Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

The unwavering trust in those jewel-red eyes, and the ample evidence in his words, moved Artoria, who was consumed by self-reproach, to lower her head in a mixture of emotion and guilt.

Once her servant's emotions had calmed down somewhat, Irisviel's expression turned solemn, and she spoke quietly.

"However, there's something else. While you were away, I was also attacked..."

“Arthur!!”

Upon hearing this, Artoria suddenly looked up, her clenched teeth grinding together, her sinister gaze radiating a deep-seated hatred.

"No, quite the opposite, he was the one who saved me."

Seeing this, Irisviel quickly shook her head to clarify for Samael, then placed her hands on Artoria's shoulders, her blood-red eyes fixed on the King of Knights' eyes, her body moving closer inch by inch.

"It seems that your loss of control and my attack are not coincidental. So, could you tell me first what happened to you on the way?"

"I saw……"

Under the overwhelming pressure of his master, the majestic King of Knights was pushed to the head of the bed. He calmed down and pondered for a moment, then gently bit his cherry lips, looked up at Irisviel's beautiful face, and spoke softly.

"...Another you!"

As Artoria briefly recounted her story, Irisviel, who was equally shocked, learned:

It turned out that Saber didn't spend much time buying drinks, but while preparing to return home, she saw a figure that looked almost exactly like her Master Irisviel.

Unaware of what was going on, Artoria thought it was her Master coming to find her, so she subconsciously followed.

But after several twists and turns, she ultimately failed to catch up with that figure.

When Artoria realized something was wrong and rushed back to the agreed location to meet Irisviel, she saw a sneaky bastard groping her mistress.

"Snapped!"

However, before Artoria, looking utterly bitter and resentful, could begin to denounce a passing knight, Irisviel, unable to bear it any longer, tightened her face and unceremoniously tapped her own Servant on the head with her finger, reiterating with a soft snort.

"I already told you, he saved me, he's not a bad person!"

"That bastard is definitely up to no good when he gets close to you!"

"stop!"

Seeing that her servant was once again relentlessly slandering her savior, Irisviel quickly stopped her and changed the subject.

"You knew him before?"

"Of course, I would recognize him even if he were ashes. Arthur Pendragon, my mortal enemy! The culprit who destroyed Britain!"

Artoria's eyes blazed with fury, and she snorted coldly through gritted teeth.

"Arthur Pendragon, that name sounds familiar..."

Wanting to resolve this conflict, Irisviel pondered for a moment, then a sudden realization struck her, leaving her utterly astonished.

"Wait, isn't that the legendary King Arthur's real name?"

"That's right!"

The knight king, still consumed by anger, nodded subconsciously, giving an affirmative answer.

"Then, if he is King Arthur, who are you?"

However, as Irisviel spoke softly by the bedside, Artoria, belatedly realizing what was happening, froze, her body stiffened, and her mind went blank.

Yes, who am I?

Chapter 163 To Be a Pigeon or Not: That Is the Question (4k)

The forest, in Einzbernburg.

Irisviel, standing by the bed, watched Artoria fall into a deep sleep after drinking the potion that had calmed her emotions. She breathed a sigh of relief, got up, and quietly left the bedroom, carefully closing the door behind her.

"She's awake? How is she?"

"Fortunately, the situation has stabilized."

Hearing the sudden murmur behind her, Irisviel was not surprised. She turned around and walked towards the figure leaning against the pillar, smiling as she spoke.

The one who appeared in Eindzbernburg was naturally Samael.

Although they had successfully subdued the out-of-control Artoria, in order to ensure that the Knight King would not become ruthless and pose a threat to Irisviel after awakening, the Ancient Serpent naturally needed to keep a close watch on her in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

A gentle breeze blew, and the two smiled at each other, walked to the railing, and stood side by side, the atmosphere between them inexplicably harmonious.

Even strictly speaking, the two sides were still competitors during the Holy Grail War.

But one of them, in a moment of crisis, risked exposing himself to save the enemy from dire straits.

Another one can open the doors and allow the enemy's heroic spirit to enter their own fortress.

Having gone through so much together, the trust they had built was already quite solid.

After a brief chat, Irisviel steered the conversation back on track, informing Samael of the information she had received from Artoria.

I see……

After listening to the story, the ancient snake raised its hand to stroke its chin, its eyes sparkling with thoughtfulness.

Chloe von Einzbern…another mother…and a woman who looks exactly like Irisviel…

Based on the current information, the ancient snake can be basically certain that it is his "good daughter" who is behind this.

However, whether it was the powerful blessing of the Greek gods or her own exceptional talent, this woman was very good at hiding her true nature, and Samael has yet to catch that unfilial daughter in the act.

What exactly do you want to do, Pandora...?

Samael squinted in thought, but due to the unfathomable and wicked nature of that unfilial daughter, he had no clue what to do for the time being.

"Oh, right, Artoria also told me..."

Just as the ancient serpent was deep in thought, Irisviel hesitated for a moment, then bit her cherry lips and looked up at the knight beside her.

"Say it, you are the legendary King Arthur!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Samael's lips twitched slightly. He was about to speak to clarify when a sudden thought struck him, and he froze.

Arthur the Nameless Swordsman… The Crimson Dragon of Britain… The Star Swordsman… The Eternal King… The "Knight King" from another world who came to this world…

With so many overlaps, calling him "King Arthur" doesn't seem wrong, does it?

In fact, King Arthur himself is a character who blends Celtic and modern culture, making it difficult to trace his exact identity, gender, and existence.

