Tanuki Rise of the Yokai Clan

"My wish..." Saber was stunned. "...is it possible to realize my wish?"

"I want to say that it is possible, but at the same time, it isn't possible."

"What do you mean?" Saber was confused.

Was it possible? Or was it not possible?

"First, this wishing machine is nothing but a byproduct of the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is nothing but a clump of magical energy and, thus, is not as omnipotent as people believe it to be. The real purpose of this Holy Grail is to open the way to the swirl of the Akasha, reaching the Root, the source of all events and phenomena in the universe."

Saber was startled and wanted to interrupt, but Tamazuki stopped her. "I know what you want to say, but listen to me first."

Saber hesitated but then nodded.

"Let's say that your wish is to make Britain the strongest kingdom in the world; then what do you think the Holy Grail will do to make Britain the strongest kingdom?"

"What will the Holy Grail do?" Saber was confused, but then she was unable to give an answer. "I don't know. What will it do?"

"It will destroy all the kingdoms, countries, and empires in the world, leaving only a Britain only."

"....." Saber.

"In case someone wants to become the richest, it will kill all the richest people until no one is richer than him."

"How could that?! Isn't that a scam?!"

Saber couldn't control her emotions since it wasn't the Holy Grail was a wishing machine, then shouldn't it be capable of realizing the wish of those who asked? However, she also knew that Holy Grail didn't lie since it really could realize the wish of those who asked it, yet... could she accept such a method?

"Still, if you have a detailed method of how you want to achieve your wish, then the Holy Grail might be able to help it. The simplest way is to learn all the magic and phenomena in the world by gaining access to Root."

Facing Saber's anger, Tamazuki was still calm. "So, what's your wish?"

"My wish..."

Saber fell into silence, trying to forcefully calm herself from the truth she was told. Even though she didn't want to believe his words, she knew that he didn't have a reason to lie to her, and she also didn't really doubt him, yet how could she accept such a method?

Then, if she asked for her wish, then wouldn't it mean that she had become a butcher of the majority of humankind in the world?

Frankly, if it was before, she might not believe him, thinking he was lying before falling into a delusion, thinking that the Holy Grail could bring her to achieve her dream, but their current relationship was different.

Even though her emotion toward him was still complicated, she didn't wish to kill him, especially when he was the one who took her womanhood. That feeling still lingered on her body, and it was impossible to erase it even if she returned to the Throne of Heroes.

So, at this moment, due to him, she might learn how to depend on others.

"I want to save my homeland. I will change England's fate of destruction."

Saying those words, Saber felt like the stone in her heart had vanished, and she sighed in relief as she sipped the warm coffee in her cup. Even though time had passed, the temperature of the coffee never changed. It was still as warm as before, showing Tamazuki's delicate and skillful way of controlling his flame manipulation ability, yet she didn't realize that since she was preoccupied with how he was going to answer her question.

Was it really possible for her to achieve her wish by the Holy Grail?

Based on Tamazuki's explanation, it was possible, but with his explanation, she could imagine that the Holy Grail would butcher all the people who possessed a threat to England, killing all of them until nothing was left, leaving only a few people who would work hard for the future of England.

Such a wish... was it something that she wished for?

"Can you be more detailed? Why is England going to be destroyed? Who are you facing? And isn't England a good country in this world now?"

"......."

Saber was speechless.

"I mean England in my time."

Saber knew that England was a good country in this era. Even if there were many troubles, it was still one of the world's superpowers, especially during the Victoria era; it had become the greatest Empire in the world.

Yet, due to this, she also calmed down.

Nothing is permanent.

Though even so, she wanted to fix the mistake that she had made.

"It was during the Battle of Camlann..."

'Having someone to talk to was nice,' Saber thought.

She didn't hesitate to tell him everything about how everything began and how England was about to be destroyed.

Everything that started with Lancelot's affair with Guinevere was revealed through the plans of traitors who hated Camelot, causing them to stand opposed.

"However, I didn't think that they had betrayed me. Instead, I blessed them well..."

Artoria did not see this inescapably unrighteous action as a betrayal but instead understood Guinevere's sacrifice due to having concealed her gender. She wrote a letter of pardon to Lancelot and Guinevere and gave them her blessings, saying that their actions "must have a good cause". However, Lancelot was afraid and ran, bringing about a tragedy where no one was right, and no one was wrong.

Tamazuki was in silence and snorted, thinking that this Lancelot as a mere knight, dared to touch Guinevere, who was Saber's wife. Even though the gender of Saber and Guinevere were the same, it didn't change their marital relationship.

Frankly, Tamazuki didn't have a right to say anything to Lancelot's action since he also did it with a married woman.

Yet, unlike him, Lancelot was simply a coward, and Saber was simply too good that she was used by many people.

As he was in deep thought, she continued her story.

By then, Excalibur's scabbard was stolen when she repelled an assault along her country's borders; when she returned inland, she discovered Britain was being torn asunder by civil unrest. Despite her valiant efforts to placate dissent, she was mortally wounded by the traitorous knight Mordred during the Battle of Camlann.

"I saw countless deaths of my countrymen, and I regretted my failure as a King..."

Staring at the countless deaths of her countrymen, she reflected on her personal failures, regretting her life as king.

"I thought to save my Kingdom, so I asked the Counter Force in exchange for services as Counter Guardian after my death, then I appeared here as the Einzbern Servant."

Saber took a deep breath and then looked at Tamazuki. "So, what do you think I should do? How can I save my country? Is the Holy Grail really capable of realizing my wish?"

Asking those questions rapidly, she stared at him with red eyes like how when her womanhood was ravaged by him. Her eyes were filled with tears as she thought about her regret and the death of many of her countrymen. They shouldn't be dead at that time, and her kingdom shouldn't have been destroyed, yet... yet... was it really impossible for her to escape from fate?

Should she just give up her wish?

Tamazuki then looked at Saber, then wiped her tears with his thumb, and stroked her translucent blonde hair softly.

"You have done well. Good work."

Those words broke the wall in her heart, and all the emotion in her heart flooded out like a broken dam; she didn't hide away and stared at him, but though she was a bit embarrassed, she broke away from him, afraid his gentleness would make her weak and affect her to save the lives of her countrymen.

"Tamazuki, answer me!"