Artoria the Big Liar

To put it simply, I feel that something bad will happen, but I can't tell what it is, so I use a risk instead.

"I know, Miss Wang. After all, I was indeed Vortigern in the dream, not Arturia." I promised.

"In addition, you must also remember that it is only a vain dream after all. Don't indulge in it, get stuck in it. Once the consciousness cannot wake up from the dream, Melin, Jeanne, and Mordred must sneak into you In order to wake you up from the deepest dream in the world—that is a very dangerous thing, you should know, Artoria."

"Well, I know. I've seen a movie with a similar plot before. I have a measure and a certainty."

Sister Wang sighed softly, not sure whether she was sighing my experience or my character.

Either way, Sister Wang let me go.And I moved to the sofa and sat down beside her.

To be on the safe side, and to ease everyone's worries, I looked at my child and asked her, "Mordred, are you interested in going to that strange belt with me?"

"Me? Father wants me to go with you?" Mordred was a little surprised, but also very excited.In her view, this is her chance to prove herself.

"Originally, you came to modern times with me. With you, my will will be unshakable, and I will be more aware of who I am. Therefore, even if it is a dream, it is impossible for me to indulge in it... But, still It depends on your own opinion."

"Of course I want to go, I definitely want to go!" Mordred was really excited.

She still prefers adventures, battles, conflicts and the like, hoping for a more exciting life.

This dream trip is also a learning opportunity for her.As I was teaching Morgan, I was able to teach her as well.One day in the future, when she becomes my deputy, or manages a certain area independently, she will definitely be able to use that knowledge.

Then, Merlin performed a magic that can only be performed by a succubus, synchronizing my dream with Mordred's.As long as I enter the dreamland again, she will definitely appear by my side.

As for her identity at that time, it can only be confirmed in the dream.

To my surprise, I didn't have any dreams for the next three days.

There were no dreams at night, or dreams in the Lost Belt.

Considering the signal strength of the dream, I didn't care about it and let time pass slowly.

……

……

On the night of August [-]th, the Obon Festival, the festival was held in Miyama Town.

After all, it is not the real Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon was at its fullest five days ago, and now the moon has a slight gap.

Wearing the yukata prepared in advance, our family wandered around the festival site and wandered around the temporary shops.

Fuyuki is not a tourist-oriented city. The preparations for the Obon Festival are not very sufficient, and there are not many people who come here.

As a result, it is obviously a festival, but apart from a few traditional activities, the Obon Festival is actually not much fun.

I come here just to feel the festive atmosphere.Just doing nothing, just hanging out, watching other people get dressed, watching kids fish for goldfish and eat marshmallows is pretty good for me.Not to mention chatting with people around me, telling stories about this country and this city.

I think this is the meaning of the festival, which is not only the inheritance of culture, but also the transmission of life.

Looking at the appearance of Mordred wanting to play an air gun but finally giving up, I can't help feeling in my heart. Although the time is short, Mordred's disposition is indeed close to an adult, and he knows how to restrain his behavior and act in a low-key manner.

Probably after discussing it in advance, Sister Wang, Mei Lin and Mordred found various reasons to leave.As agreed at the beginning, I held Jeanna's hand in one hand and candied haws in the other, and continued to wander around the festival.And Jeanna also put down the camera, put it back in her pocket, and focused on the present time.

This place is far away from the city, and the source of light is traditional incandescent light bulbs. The golden light shines on Rangna's body, making those golden pupils even more eye-catching, as if the stars are shining in them, so beautiful.Her smile is gentle and warm, shining into my heart as before, and my heart is no longer dark and barren, I squint my eyes and enjoy the agreed moment.

All that has to be said has been said.The words you want to say are brewing in your heart, waiting for the place and time to say them.

So, after walking through the whole street, we went to the hill, overlooking the frolicking streets and the end of the city.

I actually don't like Fuyuki.I would rather spend Obon night with everyone in a small city like Misaki.

However, Jeanne made her voice before me, as if her life had passed an important node, and she was deeply moved.

"...Arturia, I never thought that I, who was a piece of the God of Misfortune, could still live until now."

"But whatever I promise, I will definitely do it. It was the same in the past, and it is the same now."

