Corruption.
It was not a corruption born from being swallowed by the dregs of the Holy Grail, nor a Reversal caused by forcibly modifying one's Spirit Graph... it was a 'Fall' in its purest sense.
"...Are you referring to Foreigners?"
"No, I do not mean those who have made contact with lifeforms from the outer universe. While a single Foreigner-class Servant has appeared—likely a product of a terrible coincidence that shouldn't have allowed their summoning—the vast majority of the 'Fallen' Servants currently making up the enemy's camp are predominantly Berserkers."
"Hmm... I really need to figure out what this corruption actually signifies. What did the Lion King say?"
"Our King possesses a gaze that borders on omniscience, yet she chose not to offer any commentary regarding the degeneration occurring within those beings."
...Well, if I strip away the typical blind loyalty of the Round Table, it sounds like the Lion King couldn't figure out why those Servants were so mad, either.
"Furthermore, she added... that this phenomenon likely arose from something unprecedented, something even Goetia could not have predicted."
"Goetia isn't the mastermind?"
Now that I think about it, if they were summoned by Goetia's Grail, a Foreigner shouldn't have appeared.
That insane Class, which manifests by making contact with lifeforms from outer space—the far reaches of the void—cannot be properly grasped even with the clairvoyant insight possessed by Gilgamesh or Solomon. Even the Beast Class views them with distaste, considering their descent into this world as something to be avoided.
And as if to prove it, Foreigners are comprised of entities who are either not sane or extremely dangerous—Heroine X, who appears as a joke character, notwithstanding. If we talk about Foreigners as literal extraterrestrials, beings from the universe, even ORT technically became a Foreigner after being forcibly granted the Grand Foreigner Class aptitude.
'...No matter how much of a lunatic Goetia is, he wouldn't summon ORT. That would be pure, unadulterated madness. Does this mean the Holy Grail is running wild...?'
"It is a pity that even the Lion King’s vision cannot see it clearly."
"In an unclear and ambiguous state, for one who possesses vision equal to a god to offer a definitive answer might lead to a catastrophic error in judgment. Now, it seems everyone has gathered."
Tristan said, plucking his harp.
The Enforcement Knights who had raided the camp were now following behind Tristan and me, each bearing their own weapons without exception.
"Can you tell me our current combat strength?"
"Currently, the forces holding out in the Sacred City, Camelot, consist of 10,000 volunteer citizen soldiers and 5,000 Enforcement Knights. In addition, we have the Knights of the Round Table and several Heroic Spirits who were fortunate enough to join the Sacred City earlier."
"Honestly, I'm more interested in the level of the Heroic Spirits than the troop count. Who's there?"
"Excluding Sir Mordred and myself, who are often away on external duties, and Sir Gareth, who went to assist Chaldea, there are five: Gawain, Percival, Agravain, Lancelot, and Bedivere. Currently, Sir Agravain has received full authority from the King and is overseeing the overall command of the defensive war."
"Wasn't the Round Table composed of thirteen members? The other knights..."
"Sir Galahad and Merlin... that man did not respond to the summons. The King moved past it by explaining there were circumstances, but... thinking on it now, it is quite regrettable that a man like Merlin is not helping us."
I swallowed my words.
Merlin was probably having the time of his life struggling in the Seventh Singularity; he'd likely take offense if he heard Tristan's complaint.
"In any case... the other knights, excluding Sir Galahad, have been desummoned while carrying out their respective missions. Sir Gaheris vanished while covering a gap in Sir Gareth's defenses, and Sir Palamedes and Sir Bors were retired during the First Crusade's offensive because they failed to grasp the nature of the enemy's 'Fallen' system."
"That’s not good... it means the Round Table has effectively been cut in half."
"For now, we are supplementing our strength with Heroic Spirits summoned by Alaya’s Counter Force and focusing on the defensive war, but the deficit is certainly profound."
"What about local Servants?"
"Currently, an Archer named Tawara Touta, who came as support from our allies in the 'Mountains,' and Constantinos XI, the former Emperor of the Roman Empire, are providing as much assistance as possible."
"Constantinos XI?"
Rome, specifically the last Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire.
In this Singularity, where Servants related to the Crusades are appearing with strange frequency, it wouldn't be unusual for him to be called forth by Alaya's Counter Force... but still.
'No, actually, this is good. The Eleventh's Noble Phantasm summons the Triple Walls of Constantinople, the iron defense of the East. Furthermore, as the empire's final emperor, his influence specifically affects Europeans within 200 years of his time, and its power fluctuates based on their faith. As an ally in this current situation, he's perfect.'
"He’s the best ally we could ask for."
