Chapter 498: [498] Lend Me Your Strength

Has Reika’s personality... changed somewhat compared to the original work?

Within the platinum-hued sphere of light, Sakatsuki remained stunned for a long moment before finally accepting the fact that his "subordinate" had hung up on him.

No, Higashide’s portrayal of her had always been sparse to begin with, not to mention she only ever had little Jack as her companion throughout the story.

For someone who had weathered the storms of life, occasionally revealing a cunning nature beneath her ladylike demeanor was only natural, wasn’t it?

Raising his gaze from contemplation, what reflected in Sakatsuki’s eyes was an endless expanse of iridescent blue waves.

Seated within the platinum sphere, Sakatsuki resembled a reef rooted in the ocean—unable to be swallowed, yet helpless against someone’s stubborn refusal to engage.

"But does he realize that while trying to stop me, my radiance has already been cast upon the sea?"

Recalling the subtle changes in the Assassin, Sakatsuki chuckled softly and closed his eyes, leaving only his sigh to echo within the space of his soul.

"The miraculous Third Magic..."

Meanwhile, in reality, the black-cloaked Assassin was being dragged around by the saintly maiden, knocking on doors house by house alongside the homunculus girl.

Of course, this wasn’t some "open up for the water meter inspection" or "FBI, open the door" scenario—their current actions stemmed entirely from the conversation between Sakatsuki and Sieg just minutes prior.

"You mean... strength."

"Yes, strength. In this world, strength is everything."

Just as Jeanne d’Arc nearly thought Sakatsuki was about to spout some dangerous rhetoric, she found his words unexpectedly reasonable: "Might makes right. Dignity exists only at the edge of a sword, and truth only within the range of artillery fire—though, of course, I’m not saying you should pursue strength blindly."

"Social status, wealth, connections, absolute authority... This world has far too many things that can represent ’strength.’ And these strengths are like bargaining chips. As long as the chips you hold can outweigh the Yggdmillennia, the homunculi will have a chance at true freedom."

"Naturally, you could also call this so-called strength ’capability’ or something else entirely. But no matter the term, they all point toward the same goal—"

"Strength... capability..." Sieg murmured, cradling her teacup in both hands. Sakatsuki’s theory was like a lighthouse, dispelling the fog ahead and making her realize how simple the matter truly was.

Her teacher was right. Her fears, anxieties, and despair about the future all stemmed from a lack of strength.

The reason she and Astolfo couldn’t oppose the deeply rooted Yggdmillennia was simply that the strength of two individuals wasn’t enough to overturn the clan’s centuries of accumulated power. And conversely, the methodology to solve the problem had long been clear.

So this was what her teacher had meant from the beginning!

"Teacher!" The homunculus girl stood up, enlightened. Under Jeanne d’Arc’s astonished gaze, she bowed deeply to Sakatsuki.

"Please—lend me your strength!"

Faced with Sieg’s earnest plea, Sakatsuki calmly raised his teacup.

"Very well."

As steam curled upward, Sieg lifted her crimson eyes. Woven by the golden hues of the setting sun, a new tapestry of the future seemed to unfold within her gaze.

When one lacks the power themselves, they seek the strength of others—yes, just as she had instinctively turned to Sakatsuki for help in her most lost and desperate moments!

This was the teacher’s true intention, which was why he said ’the method was right before my eyes.’ It was just that I was too slow to realize it!

After this self-revelation, Sieg’s admiration for Sakatsuki skyrocketed. Meanwhile, Sakatsuki, under the starry-eyed gazes of Jeanne d’Arc and Sieg, had no choice but to bear the consequences of his momentary soft-heartedness.

To better fight for the liberation of the homunculi, Sieg decided to take it a step further and seek the aid of the heroes.

As the mentor—though not the leader—of the homunculi faction, Sakatsuki found himself dragged along as Sieg and Jeanne d’Arc went door to door, joining Sieg in her campaign to persuade the heroes.

I’m such a fool, truly.

Why did I have to say that one extra thing? Now my perfectly good day off is ruined...

Sitting across from Chiron, Sakatsuki thought this with a blank expression. But as he watched the girl’s slightly trembling yet determinedly straight back, he ultimately let go of his frustration.

At the very least, this version of Sieg was far better than the author’s golden child homunculus from the original story. She didn’t have—nor did she need—an overflowing amount of protagonist aura, because she was genuinely taking step after step in her efforts to liberate her kind.

Just like the saint who heeded divine revelation and rose to the occasion, the benevolent Master who fought to reclaim the future, or the heroic leaders who built a new world from nothing—in Sakatsuki’s eyes, Sieg, who stood before the Heroic Spirits and bravely voiced her desires and ideals, already possessed a certain precious quality.

A girl who revered the radiance of heroes and followed in their footsteps would one day grow into a star among countless others, wouldn’t she?

Such thoughts, unbefitting of an Assassin, swirled in his mind until the sage’s voice pulled Sakatsuki back to reality.

"I understand. Allow me to commend you, Sieg."

The centaur sage gazed at Sieg, his eyes shining with the unique pride of a teacher.

"Who would have thought the girl rescued by Reika would grow to this extent. Ah, I must also thank you, Mr. Sakatsuki."

"No need to thank me. At best, I’m a third-rate educator—I merely put my past experiences into words." Sakatsuki waved his hand dismissively. "So, you agree?"

