The weather today was excellent. The sea breeze was gentle, and the sunlight was just right, feeling warm on the skin.
After crafting some Rune-enhanced cannonballs, Lin Qi stopped. After all, the damage these things could cause was limited, and there was no need to put excessive effort into them.
Although the recovery capability of [Dragon's Core] was sufficient during non-combat times, and he could theoretically keep making many, just like crafting the grenade in the Second Singularity...
This kind of repetitive work was still somewhat mentally draining.
For the upcoming battle, Lin Qi, as one of the main combatants, needed to conserve his energy.
Leaning against the railing of the Golden Hind, Lin Qi let out a sigh and adjusted his breathing slightly.
So, what would Lin Qi do next?
The answer was—
Zoning out...
This could be considered a "unique skill" Lin Qi had honed while staying alone in Chaldea!
Completely emptying his mind, leaving no room for thought, to pass the time.
If conditions allowed, Lin Qi could probably zone out for an entire day.
Staring blankly at the shadows on the deck, Lin Qi was just getting into the zone.
A pair of exquisite, jade-like feet in sandals suddenly blocked his line of sight.
Looking up, they were attached to fair, slender thighs concealed by a gorgeous skirt, adorned with a garter and some decorative chains.
Pretty...
Witnessing this scene enough to make a certain blue-haired guy utter "those legs are worth playing with for a year," such a thought flashed quickly through Lin Qi's mind.
"What are you zoning out for? As a Master, you haven't forgotten to form a contract with your Servants, have you?"
Euryale raised her lovely eyebrows and asked.
"...I was a bit tired yesterday, so I forgot..."
Lin Qi snapped back to reality, scratching his head awkwardly.
Although as a goddess, Euryale had the ability to manifest independently without disappearing, her combat prowess couldn't be guaranteed. If she formed a contract with Lin Qi, given his current Master qualities, it could somewhat enhance Euryale.
Asterios went without saying. As a Berserker, high mana consumption was his characteristic; having a Master would be a significant boost for him too.
"Sigh, to think this goddess had to bring this up herself. That's hardly qualified behavior for a Master, you know~"
Euryale shook her head and sighed.
"But forget it. Consider it a reward from the goddess."
Euryale's tone shifted, and she then extended her delicate little hand to Lin Qi, a faint smile on her face.
"After all, being able to form a contract with a goddess as beautiful and perfect as me means you're quite lucky."
Euryale wore an expression that said "you've gotten a great bargain."
Seeing this, Lin Qi hurriedly bent down, trying to position his head slightly lower than Euryale's.
But Euryale's height was truly similar to a young girl's, roughly estimated at around 130 cm.
Even though Lin Qi wasn't particularly tall himself, it was difficult to bend to a position lower than Euryale in a normal posture.
Finding the posture somewhat unsuitable, Lin Qi simply went down on one knee.
"Then... thank you, Great Goddess?"
Carefully taking Euryale's small hand placed before him, Lin Qi said tentatively.
"Although your etiquette is somewhat lacking... well, I quite like your personality, Master."
Euryale's smile widened, and her gaze towards Lin Qi held a bit more fondness.
Even struggling alone at the border between life and death, his heart had never been tarnished; instead, it had been polished to shine even more brilliantly through his experiences. This Master was really terribly "adorable."
If he had been born in the Age of Gods, he might have become a remarkably great hero.
A red light flashed, and the contract was established.
Euryale became Lin Qi's first Servant in this Singularity.
Since Euryale had signed, Asterios, of course, was no exception.
After Euryale waved the little bull over, he also became Lin Qi's Servant.
Having completed all this, Lin Qi breathed a sigh of relief, sat down, and continued resting against the railing.
Thinking about zoning out again, he detected a certain completely unconcealed gaze.
Turning his head, he found Asterios sitting cross-legged nearby, looking at him curiously.
Lin Qi blinked. Although he didn't quite understand why Asterios was staring at him, he still smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.
Seeing Lin Qi's gesture, Asterios scratched his head thoughtfully.
As if suddenly enlightened, he also imitated Lin Qi, giving a thumbs-up, a simple, honest smile appearing on his face.
Seeing this, Lin Qi laughed again. A Berserker as adorably simple as the little bull was a first for him too.
After all, most Berserkers basically had no reason, their words and actions inherently carrying a bit of madness.
One like the little bull... probably only Fran-chan was similar, right?
"Little Lin, what, meaning this?"
Asterios suddenly asked, shaking his hand with the raised thumb.
Why are you calling me Little Lin too...
Lin Qi felt a headache coming on.
"Roughly, it means you're great, you're amazing. You can also use this gesture to encourage others."
Joking aside, Lin Qi simply explained it to Asterios.
"Great, amazing?"
"Little Lin means, I am also great, amazing?"
Asterios asked expectantly.
"Of course, Asterios is amazing. You'll be one of the main forces in the upcoming battle."
Lin Qi gave a wan smile and once again gave Asterios a thumbs-up.
"Then Little Lin, also great, amazing!"
Asterios gave a thumbs-up, grinning widely, revealing that simple smile again.
The atmosphere between the two was good. With just a few words and laughter, the distance between them had already grown quite close.
Lin Qi found this a bit strange too. He had actually noticed it early on; almost every Servant in the Singularities treated him quite well and easily became familiar with him.
But for him, it was because he played the game and had a natural fondness for most Servants. But the Servants couldn't possibly have played a game with him as the protagonist, could they?
"~?"
A soft, humming voice reached the ears of Lin Qi and Asterios. The enchanting, beautiful singing made both of them simultaneously look towards the source of the sound.
"...Song?"
The little bull again looked curiously with his gaze towards his other side, where Euryale sat on a crate, swinging her legs.
"Oh my, you heard me?"
Seeing the two looking at her, Euryale seemed somewhat surprised.
"Mm."
The little bull nodded.
"After all, the Great Goddess sings very well."
Lin Qi also chimed in slightly.
"Such sincerity would make even a goddess shy, you know."
"But no matter. I'll make an exception and grant you permission to listen."
As Euryale said this, her face showed no trace of shyness; instead, she wore a gentle smile.
After clearing her throat slightly, our idol-type goddess began to showcase her singing voice.
"La, la, la..."
Euryale didn't sing any lyrics, but her innate voice was enough to make this seemingly monotonous sound bloom with colors no less vibrant than those with lyrics.
Her voice was clear and bright, like a mountain stream flowing, pure and melodious, yet also like a breeze gently brushing past in the deep night, softly soothing the listener's ears.
Everyone on the ship was immersed in this beautiful singing, pink musical notes seemingly appearing before their eyes.
Listening carefully to Euryale's voice.
Lin Qi suddenly remembered that at one point, he had actually considered killing Euryale preemptively to avoid her being forced to touch the Ark due to his own mistake.
But this thought had only fleetingly passed through Lin Qi's mind.
He didn't like that. He didn't like hurting innocent people over such wretched matters, especially since Euryale might help him.
When it came down to it, he didn't want to save the world from the bottom of his heart.
He wasn't a fanatic like Kiritsugu Emiya; there was no need to go that far.
Naturally, he would do what made him happy.
If, even after giving his all, Euryale still ended up touching the Ark, leading to the destruction of humanity—
Then so be it. What else could he do?
Anyway, he wouldn't do things that he himself resisted.
Or rather, in that case, Lin Qi might actually feel more relieved, since he would have already exerted his utmost effort.
...