IBHJ Chapter 893

"Yay!"

Mordred cheered and clapped, beaming with delight. The tears had vanished as quickly as they'd appeared.

Had he been played? It was hard to tell with Mordred.

Shirou sighed and rubbed his face.

If only she knew that the person under her "mother's" skin was actually him... Who knows what kind of reaction she'd have.

The moment they entered the room, Mordred hopped onto the bed, bouncing up and down in excitement.

But her joy was short-lived.

"What are you doing here?" she asked haughtily, pointing at the blue-haired girl sitting on the floor with a scowl on her face.

The scene was supposed to be a heartwarming mother-daughter bonding moment, but now a third wheel had appeared, and she wasn't happy about it.

"The system has assigned me to protect Master's safety," Aqua answered honestly.

"I can protect Mother just fine, you can leave!"

Aqua simply replied, "Oh."

And continued to sit on the floor, showing no intention of moving.

Mordred, annoyed, pointed at her. "Why aren't you leaving?"

Aqua, unfazed by Mordred's displeasure, calmly repeated, "The system has assigned me to protect Master's safety."

"I said, I'll protect Mother."

"Oh."

"So why are you still here?"

"The system has assigned me to protect Master's safety."

Mordred: "..."

Aqua's mild temper frustrated Mordred, making her feel like punching the air.

Shirou went over and patted Mordred's shoulder. "Alright, Mordred, go take a bath."

She turned to him with pleading eyes. "But I want to bathe with Mom. Can't I?"

He gently patted her back. "Don't be willful."

"Oh," she replied, dejected. She climbed off the bed and trudged toward the bathroom.

Just before closing the door, she shot a wary glance at Aqua. This woman is here to steal Mom from me. I have to keep my guard up.

Shirou turned to Aqua once the bathroom door was closed. "You should go back to your room, too. I got you one, remember?"

"But the system has assigned me to protect Master's safety," Aqua answered honestly.

He sat down on the bed. "Yes, but it's time to rest now."

"My duty is to protect Master's safety. There is no rest time," she replied, matter-of-factly.

"Do you not understand what I'm implying?"

"Understand? Are you asking about my skills?" A confused look crossed her face.

He rubbed his face in exasperation. Right, she's just a newborn AI, he reminded himself. Like Adam and the others, she's a blank slate.

He looked at Aqua, and her status panel popped up in his vision:

Name: Aqua

Race: Goddess

Strength: E

Endurance: C

Agility: E

Mana: ?????

Status: Bound, Quest Item

Skills: Wish (1/8 chance to fulfill a wish. Cooldown: 3 minutes), Fantasy Materialization (1/8 chance to materialize any fantasy object. Cooldown: 3 minutes)

Description: A goddess who failed to resist Emperor Frieza and was cut into eight pieces. Due to being cut into eight pieces, her soul, perception, and memories were also divided into eight parts, losing all past intelligence and memories. If the remaining seven pieces could be collected, she might regain her memories and obtain the method to defeat Emperor Frieza. Currently contracted with the adventurer who saved her, becoming the adventurer's pet companion.]

Even her status was labeled "Quest Item," a clear sign that she was tied to the main storyline. In fact, she seemed essential to completing the main quest.

She was a goddess who'd lost to Frieza, and the main quest was simple enough: defeat Frieza's subordinates, collect the lost parts of the goddess, revive her completely, and gain clues to defeat Frieza.

It was a classic RPG plotline, but considering the twisted nature of the newbie village's slime monsters and item rewards, he wouldn't be surprised if there were a twist where Frieza and his party were the good guys, and the goddess was the ultimate villain.

So, deep down, he was wary of the girl.

"You might not need rest, but I do. If you're here, I won't be able to sleep well," he said, gesturing to himself.

She looked up, her blue eyes blankly staring at him. "Am I preventing Master from resting?"

"Yes." he nodded. "And if you don't rest properly, your energy will be depleted, and you won't be able to protect me at your full strength. Wouldn't that go against the mission the system gave you?"

He didn't want Aqua intruding on his space with Mordred either, but unlike Mordred, he wouldn't argue with her. He knew it was better to guide than to force.

"I understand. Please rest well, Master." she nodded, stood up, and walked out of the room.

Seeing her leave, he finally relaxed and leaned back on the bed.

Click.

The bathroom door opened, and Mordred, dripping wet and wrapped in a towel, stepped out.

She paused at the doorway, scanning the room. Not seeing the girl, she asked, "Is she gone, Mom?"

He nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Good!" She bounced out, still dripping wet.

"Dry your hair before you come out."

"No need! It'll dry on its own."

She shook her head like a playful lion cub, spraying water droplets from her golden hair everywhere.

"Stop messing around, Mordred." He pulled her into a hug, grabbed a towel, and gently started drying her hair.

She purred like a contented cat.

But a question nagged at her:

When did Mom's touch become so gentle? In her memory, Artoria's movements were always a bit rough. When did she become so soft?

Hmm, Mom must have changed a bit while living in this world, she reasoned, smiling to herself and letting the thought go.

...

Under the blood moon, Zaun was a city of shadows and silence.

Altera stood in a darkened alley, watching a lit window in the inn.

She knew her friend, Artoria Pendragon, was in there. But she couldn't go. She was too unstable, too close to losing control and hurting the one she cared for most.

Having finally found someone willing to be her friend, Altera couldn't bear to hurt her. So, she stayed away, keeping watch from the shadows.

This was okay, she told herself. At least no one would get hurt because of her.

But as she thought this, Altera noticed other figures lurking around the inn—suspicious people and strange creatures.

"The System says Evil Flower is here!"

"The reward for clearing the Hell-level newbie quest must be something rare. But don't worry, it'll be mine soon!"

"Just a newbie, she won't put up much of a fight. Even I, a Level 3 beastman, could take down Evil Flower alone... But we have to move fast. I heard a Level 9 big shot came all the way from Sanctuary to hunt Evil Flower. We have to strike first!"

The figures watching the inn were filled with malice.

Altera had no intention of getting involved.

But then...

Evil Flower?

Wasn't that Artoria's ID?

Were they... coming for Artoria?

...

"Boom!"

A crack of thunder split the sky, startling Mordred awake. She burrowed deeper into the blankets, her small hands clinging to Shirou's waist.

"What's wrong, Mordred?" he asked, propping himself up on one elbow to look at her.

"Mom, I'm scared," she whimpered, burying her face in his chest.

"Give me a little space." He gently pushed her head back with a finger.

She looked at him with teary eyes. "Do you hate me, Mom? I didn't mean to do what I did a thousand years ago. I'm sorry, I'll never hurt you again. I want to protect you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes! I don't even understand what my older self was thinking. I love you so much, and I want us to be okay. Why couldn't I just say that? I can't stand it anymore, please don't hate me, Mom." Tears welled up in her eyes again.

Yes, she'd wanted to reconcile with Artoria for a long time. But maybe it was true that the older you get, the more you worry, and the harder it is to be honest. That's why she could never face Artoria directly and make amends.

But after being repeatedly hit with the gatekeeper's intelligence-lowering attacks, she'd been reduced to a childlike state and could no longer suppress her true feelings.

She wanted to be close to Artoria, she wanted her mom to love her again.

That's why...

"Huh?"

She watched, confused, as her mom sat up and pulled a piece of paper from his bag to scribble on. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, just recording this special moment. Here, Mordred, sign here."

He handed her the paper and a pen.

Mordred looked down, still confused, and saw a certificate that read:

"I love Mom right now, I super love Mom right now. So I will never hurt Mom and I will always listen to Mom. Signed by:—"