Suffering and Pleasure are Life's Medicine for Relief

Sonar has a contact. Looks like nanomachine-enhanced Lamia! Lots of them!

All Servants on standby, prepare to deploy for battle!

What, seriously? Oh, all right. Achilles!

Yeah?

Paris has shown us what he can do, but you can't yet say the same.

If you really are able to fight, then you shouldn't have any problem proving it to us.

...Hmm.

Master!

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Now that Jason's said his piece, I want to know what you think.

Huh? You're roping him into this too?

Hell yeah I am. I don't go around just serving anyone who barks orders at me.

Got it! In that case, just sit back and enjoy the show!

That's what you're worried about, huh?

I can't say it's not slowing me down...but it's not gonna stop me from wiping the floor with a bunch of weaklings.

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Hup!

Feels a little weird to be floating on water... But it's nothing I can't handle.

Okay, kiddies. Time to learn why I was renowned as the strongest hero of the Trojan War!

Here I go!

For the record, the strongest hero of the Trojan War was my brother, Hektor!

Annnd done. Well, Master? Whatcha think?

I might not be at my best, but my speed and strength're still nothing to sneeze at, right?

Awesome. That's what I like to hear!

Nope. At my true speed, you wouldn't be able to see me at all.

The fact that I was visible at all just proves how weakened I still am.

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Huh?

I mean, I wasn't all that hurt, and I would've healed up on my own in a little while anyway...

But, thanks. I appreciate it.

Are you okay, Master!?

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Using a Mystic Code again immediately after a battle really takes a lot out of you.

Whoa, whoa. You all right there?

Here, Senpai, lean on me. I'll take you back to your room.

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... ...

Hey, you got a minute?

What's up, Mandricardo?

Well...

Fou fou...

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Hey, uh... Got a minute?

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I just felt like having a chat, Servant to Master.

Besides, I never finished my story.

No, see, that's the thing. I DID find it, just like I wanted to.

But

But before we get back to my stupid antics...

...and I apologize in advance if I'm way off base or out of line here...

...but do you think you might be being a little overeager?

No, wait. That's not clear at all, is it?

What I mean is, are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard? Or trying to act more positive than you feel?

I ask because I couldn't help but notice, when you healed Achilles earlier...

...you looked like you were pushing yourself way too hard, especially after you were already tired from fighting.

I even, erm, worked up the courage to ask Da Vinci about it...

...and she said you usually don't heal Servants after a battle like that at all.

So it sounds like before, you usually had a pretty good idea when to save your strength and when to go all out.

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...Well, if something changed, I'm sure there's a reason. And it might not really be my place to pry...

But if it's okay with you, maybe we could talk about it? We, uh, might have something in common.

Urgency, huh...? Hmm...

So that's why you haven't been acting like yourself.

Uh... Sorry if what I'm about to say is kind of rude.

...Sorry, this is gonna sound rude.

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Like I told you before, I'm a supporting character in the legend of Charlemagne.

Sure, there's some stories that focus on my personal exploits...

But in the end, I'm just an adversary there to be defeated.

So really, I'm just strong enough to make the battle compelling. That's it.

Hell, the only reason I'm a Rider is because I stole a horse more famous than meBrigliadoro was his name.

If it wasn't for that story, I might never have been summoned at all.

Basically... Um...

You see... Uh...

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... ...

...Well, yeah.

Don't get me wrong, though. I don't actually think you're weak. And I know Mash doesn't, either.

But as a hero with a hell of an inferiority complex... Well, let's just say like recognizes like.

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...I knew it. Guess my intuition's not completely useless after all.

That other Master... Kirschtaria, right?

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No way. Not even a little.

Listen, Master, that guy's just like me. He's nothing special.

When you're really strong, you can live your life elegantly, and you never have to make any hard choices.

When he attacked us, I was nearly knocked out cold and almost taken out of commission for good...

But you kept your wits about you, and above all, you survived.

That's what I call amazing.

...Listen.

A guy like me? I'll never measure up to the likes of Achilles or Heracles.

