After taking breaks along the way, the homunculus emerged from the forest.
The forest, protected by a barrier, had been devoid of even the sound of birds, but when he reached a place beyond the barrier's influence, he felt as if the world had suddenly gained 'color'.
It was an illusion caused by the sudden increase in stimuli received by his five senses, but everything was a first-time experience for the homunculus, and it felt fresh.
He had never even heard birdsong before. He only knew of the outside world through knowledge. Actually feeling the wind on his skin and hearing the chirping of birds with his own ears was a first for him.
So, this was how radiant the world was?
The homunculus couldn't suppress the quickening beat of his heart.
This moving emotion towards the brilliant world was perhaps unique to an innocent being like him, who could perceive the world with pure sensibility.
It had taken nearly half a day to get through the forest.
Fortunately, there had been no pursuers, and he had managed to put a considerable distance between himself and the Millennia Fortress.
"I wonder if the others are alright..."
The Rider, Archer, and Saber who had helped him.
The reasons why the "Black" faction had to secure a mere homunculus like himself were now impossible to ascertain.
He fully understood that his body was fragile and wouldn't last long in the outside world. Even so, he absolutely could not and would not allow himself to simply collapse and die. The "Black" Masters, being pure mages, believed a single homunculus could do nothing, and he had counted on that overconfidence creating an opportunity for him to escape. However, for some reason, Caster had been eager to retrieve him, ultimately even mobilizing Saber to bring him back. In the end, because Saber showed defiance, things had worked out, but that definitely must have gone against the intentions of their Master.
He couldn't possibly complain, since they had stuck their necks out for him. But if doing so had plunged them into adversity————.
While being caught in a whirlpool of thoughts, the homunculus never stopped walking.
When he stepped out under the sunlight, it felt as if the anxiety gnawing at his heart had been dispelled. He felt, from the bottom of his heart, that he was truly free now.
It was then that he met her.
The clash between "Black" and "Red" was, even by Ruler's estimates, a very small one, with zero damage to the town. Only a few trees in the forest were blown away, making it not much different from a typical Holy Grail War.
At this point, one Servant had been incorporated into "Black", making the combat forces seven for "Black" against six for "Red". As a result of their cunning schemes, "Black" had brilliantly overturned the numerical disadvantage.
Whether one considered the difference of one Servant to be large or small would likely depend on which camp one asked.
The one who switched sides was a Berserker-class Servant. It was a class often defeated in the early stages of most Holy Grail Wars, and in this Great Holy Grail War, to put it bluntly, they were undoubtedly treated as mere 'weapons'. If they were just weapons, it wouldn't be a problem to dispose of them. However, if that weapon fell into enemy hands, the situation changed.
In short, how much the weapon's power influenced the balance of forces depended on just how powerful that weapon was.
Judging by that "Red" Berserker, it would be difficult to employ them properly. On the other hand, it was also clear at a glance that they were an extremely powerful Servant. Having them defect from the "Red" camp to the "Black" camp just before a full-scale war was undoubtedly a painful blow for "Red".
Anyway, it was probably best to maintain a watchful stance for now.
Both camps' Berserkers were now inside the "Black" Millennia Fortress. The possibility of the 'Berserker street battle' she had been worried about had significantly decreased, which was a relief.
"It seems there were no particularly major problems."
Ruler, having slipped into the darkness of night to inspect the aftermath of the battle, came to that conclusion.
Although this was an exceptionally rare Great Holy Grail War with seven versus seven Servants, this particular battle hadn't been one to overturn the basics of Servant combat.
The concealment from the eyes of ordinary people – a golden rule of battle – was completely maintained, and all the Servants who sallied forth fought with power appropriate to their respective classes. She was surprised that "Red" Rider was a great hero on par with "Red" Lancer, but "Black" Archer, who managed to wound that Rider, couldn't be ignored either. A hero possessing the concept of immortality held an inherent advantage. What broke that advantage was the long-range sniping using countless Noble Phantasms. Even by Servant standards, that was insane. The "Red" camp's leading figures were Lancer and Rider. These two were undoubtedly their trump cards. In contrast, all three Knight-class Servants of the "Black" camp were excellent. In terms of quality, the "Red" camp undoubtedly had the edge, but even so, "Black" Lancer and "Black" Saber were top-tier Servants. And "Black" Archer, while their true name was unknown, possessed a number of Noble Phantasms that left all others in the dust. As long as they focused on sniping, Archer would be a terrifyingly powerful wall for the "Red" camp.
In other words, both camps possessed the potential to seal the enemy's trump cards.
