"...What did you just inject into my body?"
Morgan posed the question.
She knew very well that, as a great fairy, her sole purpose should have been to become the King of the Isle.
"You mean that?"
"Well... just a little bit of the 'flower of humanity,' I suppose?" Asked about this, [Illya] blinked, then made a small gesture with his fingers.
"After all, your self was so contradictory it had reached a terrible state. Without something to harmonize it, you would have surely self-destructed... Well, fae are just such troublesome creatures. While beautiful and powerful in their purity, they are also exceedingly fragile due to their absoluteness."
"How does it feel? For you, as a great fairy, this... hmm, just think of it as a small gift from me~ From a fae's perspective, it should be quite novel, shouldn't it?"
"Indeed."
Morgan did not deny it.
She had to admit, she seemed to have changed somehow. While she still wanted to become the King of the Isle, it was no longer her entire being.
At the very least, she could now tell that even if she were to abandon her obsession with the throne, her inner self would not collapse.
More importantly...
That other one seemed to have quieted down as well.
—Vivian, the Lady of the Lake.
The culprit who often made her actions seem like those of someone with a split personality.
Even after Camelot's fall, when Vivian returned to her, their irreconcilable stances had not changed.
They were still in conflict.
But at this moment...
The Vivian side of her had gone quiet... No, to be precise, it had become a complete part of Morgan.
"..."
She lightly touched her chest. Bathed in the light from the clear window, one could see that while Morgan was still the same cold beauty, her features had softened considerably.
She did not dislike this feeling.
"It seems this little gift really did help you. I'm relieved," [Illya] said, taking a sip of his tea and nodding with satisfaction.
"So... will you continue?"
"Of course."
Morgan's voice was firm.
It was true. She was no longer the Fairy Queen Morgan who would self-destruct if she didn't cling to her obsession with the throne.
Even so, even if this obsession was no longer a necessity, she would not give up.
After all, Morgan was never one to quit halfway.
"Even if it means certain failure?"
"I will not fail."
"Well... that's fine too. I don't really have an opinion on it... but since you've made up your mind, then you should see that path through to the end."
"Even if we become enemies?"
"Yes, even if we might become enemies... After all, I love seeing people strive and fight for what they believe in."
"But—correspondingly, I will not show any mercy."
"Hmph, there's no need for such superfluous things."
"You will regret not finishing me here."
Morgan savored the English black tea she had previously deemed crude, humming lightly, her tone laced with a hint of confidence and pride.
"Also—"
"Illya... no, that shouldn't be your real name, should it?"
"Mm, this child's body is just something I'm temporarily borrowing. As for my real name, it doesn't matter if I tell you."
The silver-haired 'girl's' lips parted, revealing a name.
And Morgan smiled.
"Hmph, so that's how it is."
"Then—"
"You listen well, Jiang Qiao."
"When my ideal is realized, when the Britain of my dreams stands tall in this world, when I become the master of Britain—"
"You will be my queen... no, my prince consort!" the aloof Winter Witch declared with domineering flair.
Morgan made no effort to hide her desire.
After all, that was simply her nature.
"Eh... this..."
"You don't need to give me an answer. I'm not asking for your opinion, merely stating a fact."
What she wants, she will get.
If the other party is unwilling, then she will take it by force. That's the kind of wicked woman the Fairy Queen Morgan is!
She drained her tea in one gulp, then vanished from the café, leaving only an echo in the air:
"Pay the bill. Keep the change."
[Illya]'s eyes fell on the owner, who was staring in bewilderment at a heavy little pouch on the counter. When the owner opened it, a blinding golden light bloomed forth, making [Illya] give a helpless, wry smile:
"Oh my... this is really..."
"Well, I suppose I shot myself in the foot, didn't I?"
The 'girl' sighed and walked out of the restaurant.
"Eh? That child is..."
His gaze fell on a brown-haired girl not far away, who wore glasses and looked rather plain. [Illya] narrowed his eyes.
...Manaka Sajyou's younger sister, Ayaka Sajyou.
He was not unfamiliar with her, but what caught his attention more was her troubled expression.
