Shape Moon, The Road to the Magician

"Where are you taking me?"

After letting Xia Yuan pull her for a while, Arturia couldn't help but ask.

Because the effect of the scale powder on her eyes had not been lifted, she didn't know where she was going.

"It's a place you'll like. It's not far from here. It's just a few minutes' walk away."

"All right."

Artoria nodded, still choosing to believe him.

It's normal for a loser to obey the winner's conditions, and she didn't feel any malice from Xia Yuan.

If she wanted to kill herself, just let go of the sword before The best opportunity is the right moment, and there is no need to waste any time.

Indeed, as Xia Yuan said, the distance the two of them walked was not too long. It only took them about five minutes to arrive at a house with two yellow lanterns hanging on the eaves. Store entrance

"Is this the canteen?"

Although it can't be seen with the eyes, her nose can smell the fragrance coming from inside, and Artoria can guess what the good place Xia Yuan mentioned is.

"Yes, it's a canteen, a canteen that's only open late at night. The boss here is very good at his craftsmanship. I used to come here all the time when I was working overtime."

"Okay, let's go in, and if there's anything we can talk about while eating. Miss Artoria, you haven’t enjoyed the delicacies of modern humans since you were summoned."

After saying that, Xia Yuan took her hand and led her into the store.

In the store, the middle-aged store manager wearing clean work clothes was carefully wiping the counter, and the drinks in the refrigerator were neatly placed by him. The bar.

Although it was already late at night, it was just the beginning for him. He would then have to entertain the guests who would arrive one after another tonight.

Look, they were already here as the shop door was pushed open and the wind chime at the door sounded."Sasha——"With a loud sound, a man and a woman walked in

"Welcome, you two."

"Hey, isn't this little brother Xia Yuan? I haven’t seen you for a long time recently."The boss who just said hello smiled when he saw that he was an acquaintance, but when he saw Artoria next to Xia Yuan, his expression was a little surprised.

Then he saw Xia Yuan holding Artoria's hand. Suddenly she understood everything, an aunt's smile appeared on her face, and she joked

"Good boy, I asked you why we haven’t seen each other for so long. It turns out that you have found a girlfriend. Are you spending time with her recently?"

"It's not that kind of relationship, just ordinary friends……"Seeing that his boss had misunderstood him, Xia Yuan smiled bitterly, waved his hand and explained

"Her eyes don't work very well, I just act as her crutch for a while"

"……Well, what a shame for such a beautiful girl."

The boss couldn't help feeling sorry when he saw Artoria's gray eyes. Then he pushed the menu in front of Xia Yuan and asked

"What do you want to eat? Is it still the same old rules?"

"For me, it’s still the same, but for Saber, just have the same set meal as me."

"No problem, Saber?"

Xia Yuan asked while pulling out a chair for her.

"no problem."Artoria nodded.

Hmm...Seba? What kind of weird name is this? Are all foreign girls' names so awkward?

The boss was a little surprised, but he didn't say anything. After all, he discussed other people's names in person. It's a very impolite behavior

"Two portions of eel rice, fried fish rice, two bowls of oden and two bottles of beer, right?"

"That's right"

"Okay, coming right away."

The boss nodded, confirmed the menu and immediately went to the kitchen to start the busy night.

"What is your purpose in bringing me to a place like this?"

After hesitating for a moment, Artoria asked the question she wanted to ask the most.

"Do you mean?"

"Is it really just eating?……"

"What else can you do in a restaurant without eating? Relax, I'm just here to get something to eat. I don't have the physique of your Servants, so my physical strength is limited. Plus, after fighting you for so long, I'll be starving."Xia Yuan smiled and unpacked the plate for her.

"There happens to be a small shop here that is still open late at night. Since we want to chat, why not come here and talk while eating? After all, as the saying goes - hunger is the enemy."

Although she couldn't see his expression, Artoria could still tell that there was no falsehood in his half-joking tone.

So really she just wanted to chat while eating?

"The food is served."

Soon, two portions covered with hot eel rice were brought up by the boss. Two boxes of steaming oden, accompanied by special miso soup presented by the boss, were placed in front of the two of them. The taste was very tempting.

Although she couldn't see it, Arturia subconsciously licked her lips when she smelled the fragrance.

"Please use it slowly, both of you."

"Thank you."

Xia Yuan thanked the boss, then raised his right hand and waved it in front of the boss.

"Go ahead and do your work and forget what we are going to say next, got it?"

"OK"The boss nodded and walked back to the kitchen as if nothing had happened.

