While Waiting for Roland

Yahoo! Master! We're gonna go on an adventure!!!

...? Astolfo? Where are you going?

To France! I thought I'd pay Roland a visit.

...Um. I don't think Roland is around in 1431...

It's okay! All we gotta do is wander around France, and I'm sure he'll get summoned one of these days!

Now let's go, go, go!!!

H-hey, don't be so pushy!

Here...we...goooooo!!!

Senpai...Senpaaai!!!

...

...

Sorry! I'm lost!

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Master. If you knew this would happen, you should have said something earlier.

I guess there's nothing to be done now. Fortunately, you have camping supplies, so I suggest you spend the night in the forest.

Yay!!! Camping! Camping! Hey, do you have curry?

Curry! Curry!

...Um, if you're a Servant, you don't need to eat...

Ehhh?

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Yay! Thank you Master! Then make mine an extra large curry!

More! Mooore!

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Thanks!

I think you're spoiling Astolfo too much, Senpai.

I do.

Eh? Me!? Um...well...no...you mustn't...

Um, but if you insist, I shall gratefully...

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Master, Master! More!!!

Again!?

Whew! I ate a lot! I'm stuffed!

Master. You are out of emergency rations. You'll need to purchase food in town tomorrow...

Okay, then I'm going to sleep to prepare for tomorrow. Good night!

...Zzzzzz.

That was fast, Master. Astolfo just fell asleep in the middle of a sentence.

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Is that true? I've never met any children like that in Chaldea.

Oh, but I remembered something. It was when I first met you, Senpai...

Ahhh! What a refreshing morning! ...Huh? What's wrong?

N-nothing. I just didn't get enough sleep. It's okay. It shouldn't affect us in combat.

Ahaha. Master, you look sleepy too. Well, let's head off!

Where could Roland be?

In conditions like this, I sincerely doubt a Servant could be summoned easily...

I guess so...

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Roland? Hahahaha! That's a riot!

That guy...he's no good, Master. He's good-looking, but he's bad inside.

...No. That's not the word. He's not bad on the inside. Hmmm... To put it in today's terms, he's...disappointing?

No matter how good someone looks, you'd still kinda judge 'em if they ran around town naked, right?

Roland does that! Happily, even! It's practically a hobby! He'll just run around buck naked!

That's just the kinda guy he is, so prolly not really "lover" material, y'know?

...It's true. According to legend, Roland stripped his clothes off, mad with grief.

But I didn't think he really ran around...

Ayup. That's cause after that, he'd get naked every chance he had. Said he got hooked on it. Hooked!

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(Did he have a mental breakdown...?)

Anyway, let's go look for some enemies. My Astolfo-sense is telling me that fort looks suspicious!

Huh... Astolfo is always so pushy...

But if Roland ever joined us, I feel he would be a great asset. Let's do our best to find him.

Yep! He'd for sure be dependable, you've got the Astolfo guarantee on that! Other stuff...not so much.

Fou.

It seems like Fou is also concerned...or at least that's what I'm getting from that response.

By the way, I'm curious about something. Hey, Mash.

Yes? What is it?

Are you okay seeing naked men?

!

I-I-I-I...I suppose. I've never seen one, but I should be okay...

I-it is through the filter of a screen, too.

I-I-I-I think it should be okay. Yes. It'll be fine. I have a little knowledge about those things.

I'll be fine. I'll be ready. As long as you let me mentally prepare, it'll be totally fine.

Oh, good!

Yes. Please rest assured...somewhat.

...Master. I'm betting Mash will scream. What about you?

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I-I'll be fine! Totally! I'll definitely probably be okay!

We've arrived! Hey, you guys there.

...Hm? What?

You're looking kinda tired. Everything okay?

...It's complicated. This old man is considering quitting the soldiering life and go home...

Really? Then, good work! Hey by the way, did you see a naked handsome guy running around?

...A naked...handsome guy?

Yep!

A guy with a bright smile, but he looks a bit dumb, but at the same is stupid strong...that handsome guy?

Yep, that's the one. We're looking for him!

I see...you're looking for him? I see, I see. Hey, everyone!

Some friends of that naked jackass are here! Get 'em!