"I believe so as well. The last Emperor of Rome... I have no particularly good feelings toward Rome myself, but without that man's Noble Phantasm, Camelot's gates would have been in peril several times already."
"I assume Gawain is the one actually guarding the gates?"
"Given his Gift, 'Unbroken Night,' he is literally a one-man army."
"So he did receive a Gift... Wait, then what Gifts did you or Mordred receive?"
In the original Sixth Singularity, the Gifts granted to the Round Table all possessed absurd performance, but the ones given to members other than Lancelot and Gawain were riddled with issues.
Tristan had become a wicked and petty man due to his 'Reversal' Gift, and Mordred had been given 'Rampage,' which let her spam her Noble Phantasm at the cost of her own Spirit Core. Gareth's 'Purity' had fallen to the point where it corrupted her... Out of the five, the Gifts of three were irregular in many ways.
"Sir Gawain received the Gift of 'Unbroken Night,' as you might know, Master. Where Sir Gawain stands, the sun shall never set."
"An infinite Sun buff... and it makes night raids impossible. Lancelot has 'Ferocity,' right?"
"Yes. It is a tenacity that never retreats and endures until the very end. And Sir Mordred received the Gift of 'Insight'."
"Insight?"
"The King deemed it... a necessary Gift for Sir Mordred... ahem."
Ah, I can imagine.
For Mordred, who is the most reckless 'charge-first' character even among the gorillas of the Round Table, it was probably an appropriate Gift. Based on the name... it’s likely something akin to an Insightful Eye with the properties of discernment?
"The Gift I received is 'Overcoming.' It shares similar properties with Sir Lancelot's Ferocity, but it grants the ability to acquire a faint resistance to any attack I have endured."
"So it’s like Heracles' God Hand... What about Agravain?"
"Sir Agravain did not receive a Gift, but as he handles the affairs of the entire Sacred City, he shares the King's vision. We offered Gifts to Tawara Touta and the Roman Emperor as well, but both declined."
"That makes sense. To accept a Gift is to swear fealty as a subject."
And... there was something I could guess now that I understood Magecraft.
Granting a Gift isn't just giving a buff. It’s a process of taking the Divinity or the power of a Divine Spirit and carving it out to strengthen a Heroic Spirit to their absolute limit. That's precisely why Gifts cannot be handed out recklessly.
"It's certainly a well-balanced force, not bad... but it's hard to ignore the fatal flaw."
"...So, Master, you noticed it as well."
"Of course."
In any era... ancient, medieval, or modern.
To gain the upper hand on a battlefield, there is one type of troop more important than any other.
"Artillery... there is no Magecraft Corps."
"...It is simply regrettable that Merlin was not summoned. If that half-incubus magus had come, he could have served as a one-man army himself..."
"Furthermore, our enemies have summoned the entire Crusader army. It's impossible for a Crusader force not to have a Magecraft Corps... and it seems they even have priests who use Baptism Rites. This is a battle we will surely lose if it turns into a war of attrition."
No matter if the Lion King, Artoria Pendragon, has become a Divine Spirit, it’s impossible to achieve victory against this mysterious 'Corruption' and an army of this scale.
Of course, since she is a Divine Spirit, she would be the last one standing, and she could certainly overwhelm others tactically. However, if everyone else dies, it means a failure to restore the Human Order—in other words, a strategic defeat.
"What’s the enemy force like according to your reconnaissance?"
"There appear to be at least three to four Caster-class Heroic Spirits. Beyond that, including the Magecraft Corps summoned alongside the Crusaders, it wouldn't be strange if they turned the entire battlefield into their Workshop... If only Merlin were here, we wouldn't have been pushed back this far."
"Well, let's not dwell on what we don't have. Are we heading straight back? It’ll take some time to reach the Sacred City, so we should hurry."
"No. Before we return, we will detour through the mountains. The 'Sect of the Mountain' is constantly harassing the enemy’s rear and flanks with guerrilla warfare. We need to periodically tear through the enemy formations surrounding them."
"Heading to the Sect of the Mountain... hmm... will that be okay?"
"Pardon? Is there some problem...?"
"No, it’s nothing."
The Old Man of the Mountain, the first Hassan-i Sabbah... why did that fanatical specter, who should originally be an ally, manifest?
"Let’s head there for now. Since we have a provisional alliance, they probably won't attack us... but what about the Enforcement Knights?"
"While the first-rate forces are focused on the siege defense, the ones out here are second-rate troops. Even so, despite the King only creating them a few months ago, they are quite useful personnel."
"Well, if you say so."
Tristan spoke as he spurred his horse forward, and I followed close behind him.
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