"Miss Mordred..."
Matthew emphasized the pronunciation of the word "Miss" with some defeat.
It’s not surprising, since King Arthur is a woman, then the rebellious knight Mordred, who corresponds to him in the legend and ultimately brought destruction to Britain, should naturally be a woman.
But why? Where does this inexplicable feeling of defeat come from?
Is it because the legend of the Knights of the Round Table in my mind was torn into pieces, blended together, and finally subverted?
Although she had never told the doctor named Roman, for her, an artificial person with no so-called childhood, she had listened to Roman's stories every day, and read him after that. The time spent in books can be regarded as extremely precious "memories of the same year."
Looking back now, even though I spent all that time in a transparent "birdcage", I didn't feel any pain at all.
Matthew's heart was always grateful to Roman at that time, to this man who was like a father and allowed her to grow up healthily in such an environment.
And the legend of the Knights of the Round Table and the detective collection of Sherlock Holmes, which Roman had repeatedly mentioned, have become indispensable and extremely important parts of Matthew's memories.
However, looking at the doctor Roman who was giggling at the magical Mellie on the screen every day and the impression of the Knights of the Round Table that were gradually collapsing, Matthew couldn't help but feel a strong sense of frustration.
Could it be that the good times that once dominated her memories were all illusions?
Doesn't it exist at all?
Only the wise image of Holmes still holds on to the last glimmer of beauty deep in Matthew's heart.
"What's wrong? Do you think of me as an ordinary woman?"
However, Matthew's words seemed to hit a serious minefield again, and Mordred asked her very dissatisfiedly.
Mordred was secretly happy to have the same appearance and figure as King Arthur, his "father" - and even the gender.
But if others mention this, Mordred will definitely not look good on them.
Especially those who look down on themselves because of their gender, Mordred will definitely make them confess to God.
If she hadn't already recognized that the shield and attire of this shield-bearing girl were so eerily similar to that of an old friend that she couldn't be considered a Knight of the Round Table if she didn't recognize her, I'm afraid just these words would be enough to make her Let's swing our swords at each other.
As for ordinary people? Even if she doesn't kill them, anyone who talks about her gender in front of her will definitely be severely beaten by Mordred.
Beat her until she no longer cares about her gender.
"…………Eh………………?"
Matthew obviously hadn't realized why Mordred, who was a female knight and had the same topic as her, suddenly turned against her.
Is it possible that even though she has the same face and bloodline as Artoria, she turns out to be a capricious person?
Considering Mordred's image in the legend, maybe it's really possible.
"Then...Sir. Mordred?"
"...I'm really going to beat you up, you guy?"
Mordred raised his fist that was half wrapped in the arm armor and said to Matthew with a smile.
If it weren't for the wrinkled veins on her forehead that were still faintly bulging and the dangerous red lightning lingering around her, Matthew would have thought she was really kind to him.
"This is your fault, my stupid junior."
At this moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka, who could no longer sit back and watch the atmosphere become tense, suddenly spoke and intervened between the two of them.
"Um?"
Mordred was a little surprised that this ordinary person dared to face him directly. After all, she was still surrounded by the magic power that she could emit, which to ordinary people could be considered violent.
The fact that she can freely travel through this magical mist is surprising. Even the Master from the organization called Chaldea still cannot change the fact that the girl named Fujimaru Ritsuka is an ordinary person.
It would be better to say that as an ordinary person, she actually shoulders such an important mission, which makes people look at her in a different light.
"It's just gender. It's not important to knights at all, and it can't be divided only by men and women. After all, strictly speaking, there were more than fifty kinds of gender in our time——————For knights In terms of judgment, what really matters should be glory and force, right?”
"Oh, you're unexpectedly awesome!"
Faced with Fujimaru Ritsuka's extremely appetizing reply, Mordred happily patted her shoulder.
"As expected of a senior, he can get along well with the heroic spirits so easily. I still need to learn more."
Can't we be regarded as neither a woman nor a man...?
Matthew silently wrote down the rules for getting along with Mordred in his heart.
But it’s a shame that senior was able to grasp Mordred’s mentality... To be honest, it was really troublesome.
In fact, even Fujimaru Ritsuka himself doesn’t know why he chose to use such words to approach Mordred, but...
She felt this way secretly.
It was as if he had already met and gotten along with her.
In fact, not only this place, most of the things that happened after arriving at this singularity had an inexplicable sense of déjà vu in her eyes.
"Deja vu (sense of déjà vu)...?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka silently recited this word that was still slightly unfamiliar to her.
It was ridiculous, she couldn't even remember where she learned the actual meaning of the word.
Based on her past experiences and habits, even if she knew that the theme song of Initial D was named after Deja vu, she would never know the deep meaning behind this French word.
After seeing Mordred calmed down, Artoria, who had never confronted him head-on, breathed a sigh of relief and gave up her intention to come forward.
She knew very well what kind of nature Mordred had.
It was precisely because of this that Artoria Alt chose to avoid communicating with him as much as possible.
After all, her visor is neither the "helmet to hide infidelity" that she once used to deceive herself, nor is it Lancelot's "honor not for one's own sake" that can completely hide her identity. What appears is just armor.
If his identity is discovered by Mordred through his words and deeds, then the battle strength that he finally managed to win over to his side may be in vain.
After all, even though she was no longer a knight and no longer a king, she still clearly remembered how profound Mordred's "rebellion" was towards her.
