Chapter 50: The Path Forward
The atmosphere was slightly tense as everyone waited in anticipation for whoever would emerge from the portal that had suddenly appeared along the wall.
I blinked in surprise when Fou finally decided to make its presence known.
The fluffy creature seemingly appeared out of nowhere before jumping onto the top of my head and settling there comfortably while staring at the portal with twitching ears and tail.
A smile immediately spread across my face when I heard a familiar young voice call out.
“Sieg-san!”
To the surprise of everyone gathered, the first person to emerge from the portal wasn't someone powerful or intimidating.
In fact, it was the complete opposite.
Running forward with a worried expression on her adorable face was none other than Eri. Her head swiveled from side to side before her eyes immediately locked onto me and a visible look of relief washed over her features.
“…A cute little girl with a horn?” Da Vinci muttered in confusion and curiosity.
The others weren't doing much better.
Olga looked completely flabbergasted, Romani blinked repeatedly as if trying to make sense of the situation, while Mash simply watched everything unfold with open curiosity.
“Sieg-san~”
Now sporting a bright smile, Eri ignored everyone else entirely and made a beeline toward me.
Letting go of Mash's hand, I quickly lowered myself onto one knee and opened my arms.
A second later, the small bundle of white crashed into me.
“Hahaha, hey princess. Did you miss me?” I asked warmly while gently rubbing her head.
Eri immediately nodded against my chest.
“Yes! A lot! Are you okay?”
Pulling back slightly, she immediately began inspecting me from head to toe for injuries.
Smiling fondly at her antics, I let her do as she pleased before another familiar voice spoke up.
“Eri-chan! Please don't just run off like that! We have no idea what kind of perverts Sieg-kun might have befriended. He tends to attract a lot of them for some reason.”
Kiara was the next to step through the portal.
She looked around in concern before visibly relaxing upon spotting Eri safely in my arms.
Behind me, I heard Mash quietly mutter to herself.
“…I'm not a pervert though.”
Mash's small pout made me want to laugh.
Unfortunately, Olga's eyebrow immediately started twitching while Da Vinci broke into shameless giggling, which certainly didn't help matters.
“Hello, Sieg-kun~ Did you miss us?” Kiara asked teasingly as she stepped aside to allow the others through.
“Hello, Kiara,” I greeted with a smile.
“Let me through! Let me through!”
A familiar foxy voice whined from somewhere beyond the portal before the unmistakable form of my girlfriend finally appeared.
“Fear not, Sieg-kun~ Your beautiful and beloved fox wife has arrived. Tamamo is here!~”
Tamamo dramatically struck a pose while unfolding her fan and holding it in front of her face. Behind her, four fluffy tails swayed happily from side to side.
“D-Did she just say Tamamo!?” Olga hissed toward Da Vinci.
This time even Romani looked stunned.
Meanwhile, Da Vinci's eyes practically sparkled with interest.
“Oh my~ Things just became much more interesting.”
“Welcome, Tamamo,” I greeted with a smile.
Finally standing up, I adjusted Eri in my arms.
The little girl was no longer paying attention to anyone else, however.
Instead, she was staring curiously at Fou sitting atop my head.
Fou stared right back.
The two tilted their heads at the exact same time.
The sight was so adorable that I nearly wanted to interrupt the moment to pinch her cheeks.
Then, one by one, the rest of my companions began stepping through the portal, quickly crowding the room and leaving the members of Chaldea staring in stunned silence.
“Senpai!”
Sakura's voice came next, causing Mash to blink in confusion as she stared at the girl.
Senpai?
The title clearly caught her attention.
“Of course the stupid dragon is surrounded by even more beautiful women.”
Illya emerged next with a dramatic roll of her eyes.
“Hey, Sieg.”
Rin followed behind her, casually raising a hand in greeting while keeping her arms crossed in an attempt to look cool and composed.
Unfortunately for her, the quick glance she gave my body to check for injuries ruined the effect somewhat.
“I heard some interesting stories about how you supposedly met my would-be student, Sieg. When you have time, I'd like to hear the full version.”
Scáthach stepped through next, greeting me with a small smile that was rare enough to feel like an achievement.
Aoi and Irisviel followed shortly after.
The contrast between the two couldn't have been greater.
“Sieg-san. It's good to see you in good health,” Aoi said politely.
“Sieg-kun, we're back~ Fufufu, though I see you seem quite happy surrounded by beautiful women.”
Irisviel covered her mouth while teasing me, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
“M-Master!”
Fran practically hurried to my side the moment she crossed through the portal.
The relief on her face made me smile.
Without even thinking about it, I reached out and patted her head.
Fran immediately closed her eyes and hummed happily.
“Mmn~”
Finally, the last two figures stepped through the portal.
Their appearance immediately caused everyone from Chaldea to blink in confusion.
Standing side by side were two women who looked almost identical.
One dressed in blue and white.
The other in all black.
For a moment, it genuinely looked like someone's eyes were playing tricks on them.
