Otherwise, you can find another savior.

Page 337

“Yes.” Scáthach glanced from the kitchen at Morgan and Artoria, who were chatting with Gerda inside the house.

According to Gerda, the villagers had to leave the village when they turned 25, and it was possible that they would be eaten by wild beasts, giants, or trampled to death outside.

Anyway, there's no way to survive past that age.

In addition, in this village, anyone between the ages of 14 and 15 who has not been able to have a child with their partner must go outside the village.

It is said that all villages from 1 to 100 do this.

When Gerda recounted these events, she was completely at ease, accepting them as if they were natural logic.

Only children and adults raising children are allowed to live in the 100 villages created by God and His messengers.

Even though this matter would only take about two years to fall on her, Gerda didn't feel troubled at all. Instead, she was puzzled by the rather bad expressions on Shiomi and the others' faces after hearing it, wondering if she had said something inappropriate.

“On the contrary, we seem to be making a fuss and scaring her,” Shiomi said. “Unlike in Britain, the people here don’t have short lifespans, but the environment is too harsh, so they have to die when they reach a certain age… It’s just like a less developed era in the past.”

“Rather, this place was never very developed to begin with,” Scáthach said. “Perhaps that’s the reason why this world was originally set up.”

“So just thinking about it is a bit cruel.” Shiomi said, lifting the lid of the pot and looking at the fish soup simmering inside. She couldn’t help but sigh. “Fourteen or fifteen years old… At that age, Sakura, Kallen, and Gray were still worrying about themselves, but these people have to… sigh…”

"It's better not to overthink it, my beloved student," Scáthach reminded him. "You are the Chaldea Master of Pan-Human History. All you have to do is remove all Lostbelts and resolve the crisis of human history being whitewashed."

“Master, don’t worry, I can tell what’s important.” tide Jian crossed her arms. “I just suddenly thought of Britain back then, where the people I originally intended to save ended up fighting for me and dying for me… I originally intended to lead them away from their fate of destruction.”

“But this is a Lostbelt, not a Lost World. Neither you nor I know if there’s any way to take the residents here and ensure they don’t disappear even after leaving their original world,” Scáthach said again.

"It seems I've wasted thousands of years of my life, becoming so sentimental because of the plight of the Lostbelt residents," Shiomi said with a wry smile. "I actually need my master to remind me."

Scáthach thought differently: "This is a good thing. If you didn't even have this much warmth left, then I would be worried."

"Let's not talk about that." tide Jian took the pot off the stove. "It's time to eat."

Gerda had originally offered to host them, but he felt that in return, he should cook the meal himself.

Although it is an old kitchen, fortunately, Shiomi has been baptized in Britain and knows how to use magic to achieve kitchen technology that rivals modern craftsmanship.

Gerda was delighted by the unfamiliar taste and aroma of the food.

Unlike Shio and the others who ate slowly and deliberately, the girl happily devoured her food.

“The envoys are not only gentle and powerful, but also such excellent cooks! I really wish I could stay with you a little longer!” Gerda’s tone was full of joy. “But I know you will definitely be leaving tomorrow to return to the gods, right?”

“In a sense, it can’t be said that it’s wrong.” Morgan nodded thoughtfully.

“To be honest, we are actually undergoing a test from God. We need to walk back to God’s dwelling place. Do you know how to get there?” Shiomi suddenly said.

"Um... I'm sorry, this is my first time leaving the village. If I hadn't met the envoys, I might have died on the way to gather herbs." Gerda was somewhat dejected.

"So, apart from the other envoys, no guests have come to the village?" Artoria asked, "Like people from other villages?"

“No, it’s dangerous outside. It’s safe in the village, and there’s plenty of food. There’s no need to leave…” Gerda paused halfway through her sentence, then suddenly stopped, “I remember now!”

“What?” Scáthach asked.

“About a month ago, an older woman came to the village. She helped fix the talisman on the village gate when it malfunctioned,” Gerda told them. “However, she only stayed in the village for less than half a day before the envoys took her away. Apparently, she did something wrong…”

"Big sister?" Scáthach raised her eyebrows slightly.

Gerda was unaware of the deeper meaning behind this.

The village's barrier and the runes on the gate can only be repaired by magicians or Servants who can use primordial runes.

If they are Servants, they were most likely summoned to this Lostbelt by the Counter Force, then discovered by Skadi and her subordinates, and captured.

As for whether he has been executed, tide Jian thinks he probably hasn't, but has just been imprisoned.

"So what does that older sister who helped you repair the talisman at the village gate look like, and what clothes does she wear?" Morgan continued to ask Gerda, hoping to gather information by observing her appearance and clothing to deduce the "Servant's" true name.

“Hmm… let me think… I wasn’t the one who hosted her, so I only caught a glimpse of her from afar when the envoy took her away.” Gerda tried to recall. “She seemed to be wearing brown clothes, unlike ours…”

"This level isn't quite enough," Artoria thought, deciding it was best not to make things difficult for Gerda.

“Ah, I remember now, that older sister had orange hair!” Gerda added, “It was so eye-catching, you couldn’t forget it once you saw it!”

