Fate: I Heard After Death, You Can Ascend to the Throne of Heroes?

Chapter 287 - Wisdom and Love don't mix..(2.8k words)

"Mash, you're Mash, right? And you—Promise, what the hell are you doing here?!"

"Ahh, whatever, just help me already!"

A woman with long silver hair and amber-colored eyes.

The current Director of Chaldea, Olga Marie Animusphere—

The moment she saw Promise, Mash, and Fujimaru, she froze for a brief moment before happily rushing toward them.

But,

The Servant who had been chasing her did not stop her.

Because, the moment Promise locked his shocked eyes with her—

The bespectacled Medusa shifted her mystical purple gaze onto him as well.

For a brief instant, her eyes flickered,

And then, she softly muttered.

"So it's you, then..."

Her lips moved slightly as her gaze locked onto Promise, sensing the dense divine aura surrounding him—one that made her inexplicably irritated.

At the same time, she felt the trust and affection that Pegasus had toward him.

Looking at the two auras that gave her different feelings, for a moment, Medusa's expression turned complicated—then, she let out a small sigh.

Ignoring the panicked Olga Marie and the wary Mash, who had already raised her shield in caution, she walked straight toward Promise.

Her long, violet hair swayed with the breeze.

Her mystical purple eyes met his, carrying an indescribable, enigmatic meaning.

And Promise, looking at the version of Medusa in front of him—

Dressed in a modern jacket and skirt, looking much younger and far more fashionable than her usual Rider form, instinctively took a step back.

After all, the Medusa summoned as Saber was, in the absolute sense—

A "virgin."

And he was a bit....

The moment Promise retreated,

A faint red glow flickered in Medusa's eyes.

She drew her weapon—

A golden sword, wielded by a monster.

According to legend—

When the monster Medusa was slain by Perseus, two beings were born from her severed head.

The first, was the shooting star that Promise had once caught beneath the night sky—

Pegasus.

This was also the main reason why, even though she clearly smelled the strong "stench" of a certain goddess on Promise, Medusa still suppressed her irritation and walked towards him.

As for the second..

It was a monster born holding the Golden Sword—

Chrysaor.

The Saber-class Medusa wielded that very same sword.

As the faint red glow intensified in her eyes,

A magic circle suddenly appeared beneath Promise's feet and before he could react,

Before he could put up any defenses in his mind—

A contract was formed.

In Promise's hand,

A Command Spell appeared.

Seeing this, Olga Marie's eyes widened in shock.

No...

Just like that?

At a mere glance, this Servant had chosen him—

Willingly forming a contract?

Wait—no—hold on!

Didn't Chaldea's instruments confirm that he had no Magic Circuits at all?

That he lacked the qualifications to be a Master?!

If that's the case—then why him?! Why not me?!

Am I not better?

With everything happening at once in front of her, combined with the sheer absurdity of the situation,

Olga Marie's brain was completely overloaded.

Her thoughts spiraled into chaos, making it impossible to think rationally.

Meanwhile, Mash, who had also been momentarily stunned by the appearance of the Command Spell, hesitated for a moment before she slowly lowered her shield making way for Medusa.

And so—

Medusa stepped forward.

Standing directly in front of Promise.

The two looked at each other for a while, their expressions, a bit complicated for a moment.

"This is our first meeting... Though, in a way, it isn't."

"Either way—It has always been in your care."

As she spoke,

Medusa even bowed politely, offering a formal gesture of thanks.

By now, Promise, after a brief moment of fear, had calmed down.

So, facing her gesture, he took a deep breath, and let out a small chuckle.

Returning the bow, he replied,

"No—if anything, I should be the one thanking you."

"After all, it's always been me, who has been looked after by him..."

"Though, to be honest, sometimes 'Brother Horse' is a little too much."

"There were quite a few times I wanted to write him down in my 'Grudge Notebook'."

Hearing Promise's words, seeing the helplessness on his face, and watching him instinctively roll his eyes,

Medusa couldn't help but recall the countless legends and ballads passed down by bards—

The many tales of Pegasus and Promise that had been sung across history.

For a brief moment, she couldn't hold back as the corners of her lips curved slightly upward and she let out a small, amused smile.

"Apologies. It's a bit too energetic."

"Forget it. There's nothing to be done about it—

After all, it's Brother Horse."

As their simple conversation ended,

Mash, Fujimaru, and Olga Marie, who had been listening on the side—

All wore blank expressions, completely unable to understand what was happening.

But at the same time—

The estrangement and distance between Promise and Medusa had clearly softened a lot.

Even Medusa's gaze toward him had become noticeably gentler.

After a small talk, Promise, looking at Medusa in front of him, opened and closed his mouth a few times, hesitant to speak.

After all, he had many questions to ask.

But—

Now was not the time.

Just then, seeing that their conversation had come to a pause,

Olga Marie could no longer hold back.