"Naturally." Chiron smiled. "Leave the Masters to me. I believe my own Master will extend a helping hand to the homunculi."

He reached out to Sieg, who quickly stood up, brimming with gratitude and joy, and thanked the gentle sage.

"Thank you... I’ve always been grateful to you, Archer!"

—Her outstretched hand met empty air. Before the awkwardly smiling Sieg stood Achilles, shirtless, his post-workout physique strikingly muscular, sweat evaporating as waves of heat radiated from him.

"Didn’t I say it before? I won’t lift a finger for anything related to the Black faction. Don’t expect me to help just because of my teacher either."

As a warrior bordering on divinity, Achilles’ words left no room for negotiation. But just as Sieg mustered a smile to bid him farewell, Achilles suddenly called out to her, stepping closer to scrutinize her face intently.

"Too close, Red Rider. Please keep your distance." Jeanne d’Arc mercilessly pushed back with her heel. Achilles didn’t seem to mind, just laughing heartily as he stepped back, releasing the flustered Sieg from his grasp.

"Though I’ve no particular interest in homunculi, stand tall, girl called Sieg! The moment you stood before me, you’ve already proven yourself a worthy hero. Keep charging forward in your life!"

These were the blessings Achilles bestowed upon Sieg in her capacity as a human.

"—A homunculus, you say? Come to think of it, I too was created by the wicked queen Morgan le Fay."

In another room, Mordred and Kairi Sisigou were packing their belongings. Upon hearing Sieg’s request, Mordred stood up and gave her an enthusiastic pat on the shoulder.

"Go for it! Give it your all—you’ve got my support. How can you know the outcome without trying?"

"Like how when you sneak up at night to watch tokusatsu and wake me up, you get punished with vegetables for all three meals," Kairi quipped without looking up.

"Sh-shut up!" Mordred’s face turned crimson as she exploded in anger. She pushed the confused Sieg out the door and slammed it shut, her complaints still audible from inside. "Master! Why would you reveal such things?!"

With the door firmly closed, Sieg turned pleading eyes toward Sakatsuki. The young man could only shake his head helplessly, sigh, and then kick the door open with one swift motion.

"Meow?!" Atalanta, who had stripped down to her undergarments, hastily dematerialized. When she reappeared fully dressed, the disheveled state of the bed—as if a cat had been frolicking about—remained evident.

The blankets outlined her graceful figure as Atalanta hid beneath them, only her emerald-green beastly eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. Her voice was laced with mortification.

"What... do you want?"

After Sieg explained her purpose, Atalanta immediately declared, "That sort of thing doesn’t matter to me!" and promptly shooed them out.

No sooner had they been ejected than the trio ran into Karna.

"I heard of your actions from Achilles and Chiron. Forgive my uninvited presence."

Karna looked at Sieg solemnly. "I have but one question. If your answer satisfies me, I shall wield my spear for your cause."

Without any pretense, he spoke frankly: "This will inevitably be a journey of sorrow. The lifespan of homunculi dictates that they can only exist by clinging to something else."

"Are you prepared for this, the first hero among homunculi?"

"That’s too blunt..." Jeanne murmured in complaint.

"That is Karna’s kindness," Sakatsuki said. "Once Sieg truly sets out, no one will speak these truths to her."

After a moment of earnest contemplation, Sieg answered with equal sincerity.

"I understand. That’s why I wish... for homunculi to grasp what they need with their own hands—to make it our own strength."

Karna’s lips curled slightly as he pointed down the hallway. "Then seek out the origin."

The origin—the starting point of the Yggdmillennia homunculi. Where could it be?

The thought of finally facing their creator, their "father," and that noble dragon-slayer made Sieg swallow hard. But under the encouraging gazes of Jeanne and Karna, she took a step forward and knocked on the door—

The door wasn’t locked—it opened with surprising ease.

A thick silver-gray mist came pouring out!

"This is... the would-be assassin of the Master!" Jeanne d’Arc immediately realized, reaching out toward Sieg. "It’s dangerous, get back!"

But the homunculus girl was faster. After confirming the connection between the Command Spell and the Servant, Sieg charged into the mist without hesitation.

No matter what, Gordes held the key technology for creating homunculi.

Before Sieg could obtain this "power," he absolutely couldn’t die!

Inside the room, Gordes stared in terror at the silver-haired little girl, feeling the blade draw a bloody line across his neck. His already shaky mental defenses collapsed instantly.

"I—I agree!"

The mist dissipated in an instant as Gordes’ agonized scream pierced the heavens—enough to make pigs weep for their fallen kin. Had the New Year’s slaughter come early?

Listening closely, one could make out what Gordes was shrieking:

"I agree to hand over Saber to you! So please let me go, I’m begging you, I don’t want to die yet—aaaaahhh!"

"Then, the contract is complete."

Parroting words she’d learned from Sakatsuki, little Jack giggled and leaped out the window.

At the same moment, Siegfried—who had been sprinting at full speed—looked up in shock as his body involuntarily dematerialized, vanishing from the Black Faction’s fortress.

Sakatsuki’s eyes flickered as he touched his chest. Gordes knelt on the floor, his gaze vacant.

As night approached, the Black Faction was thrown into turmoil once again.