For Artoria, this manifestation was undoubtedly filled with surprises and wonders.
Mordred, Morgan, Merry, Gray... and her Master. There were too many things connected to her, to an almost unnatural degree, making her wonder if this summoning was some kind of fate.
Of course, having a good Master was also a positive thing. If she had met a Master who was incompatible in every way, it would have been a terrible situation. But looking at things now, Artoria felt quite compatible with Naoki.
"Oh, by the way, Saber, keep this safe."
After Gray briefly introduced herself to Rei and Atalanta, Naoki tossed something to Artoria.
She caught it reflexively, and upon examining it closely, Artoria was stunned.
"This… is my scabbard?"
"A sacred relic found ten years ago—it's your lost scabbard, right? Don't lose it again this time." Naoki said with a smile. "The Holy Sword can only defeat all enemies from the outside. Only the scabbard can protect everything. Isn't that right?"
Artoria couldn't help but smile.
This was a question Merlin had once asked her.
"I understand, Master. This time, I will protect you with this scabbard. No matter who the enemy is, I will definitely defeat them."
"Alright, I'll leave it to you."
Seeing the camaraderie between Master and Servant, Mordred, lounging on a chair, displayed a somewhat complicated expression.
This was the first time she had seen Father King like this. In her memories, the living Artoria was mostly serious and rarely smiled. Mordred had almost never seen her act gently.
And now, watching Father King speak so warmly with her Master, Mordred couldn't help but wonder if this was a different person.
"Mordred, do you know what you look like right now?"
Merry suddenly approached.
"Huh? What do I look like?"
"Like a little puppy sulking because its idol is getting cozy with someone else."
*BANG!*
"Hahaha~ You're mad~"
Seeing Merry casually float away, Mordred, infuriated by her words, immediately donned her full armor. "You damn Merry, stop right there! I'll cut you down!"
"Uwaaah~~ King and Lia, help me, your kid wants to kill me!"
"Oh, well, go ahead and die once then. Mordred, hit harder."
Faced with Merry's plea for help, Naoki didn't react at all—in fact, he egged Mordred on. With her Master's permission, Mordred chased even faster.
But before she could catch up, Artoria stepped in her path.
"That's enough, Sir Mordred. I just praised you for growing up and becoming more mature, but now it seems you still can't hold back when provoked. This isn't good. As a knight, controlling your emotions is a must."
"Father King… it's just, I can control myself, but this succubus is too annoying! She's just like that jerk Merlin! I can't stand it!"
As she spoke, Mordred saw Merry stick out her tongue again, and the anger that had briefly subsided due to Artoria flared up once more!
"Merry!"
"Hahahahaha~~"
Seeing this familiar scene play out again, Naoki and the others could only sigh and give wry smiles.
(It looks like things will be quite lively for a while.)
"Well then, it's getting late. Since Artoria-sama has been summoned, it's probably time for us to rest." Rei suggested with a smile. "Considering the number of rooms, Artoria-sama, could you share a room with Mordred-sama?"
Mordred: "W-What… Ehhhhhhh—!"
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Meanwhile, in a small coastal town in France.
Inside an inn.
Seeing the figure of a woman with two glowing red spears appear in the summoning circle, Aoko couldn't help but quicken her breathing.
"It looks… like it worked?"
"Are you the Master who summoned me?" From the summoning circle, Scathach gazed at Aoko. "I see, one of the few remaining Magicians. I didn't expect my first participation in a Holy Grail War would be with a Master like you."
"You know me?"
"Through my Clairvoyance, I gained a slight ability to see the future, and from that, I learned your identity. Plus, I'm still in the Land of Shadow, outside the world, so I'm not entirely unaware of the real world."
Scathach explained as she removed her mask.
Hearing this, Aoko was a bit confused. "So… you're still alive?"
"Correct."
"Then how can you be a Servant? Don't living people cannot become Servants?"
"It's fine, just a few tricks." Scathach laughed. "Right now, I'm merely manifesting through the spirit of a girl who resembles me. My true body is still in the Land of Shadow, similar to a divine manifestation, right?"
Divine manifestation?
"That's possible?"
"With my abilities, it's a small matter. As long as I can understand what death is, I'll go anywhere to pursue it. It's also the wish I want to fulfill with the Holy Grail—but now, it seems I might not even need the Grail to make it happen."
Scathach's words left Aoko momentarily stunned. "You want to die?"
"I cannot die like a normal person. Neither an ugly death nor a beautiful one has anything to do with me. If possible, I do want to die. I answered the call of the Holy Grail because, according to my foresight, in this Holy Grail War, death will come very close to me."
"So, you might die in this Holy Grail War?"
"Only this body. My true body will still live, but this is a rare opportunity. If someone can kill this clone, perhaps they could also kill my true body."
A Servant who seeks death.
"I really summoned a troublesome Servant. Here I was thinking about trying to win the championship."
"You don't need to worry about that. Though I seek death, I won't just surrender. Any enemy that must be defeated, I will defeat with all my strength."
"Good." Aoko sighed, extending her hand. "In that case, for the time being, I'll be in your care, Scathach."