IBHJ 1134

"So—" Bedivere bowed deeply to everyone. "Please, help us. We need your strength."

Everyone stared at Bedivere in silence as he made his plea.

Then Mordred looked at him. "Why... why did you pick the name 'Hope'?"

Bedivere lifted his head to meet her eyes. "Because... that word captures what we're fighting for."

"Then that means..."

Just like me.

The pain in Mordred's chest grew sharper. The secret group she had formed with Galahad and Gareth - the one that tried to save the Eternal Kingdom but ended up having to destroy it - they had called themselves...

Hope!

…

That night, the moon was bright but only a few stars peeked through the dark clouds overhead.

After answering Shirou's questions, Ambrosius showed everyone to their rooms for the night.

Though most of them were Servants, Shirou was in his normal human body right now - which meant he actually needed sleep.

Because of gender separation, he ended up sharing a room with Merlin and Bedivere.

And of course, Goetia was there too, wearing his usual scowl.

After laying out the bedding, Shirou couldn't seem to get comfortable - mainly because Goetia kept watching him with that cold smirk of his.

—He's definitely going to kill me if I fall asleep.

Shirou was sure of it.

Worried that Goetia might send him straight to the Throne of Heroes in his sleep, he sat up and looked at him tiredly. "You've also had a long day. Why don't you get some rest, Goetia?"

Hearing this, Goetia just kept staring at him with that cold smirk, saying nothing.

Shirou lay on his side, looking at Goetia with tired eyes. "Look, Goetia... we're on the same side now. Whatever's between us, can't we set it aside? Our real enemy right now is the Emperor, right?"

Goetia sneered. "What's this? Is the great Holy King, the Eternal King actually scared? Scared of me, Goetia? You weren't so nervous when you were telling Solomon to get rid of me."

Shirou: "..."

While that mommy's boy Merlin was still off chatting with his wife-obsessed father Ambrosius and their double agent, the room felt unbearably awkward with just him and Goetia - two mortal enemies stuck together. Though really, this whole enmity thing was pretty one-sided on Goetia's part.

"Hmph. Sleep easy. Unlike you, I don't stoop to sneak attacks. When I get my revenge, I'll do it properly," Goetia said with his arms crossed, trying to sound dignified.

If Goetia had been a cute girl, he'd definitely be one of those tsunderes with blonde twin-tails that Solomon secretly had a thing for. But no - he just had to be a blonde muscle-head instead.

"Is that right? I should've known. You're Solomon's creation after all - of course you'd have that kind of honor."

"If you trust me so much, why are you sneaking toward the door?" Goetia eyed Shirou suspiciously as he inched his way out.

"Nature calls."

Short and simple.

Shirou slipped out of the room.

Goetia's sense of pride and honor?

Sure, he believed in it—but to stake his life on it? Not a chance!

Sorry, past me. You told me to take care of this body, but looks like it's going to be another sleepless night.

"Eternal King..."

Goetia watched Shirou leave, his expression conflicted. "Even Solomon couldn't figure me out... so how did you see right through me?"

This Goetia was different from the one Shirou knew well - he didn't have that same arrogance or hatred toward humans.

Maybe because from the start, he'd been seen through by Shirou, a human, and cast aside by Solomon.

And he was made by the Chairman - another human.

And most importantly, after being created, the Chairman had put him firmly in his place.

So he'd skipped right past his Demon King phase and jumped straight to being the Goetia who understood human feelings.

In other words, life had knocked some humanity into him.

But one thing still nagged at him.

—How did someone as ordinary as Eternal King see right through him? And why did Solomon trust him more than his own creation?

The question had bothered Goetia for years.

"Asked that jerk Solomon about it more than once, but he always changed the subject... and now he's gone down with the Council."

Goetia shook his head, looking at the ten rings on his hands. "Once I'm done with the Emperor, you better not try to trick me again, Solomon."

"But for now, I can't let Sakura and Abigail notice anything."

…

Shirou stepped out of the temple into the temple courtyard.

The cool evening breeze against his face helped clear his tired mind.

"Father?"

A surprised voice caught his attention. He opened his eyes and looked down to see Mordred sprawled on the grass, a blade of grass between her teeth, staring up at him.

Mordred suddenly caught herself, quickly spat out the grass, and sat up looking a bit awkward.

He sat down beside her. "Can't sleep?"

"...Kind of."

"Because of the Emperor?"

She paused, then nodded, looking down at her hands as she spoke quietly: "...This connection point happened because of me."

The usually perky ahoge on her head drooped down, making her look just like Artoria when she was down.

But Mordred wasn't just down - she felt responsible.

He looked at her in surprise - he'd never seen her this eaten up by guilt before.

But it made sense when he thought about it. This connection point had everything to do with the Eternal Kingdom—you could say it was its continuation. The Emperor and the Empire both existed because of her wish.

And now the Emperor and the Eternal Empire were trying to take over Pan-Human History.

"I... messed up again."

Mordred's voice was dejected.

—Since when was she this sensitive?

He looked at her in surprise. It turned out under all that brash confidence was someone with a delicate heart.

Looking at how down she was, Shirou smiled, reached out, and gave her drooping ahoge a quick tug.

"Ow!"

Just like that, all traces of gloom disappeared as she clutched her head with both hands, glaring at him with watery eyes. "What was that for?!"

He waved her ahoge in his hand, smiling. "I just think I like the energetic Mordred better than this Mordred."

She made a face. "You're such a jerk! It's so unfair - how did someone like you end up with so many women falling for you? A real gentleman wouldn't pull a lady's hair!"

He pulled Mordred close and said gently, "What I'm trying to say is, you didn't do anything wrong. Anyone would have made that same wish in your place."

"Would you have?" she looked up at him, searching his eyes for the truth.

He nodded, running his hand softly through her hair. "If anyone tries to blame you for this, I'll knock some sense into them. You deserve praise, not blame. And you're not alone anymore—I'm not going anywhere this time."

Looking into Shirou's warm eyes and feeling his gentle touch, Mordred felt something stir in her heart. She settled into his lap like a content cat.

This warmth...

So this is what having a father feels like.

"Oh right," Shirou looked at her with a grin. "How's that for being gentlemanly? This is how I win over heartbroken women."

Mordred, who'd been touched just moments ago, instantly scowled, grabbed his thigh with both hands and sank her sharp teeth in.

"Ow! I was kidding, why are you taking it so seriously?"

"Shut up! You're the worst!"

"Next time this world's Artoria bites you, I'm not helping."

"Hmph, that trick only works once on me! Besides, next time we meet she'll be our enemy, and unlike you, I won't go easy on her!"

Mordred used her dragon-strength to push Shirou down for another bite, but after he calmed her down again, she lay quietly in his lap, looking up at the moon. "Father... if our kingdom had kept going, do you think it would have turned into something like the Eternal Empire?"

"No."

She rolled over in his lap to look up at him. "Why not?"

"Because..." He flicked her forehead gently, smiling. "We know our destination."

"Hey, you could have just said that without the flick," she rubbed her forehead with a pout, giving him an annoyed look.