The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 338 An Unseen "Friendly Force" in the Alliance (8K views, please vote!)

However, the atmosphere between Rider and Webber was exceptionally harmonious.

The other group was also very harmonious.

In Fuyuki City in 1994, smartphones and other digital devices had not yet been invented, so shops like photo studios were not uncommon in the new city.

At that moment, the blonde woman, dressed in a smart black suit, looked up at the sign that was not well-lit during the day.

"CYZ Photo Studio".

Saber softly uttered the somewhat strange name, then turned her head to look at the beautiful woman beside her, who was as pure and holy as an elf.

"Irisviel, is this the place where the painter left his portrait?"

Saber's words made Irisviel burst out laughing, a string of silvery laughter swaying gently in the air along with her snow-white hair.

"Irisviel, why are you suddenly making fun of me?"

A hint of displeasure flickered in Saber's emerald eyes, and her voice carried a touch of confusion—

Is there something wrong with my understanding?

Irisviel shook her head slightly, but a somewhat happy smile still lingered on her lips.

“Saber.”

As soon as she opened her mouth, her smile bloomed like a flower once again.

"It's only at times like this that I realize, Saber, you actually come from the past!"

Despite already having a six-year-old child, this white-haired beauty acted like a still-pure young girl. She tiptoed, put her hands behind her back, and mischievously circled around Saber.

Her ruby-red pupils sparkled with a genuine joy at seeing the outside world for the first time.

"Hmm... Come to think of it, why wasn't Saber surprised when we were on the plane? Did everyone in your time ride wyverns—"

Saber completely missed the joking tone in Irisviel's words; she remained as serious as a swordsman.

"No... although flying was indeed impossible in my time—it was something only a few people could do."

Artoria paused, and as a magician as beautiful as a flower involuntarily came to mind, she changed her words at the last minute.

But then, she finally realized the true meaning behind Irisviel's smile.

Saber frowned. "...Irisviel, you don't think of me as a caveman, do you?"

"No, that's not it!"

Irisviel stuck out her tongue and shook her head slightly. "I just thought Saber would be like me—"

Saber's keen intuition detected the sadness that her "princess" had shown in that instant.

She couldn't help but press, "The same thing?"

"It's nothing." Irisviel gently shook her head.

That's obviously not the truth.

Saber's intuition—even without intuition, she could sense Irisviel's hesitation and resistance from her face.

Logically speaking, Saber shouldn't pry into Irisviel's feelings; in fact, she knew very well that asking about what might be painful for someone would only make them feel worse.

but--

Some images inexplicably appeared before the eyes of a girl named Artoria Pendragon.

Swords and blades were planted across the land like weeds, and corpses lay strewn like hills and sword railings, symbolizing the irreversible destruction of war in the kingdom called Britain...

"Your Majesty, you do not understand human emotions."

That cruel assertion echoed in my heart.

No... it shouldn't be like this at all.

Almost instinctively, Saber stepped forward and gently took Irisviel's hand.

Her tone at this moment carried an unprecedented seriousness and earnestness.

"Irisviel—"

Artoria Pendragon, the girl once known as "King Arthur," now gazes with unwavering determination at the "princess" before her whom she must protect.

"If you think I'm worthy of your trust... please tell me."

……

Although I don't know why my casual remark suddenly escalated into a question about the unavoidable trust between Servants and Masters.

But clearly, Saber's attitude at this moment was undeniably serious.

Irisviel hesitated for a moment, but in the end, her resistance gave way to those emerald eyes.

She lowered her eyes, turned her head away, and spoke softly:
"Actually... this is my first time in the outside world..."

Saber never expected to receive such an answer, and she tightened her grip on Irisviel's hand.

"You mean... you never left that castle?!"

This is indeed hard to believe.

This was Irisviel's first time leaving the castle that seemed to be shrouded in ice and snow all day long and seeing the outside world.

In some ways, the lives of these artificial humans are even more tragic than those of caged birds.

To ensure that the Lesser Grail, possessing life functions, can rely on its "survival instinct" to protect its "container" during this Holy Grail War, allowing the Lesser Grail to be delivered undamaged in the end.

Irisviel had to face the threat of being "eliminated" every day.

The countless dolls in the castle that look exactly like Irisviel are the best proof of this.

Of course, this woman, whose plight evoked sympathy, felt extremely happy.

"But... I'm not completely clueless, you know?"

Irisviel gave Saber a pitiful smile, as if recalling some precious memory, and then stubbornly added a sentence like a child.

