Trifas, Yggdmillennia Castle.
Shirou and Arthur had returned to the Black Faction's encampment. Their meeting with Jeanne had merely been a brief encounter; neither would become involved in her investigation into the Red Faction.
It wasn't that Shirou hadn't offered to assist Jeanne—rather, Jeanne herself had politely declined his help.
Firstly, Jeanne possessed formidable combat abilities, and her [God's Resolution] granted her two [Command Spells] against each Servant, enough to guarantee a safe retreat should the need arise. Thus, Shirou Emiya and Arthur's assistance wasn't strictly necessary.
Secondly, if Jeanne brought Arthur and Shirou to the Red faction and they chose to attack, what choice could she possibly make then?
As Ruler, Jeanne couldn't simply protect Shirou and Arthur openly. Yet, if bringing them along placed them in harm's way, that would weigh heavily upon her conscience. Jeanne wanted to avoid such a dilemma at all costs.
Thus, Jeanne decisively rejected Shirou's offer of assistance. Nonetheless, she thanked him earnestly; she sensed no selfish motives from him. He'd simply reached out instinctively upon seeing her in trouble.
If this young man didn't have a wish to entrust to the Grail, perhaps he'd have made an excellent Ruler himself, Jeanne privately mused.
With that, Shirou and Arthur parted ways with Jeanne and returned to Trifas, entering Yggdmillennia's castle.
For now, this was Shirou's temporary residence.
When Shirou and Arthur arrived in the throne room, the other Masters and Servants were already gathered.
Whoosh...!
Golden particles of mist swirled into existence as Arthur re-materialized beside Shirou.
Unlike Artoria, Arthur was perfectly capable of spiritual form, though he preferred remaining at his Master's side physically. However, to minimize unnecessary trouble—particularly avoiding another encounter with Mordred—Arthur had opted for spiritual form during the journey back.
It wasn't that he disliked seeing Mordred; it simply reduced complications.
As for why the Black Faction hadn't sent Servants to deal with Mordred, despite her prolonged presence in Trifas:
One factor was the barrier protecting Yggdmillennia Castle. Neither Mordred nor Kairi Sisigou had managed to locate the Black Faction's stronghold. Otherwise, with Mordred's impulsiveness, she might have charged straight in by now.
Naturally, the Red Faction's Church was also shielded by similar barriers—otherwise, Shirou and Arthur wouldn't have struggled to locate it despite extensive fighting in the vicinity.
Similarly, Black's airborne familiars hadn't pinpointed the exact location of the Church either.
No matter how concealed, however, its presence could never be completely hidden.
That was why Shirou had been able to deduce the Church's approximate location. Mordred and Kairi, however, had no clue about Yggdmillennia Castle's whereabouts, its appearance, nor anyone to guide them, leaving them wandering aimlessly around Trifas.
The Black Faction had dispatched homunculi and golems to test Mordred's strength the other night, and the results were clear: this Servant, as expected of King Arthur's heir, was incredibly powerful.
Thus, all gathered here now acknowledged the strength of Arthur and his Master, Shirou Emiya. After all, as a Master who'd directly dealt significant damage to the enemy Archer, Shirou had effectively brought the Black faction's strength up to nine Servants.
Nine against seven—Darnic struggled to even conceive how he could lose.
...
"We are greatly pleased!"
Vlad III, seated upon his throne, rose gracefully and descended the steps toward Arthur, arms open in welcome.
This gesture was one king's acknowledgment of another.
They weren't superior and subordinate; Vlad III couldn't comfortably remain seated above Arthur, who himself was a king of equal stature.
Therefore, Vlad descended to Arthur's level, meeting him eye-to-eye.
Arthur might not have cared much about such gestures, but Vlad, as the King of Romania, insisted upon maintaining proper etiquette.
"Truly worthy of the King of Britain. Driving back the enemy Rider so decisively demonstrates remarkable valor."
Vlad III openly expressed his admiration. Judging from what his Archer reported, he himself might have struggled to achieve the same result against that Rider.
"No, you praise me too much, King of Romania," Arthur replied humbly, declining Vlad's praise. "In the end, I failed to deliver a decisive blow, and even revealed my true name unnecessarily."
Arthur earnestly reflected upon his actions. Had he known beforehand of Achilles's damage-negation ability, he might have approached the battle differently.
Furthermore, he had left his Master unprotected during the fight—a lapse Arthur deeply regretted.
Though Shirou Emiya had managed to overcome the Red Faction's Archer on his own, Arthur firmly reminded himself it was still his duty to protect his Master at all costs.
Arthur's genuine humility drew the sincere respect of all Servants present.
Not just anyone could be this modest.
Perhaps this humility was precisely what defined the King of Knight's noble character.
Arthur continuously analyzed his own shortcomings from his battle with Achilles. Yet, from the perspectives of the Servants who'd watched via familiars, the fight had clearly shown Achilles accumulating wounds, while Arthur emerged entirely unscathed from a relentless assault that surpassed even bullet-like speed.
Even at the very end, as Achilles's spear nearly pierced his chest, Arthur had calmly released his [Invisible Air], blowing Achilles back without a shred of panic.
From an omniscient viewpoint, Arthur's performance could only be described as dominant. Aside from Achilles refraining from using Noble Phantasms, Arthur's combat technique was essentially unrivaled.
Notably, Arthur's formidable inherent skill—[Instinct]—had significantly weakened Achilles's assault, even turning Achilles's own agile movements into a disadvantage.
"As expected of the King of Knights."
Archer praised Arthur sincerely from the depths of his heart. Few were willing—or able—to reflect on their battles with such rigorous humility. Continuously vigilant, even in victory—such qualities were beyond the reach of most.
"No need for modesty, King of Knights," Vlad III remarked appreciatively. "Your strength is obvious to everyone here."
Vlad's personal regard for Arthur rose significantly. If only such a figure were one of his subordinates—but he knew very well such an idea was impossible.
Yet he understood now why the Knights of the Round Table willingly followed Arthur. Arthur possessed a charisma uniquely his own.
Or rather, all kings who left enduring legacies possessed their own distinctive charm, inspiring devotion in those around them.
Heroes inspired admiration, respect.
But kings—kings inspired others to follow, even without knowing why.