CHAPTER 592: CHAPTER 592: THE DISRUPTING BYSTANDER

Sasaki Kojiro left without saying a word, while Archer and Cu Chulainn were more concerned about something else: Ethan seemed to know the true identity of the Caster.

"It’s Medea?"

Putting aside her various other identities, Medea, as a Caster from the Age of Gods, answering a summoning in the Caster class, was undoubtedly an opponent to be taken seriously.

Of course, they didn’t need to worry about Medea right now. The problem before them still hadn’t been resolved.

"I’m very sorry for damaging your warehouse."

Ethan appeared before Shirou without anyone noticing. Artoria, snapping back to her senses, hurriedly raised her sword and took a defensive stance.

"When...?"

She hadn’t even noticed when or how Ethan had approached her Master, and she realized she couldn’t stop him in time as he extended his hand, filled with powerful mana, and placed it on her Master’s shoulder.

The expected explosion or impact didn’t happen. Instead, a soft golden light spread across Shirou’s entire body, and his wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even the dust on his clothes disappeared.

"This..."

"Consider this compensation."

Although Ethan knew something inside Shirou allowed him to recover faster than normal people, no one else knew that. It was better to offer a favor now to make later matters smoother.

"Oh, by the way, could I borrow your living room for a talk? I don’t like standing outside in the cold winter wind chatting."

"Ah, I don’t mind. Please come in."

Shirou was still completely bewildered. Although Rin had just explained the basics of the Holy Grail War to him, including that these people were all legendary heroes who had become Heroic Spirits summoned to the present as Servants, the information was simply too much to take in.

He had been swept into a major battle in confusion... more importantly, their combined efforts had been easily defeated by Ethan, and he had thought he was about to die.

Unexpectedly, things took a sharp turn. The powerful hero who had just defeated them didn’t want to kill anyone and was even politely asking to use his living room to talk.

Everyone entered Shirou’s living room one after another. Even Illya, who had been standing blankly at a distance, walked over at this point.

Her gaze lingered mostly on Shirou. Aside from Shirou himself, who was too dazed to notice, everyone else picked up on it, but no one said anything. They figured they would soon learn the reason.

Ethan sat down casually, while Shirou, having changed his damaged clothes, brought out fruit and hot tea for everyone. When the refreshments were set on the table and everyone was seated, the atmosphere turned awkward.

Just a while ago, they had all been trying to kill each other. Now they were sitting around a table together. The tension was palpable.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Archer didn’t sit but leaned against the wall behind and to the side of Rin. From that position, he could defend from the front and didn’t have to worry about attacks from the sides or behind.

Even now, he hadn’t lowered his guard.

"No need to rush, Emiya... Actually, my goal has little to do with yours. We don’t have any real conflict."

"Emiya?" Rin looked at Archer curiously, then glanced at Shirou beside her. "Emiya" was also Shirou’s family name, but she thought it was just a coincidence.

Archer didn’t think so. Ethan had specifically glanced at Shirou when saying that name, making his expression darken. He had already suspected Ethan possessed some special ability to know Servants’ true identities, and this confirmed it.

"Oh? So your true name is Emiya? I don’t recall any hero by that name," Cu Chulainn said curiously. He had been wondering about both Ethan’s and Archer’s identities, and this only deepened his curiosity.

"Heroic Spirits... have no concept of time."

Ethan casually peeled an orange as he spoke, slipping into his usual spoiler mode. He was far too used to doing this, effortlessly dropping critical information with a few words.

Everyone understood immediately. Rin and Cu Chulainn, being the quickest to react, glanced repeatedly between Shirou and Archer.

Shirou’s mind had been a mess because of everything that had happened, but that didn’t mean he was stupid. In fact, he was quite intelligent and talented. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been chosen as a Guardian of Humanity in the future.

After regaining some composure, he also understood what Ethan meant and turned to Archer with surprise.

Although there were differences in hair color, hairstyle, and skin tone, their facial structures were similar. Rin, shocked, even reached out and rubbed Archer’s hair to check if it felt the same.

"Did you come here just to reveal our identities?"

That sentence alone confirmed everyone’s suspicions, and Rin could no longer stay calm.

"Why... why would you become a hero worthy of the Throne of Heroes? What about me? Will I become a great magus in the future?"

Archer looked at Rin helplessly. Though troubled by her behavior, he still answered honestly.

"I don’t know what you achieve in the future, since we don’t interact much... and, I haven’t ascended to the Throne of Heroes."

"Haven’t ascended to the Throne of Heroes?"

His words surprised everyone except Artoria, who looked at him with slight curiosity.

Rin was confused. "Didn’t you say Servants are Heroic Spirits from the Throne of Heroes?"

"You can ask this... seemingly all-knowing Berserker." Archer closed his eyes again, clearly unwilling to talk more about himself. "Maybe he even knows if you’ll become a Heroic Spirit in the future."

Everyone turned to look at Ethan again. They wanted to see if he truly knew everything.

Ethan took a sip of tea before speaking.

"Although, from a certain perspective, there isn’t anyone ordinary in this room... not everyone becomes a Heroic Spirit like Cu Chulainn."

When he said that, he noticed Artoria’s hand clench slightly. Of everyone present, only Cu Chulainn was a Heroic Spirit in the true sense.

Artoria and Archer were not traditional Heroic Spirits. Archer, after Shirou grew up, became a Guardian of Humanity, a unique existence. His appearance here was both coincidence and another mission to protect humanity.

Artoria’s case was different. She wasn’t dead at all. Her time was frozen at the moment before her death, and she had joined the Holy Grail War as a Servant, hoping to obtain the Holy Grail to fulfill her wish. She would remain in this state until she either obtained it or let go of her obsession.

After she released that obsession and accepted death, she still wouldn’t ascend to the Throne of Heroes, but would instead go to a special realm called Avalon, similar to a personal heaven for a chosen few.

Of course, Artoria didn’t know about that yet, and Ethan didn’t intend to tell her. He merely smirked and said, "Being a Guardian isn’t easy, is it?" teasing Archer.

Archer’s mouth twitched, but he said nothing, pretending not to hear. Rin’s endless questions about her potential future as a Heroic Spirit helped draw attention away from him.

"You..."

Ethan rubbed his chin, then glanced at Illya.

"You two are somewhat similar. You weren’t originally destined to become Heroic Spirits, but... certain unavoidable circumstances led to you being favored by special existences."

"What do you mean?"

Illya hadn’t expected to be brought up. As a hybrid of a homunculus and a human—and the Lesser Grail herself—she believed she had no possibility of becoming a Heroic Spirit.

But from Ethan’s words, did that mean she would in the future?

"No, how do you know so much about the future? Could it be... you’re also a Heroic Spirit from the future?"

"My situation is special. I don’t exist in the past, nor am I a hero of the future." Ethan shoved the orange slice into Illya’s mouth to shut her up. "I’m similar to a certain delinquent who tends to bite his tongue when chanting. We’re both observers of this world."

The others didn’t understand who he was referring to, but Artoria suddenly tensed up.

"The one who bites his tongue when chanting... could it be...?"

"That’s right, it’s that guy."

"Could it be... you’re him...?"

"It’s not what you think. I don’t actually know him at all."

Artoria let out a long breath of relief. For a moment, she thought Ethan had come specifically to target her. If that were true, her wish would be impossible to realize.

Ethan watched her relax and quietly sit back down. Then he tapped the table lightly, and the door, which had been closed, suddenly opened.

"Since you’re already here, come in and talk. Don’t worry, there are no traps here."

(To be continued.)