In a sense, Artoria is the setting sun of the Age of Gods, the savior and old god chosen by the Celtic people and the Druids, and also the original [Knight King].

Therefore, her existence and her power possess more characteristics of Druidism and Celtic civilization.

Furthermore, in Druidism, the interpreters of divine authority are generally priestesses, who are often the leaders of the Druids.

In addition, the Druids worship the Great Mother Goddess, and their culture retains strong traces of matriarchal clan traditions.

Therefore, it is reasonable that Artoria was born in a female form that is closest to the gods.

Samael, on the other hand, is the "Messiah" who brings Britain into another era, symbolizing the new "Knight King" after the Christianization of this land.

At the same time, completing the conclusion of the Age of Gods and mending the last wounds of the world of Britain is Samael's mission after being awakened.

Therefore, patriarchy has overshadowed maternal authority.

In the ever-evolving legends, it is reasonable that the new Knight King is male, a symbol bringing Christianization to the land.

Upon realizing this, the ancient serpent suddenly understood, a faint smile appearing on its face. With its standard Camelot court etiquette, it bowed slightly to the silver-haired beauty before it, maintaining its usual attitude of neither denying nor admitting, and spoke leisurely.

"If she says yes, then it must be."

"So, if the ritual hadn't gone wrong, it should have been you who made the contract with me?"

Irisviel gazed thoughtfully at the "King Arthur" before her, murmuring to herself.

"maybe……"

Samael pictured a serious-looking, golden-haired female knight with a spiky hairstyle, but remained noncommittal.

Immediately, the ancient snake came to its senses, leaned against the railing, and turned its head to ask.

"What, you regret it?"

"No, it's just that something unexpected happened..."

Irisviel glanced back at the closed door behind her, a bright smile spreading across her pretty face. She shook her head gently, then seemed to remember something, her face flushing slightly as she lowered her head and lightly bit her cherry lips.

"Then let's..."

"No, absolutely not!"

Before the silver-haired beauty in front of him could finish speaking, Samael couldn't wait to speak up and decisively denied this baseless rumor.

"Oh, I'm relieved. To be honest, I really don't know how to raise a baby."

Upon hearing this, Irisviel patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Her elegant demeanor was instantly softened by her charming naivety and innocence, making her appear even more approachable.

Suddenly, the silver-haired beauty remembered an important question she had almost overlooked. She slapped her forehead, and the huge confusion that had been buried in her heart burst out.

"By the way, if you are King Arthur, then who is she?"

"She needs to find the answer herself."

Samael glanced at the quiet bedroom, his gaze meaningful.

"oh, I understand now!"

Irisviel nodded, wisely refraining from asking further questions, and a solemn smile appeared on her face.

"However, in any case, I still have to thank you for today."

"The rules of the Holy Grail War have changed. We are merely competitors, not mortal enemies. Of course, defeating an opponent must be done on a fair and square battlefield."

Samael nodded slightly and spoke calmly, offering himself a plausible reason for taking action.

The innocent silver-haired beauty, without a second thought, greatly admired King Arthur's "noble" chivalrous spirit and then inquired about it out of curiosity.

"By the way, what brings you to the shopping street? Is there something important you need to do?"

However, it was this casual remark that caused Samael's expression to change drastically, despite his usually inscrutable demeanor.

Oh my god, Rin, and Ereshkigal too!

How could I forget about them!

"I suddenly remembered that I have some things to take care of. Let's talk later!"

Immediately realizing that something was terribly wrong, Samael shrank back, hurriedly bid farewell to Irisviel, and then leaped off the railing, transforming into a dazzling golden streak of light that soared into the sky.

Meanwhile, in Fuyuki City, in a dark alleyway.

"Ah!"

Under the dim streetlights, a petite figure, arms crossed and squatting on the ground, insisted on putting on a show without needing any divine protection, sneezed loudly as a gust of cold air blew by.

"Damn it, how dare he stand me up! I stood in the cold wind for half a day, I'll definitely kill him when I get the chance!"

Rin Tohsaka looked up at the crescent moon that was already high in the sky, and finally couldn't bear it any longer, gritting her teeth and uttering a curse.

"Count me in!"

Immediately following, accompanied by a crisp slap, a voice equally filled with resentment emerged from the shadows.

Ai Lei, with a hidden camera hanging around her neck, scratched several painful and itchy bumps on her body, groaning in frustration.

"Damn it, it's almost autumn and there are still so many mosquitoes."

At this moment, while she was complaining, Rin Tohsaka, who was already impatient, stood on tiptoe and took the camera off Ereshkigal's neck. She looked through the negatives one by one, but her face became more and more unpleasant.

"Hey, these photos are all taken at the wrong angle, they can't be used!"

Originally, according to her "genius" plan, as long as she released just a little bit of her goddess charm, some lolicon would have to obediently submit to her and expose his ugly face.

Then, Ereshkigal, who was hiding in the shadows, took the opportunity to capture the evidence of that guy's crimes and mailed the developed photos to Tokiomi and Sakura, guaranteeing that the bastard would be ruined.

This way, not only can we purge the bad elements around my father and sister, but we can also eliminate a strong opponent in the Holy Grail War ahead of time. It's perfect!

Ahem, of course, the second purpose isn't the main point; the first one is.

Everything, for the family!

Rin Tohsaka coughed inwardly, made a show of shouting, suppressed the malice in her heart by glancing around, and turned to look at her companion beside her, complaining irritably.