I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

Page 159

Chapter 371 Revisiting Guanbuzi (Part 12)

"I'm getting more and more curious about your origins." Because the ring was really not suitable for her to wear, she could try it on before it was resized, but now it was too big even on her thumb, so Olga asked Irisviel to make a beautifully crafted metal necklace to wear the ring around her neck.

"Big brother, what exactly is that ring?" The precocious Ilya already knew what the ring was, because her mother had one in her jewelry box, and her father had also worn a pair of rings similar to her mother's.

"Then the ring is called the Holy Silver Ring, and its original owner was Joan of Arc, the French saint." Ling put the ring back on the table from Olga and then slowly explained to Ilya.

In March 1431, Joan of Arc was on trial in Rouen, France, where she mentioned a ring she owned—a gold ring engraved with three crosses and the inscription "Jhesus Maria." She claimed that she was wearing the ring when she witnessed the miracle of Saint Catherine.

"This ring was a gift from Joan of Arc's parents. During the trial, it was kept by Cardinal Henry Beaufort and then given to his nephew, Henry VI, the last king of the House of Lancaster in England. Other owners of this ring include Henry VII, the Cavendish-Bentinck family of England, and the English painter Augustus John."

"This ring witnessed Joan of Arc's life. Even when she was burned at the stake, Cardinal Henry Beaufort took the ring to the execution ground. It was the last relic left behind by the saint."

After Olga put on the necklace, she felt a warm wave emanating from the ring and spreading throughout her body. Her senses became incredibly sharp; the colors and sights she saw became more vivid, the sounds she heard became clearer, and the minty scent emanating from Ling smelled even better. Her whole body felt more relaxed than ever before. She knew this was just a temporary enhancement, and that once her body got used to it, everything would return to normal. But the feeling was truly intoxicating.

Like a cat that's inhaled catnip, Olga couldn't help but lean closer to Ling, eventually resting her head on his shoulder.

Ling, who had been talking, stopped and looked at Olga with a puzzled expression, but in the end, she didn't push her away and let her lie on top of her.

Meanwhile, finding Ling's explanation boring, Ilya lost interest after listening for a while. She picked up the deck of cards and, imitating how her father had cut and shuffled them, began playing by herself with great enjoyment.

Seeing Ilya's expression, Ling smiled and didn't say anything more. He didn't plan to play cards anymore, since he had already achieved his goal and might as well find something else to do.

Thinking of this, Ling naturally instructed her maid to bring out a book and casually flipped through it.

Seeing this, Ziyuan and Da Vinci stopped talking. Although they did not disconnect the projection, they both started to do their own things.

Time passed by, minute by minute. When Ling looked up from the book, Olga had already fallen asleep on his shoulder. Ling shook his head helplessly, opened the drawer beside him, took out a thin blanket and draped it over the two of them, then carefully examined her sleeping face.

At Eindzbern Castle, they did sleep in the same bed, but Ling was extremely uneasy about the environment and couldn't think about anything else, and Olga didn't sleep well either.

Because she was going out today, Olga didn't wear the dress-like outfit that Einzbern had prepared for her. Instead, she wore her own clothes and fell asleep leaning on Ling's shoulder. Her long, silvery-white hair was disheveled, her cheeks were chubby but not fat, and her complexion had a healthy rosy glow. Her little mouth, which always seemed to say one thing but mean another, was slightly open and trembled slightly with each breath. Her sleeping face was unexpectedly cute.

After listening for a few seconds, feeling the gaze from the other side, Olga turned her gaze away from her sleeping face and looked at the other side.

Across from her, Ilya, perhaps because she was too excited last night and didn't sleep long, and then woke up too early today, was now, as expected, sleepiness came over her after the excitement subsided. She was now lying on her mother's lap, fast asleep. Ilya's sleeping face was as lovely as an angel's, making Ling smile involuntarily.