"After Kiritsugu appeared, he told me about the scenery of the outside world in great detail!"

With a heartwarming smile of happiness, Irisviel began to count on her fingers.

"Paris, New York, Hong Kong... and of course Japan. Although I can't go abroad, I can still learn about all of these places through photos."

"Irisviel."

Saber gestured for her to stop talking.

Seeing the joy and excitement in Irisviel's eyes as she experienced the world firsthand, the knight made a solemn promise to the "princess" he was meant to protect:
"Although it's my first time shopping in the city myself, I'll try my best to take you there if we have time after taking the photos."

Then, something else happened that puzzled the Knight King.

To Saber's somewhat surprised expression, Irisviel's face regained its innocent charm, revealing a mysterious and playful smile.

"Yes, thank you, Saber, but—"

Holding Saber's hand, Irisviel walked into the photo studio with a light step and an enthusiastic expression.

"...We're going to take lots and lots of photos today!"

In Irisviel's view, compared to satisfying her curiosity about the outside world—

This woman, who was already a mother, suddenly remembered that she could leave more photos and videos for Ilya.

……

Stepping into the somewhat cramped photo studio, Irisviel couldn't help but show a look of surprise.

She admired Maimi's preparations, which were indeed very thorough—they undoubtedly met all the requirements of safety, secrecy, and professionalism.

It's hard to imagine that this remote photo studio would have so much photography equipment.

Various models of tungsten filament lamps and reflectors, like machine gun mounts, tripods arranged from small to large and from low to high, all tightly wrapped, and stacks of color negatives...

Moreover, in addition to professional-grade SLR cameras with autofocus, such as the Nikon F4 and Canon EOS-1, there are also those.

Commercial-grade medium format cameras such as the Hasselblad 503CW or the Mamiya RB67 are also readily available.

More importantly, it was exactly what Irisviel had hoped for.

This photo studio, which could almost be used as a museum, also has a lot of video recording equipment.

However, if Irisviel was already overjoyed, then another guy's performance was even more "spectacular".

At this moment, watching the figure walk into the store, Gilles de Rais began to wail wildly for the resurrection of his saintess.

"Waaaaah... Ahhh! My... my Jeanne d'Arc!!!"

Joan of Arc is the best medicine for Caster.

Marshal Gilles lay in an underground laboratory near the observatory.

Those bulging eyes, like those of a marine creature, were fixed on the screen in front of them, trembling and churning incessantly due to their excessive frenzy.

He practically lay prostrate in front of the light screen, and even unusually, he praised God's favoritism towards him with immense joy.

"Oh my god!!! The Holy Grail... the Holy Grail has indeed chosen me! This is God's favor upon me! My wish, my prayer, has... has been fulfilled!!!"

With tears streaming down her face, Caster carefully reached out her long, slender fingers to touch the image displayed before her.

I will never admit my mistake.

That radiance, that holiness, that pure and flawless spiritual aura—

This...this is her, this is his saintess!
With a frenzied, almost destructive ecstasy, Caster's face became completely distorted.

After that visible change in his expression, he completely gave up on mobilizing his magic power to defend against the force that interfered with his spirit foundation.

"Come—take my body, my spirit origin, everything I have!! Only by doing this can I see my saintess again!!"

……

As for Saber, she quickly understood what the girl next to her meant by "lots and lots of photos".

"Saber, what do you think of this white dress?"

At this moment, Irisviel's face was filled with an undisguised smile of excitement.

She held up the pure white dress against herself and then tried to persuade Artoria to wear it.

The stools on the side, along with the relatively spacious sofa, were piled high with clothes that looked either gorgeous, simple, or had various distinctive styles.

—Those “bad memories” of Einzbern Castle immediately surfaced in Saber’s mind.

After trying on dozens of different outfits, Artoria, who had just decided in her heart that as a knight she would perfectly fulfill all of Irisviel's requests for today, reluctantly showed a hint of resistance.

Although I don't know why the Holy Grail told me about this garment when I was in this world.

But at this moment, Saber spoke with some suspicion:
“Irisviel, the dress you’re holding… looks like a wedding dress that’s only worn at a wedding.”

"Hmm! So Saber, would you like to try it on?"

It's hard to explain the awkward feeling Artoria was experiencing at that moment.

All along, Merlin had been using magic to make her act as a man in front of others.

She even married Queen Guinevere as king after inheriting the throne, holding a grand wedding and announcing it to the world.

But... that was by no means in the identity of a woman.

