Chapter 120

Upon returning to the Einzbern stronghold and entering the castle hall, they encountered a figure that Irisviel and her companions never expected.

“Artoria? No, yet another one…” Irisviel looked at the mature woman sitting on the sofa in surprise. Her black tight-fitting lingerie revealed her full breasts and snow-white belly. Her long legs, encased in black tights, were crossed, and she wore black knee-high combat boots.

The black lining and tights both featured thin, vertical stripes, adding a unique allure to the mature woman. And then there’s her appearance.

She has a face that is very similar to Artoria’s, but is more mature. Her hair and eye color are different from Artoria’s. Her hair is silver-white, and her eyes are golden like those of the mysterious heroine X Alter. Of course, the biggest difference is her curvaceous and beautiful figure. If Artoria is an unripe apple, then this one is a ripe peach.

“Are you Lancer?” Sora, the master, had confirmed Lancer’s identity through their communication. Lancer’s true identity was indeed surprising, but seeing the mysterious heroine X Alter beside her made her seem less surprised.

“That’s right.” The mature woman put down her black tea. Her answer was quickly accepted by Irisviel and Sora, because of the precedent of the mysterious heroine X Alter.

Earlier, during breakfast, Irisviel specifically asked Artoria if the mysterious heroine X Alter was a sister or something. Artoria thought for a moment, hesitated, and shook her head. She thought of something and was a little unsure.

However, the mysterious heroine X Alter directly denied this, stating that she came from outer space and could not possibly be Artoria’s sister. She also added that if someone were to see Artoria, they would be so excited that they would draw their sword to attack her.

Since both parties involved denied it, it can only be said to be a coincidence, and the mystery of the Artoria sisters was thus resolved. However, not long after, they encountered another being who was extremely similar to them except for their figure and some other features.

“But I’m different from the girls over there. I really am Artoria, not just someone who looks like her.” The female knight placed her hands on her full thighs, and with her legs crossed in black tights, she exuded the charm of a mature woman.

“Huh? Could it be that you’ve returned after changing Britain’s past, Lia?” The female knight’s words were more surprising than her appearance. The only thing that Irisviel could think of was Artoria’s previous return to Britain’s past.

“You could say it is, or you could say it isn’t. The ‘me’ who returned to Britain in the past, the one you knew before, did not choose to continue using the Holy Sword after expanding her power as the king. Instead, she used the Holy Lance, Rungomniad.”

“The same applies to Artoria when she switched to using the Holy Lance, but a divergence occurred later.” The female knight paused here, picked up her red tea and took a sip.

“A point of divergence?” I touched my chin thoughtfully after hearing the words of the female knight, or rather, Artoria Lancer.

“Hmph, don’t tell me you don’t know about pan-human history and the phenomenon of pruning.” The female knight rolled her eyes at me.

“Well, I do have some understanding of that. To put it simply, if we compare human history to a big tree, then the general history of humankind is the trunk, and the fixed events are the superfluous branches that can be pruned at any time. The fixed events are the lack of possibilities and the lack of a future timeline.”

“Artoria, you won’t blame me for not telling you in detail before, will you?” When Artoria mentioned her wish for the Holy Grail, I only reminded her that changing history was extremely difficult, and didn’t say much more to avoid making her think too much and adding unnecessary pressure.

“Of course not. Jian, you already told me how difficult this was. And even if I understood, I would still give it a try. Just like what you told me before the Greater Grail, it’s been my wish since I became a Heroic Spirit. I won’t feel at ease if I don’t try.” The female knight shook her head and said.

“Alright, let’s get back to the main topic. As Jian said, it’s very difficult to shake the history of humankind. So when ‘I’ returned to Britain and changed the past, I was already considered by this world, or rather, the root of all things, to be a predetermined event.”

“At that time, I vaguely sensed this, but my power alone was not enough to resist the power that was cut off, so I began to look for things like the Holy Grail that contained great power.”

“These objects containing great power are not easy to find. At that time, I only found one sacred relic left over from the Age of Gods. But just like the Holy Grail was tainted, that sacred relic was also cursed.”