The gaze Ling felt came from Irisviel, who was looking at her with a half-smile. Ling knew that his wife would never show such an expression, so the answer was simple: the person sitting opposite him was the Winter Saintess, Justessa.

Seemingly realizing that Ling knew who she was, Yustissa put a finger to her lips, making a gesture of silence. Ling didn't know what she wanted to do, but that didn't stop him from not wanting to meddle. So he nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

Yustissa did not speak, and her gaze never left Ling for even a second. The two stared at each other silently.

Yustissa's eyes held a thousand words, and her face always wore a captivating smile, a smile worthy of her title as a saintess. Although Ling knew that she was not using her original body, that aura still made him feel at ease.

If it were Yustissa herself showing this smile, then this sense of security would definitely increase several levels, right? Ling thought to himself. Right now, he was captivated by Yustissa's smile. His impression of Yustissa should have been very weak, but when he saw Yustissa again, he realized that he was quite familiar with her.

This is how he felt when he saw his mother. His emotions told him this, but his heart was not immersed in it. Because his true self, the "ego," kept issuing warnings, and his reason refused to fall into this maternal love that did not belong to him.

At this moment, Olga murmured, and Ling immediately withdrew her gaze from Yustissa's face. Olga's action was too timely. Even if she hadn't fallen for Yustissa's charm, it would still be difficult to break free. If the two continued to face each other, she didn't know what would happen.

Especially since Kiritsugu Emiya hadn't seen her, if he were to see him staring at his wife with such a distracted expression, he might just shoot him.

Seeing that Ling had broken free from her gaze, Yustissa did nothing more. She didn't have much time to begin with, and she had only managed to steal a moment to lean on Irisviel to look at Ling. Now, it was time to leave.

Chapter 372 Revisiting Guanbuzi (Thirteen)

Yustissa's eyes slowly closed, her consciousness leaving Irisviel's body. When her eyes reopened, Irisviel regained control of her body. She immediately lowered her head and carefully examined Ilya for a while before glancing at her husband, who was sitting back behind her, working, with a complicated look.

Then, pretending nothing was wrong, she tidied her hair, using her bangs to shield herself from looking at Ling.

Irisviel was experiencing an indescribable emotion, a feeling extremely similar to the one she felt when she held Ilya, but upon closer inspection, she noticed some differences.

Specifically, the intensity of this feeling far exceeded that of familial affection. Even the slightest trace of it was countless times greater than her love for Ilya. What was even more terrifying was that it was mixed with a thought that made her heart tremble.

—I will kill everything in the world to have him.

Irisviel was certain that this was not her imagination. Justiza was seeing Ling through her body, and the feeling became more and more obvious with each visit. She was almost affected by this powerful will. If Ilya and Kiritsugu hadn't been by her side, she might have mistaken Ling for her own family.

This thought sent a chill down her spine. She knew that Ilya felt a strong sense of closeness to Ling. To be honest, she also felt that closeness, but she suppressed it well. Ling, on the other hand, had a faint demonic aura about her. She herself seemed unaware of it, but the demonic aura was indeed there, only it was suppressed by something.

No, it wasn't suppressed by anything, it should be suppressed by the subconscious. Through these few days of observation, Irisviel already knows that the other party is a very low-key person who hates trouble. That's why that demonic nature wasn't allowed to spread. Not to mention, this person is really too lazy. If we follow what the sect leader said, the power hidden in that body can even rival a true Heroic Spirit.

However, instead of exploring the potential within this body, the other party spent his days idly trying to achieve his goals by relying on external forces. It was because of this that Irisviel had the impression that the other party was extremely lazy.

However, it's better for her to be lazy, because in the Holy Grail War, this person might become an enemy. The weaker he is, the more likely Kiritsugu will have to obtain the Holy Grail. As for his claim that he wants to use the Holy Grail to open the way back, what does that have to do with her?

Dreams only favor those who work hard. Even I, in my artificial form, know that the seats for happiness are limited. If you don't fight for them, you won't have a chance to be happy at all.

