That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

Jeanne Alter turned around, slightly raising her chin as she looked at Hall, praising him: "Black side's Caster, you did very well. I am the Ruler responsible for judging the fairness of this Holy Grail War. In view of the Red side's Servant's violation and your help, extend your hand."

"Your presence is indispensable to ensure the fairness and proper conduct of the Holy Grail War, Your Excellency Ruler." Hall extended his hand in front of her, subtly flattering her.

Jeanne Alter's complexion visibly improved, and her gaze toward Hall revealed a hint of satisfaction.

She grasped Hall's right hand and placed her other hand on the back of Hall's hand. As the red light flashed, Hall felt a stinging and itchy sensation on the back of his hand. When he withdrew his hand, he saw two Command Seals on the back of his hand.

Command Seals are valuable; just one can replenish all lost magical energy, making them a strategic resource in the Holy Grail War.

Hall couldn't hide the smile on his face: "Thank you very much, Your Excellency Ruler."

"This is a reward for defeating the enemy Servants and maintaining the fairness of the Holy Grail War. Of course, I could have dealt with them even without your help. Hmph, attacking Ruler, there's a limit to how arrogant the Red Team's Master can be. This extra Command Seal is the Red Team's punishment." Jeanne Alter gave a malicious chuckle and glanced at Hu'er: "I look forward to your performance, Caster of the Black Team."

After speaking, Jeanne Alter turned and left.

Hall used the authority of the Holy Grail system to reverse her personality attributes, but could not change her essence. Jeanne Alter maintained impartiality based on Ruler's position, which meant her personality became very pleasant.

How should it be described? Hall thought to himself. Calling it tsundere wouldn't be appropriate; it's more like the rarer tsundere trait.

Hall stretched out his right hand, looked at the two new Command Seals on the back of his hand, and smiled to himself, "Compared to the good-natured Zhen, the evil one is not bad, it's just that there's no opportunity to win her over."

······

A desolate wasteland, the highway looked as if it had been bombarded by missiles, with no intact section in sight.

As the battle subsided, Berserker's madness gradually calmed down, and his frenzied roars could no longer be heard.

The black knight's helmet disappeared, revealing a handsome and resolute male face. Lancelot stared intently at the blue figure in front of him.

The golden holy sword pierced through his body, destroying his soul core. Berserker was no longer bound by the Holy Grail or commanded by his Master. On the verge of death, he finally calmed his rage and gained a final moment of peace.

Saber gripped the holy sword with both hands and asked softly, "Have you woken from your dream, Lord Lancelot?"

Lancelot remained silent for a moment, then replied in a low voice, "My king, have I been wrong again?"

"You've never been wrong."

Lancelot smiled bitterly: "You're saying this again, always carrying all the responsibility and all the pain. Neither she nor I have ever truly understood you, which is why we committed such a terrible crime."

"Get some rest, Lord Lancelot."

Lancelot's body gradually became transparent. He raised his trembling right hand, wanting to touch Saber's face, but ultimately lowered it again, murmuring weakly, "It's so good to see you again, my king. I've always wanted to apologize... I've always wanted to..."

Saber shook his head, his calm tone suppressing a tremor: "I can feel it. As a Knight of the Round Table, being summoned as a Berserker, the suffering you endured, everything you went through... it must have been quite painful."

“I have always been confused...why...King...why didn't punish me, why didn't you resent me, even though I committed an unforgivable crime.”

Saber drew his holy sword, his tone firm and resolute: "Knowing everything and still choosing this path, I have no right to resent anyone. If what you have done is wrong, I will naturally correct it."

"king···"

“There is no eternal right or wrong in the world, nor are there only black and white. It’s just that as a king, I must always stand on the side of my subjects. If you think that what you did was wrong, even if I don’t punish you as a king, the moment you realize your mistake, you are already suffering the pain of punishment.”

"What a troublesome king..."

The black-clad knight collapsed to his knees, kneeling before the king.

Chapter 180 I'm Resigning as King!

The battle subsided, and the Knight Queen stood alone in the wilderness. The radiance of her holy sword reflected the bewilderment on her profile. She slowly turned her head to gaze at the devastated land, and the phantoms of mountains of corpses and seas of blood surfaced in her mind as she recalled Mordred's words.

The Knight King's face was filled with pain as he murmured, "Have I returned there once again, once again facing the knights who followed me..."

"Perhaps, the Holy Grail War is punishment for a king who doesn't understand human nature."

"The more difficult the journey, the more we should persevere."

"Ask for answers from miracles, the omnipotent wish-granting machine."

"It's not a wish."

"I just want to know if there is a completely perfect ending in this world, what is the result of being a king after giving everything... the end of Britain, and whether I am worthy of the title of king."

The Knight King gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, the night wind ruffling his hair, his emerald eyes filled with pain.

Even though she wielded the holy sword without hesitation, even though she had already decided on her goal, and even though her steps were unwavering, her heart was still struggling with pain.

"When did I become so weak?" Saber shook her head and mocked herself, realizing her complicated feelings.

If she were still the Queen of Britain, she would have long since abandoned such a weak idea.

"Because you are no longer the king."

Hall descended from the sky, answering Saber's question in the process.

