Arthur still had plenty of time to think about which world he wanted to explore. After he went to rest, Ethan turned to find his companions, who were so deeply immersed in gaming that they forgot to eat and sleep.
Now that the knot in Artoria's heart had been resolved, there was no reason to remain in this world. Their main goal in coming here had been fulfilled. As for Shirou's training? That could happen anywhere.
So the next morning, everyone bid Arthur farewell and left the place together with Ethan.
Upon returning to the island, everyone seemed a bit slow to react. Artoria even looked back out of habit, as if she wanted to glance a few more times at Britain.
"Are you missing your country?"
"No, just envious."
Artoria was truly envious of Arthur. Envious that he could govern Britain so well, while she could only watch her country fall apart. Although she had untied the knot in her heart and had faced the end of her kingdom, the feeling of envy was still hard to avoid.
"If you wish, we can help you."
"No need." Artoria declined Shirou's kind offer. After spending time with Arthur, she understood the vast difference between them and knew she couldn't be like him. "But thank you."
"Alright, everyone's back now. Is there anywhere you want to go next?"
The sea breeze blew gently, and everyone stood together on the grassy plain, the scent of fresh grass in the air. No one spoke, all standing there in a daze.
Although Ethan had traveled back and forth quite a bit, not much time had actually passed. For those who had turned into children, it was still far too soon for them to return to their original forms.
Forget growing up, they hadn't even finished this summer break yet.
"I really can't think of where to go next. Are all your matters dealt with?"
Illya thought for a long time. She didn't have a clear concept of what world to visit next, unlike Ethan, who had countless "works" to reference and could simply choose a world that interested him.
"Pretty much everything's handled."
He had already visited every world he needed to, except for Transformers, which he couldn't go back to just yet, since his current form wasn't suitable.
"In that case, since we're free, why don't we resolve Artoria's issue first?"
Artoria seemed lively now, but her time had been locked in the moment she was gravely wounded and on the verge of death. She had since participated in the Holy Grail War again and again.
What needed to be done now was to let her return to her own timeline, release her lingering attachments, and settle her affairs after death. Only then could she truly roam freely.
When the others heard this, their expressions became a bit odd.
Although it was the truth, it still sounded strangely irresponsible. With a king like this, it almost made sense that the country had fallen.
"In short, let's go take care of the after-death matters first."
Artoria nodded. She would have to face it eventually, so it was better to get it over with.
Ethan noticed that Shirou seemed a bit reluctant to part. They had been together for a long time. Could it be that feelings had developed?
He turned to look at Sakura, who stood next to him smiling. He wondered what this purple-haired girl, who had long harbored feelings for Shirou, was thinking. Was she secretly celebrating that this unreliable king was finally leaving, or feeling sad that her senpai still didn't notice her?
"How entertaining."
Extremely bored, Ethan found it quite amusing to watch this kind of emotional drama, especially since his viewing angle was far more satisfying than any IMAX screen.
He patted Shirou on the shoulder, and yes, he had to fly up to do it properly, and consoled him not to be sad.
"Once Artoria settles her affairs, it doesn't mean she's leaving you forever. It just means she won't be your Servant anymore."
After dealing with her final matters, Artoria should meet her end and go to Avalon to enjoy the peace that comes after death.
However, since Ethan had summoned her with a higher authority, even the Counter Force couldn't do anything about it.
With Ethan's current level of control over the Nasuverse, it was difficult to summon the true forms of Heroic Spirits from the Throne of Heroes. But Artoria's case was different. She was technically still alive, so taking her wasn't a problem at all.
To return Artoria to the Nasuverse, they had to go back to Fuyuki where she was originally summoned, and then cancel the summoning.
There was no need to formally cancel it. Now that her heart was at peace, she no longer had any obsession with the Holy Grail War or the Grail itself. Her connection to this world naturally weakened, and even if she did nothing, she would still return.
Watching Artoria slowly turn into points of light and begin to fade, Shirou, the only one who came to see her off, felt a bit of sadness. It was like he might never see her again.
