IBHJ Chapter 860

But that was a worry for another day. Right now, Shirou was dealing with a mind-blowing revelation.

"You're telling me this is Miyu?" he asked, pointing at the babbling infant, his mind reeling.

"Yup," Chloe said with a weary sigh. "Wanna hold her, oniichan? My arms are about to give out."

"I'd love to, but I've never held a baby before. What if I hurt her?" he said, waving his hands frantically. Baby Miyu was cute as a button, but he was a rough-and-tumble kind of guy. What if he accidentally squished her?

"I'll take her, Chloe," Artoria offered.

"You?" Chloe eyed the volunteering Artoria with doubt. "Are you sure about this?" After all, she was a knight who'd spent her life in the thick of battlefields. Was this really a good idea? Salter, munching on snacks nearby, glanced up at Artoria, seemingly sharing Chloe's skepticism.

Artoria's brow furrowed in annoyance. "Don't look at me like that. I'm a mother too! And who here has more experience with motherhood than me?"

Chloe: "......"

Shirou: "......"

Mo-chan: "......"

They all fell silent.

Mo-chan turned to Salter, who was still happily snacking away, and raised an eyebrow pointedly. "You're basically the same person, aren't you? Maybe you should learn a thing or two!"

Salter gave Mo-chan a side-eye, then silently pulled her snacks closer, continuing to munch away.

"Uuu..." Mo-chan dissolved into tears. If only I'd just finished her off back then!

"Come here, Chloe. Let me have her," Artoria beckoned, arms outstretched.

Chloe reluctantly handed baby Miyu over to Artoria, whose maternal aura were simply too overwhelming. A few gentle bounces later, Artoria had Miyu giggling happily.

Chloe and the others watched, stunned. Even Salter paused mid-chip, her jaw dropping. This version of her was actually so gentle?

After watching Artoria play with baby Miyu, Shirou turned to Chloe. "Did Illya go to the South American Connection Point to find a way to help Miyu?"

"Yes, and Mordred went with her," Chloe replied.

Honestly, seeing Miyu like this, Chloe would have been worried if Illya had gone alone. But with Mordred by her side, there was no need for concern.

He nodded. "If Mordred's there, then everything should be fine." He had complete faith in Mordred. She was smart and capable. If she was on the case, the problem was practically solved.

But while Shirou and the others were happily bouncing baby Miyu, Mordred was facing the toughest challenge of her life.

South American Connection Point...

A woman with hair that flowed down her back smiled at the crying blonde girl in front of her. "Now then, tell me, what's one plus one?"

Tears streaked the girl's face, her eyes moist and hazy as she sobbed, "It's...it's two."

The woman smiled gently. "Wrong. The answer is still one. You see, when you add two ones vertically, it's still just one number, isn't it? There's just another one next to it. Hehehe...wrong answer!"

"No, no! You're...you're cheating!" the girl cried out in protest.

"Ara. I never cheat, you know that. Since you got it wrong, it's time for punishment. Your body and mental age are going to decrease by one year, and your intelligence and knowledge will drop by ten percent! You'll be a dumb blonde!" The woman used her power to strip away her intelligence.

"No, no...don't take away my intelligence anymore, don't make me younger, I...I don't want to become an idiot...!" she hugged her head and wept bitterly as the other stripped away ten percent of her intelligence and knowledge, her body shrinking down even smaller than before, her clothes becoming too loose on her shrinking body.

The woman licked her lips, then approached and showed a gentle smile. "So cute, I can't help but want to hug and snuggle you."

Overshadowed by the woman's tall figure, the girl's eyes shed tear after tear from fear and dread. Before meeting this woman, she thought there was nothing in the world worth fearing. But after this encounter, a shadow had been cast over her heart.

"Alright, next question. What's one plus one? If you miss this one, you lose 20% of your intelligence and age back two years. You'll be a real dummy then." The woman said with a smile.

"No, no...please don't ask me that again...I don't know! I just don't! Waaahh!" the girl cried. "Just kill me instead! Waaahh!"

"Killing isn't fun, you know. Now answer the question or you lose. Up to you." The woman's smile remained gentle.

...

"Thanks for helping, Artie. I know you're busy," Shirou said, carrying a cardboard box toward her as she held another.

"Of course, my king. It's what a knight does," she replied with a smile.

After getting paid, they decided to furnish their new home. Shirou explored the market and bought quite a bit of furniture. The big stuff was delivered, but he moved the smaller items himself. It was a lot for one person, and he almost called for help before Artoria arrived.

"Just put them over there," he said, setting down his box and pointing to an empty spot.

"Understood." She placed her box down and sat nearby.

He poured two cups of steaming coffee, walked over, and handed her one.

"Thank you, my king."

"You're welcome."

She took the coffee with both hands, dipping her head slightly as she took a graceful sip.

He leaned against the bookshelf, sipping his coffee and studying Artoria. A hint of admiration flickered in his eyes. Honestly, it was the first time he'd truly looked at her. Her golden hair was pulled back with a black hairband, her slender frame elegant in a white off-the-shoulder dress. The hem flared, revealing long legs in black tights. The outfit could have been seductive, but on her, it was graceful and dignified.

A noble beauty.

They'd been close for so long, yet he'd barely noticed her. Now, taking her in, he couldn't help but feel a growing appreciation.

"My king..." she murmured, cradling her coffee cup.

He blinked, snapping out of it. "Sorry, I must have been staring. Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, no, it's fine," she waved her hands quickly. She wasn't bothered, just shy.

After a moment, she looked up. "What were you thinking about, my king?" His stare must have been about something important.

"It's nothing much. Just wondering if that dress is really your armor? It doesn't look like knight's armor at all, more like something for a ball."

Shirou spoke, placing a hand on her smooth shoulder. The warmth made Artoria jump slightly before she spoke softly. "This...this is a mystic code...My king, you must have forgotten. It has magical protection from Morgan and Merlin. Plus...it's the dress I manifested in, so I can't change it even if I wanted to."

"I see," he nodded, a look of understanding on his face. He hid his true thoughts well. He wouldn't admit he'd just been absentmindedly admiring her.

Shirou sat down beside her, and she immediately shifted, about to stand. He caught her wrist. "It's fine, stay here."

"Yes."

It was clearly difficult for her, but she managed to sit elegantly beside him, her slender shoulders trembling slightly, her heart racing.

"Artie, are you worried about Mordred?" he asked, seeing her tension.

"Mordred..." At the name, Artoria's tension turned to worry, and she nodded. "Yes. She has a powerful Noble Phantasm, but that South American Connection Point is so dangerous... Even Gray and Miyu were defeated there - one aged backward, the other turned into a baby... I...I'm so worried about her, my king..."

Artoria's hands shook.

He covered her trembling hands with his own. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. Remember, she destroyed those Outer God coordinates, saved Britain from invasion. You have to believe in her too."

"Yes..."

The warmth of his hand made Artoria want to lean on him for comfort. She reached out, embracing him, but as her cheek touched his chest, she snapped out of it.

Oh no!

I...I've done something disrespectful to my king again!

She broke away, standing and apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry, my king. It was me, I was too forward. Forgive me..."

"Why do you apologize?"

"This...that..."

Embarrassment flooded her, and she didn't know what to do.