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IBHJ Chapter 741
🕑 Added 2024-03-08 02:18:20 +0000 UTCThe sergeant shook his head. "No, my king. You're wise, but you guessed wrong this time. The one who changed your rules was none other than the Third, Mordred. The so-called worship wasn't to control us, but to save us, to tell us the truth, to let us know what exactly happened in the kingdom and the forces secretly gathering to overturn it!"
Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Hanging a sheep's head while selling dog meat. Not bad."
The sergeant lowered his head, his face etched with sorrow. "But we knew what we were up against, and we also knew that our enemies were the very people we trusted and had always protected. I saw it with my own eyes - the Third inviting Lord Agravain to Cornwall to investigate, only to ambush and kill him. And later, I was there when the Fourth attacked Lord Lancelot. I watched as King Galahad picked up his sword and put it down three times, his hand shaking, unable to bring himself to kill the bound Lord Lancelot. In the end, the Third stepped in and killed Lord Lancelot on his behalf."
"My luck was better than my comrades. I fought in that final war and took the Second's spear right through the chest..." The sergeant's face was etched with shame as he spoke. "My king, that's all I know."
"It's more than enough." Shirou patted his shoulder, offering comfort. "I shouldn't have asked you to remember such painful memories. That was thoughtless of me."
"No, my king. For you to listen to someone as deeply sinful as me recount the past, that's true benevolence. But if you want to know the specifics, you'd be better off asking King Galahad, Lord Agravain, and the others who were directly involved," the sergeant suggested.
At the mention of Agravain, the sergeant's expression suddenly changed. In that moment, he remembered that Agravain and the others had already been denounced by the king.
Shirou said, "It's okay. They're still guilty, and I'm still angry with them. But what I'm angry about isn't that they were controlled, it's something else..."
"Something else?" The sergeant turned to him, puzzlement written across his face. He didn't understand what Shirou meant, but he didn't dare to ask more. The king's expression was unreadable, making it very difficult to see through his thoughts.
...
Shirou met up with Sigurd and the others. With the sergeant holding the reins, Shirou dismounted from Dun Stallion and walked towards Sigurd.
"Oniichan!" Chloe called out sweetly when she saw him coming, enthusiastically pouncing towards him. However, just as Chloe was about to make contact, his hand shot out like a giant claw, stopping her head, then violently tossing her aside.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Chloe tumbled into the snow like a ragdoll, the cold powder dousing her improper thoughts.
She stood up, pouting. "What was that for, Oniichan?!"
"Stay three meters away from me."
"Why?" She was baffled.
He wrinkled his nose. "You haven't brushed your teeth in ages. Your breath stinks."
Chloe's jaw dropped. "Huh?"
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was a genuine beauty and always made sure to keep herself squeaky clean. Bad breath? As if!
Of course, he was just making excuses. She wasn't a little kid anymore, but a full-grown woman.
As Shirou made his way over to Sigurd, he had to do a double take. His eyes locked onto a small cart next to Sigurd, and he couldn't help but gawk. There was a flagpole with a cross on the cart, and tied to it with ropes was none other than A-46! She was completely bound to the cross, and to top it off, her mouth was stuffed with a white cloth. The whole scene was just too wild.
"How'd she end up like that?"
Sigurd let out an exasperated sigh. "She won't shut up about Hel! It's driving me crazy. If Hel didn't have my Command Spells, I would've sliced her to pieces by now!"
Shirou chuckled, "Anyway, my soldiers will deal with her. But I've got some bad news for you. A troop of fire giants showed up, and my army's holding them back. Looks like those giants that attacked the village earlier were just some stragglers, not their main force."
"Is that so..." Sigurd frowned. "Hmm, this is bad."
"Eternal King, you look like you could use a drink. Here, have some water," Salter said, passing a bowl of water to him.
Shirou nodded, appreciating the gesture. He and the sergeant had been chatting and exchanging information during their journey, leaving him feeling a bit parched. Without hesitation, he took the bowl and took a swig. As the liquid hit his tongue, he paused, surprised by the unexpected flavor. It was sour, with a taste similar to blueberries. Delicious, but not exactly what he needed to quench his thirst.
Turning to Saber, he said, "Another bowl, please."
Salter took the bowl, a smile playing on her lips. "Sure thing, but you'll have to wait a moment while I grab some more blueberries."
His eyebrows shot up. "Wait a second! You're telling me this was made from 'those' blueberries?"
"Well, of course it's blueberries. What else would it be?" She replied. "I know I'm always relying on you, so I wanted to do something special. I squeezed my own blueberries just for you. Consider it a symbol of our friendship." She smiled, clearly pleased with herself.
Shirou's mouth twitched instinctively at Salter's revelation. Noticing his odd reaction, she tilted her head, puzzled. "What's wrong with you?"