“Miss Saber should definitely give it a try!”

A smiling voice sounded.

—It was a staff member at the photo studio, the man named Hanada Rinmei.

"This dress is a wedding gown designed by a very famous Greek designer! Every girl dreams of wearing one—"

Artoria frowned.

She always felt that this guy named Hanada Rinmei was looking at her with a strange look in his eyes.

“No need.” Saber instinctively refused, interrupting him to continue, “This is not suitable for combat—it violates the etiquette of a knight.”

She turned her head to look at Irisviel, whose face showed a hint of regret, and offered a reason that was acceptable to most people.

"I have already pledged to be a knight and protect Irisviel."

"I understand! You and this lady are cosplaying, right?"

Artoria repeated the word she didn't understand in a low voice, then looked at Irisviel with a pleading gaze.

To her utter surprise, Irisviel's eyes lit up, as if she had found the perfect reason.

She nodded vigorously.

"That's right! We're playing a knight game—"

Irisviel walked somewhat intimately to Saber's side, took her hand, and gestured for her to hand over the rest of the conversation to her.

"So, Mr. Hanada, could you teach us how to use these devices? I'd like to take some photos of my knight myself."

She paused, then continued to ask:
"Then, is there any equipment that can record images? It would be even better if it could record some videos."

……

Whether for the doll meticulously designed by the Einzbern family, or for Saber summoned as a Heroic Spirit—

Their exceptional qualities allow them to perform perfectly in matters such as the timing of pressing the shutter and keeping the camera steady.

As if sensing the purpose of the two women asking her to teach them how to use the equipment, Hanada Rinmei bowed slightly, performing a courtly gesture that Saber found somewhat familiar.

Before Artoria could continue thinking, he interrupted her.

"Well then... I won't disturb your enjoyment any longer. If you need anything, please just call me."

Just as Saber was about to call out to him...

"Saber, look, the camera's image is so clear!"

Irisviel excitedly handed a small screen to Artoria—a simple digital device that shouldn't exist in this era.

"Yes, Irisviel, it is indeed a very impressive piece of equipment."

Saber turned around and responded instinctively.

That familiar aura just now... it must have been my imagination.

……

This was undoubtedly a happy afternoon for Irisviel.

The birthday video recorded for Ilya continued until she turned twenty-four.

Even Saber, seemingly infected by Irisviel's happiness, unusually recorded her face in every video, expressing her blessings to the lively and adorable child.

"Ilya, today should be your twenty-fourth birthday, right? I'm wondering if you, like me, have met someone who will cherish you?"

"Oh dear, I bet Ilya is going to complain about Mom again, and she's probably watching the video with Kiritsugu right now... Please forgive Mom for not knowing about this!"

"And Kiritsugu, you don't cry every year around this time, do you...? If you don't cry, I'll get angry!" At this moment, Saber could only remain silent in the face of this topic.

After all, the way this video was recorded, the implications of death and last words... are truly beyond words.

Because she needed help with the filming, Saber inevitably learned about the contents of Irisviel's first video recording.

When she expressed her doubts to Irisviel in shock, she was told that her identity as a homunculus meant that her lifespan was limited.

Looking at the woman with a gentle smile on her face, Artoria felt a complex mix of emotions.

The calm Irisviel displayed in the face of her inevitable end even caused her image to gradually overlap with a certain illusion in Artoria's eyes—

"You'd better think carefully before you pick that up. Once you take that sword, you will no longer be human. You will be hated by all of humanity and will eventually meet a miserable death."

Perhaps this is why I am willing to be a knight and protect Irisviel.

Saber couldn't help but murmur to herself.

“Irisviel…”

Before those seemingly pale, weak, and feeble words of comfort could be uttered, Saber saw Irisviel turn around with a smile.

"So, what are Saber's thoughts?"

"my thoughts?"

"Yes, what is Saber's wish? After all, I don't know much about Saber."

With a few tear stains at the corners of her eyes, as if trying to ease the somewhat sad and heavy atmosphere, Irisviel gave a slightly mischievous smile.

"Hmm, for example—I didn't know you were a girl, Saber!"

Although the sudden shift in topic was a bit strange, Artoria attributed it to Irisviel's current feeling of not knowing how to continue the conversation.

She raised her head, a determined look in her eyes.

"My wish is to save my homeland. I will use the all-powerful wishing machine to change the fate of Britain's destruction."

……

Standing behind the door, Hanada Rinmei let out a soft sigh for the girl's vow.

He pondered for a moment, then knocked on the door.