“The point of divergence I’m referring to is here: one branch is where ‘I’ was cursed by the sacred object, and the other is where I wasn’t. These two branches are extending from the branches that were originally meant to prune the events.”

“And the one who is cursed is me now. I was accidentally affected by the curse on the sacred object. Nothing else is wrong. The most important thing is that the Holy Lance Rungomminiad has become a demonic lance. It is the one you see covered with black crystal prisms. Although its power has not been reduced much, it has lost some functions.”

“This led to my inability to use the magic spear to maintain the world of the severing phenomena, and in the end, I was severed (abandoned) by the Root, and I returned to Valhalla.” The female knight explained the situation in one breath, and even I did not expect it to develop this way.

“Artoria…” Hearing this, Irisviel basically believed the female knight’s words, and I didn’t deny it either. So the person in front of me must be the real Artoria, but she had gone back to the past, so she had changed.

“Don’t worry about me, Irisviel. Although it’s not pleasant to fail, I tried and I gave it my all, so I won’t be too disappointed. It’s a huge weight off my shoulders, which is why I answered the Holy Grail’s call and participated in this Holy Grail War.” The female knight Artoria waved her hand, indicating that Irisviel shouldn’t worry about it.

I have a feeling that the curse on the female knight Artoria is not as bad as she said, except for the Holy Lance. At least her personality should have changed somewhat.

“Hmm, Jian, do you think I’m acting strange?” Noticing my odd gaze, the female knight Artoria raised her eyebrows.

“Well, a little, after all, she gives off a different vibe than the previous Artoria.”

“Indeed, having gone through so much, the curse of the sacred object has had some effect, like turning me into a villain. But it doesn’t really matter to me; it just amplified another side of me a little.” The female knight Artoria smiled faintly, as if it were indeed nothing to her.

“It’s good that you’re alright. I never thought that when I said we’d meet again, we would actually meet again.” It was indeed magnified, and not just slightly. I looked at the female knight Artoria’s figure and secretly gave her a thumbs up.

“No, didn’t we meet before? At the beach.” The female knight Artoria said with a teasing smile.

“Uh, that makes sense.” Indeed, the female knight Artoria is quite different from the previous teenage version of Artoria, and it’s not just her figure.

“By the way, there’s something else I’m curious about. Artoria, do you know what happened to the other branch of you that you mentioned earlier?”

“I’m not too sure about that either, but if it’s the original Holy Lance Rungominiad, with the blessing of the holy relic, that ‘I’ should, no, definitely should maintain the severing phenomenon.”

“What? You’ve already set your sights on another version of me?” The female knight Artoria suddenly changed the subject and teased me.

“Hmm, if another Artoria becomes as mature and alluring as you, then I’ll definitely have my eye on her.” As for flirting, I certainly haven’t gone far.

“Oh? Then you can look forward to it. The white one is no less than me.” The female knight Artoria revealed an expression of waiting to see a good show. She was really different from the girl version of Artoria. If she were now, she would righteously say that this was not good.

“Then I’ll look forward to it. I’ll make a big lunch. Even though we’ve met before, this is a proper reunion. It’s almost lunchtime.” The two mature, older-sister-like versions of Artoria were indeed getting excited just thinking about it.

“Okay, just in case the previous ‘me’ sees me like this, I didn’t even eat the breakfast you made. Now that I think about it, I really should have pulled you back to the past and made you my personal chef. I miss your delicious food so much.”

The female knight Artoria’s golden eyes shone brightly. It seemed that regardless of whether she had been cursed and corrupted or had other reasons that caused changes in her personality, her love of food remained completely unchanged.

“Leave it to me, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied. You two chat for a bit, I’ll go in and prepare lunch.” Artoria’s appetite is on the level of a glutton, so I have to make more to satisfy her and hurry up.

First, I need to prepare plenty of meat, as Artoria prefers meat. Then I also need to prepare flour. Mysterious Heroine X Alter definitely needs desserts. Of course, the most important thing is my special seasoning. As soon as I entered the kitchen, I immediately started getting busy.

