Chapter 436: [436] The Holy Maiden Who Saved the Nation Actually Fainted from Hunger Under a Tree in Romania
He told her what had happened after she lost consciousness, explained the meaning of the Command Spell on the back of her hand, and outlined the overall situation of the Holy Grail War.
He told her... what her fellow homunculi were currently enduring.
"Submerged in icy fluids, having their magic extracted while lost in confusion, dying without even realizing it; or rushing to the battlefield, fighting against terrifying magical constructs and Servants, only to become expendable casualties of war, perishing without a sound..."
Watching the homunculus tremble at his description, Sakatsuki narrowed his eyes with pointed implication: "Your kin aren’t like you—emerging from their cultivation pods of their own will, capturing the attention and compassion of heroes. They have no freedom."
Freedom... Upon hearing this word, the homunculus couldn’t help but show a gloomy expression.
She understood the meaning of freedom, but that very understanding made it all the more painful and difficult to accept.
"Since your lifespan is shorter than a human’s, it’s only natural you’d experience the impermanence of life at an accelerated pace—not like those justice-believing children stepping out of their ivory towers to learn the world isn’t black and white, but seeing its bloody hellscape from the very beginning."
Once again seeing through the homunculus’s thoughts, Sakatsuki continued: "This is the way of existence you’re destined to experience. The wings of heroes can’t shelter you forever. Astolfo is merely a knight, and now you’re the Master—he’ll only follow your lead. So do you understand now, Miss Homunculus?"
As the morning star heralding dawn rose, Sakatsuki turned around. The morning light cast his elongated shadow across the ground as the young man smiled, offering a blessing laced with sarcasm:
"Welcome to the world."
Faced with that overly dazzling smile, the homunculus closed her eyes as if stung—then reflected on her brief existence.
What meaning did her freedom truly hold?
She had escaped to survive, sought salvation; fled for survival only to fail, even facing death; yet now she had awakened again and gained freedom.
Though her life had been exceedingly short, she’d been favored by fortune multiple times. She was no different from the other homunculi... No, the other homunculi were now fundamentally different from her. They would all meet death without exception, while she would continue living.
And because of her escape, yet another innocent compatriot would become a sacrificial offering in her place.
There was no helping it—
Summarizing it with such words would be simple. A single phrase like that could easily sever her connection to them—but such words must never be spoken.
The homunculus hadn’t forgotten how the search party, her companions, had ultimately let her go despite receiving orders to capture her.
When she later heard about this from Rider, what was that feeling of joy she’d experienced? Wasn’t it precisely because she’d sensed a bond between comrades that transcended their creator’s commands?
If so, then my wish couldn’t be clearer.
I have gained my freedom. So, I want others to have it too. Just as the heroes granted it to me.
Let me become the pioneer for my comrades, their hero.
"My wish... is to save them. I must save my comrades who will die if things continue this way."
Under Sakatsuki’s guidance, the homunculus finally voiced her true feelings.
"...I want to save them, save my comrades—those who long for rescue but cannot even voice their pleas, and those who never imagined salvation, living only to march toward death."
"You mean you want to save the homunculi in that fortress?"
Facing Sakatsuki’s question, Sieg nodded firmly, and Sakatsuki responded with an approving smile.
"Good. But to achieve this, you’ll need power."
As he spoke, Sakatsuki turned and grasped the homunculus’s arm. "Coincidentally, you hold the key to unlocking that power."
"You mean... the Command Spell, the contract I formed with Rider?"
"Exactly. If you wish to liberate your brethren, you’re destined to return to the Fortress of Millennia, aren’t you?" Sakatsuki nodded, about to say more when his expression shifted slightly. He pulled the homunculus behind him, eyes sharp as he scanned the path they had come from.
No sound—only a breeze weaving through the trees, casting shifting shadows.
"...I’ll check the situation. Wait here."
With those words, Sakatsuki left the homunculus behind and stepped into the dense forest.
Following the fleeting glimpse and the unmistakable sound of something heavy collapsing, the young man moved swiftly through the woods until he found the source of the disturbance.
And in that instant, he froze, eyes widening in disbelief.
Through the gaps in the trees, the faint light of dawn filtered down, illuminating the gently swaying hair of a girl—beautiful as golden silk. Though weary, her eyes, clear as amethysts, fixed determinedly on the young man, making Sakatsuki avert his gaze, unable to meet them directly.
"Ruler... Jeanne d’Arc..."
Sakatsuki certainly recognized the girl before him. His shock stemmed from the fact that he had explicitly ordered Siegfried, Astolfo, and Artoria to conceal his and the homunculus’s whereabouts. Combined with the unpredictable nature of the Blue Faction, Jeanne shouldn’t have been able to find him.
Could it all be the choice of Steins Gate?
At this moment, Sakatsuki hadn’t yet considered the possibility of Artoria betraying him at this juncture. He simply stared blankly at the girl, as exquisite as a work of art, before regaining his composure and extending a hand toward Jeanne with an unreadable expression.
In the next instant, the girl immediately grasped his hand.
"Thank goodness... I finally found you!"
Her smile was radiant, her expression brimming with trust—as though she were pouring all her faith and emotions into him without reservation.
The moment those words left her lips, Sakatsuki’s mind buzzed violently, as if a storm had erupted within his heart or a bomb filled with syrup had detonated in his head. All thought, strategy, and planning were utterly swept away by the saintly maiden’s smile.
The warmth from Jeanne d’Arc’s tightly held hand transmitted through their clasped palms. As the golden-haired maiden flashed her radiant smile, the young man’s calm golden eyes—once still as a lake—began to waver, waver, waver...
Until finally, they erupted into tsunami-like turbulence.
"Ah, um, I’m not your enemy."
Finally realizing the impropriety of her actions, Jeanne flusteredly tried to explain while attempting to withdraw her hand. Yet the young man gripping her palm only tightened his hold, refusing to let go.
"Of course I know who you are—Jeanne d’Arc, the Ruler of this Holy Grail War."
At the boundary between night and dawn, the morning star glittered across the sky set ablaze by sunrise, its light filtering through the forest branches with a gentle, tempered glow.
The illumination revealed the young man’s handsome features and the faint smile playing at his lips.
"Hello... and goodbye."
"Eh?"
A heavy blow struck the back of her neck. Before the saint could even register shock on her face, her eyes closed as she was forcibly plunged into unconsciousness.
I let my guard down... didn’t dodge...
This was Jeanne’s final thought before darkness claimed her.
With one precise chop, Sakatsuki watched the now unconscious Jeanne, his expression returning to its usual placidity. He scooped up her fragrant, soft form in his arms and turned back toward the homunculus.
"Let’s go. We still have ground to cover."
Ignoring the curious glances around him, Sakatsuki spoke impassively while carrying the Ruler of this Holy Grail War.
"The rest of the journey... you’ll walk alone."