"Sensei?"
Seeing Ryuya return, Artoria's first reaction was to lower the Excalibur in her hand, for no reason other than Ryuya's deeply ingrained authority.
"Oh, Hubby, you're back?"
Seeing Ryuya return, Merlin immediately ran over, transforming into a koala and latching onto him.
"Being mischievous again?"
Dotingly ruffling Merlin's hair as she made a kittenish expression, Ryuya looked towards the women who had just finished their battle, "Arcueid, Altrouge."
"Papa..." x2
The Brunestud Sisters, who had been relatively silent until now, seemed to have their composure break upon seeing Ryuya.
While they could accept the defeat in battle, being the first ones eliminated in the Holy Grail War was a hard pill to swallow for their proud hearts.
This Holy Grail War was meant to prove their love for their father, and this outcome was truly disheartening for them...
The moment they saw Ryuya, their defenses crumbled. The sisters, who rarely ever cried, shed tears.
"Alright, alright, girls your age, why the tears?"
Somewhat troubled by his daughters' reaction, and aware he hadn't been present enough during their upbringing, Ryuya sighed helplessly. He coaxed and reasoned with them, finally calming them down.
"You two, look at Morgan. Think about what you gained from this battle."
After comforting them, Ryuya gave Arcueid and Altrouge the guidance they needed. As a father, he was quite responsible.
Afterwards, he restored the shattered castle to its original state. For Ryuya, who had mastered the laws of time, such a task was trivial.
Wind and rain interwove.
Just as everything in the castle was put in order, a clap of thunder accompanied a downpour.
"Huh? It's raining?"
The weather had been sunny just moments ago, but this rain came on too suddenly. Watching the intensifying rain from the sky, Merlin noticed it was getting heavier, quickly pockmarking the earth with puddles.
"What are you all looking at? Thinking of going out to get drenched?"
Standing at the doorway, Ryuya found almost all the girls in the castle had come out to watch the rain.
Sakura, Rin, Arcueid, Altrouge, Irisviel, Hayasaka, Eriri, Nero, Merlin, Morgan, Artoria.
Smiling at these girls, he also took a rare moment to watch the rain.
"Lily, don't you like the rain?"
In the spacious castle, aside from Female Girl, Crimson Moon, and others who were still out shopping, among those remaining, only Blue Artoria hadn't come to watch the rain.
Noticing Blue Artoria staying inside motionless, Ryuya, who followed Irisviel in calling her 'Lily', asked curiously.
"Ah? Calling me?"
Was this the first time someone called her that? Well, strictly speaking, in this vast world, aside from Irisviel, it was the first time someone addressed her as 'Lily'.
Her feelings towards Ryuya had always been somewhat complex. This was the first time Blue Artoria had been in such close contact with him.
"Yeah, following Irisviel's lead."
"Oh, oh, oh..."
Her entire body seemed stiff as she spoke. Blue Artoria's eyes were somewhat evasive, not even daring to look directly at Ryuya.
"Um, were you asking me why I didn't go watch the rain?"
The ahoge on her head twitched. After twenty years of growth, Blue Artoria's appearance had become identical to Camelot Artoria.
A voluptuous figure, a noble aura… just looking at her appearance, she resembled the Lancer version of Artoria.
But...
Still lost in the past of Britain, still lingering on that decisive day when she was betrayed by Mordred... This Blue Artoria reminded Ryuya of the young Camelot Artoria.
Her movements, her demeanor… both were so meticulous.
"Um..."
Unaware of Ryuya's thoughts, Blue Artoria hesitated for a moment, then told him her thoughts.
"Back in Camelot, rainy days meant more accumulated water in the city. Farmers couldn't go out to work, and the harvested grains couldn't be sun-dried."
Rainy days, while having some benefits for irrigation, also brought more uncertainties. Overall, there were pros and cons.
And in the world Blue Artoria came from, the drawbacks seemed more prominent. No wonder she wasn't too fond of it.
"Speaking of which, Ryuya-sama."
"Hmm?"
"Um, I wanted to ask about the Camelot in your world."
Her knowledge of Ryuya was nearly nonexistent. After all, whether during the last Snowfield City battle or this Holy Grail War, in Blue Artoria's eyes, Ryuya was an unknown, powerful entity, the being known as the Sun-Crowned King.
From Irisviel, she only heard various praises about Ryuya. What she really wanted to know most was how Ryuya governed Britain, what kind of story the legendary Camelot of the Sun truly was.
"Oh, you mean Camelot."
Hearing Blue Artoria's curiosity, and having nothing else to do, Ryuya simply began telling her about Camelot's past.
From the old history between the Vile King Vortigern and King Uther, to Morgan's title as the Witch, Vivian's fairy capital, Merlin's carefree nature, Artoria's growth...
As Ryuya spoke, the other girls in the castle gradually gathered around them. They sat on sofas or lay down in small groups, listening intently to their beloved's experiences.
Sakura: "So that's how Dad was at the beginning."
Tohsaka Rin: "Dad's dad... is that my grandfather?"
Arcueid: "Holy Sword Warden... so Dad had such a good relationship with holy artifacts?"
Altrouge: "A fate-ordained ending? The first world Dad changed was Camelot's?"
Eriri: "The Sun-Crowned King... so this is the history of the Sun-Crowned King."
Hayasaka: "So the long-sealed past isn't just legend. The true history is even more astounding."
After listening to Ryuya's account, the women who originally knew little about Camelot now understood much more.
Among them, as Ryuya's daughters, Arcueid and the others were full of admiration for their father. Morgan, Merlin, and the others wore expressions of reminiscence.
As for Hayasaka and Eriri, who were from the same real world as Ryuya, they both expressed amazement that the legends of the Sun-Crowned King recorded in history were actually true.
Only Blue Artoria remained, looking at Ryuya, lost in thought.