Fortunately, Ethan didn't let him down. After Artoria completely dissipated, Ethan conjured a scene in front of him, allowing Shirou to witness Artoria's situation after returning to her own world.
"Oh? You're back."
"Huh? Aren't you working today?"
Ethan glanced outside. It was broad daylight. He had deliberately adjusted this world's flow of time, so for Cú Chulainn, it hadn't been long at all.
"I'm on the afternoon shift today."
Since everyone else had left, Cú Chulainn stayed behind at the Emiya residence to look after things.
"What are you watching?"
The three of them sat down, facing the courtyard, where the scene before them continued to unfold.
Cú Chulainn immediately saw the figure drenched in blood, standing atop a pile of corpses. It was indeed Saber, Artoria.
"This is… she returned?"
Thanks to Ethan's constant spoilers, everyone had some understanding of Artoria's situation, so they immediately understood what they were watching.
"Yeah."
"The end of a king. A truly remarkable scene."
After that, the three of them said nothing more and quietly watched the scene unfold. Artoria stood there for a long time, recovering, until her knights found her.
Then came a long list of instructions. Bedivere, the ever-loyal Knight of the Round Table, carried the gravely wounded Artoria to a relatively safe place. As she leaned against a tree, Artoria knew her end was near, so she quickly gave her final orders.
She no longer concerned herself with Britain's future. Instead, she handed the Sword of the Lake, Excalibur, to Bedivere, instructing him to return it to the Lady of the Lake.
Beyond that, she no longer worried about whether another person pulling the Sword in the Stone would have been better for Britain. She simply leaned against the tree and quietly waited for her end.
At that moment, she felt that ending things this way was just fine, although she did feel a slight sense of guilt toward Shirou.
"Alright, time to go to work."
Watching Artoria smile calmly as she awaited the end, Ethan sensed a force breaking through the world's boundary, coming to take Artoria away. He knew that white-haired scammer had started to act.
Even though Ethan's control over this universe wasn't particularly high, he still had his advantages.
Here, he could accomplish many things with little effort, even changing the development of small events with just a thought.
Something like retrieving Artoria didn't require much power. He simply intercepted her from Merlin's grasp, and all the great mage could do was stare blankly from Avalon, completely helpless. The only thing he could do was throw Fou at Ethan and have it bite him.
As Artoria reappeared in front of them, Shirou tried his best to hold back his excitement and immediately rushed forward.
But Shirou was powerless to help her current condition. In the end, he turned his pleading gaze toward Ethan.
At that moment, Ethan even had the leisure to wave at the empty sky. He could clearly sense the legendary British mage, or Sword Saint, peeking in from beyond the world.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine."
Ethan spread his hands slightly, and a golden Holy Light enveloped Artoria's body, healing her injuries bit by bit.
What he needed to do wasn't just heal her physically. Ethan also pulled out the Fountain of Life and restored a large amount of vitality to her. When Artoria stood up again, she would be a fully restored, lively Saber with her signature ahoge, and a long enough lifespan to match.
The healing process ended quickly. As the golden Holy Light faded, Artoria stood up completely unharmed and looked at the overjoyed Shirou.
"I'm back, Shirou."
Just as Shirou was about to speak, a bright light flashed in the sky, and a long sword dropped straight between them, landing exactly one meter between Artoria and Shirou.
"Ah, this is… Excalibur?"
Ethan curled his lip. This Sword of the Lake was obviously thrown over by Merlin.
Was that guy doing it on purpose? Ethan had just been thinking that, now that Artoria had regained her life and left behind the Sword of the Lake, maybe she would undergo some kind of evolution. After all, after pulling the Sword in the Stone, Artoria's body became locked in a maiden state, and the Sword of the Lake had a similar effect.
If she didn't use the Sword in the Stone or the Sword of the Lake for a long time or gave them up entirely, her body would continue to grow. Ethan thought he might finally see that version of Artoria, but it was ruined just like that.
"Does this count as a gacha pull failure?"
(To be continued.)