“Okay, this is almost done.” Just as I was enthusiastically cutting the meat, I heard a light footstep behind me. She walked up behind me and hugged my waist tightly. The beautiful touch of the girl’s body instantly came to mind.

“Hmph, what’s wrong with Aigo? Aren’t you going to chat with them outside?” I knew who it was just by smelling the fragrance coming from behind me without even turning around, let alone the physical contact.

“Hmm… I’m not really interested, so I came in to find you, Jian.” Aigo buried her face in my back and said in a muffled voice.

“Whatever you like.” Judging from Ai Ge’s behavior, she’s the type who has no interest in things she doesn’t care about, so I won’t force her.

“Then I’ll cook for you, Jian. Don’t let my appearance fool you, I’m responsible for cooking for my little sister at home. Of course, my cooking is definitely not as good as Jian’s, so I’ll just help chop the vegetables.” Ai Ge reluctantly let go of me and raised her little hand to say this.

“No problem, Aige, you can cut the melon for me first, and then help me wash the vegetables.” It’s good to have another person help me. Anyway, I just need to add my special seasoning when I cook it at the end.

“Mmm!” Aigo nodded happily, her beautiful golden, ear-length hair flying up and down with her head. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her jade-like arms.

With Aika’s help, a sumptuous lunch was finally completed. Aika’s presence and her happy humming added a lot of color to the cooking process.

“As expected, Jian’s cooking is still the best.” The female knight Artoria took a bite of the boiled beef with sauce with a satisfied look on her face. The familiar deliciousness instantly blossomed on her taste buds.

“Your behavior always makes me think you only joined the Holy Grail War because you wanted to eat my cooking.” Seeing the female knight Artoria’s satisfied expression, I really wanted to see if she was like this when she was satisfied in bed.

“Hmm…that’s definitely one of the reasons. People who love food will never forget your cooking, and I believe dessert lovers over there will feel the same way.” The female knight Artoria said, her hands and mouth never stopping.

No, no, no, I only use special seasoning on beautiful women. Even if I secretly change the food myself, it’s still made with my own semen, so it’s hard for me to accept eating it.

“I second that. I have no intention of returning to the Throne of Heroes. Please take me in. As long as there are sweets to eat, please feel free to ask me for anything I need.” Theoretically speaking, as long as a summoned Heroic Spirit is willing and has a continuous supply of magic power, there is no problem for him to stay in the mortal world.

“Even if you say that, I can’t necessarily make desserts for you every day. Well, making more and storing them isn’t a bad idea.” Just by making desserts, he could win over a beautiful girl; it’s a win no matter how you look at it.

“Hmm…then you should prepare more.” The mysterious heroine X Alter had a conflicted expression on her face. I thought she was struggling with whether or not to go back to Valhalla, but it turns out she was struggling with what to do if she didn’t have enough desserts.

“I’ll try my best. Don’t worry, even if I don’t make enough, I have someone here who’s good at cooking (a certain maid), you can ask her for help.” Hearing my words, the mysterious heroine X Alter nodded with difficulty while biting her fork. She didn’t think anyone could make better desserts than me.

“Since you’ve decided to stay, I’ll call you X Alter from now on.” Among the nicknames like B-Dai, Black X-Hair, and B-Hair, I chose the more serious one: the mysterious female protagonist, X Alter.

“Hmm.” The mysterious heroine X Alter didn’t care much about being addressed, as long as it wasn’t inappropriate, she was fine with it.

Lunch ended in such a pleasant atmosphere. The female knight Artoria finished most of the meat, while the mysterious heroine Xlater finished most of the desserts. The appetite of Artoria’s “family” was as terrifying as ever. If a normal chef saw this, he would probably be shocked.

After lunch, I left the Ein Capital base under the pretext of cleaning up the mess left over from the Holy Grail War and went to the Zenjou family home.

