Chapter 33: A Bewildered Sigma
Gilgamesh stood at the prow of the Vimana, his crimson pupils narrowing slightly.
In that fleeting moment just now, he had perceived a familiar wisp of magical energy—the scent of that annoying goddess. It flashed in the distance and then rapidly receded.
He turned his head, looking toward the direction from which the fluctuation had come.
There was only the night sky and neon lights; nothing remained.
"Heh."
Gilgamesh let out an ambiguous soft snort and returned his gaze to the church bell tower.
His eyes fell upon Olga Marie. On that face, which usually wore an arrogant smirk, a rare trace of solemnity surfaced.
Compared to Ishtar, Gilgamesh saw much more.
That was... the trajectory of countless stars being extinguished.
It was the silhouette of civilizations wailing amidst the flames.
"..."
He had not expected this strange god to possess such terrifying power.
Gilgamesh curled the corners of his lips slightly.
It was not his usual arrogant, mocking laugh, but a smile mixed with self-deprecation, absurdity, and excitement.
"It seems This King misjudged her."
He whispered to himself,
"I thought she was a clown who didn't know the heights of the heavens, but it turns out... she is a distorted beast."
"King?"
Tine, standing behind him, sensed the change in his tone and spoke cautiously.
Gilgamesh did not answer.
He merely took one last look toward the church. Olga Marie was talking to Flat, gesticulating wildly with a brilliant smile, completely oblivious to his gaze.
Reflections of certain scenes seemed to flash within his eyes.
Gilgamesh turned around, his tone suddenly becoming flat and devoid of emotion.
"We are leaving."
Tine blanked for a moment but nodded obediently.
"Yes."
The golden patterns on the hull of the Vimana lit up simultaneously.
Space rippled, and the mythical aircraft carried the Master and Servant away, vanishing instantly from the spot.
Without a parting threat, without even a second glance at the battlefield, he departed with utter decisiveness.
The church bell tower.
Olga Marie had no reaction to Gilgamesh's departure.
It wasn't that she didn't notice; she simply didn't care.
In her view, those Servants summoned by the Holy Grail were essentially 'temporary employees'—shadows manifested by borrowing the power of this planet, destined to return to the Throne once their time was up.
There was no point in taking them seriously; after all, they would exist for seven days at most.
Rather than wasting effort beating them down one by one, it was better to let them live and witness the great undertaking she was about to initiate.
'The more witnesses, the better~'
Thinking this, Olga Marie's mood became even more pleasant.
She even started calculating whether she should send invitations to these Servants for her coronation as ruler of the Earth.
After all, they were all heroes famous in history; they had enough prestige to serve as an audience.
Just as her thoughts drifted toward 'how many ceremonial cannons should be used at the coronation'—
"Ring-ring-ring—!"
A crisp cell phone ringtone interrupted her thoughts.
Olga Marie turned her head to see Flat frantically pulling a phone from his pocket.
"Ah, sorry, sorry! I set it to silent, why is it still ringing..."
Flat muttered while walking a short distance away to press the answer key, pressing the phone to his ear.
"Hello? Ah, Professor!"
The expression on his face changed from confusion to pleasant surprise.
"You've already arrived?! So fast! Where? The airport? Okay, okay, okay, I'll head over right now! Wait for me, and definitely don't wander around—Snowfield City is a mess right now!"
Olga Marie listened to him rattle off a string of words and turned her head away with a lack of interest.
At that moment, a loud shout came from the street below.
"Hey—!! You up there!! The silver-haired one!!!"
Olga Marie blinked and looked down.
Standing in the plaza in front of the church's main entrance were four people.
Leading them was a youth who looked to be in his early twenties with brilliant blond hair; upon closer inspection, one could see a prominent red streak dyed into it.
He wore a suit of silvery-white medieval knight armor, the surface carved with intricate heraldry that glinted coldly in the moonlight.
At this moment, the youth had his hands cupped around his mouth, head tilted back, shouting toward the bell tower.
"Can you hear me! I am Richard! King of England!"
His voice was full of vitality and a boyish excitement, completely unlike the Lionheart recorded in history.
Beside him stood three others.
A young girl with short blond hair, appearing to be fifteen or sixteen, dressed in practical casual clothes. She looked at the shouting knight beside her with a helpless expression, her mouth twitching—clearly embarrassed by her Servant's boisterous behavior.
She also felt uneasy about being in close proximity to Olga Marie.
Another figure was completely shrouded in black robes; from her build, she appeared to be female, her face covered by a veil that obscured her features. She stood quietly behind the girl like a silent shadow.
And then there was a boy who looked to be in his mid-teens at most.
He had short black hair, a thin build, and wore a simple shirt and trousers. He stood on the other side of the woman in black, tilting his head slightly to look toward the bell tower.
The moonlight fell on his face, revealing a countenance that still held a trace of childishness but possessed an exceptionally cold gaze.
Olga Marie's gaze lingered on this boy for a few seconds longer.
Not because he was special.
But because she saw something else within him.
"Oh?"
Olga Marie gave a soft hum, her amber pupils narrowing slightly.
'A Servant? Is it a symbiotic state? No, how interesting...'
She whispered to herself, her voice audible only to her.
Meanwhile, on the street below.
The short-haired boy—Sigma's body—stiffened imperceptibly.
Beside him, an old man whom only he could see and hear laughed heartily. "Haha, kid, she's found us."
The boy's pupils shrank sharply.
He subconsciously clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.
'Watcher...' he thought to himself, 'Can she really see you?'
"More than just see," the old man's voice carried a hint of amusement. "She has likely even figured out my current state. Tsk tsk, this level of perception, this sensitivity to abnormalities, and that unreasonably powerful analytical ability... truly worthy of being a BEAST."
"But don't panic; act as if you don't know."
"Since she hasn't called it out, it means she doesn't intend to deal with us for now. We'll wait and see."
The boy slowly relaxed his fists.
Before they could say anything more, Flat came rushing back holding his phone.
"Miss Olga Marie! Miss Olga Marie!"
"The Professor has arrived in Snowfield City! I'm going to go pick him up now, do you want to come along?"
Olga Marie glanced at him.
"What does your Professor have to do with me?"
"Eh—but the Professor is really amazing! Maybe he can help provide you with a faster, more efficient way to rule the Earth!"
Flat pushed the idea desperately.
"And the Professor is a super good person! Even though he looks scary and is always smoking, he actually cares about his students so much! You'll definitely like him once you meet him!"
"Not interested."
Olga Marie rejected him flatly, then gestured toward the people below.
"Besides, I have visitors to entertain."
Flat acted as if he had just noticed the four people below. He tapped his chin with his index finger and tilted his head.
"Ah? Who are they?"