Because standing there together were Artoria Pendragon and Artoria Alter.
Upon closer inspection, however, the differences became much more apparent.
My Artoria looked noticeably more mature than her counterpart.
Months of living with us while possessing a true physical body had allowed her to continue developing naturally. She stood slightly taller and possessed a more mature figure than Alter, making the distinction between them easier to spot.
“Whoa! Two King Arthurs!? How is that even possible!?” Romani finally exclaimed, breaking his silence.
The funny thing was that neither Artoria seemed entirely comfortable standing beside the other.
Every few seconds they would glance at one another as if wanting to say something before deciding against it.
“It is good to see that you returned safely, Sieg,” Artoria greeted with a small nod before her gaze drifted back toward her darker counterpart.
“Though I must admit, I never expected to meet another version of myself.”
“While I had already suspected as much during our battle, seeing it with my own eyes is... somewhat disconcerting,” Alter admitted awkwardly before shaking her head and looking back at me.
“Nonetheless, it is good to see that you returned safely.”
“Well,” Da Vinci suddenly spoke up with an excited smile, “I think I speak for everyone in Chaldea when I say that any remaining doubts have completely disappeared.”
Her gaze swept across the assembled group before lingering on Tamamo, Scáthach, and the two Artorias.
“What an absolutely fascinating collection of people you've brought with you, Sieg-kun~”
Clearing my throat, I got everyone's attention while still holding Eri, who now had Fou cuddled in her arms while happily petting it with a bright smile on her face.
“Before we continue, would it be alright if we moved somewhere bigger? My room doesn't seem like the best place to discuss everything I have to say,” I suggested.
Blinking and snapping out of her surprise, Olga quickly remembered that she was technically in charge and nodded before adopting a serious expression.
“That sounds like a good idea, Sieg.” Olga stood up and looked toward the others. “Everyone, my name is Olga Marie Animusphere, the current Director of the Chaldea Security Organization, or Chaldea for short. If you would please follow me, we'll continue this meeting in a larger room.”
Her authoritative tone earned several nods of agreement.
I did notice Rin, Illya, Irisviel, Aoi, and Sakura blink when they heard Olga's surname, likely recognizing it from their own backgrounds as magi.
As we made our way through Chaldea, I noticed Mash and Olga subtly moving closer to me from either side as if they wanted to either walk beside me or hold my hand.
Unfortunately for them, they were beaten to it.
Tamamo and Sakura immediately attached themselves to my arms almost possessively while shooting each other small glares before turning their attention toward Mash and Olga with slightly smug expressions.
Mash immediately puffed out her cheeks in a pout.
Olga, meanwhile, turned red and glared right back.
Behind us, Da Vinci had already begun bombarding everyone with question after question while the girls did their best to answer.
Meanwhile, I simply smiled and enjoyed the moment.
I had learned long ago that silence was often my best defense when dealing with jealous girls.
It had saved me from countless headaches.
=====
A Few Hours Later
Once we reached a suitably sized conference room, everyone took their seats.
Naturally, Eri claimed my lap.
Olga, meanwhile, somehow managed to seat me beside her under the excuse that I was the one explaining everything.
This conveniently allowed Mash to take the seat on my other side.
The situation from earlier had completely reversed itself.
Olga looked smug.
Mash looked content.
The others looked either amused or mildly jealous.
Sakura was arguably the worst.
For a few worrying moments, a dark aura seemed to gather around her before Rin apparently did something under the table because it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
Deciding it was best to avoid a fight, I immediately began explaining everything.
For the most part, the girls allowed me to do the talking, only occasionally jumping in to add details whenever a particular event involved them directly.
The explanation ended up taking far longer than expected.
By the time I finished recounting everything, nearly three or four hours had passed and several stomachs had begun growling.
Fortunately, at that exact moment, Sella and Leysritt stepped through another portal carrying trays of food.
Since nobody objected, lunch was served right there in the conference room.
Already familiar with the appetites of certain members of our group, enough food had been prepared for nearly fifty people.
Even then, both Artorias were doing their best to ensure that not a single scrap remained uneaten.
After everything had been explained, the atmosphere became noticeably heavier.
Most of Chaldea's staff sat in thoughtful silence as Olga, Romani, Da Vinci, and Mash wore varying expressions of concern.
Sensing the tension, Mash suddenly coughed into her hand.
The moment everyone's attention shifted toward her, she visibly blushed.
Even so, she gathered her courage and spoke.
“So you've already participated in multiple Grail Wars, Senpai? Was Tamamo-san your Servant both times?” Mash asked curiously as she ate beside me, steering the conversation toward a lighter topic.
Pausing from feeding Eri a fried shrimp, I looked up and noticed everyone from Chaldea was now watching me with interest.
“That's right. Though Tamamo wasn't my Servant both times.” I paused briefly before opening my mouth as Eri fed me in return. After chewing and swallowing, I continued.
“Fufufu, you two are adorable~ It never ceases to amaze me how much you look like a real father and daughter.” Irisviel squealed happily from across the table as she looked at me and Eri with warm eyes while snapping several photos.
