Chapter 153 149: Alliance
"What exactly do you want?" Artoria asked, turning toward him the moment she noticed Arthur had lowered his spear.
"A particularly repulsive Servant has been summoned… and I want to kill him with my own hands."
Arthur replied bluntly, a subtle coldness in his tone contrasting with the faint smile still on his lips.
"To be honest, I don't want to put the girls in danger. So I hope we can form an alliance… and that they can stay here until the end of the Holy Grail War."
He made no attempt to embellish his intentions or hide his motives.
Artoria kept her gaze fixed on him for a few moments.
She found no obvious falsehood in his words.
After that brief assessment, she looked away and turned to Kiritsugu.
"What do you think, Master?" she asked.
"It's your decision, Kiritsugu," Arthur added, crossing his arms calmly. "Do you want to ally with me… or shall we fight here and now?"
It was a clear choice, with no middle ground.
Kiritsugu remained silent for a moment.
His eyes lowered briefly to the ground as his mind worked at high speed.
If that man was trustworthy, then forming an alliance would undoubtedly be an excellent option.
Not only because of the power he had demonstrated, but also because of how he had completely dominated Lancer in direct combat.
That alone placed him far outside any normal standard.
Moreover…
Even in the worst-case scenario, if only Lancer and that man remained until the end, Kiritsugu still believed in victory.
He saw no way to lose, because he held an absolute advantage.
The combination of Lancer and Avalon.
Even so, trusting a stranger was a risk.
And risks were something he wanted to avoid as much as possible.
His eyes slowly rose, settling on Artoria.
"Lancer… what do you think?"
It was difficult to truly trust a Berserker-class Servant—especially one who retained his sanity.
The very existence of someone like that broke one of the most fundamental premises of the Holy Grail War.
A rational Berserker?
That alone was an anomaly.
Even though he had already made his decision, Kiritsugu still looked at Artoria. After all, she had just faced him directly.
Her opinion carried weight in this matter.
He did, in fact, despise Artoria's female identity—not out of simple prejudice, but because he saw it as a distortion of the ideal of a "king" he had constructed in his own mind.
Even so, he had no doubts about her character.
"Although this man may have a questionable character… I believe he is trustworthy," she said, looking at Arthur.
"Is that so…?"
Kiritsugu murmured, more to himself than to anyone else.
After a brief moment of silence, he holstered his weapon with a calm, controlled motion, though he did not completely lower his guard.
Then he stepped forward and extended his hand.
"It's a pleasure working with you, Berserker."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"The pleasure is mine, Kiritsugu." He shook his hand.
Kiritsugu knew that having an ally of that level would undoubtedly increase his chances of obtaining the Holy Grail.
An agreement of cooperation had been reached.
---
Several hours passed.
The atmosphere in the Einzbern castle had changed.
It was still cold, but now far livelier than before.
The children quickly grew close to Illya.
With her cheerful and outgoing personality, she wasted no time breaking down any barriers.
Because of that, Arthur no longer needed to stay by their side at all times as he had before.
Even so, from time to time, he would stop and watch them in silence.
Like a father seeing his daughters finally making friends their own age.
As for Arthur himself, he had found a new pastime.
Fighting Artoria.
And, in a way, teasing her.
Despite her serious and disciplined demeanor, Arthur quickly discovered small ways to irritate her.
"Why are you staring at me like that, Berserker? It's rude."
Artoria asked, frowning slightly, clearly bothered by his persistent gaze.
"Hmm~"
Arthur tilted his head slightly, as if analyzing something curious.
"I'm still surprised when I think about it."
His eyes traced her figure without any attempt to hide it.
"Who would have imagined that the legendary King Arthur… would actually be such a beautiful woman? It only makes me more curious about you."
Artoria narrowed her eyes, her expression hardening.
"Have you ever heard the saying… curiosity killed the cat?" she replied dryly.
"Perhaps." Arthur shrugged. "But they also say curiosity is what moves the world."
Before Artoria could respond—
"I was also surprised when I found out."
Irisviel's voice appeared gently beside them.
She watched their interaction with a soft smile.
"By the way, Berserker… unless necessary, keep Lancer's name a secret," she said.
"I understand."
Arthur nodded slowly, but then a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.
"I was originally going to reveal my true name to you… but I changed my mind."
"Don't you think that's a bit unfair?" Artoria raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at him with a firm gaze tinged with subtle irritation.
"I think you're forgetting something, dear."
Arthur replied casually and, without any warning, lightly flicked her forehead.
"It would only be unfair if you had told me your true name… which you didn't, right?"
he added with a calm smile, as if pointing out something obvious.
Artoria fell silent for a moment, her brow tightening slightly before relaxing.
She let out a small sigh.
"You're right."
She admitted without resistance.
Arthur had spoken her name so naturally before that, for a moment, she had simply accepted it without question.
"I could tell you, actually…"
Arthur continued, stepping forward and closing the distance between them.
"…but on one condition."
Artoria held her ground, her gaze steady.
"And what would that be?"
she asked, her tone neutral but clearly cautious.
Arthur tilted his head slightly.
A more pronounced smile appeared on his lips.
"How about a romantic candlelit dinner?"
Without ceremony, he gently lifted her chin, forcing their eyes to meet directly.
The height difference between them became even more apparent.
His eyes held a provocative glint.
For a brief second, time seemed to slow down.
But then—
Tap.
Artoria brushed his hand away with a light but firm slap.
Not with excessive force.
But enough to make her answer clear.
"I refuse the offer."
she said, her expression returning to its usual composure.
Arthur laughed.
"How cold."
Then, without a care, he simply let himself fall backward, lying down on the cold snow.
Snowflakes gathered around his body as he rested his head on his hands, looking up at the sky.
"The more you refuse… the more I feel like winning you over."
he said lightly, yet with conviction.
Artoria looked down at him.
"You have a long road ahead of you, Berserker," she replied, turning her face slightly as if ending the conversation.
But there was no contempt in her voice.
Arthur's smile widened.
"Don't underestimate my charm, Lancer."
(End of Chapter)