Like a little devil, the urge to play a prank arose. He quietly snuck up behind her, and then...
"Hi~"
He tapped her on the shoulder. As expected, Miss Ayaka let out a yelp of surprise, startled.
When she looked up, she saw a silver-haired JS (elementary school girl) staring at her with a grin.
"It's you! Caster!"
Ayaka was clearly not unfamiliar with Illya. After all, she had been by Ozymandias's side during the King's Banquet a few days ago... though, she'd had no right to speak or participate, essentially being a background character.
The appearance of this Caster made Ayaka more than a little flustered.
To be caught off guard by a Servant like this... surely she wasn't going to be attacked, right?
"Well... don't worry, I'm not going to harm you. Besides, you've probably mistaken me for that other child," [Illya] said, guessing Ayaka's thoughts and offering reassurance.
Logically, no one would believe such words. At least, if it were Mr. Kiritsugu, he would have tried to eliminate this wild Ayaka Sajyou on the spot. But... for some reason, even though Ayaka wasn't in a good mood, the gentle, youthful voice in her ear put her at ease... it felt incredibly sincere.
It was a strange feeling, but Ayaka's emotions stabilized.
The two sat on a park bench. Ayaka, with a hint of caution and unease, accepted the grape juice offered by the silver-haired girl and whispered:
"Thank you."
"Well, as long as you don't hate it—"
"Is there something you wanted from me?"
"Not really—I was actually just chatting with your sister's Servant. When I came out, I saw you standing at the crossroads looking all gloomy. It made me quite concerned."
"...My sister's Servant?"
"Mm-hmm, that's right. The Fairy Queen Morgan."
"...This..."
Noticing Ayaka's strange reaction, [Illya] instantly understood. "It seems... your troubles are related to that child as well."
"..."
As Manaka Sajyou's younger sister, and even holding a contract with a powerful top-tier Servant like Ozymandias... well, in reality, it was Ramesses who was in control, and she was just an insignificant little transparency... but regardless of her status or power, she couldn't possibly stay out of this Holy Grail War.
Moreover, Ayaka herself didn't want to stay out of it.
At the end of the day, anyone who participates in the Holy Grail War must have their own wishes.
Ayaka Sajyou was, of course, no exception.
Born into the Sajyou family, a prestigious magus family in Kyoto, and having an overly outstanding older sister like Manaka Sajyou, she naturally felt immense pressure.
The only good news was that her sister, due to being too exceptional, had lost her ambition and become a deadbeat. While this relieved some pressure, it also meant that Ayaka had to carry the Sajyou family of her generation.
But...
It was impossible!
Ayaka was well aware of her own limitations.
Not only were her skills as a magus terrible, but her compatibility with the Sajyou family's traditional black magic was abysmally low.
Even her personality was awful... gloomy, timid, vain, and most fatally, indescribably ordinary.
She knew very well that there was practically no shining quality to be found in her.
Therefore, her purpose in participating in this Holy Grail War was to become outstanding, to become as brilliant as her sister.
However... her sister was also participating in this war.
Though because of their usual sisterly affection, Manaka had even been willing to let her off the hook during the subjugation battle on the second night, not taking advantage of her situation to eliminate Rider as well.
But today, her sister had changed.
She had become very forceful, demanding Ayaka's cooperation and obedience... not at all like the deadbeat sister she used to be. It was as if she had reverted to her former high-spirited self.
Ayaka was incredibly conflicted.
She was a little afraid of her sister... her intuition told her that if she didn't obey, her sister would probably not hesitate to kill her, disregarding their past sisterly bond.
Her status, position, and even her power made it difficult for Ayaka to resist.
But...
Ayaka, with her own wishes, was unwilling to become a mere subordinate to her sister, a machine that simply followed orders.
"My sister is so... she doesn't consider my feelings at all," Ayaka couldn't help but complain, her voice filled with resentment as she poured out her grievances.
Honestly, when she realized what she was doing, Ayaka herself was astonished.
