I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

"So, it's Ruler… thank goodness," Gordes muttered, visibly relaxing when he saw Artoria.

He had genuinely feared it might be someone from the Red faction. After all, as the Master of Black Saber—the faction's strongest Servant—he considered himself the most significant threat to the enemy and thus their prime target. Surely, they would be eager to eliminate him.

This, at least, was how Gordes viewed himself.

But when it came to Artoria, Gordes felt a certain degree of trust. Confident in his perception of her fairness, he stepped out from behind Siegfried with an air of grandeur.

As a noble, Gordes believed it was crucial to display goodwill, respect, and his own sense of refinement. Straightening his clothes, he struck what he thought was a flawless and elegant pose.

"Greetings, Ruler. It is an honor—"

"Ruler! Ruler! Are you there?!"

Gordes' practiced demeanor crumbled instantly as Astolfo's loud voice interrupted him. The Rider, still held under Siegfried's arm, called out desperately.

Though battered, nearly out of energy, and having endured a thorough beating, Astolfo's eyes shone with a hopeful glimmer, like a parched wanderer spotting an oasis.

A moment ago, he had seemed half-dead, but now he struggled fiercely, flailing in Siegfried's grasp and shouting at the top of his lungs in Artoria's direction.

"Ruler! Ruler! Help me! Help him! Don't let them take him away—they'll kill him!"

"Shut your mouth!" Gordes barked, flustered. But he quickly realized that yelling wasn't enough to silence Astolfo, so he turned to Siegfried. "Saber! Make Rider shut up!"

Without hesitation, Siegfried put down Sieg and clamped a massive hand over Astolfo's mouth.

"Mm! Mmmph!"

Even with his mouth covered, Astolfo twisted and squirmed with all his might.

Managing to slip free for just a moment, Astolfo bit down hard on Siegfried's hand.

There was no effect.

Not only did it fail to faze Siegfried, but the impact also left Astolfo's teeth aching painfully. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Ow! Saber, you hurt my teeth!"

"…My apologies," Siegfried said sincerely. Then, just as sincerely, he clamped Astolfo's mouth shut again with even greater force.

Quick to apologize, steadfast in action—an unwavering approach.

"Mmph! Mmmph…!"

The muffled sounds of distress resembled a pitiable whimper, enough to evoke sympathy from even the hardest hearts.

Gordes, however, ignored Astolfo's muffled protests. Instead, he glanced nervously at Artoria, worried about how she might react.

To his relief, Artoria showed no inclination to interfere.

If Jeanne had been standing in Artoria's place, she might have been moved by compassion and stepped in to shield Sieg.

"I have no intention of involving myself in how you handle this homunculus," Artoria stated, her tone cold. "After all, he was created by Yggdmillennia. He is your property."

Her voice carried a detached indifference. "I am merely Ruler, tasked with overseeing this Holy Grail War. Anything unrelated to the war is beyond my concern."

"Mm! Mmmph!!" Astolfo's protests grew more frantic.

"Your judgment is wise and just, befitting the King of Knights who established the Round Table," Gordes said, his words dripping with flattery. "Truly, you are the embodiment of fairness and righteousness. There could be no better choice for Ruler in this war."

While Astolfo looked stricken, Gordes sighed in visible relief. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation with Artoria over something as trivial as a homunculus.

"However…"

Artoria touched her chin thoughtfully, a flicker of hesitation in her emerald eyes.

"…Might I make a small request of the Black faction?"

Gordes froze in surprise, then quickly masked it with a beaming smile.

"Of course! Anything, Ruler! Whatever you ask, the Black faction will do everything in our power to fulfill it."

To Gordes, this was an opportunity—an invaluable chance to curry favor with Ruler. Agreeing to the request, even without hearing it first, was a calculated move. Whether or not they could fulfill the request was a separate matter. What mattered now was showing enthusiasm and goodwill.

"You needn't worry. It's nothing unreasonable, just a small matter," Artoria said, raising her hand and meeting Gordes' gaze directly.

"I hope you will show kindness to this homunculus. Allow him to live like an ordinary person and choose his own path."

"!!!"

Her words left Gordes staring in disbelief.

He never could have predicted that Ruler's request would center on this broken, flawed homunculus.

Astolfo's violet eyes widened with shock as well, his face a mix of surprise and profound gratitude.

"This is not a request made in my capacity as Ruler," Artoria continued, her tone steady. "It is a personal appeal from Artoria Pendragon. If you choose to refuse, there will be no consequences."

Artoria wasn't one to impose. While she did pity Sieg and admired his unyielding will to survive, she acknowledged that he was a creation of Yggdmillennia—a product of their efforts, their property. It wasn't her place to dictate how they handled him.

"…I…" Gordes hesitated, visibly torn. After a long pause, he replied, "I will need to discuss this with the others before making a decision."

"That is only natural," Artoria said with a slight nod, her expression unchanging.

"Now then," Artoria continued, her tone growing heavier, "I have another question for you."

A sense of gravitas settled over her as she swept her gaze across the group.

"Why are you here?"

"Why?" Gordes repeated. "To capture this homunculus Rider took with him, of course."

He shot a glare at Astolfo. "I have to admit, this boy can run. He got surprisingly far."

Artoria's brow furrowed slightly.

"When Rider fled, didn't you notice immediately and give chase? Why did it take until now to catch him?"

"That's what's strange!" Gordes exclaimed, frustration creeping into his voice. "Rider and the homunculus suddenly vanished from the castle. Neither the familiars nor the wards detected them. By the time we realized they were gone, they'd already reached the outskirts. We completely lost their trail."

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T/N: :3c aww artoria does care