“Who knew our dear Sieg-kun, on top of being ridiculously strong, would also be so good with children?” Da Vinci added with stars in her eyes while doing the exact same thing.
Seeing the two getting along so well sent a small shiver down my spine.
‘...Best not think about what those two could get up to together,’ I thought while shaking my head.
Still, their comments succeeded in lightening the atmosphere somewhat as everyone visibly relaxed.
“Me and my beloved Sieg-kun make an unbeatable team, fufufu~ We did win after all.” Tamamo puffed out her chest proudly while looking at me with openly affectionate eyes that didn't go unnoticed by anyone present.
“Who was your Servant in that other timeline you told us about? The one where you met Fran. Who I'm still having trouble believing actually remembers you, by the way.” Olga looked at me curiously as she asked her question.
Wiping my mouth, I thought of my first Servant and couldn't help but smile fondly.
“My first Servant was one of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins, Astolfo.” I said with a nostalgic smile. “While not the strongest Servant and certainly a free spirit, he's one of the people I treasure most. He saved my life multiple times, and I hope I'll get to see him again someday.”
A hint of melancholy entered my voice as memories of the cheerful and genuine Servant surfaced.
Much like Da Vinci, Astolfo also happened to look and dress like a girl.
A very beautiful one at that.
After that, silence briefly settled over the table as everyone digested what I had said.
“I'm sure you'll meet him again someday, Senpai,” Mash said encouragingly.
The others nodded in agreement.
“Haah... I hate to be the one to ruin the mood.” Romani let out a tired sigh and rubbed his forehead. He looked like he'd aged several years ever since hearing everything I'd revealed. “But I think we should get back to the main issue.”
His expression became serious.
“The Demon Gods.”
The atmosphere immediately grew heavy once more.
Smiles faded.
Conversations died down.
One by one, everyone around the table adopted serious expressions and turned their attention back to the discussion at hand.
“You’re right, Romani.” Olga said with a small grimace, likely thinking about Lev, before quickly schooling her expression and turning toward me.
“Before anything else, Sieg, let me ask you something. In Chaldea's current state, thanks to... t-that thing masquerading as Lev, the support we can provide while you resolve the upcoming Singularities will be minimal.” Olga folded her arms and adopted a serious expression. “Our first priority should be restoring Chaldea to what it was before.”
That immediately earned several nods of agreement.
It was the logical conclusion.
“Normally, with humanity incinerated, that would be nearly impossible since we're effectively the last humans left on Earth.” Olga paused before looking at me more carefully. “But I may have an idea. Are you capable of traveling between parallel timelines at your discretion with your version of the Second Magic?”
There was a hint of nervousness in her voice as she waited for my answer.
“I see where you're going with this, Director.” I nodded. “And don't worry. I do have the ability to travel between parallel worlds whenever I wish.”
Olga visibly relaxed at my answer and even offered me a small smile.
“Bringing personnel over is a different matter entirely, however,” I continued, my expression growing serious.
That immediately got everyone's attention.
“Gathering materials to help restore Chaldea is one thing. Bringing in outside magi and granting them my power is not something I'm willing to compromise on. Since I would have to reveal my secrets to them at the least.”
My tone left little room for argument.
Olga didn't seem entirely happy about it, but after a moment she nodded.
“I suppose I can understand that.”
“There’s no need to worry so much, Director, Romani~” Da Vinci suddenly said with a calm smile, acting surprisingly professional for once.
“We already have several trustworthy magi here thanks to Sieg-kun. And not just any magi, but members of influential families as well.”
Her gaze shifted toward Sakura, Rin, Illya, Aoi, and Irisviel.
“For military strength, we currently have two fully incarnated King Arthurs.”
Both Artorias continued eating without paying attention.
“Along with a fragment of a Sun Goddess and none other than Sieg-kun's teacher, the Witch of Dún Scáith herself.”
Tamamo puffed out her chest proudly while Scáthach simply took another sip of her drink.
“And let's not forget the greatest genius in human history.”
Da Vinci pointed dramatically at herself.
“The one and only Da Vinci-chan~!”
A few chuckles spread throughout the room.
The tension eased noticeably.
Watching everyone relax, I found myself quietly impressed.
So far, I had mostly seen Da Vinci's eccentric and teasing side.
Seeing her effortlessly reassure an entire room reminded me why she was considered one of humanity's greatest geniuses.
“Haah... well, if nothing else, at least we have an actual plan now instead of blindly stumbling forward,” Romani said with a tired smile.
He already looked far less stressed than before.
“Then let's spend the next few days getting back on our feet before we tackle the next Singularity.” Olga nodded decisively before turning toward me.
“What was it called again, Sieg?”
“The Hundred Years' War of the Evil Dragons: Orléans,” I answered immediately.
The moment the words left my mouth, I felt my heartbeat quicken.
After all...
In just a few days, my wish of seeing Jeanne again would finally come true.
And honestly?
I couldn't wait.