Final Boss?
As Artorius watched Z in her white attire clutching her buttocks, not to mention him, even the cunning and calculating Morgan's assessment of the so-called 'Ultimate Heroine' plummeted a notch.
This reaction indicated that XX wasn't joking earlier and had given Z a spank on her behind in the past.
Could a final boss who had been spanked even be considered a final boss?
In any case, Z, realizing the situation, quickly calmed herself, adjusted her expression, and resumed her arrogant and pretentious demeanor.
"Haha, Artorius! You must be quite surprised now! Your loving mother has become your greatest enemy! You must be feeling confused and angry, right? Maybe even helpless!"
Z continued to chuckle and spout villainous lines. However, Artorius was unimpressed.
"More than that, I want to know about the incident where you got spanked by XX..." Artorius said earnestly to Z. "When did it happen, where, did it hurt? Did it leave any lasting effects? As your son, your heir, and someone who cares deeply about you, I think I should thoroughly understand the details of this matter."
"Well, about that..."
Before Z could respond, XX chimed in cooperatively behind Artorius.
"Ahem! Aheeem!"
Z deliberately coughed loudly before continuing to ignore Artorius and XX, forcefully steering the conversation back to her own topic.
"The reason for this is absolutely not that I don't care for my dear son! In fact, no one understands how to love you better than I do!"
"Yes, I believe that, Mother." Artorius gazed at Z tenderly. "So, when it comes to your injured buttocks, I must get to the bottom of it. I must ensure your complete recovery, without leaving any lasting effects... although it might be a bit late now."
"Ugh..." This time, her response wasn't the cheerful artificial laughter; it was the sound of someone feeling aggrieved, like a small, mistreated creature.
Z clenched her teeth while glaring fiercely at her disobedient son, her eyes brimming with tears, looking pitiful.
It made Artorius feel a bit guilty.
If he were by her side right now, he would surely embrace this distressed mother, soothing her like a kitten, and comforting her with sweet words.
He would say some comforting words while caressing her and offering her tasty treats, expressing how much he loved and adored her. This way, her emotions would be calmed, and the matter could be resolved amicably.
Unfortunately, he wasn't there now.
So, her emotions quickly escalated from feeling wronged to anger.
"I'll be waiting right here!"
Z declared with frustration, revealing a magical map marking her location—the northern outskirts of Orleans, a small villa nestled in a valley.
"Bring as many people as you like! We'll settle this all at once!"
"..."
"Very well." Artorius had many questions, eager to inquire about this Ultimate Heroine.
What was her purpose in doing all of these, and what were her goals? What did this chaotic situation mean?
Although XX and X, as well as W, had already provided him with much information, including the great secret of the Artoria Species and their space-faring adventures, as well as the impending conflict.
There was still one fundamental question that remained unanswered.
The root of it all.
Why did such legends of him exist, and who spread them worldwide?
What was her intention in doing all of this?
Amid this chaos, where did he stand and what was his role?
What exactly should he do to calm the storm?
===
"Then let's go, and have a talk with her." Artorius said in a deep voice.
"Are you sure, Artorius?" XX asked with some concern upon hearing his decision.
"Of course..." Artorius replied with a smile. "No matter what, she's supposed to be my 'mother'. She won't do anything to me, right?"
"What about the Order of Avalon and the Dark Rounds?" XX continued to inquire.
"If I'm guessing right, they should all be there. She wouldn't have invited just us and not the other Artoria Species if she really wanted to resolve the issue."
What happened next proved his judgment to be accurate. XX, Morgan, and Mordred had no more doubts.
Artorius and his group quickly arrived at the villa that Z had mentioned. Before they could even enter, they saw the two groups of people who had been impossible to find earlier.
The pure white knight maidens from the Order of Avalon and the delinquent girls from the Dark Rounds were facing off at the entrance of the villa. Both sides were on edge. All the Artoria Species were glaring at each other as if they were about to start a fight at any moment.
"We—"
Seeing this scene, Mordred wanted to rush over immediately, but Artorius held her back. Unlike Artoria, Mordred's approval rating among the Artoria Species from the Servant Universe was close to negative.
"Stay calm and watch for now..." Artorius said quietly while discreetly applying invisible magecraft to his group, carefully concealing themselves to observe the situation.
"Oh, I know this one! It's the story of the fight between the snipe and the clam, and the fisherman has the best of it." XX exclaimed with a look of sudden realization, but instead of receiving praise from Artorius, she was met with a reproachful gaze. {T/N: A moral story that conveys that the 3rd party will have an advantage falls into their lap when the other two parties are locked in a battle for their own personal interests.}
XX was at it again. Artorius had already explained it so many times. How could she use such an inappropriate phrase to describe the relationship between a family?
He was clearly putting in a lot of effort to mediate the conflict among the Artoria Species. He wasn't some third party who took advantage of the situation.
"???"
XX tilted her head, confused. She couldn't understand what he meant by that reproachful gaze.
Just as she was about to ask Artorius for further clarification about what he meant by that gaze, and while the Artoria Species on both sides continued to argue, the villa's front door suddenly swung open.
A group of Artoria Species streamed out, more precisely the Heroine Subspecies, with Z leading the way.