The homunculus made his way through the forest, resting whenever necessary.
Inside the barrier-protected woods, there hadn't even been birdsong—but the moment he reached the edge, where the barrier's influence no longer reached, the world suddenly seemed to gain color.
It was an illusion caused by the abrupt increase in sensory stimuli, yet to the homunculus—who had never experienced such things—it felt entirely new.
He had never heard a single bird before.
Everything he knew of the outside world existed only as knowledge.
To feel the wind on his skin, to hear the chirping of birds—this was his first time.
So this is how bright the world truly is…
The homunculus couldn't suppress the quickening of his heartbeat.
Such overwhelming brilliance—perhaps only someone as pure as he, who saw the world through untainted senses, could feel it so deeply.
It took him nearly half a day to escape the forest.
Fortunately, no pursuers came. He had managed to put considerable distance between himself and Millennia Fortress.
"Rider and the others… are they all right…?"
Rider, who had saved him. Archer, who had helped. Saber, who had stepped forward at the last moment.
Whatever reason the Black faction had for needing a mere homunculus—he no longer had any way of knowing.
He fully understood that his fragile body was not made to survive long in this world.
Even so, he had no intention of dying helplessly.
And the Black Masters—pure magi—knew that a homunculus alone could not do anything.
This should've made it easy for him to slip away.
Yet for some reason, Caster had become obsessed with retrieving him—so much so that Saber had been deployed to bring him back. In the end, Saber had refused, preventing a disaster.
But surely… that defiance must have placed them in danger.
As all these thoughts swirled through his mind, his feet never stopped.
The moment he stepped fully into the sunlight, even the anxiety gnawing at his heart seemed to evaporate.
Now he truly felt free.
And that was when he met her.
The clash between Black and Red had been, by Ruler's expectations, a very small engagement.
Damage to the town: zero.
Only a few trees in the forest had been blown away—no different from a typical Holy Grail War.
At this point, one Servant of Red had been captured by Black, leaving the battle at Red's six against Black's seven. Through clever tactics, Black had overturned their numerical disadvantage.
Whether a one-Servant difference was large or small would depend on each faction's perspective.
The one who defected was a Berserker. Typically the first Servant class to be eliminated in most Holy Grail Wars—and in this conflict as well, Berserker was, bluntly, a "weapon."
Weapons could be discarded.
But if a weapon fell into the enemy's hands, the situation changed.
The impact would depend entirely on how powerful that weapon was.
Red Berserker, judging from appearances alone, was incredibly difficult to handle.
Yet he was also clearly powerful.
Having him pass into the hands of Black just before an all-out war… surely a grave loss for Red.
For now, it was best to observe.
Both Berserkers remained inside Black's Millennia Fortress.
The feared "Berserker rampaging through the city" scenario had become much less likely. That alone was a relief.
"There were no major issues, it seems."
Ruler slipped through the shadows of night, investigating the battlefield, and came to this conclusion.
A seven-versus-seven Great Holy Grail War was unprecedented, but this first skirmish had not violated any fundamentals.
The iron rule—remaining hidden from civilians—had been perfectly upheld.
Each Servant had employed their class abilities appropriately.
Red Rider had been as powerful as Red Lancer—an impressive surprise.
And the fact that Black Archer had wounded Rider was impossible to ignore.
Heroes possessing the concept of immortality enjoyed a natural advantage.
Yet Archer had broken that through countless Noble Phantasm-level long-range attacks.
Even by Servant standards, that was abnormal.
Red's trump cards were clearly Lancer and Rider.
On Black's side, all three knight classes were formidable.
In terms of individual quality, Red had the advantage—but Black Lancer and Black Saber were top-tier Servants.
And the mysterious Black Archer possessed more "Noble Phantasms" than anyone.
As long as he focused on sniping, Red would see him as an overwhelmingly powerful obstacle.
In other words—both sides had the capability to suppress the other's trump cards.
This was still only a preliminary battle, too early to fully judge.
But Ruler suspected their actual strength was evenly matched.
"Phew…"
Having completed her checks, Ruler exhaled.
Her investigation had yielded nothing.
She had spent the entire night searching, driven by a formless sense of unease.
Something was wrong.
A baseless certainty she could not shake.
She hoped it was her imagination… but something felt fatally off-balance.
Until she learned what it was, she would never rest easy.
Perhaps Red targeting her was the only clue…
"Ugh…"
Ruler braced a hand against a nearby tree.
Her body demanded sleep.
Ordinary Servants did not need sleep.
But Ruler had manifested by possessing the real human girl, Leticia.
This body needed food and rest.
"Ahh… even thinking about sleeping makes it worse…"
Pinching her cheek to stay awake, Ruler decided to leave the forest and return to the church where she was lodging.
With sunrise approaching, the war would naturally pause.
It was unlikely either faction would fight in broad daylight, especially after last night. They would be busy analyzing information.
Which meant she had time for a short sleep in the church attic.
The only problem: reaching the church.
The exhaustion and hunger gnawing at her were overwhelming.
Exiting the dim forest, she stepped into sunlight, clearing her head slightly.
"Ah—right. The church gave me…"
After removing her armor and returning to simple clothes, she searched her pockets.
"Yes, um… gum, I think…"
Sister Alma had called it candy. It was a thin slab wrapped in silver foil.
A refreshing scent—mint.
Just the smell blew away her drowsiness.
By knowledge, she knew it wasn't meant to be swallowed—but at this moment, she felt confident she could digest anything.
Between chewing tree roots or chewing gum, her options were dire.