Ling knows a lot, and Irisviel has already realized this. Even though he said he wanted to return to their timeline with his Master, she didn't feel any pressure from him. All she felt was a sense of casualness and indifference.

While the other party was afraid of something, he also chose to take things as they come. That's why Kiritsugu didn't consider him a real opponent. Kiritsugu knew that someone without a clear goal could never achieve anything great.

With these thoughts in mind, Irisviel gradually succumbed to sleepiness, her eyelids closed quietly, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, Olga vaguely heard someone calling her. She struggled to open her eyes and saw Leonardo da Vinci standing before her. However, before she could respond, he gestured for her to be quiet and pointed to the side next to her.

Olga shifted her head slightly, then felt something pressing down on her head. She quickly realized what it was and froze, too afraid to move.

Olga felt a warm breath on her hair, and her face couldn't help but feel a little hot. When Da Vinci made a urging gesture, she reached out and gently pushed the sleeping Ling's face off her head. She also lifted her head off his shoulder, quietly lifted the blanket, picked up the wristband on the table, and left.

Before leaving, Olga breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at Rin still fast asleep. She nodded to Kiritsugu Emiya who was looking over, and then saw the mother and daughter sleeping soundly opposite her. She couldn't help but sigh that everyone had unconsciously relaxed after leaving Einzbern Castle.

When one of the four maids saw her make a move, she stood up from her seat. Olga waved her hand, indicating that she didn't need to follow, and then took the communication wristband and left the cockpit to go to the washroom.

"What's wrong with Leonardo da Vinci?" Olga asked, looking at the image of Leonardo da Vinci.

“I just made a deal with Miss Shion. She won’t tell Ling about the following conversation, but you have to tell the truth. There are some things that both she and I really want to understand.” Right now, all that’s in front of Olga is an image of Leonardo da Vinci. To avoid making Olga feel uncomfortable, Shion deliberately doesn’t appear, but Shion has seen everything they do.

"What do you want to ask?" Olga frowned as she looked at her. At this point, her impression of Leonardo da Vinci had changed from a suspicious figure to someone who could be trusted to some extent. But now that Leonardo da Vinci wanted her to communicate with her behind Ling's back, the meaning behind this was rather intriguing.

"I want to know, what place does Ling hold in your heart? Is it something you can't let go of?" Da Vinci asked with unusual seriousness.

“I have given him everything. Now we are bound by fate. I will stay by his side, and he must stay by mine.” Olga knew this was not the time to be shy, so she dropped all pretense, and her right hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the necklace around her neck.

"If that's the case, then Olga, you must remember that no matter what happens afterward, you must hold fast to your will and make sure Ling sends you back. This is about your future. This is your home turf. Only if Ling returns to this timeline will she stay by your side wholeheartedly."

Olga didn't understand what Leonardo da Vinci meant, but she vaguely sensed that what he said was very important, so she nodded heavily.

"Also, after the investigation team from the Clock Tower arrives, I hope you will entrust me with full authority this time. This investigation team gives me a very bad feeling, and this responsibility is too heavy for Kirshtalia." Da Vinci had heard Ling describe the people on that list as "demons and monsters." As far as she knew, since Ling made such a comment, there must be an extraordinary person hidden in this investigation team. If Kirshtalia were to leak something, the entire Chaldea, no, it might be the entire Underworld, that would be thrown into chaos.

"—Okay, but Leif's position as deputy cannot be changed." Olga agreed to Da Vinci's request while making her own demands, "I don't care whether you don't trust Kirshtalia or have your own selfish motives, Da Vinci, you must protect Chaldea until I and Ling return. Consider it our reward for not expelling you, Star Pioneer."