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Then, Shiomi, who was drinking fish soup with coarse bread, started coughing violently.

Chapter Fifteen: Guidance

As Shiomi sank into the bathtub, the hot water reaching above his shoulders, he let out a comfortable sigh.

We were prepared for a tough battle without logistical support, but we didn't expect that the houses provided for the villagers were fully functional.

Because of the protective barrier that keeps out the cold, the village also has the custom of taking baths in tubs.

However, the wooden bathtub was not very large. Given Shiomi's size, he couldn't stretch his legs out while sitting inside. He guessed that it was designed primarily for villagers under the age of 15—children like Gerda.

Before Gerda acquired the house, it must have already passed through countless previous owners who were around her age, or who had to leave the village to face death after turning 25.

Thinking about this, tide Jian also felt a little uncomfortable. He leaned back against the wooden basin, thinking about dinner.

He had only casually chatted with Gerda to gather information, but he inadvertently overheard a clue that caught his attention, causing him to lose his composure and frighten the little girl.

squeak-

The bathroom door was pushed open, the hinges making a dull thud. Shiomi turned to look and saw Artoria barely covering her body with a clean, rough towel as she slipped in.

"Hey... this isn't a good idea, this is someone else's house." tide Jian quickly reminded him.

"It's alright, Miss Gerda had a lot going on today and has already gone to bed." Artoria walked up to Shio, her face flushed a beautiful light pink. "May I take a bath with you?"

"If you don't mind the crowding," tide Jian tried to make room, but couldn't find a spot.

Without hesitation, Artoria stepped over the edge of the bathtub and sat down, almost lying on Shiomi's chest in a somewhat suffocating position. The hot water overflowed the tub because of the extra person and spilled onto the stone floor of the room.

"By the way, why is it you who came?" tide Jian asked.

He wasn't unhappy about her presence, but it always felt like it was the result of a discussion.

“I won rock-paper-scissors,” Artoria said succinctly.

Unlike the time with the British Lostbelt, this time, due to limited conditions, they simply decided to take a bath together in this way.

"No wonder."

Shiomi looked at Artoria, who had slightly adjusted to the cramped space, and sat up a little, placing her hands on his shoulders, before slowly asking:

"You came all this way regardless of everything, is there something you want to ask me, or rather, something you want to talk to me about?"

“Because of your reaction at dinner.” Artoria looked at him with slight concern. “But you should understand that we’ve thought of almost everything you’ve thought of.”

“After all, if we’ve met once, it’s impossible that I wouldn’t have thought of it.” Shiomi raised her hand and stroked Artoria’s lips. “To be honest, after officially facing the crisis of Earth’s annihilation, I actually intended to avoid a certain issue.”

Since Shio wasn't sure if it was exactly the same as the burning of human reason, she could only think about it from that perspective for the time being.

That is, although the whole world's people disappear again during the crisis, they will meet again once the crisis is resolved.

“Logically speaking, Ms. Aozaki Touko should be like most people in the world, because she is not in Antarctica or in places like the Wandering Sea, and was eventually caught up in the whitewashing of human reason,” Artoria said. “But for Tianxi, the importance of the world and a certain person cannot be equated at all.”

That's why Shio-mi stood on Morgan's side without any regard for the consequences.

That's why he was always worried about Orange's safety.

After examining the remaining traces of human civilization on the blank surface of Earth, Shiomi's worries deepened.

Those ruins illustrate one thing: that humans were left behind on a blank Earth, managed to survive for a few months, and ultimately disappeared.

Even if it's only a one in billions probability, tide Jian cannot ignore such a low-probability problem.

“Orange hair, female, knows how to use Primal Runes.” Shiomi picked up Artoria, making her sit higher, and then buried her face in her lap. “If it were a Servant we didn’t know, that would be fine, but if it’s Orange…”

Regardless of why Orange suddenly appeared in the Lostbelt, we can discuss that after we meet her.

Even with just a little bit of definite information, Shio-mi already felt a strange sense of unease.

“You said that she is one of the top magicians in the human world. Although her combat level is not as good as yours, she is not someone that ordinary Servants can kill.” Artoria held Shiomi in her arms and stroked his hair to soothe his worries. “Moreover, Gerda said that the woman who looked like Lady Orange was just taken away.”

“What you said makes some sense.” Shiomi took a deep breath. “First of all, those envoys must be the Lostbelt Kings, subordinates of the goddess Skadi; ​​secondly, judging from Skadi’s previous behavior, she shouldn’t kill people who can use magic, especially rune magic, indiscriminately.”

Moreover, if it really is Orange, Ophelia, as a magician who has never seen Orange but has heard of the Grand Puppeteer's name, would definitely advise Skadi not to rush to kill Orange.

The mere appearance of the master-disciple relationship between Touko and Shiomi is enough to make Ophelia consider how to deal with Touko.

"Furthermore, given your appearance in the Lostbelt, the magician who might be Lady Orange will likely be imprisoned even more cautiously," Artoria added. "In any case, please remain calm. We'll find out the truth once we enter Skadi's castle."

“How would you know? Go up to Skadi and ask her directly, ‘Is there someone named Aozaki Touko locked up in your cell?’” Shiomi asked jokingly.

