In the world of Type-Moon, it all begins with becoming Morgan's husband!

In addition, the front lines where the two armies are locked in a stalemate require a large amount of supplies, which makes the already less than ideal output even worse.

Now even the wealthiest capital city has been affected.

This was the scene Atolis saw along the way.

"..." Ian smiled awkwardly.

"Artorius, you are such a kind person."

“Is that so…” Artorius pursed his lips. “Rather than being praised for my kindness, I’d like to know how to solve this problem.”

"Hunger is everyone's eternal enemy, isn't it?"

"Hmm... probably."

Sensing that you seemed reluctant to bring this up, Atolis changed the subject.

He asked if you could move forward a little more.

He hoped that this way he could see things more broadly.

Because of what you just said, you didn't reject him.

Artorius was even happier to receive your permission.

He leaned against the twin peaks of the city wall, gazing at the distant scenery.

As you watched his retreating figure, a terrible thought suddenly occurred to you.

Although Artorius fits Ian’s perception in many ways.

Ultimately, he may still have seen things he shouldn't have seen.

Although this possibility has been rapidly decreasing over the course of this period of time.

But for the sake of absolute safety, Ian knew he should kill Artorius.

He could not allow even the slightest crack to appear in Morgan's future.

And now, a golden opportunity has presented itself to him.

It was not a time for fighting, so there were no other soldiers stationed on the city wall, only Ian and Artorius were there.

Artorius was clearly not on guard against Ian at all—he even stood on tiptoe in front of him.

If I were to push him off the city wall at this moment, I would almost certainly not be considered the one who actually did it.

The reason is simple:

He and Artorius had no apparent grudges, and the two had previously spent a considerable amount of time strolling around the city together with a rather intimate relationship.

How could he possibly push him off the city wall when he knew he was alone, after deliberately bringing him there?

Furthermore, Morgan would definitely protect himself.

Even if his brother and father came looking for him later, he could use the excuse that he had fallen into a trap to get away with it.

This is much easier to handle than letting him die on some side road.

This is a foolproof method.

but--

Ian watched Artorius's excited back, but felt unable to pull the blade from its sheath.

He knew that killing Artorius was the safest and most foolproof method for Morgan.

You hesitated, which was unusual for you.

Although only a few seconds had passed, it felt like centuries had gone by.

You feel your confidence is wavering.

You realize this won't work; it's disloyal to Morgan.

You've regained consciousness and are ready to take action.

But what you didn't expect was that something unexpected also happened at this time.

[The two city bricks supporting Atolis's body loosened slightly, then shattered into pieces.]

You realize that the city wall has suffered damage due to years of neglect.

[Artoris really did fall from the city wall as you wished, and it was a perfect accident.]

You now have two choices: rush to save Artorias immediately, or stand by and wait for the outcome you need.

29. An Instinctive Choice

Faced with this situation, you find it difficult to make a decision.

But your body, already driven by some instinct, immediately began to act.

By the time you realized what was happening, you had already sprinted forward and grabbed Atolis's hand.

Ian had no idea why his body made that choice.

All he knew was that he was holding Artorius's hand tightly.

The handsome young man hung suspended on the edge of the city wall, like a fallen leaf blown there by the wind.

Why would someone do that?

Ian couldn't understand it at all.

In the past, he always thought about things from the perspective of maximizing Morgan's interests and never doubted anything.

But this time, he chose a path that seemed like he shouldn't have chosen.

What exactly is this for?

"Mr. Ian..."

Artorius's voice pulled Ian back from his thoughts.

He glanced at the other person instinctively and suddenly understood everything.

As a result of the recent incident, the ribbon that had been binding Atolis's hair came undone, spun in the air, and fell to the ground.

Her long, flowing golden hair spread out in the wind, like slender willows dancing in the breeze.

In a daze, Ian actually saw Morgan's appearance.

He finally understood why he had this inexplicable feeling for Artorius—a feeling that only resonated when he saw Morgan.

The two seem to have some similarities in appearance.

Ian felt that his arms were much stronger.

"I'll get you up right now."

Although Artoria had a large appetite, her petite body did not feel heavy as a result.

[You clung to the section of the city wall that hadn't yet collapsed, and forcefully pulled Artorius up.]

Having survived the ordeal, he clutched his chest and gasped for breath.

But suddenly, as if remembering something, he once again moved closer to the edge of the collapsing city wall.

You grabbed him and pulled him back.

“Artoria!” Ian shouted, “Are you crazy?”

"Do you want to fall again?"

“No!” Artorius shook his head in denial. “I want to know if anyone was hit by anything that fell down.”

"If so, immediate treatment is necessary."

"..."

Artorias's words left Ian speechless.

Thinking about it carefully, it is indeed something he would say—after all, he is the kind of person who would share his rations with others on the road while going hungry himself on the way to the city.

“Artorius, if you always try to take care of everyone, sooner or later there will be a time when you can’t take care of everyone.”

"It's better to take care of what you can before you break down; that's the best option."

"Move aside, I'll check."

As Ian said this, he pushed Artorius out of the dangerous area.

[In Artoria's place, you cautiously survey the situation below from the crumbling city walls.]

[You didn't realize that your words just now had a considerable impact on Artorius.]

He kept those words in mind.

Fortunately, the situation isn't as bad as I thought.

[This is not peak time for entering or leaving the city, and this is not a commonly used city gate in the capital.]

So while there was indeed an accident with the city wall, it didn't cause any actual damage—if you don't count Atolis, who was supposed to fall.

"no problem."

After confirming the situation, Ian turned around.

"No one was hurt, just a few dents. Are you relieved now, Atorlis?"

“Is that so…” Artorius breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is wonderful. It would be terrible if anyone got hurt because of me."

"but--"

Atolis looked at the city wall with a large gap in it, feeling somewhat guilty.

"Regarding its compensation..."

"Ha." Ian put his hands on his hips. "Then I might have to make you sign some kind of indenture to pay it off, right?"

"This……"

Atolis hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.