Eh...eh!? Wh-what, why!?

No questions asked! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Arrrf! Wooof!!!

What exactly happened to anger those men so much!? What did this Roland do!?

A-anyway, Astolfo! We need to calm them down!

I know, I know! I'll give 'em what for and that'll calm 'em right down! Astolfo PUNCH!

Well...um, I can't argue with that... Anyway, please strike with the flat of the blade, Master!

Why you...I curse you for the nakedness...ungh.

Whew. I worked up a good sweat.

Mine was cold sweat...

Um, the first guys...yeah, this guy! Hey! Are you okay?

Y-yeah... (Gasp) Wh-who the hell are you guys? And why're you so strong?

So tell me. Roland...I mean the naked guy...do you know where he is?

He ran wild in that fort and then disappeared... All we wanted to do was to put clothes on him...

That is...I can only say I'm sorry. I am pretty sure he didn't not mean to do any harm.

You need to find him, Astolfo.

Oh, and when he jumped up, he pressed his crotch on my face... I'm scarred...forever...

Hey! You gotta say stuff like that earlier! I put my face right next to yours!!!

Terrible...

Don't cry! Now I'm getting sad, too!

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N-no. If Roland is out there, running amok, then that's a problem we need to fix.

Let's at least resolve this problem.

Y-yeah. I'll do my best! So please don't abandon me, Master!

Hmmm...I haven't heard any screams...yet.

I'm worried about how all these citizens have this thousand yard stare...

They all look like they saw something no one should ever see.

I'm sure it's just a Demon King or something. Probably. Let's ask around.

I have a bad feeling about this...

Hey, soldier. Mind answering a question? See a naked guy running around the streets here?

...Naked. Guy. This. Road. Straight. Go.

I. Lead. Way. Follow. Me.

Really? Yay, a clue! Let's go, Master!

Aren't you the least bit suspicious about what that man said!? W-wait just a moment!

Hm. Hey soldier. Where's the naked guy?

You. Friends. That. Guy.

N-no, that's not...

Um, technically I am.

Fou!

Fou!?

I'm sorry! I couldn't help it! It just slipped out! Fou, I'm sorry!

Fufufu. This. Grudge. Must. Not. Ignore.

Uwaa! They're attacking! What the heck? We were tricked!

Not tricked, really. I knew they would attack. Of course they would!

Whew. We beat them. They were so pale, I thought they were zombies!

They seemed that way because of those dead fish eyes of theirs...

Ungh... So what the heck was he...?

What did he do to you guys?

I scolded him because he was naked. Then he got violent...

He even climbed onto the two hundred year old statue of our town's saint...and he mounted his head...

And he shouted "I'm the king of the world!!!"

The rest...was all a mess. Then he ran off, laughing.

The kids cried...the women blushed but stared...I'm starting to get really tired of living a proper life.

Please get a hold of yourself. It's okay. Please live a proper life!

You think so? I feel like I'm in an illusion and hallucination at the same time...

See? There's a little girl up ahead...

Oh, so it was an illusion.

Aw, c'mon. A little hallucination now and then is no big deal! People get to keep on having fun after they lose their sense of reason, too!

We absolutely need to stop this rampage!

Astolfo, we need to stop the pervI mean, Roland!

Got it! ...Wait a minute. I thought the plan was to get him to join us?

Oh well!

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He came through the city. Where could he have gone?

Oh, footprints!

I'll analyze them.

The print isn't from a shoe. It's from a bare foot.

...There's only one person crazy enough to walk a wasteland barefoot...

Roland! Okay! Let's get to trackin'!

I feel like we're playing a game of boy scouts! If Geronimo was here, he'd give us some big fancy lecture about tracking and the land or...something...

'Course, then I'd forget it about a minute later!

The footprints continue this way... This way... Turn this way... He climbed a tree...

Stole a bird egg... Ate it...

Ouch! I-I won't steal, okay!?

Afterward, he wasn't satisfied with just one egg... He wandered around...fought a wyvern..

Then ate it...

He ate it!?

Raw, too.

Raw!?

And then afterward, he got food poisoning from eating the raw wyvern, and he threw up right here.

