To become a king and a magician

"Find someone?"

"Well, actually, an acquaintance of ours from Pan-Human History disappeared about half a year ago after saying he was going to Lostbelt. Because he was a very important person in many ways, we came to Lostbelt from Pan-Human History in order to find him. His name is Natsukawa Tora."

Fujimaru Ritsuka explained, "Miss Artoria, does this name ring a bell?"

“Ah… this… no, I don’t know. I don’t know anyone named Natsukawa Tora, and I’ve never heard of him before.” Artoria shook her head like a rattle-drum. “But I think he’s definitely not on this island. After all, besides us, there should only be one guardian of the Holy Sword on this island.”

"The guardian of the holy sword..."

Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu fell into deep thought upon hearing this address.

Natsukawa Torama is the Star Sword Wielder, and on this island there is a holy sword and its guardian... To be honest, the two of them don't think there's no connection between them, especially since Artoria had previously said, "Your pan-human history also has this, right?"

"Miss Artoria, may we go with you to see the guardian of the holy sword?"

Mashu asked, "Even if that's not the person we're looking for, we still want to ask some questions..."

"I think it should be fine... but this is my first time here, so I don't really know where the other person is."

Artoria said somewhat shyly.

Although she came to this island in search of the Holy Sword, all Artoria knew was that the Holy Sword might be on this island; she knew nothing else.

After all, the legend of the Holy Sword Wielder saving the world was already 2,400 years ago, and most of the legends that have been passed down have been lost. This piece of news was something she had to go through great lengths to hear from a blacksmith.

"Could it be there?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly spoke, pointing to a spot not far away.

Following the direction she pointed, Mash and Artoria saw a building that appeared to be a church, standing at the highest point of the island.

However, even at this distance, it was clear that the church was in ruins, with the entire roof gone, as if it had been chopped off by something. Only about a third of the original structure remained.

"When it comes to the place where the Holy Sword sleeps, it's usually somewhere like a church or temple, right? I think that's where it is."

“That makes sense… Let’s go take a look,” Artoria said. “Even if it’s not there, it’s okay. This island is so small, we can find it all in a little while.”

As she said this, Artoria had already walked towards the church, and Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu quickly followed. The three of them soon left the coast and walked into the snow that was swirling in front of them.

And shortly after the three left—

"Thud..."

In the surging sea, a figure suddenly appeared, or rather, swam out of the sea, dragging his wet body to the beach. After looking at the still-burning campfire, the figure gazed in the direction of the church.

"Oh, it's over there... They're really fast, although it took me quite a while to swim over... If I think about it carefully, there's not much time left."

"Let's find Her Highness quickly and bring her back."

4. Your Highness?!

The path from the beach to the church is not far.

Just as Artoria said, the island is not big at all; it is indeed the size that can be explored in a short amount of time.

On the way, just like in the Singularities and Lostbelts before, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash asked Artoria some questions.

For example, the situation of this Lostbelt, the situation of this island, and so on.

Unfortunately, Artoria didn't provide much information.

According to her, although she is a wandering magician, she only started wandering a few days ago. Before that, she had been locked up in one place by some bastard to learn magic and had no idea about the outside world.

However, Artoria did know about the island.

The island is called the "Island of the End," or "Orkney." It is the legendary home of two saviors scattered throughout Britain, and the place where they would eventually return after saving Britain.

The Holy Sword Wielder that Artoria mentioned earlier is actually one of the two saviors.

—[When Britain is plunged into calamity, the twin saviors will return from the Isle of Ends, and then return to the Isle of Ends once more.]

This is a legend that has been passed down on the island of Britain for a very long time.

“However, that’s what they say, but actually the Saviors haven’t appeared for a very long time. The last time they appeared was 2,400 years ago,” Artoria said. “That was also the last recorded appearance of the Saviors. After that, the two Saviors completely disappeared. There are legends that the Saviors left this world, and there are legends that the Saviors died... there are all sorts of legends.”

"Then...did Miss Artoria come here to search for the Holy Sword because of the legend?" Mash asked.

Artoria nodded: "I heard it from a blacksmith—it is said that two thousand four hundred years ago, one of the two saviors abandoned his holy sword, which he used to save the world, and sealed it in Orkney before falling into an eternal slumber."

So that's how you ended up here.

"After all, I have a reason why I absolutely must find the Holy Sword."

(Only by finding the Holy Sword can I...can I stop using...)