"Okay, Miss Artoria, now we can talk while eating.……"

Looking at the empty plate in front of Artoria, Xia Yuan sighed, hesitated, and pushed the food in front of her in front of her.

"Eat"

"Thanks……"

Arturia pursed her lips and continued to lower her head to cook.

She didn't know that what she couldn't see was Xia Yuan's share.

After she finished eating, Xia Yuan decided to get down to business.

"Okay, let's continue the discussion just now. The first question is……"

"For you, what is the ending of death that you can accept? Just simply unwilling to accept death in civil strife? Or some more specific way of death?"

"way of death……"Arturia looked embarrassed when she heard this question raised by Xia Yuan.

Compared to the rebellion started by Mordred, what she expected was undoubtedly a gentler exit.

It is as peaceful and silent as death in one's sleep, without any madness or resentment, and exits in a way that everyone can accept.

But what about a more specific way of death?

This question is too abstract. Normal people with no problem with their brains probably won’t think about how they should die.

"So, you haven’t considered this issue at all.……"

"How could a king think about how his country should perish?"

"Indeed, no king would consider the right way to perish."Xia Yuan was stunned for a moment, and finally understood what she was thinking.

"But have you considered it? Perhaps Mordred's approach was considered gentle. At least she left you with a thought, a very tender hope for you……"

Click - there was a crisp sound in his ears. Xia Yuan turned around and found that the wine glass in Artoria's hand had been crushed into pieces. The magic power around her also began to rise with her anger, and the strong wind Blown away the surrounding benches

"What nonsense!"

Artoria's eyes widened.

"I will never approve of dying in that ridiculous way!"

"But why don't you agree? Even if you don't approve, there must be a reason. Just subjective disapproval isn't right, just because it's not as gentle as you expected?"

Xia Yuan didn't care about her excitement and just held her shoulders gently. Then let's think about it from another angle:"Then is the gentleness you expect really gentle?"

"What do you want to say?"

"Relax, I'm not going to give you any meaningless lectures. After all, you still need to figure out the truth for yourself."

Xia Yuan stood up and approached Artoria.

"Is the future you are looking forward to: Lancelot and Mordred did not start a rebellion, the Battle of Camlan never happened, your sister Morgan never opposed you, and the white dragon Vortigern also died, The Romans and Saxons did not invade, and the Knights of the Round Table and lords from all over the world have always united and friendly Great Britain?"

"……Yes, all I want is a united and prosperous Britain……"

Arturia gritted her teeth and said,"Everyone coexists with each other. In the end, the king and the people will usher in the end together with Great Britain in silence.""

"Well, you can probably guess that this is really a gentle way to die. Everyone can adapt to death and have a good death."

Hearing this, the corners of Xia Yuan's mouth raised slightly,"But, do you think this is really realistic? Are your people and knights as noble as you, able to accept death calmly? Have you ever thought about this important question?"

Xia Yuan's merciless question shattered Artoria's defense.

"You who have been a king should know very well in your heart that human beings are inherently evil. Even if you are their king, you cannot restrain the choices of human nature."

"��, this is impossible... they... won't, my knights are the same as the people... they will accept it……"

Artoria's eyes began to dodge a little, and a touch of color appeared in her pale eyes again, and she began to doubt this issue in her heart.

"Will they really accept it?"

The answer is already obvious, right?

"Now, Artoria, have you ever thought about it? A knighthood in which half of the knights would betray the king if they could be persuaded by Mordred, plus citizens who were willing to raise an army to rebel just by being incited, what else could they not do?"

"So in fact human nature is the most complicated thing, isn't it? In fact, a large part of the reason why the King of Heroes was evil was that he had already seen through human nature."

Xia Yuan's ruthless words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing Artoria's aura to suddenly vent, and her pale eyes began to waver.

"Look, think about it carefully, they can betray you even in the later stages of your rule, when the national power has not declined to the point of extinction. Then think about it again, if we really reach the end, what will the social environment be like?"

"If the land cannot grow food and the people cannot ensure food and clothing, will they still stay in Great Britain? Ants still live in vain, let alone humans? It is impossible for everyone to accept death from the beginning to the end"

"Will there be an exodus of citizens at that time, or will there be widespread rebellion across the country? There is even... the phenomenon of cannibalism? You should have expected it……"

"Don't... say it again!"Artoria began to flinch, her body kept shaking.

"There is nothing impossible about this. What you call gentle death and natural death seems to be the cruelest death now."

