Chapter 141 Mordred is a Good Kid
Seeing Mordred suddenly change her attitude so drastically, Shirou was momentarily at a loss.
Shirou gathered his thoughts and asked the girl, "...What exactly is your opinion of King Arthur? Or rather, if you met King Arthur, what would you want to do?"
"Of course, I'd want to compete head-on and surpass King Arthur!" Mordred waved her sword, full of fighting spirit, though she quickly lowered her voice and added, "Of course… for an immature me to surpass my father, the difficulty is probably a bit too high… but at least I hope to be recognized… And if I could even be praised, that would be even better.
Although I feel I won't be forgiven, I just want to try my best, and maybe, if someday I am… that would be wonderful…"
"…This kid might actually be a decent one?" Shirou asked Mash and Gudako in the holographic projection.
Mash nodded: "Yes, Sir Mordred once helped train me when I was still unfamiliar with combat."
"That was just because I was bored and wanted to move my body a little," Mordred explained.
Gudako covered her mouth, giggling: "Mordred is actually quite father-obsessed, especially fond of a younger father figure."
"Who are you calling Mordred, Gudako! Wait until I get back, I'll fix you!" Mordred shouted angrily.
"Eh? Are you coming to my room?" Gudako blushed in surprise.
"Who said I'm coming!!" Mordred yelled in frustration.
"Understand, Shirou?" Da Vinci asked the boy.
"Yeah, I think I get it," Shirou nodded, looking at Mordred with a complex expression.
Despite her hot temper and childish behavior, she wasn't impossible to get along with. Perhaps that's why Arthur still trusted her to guard the city during her campaign in Rome.
Thinking back, Mordred was artificially created by Morgan after Artoria became king and established her achievements, due to jealousy and other reasons. By actual age, she really was just a child.
"What?" Mordred asked uncomfortably under Shirou's gaze.
"Oh! Then I'll call you Mordred," Shirou said.
"That would reveal my real name! How annoying, just call me Saber!" Mordred shouted.
"No, only one person will call you Saber," Shirou said without hesitation, then thought for a moment and asked: "Then how about Mor-chan? Is that okay?"
"You've got some nerve!" Mordred glared at him, sizing him up.
"Not okay? Since you were once… not, since you were King Arthur's Servant, you're qualified to be my Servant too."
"You… Shirou! You just accept me with gratitude! Whatever Father could do, I'll do too! Simple as that! No need for me to say more. I entrust my sword to you here, my fame to you, my life to you! I will strive to be as perfect and magnificent as Father!" Mordred raised her fist and declared.
"All right! Mor-chan! I also swear, from the moment of this contract, I'll fight alongside you, advancing and retreating together!" Shirou bumped fists with the girl.
The contract was completed, and part of the Grail's magical energy within Shirou's simulated spirit core was shared with Mordred.
"Good! Contract established!" Mor-chan waved her fist, feeling energized, then awkwardly said: "Master! No, Shirou! It's too unfair if only you call me by my nickname."
"Then we'll keep it that way, Mor-chan. I actually think it suits you better," Shirou smiled. He felt the girl was like a child who wanted to be treated equally in everything.
"Really! Then let's do that, Shirou!" Mor-chan touched her nose and cheerfully agreed.
"Great, two Arthur enthusiasts have formed a contract. Maybe this is the most compatible pairing in history! I'm excited to see what happens next," Gudako said, hands clasped, mockingly delighted.
"Gudako! Shut up! x2"
Da Vinci moved the hologram closer and said, "All right, back to business. Shirou, you've felt the anomaly here, right?"
"Yes. This land is infused with magical energy, just like in Shinjuku," Shirou nodded, scanning the surroundings.
The grassy hillside was lush and green as if it were spring, despite being winter. Flowers bloomed everywhere. The land had been corrupted through the interdimensional space, giving the entire slope a mystical quality.
In this otherwise non-magical world, the land began transforming into a leyline and spreading outward. Something had occurred within the interdimensional space atop the hill, and even the external land began to gain magical properties.
This was also why Da Vinci could summon Mordred here. Compared to Li Shuwen's restricted small-world summoning, the scale here was far larger, capable of influencing the outside world via the interdimensional space.
"As I said before, the magical reactions of these Black Mud Spirits are several times stronger than in Li Shuwen's case. This isn't a normal Servant's power. Even for a Grail, it's outrageous," Da Vinci said seriously.
"What's there to be afraid of! We'll just crush them! We have the Grail too! As long as Shirou provides enough magical energy, I'll use my Noble Phantasms as many times as I want! We'll burn them to ashes and bury them!" Mor-chan swung her silver greatsword, its blade glowing with red fire.
Da Vinci cautioned: "Better be careful. These Black Mud Spirits are very strong. I suggest you first scout the area. Chaldea detected this place because we've been monitoring it, but nothing has ever emerged from within. We don't know the danger level or what kind of Servants are inside."
"What? If you're scared from the start, how are we supposed to fight! With me here, no problem!" Mordred said.
"I agree with Da Vinci. Mor-chan, you're strong, but there may be multiple enemies inside. Scout first, then plan. Please, Mor-chan," Shirou said.
"Hmph… If you say so, Shirou… fine. We'll check it out first. Let's go now!" Mor-chan hesitated briefly, then nodded. Still impatient, she waved her hands and stepped toward the interdimensional entrance on the hillside.
"Wait for me, Mor-chan! Don't run so fast," Shirou called, chasing after her.
"What's with this unequal treatment! I'm the biggest commander of Chaldea, you know…" Da Vinci complained from behind, feeling rather bitter.
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