As she stepped forward with a bewildered expression, and asked,

"You two... do you know each other?"

"Yes." Medusa nodded calmly.

Promise didn't deny it either—he nodded as well.

"You actually do know each other?!"

"Could it be because of that Holy Grail War in the Americas you participated in before coming to Chaldea?!"

Olga Marie immediately jumped to a conclusion, her tone filled with surprise.

But without waiting for Promise or Medusa to answer, she immediately dismissed her own theory, furrowing her brows.

"No—wait, that still doesn't make sense.

Servants aren't supposed to retain memories once a Holy Grail War ends...!"

"That's not necessarily absolute."

Promise cut in, explaining,

"Certain Servant Classes can retain their memories."

For example—

Ruler-class Servants.

Or—

Unique cases, like divine beings, or those with strong personal connections.

"I—I know that already!"

Even though Promise was only explaining,

Olga Marie still looked a little flustered as she quickly turned back to Medusa, pointing at her.

"But that's not the point!"

"The problem is—weren't you chasing me this whole time?!"

"No."

Medusa replied calmly, her voice indifferent.

"I was simply following you."

Because by following you,

I could find the one I was looking for.

"Following me...?"

"Wait—you mean to tell me, you were looking for him?!"

Olga Marie quickly connected the dots and immediately after she did, she turned toward Promise in shock.

Medusa nodded.

Promise instinctively glanced at her.

"...Wait a second.

So you weren't actually chasing me at all?

Ok the contrary, you were actually... protecting me this whole time?!"

As soon as she realized the truth,

Olga Marie's face twitched slightly.

Her mind reeled as she processed everything.

So all that time;

While she had been screaming in terror—

While she had been running for her life—

While she had even begged for mercy—

Medusa had never been a threat to her at all.

She had just been... following.

Medusa nodded again.

At that moment, an awkward silence filled the air.

Olga Marie, now frozen stiff, recalled all the times she had embarrassed herself moments ago.

She remembered how she had been frantically running away,

How she had been shouting for help,

How everyone here had witnessed her entire disgraceful display.

A deep sense of humiliation overtook her.

Nearby,

Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had remained silent the whole time, finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst out laughing

"Pfft—!"

That was the final straw.

Already humiliated and embarrassed,

Olga Marie's face immediately twisted in frustration.

Unable to find an outlet for her emotions, she immediately turned and lashed out at Fujimaru.

"Oh, you think that's funny, huh?!"

Fujimaru panicked, instinctively backing away as Olga Marie stormed toward her.

Her eyes darted toward Mash, silently pleading for help.

But Mash, looking just as helpless could only shrug in apology.

Realizing she was on her own,

Fujimaru desperately looked toward Promise for rescue.

Seeing this, the latter was just about to speak, but before he could, Medusa suddenly turned her head.

Her expression grew cold.

Her gaze sharpened as she looked toward the distance and murmured—

"Someone's coming..."

"A Servant."

These words put an abrupt end to Fujimaru and Olga Marie's squabble.

As they steadied themselves, preparing for the potential confrontation—

"Ah, my apologies. I didn't mean to startle you."

With a gentle smile, radiating an air of calm authority, a man stepped forward from the shadows of a nearby alleyway,

Raising both hands in a non-threatening gesture.

A Caster-class Servant.

A sage of the forest, a master of Runic Magic.

A hero of Celtic mythology—the Light of Ireland—

Cú Chulainn.

But of course—

This was merely a façade.

Calling him by another name would be far more accurate.

The King of the Norse Gods—

Odin.

The moment Promise saw him, his expression faltered for an instant.

Almost instinctively, his gaze shifted toward Medusa.

But, he found out that she remained perfectly calm.

In fact—

Upon noticing Promise's sudden glance,

She merely tilted her head slightly, as if curious.

Seeing this, Promise let out a small, apologetic smile, before quickly looking away.

And the moment he averted his gaze, a glimmer of golden light flickered within Medusa's enchanting purple eyes.

The hint of an almost imperceptible smile surfaced on her face.

All of this—

Was of course, seen by Cú Chulainn.

She obviously noticed it too.

Thus—

She looked at him.

And he also looked at her.

And in that silent exchange,

They both understood something.

Then—

Without a single word,

They simultaneously looked away,

Choosing not to comment.

But—

The King of the Norse Gods—Odin.

And...

A figure from Greek Mythology.

The Goddess of Wisdom—

Athena.

Promise let out a small sigh in his heart as his emerald eyes shifted toward Fujimaru, Mash, and Olga Marie, who were completely oblivious of the situation in front of them and thus did not look concerned at all.

At this moment, even Promise couldn't help but feel a bit envious of them.

After all..

'Ignorance truly is bliss.'

Because the truth was—

The reason why Promise had reacted so strongly

Upon seeing Medusa appear as Saber, had nothing to do with her alone.

From the moment he laid eyes on her, he had understood everything.