“It’s not impossible.” Artoria nodded seriously.

Shiomi was speechless. He hugged Artoria somewhat aggressively and pressed his forehead against hers.

"When did His Majesty the Knight King become someone who only values ​​bravery and not strategy?"

He cupped her face in his hands, chuckled and teased her, then kissed her again, almost touching her lips as he spoke.

"Thank you for coming all this way to comfort me. It's clearly my own problem, yet you've all been worried about me."

“I just wanted to take a bath with Tianxi…besides, your problem is my problem.” Artoria said while responding to his kiss, “If you really want to express your gratitude, please show it with your actions…”

The unspoken words were completely swallowed up, leaving only a silent yet fervent atmosphere.

Chapter Sixteen Considerate

in the room.

Seeing that Artoria had been carried back by Shiomi, Morgan and Scáthach moved slightly so that he could put the temporarily weak Artoria on the bed.

“Honestly, I could hear them even through the stone wall.” Scáthach hugged Shiomi’s shoulders from behind. “Luckily, Gerda’s room has been soundproofed by magic.”

Shiomi pulled the blanket over Artoria, explaining matter-of-factly, "I knew Master would do that, so I didn't waste any time."

"Instead of this problem, has my husband thought about how to deal with the fact that Aozaki Touko may have appeared in this Lostbelt?"

As they were talking, tide Jian was laid down on the bed by Morgan, and held between her and Scáthach, feeling warm and cozy.

"So you all noticed after all," Shio commented. "You've already decided, do you want me to explain it to you again?"

“No need for that,” Scáthach said. “I just need to remind my beloved student to be careful in case this information is false.”

Master's words immediately reminded Xijian.

What if someone deliberately impersonated Touko Aozaki, leaving behind clues resembling Touko Aozaki to lead them to Skadi's castle? Or what if Touko Aozaki did appear before Shio, but was actually some Servant, or even an alien apostle in disguise...?

"Approaching it from this angle is quite a sinister scheme," Morgan said, lowering his eyes. "That child was merely an observer; what she told us was undoubtedly what she had seen before, and in my eyes, it certainly wasn't a lie."

Apart from their family, no one else knows anything about Shiomi's relationship with Touko. Even Mary and Romani are unaware of the specifics.

This time, however, they are facing an alien god whose true form has never been seen, as well as alien apostles with complicated origins. If there are Servants among them who can obtain this information, they may well be able to set up such a trap.

As tide Jian pondered, his gaze grew increasingly serious. Morgan couldn't bear to watch any longer and cupped his face, kneading it repeatedly.

“Alright, alright, Scáthach and I were just giving you a heads-up, worried that Artoria was too busy being affectionate with you and hadn’t explained things clearly enough.” Morgan frowned and smiled wryly. “If our words become a reason for you to be hesitant and timid, then it’s pointless.”

"No, I was just thinking, if this really is a scam, what is the purpose of the person who set it up?" Shio asked.

“What other purpose could there be? Of course, it’s to wipe us out in one fell swoop,” Scáthach said. “Once we are eliminated in time, Chaldea will become much easier to deal with.”

Of course, even so, it doesn't mean that Storm Border is at the mercy of others, otherwise Shiomi wouldn't dare to go out to investigate with just the three of them.

“And assuming this is a scam, the biggest problem is that we can’t control the variables involved,” Morgan continued. “That variable is my husband.”

If the alien god has become omniscient and omnipotent, able to know Shiomi's movements at any time, it would be more appropriate to launch a full-scale attack when the Neo Chaldea is still unstable, rather than directing the alien apostles to make plans.

Overly targeted conspiracies are often harder to control throughout the entire process.

After all, Gerda and the villagers didn't even hear the name of the person who looked like Orange before they watched as he was taken away by Skadi's envoy.

"Why are you all starting to comfort and console me? I thought you were going to be angry." Xi Jian pulled her arms away and hugged the two of them. "Or is it that in your eyes, I'm actually a rather fragile and easily swayed person?"

“If it were a global crisis, even if none of us were by your side, and you had to face it alone,” Scáthach smiled slyly, “you wouldn’t panic at all—”

"But if you're faced with an ex-lover, or someone offering goodwill that's directed at you, you're more likely to feel helpless," Morgan further criticized.

"Uh..." tide Jian felt like she couldn't really refute it.

"Besides, why did my husband stop back then? Was it because he cared about the prophecy left by Odin and related matters, or perhaps—" Morgan's fingers caressed Shiomi's chin, his tone teasing and dangerous, "was it because the existence of the goddess Scáthach Skadi made you soften your heart?"

tide Jian suddenly felt speechless and unable to defend herself.

"Well, you can't say that. I just... I just—"

“Don’t put it so harshly, Queen of Winter.” Scáthach suddenly changed the subject, intentionally defending her. “It’s just that she saw an enemy who looked just like me, but didn’t have any clear hostility, so she gave up on killing Zigurd.”

“You talk as if you have a lot of influence,” Morgan said, starting to provoke Scáthach.

“That is indeed the case,” Scáthach said. “As long as I ask, and it’s not excessive, my beloved student will agree to anything.”