Fate: As Gilgamesh

Ch. 4 Contemplation

"I-I appreciate your help. Fujimaru, Mash. And... the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh... is it okay to call you that?"

"...If you wish to show gratitude, fulfill your duties. Let your achievements be the only repayment to me."

"U-Understood."

"Fufu... Look, Mash, the bossy director is giving Gil the silent treatment."

"I-It's audible, senpai."

"And you! Yes, you, Fujimaru Ritsuka! Why are you the Master here? I understand that you Rayshifted here, but why is Mash a Servant? Explain it to me!"

"I can't."

"You can't!?"

"Fujimaru-kun, please don't tease the director. You see, she's a bit difficult in interpersonal relationships..."

"What do you mean!? My relationships are none of your concern, right!? Ugh, I can't stand it! Where is Lev? Where is he!?"

"Well, well, director, getting angry will ruin your beauty, you know? Want some gum?... Ah, sorry, it was my last one."

"Why are you so carefree!? Are you mocking me!?"

Ritsuka laughs, Olga Marie gets angry, and Mash gets flustered.

"In different circumstances, seeing these young friends getting along like this would make me feel warm and fuzzy."

"It can't be helped. It must be harsh for those young girls to expect a warrior's attitude. When they are in life-threatening situations, they naturally hone their instincts for life and death."

"...You're quite tolerant. Are you in a good mood, or do you see something in her?"

"See something, huh. Yes, indeed."

In terms of highlights, the girl calling herself the Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka, has plenty of them.

In the face of mortal danger, she laughs, looks into an unseen future, and steps over despair lying in her path.

Her spirit is the complete opposite of my past self, who enjoyed peace and tranquility. I must admit, I'm impressed with her resilience and resilience, although I won't praise her aloud.

And by her side, Mash, the young girl, also has plenty of highlights.

She always uplifts herself. Her heart, her body. She confronts battles with courage.

She acknowledges the fear residing in her heart and struggles to move forward despite her hesitations.

In the current situation, physical strength is trivial; it's the heart that dares to face challenges that becomes the guiding light to open the path to the future. She might not be aware of it, though.

"At the very least, it's not a bad idea to take care of the fledglings. Protecting and supporting imperfect Contractees is part of the job."

"...Honestly, I was worried if she could control such a mighty Servant like you. But it seems I was worried for nothing."

I sense Roman's voice softening. It seems he has lowered his vigilance towards me and has begun to trust me a little.

"In your current state, I don't feel the tyrannical temperament. This is a rare fortune that comes once in a thousand years. I hope this fortune lasts a bit longer."

"Hmph... I won't forgive you if you collapse, doctor. Placing such young girls on the front line. You, as the elder, should compensate them with proper labor and dedication. I won't tolerate negligence. I'll allow carelessness and complacency, but that's it."

I'll make sure to drive the point home just in case... I don't entirely trust this frivolous man. There's something about him that feels lacking in enthusiasm in his statements.

"He hits the nail on the head, this king. Of course. I'm going to do my mission, or rather, what I should do, properly. Because that's my way of fighting."

...But at the same time, an unwavering sincerity comes through. I can't trust him, but I can rely on him. I can't gauge his true intentions, but there's no problem entrusting my back to him, which is where things seem to settle.

"Encourage them..."

In that case, the problem lies with myself as a Servant.

During the previous battle, I couldn't shake off the lingering discomfort. It felt like I was fundamentally misunderstanding how to fight.

"...Doctor. My class was Archer, correct?"

"Yeah? That's right. Your Spirit Origin is registered as an Archer. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Archer is a class that uses bows."

"Yeah, that's right. So you're an Archer."

"I see... bows, huh?"

Bows, bows indeed. Certainly, at that moment, I didn't take up a bow and instead engaged in close combat with a random sword, clearing out the small fry.

Is this the source of my discomfort? As an Archer, I didn't use a bow. This conclusion seems to fit well.

After all, in my previous life, I was nothing more than an ordinary person who never stood on a battlefield. I couldn't have any knowledge of fighting.

"Alright, next time, I'll go into battle with a bow in hand. That's what it means to be an Archer, right?"

"...You're pretty relaxed about trying out role-playing, King of Heroes. Is this just another way to pass the time?"

"Fool. It's the result of contemplation. A challenging spirit is crucial in everything."

"Such a positive King of Heroes!"

He's such an exaggerated reactor.

...Well, that's true. There's no point if I don't make efforts to improve.

I am the soul of the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, poured into this vessel, a dry and tasteless soul. I must aim to be at least fitting of this vessel.

"Hey, Gil! We're about to depart!"

It seems the conversation has come to an end. Ritsuka is waving from a distance.

"Come on, looks like she's calling you. My King?"

"She's a lively girl. Well then, shall we get going..."

—Moment

"!!"

I sense a piercing intent to kill, and at the same time,

"Ritsuka!! Get down!!"

"Huh..."

"Senpai!"

I raises my voice, and an arrow is shot towards Ritsuka with tremendous force.