Chapter 104: A New Prologue -2-

A dark forest.

The archer who had fired arrows at Kay wagged her tail as she descended from the trees.

Vrrr~

Moments later, the small communicator in her pouch vibrated. She pulled out the pebble-like device and tapped it with her finger, releasing a voice.

“How was it? Think you can do it?”

“...Honestly, I’m surprised. There have been many who dodged or blocked my arrows. But only two in my life have dismantled one like that.”

She watched Kay track the supersonic arrow with her eyes before striking its shaft with the back of her hand, snapping it in two.

Only two had ever countered her arrows in that manner.

Hercules, the hero revered as Greece’s greatest.

And Idas, the mortal who defeated Apollo in a contest of strength.

Both were heroes of the Argonauts.

“Even Hercules could only send my arrows flying backward at maximum power. Yet here you are, brushing it aside and ending up with nothing worse than a numb arm. While you may not be as strong as Hercules, you’re a monster on par with Idas.”

“So… are you scared?”

“Not a chance. Even against an opponent like that, if I’d been afraid, I’d never have become a hero.”

She materialized her bow spirits and stepped deeper into the woods as the voice crackled playfully over the line.

“That’s good. It’d be a problem if even one of you seven froze up. The key is unwavering courage. Though I’ve granted you [Radiant Empowerment], there’s still a chance you might hesitate.”

“That empowerment just makes me feel like my focus is slipping.”

“But you’ve grown stronger than ever before, right? Looking at your condition, you’ll be fine. I’ve hired mercenaries to back you up, so link up with them later.”

The archer frowned at the remark, sounding mildly offended.

“Are you serious? You mean you don’t think we’re enough?”

“Well, it is S<caron>ch<acirc>dha’s masterpiece. Think of her as the teacher of combat, even exceeding Chiron in that field—despite Chiron’s broad curriculum. Keep that in mind. Kay is a monster, after all.”

“…True enough. If that Dream Demon has gone so far as to hide himself to plan this, then it’s dangerous. But you didn’t look as strong as Hercules. If you’re only at Idas’s level, seven of us would still be more than enough, right?”

“You’re not alone. I can’t see clearly, but everyone around Kay is strong. Picking you off one by one will be difficult. That’s why I’m boosting our numbers. Don’t worry. Among them are a Red Knight who draws power from the sun beyond Gawain, and a ruler of Gaul. They could even outclass you, purely in terms of strength.”

“Heroic seeds, huh… That’s somewhat intriguing.”

She glanced at the communicator thoughtfully and spoke seriously.

“You’ll keep your promise, right? That by killing this man, you’ll grant my wish.”

“Of course. He was summoned with the Grail. You know—an omnipotent Grudge Vessel. I don’t need it myself, so I’m giving it to you. I’ll ensure your wish is fulfilled. And more than anyone, don’t fail.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a hunter and a follower of Artemis. Once I mark my prey, I never let it go.”

Atalante.

The princess of Arcadia, known as the Pure Hunter.

And the Greek hero who lost her divinity and became a beast by breaking a divine taboo.

She carried a wish: that all children of this world would find happiness.

In exchange for making that wish come true, the Dream Demon had assigned her to kill Kay.

Of course, the Dream Demon would keep his end of the bargain.

In eternal dreams, Atalante’s wish could be realized.

There was no avoiding the fact that her ideal, altruistic wish was impossible with even the Grail’s power alone.

Only the true Holy Grail somewhere in Britain might make it possible.

Meanwhile, even though Bagest and the knights had scoured the castle inside and out all night, there was no trace of the attacker.

Atalante, as elusive as the night fog, had vanished after firing from deep within the forest—far beyond the castle’s walls.

The next morning, in the dining hall of Cambenic Castle.

For those who’d spent the night on watch and looked exhausted, Kay rolled up his sleeves and stoked the fire before dawn.

“Slurp, smack! Ahhh… Dad’s cooking really is the best! This broth is to die for!”

Mordred was greedily slurping Kay’s jjamppong, filled with seafood and pork, flame-kissed with a deep smoky flavor, from a bowl nearly as big as her face.

Bright red broth stained her lips, but its spicy, refreshing taste seemed to wash away all her fatigue.

“Hey, eat slower. You’re going to breathe it in.”

Kay tutted and wiped Mordred’s mouth.

After draining every last drop of broth, Mordred slammed her bowl down and asked, “But Dad—are we really just going to sit here? That arrow shooter from last night must be hiding nearby. Shouldn’t we scour the whole forest and catch them? Should I go and blast the entire woods into oblivion?!”

Red battlelight flickered in Mordred’s eyes—she was furious at being forced into passive defense against an unseen foe.

