How much time had passed since he lost consciousness?
The homunculus sat up, surprised to be alive. Damp ground. Moss-covered rocks. Trees swaying in the wind. The scenery was no different from right before he lost consciousness, and yet, those bright smiles were no longer around him.
The stillness of the forest air. The sense of emptiness emanating from it seeped into the very core of his being. It was something he had never felt when Rider was by his side.
"This is…"
In the homunculus's hand was a single sword. From the sword housed in its plainly decorated scabbard, he could sense a hint of magical energy. He possessed first-class magic circuits. As a completed specimen of a magus, he could immediately understand the nature of this sword.
This sword was a fine weapon, but more than that, its significance as a Mystic Code was greater. It seemed capable of casting healing magic and a simple form of perception obstruction. Thanks to this sword, the homunculus had essentially managed to escape death.
"Archer…"
He was the only person who had reached out to help him who could be considered the sword's owner.
Rider didn't have this sword, and Saber, who had finally resolved himself to admonish his Master for his sake, shouldn't have possessed magical abilities either. The red Archer of unknown identity, yet with an honest character.
Just their absence made him feel helpless.
For the homunculus, Rider and Archer were among his few understanding protectors. And Saber, who had tried to save his life even if it meant opposing his Master. Thanks to these three heroic spirits, the homunculus was here now.
What a miracle.
He took a deep breath, filled his lungs with air, and slowly exhaled.
There was no pain. The healing magecraft had treated the wounds the homunculus had received.
Just breathing in and out. He never thought this simple series of actions could feel so liberating. The homunculus now felt the reality of being alive. Liberation from the days spent cowering in fear of death. The start of a new life. That time was now.
He had to walk.
The homunculus decided to get out of the forest, no matter what. He would look for a nearby house. Getting away from the Millennia Fortress was the most important thing. If he were caught, he would surely die this time.
His saviors, the three heroic spirits, would now return to the Holy Grail War.
A desperate battle where even heroes whose names were etched in history could not easily survive.
If that was their duty, then his duty was to survive. To burn this life they had entrusted to him to the very end was both his courtesy and his obligation.
His protectors were gone.
The days of being a fledgling under their protection ended today.
He, who had even struggled to walk, was finally released from his cage and gained freedom. In exchange, he had to stand on his own feet and keep walking. But that was only the natural course of things, as he couldn't be protected forever. Rather, he should be grateful to them for protecting and caring for him this far.
He was quickly out of breath, his heart pounding as if it would burst. His legs grew hot in an instant, aching in protest. But that was proof of life.
A necessary pain for living out his short life.
The thought that he alone was escaping the battle tugged at the back of his mind, but the homunculus kept walking forward.
Darnic sighed in his study.
Though nearly a century had passed, his handsome features showed no signs of decay. Instead, they betrayed the worries of leading an organization.
It felt like a considerable amount of time had passed since they declared their secession from the Mage's Association and began the Holy Grail War.
For half a century, he had continued to conceal the Greater Grail, biding his time as a traitor within the Mage's Association, all for the sake of winning this war.
Known by the epithet 'Darnic of the Eight Tongues', his outstanding abilities shone in the field of politics. The fact that Yggdmillennia had been ignored until now, allowing them to launch the Holy Grail War by catching the Mage's Association off guard, was largely thanks to Darnic's political skills.
The preparations had been perfect. He spent half a century enriching his clan, using lecturer positions within the Mage's Association as a disguise to lull them into complacency, deployed intelligence agents across various regions, and prepared a flawless setup to face the Holy Grail War.
But war, in any era and under any circumstances, is a living thing. Darnic was made painfully aware of this in this conflict as well.
From the declaration of war to this day, several unforeseen events had occurred, even for the schemer Darnic.
First, the activation of the Holy Grail's backup system.
Originally, Darnic had not anticipated a Holy Grail War. His plan was to conduct a war within the clan and monopolize the Grail for Yggdmillennia. That's why it wasn't a problem if the spiritual ranks of the Servants other than his own were low. It was practically guaranteed that the Lancer he summoned would ultimately claim victory.
However, the fifty assassins sent by the Mage's Association shattered that premise.
The surviving magus successfully activated the backup system, resulting in the Mage's Association intervening in the form of a Holy Grail War. To make matters worse, the Mage's Association assembled a group of heroic spirits more powerful than those of the "Black" faction. The fact that he had deliberately left the search for catalysts to individual members, to ensure his own survival in an intra-clan war, had now backfired. If Darnic had taken the lead in gathering catalysts himself, he might have obtained catalysts capable of summoning Servants with higher specifications.
Second, the existence of Archer.
He was more than just unidentified. An unknown hero who used the extraordinary magecraft of Projection for his Noble Phantasm, whose True Name wasn't even known. Darnic had scoured historical texts but found no magus corresponding to this heroic spirit.
But now, this Archer was also a valuable asset.
Third, the absence of Assassin.
The Assassin who should belong to the "Black" faction was summoned, yet contact was impossible. His current whereabouts were unknown. At worst, he might even be on the enemy's side.
They had acquired the "Red" Berserker, but that was merely a weapon to be used up on the battlefield. The absence of Assassin only benefited the enemy.
And fourth, Caster's ultimate Noble Phantasm remained incomplete.
Caster, the Golem-user, naturally had a Golem as his Noble Phantasm: the A+ Rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, 'Crown: Golem Kether Malchut - Light of Wisdom'. Darnic had spent thirty percent of his assets just to gather the materials for it. But that alone was still insufficient. This Noble Phantasm required a core reactor. That reactor was something even Darnic could not easily obtain.
Namely, a first-rate magus.
Such a thing was impossible for Yggdmillennia to prepare, given that even among its Masters there were only second-rate magi.
