Shichen hurriedly called out to stop her. "Don't, that ahoge is a very important part of you. If you cut it off, your strength will plummet!"
Saber looked at him half-in-doubt.
"Really?"
"Definitely real, truer than Joan of Arc herself!"
Although Shichen was lying, he successfully stopped Saber in her tracks as she was about to cut her ahoge.
"I'll take your word for it for now. Posterity must have their reasons for calling me that, yes, it must be so."
Saber stopped obsessing over being called the Ahoge King and asked about something else instead.
"What about the Britain of later generations?"
Shichen was instantly at a loss for words. How was he supposed to answer that? Every question she asked was trickier than the last.
"It became a great power, and seemingly the theoretical leader of the pack."
Hearing this, Saber felt much more at ease. It seemed Britain had not declined after her generation; there was hope for a revival.
At this moment, Irisviel also asked Shichen, "What do they call me in later generations?"
"Milady."
"Milady? Why is that?"
"I think you should be able to guess," Shichen replied with an amused grin.
"Could it be because I am Emiya Kiritsugu's wife?"
"Spot on, though there are a few minor details left out. But that doesn't matter."
Suddenly, Ryunosuke chimed in excitedly, "Then what am I called?"
Hearing this, Shichen couldn't help but say,
"The sunshine boy Ryunosuke."
"So future generations call me the sunshine boy! That's right, someone as sunny as me is bound to be called a sunshine boy!"
Looking at Ryunosuke's extremely excited expression, Shichen suddenly felt the shame of deceiving a child. Oh well, it was probably better not to let him know the truth.
A moment later, Shichen and the others strolled along with Irisviel to the seafront, taking in the ocean view together.
Night had fallen, and the group walked slowly along a deserted woodland path.
The sea breeze was fierce and unstoppable, sweeping across the entire park.
In the scorching heat of summer, this might have been a romantic spot for couples to date.
However, the chill of a winter night made people think twice, though Irisviel, seeing the sea for the first time, was already accustomed to the bitter cold of her homeland and paid it no mind.
"Perhaps coming here during the day would be more suitable..."
Saber murmured apologetically while gazing out at the pitch-black surface of the sea.
Irisviel, however, didn't mind at all, staring out at the horizon as it vanished into the darkness.
"It's fine. The sea at night is equally enchanting, like a silver mirror reflecting the night sky."
Irisviel smiled, listening intently to the rising and falling sound of the waves.
Today's experiences seemed to have put her in a great mood, bringing a faint blush to her fair cheeks, and her smile was as pure and innocent as a young girl's.
"Shopping in the streets of a foreign land with a companion could be this enjoyable—it's truly unexpected."
Shichen and Saber exchanged a knowing smile upon hearing this and said nothing more.
"Shichen, Saber, do you like the sea?"
"It's hard to say whether I like it or not..."
Saber gave a bitter smile, recalling her distant homeland.
"In those days, my country was constantly plagued by barbarian invaders from across the sea, so I've always maintained a sense of vigilance and dread toward the ocean, never feeling any yearning for it."
"Is that so..."
Saber's reply cast a slight shadow over Irisviel's face.
At this point, Shichen suddenly chimed in,
"I actually quite like looking at the sea. In my realm, it is peaceful and serene, with smiles on people's faces and harmony between everyone; we never have to worry about wars or natural disasters."
"Caster, I am growing more and more envious of your realm. Who on earth could govern a country like that? My ideal may well be the world you live in."
There was a hint of bitterness and envy in Saber's words. Wasn't a realm like that exactly what she had yearned for day and night?
Irisviel felt the same sentiment. "What a wonderful country! If I ever get the chance, I'd love to visit."
The three of them—or rather, four of them, counting the invisible presence of Ryunosuke—gazed out at the vast ocean, each lost in their own thoughts.
Suddenly, Shichen and Saber sensed an extremely provocative presence over a hundred meters away, but instead of approaching, the other party slowly backed away.
"It seems they are trying to lure us over."
"What an honorable fellow. Is he asking us to pick a battlefield together?"
Irisviel's tone was completely devoid of tension, her demeanor calm and collected.
Shichen looked at Irisviel's composure, then glanced at Ryunosuke, who was so bored he was drawing circles on the ground.
Sigh! Comparison is the thief of joy; why did I end up with a Master like this...
"Shall we accept his invitation, then?"
"We couldn't ask for more."
Saber stepped forward with relaxed confidence, heading toward the direction where the enemy's presence had faded.
Irisviel followed closely behind, while Shichen trailed right after them, carrying the listless Ryunosuke on his back.
On the Fuyuki Bridge, an unremarkable arch bridge, Waver gripped the cold steel framework tightly, clinging to it with both hands and feet.
Normally, he always told himself to remain calm and dignified, but right now, he couldn't care less about any of that.
Beside him, the Servant Rider sat imperiously cross-legged, exuding an overwhelming and imposing aura.
"Can we... please leave this place..." Waver said to Rider, his voice trembling violently from the cold and fear.
Yet to Rider, this was nothing more than a whisper in the wind.
"This is an excellent vantage point. We might as well stay high up for a moment and enjoy the view."
Rider held a bottle of foreign liquor, taking hearty swigs from time to time while keeping an eye on the activity below the bridge.
Waver was quite surprised; he hadn't expected this bold Conqueror to resort to such cunning tactics and come up with such a crafty strategy.
Actually, the strategy wasn't entirely unfeasible. Once one of the factions retreated, Rider could launch an attack on the victor and claim final victory.
Even so, a sense of unease lingered in Waver's chest. Didn't Rider realize he was made of flesh and blood? To place himself at such a dizzying height—if he fell, wouldn't he just become a pathetic failure?
"I-I want to get down! No, wait, let me down! I've had enough!"
"Now, now, wait a bit longer. Such an impatient fellow; sitting quietly is a form of warfare, too."
Rider paused briefly, then cast his sharp gaze into the distance and continued, "Besides, the good show is about to begin."