I Just Want to Follow Arkhan

As Arkhan and Mash chatted, Nero, standing nearby, sneaked glances at this so-called King Arthur from another world.

Curiosity filled her mind about this 'Grand Servant' Mash mentioned.

Aside from the divine founder of the Roman Empire, Romulus, this was the first time she had seen another Grand Servant. Although she hadn't witnessed King Arthur's true strength, just summoning a giant dragon was enough to convince her of his identity.

She also noticed that the flaming greatsword he had held earlier seemed to suppress her Aestus Estus. On top of that, he had even managed to sway a Knight of the Round Table of Camelot to his side.

If all that didn't qualify as a Grand Servant, then perhaps no Heroic Spirit could bear that position.

Meanwhile, as Arkhan noticed Nero's gaze on him, he turned to her and gave a smile.

"Hello, Your Majesty Nero."

"Um? Do you know me?" Nero's eyes widened slightly as she couldn't recall ever meeting him before.

Arkhan certainly couldn't mention he had seen her in an anime and game before. As a result, he kept his smile and answered calmly.

"It's not that hard to guess. Mash and Ritsuka always mentioned you on the way here. And, I suppose only someone with your charisma could truly be called the Emperor of Rome."

Upon hearing his praise, Nero's eyes sparkled, and she proudly straightened her posture.

"Umu! I'm Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the 5th Roman Emperor, rivaling the almighty artist Apollo. Umu, umu... Truly, as expected from King Arthur of Britain, you've got good taste!"

Seeing Nero's antics, Mash felt a bit awkward and turned her head away.

Nero was great in every aspect—outgoing, cheerful, and warm. It was just that her firm belief in being 'an artist who rivals the god of arts, Apollo' was hard to respond to.

Thinking about a certain characteristic of Nero, Arkhan's expression also couldn't help but become a bit awkward, so he quickly cleared his throat and changed the topic.

"Did you come straight from the empire, Your Majesty?"

"Umu!" Nero nodded with a smile. "There was quite a commotion over here, and I was worried Camelot was preparing to attack my empire, so I came to investigate personally, umu!"

"Well... In a way, Your Majesty, you're not entirely wrong." Mash couldn't help but smile wryly as she glanced at Melusine obediently standing beside Arkhan.

Naturally, no one expected things to turn out like this.

Nero also stared at Melusine for a moment, then furrowed her brows slightly.

"Strange... Why do I feel like I've seen you before... That azure armor, that silver hair, and that short body..."

At the last remark, Melusine lifted her head, giving Nero a displeased look.

However, Nero wasn't convinced. She pondered for a moment, and soon, a vivid image flashed in her mind, causing her eyes to widen.

"You are Lancelot?!"

Lancelot?!

Arkhan and Mash were instantly taken aback, looking at Melusine in disbelief.

Upon hearing that name, Melusine waved her hands in a fluster, hastily denying.

"N-No, that's not true! Lancelot is the name given to me by that woman, Merlin, but I've never acknowledged myself as Lancelot and always been just Melusine."

'Well, isn't this bumping into yet another acquaintance...' Arkhan chuckled wryly to himself, then his brow furrowed as he keenly extracted an important piece of information from her words. 'So... Merlin in this world... is a woman?' 

'Lancelot...' Mash glanced up and down at Melusine's body, her expression turning somewhat peculiar. 'Come to think of it, Sir Galahad seems to be Lancelot's son...'

"So it's really you!" Nero's eyes showed a hint of surprise, pondering for a moment before saying sincerely. "No wonder you could easily defeat those Servants. So, your true identity is a dragon! Umu, umu..."

"Your Majesty, are you saying that Lancel—Miss Melusine, was the one who defeated those Servants back then?" Mash choked back the name that was about to come out of her mouth.

"Hmm? Didn't I tell you?" Nero tilted her head sideways. "When I and six other Servants were summoned to this world, two of them were dealt with by Gawain and Tristan, and the remaining four were all defeated by this Lancelot alone."

"I told you, I'm not Lancelot..." Melusine shook her head helplessly. "At that time, I had an agreement with Merlin. As the price for her helping me, I had to help her with something... I didn't intend for those Servants to be turned into Knights of the Round Table. If you harbor any resentment because of this, I have nothing to say."

"Umu, it's okay!" Nero shook her head with a smile. "As long as you can work for the Holy Roman Empire from now on, umu!"

After all, she wasn't all that familiar with those brainwashed Servants. Compared to sympathizing with people she didn't know, she was more fond of this powerful Chief of the Round Table.

No choice.

The difference in combat power between the Holy Roman Empire and Camelot was just too vast. With the addition of Melusine, her empire's combat power would increase significantly.

"I'm sorry, but I can't promise you that." Melusine shook her head, turning to look at Arkhan beside her. "Right now, I just want to follow Arkhan. Wherever he goes, I'll go."

Upon hearing that, Arkhan was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Melusine to be dependent on him to this extent. Still, he had to admit, he was somewhat moved by her words and also a little pleased.

"It's all the same, it's all the same." Nero waved her hand casually and turned her head to Arkhan. "In the first place, Arkhan and I were allies, right?"

Arkhan nodded.

In the first place, their goals were to save this world, to restore this Singularity, so in a sense, they were indeed allies.

After hearing Nero's words, Melusine remained silent and indifferent. No matter what, the one she trusted most right now was Arkhan. Whatever decision he made, she would follow him through it all.

With two formidable allies suddenly gained, Nero's enthusiasm was clearly high.

With a smile on her face, she waved her hand enthusiastically.

"Umu, let's wrap it up for now and head back! To celebrate your triumphant return, I'll host a banquet in the palace tonight. Don't forget to come!"

As Nero took a few steps away, she seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly turned to Arkhan, her gaze sparkling.

"By the way, Arkhan, since you are a king, you must be... quite adept at handling government affairs, right?"