The only alternative was said to be a homunculus that had spontaneously developed talent, but that one had been protected by Rider and the others.
As a pure-blooded magus, Darnic could not understand why Rider, Saber, and Archer would go so far to save a single homunculus. Logically speaking, using a consumable item to compensate for a situation that should require an irreplaceable magus was the superior plan. Frankly, he would have liked to chase and capture it even now. But he couldn't. Both Saber and Archer, two of the highest-ranking members of their own faction, were protecting the homunculus. The main instigator, Rider, was still a valuable combat asset. Trampling on their feelings would risk splitting the "Black" faction in two.
Because Darnic could think calmly and logically, he could respect them not as a magus, but as a strategist.
Furthermore, a major reason for not pursuing the homunculus was that Lancer had expressed understanding of their actions as befitting heroic spirits.
He could not oppose a matter endorsed by the Lord he revered.
Above all, they had been lucky this time.
He had heard that Saber was prepared to offer his own heart to save the homunculus's life.
If Archer hadn't stopped him, they would have lost their trump card, Saber, over a trivial squabble. The irreplaceable Saber versus Caster's Noble Phantasm, for which alternative methods could be sought. It should go without saying which took priority.
"Troublesome."
He sighed again.
If Caster's Noble Phantasm could be activated, there wasn't a chance in a million they would lose.
However, if Saber were lost, there would be no one to hold back the "Red" Lancer. The enemy Saber was also powerful. Since they couldn't afford to lose combat strength, they also couldn't make the decision to pursue the homunculus. Forcing the issue and pursuing the homunculus would create an uneasy atmosphere within the faction. There was the option of binding them with Command Spells, but that would prevent them from facing the enemy at full strength. They were already inferior in quality. He wanted to use Command Spells as boosts whenever possible.
Considering all circumstances, he had requested that Caster stand down this time.
As a fellow magus, he could understand Caster's enthusiasm for creating his golems. In fact, Darnic believed he understood Caster as well as he understood Vlad III among the heroic spirits summoned this time.
Clearing one's tarnished name. He could empathize greatly with the wish of Vlad III, who was summoned for that single purpose. And regarding their attitude towards magecraft, he could also find common ground with Caster—Avicebron.
However, precisely because he was a magus through and through, the thought processes of heroic spirits were beyond his comprehension.
Moreover, kings and knights prioritized different policies. As for Archer, it was unclear whether he was a magus or a knight.
A faction with a mix of diverse personalities. Furthermore, each one was a heroic spirit, with mental strength surpassing that of humans. It sounded splendid, but a situation where everyone was a protagonist was nerve-wracking for the one giving the orders.
"But it hasn't reached the worst-case scenario."
Yes, not yet. It wasn't a hopeless situation yet.
Except for Assassin, their faction was intact and organized. On top of that, they had Spartacus the Berserker. They also had the impregnable fortress, the Millennia Fortress. As for the command headaches, things were working out thanks to Darnic's own ingenuity and the shared recognition that Lancer was their king. And most importantly, their Lancer was none other than Vlad III. Romania's greatest hero. The Impaler Prince. His parameters were nearly maxed out, and his Skill turned the surrounding area into his own territory.
As long as the battle took place in Romania, he could not be defeated.
How to obtain a first-rate magus. That was the current dilemma.
"For a moment there, I wondered what would happen," Rider said with his usual cheerful expression as they walked towards their private rooms.
The three heroic spirits, who had been questioned regarding the intentional release of the homunculus, were released without any significant punishment. It was, of course, because harming the homunculus, whom half of their combat strength—the three Servants—unanimously protected, was impossible.
"I thought they might even use a Command Spell or something."
"It's impossible to consume a Command Spell for something like this, especially in the early stages of the war. All the more so for a magus like Darnic."
"Hahaha, I thought so. Still, it was unexpected that Lancer was in such a good mood."
Archer's perfectly reasonable answer made Rider break into a smile.
"He holds proud deeds in high esteem. Dignity, will, loyalty, things like that. He probably couldn't, as a hero, deny Rider's actions which upheld those values," said Saber, who had broken his own restraints, analyzing Lancer.
Lancer was participating in this war to reclaim his pride. Therefore, he would never tolerate actions that wounded that pride. Conversely, he would likely praise actions that upheld it. Interfering with the enemy was one thing, but all they lost was a single homunculus. It didn't balance against a hero's pride.
"I wonder if he'll be alright," Rider's expression momentarily shifted to one of concern.
"Who knows," Archer said with a shrug.
"Archer. Couldn't you at least say he'll probably be fine?"
"How he lives in the outside world is no longer our concern. Worrying is your prerogative, but if you remain like a mother who can't let go of her child, your future looks bleak."
"Whoa, that's harsh. Well, I knew that though."
"You two are too idealistic. Even if I pretend to be a realist, it's still two against one. The overall balance should be maintained, no?"
"Wait, Archer. Could you please stop subtly counting me as the same type as Rider? I am not as straightforward a man as he is."
"Is that a compliment? Or an insult?" Rider tilted his head and asked Saber.
"By the way, Saber. Your Master?" Archer asked. Saber's Master, Gordes, had been knocked unconscious by Saber himself.
"He's resting in his room now. He should wake up soon."
"The problem is after he wakes up."
Saber nodded with a gloomy expression.
Gordes did not fully trust Saber. Saber's actions this time must have severely wounded Gordes's pride.
"I will speak with him again. I won't repeat the same mistake."
"I see. Well, that's good then."
After a pause, Saber said,
"It seems my Master has awoken. I'll take my leave now."
"Good luck, Saber!" Rider called out to Saber's retreating back.
Serving a difficult Master was hard on a Servant. It wasn't a Servant's job to curry favor with their Master, and yet.