Chapter 458

So Morgan finally discovered her conscience...

Could it be that splitting off different personality aspects finally gave her a bit of conscience...

——But that doesn't seem quite right either.

One person has three personality aspects, overlapping, mutually restraining, mutually influencing, so occasional entanglement and contradiction can be understood.

But if they are completely separated...

Wouldn't that just make each aspect more pure...

Logically speaking, the good should become better, the bad should become worse...

Leaving the Throne Room, walking in the deep long corridors of the Royal Court, Artoria's face was full of a somewhat doubtful and at-a-loss expression.

It was that kind of going alone to a meeting, meeting a sworn enemy...

In this process, her heart was full of vigilance, raising her guard to the maximum...

——Because she always felt the opposite side would cook up some despicable conspiracy, play some contemptible scheme.

But...

The result was the other party not only didn't target her, but instead sent a "great gift".

Not saying the opposite, but a true great gift.

It was even what Artoria dreamed of, yearned for in her dreams, what she had always longed for.

This...

So to speak, this directly left Artoria a bit at a loss.

She didn't even know how she left the Throne Room, even forgot what she last said to Morgan, whether she was mocked a few more sentences by the bad woman.

If it was in the past, this would of course be a very important link.

After all, one can lose the person but not the formation; even if they wouldn't easily fight, at least in momentum they couldn't lose.

——This is the bottom line.

——Just like her ahoge, it is the King's dignity.

However...

Cough cough, alright, special situation special treatment, specific situation specific analysis, so the current state is also understandable.

「... 」

「... 」

The Regent Princess shook her head, then stopped her footsteps.

She looked at the hall before her eyes——

The copper pot suspends and rotates on the green flame, the soup spoon stirs the vortex on its own. Semi-transparent ice mist wafts out from the stone jar, that is frost condensed from moonlight.

Fairy maids tiptoe and shuttle through, raising wings dusted with powdered sugar flying back and forth.

In the rattan baskets on the long table, mushrooms topped with butter cookie brims queue up and jump into the baking pan.

Mm, no, why did I run to the kitchen at this time...

Could it be that the muscle memory formed over these years is too deep?

So in a road of delusion, absent-minded, completely not looking at direction, subconsciously walked here?

Artoria pursed her lips, looked reluctantly at those various delicacies forever in "in production" and "ready" states.

Then, she took a deep breath, turned and left, not at all... cough cough, in short not very reluctant.

But from this point, one can also see the importance of the matter.

After all...

Not all affairs have the qualification to make the Regent Princess throw even delicacies aside, disregarding everything.

Leaving the kitchen area, walking through the gold-plated hall, then stepping onto the long spiral stairs ascending.

Although memory is very good, Artoria also likewise hasn't figured out the Royal Court's current internal architectural layout, not only because it's too complex, but also because the scale is too large.

This is an artificial otherworld composed of multiple layers.

Countless independent spaces and regions, connected through the Star's Inner Sea or the Virtual Number World's channels.

The most important thing is still——

Its scale is still in the process of continuous expansion and growth, day after day, year after year.

The girl also doesn't know what Master is doing, or to what step she must do before stopping.

However——the influence isn't particularly great.

Because the expanded parts later are all later additional layers, the true core regions haven't changed much.

And the Court AI will also appropriately give help.

For example, if can't find the way, it will come out to guide, if even that doesn't work, it will use relevant permissions to briefly change some regions' appearance, disappearance and connection...

Thereby achieving the effect of changing regions and channels.

Of course.

Artoria doesn't need these, she relies on ahoge antenna... ah no, relies on Rank A Instinct, can intuitively know the action most suitable for herself.

Not to mention knowing the route.

Even if completely unclear, she can also rely on excellent intuition, keenly choose the best route to reach the destination time and again.

Walking the last distance, stopping before the door, the girl considered a moment, reached out and knocked on the door.

"Coming——"

A gentle voice came from inside.

Soon, footsteps sounded, the door was gently opened from inside.

A head of silver hair scattered like moonlight, Alice poked her head out from inside, then laughed:

"Saber's here. I was just saying, wondering when you'd come over... Are you preparing to summon your Knights?"

"Everything's ready on my end. The whole system's been authorized too, just waiting for the Catalyst to be in place..."

"Huh, let me check... Oh, the Catalyst seems to be registered too. We can start anytime."

The Madam seemed to have known certain things for a long time.

So she subconsciously assumed her good friend had come over to prepare to start Summoning a Servant, and without waiting for Artoria to ask, she happily rattled off a whole bunch.

"Ah, this..."

Artoria pulled at the corner of her mouth, not knowing what to say for a moment.

So...

It really is like this? That bad woman Morgan didn't lie to me?

"Ah, I know, I know. The current procedure is a bit more troublesome, not as simple and convenient as before..."