Given her gloomy personality, she would never normally vent like this, let alone to a stranger like Illya... no, from the perspective of the Holy Grail War, she was an enemy!
Pouring her heart out to an enemy... doesn't that sound unbelievable?
Yet... for some reason, she felt at ease, no longer needing to hold back. Even though she realized it was inappropriate, she couldn't stop herself from dumping all the trash in her heart.
"I'm sorry... I shouldn't be telling you this."
"Mm-hmm~ It's okay~"
"After all, you looked like you were in a really bad mood, didn't you?"
"Talking like this, getting everything you want to say out, makes you feel a lot lighter, doesn't it?"
Ayaka didn't speak, but she did indeed feel much better now.
And [Illya], looking at this girl who was hiding her head like a quail, smiled.
"You probably don't know much about that child, do you?"
"...Yeah, I don't understand my sister at all. I have no idea what she's thinking... I guess that's the difference between an ordinary person like me and a genius."
"...Mmm, what a gloomy thought."
"Ah, yeah, I just have this gloomy, unlikable personality," Ayaka said, somewhat self-deprecatingly.
"You know... you probably don't realize it, do you? Manaka Sajyou, your sister, possesses something that most people in this world can't even imagine."
"If 'genius' is used to compare with normal people, then even among a multitude of geniuses, that child is someone who could reach the very top."
"...?"
Ayaka was stunned. This was the first time she had heard this.
My sister... is she that amazing?
"Ordinary people have their loneliness, and geniuses have their own troubles."
"It's undeniable that what the latter can achieve with ease is something the former may strive for their entire lives and never reach... but... what I'm saying is, why must you compare yourself to a genius?"
"Everyone has their own life, their own path, right?"
"..."
"Follow your heart, live your life to the fullest, and even if you fail, you can say, 'I fought hard.' At the end of your life, it will become a fond memory to cherish... Of course, it might be a bit bittersweet, but that's just how the world is. There are beautiful things, and there are imperfect things."
"The real point is how you see it, how you treat it, how you face it."
"Of course, I guess you probably don't understand what I'm saying."
"...How about this? Let me show you this. I got it from a good friend of mine, a child named Pardofelis."
As the girl spoke, she raised her hand, revealing... a coin engraved with a cat's paw?
It was a rather crude-looking thing, but it seemed to have been cherished by its owner. But what was the meaning of something like this?
"Try touching it."
Ayaka took the coin, a bit bewildered. The moment it landed in her palm... she seemed to feel something...
It was the life of a girl named Pardofelis...
How should she put it... although this child seemed to have outstanding luck... even taking that into account, her circumstances were worlds apart from Ayaka's, who was born into a prestigious family in Kyoto.
And yet... why could she be so happy? Ayaka seemed to have found the answer.
...Contentment brings happiness.
Ordinary people have their own joys.
"I'm giving this coin to you."
"...Really? This must be something very important, right?" Ayaka no longer looked down on the coin in her hand. Instead, she was surprised and taken aback.
"Sentiment doesn't need to be attached to an object. It should be in the hands of someone who needs it. And I know that right now, you need it more than I do."
"..."
"Don't worry, Felis won't blame me. With her personality, she'd probably complain and be happy at the same time. After all... the object she gave away truly helped a lost girl."
"And now, I'm sure I don't need to say anything more, do I?"
"Honestly, I'm not very good at this kind of preaching. Preaching is always so annoying, isn't it?"
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Well... that's good..."
"It's getting dark... night is coming, and I should go. By the way, while you look cute with glasses, you'd probably be even cuter without them."
"At least from my personal perspective, you're not as plain as you say you are~ A beautiful girl should have a little more confidence in herself."
"Just like a vibrant flower standing tall under the bright sun, a confident girl will also be more beautiful—"
The youthful, gentle words echoed in her ear.
Ayaka Sajyou watched as the figure disappeared from her sight. Sitting on the park bench, she tightly clutched the cat-paw coin, now warm from her body heat. She lowered her head, for some reason feeling her face grow hot... and her heart pounding in her chest...
She thought she might be starting to understand why her sister was so obsessed with this person.