Ludwig's intent was simple: some things weren't meant to be said in front of others, so he needed to fly into the sky with Artoria. Of course, being in the sky also allowed them to see the polluted Grail more clearly.
"What a waste of effort," Ludwig sighed. "But according to that old man, even a problematic Grail can still function as a wishing machine."
"Are you being serious, Lud?" Artoria gazed deeply at Ludwig.
"After all, you made a contract with the Alaya and sought a miracle just to save a dying Britain, didn't you?" Ludwig said. "The Grail is right here. If you want, you can reach out for it now."
He gestured with his chin toward the Magician and his disciples on the ground. "If the people down there try to interfere, I'll hold them off for you until the Grail finishes its task."
"And what about you, Lud? Didn't you have a wish to entrust to the Grail?" Artoria asked in return.
"I originally planned to rely on the Grail to send me back to my own era," Ludwig said with a shrug and an innocent expression. "But honestly, I don't like using things I can't trust. Given the state the Grail is in now, I don't want to use it, nor do I count on this kind of wishing machine."
Artoria turned her head back toward the Grail. "In your eyes, was I certain to use the Grail?"
"That's not what I meant," Ludwig said. "You've paid enough of a price and endured enough pain for this miracle. But I'm different. I'm just a... tourist."
"..." Artoria fell silent.
She understood what he meant. The youth was someone who had nothing to do with the Holy Grail War; it was only because Gilgamesh had insisted on making trouble for him that he was dragged in. And Ludwig wasn't the type to just take a hit; since he was going to be involved anyway, he might as well do it thoroughly.
In the end, it turned into this. Ludwig, who had no obsessions and had paid no price, naturally didn't care about the Grail itself. The so-called omnipotent wishing machine was just an optional tool to him.
"If Gilgamesh hadn't looked for trouble, I probably would have left after staying in Fuyuki for a few days," Ludwig added. "Maybe I would have seen your war from the sidelines, but I wouldn't have actively gotten involved."
He reflected on the past few days. "But how should I put it? I thought it would be a very dull sightseeing trip, but thanks to the Holy Grail War, it's been quite the rollercoaster."
"Lud..." Artoria was a bit surprised.
Leaving aside being dragged into the war, he was still being viewed as an enemy by both the Planet and the Alaya simultaneously, a position where he could be targeted at any moment. Yet even so, the youth could still laugh from the bottom of his heart.
Relaxed and confident.
To Ludwig, the Holy Grail War, full of life, death, and blood, was just an adventure story with a bit of difficulty. His super-brain told him he just needed to use super-strength to reach the end, and that's exactly what he did.
"The time was short, but I enjoyed your company. Being able to meet a living legend is something I never would have dreamed of," Ludwig concluded.
His perspective and thoughts were fully conveyed to Artoria through his words. As for what Artoria Pendragon would choose, Ludwig would not interfere; that was her freedom and her right.
The King of Knights understood this clearly, but—
"Actually, when I heard the Grail was polluted, I was already hesitating." Artoria looked at the black mud still surging and overflowing from the Grail with a complex gaze. "Can using the current Grail truly save Britain?"
"Maybe? After all, it's the chance for a miracle promised to you by the Alaya," Ludwig said. "Unless... the Alaya lied to you?"
"...Perhaps it can't be called a lie. After all, the Alaya only said it was a miracle, not what kind of miracle it would be." Artoria pressed a hand to her cheek. "The battle at Camlann exhausted all my strength, and my life was at its end. The words from the Alaya were like a lifeline to a drowning person; I didn't have time to think before reaching out to grab it."
In truth, Artoria knew her words weren't entirely accurate. She had agreed to the contract knowing the price—becoming a Servant in her dying moments to seek an omnipotent wishing machine that could save her country.
The problem was, she didn't know the price was even higher than she imagined, nor did she know the miracle she obtained would be broken.
The cost and the benefit didn't match. Furthermore, she could foresee that she would become a "sweeper" for the Counter Force, repeatedly becoming an enemy to Ludwig—the companion who had helped her win until the end—just to protect the primate seat of humanity.
"So... rather than using the Grail, I believe it is better to just destroy it." Artoria clenched her fist. "Allowing such a Grail to manifest will only bring disaster to the world; it won't save anyone."
Moreover, she could feel that if she even slightly touched that black mud, she would be polluted and eroded—to say nothing of the miracle of the Grail itself. Artoria could not bring herself to let the whole world be a sacrifice just to save her own country. That was a price beyond her expectations.
"And if you destroy it? Won't you just return to the moment before your death, waiting for the Alaya to arrange the next miracle for you? The Alaya has already tricked you once; there's no saying it won't do it again... It's just a device that prioritizes human survival."
"So that's what you really wanted to say, Lud." Artoria began to laugh. "You have no obsession with the Grail, but you don't want to see someone be deceived... It's just that I..."
"How about this: give up the contract with the Alaya and accept your own death," Ludwig suggested. "I'll look for a Grail for you. Maybe eventually, I'll find one that's suitable."
"That makes no difference; it's just pushing the burden onto someone else." Artoria lowered her hand and spoke in a steady tone. "But you're right. At the very least... I can't continue to trust the Alaya. Perhaps accepting my own death is the best option. No one can finish everything."
Actually, the answer had been in her heart from the start; she had just never faced it directly. If everything she worked to save would eventually vanish with the end of the planet, moving toward that world she had seen once...
"No regrets?"
"There will be regrets, but it shouldn't be a mistake."
Facing Ludwig's serious question, Artoria shook her head gently.
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Type-Moon: The A-Ray Knight's Holy Grail Journey(98 Chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!