[FMMIKA] Chapter 277: Mash and Galahad

Although in the conflict between Chaldea and the Empire, between Ritsuka and Artorius, Mash had chosen the latter, it didn't mean she had no feelings for the former.

Being caught in the middle was agonizing for Mash. Choosing one side meant being at odds with the other.

Seeing Mash in such agony, Artorius's heart softened.

"Don't worry." Artorius ran his fingers through Mash's hair and planted a kiss on her smooth cheek. "I won't go against Chaldea."

"Not going against Chaldea..."

If someone else had said that, Mash would have found it utterly ridiculous.

It was understandable, he had already wiped out all of Chaldea's members. Now, they were practically sitting ducks, ready to be caught in the net, and he was talking about not going against Chaldea?

But, if Artorius was the one who said it, that changed everything.

"Yes, I won't go against Chaldea." Artorius continued with a calm tone. "Not only will I not go against Chaldea, but I'll also help Chaldea grow and prosper."

"Your Majesty..."

Mash contemplated Artorius's words for a moment and then understood his plan. She felt uneasy about it and wanted to say something, but before she could, he embraced her.

"Don't overthink it. You've done well. Leave the rest to me."

"..."

"Um, okay."

After Artorius's reassurance, Mash quickly broke into a happy smile. But Artorius suddenly asked Mash in a calm tone.

"Mash—no, are you Mash or Galahad? I sensed something different in you."

"..."

"Well, I'm quite hungry... I go first Big Brother."

Reading the situation, Mordred made an excuse and decisively left the throne room.

After Mordred left the room, Mash then answered with an unsure tone.

"I'm... Mash Kyrielight, but also Galahad. Actually, I wanted to talk about this all this time with Your Majesty..."

"Go on..." Artorius patted her head.

Mash nodded and she continued:

"In the previous singularity, I met Galahad inside my consciousness. He shared everything about himself and Your Majesty, including his dream, Your Majesty's dream and purpose, from his childhood times until his final moments. He always seemed so joyful when talking about Your Majesty."

"After that, he made me his successor before he vanished. I think... his memories and experiences merged with mine. That's why I said, 'I'm still Mash, but also Galahad'."

Mash gazed deeply into Artorius's eyes.

"Your Majesty, I—no, as Galahad, I'm delighted that Your Majesty's dream has finally borne fruit. I'm also pleased to see that, even after all these years, Your Majesty remains the man I remember."

"Please don't blame yourself for my death; it was my own choice, and I would make the same choice again if it were for Your Majesty, as the day I pledged my loyalty to Your Majesty was also the day Your Majesty became my everything."

"No matter what happens, I will always be on Your Majesty's side. Though I'm not exactly Galahad, that was what he wanted to convey to Your Majesty from the bottom of his heart."

"..."

Artorius remained silent, lost in memories of his best friend's final moments. He remembered when Galahad had selflessly sacrificed himself to secure the genuine Holy Grail, granting him the power of the Third Magic.

Artorius would never forget. Without Galahad, his path to conquest would not have been as smooth.

Thanks to Galahad, his mother was saved and the sacrifices required for his conquest were also minimal.

'Fool, no need to say that. I know dammit...'

Artorius grumbled inwardly with a melancholic tone, while on the surface, a gentle smile braced his face.

After sighing, Artorius positioned Mash on his lap and embraced her tight, with his chin resting on her head.

Without saying anything more, Mash closed her eyes and smiled peacefully in Artorius's embrace.

===

The next day arrived.

The communication with Chaldea headquarters was reestablished.

Romani, who had been guarding the communication device all night, jumped up.

"Doctor."

Looking at Mash, Romani appeared excited.

"Mash?! How are you? What about Ritsuka and the others? Are you all right? What happened? Why did the contact with Chaldea get interrupted?"

"Well, you see..." Mash's expression became somewhat subtle, "Senpai and I, along with the others, were attacked."

"Attacked?! By whom?! Are you all okay? Have they done anything to you? Tell me they haven't!"

"Fou! Fou! Fou! Fou!"

Amid this series of events, Fou, who had disappeared somewhere, reappeared and hopped onto Mash's shoulder, making Fou's characteristic sounds.