When he heard a familiar voice respond from inside the house, he went inside and looked up at those familiar emerald green eyes.

"Ladies, it's almost 6 o'clock. Have you finished filming?"

Irisviel stood up and smiled apologetically.

"Um, could you please make a copy of these things and then put the videotape in storage?"

"no problem."

The elegant studio owner nodded and then walked toward the equipment that was still lit up.

But when he bent down and began to operate the equipment, to Saber and Irisviel's surprise, the man spoke in an apologetic tone, as if it were a casual conversation.

"Um—actually, I should say sorry first."

Under the somewhat puzzled gazes of the two ladies, Hanada Rinmei began to explain why she was apologizing.

"Because I was quite close to the room door at the end, I heard your conversation."

He looked up and stopped Saber and Irisviel from knocking him unconscious with a single sentence.

"Are you two playing a historical simulation game?"

Irisviel quickly realized what was happening.

Indeed, when any ordinary person hears about topics like "wishing machines," their first reaction should be that it's a hypothesis rather than something that actually exists.

She nodded, which was taken as an admission.

"Yes, it is like that."

“I happen to be quite interested in British mythology and history,” the man said. “So you must be referring to the Arthurian legend.”

Before Saber could react, Hanada Rinmei continued to voice her questions.

"If it really succeeds, what will happen to history afterward?"

Artoria blinked, then turned her head and met Irisviel's gaze.

The two asked in unison, "What happened after that?"

"Yes, that's quite natural. I remember King Arthur was betrayed and died after deciding to personally lead the campaign against France, right?"

The man's voice seemed to possess a magical power, guiding Saber to think further without her even realizing it.

"Then France wouldn't exist, and the Roman Empire might have been defeated..."

"What about the history that follows? No matter how you look at it, history will be a complete mess, right?"

"Perhaps, people in the future will all disappear due to historical changes."

This is undoubtedly a fresh perspective.

However, Saber seemed to quickly move past those questions.

"No, what I mean is—the hope is to allow the kingdom to continue as long as possible without disrupting history."

"Even if the Holy Grail cannot achieve this, and the kingdom is still destroyed, I hope that the people of Britain can be incorporated into other countries or nations so that they can continue to exist."

Artoria paused, recalling the horrific battlefield.

"At least, let the people of the kingdom have a happy ending, instead of a tragic demise."

The man seemed to be taking this issue quite seriously.

As he began packaging the images he had copied, he continued to press on, raising questions in a tone that easily provoked rebuttal.

"Oh? So, if Miss Saber wanted a wishing machine, how would she do it?"

"No matter what, even if the wish-granting machine can provide all the methods, you can only choose one, right?"

"I want—"

The words that were about to escape his lips were immediately stopped, and a clear battle aura suddenly appeared along with the armor on his body.

To Hanada Rinmei's astonishment and fear, the blade, imbued with wind pressure, aimed precisely at his neck, only to switch to a hand chop at the last second, stunning him.

"Huh? He really is just an ordinary person?"

Everything happens in an instant.

By the time Irisviel came to her senses, the photographer shop owner was already lying quietly on the floor, unconscious.

“Saber?”

Irisviel knew that Saber wouldn't do such a thing without a reason.

Her expression turned serious, and two strands of her hair transformed into bird-like familiars woven from silver threads, which began to scout out the surrounding area.

"—Has there been any discovery?"

Artoria shook her head, looking at the unconscious Hanada Rinmei on the ground, a look of apology and confusion on her face.

"But... my gut feeling tells me that something's off about this person."

To Saber's surprise, Irisviel readily accepted her reasoning.

"Is that so? Then let's pack our things as soon as possible and leave."

"Irisviel, don't you think I'm a bit—"

Irisviel raised her wrist, letting the two familiars that had been scouting around fall back into her hand and turn into two silver threads.

"Since it's Saber's intuition, it's okay to trust it occasionally, and besides—"

She paused for a moment, then said, "Saber didn't really hurt him, did she? As for what happens next, I'll contact Maiya to get compensation."

Irisviel smiled at her knight.

"If we pay him three times the price back then, he might even thank us!"

Artoria's tense body finally relaxed, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is that so... then I can feel a little more at ease."

However, that's one thing.

When Saber saw the photographer lying on the ground, a faint smile seemingly appearing on his lips.

Her heart sank again.

"Which method should we choose?"

……

【Starry Sea】, that ideal land called 【Avalon】.

Inside the tower of imprisonment, which is said to be accessible only to the innocent, amidst a boundless sea of ​​flowers.

