Ishtar didn't stick around for long.
Though she was absolutely furious and wanted to take Gilgamesh out, the crowd present clearly wouldn't let her have her way.
In the end, after spotting the symbol of the Gorgon on Ana's head and pausing to think it over, she finally took off from Uruk.
Gilgamesh didn't linger to chat with Castorice and the others either—his time was precious, with piles of official duties demanding his attention. After a brief meeting, Castorice soon left the palace with Merlin.
As for Castorice's arrangements in Uruk, Gilgamesh gave her considerable freedom. Aside from specific tasks he assigned, she was permitted to move about the city as she pleased.
Naturally, if any particularly challenging missions came up, Gilgamesh would still call upon Castorice.
"Something on your mind, Merlin?"
Walking along the road, Castorice glanced at Merlin, who had been lost in thought since they left. She couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Hmm, there's one thing. By my calculations, the Master from Chaldea should have arrived in Uruk by now, but so far I haven't heard a single word about them. It's really unusual. Could something have happened along the way?"
Merlin scratched his head, looking troubled.
Given the severity of the current situation, the Chaldean Master's command spells could provide a huge advantage in battle.
After all, a single command spell could allow a Servant to go all out once—that kind of power was far too valuable.
Without support from Chaldea, many Servants probably wouldn't be able to fight at their full strength.
Castorice didn't comment on that, but she soon noticed Merlin looking at her with a somewhat strange expression.
"What does that have to do with me?"
She had a feeling this guy was up to no good...
"No, no, Miss Castorice, you're forgetting something—you also have magic circuits within you. That means you have the potential to become a Master too."
Merlin smiled as he looked at Castorice.
A question mark slowly formed above Castorice's head.
So, the system modified me when I transmigrated?
I shouldn't have this kind of thing by default.
But even if I do, it's not a big deal.
After all, Castorice doesn't have command spells. Without the effects of command spells, the most she could do is act as a battery for a Servant.
The main point is, Castorice is plenty powerful on her own—she hardly needs a Servant to help her fight...
"Well, don't worry, Miss Castorice, I understand your concerns. However, I was thinking you could form a contract with Ana. As a Servant without a Master, Ana's strength is somewhat limited at the moment. If the two of you formed a contract, it might make a difference at a critical moment."
Merlin made his suggestion.
"Ana, what do you think?"
Castorice didn't give her own opinion, instead turning to Ana.
If it was Ana, it wouldn't be so bad.
After all, she didn't dislike this little one—in fact, she was quite fond of her.
"I wouldn't mind having you as my Master... but let's not. It's not like what happens to humanity in the end is any of my business anyway..."
Ana was taken aback for a moment, then spoke softly, her gaze sweeping over the others nearby.
In her heart, there was still some lingering distance. But when you recall what happened in the myths after the Gorgon sisters moved to the island, it wasn't so surprising.
"Why do I feel like that look you just gave me was a little rude?"
Merlin quipped from the side.
"Not at all. If you feel offended, then that's on you."
Ana turned her face away and replied flatly.
"Uh..."
Merlin scratched the back of his head and simply smiled.
Ana didn't have much fondness for Merlin's smooth-talking ways. Of course, the bigger reason might have been that a couple of days ago, Merlin had tricked her out of a piece of candy that Castorice had given her.
How awful, Merlin! Stealing candy from a child!
Since Ana hadn't yet resolved the conflicts in her heart, neither Merlin nor Castorice brought the matter up again.
It was a bit of a shame that Castorice couldn't summon a Servant herself—otherwise, she would have loved to give it a try.
To be honest, Castorice was curious about who she might summon if she could. Maybe she could summon some fictional Heroic Spirit?
If it were really possible, wouldn't summoning someone like Kratos make her unstoppable?
Or maybe summon some ultimate warrior and send them into battle...
If she could summon her fellow Chrysos Heir companions as Servants, dealing with the situation here might become much simpler.
That evening, to celebrate Castorice's arrival, Siduri organized a small welcome party.
Gilgamesh didn't attend. Even after the sun had set, he remained in his palace, buried in official work.
The intensity of his workload made even Merlin's scalp tingle, and he remarked outright that an ordinary person would have died from overwork by now.
At the table, Castorice also met several other Servants.
The King of Sparta, Leonidas I; the famous Japanese historical warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune, also known as Ushiwakamaru; and her retainer, Musashibou Benkei.
Though these Servants weren't considered particularly rare in the game, in reality, their combat abilities were exceptionally high.
With her incredible speed, Ushiwakamaru moved through the battlefield as if it were empty space, and Leonidas was much the same.
That Uruk remained as solid as a fortress was due in no small part to him and his three hundred warriors.
The title "King of Flame" wasn't just for show.
"You know, Miss Castorice, your abilities are truly fearsome. To think you can deliver death just by touch? That kind of power must be incredibly useful on the battlefield. If not for your abilities, the number of survivors returning would likely have been much lower."
Beside her, Ushiwakamaru sat down with a cup of barley wine, completely unbothered by the aura of death surrounding Castorice.
Castorice could even feel the warmth emanating from her.
As long as no direct skin contact was made, it was fine—a faint aura like this wouldn't affect a Servant.
"It's true on the battlefield, but life isn't only lived in battle. And taking lives so easily is a terrifying thing."
"It must be hard for you."
"Hmm?"
Castorice saw the gentle look in Ushiwakamaru's eyes, paused for a moment, then shook her head slightly.
"Every power has its purpose. Though this ability has brought me more pain than anything, without it, those survivors wouldn't have made it back to Uruk safely, right?"
As she spoke, a faint smile appeared on Castorice's face.
She had always been kind-hearted—otherwise, she wouldn't have challenged a truck to save someone.
Nearby, Ana watched Castorice, her own thoughts unknown.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.