With Fou's cooing, Romani's mood calmed somewhat.

"Don't worry; I, Senpai, and everyone else are fine. While the other side did defeat us, they didn't kill us. Instead, they captured us."

"Captured..."

"Hey, Romani, are you thinking of something bad? Mash seems pretty calm, so it's safe to say that nothing serious has happened."

Da Vinci, who was nearby, said to Romani with raised eyebrows, wondering what kind of improper thought formed inside his mind.

"How do you know nothing serious has happened? How do you know Mash isn't putting on a brave face? How do you know—"

"Enough already, Doctor! Can you please shut up?!"

Mash yelled and interrupted Romani before he could say something else. Her icy tone made him shiver, bringing him back to his senses and his rational thinking.

"In any case, we're doing pretty well now. Despite being captives, the treatment is good. We're staying in guest rooms, and the food is also delicious. So, what should we do next?"

"Of course, it's to escape as fast and as far as possible!" Romani blurted out once again, not trusting Artorius's intentions.

"Romani, calm down." Da Vinci took charge without hesitation, "Let's wait for a moment, Mash. The most important thing now is to gather information, reunite with Ritsuka-chan, and acquire intel."

"Um, I get it. So, we're just going to play along with them for now, right?"

"That's right." Da Vinci nodded, "We still don't have a complete understanding of what's happening with this singularity. Gathering intel is the right move. Look at it from a different perspective; we've practically infiltrated the enemy's ranks effortlessly, right? Let's see it as a victory and enjoy it!"

"Um, I understand. I'll make sure to gather information." Mash answered with a serious expression.

"Don't worry about that! Just run for it!"

While they discussed their strategy, Romani continued to shout with panic at the side, and not just Da Vinci, but even the Chaldea staff around paid him no heed. They all thought his overreactions were just him being nervous.

"Well, let's end the communication here."

"Um."

"Good luck, Mash."

"Thank you, Da Vinci."

Their eyes met briefly, understanding each other without words. The communication ended, and Mash turned to Ritsuka, who was restrained by magecraft and unable to move or speak.

"So, we don't need to worry about Chaldea headquarters for now, Senpai."

Mash said with a smile. But Ritsuka just stared at her with a disapproving look.

What was that saying again? Traitors are more infuriating than enemies.

Ritsuka's feeling towards Mash was just like that now.

So, the next moment, after Mash released her from the magecraft restraint, Ritsuka shouted, "What the heck, Mash?! You, this empire, and that 'Charles VII'?!"

"It's not Charles VII, but the Great Dragon Emperor of the Roman Empire, Artorius Pendragon." Mash said with a smile. "If you want to know 'what's going on', we have to go way back in time, Senpai."

"Keep it short!"

"Nope~" Mash happily refused, "I'm going to tell you everything, from start to finish."

"It was an experiment that got out of control... you already know about Artoria Pendragon, the Great Mage Merlin's plan of 'man-made savior'. I won't go into that."

"In most histories, in most timelines, it's true—but in a specific timeline, Merlin and King Uther had a backup plan. That was where Artorius Pendragon, came from."

Over the next few hours, Mash provided an in-depth overview of the nearly 700,000-word novel's plot to Ritsuka.

At first, Ritsuka was irritated and uncooperative, but soon she was drawn in, exclaiming "Oh" or "Wow" and couldn't help but want to vote, reward, and subscribe to the story.

"Things are just like that..."

"The Empire's purposes are clear."

"The Empire doesn't seek destruction, chaos, or disorder."

"The Empire holds a very low opinion of this so-called King of the Demon Gods."

"The Empire doesn't approve his plans for the incineration of human order."

"The Empire has its own plans and goals.".

"The Empire indeed wants to reshape human history. But not the present proper human history. Instead, it's a great history controlled and unified by the Empire."

At the end of the narrative, Mash calmly explained.

"This is why the Empire ventured into this singularity, turned the tide of the 'Hundred Years' War', and ushered in the age of steam. Quite impressive, don't you think, Senpai?"

Mash said with a smile, feeling proud of the empire's accomplishment.