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[FMMIKA] Chapter 162: Introduction (I)
🕑 Added 2023-09-02 20:37:21 +0000 UTCThe atmosphere improved once again.
With all three Artoria Faces gathered together, Artorius had triple happiness.
However, having learned from the previous incident, Artorius didn't dare to be impulsive this time. He didn't want to end up in an awkward situation with a bunch of people showing up behind him.
Before Mordred, Artoria, and X could calm down, Artorius nudged aside the three.
While snapping his fingers to repair the damaged palace, Artorius quietly whispered to the three, "We'll come back when no one's around."
This made the three Artoria Faces show embarrassed yet happy smiles.
===
Though the emotions of the three Artoria Faces were soothed, the incident of the crash of the spaceship—Dun Stallion II, was not yet resolved. After all, in the entire Orleans, tens of thousands had witnessed the odd object falling from the sky and collapsing the newly constructed palace.
This matter needed an explanation; X couldn't just scratch her head and playfully say—"Hahaha~ Sorry about that~" and get away with it.
So, a little later, a meeting was convened in the grand conference hall of the Palace of Orleans, attended by various higher-ups of the empire. Not all the distant officials could be present, but they were connected remotely through magic crystal balls.
Curiosity and concern abounded.
An enormous object falling from the sky, landing on the emperor's palace—what if it had caused harm to him? After all, the emperor had no heir yet. What if the impact harmed his pelvis?
Morgan, Scathach, Vivian, and others were particularly anxious about Artorius's situation.
It wasn't until they laid eyes on Artorius that they breathed a sigh of relief.
Excellent, tail and all, no problems. He still looked capable of 'fighting' for another three hundred rounds. That put their minds at ease.
Artorius was followed by Mordred, and then Artoria. The latter seemed to have gained a bit of weight. If this continued, would she end up plump (thicc)?
With the competition among the Artoria Faces seemingly ended without a fight, everyone was in high spirits. Artorius's 'cream supply' was certainly abundant, but who wouldn't want a few more 'cream'?
And then there was X. Following behind Artorius with a bored expression, but she suddenly froze upon seeing Morgan. Her eyes widened, mouth agape as if about to shout—"Damn sister, taste my blade!"
"..."
There seemed to be an odd increase in the number of Artoria's clones?!
Scathach, Vivian, and the other Knights of the Round Table behind them turned to look at Morgan as they thought of that.
Morgan: "...?"
'Why the hell are you all staring at me?'
'Are you implying this is somehow my fault?!'
'You think every Artoria is my homunculus? You're all insane.'
With a vexed urge to kill, Morgan managed to restrain herself through extraordinary willpower.
On the other hand, X was about to charge at Morgan, so Artorius had no choice but to intervene by wrapping an arm around X's waist.
She struggled briefly and then relented, leaving Merlin on the sideline somewhat disappointed.
Merlin almost felt tempted to set up a bet, placing odds on the outcome of a duel between Morgan and X.
"It seems everyone is quite curious about X's origins." Once everyone assembled in the conference hall and took a seat, Artorius began. "The topic of this meeting also concerns her. X, introduce yourself."
"Yosh!"
Amid the surprised gazes of the imperial higher-ups, X unabashedly proclaimed:
"Hey there, fellow members of the Knights of the Round Table! I'm Mysterious Heroine X, but you can just call me X. I'm a hunter of Sabers as well as Artoria Species from the Sapphire Galaxy (Servant Universe)! Please support my noble cause and help me in my mission to hunt down Artoria Species!"
With those words, X hopped onto the table.
How did that saying go again?
Both fools and smoke love heights. Like X right now.
"..."
"Pfttt..."
As the people pondered what to say, Morgan couldn't hold back a laugh upon seeing someone who resembled her sister acting so foolish. This earned her an indignant glare from X. Nonetheless, she had more pressing matters to attend to than dealing with Morgan.
"It appears you're all unaware of the consequences of Artoria Species' expansion!"
X exclaimed loudly, full of vigor.
"Those beings are utterly shameless! They have unquenchable hunger, one can devour a hundred of foods, even more! They look unexpectedly cute but charmingly deceptive! Their brains aren't functional, but they possess immense destructive power, and they lack control!"
"So, wherever Artoria Species appears, anything around will become desolate. Crops are devoured, cities and roads are ruined, economies collapse, societies are thrown into chaos, and then—"
At this point, X's gaze landed on a girl among the figures present, someone who appeared easily manipulated.
"E-Eh? Me?"
Gareth pointed to herself, somewhat surprised and bewildered.
"Yes, you, child! Have you suffered at the hands of Artoria Species?"
"Ehh?!"
As Gareth uttered a surprised gasp, X leaped from the table and approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I can tell, I can definitely tell! You must have encountered Artoria Species at some point without realizing it. Were you bullied by them? Is it because they took your food? Stole your beloved weapon? Or perhaps, they took your boyfriend?"
"?!"
Upon being addressed by X in such a manner, Gareth found herself in a state of shock, her emotions remaining unsettled for quite some time as she glanced at Artoria.
X didn't provide an answer or explanation; instead, she continued her words with an enticing tone.
"Feeling lonely? Feeling angry? But Artoria Species is too powerful, you surely aren't a match for them, right?"
"Yes, that's right!" Gareth seemed to have caught onto the infectious mood, her gaze at X becoming somewhat spirited. "I was... I was... I was bullied!"
*Thump!*
In the next moment, just as X was about to further entice Gareth into the conversation while Artoria covered her face in embarrassment, Artorius opportunistically gave X's head a light knock on the head, causing her to wince in pain and hold her head, crouching.
"Ouch!"
"Clearly, this child's wisdom..." Artorius interjected, tapping his own temple with a finger, "Isn't the sharpest. Her words are mostly just imagination and delusion, so don't take them too seriously."
"..."
"I see."
"Hahh, that scared me."
"Just as I thought."
"Well then, with all these twists and turns, this homunculus created by Lady Morgan is just a case of autism."
"What's that got to do with me?!" Morgan retorted, but no one paid any heed.
Hearing Artorius's explanation, the figures present collectively breathed a sigh of relief before engaging in lively discussions.
For instance, Mordred who was visibly relieved while patting her chest, asked, "Brother, are all those stories about Artoria Species' evil deeds just lies?"
"Correct."
"The devastation caused, the famine and destruction, all fabricated?"
"Correct."
"Both bullying and economic collapse, also false?"
"Yes."
"Oh, that's good then." Mordred grinned with relief. "In that case, that Sapphire Galaxy thingy is just this dolt's imagination, haha..."
"No." Artorius calmly corrected. "That part of her speech is true."
"..."
The conference hall instantly fell silent; even the drop of a pin could be heard clearly.