He looked at her intently with a serious gaze. "If I fall asleep, you have to promise to wake me up, got it?"
"Huh?" Salter's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
He elaborated, his tone grave. "There's a chance I might fall into a deep sleep later. If that happens, it's crucial that you wake me up."
Concern was written on Salter's face. "But Servants don't need sleep, right? I mean, they don't have human bodies."
"My situation is a bit... unique," He explained. "If I do fall asleep, I might not be able to wake up on my own. That's why it's absolutely essential that you remember to wake me up." His eyes bore into hers, emphasizing the importance of his request.
"I understand." Salter nodded solemnly, picking up on the seriousness of the situation from his expression.
With the matter in her hands, Shirou let out a sigh of relief. He couldn't believe he'd eaten Skadi's divinity—the blueberries—in a moment like this. He'd definitely let his guard down too much around Saber.
Shirou knew his own situation all too well. From past experiences, he knew that eating blue fruit would make him fall into a deep sleep and sink into that strange dreamscape. And that weird place seemed to be connected to the vortex deep within his soul. Given the current situation, maybe it was the perfect chance for an experiment!
Getting comfortable on the side, Shirou delved deep into his own soul, his consciousness coming face-to-face with the vortex. He was determined to test his hypothesis and see if his suspicions were right!
...
"Be careful, B-224. Beep, C-475 is putting on the airs of an older sister."
"It is you who needs to be careful. Beep, B-224 corrected C-475's mistake but didn't deny that C-475 is the older sister."
Two Valkyries, one with green hair and the other with red, walked side by side, their heads close together as they whispered to each other. In Asgard, a place teeming with Valkyries, this sight was both strange and common. It was a common occurrence to see Valkyries everywhere, but it was unusual to see a pair walking so closely, engrossed in hushed conversation. Apart from these two, hardly any other Valkyries were seen strolling together while whispering.
The reason for their unusual behavior was simple: the Valkyrie Network allowed them to communicate telepathically, sharing thoughts and cognitions without the need for spoken language. However, these two Valkyries, B-224 and C-475, were forced to rely on verbal communication. This was, of course, because these two Valkyries were traitors!
Thanks to Shirou's timely intervention, B-224 and C-475 had disconnected from the network just as Hel launched her attack, hacking into the Valkyrie Network. This quick thinking saved them from falling under Hel's control, but it also left them trapped in Asgard. If anyone discovered their true allegiance, they would face a fate worse than death – inhumane destruction followed by being heartlessly tossed into the garbage heap. Despite the risks, they had accepted the mission Shirou assigned to them, knowing full well the consequences of their actions.
C-475 repeatedly reminded her younger sister in a low voice, "Be extra careful. We can't let our sisters find out."
B-224 nodded, muttering under her breath in acknowledgment.
Suddenly, B-224 reached out and tugged at her sister's sleeve, whispering urgently, "Shhh, it's Sister Hildr."
Looking up, C-475 caught sight of the traitorous Hildr, her golden, dazzling long hair flowing as she slowly walked towards them.
C-475's face was calm, and her heart was also calm, but suddenly she noticed a tug on her sleeve. She turned her head slightly, glancing at her sister. B-224's face was composed, but her small hand trembled while pulling her sleeve. Although unable to express emotions or vent her inner feelings, C-475 understood that her younger sister was nervous.
C-475 gently removed B-224's hand from her sleeve and held it in her own palm, looking at her with a blank gaze. As B-224 felt her sister's hand holding hers and saw the empty look in her eyes, she understood that C-475 was offering comfort. Even though they couldn't express or vent their emotions, the warmth in B-224's heart was genuine and undeniable.
As they held hands and walked past Hildr with their heads slightly lowered, the two couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief. Suddenly, Hildr stopped and turned to look at them, saying, "You two..."
Their hearts instantly jumped to their throats. C-475, being the older sister, held B-224's hand tightly as she turned to face Hildr with numb, hollow eyes. "Is there something wrong, Sister Hildr?" she asked. "According to the order from the Valkyrie Netword, B-224 and I are to go guard the prison."
Hildr looked at the green-haired Valkyrie C-475, her expression tinged with sadness. She sighed and said, "It's nothing. C-475, you both go ahead."
The two nodded, then turned and left. Hildr watched as they walked away, her tired eyes filled with numbness and despair. She closed her eyes. "It'll end soon. This dying world will end soon, and our decayed souls will finally be free," Hildr mumbled to herself. She then turned and left.
Comments
Melegant
I feel like the number changed for the c type valkyire
Azelios Rosemile
...Is it possible tha the valkyries are actually, the reincanated souls of Norse Valhalla heroes? Maybe im wrong
JeanMartin Freites
I did like getting to see what the Valkyries were up to.
