doesn't matter. Battles between Servants don't usually break out during the day," Saber said, shaking her head. "Besides, even if we encounter an enemy, you don't need me to protect you. We can both focus entirely on the fight."
"Still, when we set out last night, I was thinking of making it a quick trip. Now it's dragged on until morning, and I'm getting hungry."
Ludwig clasped his hands behind his head, complaining about the night's events in such a manner.
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Type-Moon: The A-Ray Knight's Holy Grail Journey
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