On the night that Rintarou and Luna extinguished the demon, they were invited to a celebration by the whole village. They set up a giant bonfire in the middle of the clearing where the villagers gathered with their meager amounts of food and alcohol to entertain them. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts…! Thanks to you, this village is saved…!” Rintarou and Luna sat down together on a raised seat with grass mat cushions as the village chief poured them drinks. “Heh-heh! That demon was an easy job for us!” Luna bragged, chest puffed up. She was letting things get to her head. “I feel so bad that you went out of your way to arrange this banquet.” On the other hand, Rintarou seemed awkward as he looked at the dishes lined up in front of him: hard black bread and simple soup, jerked meat and steamed potatoes… Hardly a feast. Regardless, they knew the villagers tried hard to prepare this for them. After all, the village had been ruled over by a demon until this point. This was the best they could offer. “Plus…we’ve caused enough property damage from the battle… We should have done better…” Rintarou looked around, taking in the ruins—former buildings and fields. Though the demon was directly to blame, they shared a portion of the responsibility. It was rare to see him act in such an admirable way… “What are you talking about?” “Please don’t worry about that!” “We’re indebted to you!” “B-but…” He still felt guilty about it, despite their insistence. “It’s fine! Tomorrow will bring a new day!” “Exactly! We just have to fix our ruined village and fields! Right?!” “Indeed! There is no need for the saviors to worry!” The villagers were very firm. …This is a nice place. Rintarou couldn’t stop himself from breaking into a tiny smile. “—You heard them! Dig in, Rintarou! And don’t hold back! That’s a royal order!” “You should hold back a little, you glutton.” He sounded a little frustrated as he watched Luna roughly chew on some jerky. Well, if I’ve learned anything from my experiences…it’s almost time. Something happened as soon as he let his mind wander. “Ask and ye shall receive.” Suddenly, those words rained down from the sky. In the middle of the plaza, above the flaming bonfire, a golden light flashed, blinding them. Floating in the light was a chalice-like object—the Holy Grail. With no heralding or premonition, the cup materialized, growing brighter, letting its pure luminescence bathe over the village and illuminating it brighter than the midday sun. “Wh-what is this…?!” “This must be…?!” The villagers were starting to raise a commotion, which spread through the crowd like a ripple. Then, something even more shocking happened in front of them. An indescribable aroma tickled their noses. In the next moment, food and drink materialized in front of the villagers. The best bread, wine, cheese, fresh vegetables and fruit, generously spiced cooked meats and seafood, sausage soup… Not even the royal court would feast on such food in this age. And it was all shining under the Holy Grail’s light, glittering like gold. That wasn’t the only thing that was odd. “Oh! Whoa! Wh-what is this…?!” “This is…?!” Lo and behold, the village engulfed by the Holy Grail’s light was restored piece by piece. The houses that were decimated returned to their former states, and the desolate fields were in full harvest. “I-it’s a miracle…!” There were no other words to explain it. They wept with joy, praying up above. “…I-it’s here…! The power of the Holy Grail is as strong as always…!” “You’re right… If they had the power of this Holy Grail back then…the kingdom of Logres and the knights of the Round Table might not have fallen to ruin…” Luna blinked, taking it in, and Sir Kay’s eyes seemed distant as they saw what was occurring in front of them. Right then…someone faced the beaming chalice over the bonfire, sprinting furiously at it. “Huh?!” It was Rintarou. He concentrated all the energy in his mind and body, tearing through the plaza toward the Holy Grail, running at speeds that couldn’t be registered by the human eye. This time…this time, I’ll…! With the Holy Grail in his sights as he launched himself into the air, he stretched out his hands to grab it… I’ll…! The Holy Grail was right in front of his nose… All of a sudden…the chalice disappeared…and Rintarou’s outstretched hands grabbed air. “…Dammit! Again?!” He ground his teeth in frustration as he landed. “Tch! I was close… I could almost feel it…!” “Ha-ha-ha-ha… Better luck next time, Rintarou…” Luna patted him on the back as if to soothe him. “Ah… Not another failure… It seems this isn’t going to be easy…” Sir Kay was watching Rintarou and Luna from a slight distance as she sighed. “Ow…” Suddenly, Sir Kay felt a sharp sting in her right palm. Looking tired, she took off the gauntlet covering her hand and opened her palm to reveal a sharp and shallow cut… Blood bubbled up from it. …This wound…again? But why…? Sir Kay seemed unsure. Rintarou was frustrated for other reasons. Luna consoled him. The villagers didn’t have any idea what was going on in their heads… “Our saviors! This is a miracle! A gift from god! Now, let us have our fill—eating, drinking, and raising a storm all night! Ga-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” The chief and townspeople laughed merrily and swarmed the group. Cheers from the banquet carried on well past the middle of the night. Then… “Whew… The power of the Holy Grail sure is amazing. That’s a hack if there ever was