Da Vinci looked at Olga in surprise, not expecting her to address him that way. "How did you know? Did you tell me? Or—"

“There are some things I already knew. As for the calamity concerning humanity that Ling mentioned, Lord Gaia warned me about it when she gave me this worldline.” Olga also felt it was time to confront Da Vinci. “Although I don’t know exactly what will happen, I gained the power to control the worldline you are in when I became the Star Priestess. Lord Gaia will no longer interfere with the development of this worldline, and it will not be cut off even if it deviates significantly.”

Leonardo da Vinci's eyes widened, and even though he was secretly watching Shion from the side, he stopped what he was doing and showed an expression of extreme shock.

“Olga, you—” It was only then that Leonardo da Vinci realized the significance of Olga’s existence. When she heard Olga was called the Star Priestess, Leonardo da Vinci didn’t care too much, because in her imagination, this position was probably just a representative of the planetary suppressor force. However, the planetary suppressor force would not take any action unless it involved the survival of the planet, so the title of Star Priestess was more of a nominal one.

However, the fact that this entity, which is now considered to be a nominal position, is actually maintaining the entire world line and preventing it from being cut off is completely beyond Leonardo da Vinci's imagination. If, as Olga said, this world line will never be cut off, then its future development is full of unpredictability. Even if Alaya dies or Gaia dies, this world line will not be squeezed out of the observation universe.

"You should have told me something so important sooner..." Even Olga, who was in this timeline, could feel the resentment in Leonardo da Vinci's voice.

"Who are you to me? Why should I tell you something like this?" Although Olga couldn't tell on the surface, she was secretly pleased to see Leonardo da Vinci's surprised expression. After all, she was still just a fourteen-year-old girl. Even if she had a special identity, it wouldn't actually help her in daily life. She would still have to bear what she had to bear, and it wouldn't disappear because of her identity.

Therefore, after her father's sudden death, in order to gain the recognition of the Chaldea people, she chose to take the risk of summoning a Heroic Spirit, even though she knew that the person in her dream might be deceiving or using her. However, after learning that Ling's existence would disrupt the stability of her world line, she did not hesitate to banish him.

Looking back now, I realize how reckless I was. All she wanted was a peaceful life. Although Ling's existence would bring some turbulence, as long as she didn't die, she could survive no matter how the world developed.

Now, after a series of messy twists and turns, having gained Ling's recognition, he has been dragged into a vortex about his background, which can only be described as fate playing tricks on him.

At the same time, she felt extremely fortunate, fortunate that her world line was special, because she already knew what Ling wanted to do. Apart from her world line, what Ling wanted to do would not succeed in any other world line. The restraint would definitely take drastic action after Ling touched those things.

“My existence is indispensable to Ling. Knowing everything about me, there is no possibility that he will abandon me, nor is there any possibility that he will not return to your side.” Olga proudly raised her head, her tone filled with an air of certainty.

Da Vinci nodded knowingly, but finally reminded them, "In short, you must be careful in everything you do. I don't think the so-called Holy Grail War is so simple. Olga, you'd better sound out Ling again and get him to tell us everything about this Holy Grail War. We can use that information to help us formulate countermeasures. Your safety must be the top priority."

Olga could sense Leonardo da Vinci's sincerity from these words, so she didn't act too arrogantly and nodded frankly, "I understand. However, the so-called Holy Grail War is still half a year away. According to Ling's previous arrangements in Einzbern, there shouldn't be any problems."

“No, the first target you should be wary of is Einzbern,” Leonardo da Vinci shook his head, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. “That workshop is, after all, the property of a mage’s disciple. There’s no guarantee they won’t leave some backup plan. I don’t believe that far-fetched explanation that Ling is a descendant of a mage’s disciple. That Winter Saintess is definitely planning something, and Ling knows this too. That’s why he only treats Einzbern as a production workshop. The outside help he’s going out to find this time is the person he trusts.”

"Aozaki Touko?" Olga understood immediately.

"Probably. In any case, you must pay attention to Rin's actions this time. In my estimation, your trip this time is definitely not as simple as just completing the contract with Kiritsugu Emiya."