“Click.” As soon as I opened the door to Rin Tohsaka’s room, I felt a heavy atmosphere, and the one who caused this atmosphere was the black-haired twin-tailed little girl, Rin Tohsaka, sitting on the sofa chair.

“Ahem.” To get the little loli Rin Tohsaka’s attention, I deliberately made a sound and walked to Rin Tohsaka’s side.

“What… It’s you…” Rin Tohsaka looked up at me, her originally bright sky-blue eyes slightly dimmed, which made my heart ache. I couldn’t help but pick her up and sit down. Rin Tohsaka also changed her usual tsundere attitude, wrapping her small arms around my neck.

A pair of slender, soft legs clad in black stockings sat on my lap, its small body nestled in my arms, and the sweet fragrance of a little girl wafted over me.

“If there’s anything on your mind, feel free to tell me, Rin.” I gently stroked Rin Tohsaka’s soft black twin tails with my large hand, tracing the hair down to her back.

“Ken…you must already know…and you still asked me…” Rin Tohsaka buried her face in my chest, her tone regaining a touch of coquettishness.

“Well, I just thought that if Rin could talk it out and vent, maybe it would make her feel better.” I came here mainly because the Zenjou family received news of Tokiomi Tohsaka’s death, and I came to check on the situation.

I’ve already met Aoi Tohsaka and Sakura Tohsaka, and neither of them has any major problems. After all, they didn’t have any feelings for Tokiomi Tohsaka before, so they were just a little sad. But Rin Tohsaka is different.

Even though Rin Tohsaka was disappointed in Tokiomi Tohsaka after the incident with Sakura Tohsaka, she wasn’t as deeply hurt as Sakura Tohsaka, nor was she as completely devoted to me as Aoi Tohsaka. One no longer regarded Tokiomi Tohsaka as a father, and the other no longer regarded Tokiomi Tohsaka as a husband.

Even though Rin Tohsaka no longer respects and follows her father as much as before, she has not completely abandoned the bond between father and daughter like Sakura. Therefore, when she hears the news of Tokiomi Tohsaka’s death, she is the one who will be most affected.

“Hmph, I’m not that fragile.” Rin Tohsaka seemed to have returned to her usual arrogant self, but having gotten to know her well, I knew that this was just because she didn’t want to show her vulnerable side. I had to press her step by step to get her to reveal her true feelings after the incident with Sakura Tohsaka.

“Really? Rin is really strong.” I smoothed the slightly messy hair that Rin had just covered in my arms with my hand, and looked into her slightly moist sky-blue eyes as I spoke softly.

“You’re not like Sakura this time, are you?” Rin Tohsaka pouted slightly, feeling a little ashamed as she recalled how she had revealed her true feelings and even cried that time.

“I think that after what happened with Sakura last time, Rin and I have made great progress in our relationship, so I don’t plan to use any radical methods.” Seeing Rin Tohsaka like this, I can’t help but want to tease her a little, but thinking about it, what I said is also the truth.

“What do you mean by ‘taking our relationship a step further’? Don’t talk nonsense.” Rin Tohsaka said with her usual tsundere attitude, then leaned back onto my chest.

“Sigh, Rin was crying in my arms last time, telling me the truth.” I lifted Rin’s petite bottom, which was wrapped in a black dress, with my big hand to make her more comfortable.

“Waaah… I won’t cry this time.” Rin Tohsaka shifted her body a few times to adjust to a more comfortable position. Although it was definitely unintentional, it was still quite tempting for such a cute loli in stockings to do this.

“But your mother just told me that Rin, you’ve already cried your way here.” I took a deep breath and instead caught a whiff of a loli’s sweet fragrance, which intensified my lust. Luckily, I don’t usually make a move on lolis.

“Ah… Stop nagging. I promise I won’t cry in front of you this time. Honestly, why does Mom tell you everything?” I didn’t expect that my mom had already exposed all my secrets before this. Feeling ashamed, Rin Tohsaka opened her silver teeth and bit my chest.

“Yes, yes, let go, Rin.” I didn’t expect that Rin Tohsaka’s bite would land right on my nipple. You know, that part of a man’s body can be quite sensitive sometimes.