one.” Crackle. Crackle-crackle. Pop… Deep in the pitch-black forest, a small fire sizzled. The flame quivered, making the shadows dance like apparitions. Since they hadn’t been able to get the Holy Grail at the village, they decided they needed to move on immediately to the next place with sightings of the Holy Grail… As soon as they decided that as a group, they informed the villagers, who were reluctant to see them go before the banquet was even halfway over. Now, they were gathered around a fire and making camp. “And we witnessed an incredible miracle…” Rintarou watched the flames. “Yeah… It’s like nothing is impossible with it. It’s amazing. I guess I can see why it’s famous…” Luna seemed somewhat reserved… On their journey, they had already witnessed the Holy Grail and its miracles a handful of times. There had been the case of a village plagued with a fatal disease. Though a doctor had been desperately prescribing medicinal herbs to save the village, nothing was helping. However, the Holy Grail appeared, engulfing the village in light and healing everyone from their sickness—thereby saving them. Another time, there had been a town suffering from famine due to a terrible drought. The villagers hadn’t lost hope and tried to create an irrigation system, but it hadn’t worked out well. As soon as they spotted the Holy Grail, rain poured down on the desolated fields, and crops sprang up, complete with the finished irritation system. There was a village that had been attacked by a large group of apparitions. The villagers’ resistance had been futile. All they could do was await their destruction, but the Holy Grail’s light erased these spirits and saved the people. At another place, they came across a traveler who had traveled the world looking for a way to save a lover who was cursed with an incurable illness. The magic chalice appeared before them and cured the lover’s malady in one moment. Another time, during the middle of their travels, a gigantic dragon the size of a mountain attacked them. The treasure had suddenly come into sight. When it showered them with its light, an overwhelming power settled into their group as they faced the beast, allowing them to turn the battle around. During their journey, every time they witnessed a miracle, they were shocked by the terrific power this magic chalice secretly had. That itself was the power of the Holy Grail. “We were so close… I was this close to grabbing the Holy Grail…,” Rintarou grumbled, chuckling kindling into the center of the fire. “But if we obtain the Holy Grail…don’t you think the King Arthur Succession Battle will be a walk in the park?” “I am inclined to agree, seeing as it is a goblet capable of creating miracles as great as those. If one were to weaponize its power with a certain goal in mind, I imagine it would cause devastating effects.” Sir Kay looked at her right palm. “If we can get our hands on the Holy Grail, there is no mistaking that we will be the closest to King Arthur.” “Right?! We’re almost there… Now that we’ve gotten this far, we’ll make sure to get our hands on it—for sure!” Rintarou started to get riled up along with Sir Kay. “…” However, Luna’s expression was stiff as she watched the flickering fire. “I never thought I’d say this, but I think we made the right choice by forcing ourselves to go on this quest.” Rintarou didn’t seem to pay much attention to her. “I mean, if we can just get the Holy Grail, I’m sure we’d win. There’s nothing we wouldn’t be able to get our hands on, right? It has to be the strongest treasure out of the four.” He grinned, turning to Luna. “Basically, Luna, you’ll finally be the world’s best king who’s fitting for me to serve! Get it together!” He gave Luna a call to arms. “…Rintarou,” she suddenly murmured. “Hmm? What’s up? Something wrong?” He really looked at her. Tilted down, her face glowed from the flames. Her expression seemed dark, coupled with the shadows. For a while, Luna kept silent…then she finally murmured, “…I’m sorry for raining on your parade, Rintarou, but…” “But what?” “Don’t you think…all this stuff with the Holy Grail is too convenient for us?” “…Huh?” Rintarou was struck dumb. “Well…don’t you think it’s too powerful? At first, I was ecstatic about its strength, but…to be blunt, I’m kind of starting to feel weirded out by it. How could it exist?” “Why not? It’s powerful because it’s great. You get that thing, and you’ll definitely become a king. The other guys won’t compare.” “…” Luna was silent for a while. “…But then it wouldn’t be my power, it’d be the Holy Grail’s…” She continued to stare at her feet, trailing off. “That’s not why I wanted to be king… I just wanted you to recognize me as one…” “Hmm? You said something?” “…” Luna didn’t answer, remaining wordless for a while. “And…I think there’s a more pressing matter.” “What?” “…Just when are we going to get the Holy Grail?” she asked. “…” Sir Kay was quiet… Rintarou blinked at her. “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” He roared with laughter, clutching his stomach. It was like he was asking if she even heard herself. “Wh-why are you laughing?! Is this something to laugh about?!” Luna couldn’t hold back her anger as she stood up and objected. “It’ll be fine, Luna! We’re almost there! I mean, it’s just right around the corner! Don’t worry, I’ll get my hands on it!” “That’s not what I’m worried about!” “I never thought this treasure hunt would be so simple! At every pit stop, we come across the chalice. If I’m being honest, I find