Kay calmly took another gulp of broth before answering, “No. Charging in blindly is the worst move. If we tear through the woods chasing a suspect with no clues, we’ll fall into whatever trap they’ve prepared, disperse our forces, and get picked off one by one. It’s better to fortify our defenses, bait the next attack, and then strike decisively when we’ve pinned them down.”

“Ugh, that’s so over-complicated! Why not just crush them with overwhelming force and erase every trace?!”

Mordred pouted in protest.

At that moment, Medusa, quietly sipping tea at the table, pushed up her glasses and spoke.

“Master is right. On the battlefield, even overwhelming strength can crumble before a cunning trap and strategy.”

Her gaze drifted to a distant myth of the past.

“That’s how heroes operate. Perseus, who slew the monster I once was, did the same. My power was far beyond his, yet he never met me head-on. He used a mirrored shield to divert my gaze and Hades’s Helm of Invisibility to mask his presence, then struck at my fatal blind spot. If you underestimate even a weaker foe, the stronger one is always the first to lose their head.”

Medusa’s bitter recollection left Mordred utterly speechless.

“Medusa’s right. Especially since this opponent isn’t a mere assassin or mage. There’s a very high probability it’s a [Servant].”

Kay propped his chin on his hand, his expression serious.

Bavanshi, legs crossed and arms folded, snorted and joined in.

“Hmph, [Servant], huh? There are usually only two cases for a sudden [Servant] appearance: a Cleaner or Guardian dispatched by the Counterforce, or someone summoning one artificially.”

She tapped the floor with the tip of her red high heel and glared at Kay.

“Maybe you’re such an anomaly in this world that the world finally sent a Guardian to eliminate you?”

“No way,” Kay said without hesitation.

“Merlin’s been going on about how I threaten Inre and Britain’s fate whenever he gets the chance…but honestly, all I’ve done here is feed and train the kids. I’m no Demon King, and my existence isn’t a trigger that could destroy Inre.”

He waved his hand as if to protest his innocence.

“The only reason the Dream Demon’s after me is that I’ve been messing up his perfect, solitary kingly narrative—doing things he sees as completely off-script. He’s just annoyed by that.”

“So, you’re saying someone summoned a [Servant] artificially?”

Britomart nodded gravely.

“Exactly. I’d put the odds at ninety-nine percent that Merlin is behind this incident.”

Kay narrowed his eyes and continued his hypothesis.

“I considered Morgan, but if she’d truly decided to kill me, she’d have laid siege to the castle and stormed straight in long ago. That sneaky, cowardly tactic of firing arrows from afar to test the waters is exactly the Dream Demon’s trademark.”

“Agreed.”

Jeanne d’Arc Alter toyed with dark flames and lent her support to Kay’s words.

“Remember that poison incident a few years back? It was ruled as Merlin’s doing. He’s been quiet since—maybe preparing the [Servant] summoning.”

“I’ve doubled the perimeter patrols outside the castle and throughout Cambenic. I’ve also cranked the barrier’s strength to maximum.”

Calogrenant stood and delivered his report stiffly, holding a dossier.

But Britomart shook her head with concern.

“That won’t be enough. If the opponent really is a Divine-era [Servant], ordinary soldiers and barriers will be penetrated at will with a single concealment skill.”

She looked to Kay and asked, “Sir Kay, at this point shouldn’t we inform the Pendragon sisters and request their support?”

Everyone in the dining hall turned to watch Kay’s reaction.

Indeed, if the Artorias and the forces of Camelot joined us now, we’d fear no [Servant] assault.

Kay fell silent in thought, then firmly shook his head.

“No. I agree we should alert them, but don’t request support yet. Just pass along our intel.”

“What? Why? Your life is at stake!”

Tamamo, looking anxious, grabbed Kay’s arm.

“Think about it. Camelot is in the busiest, most critical period—preparing for an all-out war against Botigan right on their doorstep. They need to focus every resource on Briton’s survival and frontlines. We can’t pull troops from the capital for one guy.”

Kay’s logic was cold and rational. He would never be a burden.

“And above all… this is a bitter grudge between me and Merlin. If that Dream Demon tries to completely exile me from Britain, I’ll personally drag him out by the collar and eject him from this land. Let the Artorias handle Botigan’s war—my job is to deal with these shadowy assassins and crush Merlin’s skull.”

His declaration was heavy and resolute.

“So, for now, we’ll turn Cambenic into an impregnable fortress and wait for his next move. Whether he sends assassins or monsters, we’ll tear them apart within these walls until they can’t even pick up a bone.”

Servants and assassins numbering seven were targeting Kay.

The long, bitter grudge with Merlin seemed to be rushing headlong toward its final act in this war.

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