Section 4: Goddess of Hospitality

N-ngh...

Please... Please stop patting my head...

Hehehe.

Medusa, right? You fight so well, especially for as small as you are.

I was so moved watching you in action. Tell me, do you like xocolatl?

If you don't care for sweets... Here, just a minute.

I think I had some handy tools and god-slaying weapons I wouldn't mind letting go of right around here...

Aaaaaaah!

I was doing my best to ignore all this and focus on my meal, but I just can't take it anymore!

Who ARE you!? And why do you look exactly like me!?

We are way past the point you should've started explaining yourself!

Oh... Hey, you're right. I haven't introduced myself, have I?

I'm so sorry about that.

My name is Manannan.

Manannan mac Lir: child of Lir the sea god, a Divine Spirit, and the king of Tír na nÓg.

It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, last Master of humanity.

Wha

Manannan!? Did you say Manannan mac Lir!?

... ...

Master!!!

？！

Manannan mac Lir, child of Lir the god of the sea...

That's the god of the ocean in Celtic mythology, ruler of the Otherworld, and an enormously talented mage.

He owns a tremendous variety of magic items and bestows them upon heroes he deems worthy.

And, he is the foster parent of Cú Chulainn's father, Lugh, the sun god.

Right, Bazett?

Y-yes, that's right... Assuming this Servant here really is who she claims, anyway.

I mean, Manannan is definitely the god of the ocean in Celtic mythology, but...

Hold on. A Divine Spirit requires a human vessel to materialize as a Servant.

So then, does that mean

But then... Huh? I don't understand.

You're right, Astraea.

I am a Pseudo-Servant, and Bazett there is my vessel.

But that's impossible!

It is! If you're using her as a vessel...

...then how do you explain Bazett herself still being here?

？！

... ...

Hmm. Well, I guess you could say I'm a little like Bazett's big sister at the moment.

But, as Bazett said earlier, it's time I explain everything.

What do you mean, my big sister!? How was that necessary to say!?

And let's not forget, Manannan is supposed to be a man

Oh, that bit's hardly unusual. This is far from the first time a Divine Spirit's gender has changed due to the vessel they chose.

Please try to stay calm, Bazett.

You'll have plenty of time to be angry after you've heard her out if you still want, right?

Grr...

All right, fine. Please...go on.

It all began the day I ran away from Chaldea.

I had to take my leave of Chaldea for a while for...personal reasons.

And with Amor's help, I Rayshifted here.

Thanks to the magical energy repository she gave methat is, the Holy GrailI had no problem maintaining my materialization.

Then, just as I was about to set off for a bit of soul-searching...

...I heard a voice.

A voice, huh.

It was no more than a tiny whisper. If there had been any wind that day, I wouldn't have heard it at all.

I followed the voice to its source, and there...

...I found a tiny, half dead sprout, not long for this world.

You don't mean...!

Was that the Theobroma sprout from the memoir?

It must have been. So, it just barely managed to survive...

Now I see what happened.

I know you can't save every single life. Maybe I should have just let this one go.

But, I am a generous soul... I simply didn't have the heart to ignore its plight.

So I went to bestow just a tiny bit of life upon the sprout doing its very best to survive, but then...

... ...

？！

... ...

It stole the Holy Grail from me, along with all its magical energy.

What!?

No way! That's ridiculous!

How could a single plant possibly do something like that?

I honestly don't know, myself.

Maybe, rather than choosing me, who'd just been holding onto it...

...the Holy Grail chose to grant the wish of the sprout clinging to life.

However it happened...

Once the Theobroma sprout had taken the Holy Grail, this place became a minute Singularity.

Perhaps it's because I was present at the moment the world changed...

...but the next thing I knew, Bazett and I were both there at the same time.

... ...

... ...

？！

After that...

..the blast from the Holy Grail sent us both flying, and when I came to, I was far from here.

I had to fix matters.

So, to do that, I went about and destroyed the other Theobroma trees while I looked for Bazett.

You can imagine how relieved I am to have found her.

H-hang on. You've been destroying other trees?

Does that mean that tree we found wasn't the, uh, root of the problem? That there are other trees just like it still out there?

I'm afraid so. I've destroyed three trees like it so far.

Not one of them had the Holy Grail.

I'm guessing that the trees scattered across this region have spread their roots to form a network...

...and they're using it to move around and share the Holy Grail and the vitality they've stolen.

A tree that creates monsters and has its own network of support trees helping it...

If it's using a Holy Grail to do all that, then it's going to be a major problem.

Indeed.

Which is why I need to find the tree with the Holy Grail and finally destroy it.

I know I'm responsible for things getting so out of hand to begin with...

...but could I ask you for your help fixing this mess?

Hehe. Don't be so hard on yourself. Is that all you're concerned about?

... ...

Our whole reason for coming here was to repair this minute Singularity.

We'd have helped you find and destroy the tree even if you hadn't asked.

What Astraea said.

Our other mission was to locate the Rogue Servant.

Now that we've made contact with you, that's all taken care of.

Once we've handled this tree, our mission will be complete.

I see... If what Manannan says is true...

...then yes, recovering the Holy Grail from the Theobroma tree should be enough to repair this minute Singularity.

However, there's no telling what else may happen between now and then.

So I think it's best if I continue to focus on supporting the rest of you by monitoring the situation.

That's okay with you, right, Fujimaru?

？！

What about you, Bazett?

... ...

You...

You really expect me to believe something so ridiculous?

Bazett?

I can't trust anything this cheat says.

There's no way the real Manannan would choose me for a vessel.

？！

It's just as likely they're some kind of imposter who's copied my appearance...

...and now claims to be Manannan so they can use the Holy Grail for their own ends.