Master! This is not encouraging!

Y-yes. As your navigator, I'll stick with you till the very end!

Oh...Master's getting discouraged too. A little more...let's stick to it a little bit more...!

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So...

Theeen he stepped all over his own vomit, then he staggered along...

And then he went to sleep sulking for just a bit. Hey, do you think it feels nice, sleeping naked on the ground like that?

This is like a strange geoglyph, isn't it?

But then...a wild horse came rushing toward him from the side...

And it kicked Roland's back. Oh, his mouth's bleeding a little.

I have no more energy to comment on this. Master, I leave the rest to you.

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But...

And then Roland stood up. He called for the horse's owner!

And then he got into an argument. Roland was so angry...

He choked the owner and tossed him under this tree...

H-how irrational...

Yet another victim.

And then Roland mounted the horse... Everything was going fine for a while...

But then he realized that riding a horse naked and bareback causes various areas to start hurting...and so he dismounted.

Neeeighhh. Brrrgh.

So it really does hurt?

Why not try it yourself? Naked.

Absolutely not.

A shame. By the way, mister horse, do you know where the naked guy who rode you went?

Neeeigh!

He said, "Follow me."

So we're finally going to meet him. Hnnn...my body's trembling...

...There! There he is!

I finally found you, Roland!

Master, I'm starting to get embarrassed! I'm not fine!

O-ooohhh...you are...are you by chance Astolfo?

Oh, oh! Clothes! He's wearing clothes! I'm so relieved!

Yeah...yeah it's me, Roland! I'm glad! I'm glad I could pick you out because you're wearing clothes!

If you were naked, I probably wouldn't have recognized your face!

Th-that cheerfully dumb child... You really are Astolfo!

Hey, it's been a while. How've you been?

Oh, let me introduce you! This is my Master.

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And this is Master's other Servant...she's a navigator for us now. Her name's Mash!

I'm Mash Kyrielight. I serve as a navigator for Master in Chaldea.

P-pleased to meet you.

...

...

...

...

Master, Master. He's looking at me. He's...really staring!

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You said your name is Mash Kyrielight.

Y-yes.

What a beautiful name... Fitting for someone as beautiful as you...

Eh, um...thank you very much.

The moon out tonight is...beautiful...

!?

Eh?

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I-I-I-I have no idea!

I'm not sure if those were romantic words or...I really don't have any experience with that!

Roland's waiting for a response. He's even prostrating himself!

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M-my apologies... I'm very sorry, but...

Men who like to be naked...are not really my...

...

Oh, he stood up. Hey, don't get discouraged just because you got rejected by a girl!

Although...people fall for me all the time so I've never been rejected!

WHAAAAAA...!??

If that's...how it is...then let's all die together!!! Together!!!

Eh, together!?

Yes! This will be like Romeo and Juliet! Oh Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo!?

Wrong role!

Now, if you can hand me my Juliet, Master Romeo!

Fufu...fufufu...fuhahahahaha!

...!

Master! He is not Roland!

To be clear, he's just lingering emotions Roland left behind...a remnant...

Anyway, he's a fake! That's such a relief!

Hmmm, so we're gonna have to fight, huh? Well, if he's a fake, it can't be helped! (Nobbu!)

Okay, Master! I'm going to win...for Mash's sake!

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Okay. I'm gonna pull out all the stops!

Come on, Hippogriff! Master's cheering you on! Let's give it our all!

I'm counting on you, Master!

Regret...! Nothing but regret!!!

Roland...

Unnnnggh... At least...before I die...I wanted to...

...Expose everything...

Even his evil ghost is saying that!? THAT'S your last wish!? Ahahaha! And that's why Roland's hilarious!

I bet even our king would laugh himself silly if he saw you!

By king, you mean...?

Charlemagne, of course! Now that I think about it... I wonder why he hasn't been summoned yet either...

Me, Roland, the king... One day I'd like to fight alongside them!

Okay! Anyway, we saw Roland! Kinda! And once he gets summoned properly, we can see him again!

But my Astolfo sense tells me that if we meet, it'll be in a REALLY dumb situation!

Sorry for all the hassle, Master. Now, let's go home!