There was no flowery rhetoric, only a calm statement of facts.
As the surviving members of Chaldea applauded, each of them made their own choice in silence.
Whether they chose to stay behind or head into the Lostbelt together, no one would blame them.
Because either path was valid. All they had to do was choose the one they truly wished to walk.
"A pre-battle briefing that tells people they're allowed to give up fighting. That really doesn't sound like you."
Watching the crowd disperse back into the facility, Touko spoke with a hint of concern.
"People should have the right to choose how they live, and how they die. Besides, everyone understands that if we fail, this bleached planet will fall into the hands of the 'Alien God'." Artoria shook her head lightly. "When that happens, annihilation will be the only fate left for the survivors."
Shiomi nodded.
"I remember back in the Uruk Singularity, the Jaguar Warrior… no, Quetzalcoatl said something similar. If there are people willing to fight desperately just to survive, then naturally there will also be people who can't bring themselves to gamble their lives that way. From the Incineration of Humanity to the Bleaching of Humanity, the people of Chaldea have barely known a single peaceful day. They've endured the pain of losing comrades and even their homes."
"So instead of simply stirring everyone up," Touko said with a small, helpless laugh, "you chose to tell them first that no matter which path they choose, it's justified, and there's no need to feel guilty about it… is that it?"
She didn't pursue the topic any further.
"And there are still so many survivors brought back from Scandinavia who need someone to look after them," Shiomi added. "It's impossible to send everyone to the battlefield."
Especially the Valkyrie sisters responsible for caring for those survivors. As crucial combat assets, there was no way they could remain behind at New Chaldea in the Wandering Sea.
"Also," Shiomi continued, "the reason we were able to cut down the Russian Lostbelt so quickly was because we caught them completely off guard and seized the initiative. As for the Scandinavian Lostbelt, it ended peacefully only because Skadi accepted that outcome in her heart. We can't take results like these for granted."
"Heh~"
Skadi laughed, her smile bright and confident.
After all, as Shiomi had pointed out more than once, and as everyone tacitly agreed, if Skadi had truly stood against Chaldea, the end of the Scandinavian Lostbelt would have been far more brutal.
"Don't just laugh," Shiomi said, cupping Skadi's cheeks and gently squeezing them while holding back a grin. "Has Ophelia told you anything at all during this time?"
"Nothing," Skadi replied, her voice slightly muffled. "That child is extremely loyal. Unless we resort to Magecraft to manipulate her mind and force the truth out of her, there's really no way…"
"Let's not go there," Scáthach said, shaking her head in disapproval. "Using Magecraft would mean abandoning any attempt at conciliation. It would also mean showing absolutely no mercy to the Crypter Magi."
At that point, Artoria turned to Morgan.
"So, about the Crypter we're bound to face in the next Lostbelt. That Magus named Kirschtaria. What do you know about him?"
After all, Morgan and Shiomi had once lived in London and had dealings with the Clock Tower, the most active organization within the Mage's Association.
"We've already said everything that can be said," Shiomi replied. "Kirschtaria is a Magus from the Aristocratic Faction, but he also seeks to reclaim the world's declining Magical Foundation from the Democratic and Neutral Factions. He's regarded as a 'star of hope' with high expectations placed on him."
As he explained, Shiomi's hands relaxed, shifting from squeezing to a gentle, soothing caress.
Skadi found it quite pleasant and made no effort to pull away, simply listening as she enjoyed it.
"I've heard of that young man," Touko said thoughtfully. "If he hadn't joined Chaldea, the Clock Tower might have ended up creating a thirteenth department just for him. The younger generation is truly something else."
In a place like the Clock Tower, where geniuses were everywhere and elites were practically commonplace, the fact that Kirschtaria could still stand out spoke volumes about his ability.
Just as Shiomi had said, this young Magus who sought to correct the world's Magical Foundation possessed not only the potential to reshape the future of the Magecraft world, but also the resolve to do so.
After all, even Shiomi himself, despite lacking inherited Magic Circuits, held Mystery on the level of the Age of Gods. Yet to the Magecraft world, anything not made public was not something they needed to place their hopes on.
Shiomi had no interest in the Mage's Association.
And the Mage's Association only needed Shiomi's strength on the battlefield.
Nothing more than that.
"And there's one more thing worth mentioning. Before the Incineration of Humanity began, when I was serving as a combat instructor and running mock battles with the other Masters in Team A, Kirschtaria always pushed the simulations to the best level he possibly could, while deliberately avoiding showing any distinct Magecraft traits." Shiomi added, "To be honest, I've always been curious. If he'd actually gotten serious, would I still have won that easily? Or maybe…"
"If it were my husband back then, and he didn't reveal his Noble Phantasm, relying only on Magecraft, there's a definite chance he would lose," Morgan said, giving an objective and precise evaluation. "And the odds would be fifty-fifty."
"I thought you'd flatter me and say it was sixty-forty or seventy-thirty," Shiomi said with a grin.
"When lives are on the line, empty praise only leads to bad outcomes," Morgan replied after a moment's thought. "And I said my husband 'back then.'"
"What about now?" Scáthach asked.
"If Kirschtaria's strength hasn't changed, then the advantage obviously lies with my husband," Morgan said. "Do you remember that Magecraft Olga Marie pulled off twice, in Camelot and in Uruk, by relying on special circumstances?"
"If Kirschtaria—the one who designed that Magecraft—were the one using it, the output would probably be on an entirely different level," Shiomi agreed cautiously. "In any case, optimism is good, but we can't afford to be too optimistic."
Touko glanced at the time.
"We've got about twelve hours until departure. No idea what kind of enemies will be waiting for us on the other side of the Storm Wall."
"No one knows," Shiomi said, looking up at the Storm Border. "But what we have to do is absolutely clear—"
"Heh… it's been a long time since I felt my blood boil like this," Morgan said after a moment. "The last time was probably the battle at the Temple of Time."
"Oh?" Scáthach asked. "Not even the fight against the Beast God Cernunnos got you excited?"
Artoria spoke up then, offering her own impression.
"Back then, all anyone could think about was waking Tenkei. Just seeing him open his eyes was already more than enough to overwhelm us. Who had the spare attention to enjoy the fight?"
That made everyone laugh in unison.
Even without having been there themselves, Skadi and Touko could understand the feeling.
Tense, but not afraid.