Hell, while I wish it wasn't the case, I don't think I can even beat Ruggiero, no matter how many times I fight him.

As for why that is, well... It's kind of a long story.

Crap. ...I'm sorry. Guess I really was off base.

I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions.

All that's left now is... Oh, right, the rest of my story.

Roland had thrown Durendal away, and I'd taken it for myself.

I did run into some trouble when I found it, but that didn't matter. They said it was no different than if I'd stolen it.

Once I'd defeated Zerbino and won the sword from him, I went around bragging about being the hero who had it all.

And I was so hopped up on the excitement of getting the legendary sword for myself that I didn't think twice about it.

As for what happened next, well... I think I'll just give you the short version.

I lost to Bradamante's lover, Ruggiero.

I was wearing Hektor's armor, wielding Durendal, and I still couldn't beat him.

Sure, Ruggiero was a hell of a hero, and he did have a demonic sword.

But...there's no doubt my weapon was better.

I think that's probably why I didn't bring that sword with me when I was summoned as a Servant.

Because in exchange for that sword...I gave up something I shouldn't have. Something important.

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...Gotcha. Well then, it was worth embarrassing myself.

...Anyway, getting back to my main point.

Just to be totally clear, Iwe, never once thought you were third-rate.

But if, in spite of that, you're thinking of yourself as powerless...

...or that you've got to do something, anything, to prove you got what it takes...

...well, you're just plain wrong.

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Uh... No, it's not that. That's not what I mean.

I mean you've already more than proven it.

You being here... Standing with us Servants...

The decisions you make...

Even if you can't help but think everything you do is third-rate at best...

...weI, have nothing but respect for it.

Okay, maybe not exactly FINE, but I can always bail you out if I have to.

Hell no.

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So...you know, let's only work as hard as we have to!

(Wait. Did I really just say that? That can't be what he needs to hear now, right?)

(Then again, I can't think of any better way to get my feelings across than that...)

(...Dammit, why am I so bad at putting my thoughts into words?)

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S-sure thing. ...I'm glad to hear that.

If you'd been all "How's this maudlin guy trying to cheer me up supposed to help!?" I'd have jumped straight into my spirit form and never looked back.

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Good point. You wouldn't, would you?

Aw, crap. I probably shouldn't be this frank with you, seeing how you're my Master and all.

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But, it's so, you know, improper and stuff...

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...Well, okay, if you insist. But it still doesn't seem right to me.

I mean, being this frank with each other is usually something reserved for friends and such.

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... ...

...Friends!?

B-b-but I'm like this mopey, awkward downer!

And a third-rate Servant! And a bad guy! (At least as far as Charlemagne's side is concerned.)

If you go around calling me your friend, people are gonna start throwing rocks at you and stuff!

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(Ahhhhhh! That's riiiiiight!)

(I forgot that this Master's most endearing quality is the way he gets along with pretty much everyone!)

(So of course he'd go along with being friends if I suggested it!)

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Uh, yes. I mean, o-okay, I hear you.

Then, uh...I guess from now on... you and I are officially friends.

Although, in that case, it'd probably be weird if I called you Master, huh?

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...Well, I think I'll still have to go with Master in battle and such, or it'll seriously throw me off, but...

O-okay then, in general, I'll call you, uh...

...Fujimaru...

...from now on.

J-just don't blame me if you regret this later!

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A-all right... If you're sure.

Okay, Fujimaru, make sure to stay warm and get plenty of sleep, okay?

(...Great. Now I sound more like a parent than a friend.)

Guh! That hit me way harder than I thought!

Y-you too. Good night!

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...And ever since that day, I vowed to never stop loving hidden eyes for as long as I lived.

That was quite the tale of adventure, wasn't it, Master!

Indeed.

I think, had it been written down, it might have been one of literature's greatest epic tales of tragic love.

Here, you can use this hankie.

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...Though you know, this is quite the adventure we're on right now, too.

I certainly never experienced anything like this back when I was alive.

This may be inappropriate for me to say, but I'm having a great deal of fun.