“Ugh…no…um…want…ugh…” Rin Tohsaka seemed to have discovered my weakness, and even swayed slightly from side to side. But actually, she wasn’t using too much force, which gave me a continuous stimulating feeling, emm…

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” I raised my hand, and with a soft slap, my palm landed on Rin Tohsaka’s small, round bottom.

“Hmm…” Rin Tohsaka, who was suddenly attacked on the buttocks, loosened her teeth, but immediately bit my nipple again in a defiant manner, and even stuck out her little tongue to lick it mischievously.

“Hey, Rin!?” If you weren’t still a loli, and it wouldn’t be better to wait until you’re older before taking action, I would really punish this little devil on the spot.

Seeing that I was at a disadvantage, Rin Tohsaka became even more enthusiastic, her little tongue nimbly spinning and circling or quickly flicking up and down. Since that was the case, I had no choice but to fight back, and my big hand landed on Rin’s little upturned buttocks one after another, making a slapping sound.

“How about it… huff huff… let me tell you how you dare hit me there…” After the battle had been going on for a while, I stopped what I was doing first, and then Rin Tohsaka released her teeth.

“Yes, Lady Rin is amazing, I am completely defeated.” If you weren’t panting so much, it would be even more convincing. I found it amusing to look at Rin’s flushed face and her heaving chest.

“Hmph… You know that much…” After saying this, Rin Tohsaka collapsed weakly into my arms. Feeling my embrace, which was even broader and warmer than her mother’s, her breathing gradually calmed down.

Perhaps it was because her tense mood had eased a little, after all, Aoi had comforted her. I came here to help Rin relax, and I guess that was the goal. Looking at Rin Tohsaka’s sleeping face, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Once Rin was fast asleep, I originally planned to carry her to the bed, but seeing her little hands tightly gripping my clothes, I decided to hold her and sleep with her, falling asleep surrounded by the scent of Rin and the bed.

By the time Aoi Tohsaka knocked on the door, Rin Tohsaka and I had unknowingly slept all afternoon. I pinched Rin Tohsaka’s soft little face, and in her sleep, Rin Tohsaka slapped away my big hand that was disturbing her sleep with her little hand.

“Rin, get up. Your mom said she’s made dinner.”

“Mom…Mom!?” Still half-asleep, Rin rubbed her eyes with her little hands. Once she was slightly more awake, she immediately pulled away from my embrace. It was the first time she’d ever been held and slept by this guy, and her mother had even seen it! Ah…

Rin Tohsaka was now filled with extreme shame, wishing she could bury herself under the covers and pretend nothing had happened.

“Alright, don’t be shy, it’s time to eat.” I have to say, Rin Tohsaka’s blushing face is just too cute. I never get tired of seeing it, which is why I can’t help but tease her all the time.

“I…I’m not shy. Let’s go, Mom, don’t mind this guy.” Rin Tohsaka jumped off the bed, slipped her small feet into tiny house shoes from her black stockings, and rushed over to Aoi Tohsaka, taking her hand in her arms.

“Okay.” Aoi Tohsaka smiled gently at me. I shrugged helplessly, and she took Rin Tohsaka and went out first.

Finally, I had dinner at my home in Chancheng before returning to the Einzbern stronghold. As soon as I got back, I was stared at by two resentful eyes.

“Uh, haven’t you guys had dinner yet?” I remember saying that if you weren’t coming back, you didn’t have to wait for me.

“Sigh, I was really looking forward to eating your delicious food again tonight after so long,” said the female knight Artoria with a hint of resentment. This was the grievance of a foodie, mainly because she hadn’t tasted my food in so long, and the lunch alone wasn’t enough to satisfy her.

“Hmm, hmm.” The mysterious heroine X Alter simply agreed, because if I were to cook, her desserts would definitely be indispensable.

“Okay, I thought it was something serious. I’ll make you guys a late-night snack later.” I can understand that. Long-awaited delicious food always makes people crave it. I guess it will get better after a while. But it feels pretty good to be remembered by beautiful girls and mature women, even if it’s mainly for the food.

