Declaration

Taking a deep breath, Artorius composed himself.

He had faced larger crowds before, addressed tens of thousands in battles that would decide the world's fate, and even given motivational speeches to his generals and soldiers.

He had always believed in his oratory skills. Not to brag, but he could talk circles around anyone, even at the highest level of eloquence among rulers.

Yet, this level of linguistic prowess felt wasted when it came to matters of courtship. As of today, there was only one woman he had not been able to win over—his teacher, Scathach.

However, considering Scathach's manners and actions 1500 years later, it was evident that their relationship had its nuances. So, in the end, Artorius was the victor, utterly triumphant.

'The empire still exists 1500 years from now, and it thrives. Therefore, logically speaking, it shouldn't collapse at this point. But these Artoria Species possess the ability to manipulate time as they please, so the future timeline I visited might not be the same... so, what should I do?'

Artorius contemplated, feeling anxious inside but maintaining an outward facade of calm confidence.

"You all have said your piece, but isn't it time for me to speak?"

"Indeed." Space Lion King nodded.

Deep down, every Artoria Species harbored the desire to claim Artorius as their own, but on the surface, they feigned respect for his opinion.

They all hoped he would choose them.

Of course, if he didn't choose them, it would be seen as a grave mistake, they would find whatever reason and one-sidedly accuse the opposing side of influencing him.

As mothers, their goal was to protect their beloved son and not let wicked women deceive him.

In the end, it would still come to fight.

The chosen would fight to protect, and the unchosen would fight to claim.

The Artoria Species who had already made up their minds paused not out of hesitation but merely to give their beloved son some face.

"What I want..."

Artorius spoke calmly and stopped halfway. Several seconds later, he continued.

"...Is something that I've known since the very beginning when I came into this world. I knew the fate of this world."

"This world is fated for destruction."

"My kingdom, Camelot, is fated to fall."

"My beloved father, my dear sister, my cherished family, and my beloved friends—all of them will be destroyed due to the 'control' and 'inertia' brought about by the 'proper human history'."

"That was the situation I faced back then."

"Back then, I was just an ordinary, average young man."

"I had no True Magic, no Noble Phantasm, and certainly not the god-like power I possessed today."

"Back then, as an ordinary person who had nothing, I had to confront such a cruel fate."

"..."

"Artorius..."

As Artorius spoke with emotion, everyone felt a deep empathy. They all felt great sorrow and wished they could have been by his side back then, facing those hardships together.

As Artorius watched everyone's sad expression, he continued his speech.

"Do you know how I, as an ordinary person back then, persisted? How I gritted my teeth and fought relentlessly until I achieved success?"

"What motivated me?"

"What drove me to strive for greatness and accomplish such feats?"

"It was my fath—no, my mother!"

"It was my love for my family that pushed me to fight and strive to reach where I am today!"

Artorius's voice had become impassioned by this point, his tone and even his body trembling involuntarily.

This wasn't merely a speech; it was a genuine outpouring of his emotions, an earnest attempt to connect with everyone on a deep level.

"Yes, it's all of you! My family, my mother, my sister, the people closest to my heart. I would never want to see harm come to my family. For the sake of my family, I'm willing to do anything! Even if it's dangerous, even if hope seems distant, as long as it's for my family, I'm willing to do it!"

"Artorius..."

"Son..."

As Artorius spoke like that, almost to the point of hoarseness, every Artoria Species couldn't help but cry.

"If only I had come into this world earlier, I wouldn't have let all of that happen."

"Yes, indeed."

"That's right."

"Artoria of this world is so useless."

As they lamented and shed tears for their beloved son, they couldn't hold back from trying to shift responsibility.

Only the Mordred Subspecies didn't lament and cry, instead, they felt proud. That's because Mordred of this world had done exceptionally well, faithfully supporting Artorius on his journey from the beginning. All the Mordred Subspecies felt a sense of pride. Some even couldn't help but think—'Fathers are outdated, aren't they? It's time for us sisters to rise!'

Fortunately, they still had a sense of decency and didn't voice those thoughts, or else they would have surely received a stern scolding from the currently emotionally charged 'fathers'.

"Artorius, what do you mean..."

In this emotional crowd, perhaps only the three strongest Artorias perceived the deeper meaning behind Artorius's words.

Space Lion King was somewhat anxious and worried, so she asked that way.

"What I mean is, I can't do it!"

Artorius declared loudly and firmly.

"I'm willing to sacrifice everything for my family! Even if it means dying, I don't want my family to suffer! But now, you're forcing me to choose one part of my family over the other, and watch my family suffer in front of me?! Do you really think I could choose?!"

He wasn't as tall as a giant, but his presence was as towering as the sun. His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried the righteousness of heaven and earth. It instantly suppressed the arrogance of the Artoria Species, making them lower their heads and not dare to respond.

"I, won't, abandon, any, family, member." Artorius continued to say slowly word by word with a strong determination.

All the Artoria Species remained silent and not daring to speak, but hearing those declarations from their beloved son made them quite pleased inside.