Although the Great Holy Grail War had begun in earnest, it was still too early to make a judgment based solely on last night's skirmish. It was better to assume that their actual combat power was evenly matched.
"Haa..."
After finishing the necessary tasks, Ruler let out a sigh.
As a result, Ruler's investigation had ended without yielding any findings.
She had worked through the night on this investigation purely to dispel an unfounded unease.
Something was wrong.
She had that kind of baseless conviction.
She hoped it was just her imagination, but she felt there was some fatal discrepancy. Until she grasped its true nature, she couldn't rest easy.
So, the only clue was the fact that the "Red" camp had targeted Ruler?
"U..."
Ruler leaned a hand against a nearby tree.
It seemed her body was demanding sleep.
A normal Servant wouldn't need to sleep. However, Ruler had manifested by possessing the real, flesh-and-body French girl, Laeticia. Consequently, this body required both food and sleep, just like any living girl.
"Ku... I mustn't even think about sleeping for a moment."
Pinching her cheek, Ruler decided to leave the forest and return to the church where she was staying.
With the sun beginning to rise, the Great Holy Grail War would likely be forced into a brief lull. She didn't think a full-scale battle would occur during the day. Moreover, they had just clashed the previous night. Both camps should now be busy analyzing and organizing information.
Given that, there should be enough time for Ruler to return to the attic room of the church and get some sleep.
The problem was whether she could actually make it to the church.
This intense sleepiness and hunger were difficult to endure even with Ruler's mental fortitude.
As she emerged from the dim forest, Ruler bathed in the sunlight and managed to disperse her sleepiness a little.
"Ah, that's right. I think I received something at the church..."
Having removed her armor and helmet and changed back into her simple casual clothes, Ruler searched her pocket.
"That's it, um, it was... gum..."
The thing Sister Alma had called candy was a slab-like food wrapped in silver paper.
It had a refreshing, fragrant scent. The smell of mint alone was enough to blow away sleepiness. According to her knowledge, you weren't supposed to swallow it, but the current Ruler was confident she could digest anything she put in her mouth. She was so desperate that she was at the point of debating whether tree roots or gum would be better to put in her stomach.
"Thank you for the food."
Although gum was an unknown food to Ruler, it was commonly eaten, so she didn't hesitate to put it in her mouth.
And then, Ruler cheerfully unwrapped it and tossed the gum into her mouth.
"Gobuu!"
Instantly, a cooling sensation, as if burning her tongue and throat, slammed into Ruler.
She reflexively covered her mouth.
It was mind-numbingly suu-suu. Just breathing made her throat feel cold. Her sleepiness was obliterated in a single blow.
"A, hia, wh-what is this?!"
She had thought mint was just for flavoring, and since it was candy, it would taste sweet, but that wasn't the case at all.
On a country road with no one else around, she writhed in agony alone.
The intense, skull-piercing coolness was a first-time experience. Being a pure country girl, Ruler hadn't been blessed with particularly fine dining, and she herself was more of a hearty eater than a gourmet. But even she couldn't recognize this as food.
"The state of modern confectionery is complex and bizarre..."
While complaining, she continued chewing without spitting it out, because she knew that moving her jaw would help suppress her hunger.
It took a considerable amount of time to get used to it.
But once she got used to it, it wasn't so bad.
Just as she saw a glimmer of hope that it might last until she reached the church, she suddenly felt someone's gaze on her and turned around.
And their eyes met.
There stood a young man. He had crimson eyes and silver hair, the exact opposite of her own. She honestly thought he was beautiful. His overly perfect, inorganic features were accompanied by an air that conveyed a definite sense of will.
And Ruler knew him. More precisely, she knew the dolls of the same type as him – homunculi, artificial lifeforms created through alchemy.
They were supposed to have been manufactured by the "Black" camp as advance troops, so why was one here alone?
That homunculus was looking at Ruler with a troubled expression.
"Um... is something wrong with me?"
Asked this, the homunculus, still with the same troubled expression, replied.
"My apologies if I offended you. It's just that you were crouching and scratching your head, acting rather strangely, so I wondered if something was wrong."
"Gu..."
That was probably when she was writhing in agony from the mint gum and complaining incessantly.
He had been watching her?
Ruler's face turned red, and she grumpily clenched the gum between her back teeth.
"Th-that's fine. Yes. It's already been resolved."
"You resolved it yourself? That's good."
"..."
Ruler fell silent and looked at the homunculus.
Didn't he belong to the "Black" camp? Previously, the Master of "Black" Saber had tried to recruit Ruler.
Thinking about it wouldn't help. She decided to ask him directly.
"Aren't you a homunculus from Yggdmillennia?"