"Who told you to plan for the worst? It scared me too."

Jeanna looked at the waning moon in the distance, and let the moonlight shine on her body.Her skin took on a faint blue feeling, and her hair also cooled down.But combined with the blue and purple bathrobe on her body, it looks like an ancient goddess, exuding a certain divine atmosphere, making the already beautiful her even more attractive, so that my sight is completely attracted by her, Can't leave at all.

All along, my evaluation of beauty is more than superficial-people are the most beautiful when they are smiling, people are the most beautiful when they are in a peaceful state, and the experience of people holding hands with the person they love the most is the most beautiful.Therefore, I can be sure that the current Rangna is her most beautiful moment.And this also made me imagine how beautiful she would be if the cherry blossoms were in full bloom...

"What's the matter, Arturia? Is there something on my face?" Jeanna blushed, her right hand lightly touching her cheek.

"No...just, it's beautiful." After organizing my words, I continued, "Better than anyone I've ever seen."

"In other words, am I even more beautiful than Guinevere now?" Jeanna asked.

I hesitated for a moment, it's hard to compare.Both of them are also lights, the difference is that Guinevere's light is so dazzling that I can hardly look directly at it, while Jeanne's light is like a cloudy sky, even if I look directly at the sky, I won't feel glaring.

However, feeling the feeling of being illuminated in the heart, the answer seems to have no room for hesitation...

"Of course, more beautiful than Guinevere."

(The above pictures are drawn by AI.)

Chapter 34: The Most Beautiful Person

◆Artoria◆

Hearing this answer, Jeanne did not judge or question, but asked rhetorically.

"how about you?"

"Me? What's wrong with me?"

Jeanne's words made me unresponsive.

She sighed and touched my face lightly with her fingers.

"I'm asking, do you think you're beautiful?"

"...It shouldn't be very beautiful." This is the conclusion I came to after careful consideration. "If words like handsome, cool, and majestic were used to describe me, maybe it would be more appropriate? But the word "beauty" should be far away from me."

"So, Arturia, have you always looked down on yourself so much?"

"It's not that I underestimate myself... It should be clear if you think about it carefully? Because of my childhood experience, I'm not tall enough, my figure is average, and even wearing armor is very thin. My skin is as pale as a caveman, and my eyes are too pale. Abnormal dragon eyes. Just rely on the power of the scabbard to keep the skin clean. If there is no scabbard, my hands will be full of calluses, the skin is also very bad, and there are scars everywhere—ah, I remembered ..."

"Remember what?"

"In the dream, the Vortigerm I played was like this."

Like the first flakes of snow touching the ground, Jeanne's smile disappeared instantly.

The golden pupils are full of complicated emotions, as if many paints are mixed together, and finally turn into a cold black.

She turned her head and looked at the waning moon in the sky, not knowing whether she was expressing emotion or lamenting.

"Sure enough, Arturia. It is absolutely impossible for me to make you happy by myself."

"Jeanna, those are things in the past, you only need to care about me now."

"How is it possible?" The corner of Jeanna's mouth drew a smile, but with the cold eyes, I only felt self-deprecating. "That's right, I can sense your inner feelings. But just knowing, what's the use? Isn't it that I can't do anything in the end? Think about the early days of the Holy Grail War. Apart from staying in the hotel, I waited for your return. , What else can I do? Even if I swallowed the spiritual core of the follower, with your cautious attitude, without the endorsement of other magicians, you will definitely not be allowed to use power? So, Artoria, I can't just care The you now. Your past, if I am alone, I cannot bear it."

"Jeanna... I don't quite understand what you said..."

Jeanna's smile became much stronger, like vodka added to a glass of blue cola, hiding her passionate feelings.

She didn't answer, but continued to look at the moon, as if thinking, as if unwilling to answer.

And I didn't wait, I guessed what Jeanna was thinking in my heart.But after thinking about it, I was extremely dull in terms of emotions, and I was even evaluated by my own knight as "incomprehensible", so I couldn't guess the correct result anyway.

Time passed little by little, and when it was nine o'clock, there was a sound from the opposite sky.

Colorful fireworks bloom in the night sky, like flowers on a magnificent tree, making the whole night into its trunk.