"I understand, I'll keep an eye out for it." Olga nodded frankly, then checked the time. "Is there anything else? If not, I'll head back now. I'm worried Ling might wake up."

Da Vinci noticed that Olga listened intently to the sounds outside the bathroom several times while they were talking. She knew Olga was right; after all, Ling was still very suspicious. If he knew what they were talking about behind his back, even if the conversation was about their safety, he would still overthink things.

As for why they had to take this risk, it was because of the following words: "Olga, we have found some clues about Ji Ling's identity, so you must bring Ling back as soon as possible. If you encounter Ji Ling, you must not have any contact with her, otherwise your existence will be completely erased."

"Is it necessary to keep this from Ling?" Olga asked, frowning.

“Yes—” Da Vinci hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, “Miss Ziyuan and I reviewed the Akasha records for our timeline using the Emerald Record. The bead beside Ji Ling that we summoned back then was—”

Just then, Olga heard footsteps. She immediately turned off the communication and listened intently to the sounds outside.

Chapter 373 Revisiting Guanbuzi (The End)

After a crisp knock, a pleasant voice rang out, "Lord Olga, lunch is ready. May I ask that you wake Lord Ling?"

Upon hearing this voice, Olga breathed a sigh of relief. Although she was very concerned about what Leonardo da Vinci wanted to say, since someone had already arrived, she could only postpone the matter and ask Leonardo da Vinci another time. She figured that once she got to Guanbuzi City, she would definitely have the opportunity to act alone.

"I understand." Olga replied, then tidied her hair, which had become messy from sleeping, in front of the mirror before opening the hatch and going out.

The maid outside stood still with her eyes closed. After Olga passed by, she followed closely behind Olga and said in a calm voice, "Today's lunch is milk risotto with three kinds of mushrooms, pork and red wine soup, and dessert is hot apple with candied fruit drizzled with yogurt. Is there anything else you need?"

"That's all. For an airplane meal, this is more than enough. The only remaining question is the taste." Olga nodded, satisfied with the maid's explanation.

"Then I'll tell the sisters to prepare the meal. I'll leave it to you, Lord Ling." After Olga nodded, the maid bowed respectfully and then stopped on the small stairs to watch Olga leave.

Back in the cabin, Olga saw Ling still fast asleep, went over and gently nudged him. Soon after, Ling opened his eyes and said sleepily, "Olga?"

"Wake up, go wash your face, it's time for lunch." Olga said, moving aside to signal Ling to leave her seat.

Upon hearing Olga's words, Ling stretched, removed the thin blanket covering her, and yawned, saying, "Aha~ I understand."

Then, she walked unsteadily toward the restroom.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Alice and Illya on the opposite side were also woken up by Kiritsugu. They were told to perk up and wait for Rin to return before it was their turn to wash up and eat.

After lunch was served by the maids, the plane had already flown halfway. In the afternoon, everyone spent their time in their own way, and there was still no communication from Chaldea. Time passed peacefully in this way.

Thirteen hours passed quickly. After hearing the announcement on the plane, Ling put down his chess piece and looked at Ilya, who was deep in thought. Ilya's face was covered with notes. He had really bullied Ilya that day.

"Alright, little Ilya, your punishment time is over~ Now go wash your face, we're getting off the plane." As Ling spoke, she reached out and tore all the paper strips off Ilya's face, then watched as she kneaded Ilya's cheeks with both hands, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

"Big brother is the worst!" With a slap, Ilya slapped the hand that was playing with her face, puffed out her cheeks, jumped off the chair, and was then led by Irisviel to wash her face.

"Is it fun to bully a little girl like this?" Olga, sitting next to Ling, looked at her with disdain. After learning about the comparison of the luck values ​​of the others, she did not participate in the games from beginning to end in the afternoon. Later on, only Ilya and Ling were left to play. After all, only children do not care about winning or losing.

