Caster.
Morgan.
"I didn't expect to meet you again here. Seeing you still so spirited is truly better than anything. Merlin is taking good care of you."
Morgan smiled.
"Coming here to visit that incompetent little sister of yours? Or because seeing the object reminds you of the person, reminiscing about the one who once fought alongside you?"
"My nature leans more towards the latter, but could you not use such creepy expressions?" Naoki replied coldly, "You yourself, why come to a place like this? Did you come on a pilgrimage?"
Morgan not only smiled faintly but also waved her hand, "No. Let alone this is just a memorial, not even a real grave. After all, my incompetent little sister isn't dead yet, so how can it be called a pilgrimage?"
Before her death, in order to save Camelot, Artoria made a contract with the Counter Force, freezing her time before death. After learning this from Merlin here, Morgan was only surprised for a moment, then felt relieved.
This was indeed something her little sister would do.
"Well, let's not discuss Lancelot for now. What surprises me more right now is you—this time you're standing firmly on both feet. I vaguely remember back in Fuyuki, even just standing before me was very difficult for you."
"Because of the experience and growth over these three years, you gained strength and confidence?"
"Alright, I think I understand what you mean."
Naoki pushed up his glasses, looking helpless yet also a little eager to try.
"Although this meeting is coincidental, you want to fight me now? Fine, I'll accompany you to the end."
"So confident. Do you think you can defeat me?" Morgan sneered coldly, "Soul Eater Mystic Eye that kill at first sight, a superhuman body modified by the Saint Graph, summoning magic that's still unstable, Gandr with special power, half-baked Magic Resistance. I don't mean to belittle or underestimate you, but you who are still in the process of growth, do you really think you can defeat me (a Servant)?"
Could he?
The chance of winning was roughly seventy percent—no, considering Morgan could say all his trump cards, she must have already prepared all her countermeasures, so that should be reduced by another twenty percent.
Fifty-fifty?
"Never mind."
After being silent for quite a while, Naoki sighed softly, "Fighting while protecting Riddel beside me is still a bit troublesome for me right now. Plus, this place isn't suitable for fighting either, so let's leave it at this for now."
Riddel was still behind him. Naoki wasn't sure he could protect himself while fighting under Morgan's barrage of Magecraft.
"A wise decision. If we fought now, there's an eighty percent chance I'd win. And to achieve the remaining twenty percent chance of victory for you, you'd also have to let go of that little girl behind you." Morgan laughed, "But looking at the progress of your assimilation with the Saint Graph now, in about a year your body will be completely modified, and that will be my defeat. Your Magic Resistance is truly a troublesome ability."
'What are the two of them talking about?'
Riddel only felt her brain was full of questions. Clearly, she could understand every word they both said, but she couldn't understand the meaning.
No.
She could roughly understand, but in a situation where what they were both saying was clearly based on a certain premise, and she didn't know what that premise was—she hadn't fully understood Naoki's past.
"Then, is there anything else? If not, we'll take our leave first."
While she was confused, Naoki continued to ask.
Shaking her head, Morgan said, "There is indeed something I wanted to talk to you about. Even if we hadn't met now, I would have told you through Merlin later, but since we've met now, I'll tell you directly."
"Recently, the Holy Church has been gradually increasing personnel in Japan. It seems there's a major operation underway."
The Holy Church?
In Japan?
Naoki frowned, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because according to my understanding of you, you should be very interested in this kind of thing—no, that's not quite right, you seem to often get forced into various incidents for various reasons. And this action by the Holy Church indicates that some big things will happen in Japan."
"If you want to go back to Japan, be careful, don't get entangled with strange people again."
After saying this, Morgan patted Naoki's shoulder and walked past him. And when she passed Riddel, whether it was just her feeling or not, Riddel always felt she was being stared at sharply.
'Strange people... is she talking about me?'
"Riddel."
Naoki suddenly grabbed Riddel's hand.
"Sorry, I spent a little time talking to an acquaintance just now. Let's go back. If I speed up, we should be able to catch the return train."
"Um, okay." Riddel nodded, "But, on the way back, about what you two were just talking about, you'd better explain it to me. I really didn't understand anything just now. How many things about the Holy Grail War haven't you told me yet?"
"That... isn't much."
"Really?"
Moving closer to Naoki's face, Riddel looked at him as if interrogating a criminal, her gaze exceptionally sharp.
"I don't want a situation where you're happily chatting with your acquaintances from the Holy Grail War, and I'm ignored on the side, to happen again. Please tell me all your experiences during the Holy Grail War on the way back later."
"Is everything necessary? By the way, why are you so curious about the Holy Grail War?"
"Just don't want to keep being ignored beside you. I quite hate the atmosphere where I can't interrupt."
'Besides... I want to understand you more, and your past.'
Looking at the blue eyes staring at him, seemingly unable to withstand this too direct gaze, Naoki sighed and turned his face slightly away, "Alright, I understand. I'll tell you on the way back, but there are some things I still can't say, those are my biggest secrets, please understand."
"Hmm~ biggest secrets... Well, I'll dig them out of you later."
"Hey hey hey... how far do you want to know? Do you want to know even my privacy?"
"If it's about that, asking Mary or Gray would be faster."
"Hmm..."
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Leaning against the tree, watching the backs of Naoki and Riddel, Morgan bit her lip.
"That little girl..."
"Unsuitable. That Merlin, why did she let such a flawed thing get close to that child?"