The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

Page 554

Upon realizing this, she was neither afraid nor chose to report it to Kiritsugu.

Although as a Servant, one should trust one's Master.

But Artoria didn't really trust the man who spoke in a deep voice and whose eyes always seemed to hold unfathomable thoughts.

Therefore, even without her Master's orders, she would choose to risk her life for this test.

The purpose was to determine, in the first encounter with a Servant, whether one's strength was sufficient to match that of a Heroic Spirit from a different time and space.

"What? You don't want to show yourself? Lancer, are you some nobody?"

Artoria directly questioned her from her own position.

There are only two possible outcomes once these words are spoken.

One possibility is that the other party continues to remain silent, which would mean that one's guess is correct.

Lancer is not a heroic spirit worthy of respect.

Another possible outcome is that the other party directly appears and explains their reasons.

Artoria didn't expect the other party to be foolish enough to reveal their name; she simply hoped to compete with them as a knight.

This is her code of conduct as a knight.

Of course, if the opponent is a despicable person who cannot even show respect, then Artoria would not mind defeating them directly.

"hehe."

Finally, after anxiously waiting, Lancer, who had been tracking him for a long time, slowly appeared.

This servant is a handsome man wielding two guns of different colors.

He had jet-black hair and a face with sharp, angular features.

His pupils were a mesmerizing gold, and his eyes were deep and enigmatic.

His lips were slightly thin, but had an alluring rosy color, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing an extremely charming smile.

The beauty mark under his eye added to his undeniable handsomeness.

For some reason, Artoria felt that even though the Servant in front of her had a stern face, she still felt that he was a good person.

Yet he still manages to give people a feeling of warmth and comfort, as if he were smiling.

Suddenly, Artoria realized what was happening and immediately pointed her sword at the handsome man who was impossible to ignore.

"To cast a charm spell the moment we met, is that your style, Lancer!"

Artoria considered herself to have extraordinary self-control, therefore she was certain.

The man in front of me felt completely extraordinary, beyond the ordinary realm, reaching the level of bewitching magic.

"Haha, sorry. Saber, I apologize if I made you uncomfortable."

Faced with Saber's questioning, Lancer explained with a rather nonchalant attitude:

"This is a curse from the gods. Although I often try to get rid of it, I always fail in the end."

"..."

Artoria remained silent.

Why did this man's answer give people the illusion of showing off?

However, she didn't dwell on these trivial matters, since the other party had now left the invisible shadows and appeared in front of her.

This seems to suggest that the man in front of us at least harbors a desire for honor.

"I'm asking you."

Artoria sheathed her sword, then slowly asked, holding it with both hands, "Lancer, why did you choose to appear before me?"

"Hehe, Saber, don't misunderstand. Although I am now a Servant, I have not forgotten the noble principles of a knight."

With just one sentence, Artoria felt as if she had met an old friend in a foreign land.

Although at this moment, my position is opposed to Lancer's.

But she felt that she could at least treat this noble person with the same respect one would show a knight.

“Is that so? Then, forgive my intrusion, Lancer.”

Artoria raised her sword, her mind made up for the duel.

As for Lancer, he also picked up his dual pistols, seemingly ready to charge at the blonde girl in front of him and fight her for three hundred rounds at once.

However...

Just as both sides were itching for a fight, seemingly about to clash at any moment.

They all simultaneously withdrew their offensive stances.

"Can you feel it, Lancer?"

Artoria asked, sword in hand.

"Yes, it's here..."

Lancer turned and looked up at the sky.

"The adjudicator..."

The two Servants spoke in unison.

As the two finished speaking, a white-haired figure landed precisely on the turbulent dock.

"We've finally found you."

Kiana breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly marveling at the arbiter's privileges.

She never expected that she would be able to pinpoint the contestants' locations so precisely.

It seems as if these contestants, whether they like it or not, are ultimately forced to share their spots with the participants.

Along with location sharing comes the sharing of personal information between the two parties.

These messages appeared before Kiana in a series of text boxes, and the sheer volume of information made her suspicious...

What kind of person am I supposed to be the judge for?

"King Arthur? A woman? And that... the chief warrior of the Irish Fiona Knights?"

If it weren't for the Holy Grail revealing their identities, Kiana would have thought that the participants in the competition were just slightly stronger minor characters.

However, in retrospect... this so-called Holy Grail War is indeed extraordinary.

Even figures from myths and legends can be summoned...

"How should I greet them next?"

Kiana stared at the two Servants for a long time, and for some reason had the feeling that she was there to cause trouble.

Hmm... if their intention was to have no referee intervention, then their presence was indeed causing trouble, right?

After much thought, Kiana finally raised her hand and waved to the two of them: "Hello!"

"..."

The two Servants remained silent for a long time.

They looked at Kiana with the same surprise as Kiana looked at them.

However, what is different is...

"Just who is this white-haired girl?"

Both Saber and Lancer, almost without exception, had this question in their hearts.

They had absolutely no idea who Kiana was, nor did they know what kind of power this Arbiter who flew in from afar possessed.

The only thing the two Servants knew about Kiana was her identity as the Arbitrator.

As for the rest, the two of them knew absolutely nothing.

There's a saying that goes something like that.

Fear stems from the unknown.

Although both are highly skilled individuals who are unafraid of death, they still couldn't help but be wary of Kiana, whose identity was completely shrouded in mystery.

Why did you suddenly stop talking?

Seeing the two people with serious expressions and no words, Kiana asked them with some surprise.

She was unsure if she had offended the other person in any way, or if either of them had a problem with her.

But she knew that she would have to make a fair judgment no matter what.

The subjects of the ruling were these two individuals.

"I just don't understand why you're here, Arbitrator."

Lancer smiled at Kiana.

His handsome appearance combined with that smile creates an irresistible charm.

Unfortunately...

Can't I come here?

Kiana was completely uninterested in the handsome man in front of her; in fact, she felt a chill down her spine.

Why would such ridiculously handsome Servants appear in the Holy Grail War?