I see. That's a relief...

Yay! I'm glad you feel the same way!

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Usually, we only get a single life to live. That's a onetime only adventure in its own right.

...Hmm. You know, if it's not too improper of me to ask, what is it you guys really want to do here?

Oh, and I don't mean the obvious things like defeating this Lostbelt, helping Master, and saving the world.

I mean other, more personal kinds of things, if you have any. I figured sharing them could add to the fun.

Huh? ...Hmm. I-I'm not sure.

I mean, I definitely do want to be useful to Master...

But you're talking about things apart from that, right?

Exactly. The more selfish, the better, in this case.

For example, in my case, I'm hoping I get to meet the beautifully hidden eyes of the love of my life.

G-gotcha. If nothing else, you definitely know what you like, don't you?

Oh yes.

Let's see... What do I want...? This is tougher than I thought.

My wish to make a new friend I can just be myself with kinda already came true, so...

It did? Does that mean you're now friends with Orion and Achilles?

Nah, nothing like that. Those guys are just colleagues.

Anyway, I remember now.

All I want's the same thing I've always wanted: to be a great knight.

Oh? That's a surprise.

You may have been portrayed as a villain in the legend of Charlemagne, but I was under the impression you were already a fully-fledged knight who had been on grand adventures.

W-well...I guess I did accomplish enough that I could be all humble and say something like "Oh, it wasn't that big a deal."

...No, no, that's not good enough. I'm gonna stick with wanting to become a great knight.

Hmm, I see.

Well, seeing as your Hidden-Eyes-Depth is E-rank, I don't think you'll need any words of encouragement from me.

Yeah, yeah.

...Wait. What's "Hidden-Eyes-Depth"?

How about you, Ms. Corday?

If you could do anything in the world, what would it be?

Hmm...

... ...

I don't think I should be free to do whatever I want.

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Well, that's a unique perspective. And why do you think that?

Isn't it obvious?

The whole reason I ended up as a Servant is because I thought freely.

That's...

It looks like Mash already knows what I'm talking about.

I don't have any accomplishments to speak of.

I never achieved anything great like Drake. I never had any stories told about me like Jason.

I never had any adventures like Mandricardo's, and I was never a figure of myth like Orion.

I'm just a dumb assassin who committed a single murder that didn't amount to anything useful.

I thought about what I could do on my own, came up with a plan on my own, and tried to help save my country on my own, only for it all to end up being completely meaningless.

I'm a dumb, empty-headed assassin. That's all I'll ever be.

So I don't have any right to decide for myself. Not when there's no point in my even being alive.

...I don't agree with that.

Why not?

I overheard some strange things being said while I was swaying on the ocean currents, so I'm going to cut in.

If that was all it took to negate the point of living, there'd be none to Bartholomew or me being alive, either.

I'm a purely conceptual beingnothing more than a Phantom Spirit made up of a mix of Heroic and Divine parts.

And as for Bartholomew, his accomplishments were all, well, terrible.

Hahaha, I can't argue with that.

It's true. I made no contributions to human history whatsoever.

I can't even claim to be the most notable pirate. That was all that idiot Blackbeard's doing.

And the other pirate Servants all have much more interesting stories to tell than I do.

Take, say, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. They're nothing if not memorable, right?

Voilà! Just like that, there's no point in my existence either!

Don't be silly! Those things couldn't be more different!

No, Ms. Corday. When you get right down to it, they're exactly the same.

He's right.

Ultimately...there's no point to most people's lives.

R-really?

That's true...

If Director Olga Marie hadn't happened to have kicked you out of that room back then...

...it's very possible that none of us would be here right now.

Though of course, you can and should take full credit for all the amazing things you accomplished afterwards, Master!

As your very first Servant, I couldn't be more proud to serve you.

Indeed.

But coincidence or not, I'm very grateful that you did.

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Fou. Fooou!

How about you, Jason? Where do you stand on this discussion?

What? You mean do I think there's any meaning to life?

What kind of boring question is that? It's just a matter of which point in your life you decide to look at.