He understood why—

Why he had "awoken" in this Singularity, in the center of a battlefield, right after leaving the world of Fairy Britain.

Because,

As a transmigrator, someone with foreknowledge—

He knew one crucial fact.

Medusa, when summoned as Saber, was clearly linked to Athena.

No..to be precise..there should be Athena inside her body.

In fact—

The moment he realized he had fallen asleep, only to awaken here,

That familiar feeling had already led him to suspect it.

A single vow.

To forever walk the path of heroes.

That was the oath he once made to her.

And so—

It was only natural.

Of course it would be Athena.

Of course she would be the one to do something like this.

Waking him up in the middle of a battlefield.

In the center of a maelstrom.

This—

Was exactly the kind of thing she would do.

But,

What truly surprised him was—

In his interactions with Medusa so far,

He had realized something unexpected.

She was not Athena, she was real Medusa.

Promise knew Athena far too well.

Even if she disguised herself,

Even if she tried her hardest to pretend—

She would never be able to escape his eyes.

And clearly, Athena was aware of that fact as well.

So, there was only one logical conclusion.

Athena was probably still inside Medusa.

She was deliberately hiding herself.

Watching from the shadows, looking at everything.

And Promise's hesitation—

The words he almost spoke—

Was his desire to call her out.

To demand an answer.

What are you planning, Athena?

At the same time, he also wanted to ask Medusa herself—

Does she even know?

Is she even aware of what's happening?

And lastly, Promise had another, deeper concern.

A far more personal reason for his unease.

Because, he was feeling a bit guilty and a bit awkward right now.

After all..

His memories were still hazy.

He had just "awoken" from Fairy Britain.

And the last image from that place, burned into his mind from that world—

Was the soft, comforting sensation

Of Clotho's lap pillow.

The Goddess of Fate.

She...

She probably wouldn't know, right?

No— it's impossible that she wouldn't.

Thinking of this, Promise' head began to hurt painfully, and for the first time in a long while, he even had the urge to turn around and run—to escape from this place immediately.

To be honest—

The past him would never have reacted this way.

After all, he had always been fond of Clotho.

Not just for a day or two, he had constantly teased her, played around with her, mocked her "gently."

All of his action were seen by the Greek Gods and they had long since grown used to it.

So, if it were the case in the past,

Even if he had spent his final moments resting in Clotho's lap, as the world crumbled into nothingness—

It wouldn't have bothered him one bit.

But, who would have expected things to change so much after after the Holy Grail War in the Americas?

When the war ended—

Through the Grail's power, he had once again met Hera, the Queen of the Gods.

And from her lips,

He had learned things he was never meant to know.

For example—

The reason why Athena was a perfect, flawless being.

It was because of her oath of virginity.

A wise one must never fall in love.

For when they do—

They will become more insane than any ordinary mortal.

And in Athena's case—

As the Goddess of Wisdom—

That madness was not just a simple flaw.

It was a curse.

A curse placed upon the Goddess of Wisdom herself.

The first Goddess of Wisdom, Metis, Athena's mother.

She was the first, the original, the wisest.

The very first Goddess of Wisdom in Greek Mythology.

And—

The first wife of the God-king Zeus.

Throughout all of Greek history, one thing remained abundantly clear.

Zeus could never have overthrown his father, the Titan King Cronus,

Without Metis, the Goddess of Wisdom.

It was she, who devised the plan to rescue Hades, Hera, and their siblings from Cronus's stomach.

It was she, who persuaded half of the Titan Gods to defect to Zeus's side.

It was she, who ensured Zeus's victory.

All of it was done by Metis.

And without a doubt, as the first Goddess of Wisdom,

She must have possessed the same piercing insight that Athena had, which could see through anything in the world, representing absolute wisdom, and so...

She must have seen her own fate—

From the moment she first laid eyes on Zeus.

But—

Even then.

She still threw herself into his arms,

Like a moth to a flame.

Even when she was swallowed whole,

Even when she met her end inside Zeus's stomach, she clung to one final thought.

"This way, we will be together forever.

Never to be separated."

And that—

That was the ultimate fate of a Goddess of Wisdom who fell in love.

Madness in the truest sense.

Thus, when Athena stood before the Gods and swore her vow—

Her Oath of Virginity—

In that very moment, she became flawless.

Perfect.

Untouchable.

Infallible.

But then—

Came the War of the Gods.

When Poseidon, the god of the sea, waged war.

When Olympus was swallowed by the sea.

When Hera overthrew Zeus and sealed him away.

And in that war,

With Hecate's aid—

Promise loosed an arrow.

That arrow—

Athena could have blocked it in a thousand different ways.

Easily.

But, that arrow was fired by Promise.

And so,

That day—

The Goddess of Wisdom lowered her shield, and took the arrow herself.

And in that instant—

In every sense of the word—

That single arrow...

Shattered the Goddess's perfection.