I am the protagonist

Saber looked at Caster with a troubled expression, but she had to admit what Shirou had just said.

After learning about many of Caster's actions in hindsight, I no longer felt that he was a bad person.

Some of their experiences even evoke sympathy.

Simply offering advice to one's Master is treated like a traitor.

Even Kiritsugu, who is considered a heretic, wouldn't do something so unwise.

To put it bluntly, Saber thinks that Caster's previous Master's death makes a lot of sense.

In the end, Saber could only sigh; she had given in to Shirou's words.

"We agreed on Caster first."

"The reason I let you stay this time is entirely because Shirou trusts you."

"If you ever betray Shirou, my holy sword will show you no mercy."

"..."

The word "betrayal" must have pierced Medea's heart.

Shirou, noticing this, didn't know how to comfort Caster.

Shirou could clearly see the resentment and anger in her heart.

It was precisely because he knew she was a very simple and honest person that he trusted her, rather than caring about her past identity as a "betraying witch".

Shirou could only pull up Caster, who was standing next to him.

"Saber, if Rin and the others come back, please tell them."

"I'm going to help Caster prepare her room."

Saber could only watch Shirou prepare Caster's room while she sat in the living room, eating lemons.

Shortly after leaving the living room, Shirou led Caster into a room.

Looking at Caster, whose eyes held a hint of darkness, he knew it was time for a heart-to-heart talk.

Quietly close the door to the room.

She took Caster's hand and sat down.

"You are not wrong."

"You were initially treated rudely, and your resistance did not mean your judgment was wrong."

"There are always people in the world who are often useless themselves but can't understand good advice because they don't like to hear it."

Medea looked up at Shirou.

"What they like to hear are hypocritical words."

"But you can't say those hypocritical things, so you've been isolated by those people, or even ostracized by them."

"It's just because you don't fit in."

"But what you did was not wrong."

Seeing the seriousness in Shirou's eyes, Medea felt her suppressed pain about to erupt at this moment.

She just didn't know what she should do.

She could only continue watching Shirou through her tears.

"They...have always called me a witch."

"Shirou, do you think so too?"

"No, you're just an ordinary girl."

"Just like Saber, you and Saber are just ordinary girls."

"But fate is playing tricks on you."

Shirou knew that the word "witch" had a huge impact on Caster, and none of this was what Caster wanted.

"No one wants to hear your truth, so you've been given the title of 'Witch'."

"It's not your fault."

"Shirou..."

Medea's strength crumbled at this moment.

My past assertiveness was merely a way to hide my inner vulnerability.

Pain that cannot be understood by others is something that no one can understand.

Unless it is accepted by someone who has suffered the same pain.

Medea, with a sob in her voice, clung to Shirou, repeatedly expressing the grievances in her heart through her sobs.

At that moment, Medea understood.

Perhaps Shirou is the one who can completely accept all of her.

Chapter 77 My room is right next to yours

Shirou watched Caster sobbing uncontrollably in his arms and let her vent her emotions as she pleased.

Being wronged and accused of baseless crimes is often the most painful thing.

Shirou was once wronged.

It was the kind of thing where I was wrongly accused and it affected me for a long time.

Even though I didn't invest the money, some people insist that I'm the one who stole it.

That kind of situation where the teacher forces the parents to come to the school.

Even now, Shirou still remembers the experience of being forced to apologize and pay compensation.

It is only through experiencing it that one can understand what kind of pain it is.

Caster now is practically like Chrome back in the day.

[Despite being emotionally fragile all along.]

Yet she acted stronger than anyone else.

[Saber should have heard this by now.]

It turns out that after Shirou left the living room with Caster, Saber must have been worried and followed behind.

Although Saber cannot perfectly conceal her aura like an Assassin due to her class, she has her own methods for doing so.

After barely managing to conceal her presence, Saber continued to eavesdrop on the conversations in the room.

Of course, Caster's crying was also heard.

This made Saber a little embarrassed.

I... I didn't mean to.

I'm just worried that Caster might pose a threat to Shirou.

I didn't mean to provoke her.

Even the most hard-hearted person would be moved by such an uncontrollable cry.

Saber wasn't a heartless person to begin with, and hearing that crying made her realize how much her words had affected Caster.

At this moment, even Saber felt a sense of guilt towards Caster.

Even if a lot happened to Caster in the past, at least now is the end of the Holy Grail War.

Now is the time to clean up the past and face the spirits of the fallen heroes with a new attitude.

As a result, she made Caster cry.

I really cried.

Saber could even hear the grievances and pain in those cries.

Realizing this, Saber didn't stay outside any longer and slunk back to the living room.

Shirou didn't pay any attention to Saber's departure.

What he needs now is to comfort Caster's hurt and aggrieved heart.

After Medea, who had been crying the whole time, completely released her emotions, her mood gradually began to stabilize.

Once you're exhausted from crying, your mood will stabilize.

Feeling relieved, Medea also realized her situation.

"Shirou..."

"Wipe it first."

Medea quickly took the tissue and lowered her head to wipe her crying face.

"Shirou, do I... look terrible right now?"

"Nope."

"You don't wear any makeup at all, just a lipstick at most. Even if your face is smudged from crying, you're still just as beautiful as before."

Medea's slightly uneasy mood instantly turned into a beautiful one.

She lowered her head and wiped away the tear stains on her face, trying to make herself look neater.

"Shirou, you've made a fool of yourself."

"It's not a joke; it's just some normal, unpleasant memories for everyone."

“I’m more surprised that Caster has such terrible memories.”

Medea shook her head helplessly.

"Who knew that the Master who summoned me would be this kind of person?"

"I was just explaining some things about magic, and he wouldn't even listen to what I was saying."

"So didn't I say that?"

"Some people just want to hear nice things, not the truth."

"The truth is hard to hear."

"So they would rather hear a lie than the truth."

"And usually, such people are not only narrow-minded, but also not very capable."

While it's not to say that people with a more open mind are inherently stronger, they are generally shrewd and calculating.

Shirou has met people like that before.

Bai Lan is a broad-minded person, which is why he is very shrewd.

To associate with someone like that, one would have to be on equal footing with him in terms of strength.

Or perhaps they share a strong sense of resonance with him regarding some of their own circumstances.

Shirou happened to meet these conditions back then, which is why he and Byakuran had a very good relationship.

"If they have no talent to begin with but also have a broad mind, then they may be angry at your bluntness, but they will still listen to what you say."

"But your Master has nothing."

“Caster, you’re actually pretty unlucky when it comes to luck.”

Perhaps the choice of which Servant a Master selects is a matter of luck.

But doesn't this same principle apply to Heroic Spirits as well?

Encountering an excellent Master is a Heroic Spirit's good fortune.

Caster is incredibly unlucky to have a Master who has no brains.

"My luck has always been this bad."

But this was the only time luck was on my side.

Because of the many betrayals he has suffered, and because of those betrayals, he has become a topic of conversation in the world regarding "betrayal."