After finally satisfying my cravings for the female knight Artoria and captivating the heroine X Alter with a late-night snack, I was about to return to Irisviel’s room to rest when a voice called out to me.

“Jian, I have something I want to talk to you about. Do you mind coming to my room?”

“Hmm, no problem.” Looking at the mature and alluring female knight Artoria in front of me, to be honest, I was a little surprised. It would be quite possible for Aika or even Sora to do this, but I didn’t expect it to be the female knight Artoria. After all, it was late at night, and she was going to a room alone.

With a “click,” the door to the room closed, and the female knight Artoria walked to the bedside and sat down. Her long, slender legs, clad in tight black stockings, were crossed. Thinking that I wouldn’t lose out no matter what, I naturally took a chair and sat opposite her, admiring the female knight Artoria’s graceful figure.

“So, Artoria, what brings you here?” Although there might be several Artorias appearing together later, and we might have to use different names to distinguish them, like Black Gunner Alter, it doesn’t matter for now since there’s only one.

“Shouldn’t you have a way to make my class form descend directly?” The female knight Artoria didn’t mince words and went straight to the point about my purpose.

“That’s certainly possible. Why does Artoria want me to do this for you?” The Heroic Spirits summoned by the Holy Grail War Summoning System are simply the Heroic Spirit Spectrum recorded in the Hall of Heroes injected into the Heroic Spirit clones simulated by the Third Law. Although the experiences will be brought back to the main body in the Hall of Heroes after the clones disappear, it is ultimately not the main body descending.

“Hmm, while clones can be quite convenient sometimes, like when your spirit core is destroyed, the records return to Valhalla, and you can summon them again without any problems. But reviewing your own experiences like reading a record, doesn’t that feel unreal? It’s clearly your own personal experience.”

“I see.” I can understand this unreal feeling. It’s more satisfying to fight the original body than the clone. Even with Ishtar, I made her truly possess the original body, so that the two could truly and completely merge into one.

“So, Jian, could you help me out, or what would you like to ask?” The female knight Artoria crossed her legs, which were clad in black stockings. The way her plump thighs pressed together and the taut black stockings were incredibly alluring.

“No need to make requests, Artoria. You’re my friend, so I can help you with this small favor. But Artoria, where is your spirit core? I don’t mean anything by it, it’s just that I need to be able to access your spirit core to help you descend directly in your true form.”

The spirit core of a Heroic Spirit is equivalent to the human heart. If the spirit core is destroyed, the summoned Heroic Spirit will return to the Hall of Heroes. Of course, if the original body descends, it is almost equivalent to death.

The spirit core of most heroic spirits is located in the heart. I wonder if the female knight Artoria’s is the same. I subconsciously looked at her full breasts. Her exposed lower breasts were dazzlingly white, especially against the backdrop of her upper body wrapped in a black tight-fitting lining.

“Just as you guessed, my spirit core is located in my heart.” Noticing my gaze, the female knight Artoria was not angry, but instead had a faint smile on her face.

“Well…” I touched my nose. The female knight, Artoria, should understand what I meant, right? After all, the mature Artoria seems to be more reasonable than the younger version. So her reaction means…

“Sure, if it’s for you.” The female knight Artoria stood up, her tall and graceful figure walking towards me. Her curvaceous body was right in front of me, and the subtle fragrance of a mature woman wafted into my nose.

Then, the female knight Artoria’s actions took my surprise even further. She grabbed my hand and placed it on her full left breast. Even through the black tight-fitting lining, I could fully feel its softness.

Especially the bottom of my palm, which could slightly touch the exposed, delicate breasts of the female knight Artoria, made me want to reach into her black tight-fitting lining and directly ravage those full breasts.

“See? I’m not kidding.”

“Great…no, then there’s no problem.” I instinctively grabbed the female knight Artoria’s breasts and said it. She’s already like this, what else can I say? This strong and mature woman is really amazing.