Olga Marie had been getting stricter and stricter lately, but no one in Chaldea was surprised. After all, she was already a disciplined person by nature, and given the catastrophe that had hit Chaldea, it would have been weirder if she hadn't reacted. However, a certain clever man seemed to have noticed something was off.
"Sigh... Director Olga has been so hard on me lately. Did I do something to upset her?"
Roman, holding a piece of cake with a spoon in his mouth, let out a helpless sigh. Lancer, sitting across from him, just smiled without saying a word. After he had informed her of the fact that he was leaving, she had begun constantly delegating her work to her subordinates—Roman being the primary target, as he was the highest-ranking official among those still mobile.
But after his smile faded, Lancer turned his gaze toward the other side, where Mash, wearing a white dress, was unconsciously floating inside a tank.
To be honest, Lancer had been a bit curious when he first arrived. In his impression, shouldn't people in these kinds of tanks usually be undressed?
He had later asked Roman about it in a subtle way, only for the man to roll his eyes.
According to Roman explanation, being completely nude was to prevent clothing or other objects from interfering with the monitoring of the target. However, Mash was just undergoing a routine check-up, so it didn't matter. He even jokingly suggested that Lancer should hop in and try soaking in it himself.
Nutrient fluid that Mash soaked in...
Fortunately, Lancer was a true gentleman; he decisively rejected the offer.
Seeing Roman complaining face, Lancer shook his head helplessly. He wondered if he would see the man complaining like this again the next time they met. He hoped so.
"By the way, Mr. Lancer, you're leaving tonight, right?"
"Yeah, I have to. There's a time limit on how long I can stay here..."
Hearing Lancer words, Roman lowered his head again, deep in thought. Lancer didn't disturb him. Others might not know Roman situation, but Lancer knew it well. As Solomon, the man who won the Holy Grail War and wished to become an "ordinary human," he was likely wondering what kind of magecraft or Magic Lancer was using. His ultimate goal was probably to find a way for Lancer to stay.
Unfortunately, Lancer had yet to meet anyone who could stop the "System."
"By the way, Dr. Roman, before I leave, I'll ask Leone to make some extra cakes for you. I hope we'll have a chance to eat together again the next time I visit."
"Haha~ Thanks~"
Roman, scratching his head and grinning sheepishly, looked just like an "ordinary person." Sadly, perhaps this was the fate of a "Hero." Even if he had lost his power, he still had to carry the "mission" that was destined for both glory and pain...
In a bedroom for two, a shirtless Lancer sat at the desk, writing furiously.
Truthfully, he didn't quite understand Leone behavior over the past few days. If the first day could be explained by their long separation, her greedy demands for him every day after were a bit strange. In his memory, she didn't have that kind of personality.
However, he had no intention of refusing. He didn't dislike it; in fact, he quite enjoyed it.
'I think I saw some trivia somewhere that lions papa-papa over 3000 times a year. Is she being influenced by the Imperial Arm?'
Just then, something soft pressed against his back. Lancer, who had been writing, gave a helpless bitter smile and stopped his pen.
"Leone, weren't you satisfied just now?"
"No."
Her answer left Lancer at a loss for words for a moment. Finally, he could only sigh with a helpless face.
"While I don't hate it, we have plenty of days ahead of us..."
Halfway through his sentence, Lancer felt the arms wrapped around his neck tighten slightly. This reaction felt off. Did he say something wrong? Suddenly, he had an ominous premonition.
"Wait! Leone! Are you saying... you aren't planning to leave with me?"
Although Lancer had never tried "taking someone" with him before, since "Zero" and the basically confirmed "Olga Marie" could transfer with him, Leone—who was contracted to him via Command Spells—shouldn't be an exception. Was there something about her situation he didn't know?
The tightening arms seemed to confirm Lancer suspicion. He decisively turned around and grabbed her shoulders.
A flat stomach with no excess fat, a proud chest, and a face with a touch of heroic spirit—even with her short hair, she radiated a charm that was far from ordinary. But right now, she looked incredibly dejected.
Biting her lip, she hesitated for a moment before finally telling him the truth.
"It's a contract."
"A contract? With who?"