Artoria clenched her hands slightly.

As the three were talking, the road that had been stretching forward came to an end, and the dilapidated church came into full view before them.

Just like what we saw near the beach at the beginning, the church was mostly damaged, with only the right side remaining. The left side, along with the main entrance, had completely disappeared, giving it the feel of a battlefield ruin.

In addition, on the top of the remaining small section of the church, there is a large bell that looks like it fell from a height but did not completely smash through the wall, and is stuck in the middle.

"This is it."

Looking at the ruined church before her, Artoria took a deep breath and shouted loudly at the empty space ahead, "Excuse me! Is the guardian of the Holy Sword here? I am Artoria Caster, and I have come to find and liberate the Holy Sword!"

"......"

No one responded.

Amidst the swirling snowflakes, only Artoria's voice and the howling wind echoed.

After pursing her lips, Artoria spoke again: "Excuse me—"

"So noisy!"

This time there was a response.

A somewhat lazy-sounding voice came from inside the church.

"In the dead of winter, can't a person just get a good night's sleep...? This place already has nothing, and now I can't even sleep peacefully?"

The voice sounded like someone who had been woken up and was complaining, full of morning grumpiness.

Upon hearing this voice, Artoria, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and Mash all paused for a moment in surprise.

"That voice is..."

"Brother?"

There's no mistake. Although they weren't familiar with it because it had been a long time since they'd heard it, both Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu were certain that the voice belonged to Natsukawa Tora.

However, unlike the two who showed joy, Artoria, upon hearing this voice—

"No, no way..."

Instead, he wore an expression of disbelief.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the three, a figure emerged from behind the only remaining side of the church building.

That was a man.

She had long, messy blonde hair that looked like it hadn't been styled or cut for years, reaching all the way to her waist. She was wearing an old-fashioned outfit, perhaps because it had been covered in snow.

The most important thing is his appearance.

"minister?!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka exclaimed with delight.

There's no mistake, the man in front of me is that bastard minister who's been away for half a year, leaving all his fiancées behind!

Upon hearing Fujimaru Ritsuka call his name, the man—Natsukawa Torato—rubbed his sleepy eyes and said, "You... oh, I remember now, Ritsuka, it's Ritsuka, right? And this is Mashu. I've forgotten what you all look like after more than two thousand years."

"Huh?"

The casual remark made by Natsukawa Toru surprised both Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu, as well as Roman and the others from Chaldea who heard it.

More than two thousand years?

Fujimaru Ritsuka opened her mouth: "Two... department heads, you've been here... for over two thousand years?"

"Hmm—speaking of which, the fact that you're here means you received the message I sent, right? I remember it was 1,500... no, it was 1,800... hmm, it should have been even earlier, right?"

As if his memory was in disarray, Natsukawa Torama rubbed his head and recalled something he had done a long, long time ago: "Right, it was around 1900 years ago, right? You guys received the communication I sent out back then before you came here, didn't you? You were really slow. When did Chaldea become so sluggish?"

"Well, even though it's so late, it's good that you're here. Now we can connect here with the other side. It wasn't for nothing that I slept here for so long... Hmm~~~~~ Mm!"

Stretching and flexing his limbs, Natsukawa Torara looked at Artoria standing next to Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash: "By the way, was this the one who shouted just now? The one who wanted to find the Holy Sword?"

"Ah...yes, that's right."

Artoria shrank her neck and said.

After staring at her for a while, Natsukawa Tora said, "Well, it's not impossible to give it to you—but before that, you should go and deal with the trouble you brought here."

"trouble?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu frowned.

Artoria's expression froze: "No, no way... I must have knocked her into the sea—"

"boom!"

A loud crash from behind interrupted Artoria's mutterings. Like a startled rabbit, Artoria shuddered several times and turned around to look in the direction from which the crash had come, along with Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash.

There, a tall figure wielding a burning greatsword was walking towards the three of them step by step.

"found it."

Upon seeing Artoria standing not far away, the figure planted the greatsword in his hand to the side and slowly knelt down on one knee in front of Artoria.

"Gawain, the Fairy Knight, greets Your Highness, the Second Princess. I have come on His Majesty's orders to bring you back to the royal city. Please come with me, Lady Artoria."

5. Completely powerless to resist

The Second Princess?

Hearing the words of the tall woman who called herself "Fairy Knight Gawain", Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu both looked at Artoria in surprise.

"Miss Artoria is...?"

"your Highness?"