it hard to believe a whole bunch of knights didn’t make it back! Maybe they weren’t as big of a deal as I made them out to be!” Rintarou sounded very optimistic. Luna finally lost her patience. “We don’t have time to joke around! Do you know how long it’s been since we got off that boat?! It’s been a year! A whole year!” He suddenly went silent. It felt like he was staring head-on at something he was trying to avoid. Luna was spilling out everything that had been weighing heavily on her mind. “I know time in the netherworld doesn’t match up with the outside world! Even if we spend forever in here, we won’t age, and I imagine it’ll only be a second in our world! But it’s already been a year of us chasing after the Holy Grail! It might appear in front of us…but it’s no use! It doesn’t seem like we’ll be able to hold it in our hands! All it does it keep showing us mind-blowing miracles! “Don’t you think there’s something weird going on?! It appears always a step ahead of us. Isn’t it strange that we’ve been at this for a whole year and still can’t grab it?! Don’t you think we’re missing something?! Maybe we’re just plain wrong?! Right, Rintarou?!” Luna desperately appealed to him. “Rintarou, I think that there’s something off, too,” Sir Kay interrupted them, holding her right palm out over the fire. Luna must have noticed something, because she peered into Sir Kay’s face. “Sir Kay… Did that happen again?” “Yes. When the Holy Grail materialized…a wound appeared on my right palm as though it had been cut… Though it has closed now.” “…” Rintarou was silent. “It certainly is not a grave wound. It barely counts, since we can use healing magic. However…seeing that it synchronizes with the Holy Grail… I don’t think it can be written off as just any old wound. Plus, it has gotten bigger over time, which is why I think there’s a greater meaning behind it.” “Yeah… There is definitely something fishy going on…but I can’t put my finger on it…” Luna looked like she was uncomfortable for the next part. “Hey, Rintarou…what do you think about going back to the boat? I think we missed something.” “…Are you saying we should give up the Holy Grail after we’ve gotten this far?” Rintarou turned his face down slightly. “I’m not saying that. It’s just…” “It’ll be fine, Luna. We’ll get the Holy Grail soon… We’re right about to corner it. Sir Kay’s weird wound was probably just some sort of pesky curse she picked up, right? Once we have the Holy Grail, we’ll be able to fix that, too! …Am I wrong?” “…Well…” “And we’re probably the ones who have gotten closest to it, right? I mean, other than Galahad. This is our chance!” “M-maybe, but…” “Isn’t it normal for us to experience some trials and tribulations? It’s a treasure with that terrific of a power. You practically become the winner if you can obtain it. You can’t get an extra-rare item without a struggle… Isn’t that common sense?” “You have a point, I suppose, but…!” Luna was succumbing to a strange unease. There definitely was something off. The quest was fishy…and when she thought about it, there was something weird about Rintarou. His normal self would have already figured out before them something was wrong. No matter how much she tried to persuade him about it, Rintarou was obstinate. He kept insisting they would get the Holy Grail…and he couldn’t be flexible, like always. “Hey, Rintarou…” There’s something off about you. Luna was just about to point that out… “Are you not going to help me…Luna…?” Rintarou whispered, looking down in a pitiable way. “!” That had been a surprise attack. When Rintarou made that face, Luna couldn’t say anything. “I…want to save Nayuki. I need the Holy Grail for that… Don’t you know that?” “…I do, but…” Rintarou wanted the Holy Grail for Nayuki’s sake. Luna wanted to support him in his endeavors…but… “Or…do you not believe me? Do you think I’m imagining a friend named Nayuki Fuyuse…?” “…No. I believe you. I really do.” It was no use. When Rintarou had such a heartbreaking look on his face, Luna just couldn’t be strong about it. She wasn’t lying. She believed Rintarou. She believed there had been a girl named Nayuki Fuyuse in their group. That was why she couldn’t deny Rintarou when he was so desperate about locating the Holy Grail for her sake. “…” She didn’t know how he had taken her silence. “…Thanks. I’ve been a lot of trouble, haven’t I?” Rintarou smiled gently. “It’ll be fine. We’ll get the Holy Grail soon. I’ll obtain it for sure. If we just have the Holy Grail, Nayuki will come back…and you’ll become the true King Arthur. We’ll get everything we want…so, please?” He sounded certain. In any normal circumstance, she would have depended on him, but… Is that true? Will we really be able to secure the Holy Grail? Uncertainty flooded her chest. She felt like…Rintarou was going far off by himself somewhere. “Well, let’s get to sleep to prep for tomorrow. I’ll keep watch.” “Okay… Thanks. Sorry for making you do that every night.” “Don’t worry about it. Okay… Tomorrow, we’ll get the Holy Grail.” After that exchange, Rintarou got ready to watch for the night. Weighed down by this uneasy feeling she couldn’t dismiss, Luna wrapped herself in a travel blanket and lay on her side, closing her eyes quietly. … Their journey would continue…on the following day. And the day after that. Their expedition to search for the Holy Grail would carry on. It would persist, endlessly, to the edge of the world. … … However, they would never reach the Holy Grail.
Chapter 55
15 min read