Is it only worth moving ahead with life if there's some greater meaning to your existence?

And conversely, if there isn't any meaning to your existence, does that mean you should just...die?

Because if that were the case, all of humanity besides me would have gone extinct long ago!

Did he really just say what I think he said!?

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Hahaha! You can all bow to me now.

Yes, sir.

Are you nuts!? Why would you actually listen to him!?

Well, I don't really know what he's talking about, but it sounded really wise!

Dammit, you're even more gullible than I thought.

Hi, um, Apollo here. I think what you meant to say was 　"pure and innocent."

Do you even know how to make yourself useful!?

...Hehe. Hehehehe.

So somebody else did what I wasn't able to, huh...?

Yes, you may be right.

...But in that case, what's the point in our even being here?

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Huh?

Hmm. You may be right, Master.

There are sacrifices to be made, of course, and that's something to be sad about.

There's also the sense of duty we feel that drives us to help bring this war to a close.

But, all told, don't you think it's safe to say we're all having fun?

...Well, maybe.

Great! Now that that's settled... Let's talk love!

What do you say? Any interest in hearing about my extraordinary romantic exploits?

Um... Are we talking the kinds of stories reserved solely for those more, ah, mature audiences?

Will you lot knock it off already!? The encrypted comms line is not your personal phone party!

I'll especially thank you to not use it for such inappropriately salacious topics! There will be no tales of "extraordinary romantic exploits" on my watch!

In case you've forgotten, let me remind you that we are still very much in the middle of an operation!

... ...Hehe.

Huh?

There isn't...?

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... ...

I-I'm sorry. My mind is still trying to process what you said.

...So, life doesn't have any meaning?

And this pain I feel is normal?

...Yet...despite all that, our meeting like this is...exciting?

So, even though there's no point to my existence...that doesn't mean it's wrong for me to be here?

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...I see.

So you've met lots of different people, and had to say goodbye to most of them.

And even though you must have been through a lot of hardships...you're still able to smile like that.

... ...

C-can I ask you something?

Do you remember when we first met?

...That's right.

I remember I was so overcome with emotion that I cried.

Yes, well, for you, I'm guessing you mostly just remember the fact that I saved your life.

But for me, the much more important thing is the fact is that...I actually SAVED you.

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I'd never once been of any use to anyone. Not when I was alive, nor after my death.

So when I did something useful for you...that was the first time I ever did something useful for the world.

That got me wondering whether I even deserved to be part of something so wonderful...

And that's why I started crying.

It is through this servitude that your life will have meaning.

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Y-yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry. I was just spacing out a bit.

...Thank you, Master.

I really love you!

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Wha...!?

What?

... ...

!

I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant, um...

That you're a great Master, and someone I really respect...

O-oh. I see...

In that, I completely agree! I'm very proud to have Fujimaru as my Master.

Whoa there. If you're going to have a lovers' quarrel, take it to the Argo.

I don't allow that sort of thing here on the Royal Fortune.

H-huh? Why's that?

Because unsightly squabbles like that always end up reducing hidden eyes purity levels.

I don't allow lovers' quarrels on the Argo either. Know why?

Because in Greece, doing anything romantic in nature is tantamount to ASKING for death!

Trust. Me.

I can tell you speak from painful experience.

Anyway, that's enough chitchat. It won't be long till we reach our destination now.

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Let's go get ready to disembark, Master!

Ms. Corday?

?

Oh, please don't call me "Ms."

My apologies, Lady Corday. I just wanted to say that was quite the front you put up there.

... ...

...You're very perceptive, aren't you, Bartholomew?

Well, I expect I have a big leg up on the most when it comes to things of this sort.

That said, you weren't exactly hard to read.

Do you think I'll regret it if I don't say anything?

Regrets and partings are an intrinsic part of life, Lady Corday. Especially now that we're Servants.

...Life really doesn't ever go the way you want it to, does it? Not even when you get a second chance at it.

I see. Then I take it my suspicions were on the mark?

... ...

I'll say. They were right on the money, dammit.