IBHJ 1118

"That's too bad." she puffed out her cheeks. "But isn't it funny we're both going the same way? Getting lost in that forest, fighting each other, and now traveling together - just like that 'friendship through battle' thing in 'The Tale of the Holy Sword.'"

Shirou was heading to March because of the crown's message, hoping to find someone who could remove it. The journey meant crossing through several countries. Running into Artoria and getting a ride wasn't part of his plan, but here he was.

"Where are you headed anyway, Artoria? Going back to Camelot?"

"No way," she shook her head. "I do miss my sister - haven't seen her in ages. But Camelot's so boring. All she does is try to make me learn swordsmanship and take over her throne. If I became queen, I'd be stuck there forever dealing with boring problems all day. Who'd pick that over freedom? Not me!"

"So you..."

"Yep, I snuck out! The day my sister tried to make me take the throne, I ran away. Then my master took me to Avalon and taught me to be a witch. When my master wanted me to stay and become Avalon's guardian, I ran away again!" She laughed. "Hahaha...!"

"Looks like you really hate being tied down to one place."

"Of course!" she sat up straight. "I don't want anything holding me back. I want to be free like the wind - no holding back, no putting on a face for others, no hiding how I really feel."

"So what are you trying to do now?"

"Have you read this, Shirou?" she pulled a book from her pocket and waved it in front of him with a grin. "'The Tale of the Holy Sword.'"

He nodded. "Parts of it."

She opened the book, smiling. "I love reading about the heroes' adventures. That's why I'm following their footsteps, traveling around to write my own story. Oh, and I already wrote about meeting you - you'll show up in here soon!"

"Sounds interesting. But didn't your sister write this book?"

"Nope," she shook her head, closing 'The Tale of the Holy Sword.' "My sister's perfect at everything else, but she hates writing. She'd never write a book."

"Then who wrote..."

"No idea - it's pretty old. But does it matter who wrote it? As long as it's a good story about heroes, right?"

It definitely matters, he thought. This isn't just about some hero - it's about Eternal King. It's my story! Who gathered all my deeds and turned them into a book here in the Eternal Empire?

"Hey, Shirou," she piped up. "You're from Camlann, aren't you?"

He raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Yes."

"I knew it! Only people from Camlann know so much about food and talk like you do." She smiled. "I heard there's a princess there who's supposed to be Britain's greatest beauty. Is that true?"

"We just like to brag. It doesn't mean much."

"But is she really beautiful?" she leaned in, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"Yes, she is."

What else could he say? To say Guinevere wasn't beautiful would be like saying he himself, who looked just like her, wasn't handsome.

"Perfect!" she clapped her hands together. "Actually, I'm heading to Camlann next. I'm going to snatch that princess away - just imagine the chaos it'll cause!"

My Artoria would never stir up trouble like this!

But still... he mused. You really do have a way of making people want to mess with you, don't you, Guinevere?

They crossed into the next kingdom, where he spotted the wanted posters at the gates. Abigail and Xuanzang's faces were there, but not his. Clearly, neither the Emperor nor the Apostles thought he was worth the trouble.

Not sure if I should feel relieved or insulted, he thought with a sigh.

"Wait - enemies attacked Tintagel? And my sister's there?" Artoria's eyes went wide as she read the notice.

"You don't need to worry about Apostle Pendragon," Shirou said, watching her. He thought that, despite her being a weirdo, she still had Artoria's good heart, caring about her sister like this.

"Worry? What do you mean?" she looked at him, puzzled. "If anyone needs worrying about, it's the enemies. We can't die anyway."

She tapped the notice with her finger. "I was just thinking that with some criminals on the run, my sister probably didn't get to have much fun. If I run into any of them during my travels, I might help her catch them."

Sorry, but that handsome criminal is standing right next to you, he thought. The Apostles leaving him off the wanted list was lucky, but Artoria had [Instinct]. Better not to say too much about fugitives.

He stepped away from the notice board. "Let's go find an inn."

"An inn?" she laughed. "What ancient thing is that? How could there be... Oh right, you're from Camlann. That place still has good food and inns."

No inns? He froze. With that one sentence, the strange feeling that had been nagging at him since leaving the previous city finally clicked into place.

Now he understood.

Just as she had said, the people of the Eternal Empire had achieved perfect immortality. Natural disasters couldn't harm them. Even Beast authorities had no effect on them. They were truly eternal and indestructible.

But what price did they pay for this eternity?

By all logic, immortal and indestructible humans should have overrun the Earth with their numbers by now. Yet the empire's population was as sparse as ancient Britain.

The answer was clear - the price of eternity was eternity itself.

With eternal life came eternal stagnation. No need for food or shelter meant no reason to develop or change. Their minds stayed locked in ancient times. And because their genes could never die, there was no need to reproduce. A world without death became a world without birth.

This was the Eternal Empire - a kingdom frozen in time!

The same people would exist forever. Their society would never advance. Kings would rule eternally, and commoners would stay bound to their status forever. Perfect eternity meant perfect stillness.

This empire had traded its [future] for an endless [present]. That was the emptiness Shirou had been feeling!

The truth made his stomach turn. His own kingdom had blazed like fireworks - brilliant but brief before fading away. He'd loved that land and its people. But this place wasn't his fleeting kingdom. This was an empire trapped in amber, never growing, never fading, living the same moment for all time.

No deaths meant no births. No new creations. From the moment eternity began, everything froze in place - kings remained kings, rats stayed rats. The struggle to improve, the joy of achievement, the cycle of life and death... none of it existed here anymore.

In eternity, there was nothing left to say.

Humans had gained divine lifespans and abilities, but their minds remained mortal... This was the result.

Such a world, such an empire... It should have been pruned, should have been erased. But the Emperor had single-handedly fought back against that fate, forcing the Empire into eternal existence.

While his Eternal Kingdom had blazed out in a single eternal moment, this Eternal Empire's immortality came not from its people or lands, but from the Emperor at its peak - worshipped as the world's only god.

To single-handedly prevent a world's destruction, to make an empire endless... Such a being truly deserved the title of God.

No wonder the Council failed, he thought.

Artoria waved her hand in front of his eyes. "What's wrong, Shirou? You look really down."

"Don't worry. Just remembering something sad."

"Oh? Memories from your past?" Her eyes lit up. She pulled out a book and pen. "Your emotions are so deep - don't let my sister see that or she'll definitely come after you. But for now, tell me your sad story! I want to write it down for my book. It'll make your character so much more interesting!"

"You really are heartless." he shook his head.