Chapter 212: Entering the Tent.
[You have gained the complete trust of Medusa Lily.]
[In Medusa Lily, you see a few new characteristics…]
[You have learned a new skill: Mystic Eyes E]
[Mystic Eyes E: you can cause someone who looks directly into your eyes to fall into a brief state of paralysis. Because the level of the Mystic Eyes is rather low, the success rate will be greatly reduced when the opponent is a Servant with magic resistance skills.]
Mystic Eyes, huh?
Eikou froze slightly, then looked at Anna standing in front of him.
He wondered: this skill wasn't something Medusa Lily was supposed to have, right?
Or to be more precise, Medusa Lily should possess it in the form of a Noble Phantasm rather than a skill.
Even though her outward appearance still maintained the Lily form, inside, her Spirit Origin was perhaps closer to the mature version.
That was why he managed to learn Mystic Eyes from her.
"Mm…"
Alright, it seemed Anna really was suppressing her own growth.
If so, he should let her limit going into battle from now on—reducing the accumulation of combat experience might help her control herself more easily.
"Then that's fine."
Eikou gently stroked her soft hair, and the three Command Spells on the back of his hand became visible.
"But my promise to you won't change. If you don't want to grow up quickly, then you don't need to force yourself. Keeping this cute appearance isn't a bad thing at all."
Saying that, he let out a small laugh.
"I don't hope to grow up either. Just being a student forever and living life like this would be wonderful. If only things could stay like this forever."
"Master, so you think that way too?"
Anna slightly tilted her head, looking at him with surprised eyes.
"Umu,"
Eikou looked toward the flames outside the tent, vaguely seeing the warm orange glow. "But unfortunately, this isn't something a Command Spell can solve. And you must understand, even if you can keep this form, many things are not unchanging."
"…I understand, Master."
Anna obediently nodded, her lovely young-girl face showing that she was thinking about something.
"Then good night, Anna. I hope you have a sweet dream."
Eikou said with a smiling expression.
"Good night, Master."
Anna gently nodded.
...
[You and Anna wished each other good night, then you left the tent.]
[Although the two of you hadn't spent much time together, after tonight's conversation, your relationship seemed to have become much closer.]
[When you walked out of Anna's tent, you saw Artoria Lancer quietly sitting by the campfire.]
"Eikou,"
Artoria tilted her head to look at him, her beautiful green eyes seemingly reflecting the dancing flames.
"Why aren't you asleep yet, it's so late?"
Eikou asked with concern.
"Umu, I'm not sleepy yet."
"No, you should go to sleep right away."
Eikou said, "You and Anna are my main fighting force, so you need to rest well. Don't worry, I'll help the two of you keep watch."
"Rest well..."
Artoria repeated those words, then asked in a troubled tone.
"So that's why you helped Anna massage, right?"
Eikou's heart suddenly jolted—he felt a very bad premonition rising.
"Y-Yes… that's right..."
"Eikou, although you care for the other Servants, I don't particularly mind. And the other party is a little girl, so I have no reason to bother about it. Besides, I am still a King, my heart is quite magnanimous..."
At that point, Artoria suddenly paused, her soft cherry-colored lips seeming like she had more to say.
Eikou held his breath, a drop of sweat silently sliding down his forehead.
Instinct told him that she was gathering strength to unleash something big.
"But I still believe that I am your first Servant, and I am the companion to whom you can entrust everything without conditions. Both emotionally and logically, you should prioritize paying attention to my condition so I can maintain stability in the upcoming battles."
"To put it simply, I have offered my spear to you… even though I'm not asking for anything in return, I still hope you can consider things from a strategic standpoint and think more about my condition."
This…
Eikou immediately broke into a cold sweat.
Why did this sound like it contained some deeper meaning, not simple at all!
Alright, it really was because he took the initiative to massage Anna, making Artoria feel neglected. It was natural she would feel a bit unhappy.
"Also, I don't know if I'm imagining it or not…"
As she said that, the King with the voluptuous figure crossed her arms, unintentionally lifting two full, rounded shapes.
"Every time I talk to you, you never look up at me properly, and you never get a little closer to me. Do you hate me? If there's a distance between us, that will be very disadvantageous for the battles to come."
"Um…"
Regarding this point, Eikou really wanted to explain a bit.
He hates Artoria?
No, he likes that kind of alluring blonde, green-eyed big sister type so much that he can't even help it!
But the problem is: with Disaster With Women and My Love is Eternal, being alone with such a beautiful, seductive woman makes it very easy for both of them to accidentally cross a line that shouldn't be crossed. If Morgan found out, he would definitely die before he could even react.
Compared to that, when being with Anna – a younger girl – there isn't as much pressure, so Eikou can take the initiative more comfortably.
"..."
But forget it, he shouldn't explain anything. Even if he said it out loud, it wouldn't reassure her, on the contrary it would only make her even sadder after hearing it.
Artoria had trusted him enough to form a more official contract with him. Yet he, for all kinds of concerns, ignored her. In essence, this was a form of breaking a promise.
He really should adjust his attitude toward Artoria, and cannot continue maintaining this strange sense of distance anymore.
Although doing so would drag him into even more trouble related to Disaster With Women, his weakness was that he simply couldn't refuse others.
Thinking this, Eikou quickly stepped forward, sat down beside that King, sitting very close to her.
"Sorry, this matter is my fault. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? If you also want a massage service like Anna's, I can do it for you anytime."
Eikou said.
In that moment, the ahoge on Artoria's head perked up happily, but its owner blushed and shook her head.
"A massage is not necessary, after all you are my Master, how could I let you serve me…"
"Alright then, let me change the way I say it,"
Eikou cleared his throat, then carefully reached out and held her slender hand.
"It's that I, no matter what, want to do this for you, Artoria. Please, you must accept this wish of mine. If not… I'll use a Command Spell to order you to obediently lie down."
"I… is that so…"
Having her hand suddenly grabbed, Artoria's stunning face was tinted with the blush of a maiden.
"But… you've been traveling the whole day, and even helped Anna with a massage. If you help me too, wouldn't that be tiring?"
"It's fine, just let me serve you well tonight."
"Serve… me..."
Artoria looked at the boy before her. Tonight he truly made it hard for others to resist, to the point her heartbeat sped up and her breathing turned quick.
"A massage is fine to skip, how about you follow me into the tent first..."
Wait, what kind of service do you actually want?!
[Even though the atmosphere is a bit strange, given the situation earlier, you really find it hard to refuse her request.]
[Artoria impatiently pulls you into her tent.]
...