After retreating to the temporary American base, Morpheus and the group carefully concealed themselves to avoid detection.
"Aren't we supposed to make contact? Why not go meet them?" Fujimaru Ritsuka asked, puzzled.
Morpheus smiled. "Let's observe first, see if we can gather some intel, then find the right moment to approach."
He continued watching the camp.
Many wounded were being carried to a tent, from which occasional screams echoed. Evidently, treatments were underway, though the methods seemed rough.
"It's chaotic and basic, but not unsanitary. Used bandages are disposed of properly to prevent infection… Looks like the doctor here knows their stuff," Morpheus noted, assessing the situation.
Just then, a woman emerged from the tent. Morpheus rubbed his chin. "British?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash turned to him. "How do you know she's British?"
Jeanne Alter smirked. "The accent, right?"
"Exactly. A clear, proper British accent," Morpheus confirmed, stroking his chin. "She's a Servant."
"A Servant?!"
"Yup. A battlefield medic, British, and clearly knowledgeable about hygiene…" Morpheus thought for a moment, then stood. "I'll go talk to her."
Fujimaru Ritsuka's eyes lit up. "You know who she is?"
"I have a guess. I'm just going to confirm it," Morpheus nodded, heading toward the tent.
Romani's voice came through the comms, chuckling. "I know who she is too!"
Olga Marie, watching this, gritted her teeth, eyes wide with frustration.
"That guy's off to flirt with another girl!"
So what if she's a Servant? How many girls... Servants included... has he gotten close to already?!
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her irritation.
"Why do I care? He can flirt with whoever he wants!"
The woman in military garb was washing her hands, her expression stern, devoid of ease.
A stranger's voice interrupted her. "Hello, ma'am."
She turned to see a man in a trench coat, whose presence felt oddly familiar, like meeting someone from her homeland.
"Who are you? You're not from here. This is a military camp... you could get arrested for sneaking in," she said.
The man smiled. "You could call for help, for your reputation's sake. But I'd rather we talk. You're a Servant, here for this world, aren't you?"
The woman studied him closely. Young, handsome, clearly from a wealthy... perhaps noble... family, not a mere merchant's.
She tilted her head slightly. "What do you want? Are you saying you're here to save the world?"
"Exactly. I have one question: who holds the Holy Grail right now?"
She shook her head. "That's no secret. Ask anyone, and you'll get the answer."
Morpheus pressed, "Is it with the British forces?"
"Yes, though not the British you might know. This time, the king is Mad King Cú Chulainn... a monster. If you want to face him, you'll need allies. Whether from our side or the other, you'll fail alone."
Morpheus grinned. "No worries. I'll give it a shot. Worst case, I die."
"If you get injured, come find me. I'm decent at healing," she offered.
Morpheus gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Miss Nightingale."
"You know who I am?"
"Yes. I had a hunch the moment I saw you, and our chat confirmed it. If possible, I'd like to know more about the American side... not military secrets, just their guiding principles."
"Principles?"
"Yes. Are they fighting for the world's freedom, or is someone aiming for tyranny?"
Nightingale, the British nurse who, in this era, should still be alive as a woman in her fifties, looked troubled. This woman, who fought in wars, founded modern nursing, and established nurse education, wore a faint frown.
"The American forces are led by Edison. He plans to use the Holy Grail to reshape this era, sustain it, and protect it from incineration, creating what he believes is an ideal world."
"How ideal?"
"A world ruled by him, where he's the king…"
It wasn't a secret, no need to hide it. Morpheus frowned slightly. "Sorry, Miss Nightingale, I'm here to save the world, but the current American side isn't my ally. I despise their so-called leader."
"I can tell you don't like him."
"It's his idea I hate. A nation meant to be free, ruled by a dictator king? That's laughable. If he succeeds, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights... they'd cease to exist. That's unacceptable."
Nightingale looked helpless, hesitating before saying, "You should leave quietly, as you came, without alerting anyone."
"Thank you. We'll meet again. But before I go, can I take a photo?"
"A photo?"
"We're from Chaldea, an organization fighting for humanity. We summon Servants through pseudo-random means, so we photograph Servants we encounter in Singularities to use as Saint Graphs... catalysts for summoning.
"You have remarkable medical skills. I'd love to summon you to join us in the future."
Nightingale considered, then gave a small smile and nodded.