"Alaya."
The mention of that name left Lancer speechless. Alaya and Gaia were vital existences in the Nasuverse, but because they usually acted as background elements, there wasn't much concrete intel. However, it wasn't strange for Alaya to appear in the FGO world. After all, "Alaya" is the collective unconsciousness of humanity; if the "Incineration of Humanity" happens, it ceases to exist.
But the one thing Lancer couldn't understand was: it wouldn't be strange for Alaya to possess a homunculus to save the world, but why "Leone"?
Leone wasn't originally from this world. Her soul had gone to the Land of Shadows with Lancer, and later, with Shishou's help, she obtained a body to move within that realm. She was completely an "outsider." Why would Alaya take notice of her?
Wait, Leone... earlier, when he seized the Greater Grail...
Disconnected clues began to link up. The expression on Lancer face became extremely complicated.
He seemed to have guessed Alaya's goal.
The target from the very beginning was—him!
Was this behavior of using a hostage as a threat despicable? Without a doubt. But would Alaya care? The answer was simple: No.
Alaya is the collective will of humanity; it doesn't possess a normal sense of good and evil. To save humanity, it would do anything. That "Counter Guardian" of its was the best proof.
Having finally figured everything out, Lancer realized that the "happy times" he had spent these past few days were just a bubble...
Lancer expression gradually turned weary. The feeling of being played like a puppet really killed his motivation.
Leone noticed the change in him. Her expression was equally full of sorrow. Actually, the reason she hadn't told him was that she didn't know how to.
Every time she saw the brilliant smile Lancer wore while holding her, she couldn't bring herself to say it. But as the time for his departure drew closer, she had no choice.
But just then—
"Leone!"
Lancer voice suddenly rang in her ear. She looked up into the bright, piercing eyes in front of her and froze.
"I should have known my past mistakes wouldn't be so easily fixed. But I am absolutely not giving up! If once isn't enough, then twice! If twice isn't enough, then three times! But before that—"
Lancer took out a diamond-shaped golden object and handed it to Leone without hesitation.
"Boss..."
"I have to leave; there's nothing I can do about that. So, you'll likely have to stay at Chaldea. It would be troublesome without a Master to provide you with mana, right? Let this take my place."
Leone knew a bit about the "Holy Grail War." Looking at the "Holy Grail" in her hand, she didn't know what to say for a moment. She tried to push his hand back.
"I was planning to ask Miss Ritsuka, so there's no need..."
"No!"
Lancer interrupted her before she could finish. Then, with a red face, he turned his head away.
"Even though Ritsuka is a girl, I'd still be jealous..."
Leone was stunned by his blunt words, but then she let out a "pfft" and laughed.
"Haha~ I didn't think Boss—Boss, you could get jealous too~ Even though Ritsuka-chan is such a cute girl."
Leone laughed until she almost cried, but just as Lancer face was getting redder, she proactively opened his palm and took the "Holy Grail."
"But since it's your request, Boss, I'll naturally obey. But can you do one thing for me?"
"?"
"Please turn it into a 'necklace' for me. I really wanted a ring, but because of my fighting style, forget it. So let's go with a necklace. Use it to tell everyone that I already belong to the Boss~"
Seeing Leone mischievous smile, Lancer blushed. He took out a strand of silk from the Great Yokai Tsuchigumo and carved Rune symbols onto it. Finally, he used his long-cooldown "Enhancement Machine" to strengthen it. One could say this "necklace" in Lancer hand was no less sturdy than most magical items, though its only function was durability.
As the owner of the "Holy Grail," it wasn't much trouble for Lancer to slightly change its shape. After threading it like a pendant, he finished the "necklace."
Leone tilted her head up and closed her eyes. Looking at her smooth neck and rosy lips, Lancer instinctively kissed her. Leone, caught off guard by the sudden attack, froze for several seconds. When Lancer released her lips, she noticed something new on her chest.
Looking down at the "necklace" around her neck, she gave a radiant smile.
It wasn't because of the "Holy Grail," but simply because it was a gift from Lancer.
And for Lancer, nothing, no matter how precious, could compare to the smile of the person he cherished.
Because they were Lancer true "treasures."