Just like what I imagined in my mind when I made the promise a long time ago, Jeanne leaned against me, looking at the night view of the city and the fireworks at the end.Maybe I have regrets, maybe it’s not going well, maybe I’ve almost burned out in the eyes of others, but when the agreed moment finally comes, the satisfaction in my heart tells me—everything I’ve done is worth it.

Jeanna took out her phone from her pocket, typed with one hand, and sent text messages.

Not long after, Sister Wang, Mei Lin and Mordred gathered beside me again.

Sister Wang took down my candied haws and held my other hand.Merlin hugged my waist, her chin resting on my shoulder.Mordred stood by my side, admiring the rare night view.

At this moment, I finally understood what Jeanne really wanted to tell me.

——One can only reconcile with the past, not break with the past.Those who loved me still love me now.Those things that happened in the past still leave traces on my body and my heart.No matter when, even if the country has turned into smoke and dust, in their hearts, I am still the same as before, only with some changes.

Thinking of this, I suddenly had a lot of ideas in my mind.These thoughts are very messy, and I need to slowly sort them out.However, taking advantage of this critical moment, as a proof of understanding what Jeanna said, I told everyone my request in a very small voice: "Speaking of... Sister Wang, Mei Lin. Now that the Holy Grail War is over, there is Is there a way to make a pseudo-Holy Grail?"

"Pseudo-Holy Grail? If you can do it, you can do it, but Artoria, what do you want to do?" Mei Lin asked.

"I can't use magic right now, right? So if an accident happens, I'm in danger..."

However, saying that would be tantamount to questioning the abilities of Sister Wang and Mei Lin.They are now the two strongest magicians on the planet, and using "will be in danger" as the reason is almost equivalent to saying that they don't trust them.

So, after a pause of about five seconds, I reorganized my language before continuing to speak in circles.

"I remember the Holy Grail War 20 years ago. Sir Lancelot's regret and lament drove him crazy. After seeing me at that time, his lament was not suppressed, but turned into wailing and wailing— —I couldn't imagine that Mr. Lancelot would have such an expression. In the end, this kind of regret became my own regret... However, after all, the times have passed, and everyone is human. It's not a good idea after all..."

Compared with Jeanna's unclear words, what I mean is already very obvious.

Sister Wang and Mei Lin looked at each other.Due to the limitation of my viewing angle, I can only see the embarrassment in Sister Wang's eyes.

Yes, it's a dilemma. I'm trying to make things difficult for others, asking them to achieve a miracle like the Holy Grail without any preparation and time accumulation.The so-called miracles usually come at a price, no matter how serious they are, they are not easy to bear.

"...It's nothing, it's just a moment of nonsense." I tried to give up this idea. "Sister Wang, Mei Lin, don't have any psychological burden, and don't realize it knowing that the price is very high. In the past, I did this for everyone, and everyone not only didn't accept it, but cared more about the price I paid. If you Also like this【{#

"It's really nonsense. If all the regrets can be satisfied, then why do people grow up?" Jeanne touched me with her arm, and then gestured to Mordred in a way that others could hardly detect. Direction——At this moment, the child seems to be a superfluous person, separated by this family, looking at the fireworks in the sky lonely, forced to take on responsibilities that are not commensurate with his age, and forced to change from an eight-year-old child to a Approaching grown-up sub-adults.

Following my gaze, Sister Wang let go of my hand, and Mei Lin let go of my waist.

I walked slowly to my child's side and put my hand lightly on her shoulder.

They are both women, but they treat each other as father and son, which is already extremely distorted.In addition to this distortion, I still want to satisfy my regrets, but I never thought, who can satisfy the regrets in Mordred's heart?Not to mention, my procrastination before was almost no different from rejection-this child must feel that I am gradually drifting away from her, right?That's why I was so excited when I heard that I could enter the dreamland with me.

"...Father?" Mordred's voice was much lower, lost some vitality, and became more mature.

"Mordred... do you miss the old days?" I asked in a low voice.

"Father, it's impossible not to miss it. But you told me that people have to grow up after all, and they can't stay like a child forever."

This mature response made me feel sad in my heart.