Seeing that Hall had returned safely, Saber breathed a sigh of relief and smiled gently, "It's good that you're alright, Master."

"Has the Black side's Berserker been dealt with?"

"Yes."

Hall gave a wicked smile: "How does it feel to personally kill a traitor to the Knights of the Round Table?"

Saber frowned slightly and replied firmly, "Master, Lord Lancelot is not a traitor to the Round Table, and I have never held a grudge against him."

"No matter the reason, it cannot be used as an excuse to cover up his crimes."

So...

"Saber, the destruction of Britain is an inevitable fate that will perish with the Age of Gods. You did very well in your previous life... no, I should say you did very well during your time as the King of Knights. In contrast, you are now. Perhaps you don't know, but the contradictions you have now are the root of Lancelot's torment."

Saber met Hall's gaze with a puzzled look: "The contradiction within me?"

“Yes, Saber, you lost the Round Table, you lost Britain. When you no longer bear the responsibility of protecting Britain, have you ever thought about what you were wielding the holy sword for? You let go of your obsession with Britain, accepted the results of your efforts, and the side of the Knight King no longer binds you. On the contrary, your human side is gradually becoming richer.” Hall chuckled as he appeared in Saber’s true form.

"That's why you've become weak. You're no longer the king who didn't understand people's hearts. The more loyal Lancelot is to you now, the more he regrets his past actions. In his eyes, he can't imagine how much you sacrificed to maintain the image of a knight king, yet he destroyed it all. He hopes you can still punish him while remaining a cold and ruthless knight king, thus reducing your inner guilt."

Saber bit her lower lip in silence, caught in a dilemma once again.

“Your current struggles and pain are the best proof of that.” Hall chuckled mischievously. “However, this is also the result I was hoping for.”

"Master?"

“After the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City, I have been cultivating your humanity, letting you live the life of an ordinary person, and no longer thinking about the responsibilities of a king. I believe that you will grow through these experiences.”

"Master, I don't quite understand yet."

"In short, ideals aren't always all good; they can also have negative effects. Nobody's perfect, and there's no such thing as absolute justice in the world. I could spout off as many similar grand principles as you want, but you only truly understand them through personal experience. Of course, none of this applies to you right now. I just wanted to see that distressed and struggling expression on your face," Hall said with a grin, revealing his wicked sense of humor.

Saber gazed into Hall's eyes. They had long since developed a tacit understanding; she could read a lot of information from Hall's eyes, including the fact that what Hall was saying now was a genuine expression of expectation.

Strangely, Saber didn't feel angry, and she couldn't explain why, but she seemed to understand the deeper meaning behind those words.

She had once felt the same way about her mentor.

Saber chuckled knowingly, bowed slightly, and said, "Understood, I will not let you down."

"Understand what?" Hall was a little surprised. He had deliberately not said the last sentence, so why did Saber seem to see right through him?

Saber smiled gently, her mood having improved considerably, to the point that she made a rare joke: "I feel like Master and Merlin are becoming more and more alike, even their annoying sense of humor is the same."

Merlin is ostensibly Saber's mentor, but in reality, he would watch with amusement even when Saber was in the most dangerous situations, calling it "fun" or "growth."

"what?"

Hall was taken aback; as expected, she understood without being told.

"Don't worry about it, it's a compliment."

Hahahahahahahaha~

"Master?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted to have some fun, this is a cheerful laugh."

"exaggerate."

"By the way, want to go get some late-night snacks? My magic is completely depleted after the battle, and I'm starving."

"Under the influence of magic, are there still restaurants open at night in Tulifas?"

"No."

"Master..."

"We can just use magic when the time comes."

"What a troublesome Master."

"Then Saber doesn't need to go, I can go alone."

Saber argued earnestly, "That won't do. I am the Master's Servant. What if a local Servant takes the opportunity to attack you?"

"Yes, yes," Huo replied perfunctorily, taking Saber to a rather famous restaurant in Tulipas, which, of course, turned out to be delicious.

Saber not only consumed all the restaurant's food reserves, but also, still unsatisfied, made Hall use alchemy to create some of the food.

Before leaving, Hall left behind a gem worth the equivalent of a week's revenue for the restaurant.

"Master."

At the restaurant entrance, Saber nervously tugged at Hall's sleeve, sensing the presence of a Servant nearby, but not directed at the two of them.

Hall shook his head: "Don't worry about it, it was just a small-scale conflict. We're tired tonight, so let's go back and rest early."

"clear."

It wasn't just Hall who was fighting tonight; on the way back, Hall could sense several unusual auras, which should be the Red and Black factions' Servants clashing.

Hall had exhausted his magical reserves and had no intention of getting involved. The more minor characters left the stage, the faster the Holy Grail War would proceed.

Chapter 181 Dream

A dream, a very real dream.

Sitting alone in the movie theater audience, memories unfold on the screen, playing the experiences of a girl named Knight King. As an audience member, I can sense her emotions and understand her actions, as if my spirit is one with hers.

-

The girl drew the sword of the chosen king, sat on a rock on the plain, and gazed into the distance, feeling neither the joy of becoming king nor the fear of the future she saw.

-

On the battlefield, the Knight King mechanically wielded her holy sword, blood staining her skirt armor and seeping into the gaps in the armor, yet the king remained calm.