Your testimony alone isn't enough to rule that possibility out.

True, you may be right.

But it's equally true that we're going to need each other's help to find that tree.

So tell me, Bazett: What can I do to convince you to trust me?

... ...

Let's take this outside the town.

If we fight here, we'll take out who knows how many buildings.

The rules are simple.

If you want me to trust you...then you need to fight me, and prove you're not all talk.

There's no chance the actual god of the sea could lose to me.

Deal?

... ...

If I may...

Let's say that we fight, and I completely trounce you.

That still won't make you trust me, will it?

Shut up. You think you've already won?

Still, if nothing else...

...facing off with you will let me see for myself...

...whether your power really does come from the sea god.

But Bazett...don't you already know that?

You have to have been wondering why an ordinary mage became a Heroic Spirit.

You know there has to be something else to it for you to have materialized as a Servant.

...!

And you've certainly considered that the power flowing through your veins must be Manannan's protection at work.

Am I wrong, Bazett Fraga McRemitz?

... ...

Enough. No more talk.

I'm going to take you down with my own two fists and prove you're just an imposter.

I'm going to show everyone here that you can't be trusted!

... ...

Very well.

Then I will face your fury not as a Pseudo-Servant...

...but as the one who commands the oceans.

Ghh...!

？！

Stay back!

... ...

...It's over.

I lost.

I understand that concern is the last thing you want from me.

But I hope you are at least convinced you can trust me now, even if only a little.

...!

Ghh...

Aaaaaaaaaaaah!

B-Bazett!?

What should we do, Master!? Should I go after her?

I think the best thing you can do for her right now is leave her alone.

... ...

I swear...she really is an idiot.

She ran off towards town, so she probably just went back to the tavern.

Anyway... Hmm, how can I put this...?

At times like this, the kindest thing you can do for someone is give them a bit of space, Medusa.

I see... Okay, if you're sure...

？！

Yes, Master of Chaldea?

？！

Yes. You have my word.

I'm going to do my best to aid you as a Servant.

I'll make every effort to prove to both you and Bazett that you can trust me.

I'm afraid that's all I can say right now...but I hope it's enough.

...It's getting late. I suggest we head back to the tavern.

Oh, speaking of which...is there a bed for me there?

I doubt Bazett will come out of her room until the morning...

So I suppose I'll just have to crash in your room tonight!

Ooh, I know! Why don't we stay up late and get in some girl talk before we go to sleep!?

Ew...

(I've never seen Medusa so appalled!)

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... ...

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Fujimaru...

I'm okay. Sorry you had to see that.

Still... I couldn't beat her.

And not only that...she really was telling the truth.

Her power...and mine both come from the god of the sea.

I don't understand... How is this even possible?

？！

Up until now...

...I'd never really thought about WHY I fight.

But when I saw Manannan, it felt like I was looking at a mirror.

Only, I didn't recognize myself at all. We're so different, it's like night and day.

So I...

... ...

...You know, a long time ago... I don't even know how long at this point...

There was this book I read as a kid. It was full of heroic tales.

Some of the recurring characters were Manannan mac Lir, the god of the sea...

Lugh, the god of light, Cormac, the High King of Ireland...

And Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, the great hero.

In that book, Manannan loved them all unconditionally, and gave them rare and precious magical tools.

Manannan gave them real, genuine trust. But I...

I could never do anything like that. I'm just an ordinary human who only ever acts for her own benefit.

？！

Do you know about the mages called Seal Designation Enforcers?

Their job is to hunt down seal-designated mages, without getting emotionally involved.

That was Bazett Fraga McRemitz's world.

Every time I used my fists, all I could do was kill my targetstake their lives.

So why in the world would a giver like Manannan choose me? It doesn't make any sense.

How could I possibly believe a story like that?

？！

？！

Oh... That?

I saw them being attacked, right in front of me. Of course I saved them. Besides, I only agreed to be this town's guardian because they asked me to.

I didn't have some great, noble reason for it. It's like when you see a dog drowning and you just act on instinct to save it before you even realize what you're doing.

It was pure reflex, same as any other reasonably intelligent person would have. That's...all it ever is.

？！

？！

... ...

Fujimaru...

I want you to tell me something. And be honest.

Do you really think I could do something so noble?

Something like...protecting another person's dreams...

...even though the only thing I'm any good at is swinging my fists?

？！

... ...

Hehe.

Thanks, Fujimaru. I feel a little better now.

It feels kind of like a little weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

... ...

Let's go back to the inn.

In the morning...I'll try talking to Manannan.

Good morning!

Oh?

You certainly bounced back quickly.

Bazett!

Um... Are you okay now?

Yes, I am. Sorry to worry you.

I slept great last night, so I'm feeling much better both mentally and physically.

I find your resilience astonishing. Is your soul made of protein or something?

Ah, well. I kind of like how simple and straightforward you are.

... ...

Manannan...

I still don't believe everything you've said, and I'm...not ready to trust you completely yet, either.

But, even so...

...I'm willing to accept that you're Manannan.

And that, your reasons for doing so aside, you chose me for your vessel.

Can you live with that, at least for now?

Yes, of course.

That's a huge step forward compared to where you were yesterday.

I'm so glad I've been able to see you grow.

As your big sister, I couldn't be prouder.

... ...

My big sister!? Are you kidding me!? I offer you an olive branch and THAT'S your response!?

Oh, for...

Step outside, Manannan! Let's finish what we started yesterday!

Wha...?

Didn't we already finish it yesterday? I don't think a rematch will make any difference.

You've only won one round! I can still beat you as long as I knock you out in the next one!

I'll prove it right here and now if you don't believe me! Are you ready!?

Boss, please! If you're gonna fight, take it outsiiide!