"There is nothing they can do but wait desperately for death to come to them. This kind of waiting is as cruel as the torture of hell. In the end, Britain will be absolutely littered with corpses, and hope will be extinguished. In comparison, Mordred's behavior of cutting through the mess with a sharp knife is simply angelic."

"No...no, this...absolutely impossible……"

Artoria's eyes became empty.

Thinking of the future described by Xia Yuan, her heart began to tremble. That desperate future was entirely possible.

Did the peace that I pursued... turn out to be hell...

Then what was the reason for my resentment and struggle so far?

"Look, I've already said it. What you pursue may not be correct, and what you deny may not necessarily be wrong."

As for the abstract topic of how Britain should be destroyed, he and Merlin had discussed it in their dreams for a long time. As a result, they continued to deduce and found that what Mordred did was actually the optimal solution.

This was a mistake for this naughty child. Although her rebellion was tragic, it was the fastest solution. Instead of letting everyone wait for death, it would be a mercy to just wipe their necks.

So, it was a lie. It won't hurt, the truth is a sharp knife, and the current knife completely killed Arturia.

"But...I……"Artoria clenched her fists

"Saber, give up on the Holy Grail, give up on this inevitable ending. In fact, you have done your best and it’s time to learn to let go."Xia Yuan pushed a glass of beer in front of her

"What did you say...you want me to give up?……"Arturia's face was filled with unwillingness,"Holy Grail? How is this possible?"……"

"But you have no wish to come true anymore, right? Even if you really go back to the past, how should you change the ending? In the end, it will only make things worse, right?"

"Please look into my eyes, Miss Artoria, you can already see it, right?"

Xia Yuan suddenly stood up and approached her face, staring seriously at the pair of emerald gems that had restored their color. However, Artoria's eyes began to stray, and she subconsciously wanted to retreat.

"Now that you understand everything, do you still want to go back to the past? Even if you see your country and people fall into a more miserable hell again, will you not hesitate? King of Knights, you are the real devil"

"I……"

Arturia's face showed a look of struggle

"……have no idea"

"Since you don’t know what you should do," Xia Yuan smiled,"then why don’t you come and listen to other people’s opinions?"

"What is your opinion?"

"No, it’s not mine. My enlightenment work is pretty much done here."

Xia Yuan shook his head and stretched out his fingertips to gently touch her forehead.

"It's them you have to face……"

After the words fell, a strange magic power was transmitted along the fingertips, and the scenery in front of Artoria began to shift, and then the narrow shop instantly transformed into a sea of flowers all over the sky.

"Where is this place?"

In a flash, she found herself in a sea of flowers.

The faint scent of flowers and the warmth of the sun

"Hi Artoria, long time no see."

A familiar voice came from behind.

The frivolous tone belonged to Merlin.

"Merlin?"

Artoria looked back, and then her eyes slowly widened - she saw many familiar knights in armor waving to her.

Lancelot, Argent, Lancelot, Gao Vin, Tristan, Gareth, and other familiar Knights of the Round Table are all here, even Mordred is here

"Sorry, my king, for causing you trouble."

Gao Wenqing……

"My king, as a knight, it is our fault to make you blame yourself so much."

Akiwen……

"I'm sorry, Wang, because I said such rebellious words……"

Tristan……

"King, I am guilty. All these tragedies are because of my fault, so please punish me!"

Sir Lancelot... and Mordred also walked to Artoria very reluctantly, and then knelt down:"I'm sorry, father."

"Mordred, you……"

The next moment, all the knights present knelt down to her and opened a way for her.

"What are these?"

"This is Merlin's handiwork. These Knights of the Round Table are also the thoughts of your subordinates, and now your consciousness has also entered the dream."

"Missing body?"

Artoria, who doesn't understand magic, doesn't know this concept.

"Well, let me explain this issue to Little Al."Merlin suddenly jumped out

"After your death, I went to the Kingdom of Shadows to find their souls, used illusions to record the last words they wanted to say to you, and preserved them in the form of magic projections until now."

"So... go quickly Saber, the duration of Merlin's illusion is limited. You should have a lot to say to the Knights of the Round Table now. You might as well leave other things to last."

Speaking of this, Xia Yuan's figure began to gradually dissipate.

"But please remember, Artoria, it is you who makes the final choice after all. Because of this, I hope you will not leave more regrets on this sad wish.……"

"Think carefully and finally make the right decision. This is not only your responsibility, but also the responsibility of everyone."

Speaking of this, Xia Yuan's figure completely disappeared.

"That's all I have to say, I hope you can take care of yourself."