I began to miss the past time—although my free time was squeezed by various business affairs, but as long as I could spare some time and be with Mordred at that time, I could always be impressed by the cuteness of this child. Infected, the mind is completely relaxed.It is precisely because of this joyful feeling of being connected by blood that I always regard Mordred as the most important person in the world.

However, fate does not give me a chance to breathe, and does not give Mordred a chance to grow.Everything for us came to an abrupt end that day.In modern times, Mordred is still so perverse and full of vitality.But in my choices again and again, an invisible wall was built between us.She was forced to grow up, and I watched her grow up feeling lost.

"Then... Mordred, the regret in your heart..."

"The regret in my heart..." Mordred pondered for a moment, then smiled and replied to me: "Father, I have been thinking a lot lately. I was thinking when I was cooking, I was thinking when I was eating, and I was thinking when I was sleeping." I am always thinking. If I encounter something I don’t understand in the process of thinking, I will turn to the Internet for help, download the corresponding literature, and try to figure out what is going on. I have never thought about it this way. During this period of time, I have thought clearly many things."

"Have you thought about it a lot?"

"It's really a lot. Because I found that only by thinking in this way, can I reproduce my father's tour." Mordred is really too mature, and even feels strange. "Thinking about my father's experience, thinking about my own experience, summing up knowledge from it, and then transforming knowledge into skills and experience--I used to only know that my father is great, the greatest king in the world. But now I understand , Why is the father so great, and why is he recognized as the lord of mankind."

In other words, after experiencing Kamlan's pain, Mordred did not indulge in grief, trying to use other forces to achieve his goals, but calmed down under my compulsion and his own pain Come down, weave the pain in your heart into a cocoon, completely transform yourself, and truly grow into my heir, not just my child.

I'm not an idiot, so far, I have understood Mordred's position and thoughts.

Indeed, people always want to make up for past regrets, because it can give people peace of mind.But on the other hand, if there are regrets, and people's feelings are still positive and they still have hope for the future, those regrets and those failures that can't be achieved after trying their best will instead become the driving force for people to move forward. strength.

This is an ability that only human beings have, and it is one of the reasons why human civilization is brilliant.

I've been through too much pain and failed too badly.If I bury these pains and failures, I can only turn them into festering wounds.Therefore, the person who loves me will be sad because of this. I tried my best to prove my ability, but I couldn't let this sadness go away, and my wound still couldn't heal, but continued to be hurt, pushing us to that ending.

Therefore, Jeanna can't bear the regrets in my heart, and can't heal those wounds. Only Sister Wang and Mei Lin can do it.

"...I didn't expect that I would be educated by my own children." I sighed and felt relieved.

"So the father is great? You can grow yourself from the growth of your own child." Mordred smiled very gently, and it was only at this time that I realized that her smile was almost exactly the same as mine now. "Anyway, I definitely can't do it. Father, I'm the kind of person who only knows what not to do when I feel pain. In fact, I'm quite slow."

"It's just... Mordred, is it really good to grow so much in such a short time?"

"But the father's growth rate is much faster than mine?" Mordred's rhetorical question immediately made me speechless.She continued to give examples to support her rhetorical question: "Before the age of 16, my father had been struggling to survive alone in the swamp. He only vaguely felt his own destiny, so he drew his sword because he didn't want to go hungry. At that time, my father was still alive. I don’t understand anything. But when Britain is united, the father is already better than King Arthur in pan-human history. When he has conquered so many lands and returned from Rome victoriously, there is no one greater than the father in the world. King. If it were me, I would definitely not be able to do it."

"Right? Arturia is such an outrageous person. As long as the people around her say it, whether it is intentional or unintentional, she can grow from it. Otherwise, she will be Mithra? This ability and Talent, looking at the whole world, she is the only one, right? This is the most terrifying ability to learn!" Jeanna's compliment even made me a little embarrassed.

"So, father's question should have been answered, right?" Mordred asked.

"Well, I already have the answer - wait until one day I really face them, and then talk about the regrets in my heart." After a pause, I looked at Mordred with serious eyes.The child immediately noticed the change in my expression, and immediately became as serious as me. "—Mordred, there is something I must ask you."

"Is that the thing?" Mordred was smarter than I thought.