But Madam Alice misunderstood her expression and hurriedly explained—

"Can't be helped. Mr. Xia Zhi said to standardize it, and he undertook restructuring the whole Summoning System..."

"Although it's still called 'Holy Grail System 2.0', it has almost nothing to do with the previous Holy Grail System. Even I, as the Administrator, am still learning..."

"Actually, for a normal Servant Summoning, it's still the same as before. As long as there's a record of the Spirit Origin Portrait, you can directly download the Heroic Spirit's Intelligence from the Singularity Record..."

"Only those very special ones need a Catalyst, and the Catalyst must be properly kept..."

Although it was an explanation, it also carried a hint of complaint.

Many things have changed. As the Holy Grail System's Administrator, the Madam also needs to relearn, which is something that troubles her greatly.

"Why?"

Artoria was also a bit doubtful, and asked this point.

This looks a bit like a Meaningless Task. There must be some special deep meaning inside, right?

"Seems like it's considering subsequent Reinforcement costs, and to reduce losses. Anyway, it's for Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement?"

Alice extended her Finger and gently touched it to her lips, thought for a bit, then said—

"A Servant's Essence is, after all, a Magecraft Phenomenon that needs constant maintenance. Once Mana is cut off, or the Spirit Core is destroyed, they Disappear from the Mortal World."

"In that case, no matter how much was invested before, or what was Reinforced, it all turns to nothing together."

"But using a Catalyst seems to have a chance to circumvent this..."

"The specific principle I can't explain clearly. Anyway, Mr. Xia Zhi seemed to say he recently caught a Demigod Lich somewhere to study, and referenced Life Box technology..."

"Life, Life Box?" Artoria frowned.

"Yeah. They say if you remodel the Catalyst, this Medium that directly Summons a Servant, into a Life Box that holds the Servant's Spirit Core, then as long as the Catalyst isn't destroyed, the Servant won't be Killed..."

Alice nodded, saying Definitely.

"Sounds pretty good..." The ahoge on top of her head moved. The girl couldn't help muttering in a Low Voice.

Seems according to this explanation, there really are only benefits.

And needing a Catalyst to Summon the Round Table Knights also proves that bad woman Morgan wasn't fooling me, because this is obviously special treatment—

Indirectly showing it's not just Summoning the Round Table Knights once and calling it a day...

Obviously preparing to let them serve long-term...

Hmm, come to think of it, as such an unqualified King, would they really still be Willing to follow me? I'm afraid it'll be very, very hard.

Thoughts drifting to this matter, the girl couldn't help feeling a bit sad again.

After all, she was from the very end of the Camlan Battle, directly signed a Contract with the Counter Force, and then became a Pseudo Servant and was Summoned.

At the final stage of her life...

Everything from the past was Denied...

Therefore, when facing this problem, she inevitably appeared very lacking in Awe-inspiring Composure.

"What's wrong? Saber?" The Madam keenly Perceived her good friend's low Emotion, and couldn't help asking caringly, also a bit annoyed: "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's not your problem, Alice..."

Artoria took a deep breath, shook her head hard, forcing herself to move her Thoughts away from those heavy parts.

She showed a smile to the Madam, indicating she was fine, then Immediately asked: "Right, Alice, do you know the specifics of this matter?"

"What?"

"I mean, about me Summoning my Round Table Knights now, and the special treatment and all..." Artoria weighed her words: "There should be some plan, right?"

"Huh? Saber, you don't know either?"

Alice Geng-ed for a moment. "I don't know either. I was just notified to Cooperate and prepare for Summoning..."

Saber is the Regent, after all.

Something even she doesn't know, how could I possibly understand?

"Like that..."

The Regent Princess immediately frowned: "Could it be Morgan's Temporary Idea?"

"Of course not—"

At this time, a clear, hearty voice rang out.

Artoria Geng-ed for a moment, then subconsciously looked up. She saw Alice also turning back in Surprise.

Through the gap, a tall figure standing by the window could be seen, seemingly admiring the Moonlight.

"Actually, it was my proposal." He Stared at the moonlight outside the window, saying without turning his head.

"..."

"..."

"Wait, let's not talk about this first..."

Artoria's expression instantly darkened.

"Why are you in Airi's room?"

"Cough cough, is that the first thing you focus on?" Xia Zhi turned back, blinking. "This just refreshed, you know."

"Then why did it refresh there?"

"Only this way can one have the bearing of an expert, don't you think this way has a lot of prestige?"

The young man said with a straight face: "Appearing and disappearing mysteriously is standard for an expert; I am now omnipresent, everywhere, so of course I have to demonstrate it a bit."

"Doesn't that make you even more of a pervert!"

The girl gritted her teeth, feeling like she didn't want to pay attention to him anymore.

(Chapter End)