Protagonist's Power

At this moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka was filled with excitement.

So far, she had encountered many Servants, but none were as generous as this black-haired man. Less than half a day since they met, and he was already giving her the legendary primordial rune as a gift.

If this got out, at least half of the mages in the world would be jealous of her!

With such great strength, lavish generosity, and easygoing personality, teammates like Arkhan were simply irreplaceable!

Ritsuka instantly reaffirmed her belief that she must establish a good relationship with this big shot!

When you have such a big thigh to hold onto, you better hold on tight!

Watching Ritsuka's silly smile, Arkhan shook his head with a light chuckle.

Although the primordial rune wasn't something too precious to him, he didn't just give it away to anyone.

In the end, he chose to gift it to Ritsuka.

On one hand, it was out of a sense of nostalgia from his previous life; on the other hand, it was because her determination and resolve had impressed him.

"Saving humanity isn't easy. Though you've already journeyed through most of it, you'll face even more powerful and terrifying enemies ahead. This power should offer some assistance to you."

Honestly, Arkhan always found it absurd how an ordinary mage like Ritsuka managed to arrive at this point unscathed after passing through five Singularities. Sure, she had the support of Chaldea and Mash's protection, but her enemies weren't simple characters.

Despite that, Ritsuka still made it through, probably with a good deal of luck.

Luck was often the most unreliable thing, especially since in the next Singularity, they would have to face the return of Tiamat, challenging a calamity of world-ending magnitude.

Who could guarantee that Ritsuka would still be safe then?

Therefore, Arkhan chose to gift the primordial rune, knowing that while it couldn't help her defeat Tiamat, it could at least improve her ability to defend herself.

"Don't worry, Arkhan. I won't let you down!" Ritsuka said earnestly, clutching her fist to her chest.

She made a silent vow to herself—once she returned, she would ask Da Vinci to devise a training plan to master this new power as soon as possible! If she didn't proactively seize the opportunity when it was handed to her, it would be truly disappointing.

*Clap!*

Arkhan clapped his hands and spoke up.

"Alright, let's leave it at that regarding runes for now. It's time to move on to more pressing matters."

After his explanation and negotiation, the village chief hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed to relocate the villagers to the Holy Roman Empire.

The village chief wasn't familiar with the Holy Roman Empire and didn't know what the situation would be like there. Nevertheless, he agreed, partly because they couldn't find any suitable place to settle, and partly out of trust for Arkhan.

After this incident, Arkhan's status in the hearts of the village chief and the villagers reached an unparalleled height. Whatever he said, they were willing to believe.

Determined, the village chief quickly took action, going door-to-door to inform every villager.

"Mr. Arkhan, can the Holy Roman Empire really guarantee our safety and survival so we won't have to worry about those murderers anymore?" Mari approached Arkhan and asked timidly.

Arkhan hesitated for a moment before giving an honest answer.

"I can't guarantee that... Camelot is very strong, but I promise I'll stay by your side at least until this war is over."

"That's enough..." Mari said with a smile, then looked back at the village, whispering. "If only Dad and Mom were here..."

Hearing her whisper, a complex expression flickered in Arkhan's eyes as he gently stroked the girl's head.

"Don't worry, Mari. I promised I'd reunite you with your dad."

"Um, I trust you, Mr. Arkhan!" Mari lifted her head, a reassuring smile on her face.

"Hey, your name is Mari, right?"

Ritsuka approached, squatting down to meet Mari's gaze, and asked with a smile.

"Hello, I'm Fujimaru Ritsuka. And that girl with the pink hair over there is Mash. We're all friends of Arkhan. Nice to meet you."

Since she knew this reddish-orange-haired girl wasn't a bad person, Mari didn't show any signs of rejection.

"Hello, Sister Ritsuka. You're really pretty." Mari greeted back with a sincere tone.

"Thank you, Mari. You're also very cute!" Ritsuka praised back, her smile widening.

Mari lowered her head, smiling shyly.

"Mari, do you know what this is?" Ritsuka pulled out a piece of chocolate from somewhere, grinning as she waved it in front of her face. "Have you ever seen this thing before?"

Mari shook her head, looking utterly confused.

"This is called chocolate, and it's really sweet..." Ritsuka placed the chocolate in Mari's palm. "Go ahead, give it a try."

Mari hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Arkhan.

Seeing him smiling, she carefully tore open the packaging and broke off a piece, putting it into her mouth.

As she savored the slight sweetness and silky texture, Mari couldn't help but close her eyes, her face filled with happiness.

"How is it? Tasty?" Ritsuka grinned.

"Mm! It's tasty, thank you, Big Sis Ritsuka!" Mari nodded eagerly, then carefully wrapped up the chocolate and tucked it into her pocket.

"Huh? Mari, you're not going to finish it? There's still so much left."

Seeing Ritsuka's puzzled expression, Mari scratched her head sheepishly.

"I want to save some to share with the elders in the village and for my dad when he comes back..."

"Aww, Mari, you're so sweet!" Ritsuka wiped away a tear in her eye. "But it's okay, I have plenty of these! You don't have to be so thrifty, just enjoy it whenever you want!"

Chocolate, as a convenient and high-calorie food, was very suitable as marching rations. For this reason, Da Vinci specially designed a machine to produce chocolate to supply the Holy Roman Empire's army.

As for how Da Vinci found the raw materials to make chocolate in this desolate land, no one knew. But since she could even make an off-road vehicle easily, making chocolate should be a pretty normal thing for her.

Even if someone asked Da Vinci, they would probably just get a response like, "Duh, because I'm a genius!"

With Ritsuka's promise, Mari no longer hesitated and took out the chocolate she had tucked away, happily munching on it.

With this newfound bond, Mari and Ritsuka's relationship immediately grew closer, and the two soon engaged in lively conversation.

Watching Ritsuka quickly lift Mari out of her previous negative emotions, Arkhan couldn't help but marvel.

Fujimaru Ritsuka truly lived up to being a protagonist.

Just her ability to read people's emotions and her strong charisma alone were enough to explain why so many Heroic Spirits were willing to help her.

After a while, the villagers were all packed up and ready to depart for the Holy Roman Empire.

What gave everyone a headache, however, was that the elderly still refused to leave, insisting on staying behind.

"No worries, just leave it to me!"

After Ritsuka understood the situation, she confidently patted her chest and declared confidently.

She quickly headed over to persuade those stubborn elderly.

Arkhan was also curious about how she planned to convince them, so he sent a strand of his mental power over there to observe.

After listening for a while, a wry expression involuntarily appeared on his face.

A moment later, Ritsuka returned with a big smile on her face.

"Done!" Ritsuka exclaimed, smiling as she made a V sign with her hand.

"So quick! Senpai, you're really amazing!" Mash exclaimed excitedly, looking at her senior with admiration in her eyes.

Mari was also surprised and couldn't help but ask.

"Big Sis Ritsuka, how did you do it?"

"Simple!" Ritsuka smirked triumphantly. "I told them that if they don't go, I won't go either! I'll just stay here to keep them company forever."

"..."

Upon hearing that, everyone fell silent.

'That's really... your style, huh?' Arkhan rubbed his temples, shaking his head with a wry smile.