"By the way - you over there are also a knight, right? Why don't you even tell me your name and are still hiding in the corner, sneaking around? It's really disgraceful."
However, Mordred still took the initiative to come to the door.
Seeing Mordred take the initiative to talk to Artoria, Mashu's heart was so nervous that it reached his throat.
However, in the face of Mordred's provocation, Artoria Alt was surprisingly calm.
If it were the self who had been brooding over the destruction of Britain, he would definitely have taught her a lesson the moment he faced Mordred's provocation.
But for her now, the more important thing is to help Chaldea regain humanity, so she can tolerate Mordred's outburst for the time being.
"There is no need for that. I don't have the so-called dignity of a knight at all, and I don't need that kind of thing. I am just the master's weapon, so there is no need to take the initiative to declare my name."
However, this does not mean that Artoria Alt will speak kindly to Mordred.
"What do you mean--"
And Mordred was naturally angered again by Artoria Alter's harsh tone.
However, before she could finish her words, an even more violent magic power overflowed from the inverted holy sword that Artoria had turned into a hammer.
And Mordred's originally confident words couldn't help but lose their confidence.
"...Do you have any opinions?"
Under Artoria Alter's emotionless voice, even Mordred herself didn't know why she lost her will to fight, but under the black violent magic, it was really difficult for her to resist.
"Of course————No! . . . Hey, boring guy."
Like a child being scolded by an elder, Mordred turned his head angrily, and then said to Fujimaru Ritsuka and the more familiar Mashu:
"If you don't want to continue running around like a headless fly in this fog, just follow me."
Then he started walking without looking back.
For some reason, from the fact that this person in black armor was obviously a knight but said that she was not a knight, Mordred felt that she was very similar to her father.
But then Mordred shook her head and gave up her stupid idea.
Although her father, King Arthur, did not understand her, and she did not understand King Arthur, first of all, today's conversation that completely abandoned the spirit of chivalry and the violent atmosphere were absolutely unacceptable. Probably what King Arthur should have had.
The glorious image of King Arthur will never change in her heart.
How could that King Arthur be so rude? He was the one who went too far by associating this person whom Matthew called alter with King Arthur.
While walking, Mordred condemned himself in his heart.
"That... Sir Mordred!"
Mashu, who once again gathered his courage, finally spoke to Mordred, who had been walking forward.
"What's wrong? Matthew?"
"Excuse me, where are we going now?"
"Ah, by the way, I haven't told you yet. Since you are not enemies, you naturally need a place to rest - that is, a stronghold. As you can see in London today, ordinary people cannot survive outside. Even if there are a few survivors, they are basically hiding in their own homes. So why not come to where I am now? Although the guy who took me in is not a powerful magician, he can still make those people Avoided by the patrolling steel monsters.”
"Well, if I understand correctly, Lord Mordred, you are also one of the ones being taken in, right? Wouldn't it be a little abrupt to take us back like this?"
"It's okay, it's okay, that guy will definitely accept it."
"Eh…………"
Matthew didn't have much confidence in Mordred's statement, who smiled in affirmation.
She was ready to apologize directly and with the highest courtesy for disturbing her.
"Okay, here it is————"
"Have we arrived yet? It's surprisingly close."
Approaching the side of the street, Fujimaru Ritsuka expressed surprise at the vermilion wooden door floating in the fog and the blue-gray brick wall behind it.
I originally thought that the stronghold that Mordred mentioned would be somewhere, but unexpectedly it turned out to be just an ordinary three-story building next to a London street.
"Well, I told you, that guy is just a third-rate magician——Hey, Hyde! I'm back!"
As he spoke, Mordred kicked open the historic wooden door without a care.
"Ah, how many times have I told you that the magic I did is just an ordinary evasion. The door is not reinforced. You just need to open the door normally, Saber."
A slightly helpless voice came from upstairs, and then a gentle young man came down the stairs.
However, when he saw the three Fujimaru Ritsuka following Mordred, a hint of surprise appeared on the young man's gentle and calm face.
"Things like that don't matter. Look who I brought back."
"... New guest, let me ask you this in advance to be on the safe side, saber, you didn't reveal your real name, did you?"
"Well, completely exposed."
"You, your real name is very important to a heroic spirit...but, in that case——"
Facing Mordred and holding his forehead with a headache, the gentle young man then looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka and others and said:
"Then there is no need to hide anything. She is Mordred. She must have introduced herself to you before. Since I can bring you here, you must have gained her trust."
"I'm sorry for the unexpected visit——"
Matthew bowed his head and apologized to him.
"No, that doesn't matter. In the current environment, I really hope that someone can come to visit me. Besides, miss, you and the miss over there are both servants similar to Mordred. The security level here has increased again. On the first floor, I can’t even be happy.”
While saying this to Mash, the young man glanced at Artoria who was silent behind Fujimaru Ritsuka, and then continued:
"Then introduce yourself. My name is Henry Jekyll. You can also call me, Dr. Hyde."
Smiling, the man who calls himself Hyde puts on his glasses.
"Eh, Henry Jekyll?"
The moment he heard this name, not only Matthew who was here, but also Roman, the doctor in the control room, was shocked.
"Oh, is this some of the latest magical communication methods? It's really unimaginable technology."
Hyde was not surprised when he saw the blue image that suddenly appeared, but looked at the image of Roman's figure very carefully.
"However, putting aside the technical issues first, what surprises me even more is, miss, you seem to have heard of my name?"
Hyde asked Mashu and Roman.