At that moment, as Merlin, the Flower Magician, clutched his slightly aching neck, a familiar voice rang in his ears.

"Merlin, you seem to be too impatient. Logically speaking—"

"There's no other way, Zelrich, we'll be too late if we don't hurry."

Merlin, unusually, interrupted the other person, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"Both of our attempts to guide Artoria were forced to stop. Even with your involvement, the [Compilation Matters] are proving more difficult to handle than we anticipated."

However, Artoria's act of knocking "herself" unconscious at the end did make Merlin feel a little uneasy.

This nightmare demon, already deeply remorseful for Artoria's fate and suffering from this endless cycle of pain, couldn't help but ask:
"Hey, so you're not going back on your word, are you, Zelrich?"

"I agreed to your conditions, and it took a lot of effort to stop the message from [Alaya] to Kiritsugu Emiya."

In a space filled with strange, ever-changing colors, an old man with messy white slicked-back hair and a serious expression, sitting on a floating chair, slowly spoke.

"no way."

His voice was deep and unquestionable, carrying a hint of the majesty of a "Demon Marshal".

“You are a nightmare demon, so it’s definitely more convenient for you to handle this kind of thing than for me.”

As for the question from the flower magician.

This renowned magician of the "Second Magic," the Kaleidoscope, one of the disciples of the Magic King Solomon, one of the oldest magicians active since before Christ, and the progenitor of gem magic—

Kishua Zelrich Schbein'ogu let out a rare long sigh.

"The only thing I can guarantee is that Gaia, Alaya, and Chaldea will not be aware of your interference."

"As for that so-called alliance... I'm afraid it will still—"

Upon hearing the Jewel Elder's words, Merlin revealed a somewhat sly smile.

“That’s enough, Zelrich.”

Gemstone Elder was slightly taken aback, but he quickly realized what this nightmare demon had been up to all along.

"You... you had already planned to surrender to them?"

"Well, who knows?"

Merlin chuckled softly, neither denying nor admitting it.

"Regardless, if they really are the 'outsiders' that Ritsuka mentioned before..."

The nightmare raised its head.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the sky of this land of longing, gazing upon that colossal being that looms over all destinies.

—That truly terrifying nightmare.

"There's no other way... this might be our only chance."

Recalling the past, a rare hint of sadness appeared in the eyes of this usually carefree nightmare.

"After all, unlike you mages, if you were to rebel against Chaldea, it would be discovered."

He gave a self-deprecating and melancholic laugh.

"My ending will probably be very bad."

"Ah, this is really..."

Gemstone Elder paused slightly, his lips twitched, and his voice was dry and helpless.

"In the end, I'm afraid that only 'the only me' is the most dangerous and the worst one."

The Gemstone Elder continued, as if complaining, yet also joking:

"Or are you planning to switch places with me? And have you take charge of the 'recruitment work' for that timeline?"

Merlin remained silent for a moment, the slyness on his face vanishing as Zelrich spoke, replaced by seriousness and solemnity.

"Zelrich... that girl named Hasegawa Tsuki, you've already made contact with her?"

Gemstone Elder shook his head slightly, his tone very calm and composed.

"No. [Alaya] is keeping a close watch on that side, and you know in your heart that I can't possibly go there in person."

"As for Gilgamesh, he hasn't made any statement yet, and I can't find an opportunity."

Merlin sighed as he looked at the petals falling in the wind outside the stone window.

"The situation is getting worse and worse..."

He hesitated for a moment, then asked about the progress of the original plan.

"Then... what about the third main branch?"

A shadow crossed Gemstone Elder's brow, and at that moment, his voice carried a hint of pressure.

"As long as we grasp the point that Gaia is greater than Alaya, the intervention of Heroic Spirits will be hindered."

"But... it's still very difficult, especially when facing Chaldea, which has mastered 'that thing,' the pressure will only increase."

"In short, the situation cannot get any worse. It will only get worse if no one can get into the control room."

Merlin listened quietly without doing anything, seemingly already used to the Gemstone in this state.

He thought about it for a moment, and finally sighed.

"In a moment, project me onto the world line at that branching point. I'll go see if I can get that child back from Alaya."

"Incidentally, this is also a way of doing that alliance a favor."

At this point, the Flower Magician's gaze involuntarily lifted slightly, as if looking through the illusion of Avalon towards a certain direction in the distant future.

"Hopefully... that force called the Alliance can indeed feel our goodwill."

(End of this chapter)