With her consent, Morpheus snapped over a dozen photos before leaving the camp, rejoining Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others outside.
"I'm back."
Fujimaru Ritsuka eagerly asked, "How'd it go? What'd you talk about?"
"Yeah, spill it," Olga Marie added.
Morpheus recounted the conversation, then looked at them. "So, that's the situation. Cú Chulainn leads the British forces, called a monster by Nightingale. They're our target. The Americans have a madman too... Edison, of all people, has lost it…"
Morpheus rubbed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
Stay calm. This is the Nasuverse... insanity is par for the course…
"So, our only allies are the third faction?"
"Right. They don't align with either side, like a free army…" Morpheus muttered. "Feels like something out of a sci-fi war story."
Two major powers fighting, both imperial, while scattered rebels unite to resist them.
Olga Marie asked, "You're going straight to the British forces?"
"Yup. I'll head there and resolve this era's issue as fast as possible."
Morpheus glanced at Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others. "You assist the third faction. Don't forget to take photos. If needed, call me for help... assuming I haven't resolved things yet. If it's that tough, you'll need to team up with other Servants to fight."
"Got it. Don't worry!" Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded, standing up. Morpheus turned to Jeanne Alter. "You go too. Together, you'll be stronger."
Jeanne Alter sighed. "Not following my Master and sticking with others? I must be the only Servant doing this."
"Not really. In the Holy Grail War, some have used similar tactics, sending Servants with others while they do something else," Morpheus chuckled. "You're strong enough to protect Mash and the others from surprises."
"Fine, I get it," Jeanne Alter nodded. The group wasted no time, splitting up to act.
As Morpheus headed toward the British forces, he suddenly frowned, stopping in his tracks.
A woman appeared before him, her purple hair and striking attire catching his eye.
Smiling, Morpheus said, "Scáthach, why are you stopping me?"
Scáthach's expression flickered with surprise. "You know me?"
"Yes. Queen of the Land of Shadows, Cú Chulainn's teacher. Are you here to stop me from killing him?"
Scáthach, a wildly popular figure in the Nasuverse, was instantly recognizable to Morpheus, even if he wasn't deeply into the lore.
Her spear pointed at him. "You're just a human. Do you think you can defeat Cú Chulainn, a Servant?"
Morpheus replied calmly, "No worries. If I can't beat him, I'll destroy this era, this world, and reduce everything to nothing."
"Oh? You think you can destroy this era?" Scáthach's interest piqued. This human seemed ordinary... flesh and blood, no discernible power... yet carried a Servant's aura.
For a human to claim he could destroy an era intrigued her.
"Your idea's not far from mine. I've considered destroying this era too. Cú Chulainn's grown so powerful, even I can't defeat him easily," Scáthach said, smiling at Morpheus. "So, human, do you still think facing him is wise?"
"I'm Morpheus, Morpheus Fraga McRemitz. You can call me Morpheus. The Fraga McRemitz family are Cú Chulainn's descendants, though I'm just an adopted son, no blood relation."
Scáthach blinked, surprised to meet someone tied to Cú Chulainn's lineage, even without blood ties, bearing his name.
The young man smiled at her. "Whether facing Cú Chulainn is wise isn't for you or me to decide."
"Then who? Cú Chulainn?"
"No. The ones who survive this. They'll judge," Morpheus said. "If I face him and die, I'm reckless. If I kill him, I'm decisive and brave. If I die wounding him, giving others a chance, I'm the sacrifice that paves the way for victory."
His smile was radiant as he faced the Queen of the Land of Shadows.
"So, do you understand, Miss Scáthach?"
"You're very confident."
"Fairly. I've faced plenty of strong foes. They're dead, I'm alive. That builds confidence."
"Strong foes?"
"Yup. Like fighting giants with the Greek gods or battling Typhon. Those count as strong, right?"
Scáthach stared, stunned. As a figure from the Age of Myths, she'd heard tales. After a long pause, she said, "You're the Magus who resolved so much in Greece, then vanished?!"
"Probably me, though I'm a magician, not a Magus. If you're still worried about my strength, we can spar. But I'd like you to agree to something if I win."
"What?"
Morpheus smiled faintly. "If I win, tell me about Cú Chulainn and the British forces' current state."
***
If you enjoyed this story, don't forget to drop 5 stars and your power stone. And if you want to read more than 70 chapters in advance, feel free to visit: pat reon . com / KangTL