“For Ilya, she’s happy as long as someone plays with her. Childhood is the most important period for a child; it influences their sense of right and wrong, their behavior, their personality development, and even their aspirations for the future. In your eyes, I’m bullying her, but in her eyes, I’m willing to be with her friends.” Ling explained to Olga while playing with the chess pieces in her hand. Actually, these words weren’t meant for Olga, but for another person still there.

While Kiritsugu Emiya appeared to be working, his mind was actually entirely focused on Illya. Especially after hearing Rin's words, he had considered whether to spend more time with Illya. However, this thought lingered in his mind for a moment before he temporarily suppressed it. The most important thing now was to deal with the Holy Grail War. Only after this was over would he have the right to think about other things.

"In short, in order to shape Ilya's healthy personality, I can only take the place of her parents, who are not suitable to be parents, and guide her slowly and step by step." Rin withdrew her gaze from Kiritsugu Emiya, then put away the things on the table and quietly sat back in her seat.

After washing her face, Ilya made a face at Ling as she passed his seat, then obediently returned to her own seat. Everyone fastened their seatbelts and waited for the plane to land.

Fifteen minutes later, the group disembarked at 8 p.m. Under the astonished gazes of the airport staff, they boarded the pre-arranged extended Lincoln and headed towards their reserved hotel.

For dinner, the hotel lobby specially prepared a seafood buffet for them. After the sumptuous dinner, Ling gave Kiritsugu Emiya a wink, and the two quietly avoided the ladies' gazes and went to the hotel rooftop for a long-awaited conversation.

"How is it? You left that castle with your wife and daughter. Do you feel relieved?" Ling was in a good mood after eating and drinking her fill, and her attitude towards Emiya Kiritsugu was no longer as resentful as before.

"—We still have to go back." Kiritsugu Emiya took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, but after seeing Rin, he made no further move.

“Don’t worry about me, I have the upper hand.” Ling waved her hand, indicating that he didn’t need to worry. “Although I don’t smoke, I won’t stop others from smoking.”

“No, at your age, it’s a bit too early to start smoking.” Kiritsugu Emiya took out a lighter, lit the cigarette, and then took a deep drag.

"Haha, if you really think about it, I'm much older than you, though I don't really feel it myself." Watching the cigarette in Kiritsugu's mouth flicker, Rin couldn't help but drift into some memories. "For you, this is a long-lost smell of tobacco, isn't it?"

“Indeed, I stopped smoking after Illya was born, for fear of affecting her.” Kiritsugu Emiya looked up at the silent night sky. Illya’s health had always been a major concern for him, which was why he readily agreed to cooperate with Rin after hearing that there was a way to solve the problem.

"If you love Ilya, then why don't you choose a life that brings happiness to your whole family?"

"It can't be done."

“That’s true. After all, if you really did that, you wouldn’t be Kiritsugu Emiya. But if that’s the case, why cooperate with me?” Ling stood on the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the lights below. Even though the bubble economy had burst, Tokyo was still one of the world’s leading metropolises, so the traffic on Tokyo’s roads at night still flowed in bright streams.

"Because I only stand on the side of the victors."

Chapter 374 A Place That Doesn't Exist (Part 1)

Kiritsugu Emiya said calmly, "Since even I was able to take Illya and Irisviel away from Winter Castle so easily, it means that the Sultan has almost no control over the Einzbern family. In other words, he can no longer provide me with any assistance."

"Wow, that's really ruthless." Ling chuckled a few times, then turned to look at Kiritsugu Emiya. "If that's the case, then your promise to continue participating in the Holy Grail War was just a pretext. What is your real purpose?"

Kiritsugu Emiya paused for a moment, then took the cigarette from his mouth and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. "Purpose? Isn't the purpose to cooperate with you? Back in the amniotic fluid chamber, you mentioned several times that my ending would be nothing. If that's the case, then you mean you have the ability to rewrite my life's ending, don't you? Besides, I didn't lie to the Sect Master. After all, I also want to witness with my own eyes what this Black Grail you mentioned is really like."