"Thank you for the food."
Although gum was unfamiliar to her, humans ate it, so she saw no reason to hesitate. She opened the wrapper and tossed the piece into her mouth.
"G–ghhh!?"
Instantly, a freezing, burning sharpness assaulted her tongue and throat.
She clamped her hand over her mouth.
It was violently minty.
Breathing made her throat freeze.
Her drowsiness evaporated instantly.
"Wh-what—what is this!?"
She had assumed mint was merely a scent and that candy would taste sweet. She was wrong.
On an empty rural road, Ruler writhed alone.
The piercing cold shock in her skull was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
A country girl by upbringing, she had never eaten such strong flavors.
Even as a healthy eater, she could not classify this as food.
"…Modern sweets are terrifying…"
Yet she continued chewing—because the jaw movement helped suppress hunger.
It took some time to get used to it.
But once she did, she felt she could make it to the church.
Just as hope returned, she suddenly felt eyes on her.
She turned—
And their eyes met.
A young man stood there.
Red eyes, silver hair—a perfect contrast to her.
He was beautiful—his inorganic features too perfectly shaped, yet carrying a quiet sense of intention.
Ruler recognized him.
Or rather—she recognized his kind.
A homunculus—an artificial lifeform created through alchemy.
The Black faction had manufactured many like him as foot soldiers.
So why was one here alone?
The homunculus looked at her with a troubled expression.
"Um… do you need something from me?"
When addressed, he kept that same uncertain look and answered:
"If I offended you, I apologize. You seemed to be collapsing, groaning, scratching at your head… I thought something had happened."
"Ugh…"
He had probably seen her writhing in agony from the mint gum.
He had seen her.
Ruler's face turned red as she bit down viciously on the gum.
"N–no, it's fine. It's all resolved now."
"You solved it on your own? That's good."
"…"
Ruler stared at him silently.
Wasn't he aligned with the Black faction?
True, Black Saber's Master had attempted to recruit her before…
No use speculating. Better to ask directly.
"Are you not a homunculus created by Yggdmillennia?"
His reaction surprised her.
Shock—and beneath it, unmistakable fear.
He was afraid of Ruler.
"...Are you… a magus?"
He stepped back, clumsily drawing a short sword.
Even that sword looked large in his slender hands.
And the blade—hidden by magic—was unmistakably a magical implement.
"W-wait, please. You are a homunculus created by the Black faction, aren't you?"
"…Yes. From the way you speak, you must be a Master of the Red side. But that doesn't make sense—this is…"
He stared at her in confusion.
Ruler must not have felt like a Master at all.
Because she had suppressed her spiritual presence to conserve energy.
From their brief exchange alone, it was clear—
He had not approached her knowing she was Ruler.
He had simply approached out of kindness.
"A-anyway, I am not your enemy."
The homunculus studied her, slightly skeptical—
then quietly sheathed his sword and turned toward her again.
"You're willing to trust me?"
"Somehow, yes. Besides… someone writhing like that in the middle of nowhere doesn't feel like a member of the Red faction."
"That topic is off-limits."
Ruler's face burned red.
"I am the Servant summoned to oversee this Holy Grail War—Ruler.
Are you familiar with the class?"
"Ah… yes. I've heard of it. Said to possess special authority."
"That's correct. I don't misuse it—but I must sometimes act. That's why I was inspecting last night's battlefield."
"I see. You're gathering information."
"Yes."
He understood her explanation easily—probably because he was pure of heart.
A soul without guile—still almost like a newborn.
"Let me ask again. You are a homunculus created by the Black side, correct?"
"Yes. But I no longer belong to them. Last night, I escaped during the battle."
"Escaped…?"
He nodded.
"But how…?"
"I couldn't have done it alone. Rider, Archer, and Saber helped me. Thanks to them, I am here."
Ruler felt shock—and then, unexpectedly, a deep joy well up inside her.
In the midst of this brutal war, Servants had cooperated to help a single homunculus escape.
Despite each having their own wish—
they had not abandoned their pride and dignity as heroes.
That made her unbearably happy.
"I see… so Servants saved your life."
"Yes."
Then the short sword he had drawn earlier must have been a parting gift from one of them.
A blade imbued with healing and concealment magic—essential for someone as fragile as him.
"In that case, you must survive—no matter what."
"Of course. I don't know what the future holds, but I refuse to be dragged back there to die. And if I died meaninglessly… it would disgrace them."
If his resolve was that strong, he would manage somehow.
Still, there was cause for concern.
A homunculus body was frail, with a short lifespan.
He could hide among the public with magic, but he had no guarantee of food or shelter.
As she thought, an idea struck her.
"In that case—there is a church where I am staying.
Would you like to remain there for a while?"
He blinked, surprised.
Understandable—being invited by a stranger was suspicious.
But after meeting someone the other Servants had risked themselves to protect, Ruler could not simply ignore him.
"At a church?"
"Yes. A church exists to offer help to lost lambs. I'm sure they would aid you."
The homunculus hesitated.
But he had nowhere else to go.
The offer was truly a blessing.
"…All right. I'll accept your kindness."
"Good. Then follow me."
Ruler began walking ahead.
"Oh—by the way, what should I call you?"
"Hmm… I don't have a name yet. If you like, you can give me one."
"Oh, may I? Then… I shall proudly act as your godmother!
Let's see… how about shortening 'homunculus' to Homu-kun?"
"…I don't fully understand, but… I feel that is not the right choice."
"Ehh!?"
Ruler deflated, shuffling forward sadly.