When she asked that, the change in the homunculus's expression made Ruler forget herself for a moment. What she saw was astonishment. And behind that, she sensed fear. Clearly, this homunculus was afraid of Ruler.
"...Are you a mage?"
Saying this, the homunculus backed away as if putting distance between himself and Ruler, clumsily drawing a dagger. The slender dagger looked large even in his thin hands. And that dagger, which had been concealed by magecraft, was unmistakably a Mystic Code.
"W-wait, please! You are a homunculus manufactured by the 'Black' camp, aren't you?"
"...That's correct. From the way you speak, are you a Master from the 'Red' side? No, even so, this is..."
The homunculus looked at Ruler as if confused. He probably couldn't sense any magical energy from Ruler, which would be unusual for a Master. That was because Ruler was currently suppressing her magical energy to conserve energy.
From this brief exchange, it was clear that this homunculus hadn't approached Ruler because he knew she was Ruler, but had simply come close out of goodwill to help her.
"Ah, um, anyway, I am not your enemy."
The homunculus young man showed a slight hint of doubt, but he sheathed his dagger and turned to face Ruler properly.
"Ah, you'll believe me?"
"Yeah, somehow. Besides, someone writhing in agony like that here is hard to imagine as being affiliated with the 'Red' camp."
"Let's drop that subject!"
Ruler said, her face red.
"I am the Ruler-class Servant summoned to oversee this Great Holy Grail War. Are you familiar with the Ruler class?"
"Ah, yes. I've heard that class name. I've heard they possess special privileges."
"Yes, that's right. Of course, I will not abuse that authority. However, I anticipate situations where
I may have no choice but to use it. For that purpose, I was inspecting the battle scars from last night."
"I see. So you're gathering information."
"Yes"
The homunculus seemed convinced by Ruler's straightforward explanation. The fact that he understood so easily was partly due to Ruler's skills, but more than that, it was probably because this homunculus was pure-hearted. He possessed an innocent soul that didn't know suspicion, like a newborn baby.
"Let me ask you again, you are one of the homunculi prepared by the 'Black' side, correct?"
"Ah, yes. But I don't belong to them. During last night's battle, I seized an opportunity and escaped."
"Eh? Escaped?"
The homunculus nodded.
"But, how?"
"It would have been impossible for me alone. But Rider, Archer, and Saber helped me. Thanks to them, I am here now."
Upon hearing those words, Ruler felt shock, and at the same time, a sudden surge of happiness welled up from the depths of her heart.
In the midst of this brutal Holy Grail War, Servants had cooperated to let a single homunculus escape.
Even though each was summoned to this world with their own wish, they hadn't prioritized that alone, but had maintained their pride and dignity as heroes. That made her unbearably happy.
"I see. The Servants saved you."
"Yeah."
Then, the dagger he had drawn earlier must have been a parting gift from those Servants. The dagger, enchanted with healing and perception-blocking magecraft, was essential magic for his fragile existence to survive.
"Then, you must survive at all costs."
"Of course. I don't know what the future holds, but being taken back there to die is the last thing I want. Besides, if I were to die a meaningless death, I'd feel sorry for them."
As long as his resolve was that strong, he would probably be alright.
Of course, the worries were significant. A homunculus's body was fragile, and their lifespan short. He could probably blend into the populace easily using magecraft, so that wasn't a major concern, but he had nothing to guarantee his livelihood.
Thinking that, something suddenly occurred to her.
"That's right. There's a church where I'm staying. How would you like to stay there for a while?"
The homunculus seemed bewildered by the sudden proposal.
It was only natural. Being told such a thing by someone you just met would rightly make anyone cautious. Even so, having encountered this homunculus whom other Servants had collectively saved, she felt she couldn't just ignore his existence and leave him be.
"At a church?"
"Yes. A church is a place that extends a helping hand to lost lambs. I'm sure it will be of help to you."
At Ruler's words, the homunculus thought for a moment.
However, having nowhere else to go was an undeniable fact. In that regard, Ruler's offer was a welcome one.
"Alright. Then I'll take you up on your kind offer."
"Yes, then let me guide you."
Saying that, Ruler began walking ahead of the homunculus.
"Ah, by the way, what should I call you?"
"Let's see... I don't have a name yet. If you like, could you give me one?"
"Is that alright? Understood. Then, I shall presumptuously become your godmother. Let's see...
How about shortening 'Homunculus' to 'Homu-kun'?"
"Hmm, I don't really get it, but I somehow feel that's not it."
"Ehh~"
Ruler looked shocked and dejected, trudging along dejectedly.