Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 924 - : Gilgamesh’s Teachings

Shinji and his group had left, and Rin didn't stop them.

Harsh words had been exchanged, declarations made, and the aftermath was handled.

Although Rin hadn't seen the people dealing with the aftermath yet, since Shinji had said so, she believed it must have been arranged—this was something Rin never doubted, just as Shinji trusted that Rin wouldn't take advantage of others.

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Their relationship was strange in that way. On the surface, it seemed hostile, often on the verge of conflict, but deep down, they trusted each other, though Rin would never admit it.

"That despicable guy... rogue... schemer..."

Muttering curses under her breath while watching the direction Shinji had gone, Rin was interrupted by Gilgamesh.

"You should stop soon. Cursing is the behavior of mongrels. And your relationship with him isn't as bad as it seems."

"What? Are your eyes not working? Or your ears? Can't you see my expression or hear what I'm saying?"

To Rin's aggressive questioning, Gilgamesh just smiled lightly.

"Falsehood and deceit hold no meaning for this king. My eyes can see through the essence of humans. Lies and schemes are nothing more than the pathetic farces of mongrels. As a descendant of royal vassals, Rin, I will not allow you to become one of those mongrels."

"Ah, here we go again. Since when do you get to decide my life?"

Rin sighed helplessly. After spending some time with Gilgamesh, she had somewhat gotten used to his way of speaking.

"I don't intend to decide your life, but the king must guide an immature child. Let me tell you a story from my time. I once experimented, randomly selecting ten slaves, and told them to kill the unnecessary ones among them. What do you think happened?"

"Killing people for that reason? You are a tyrant!"

Rin, who was both intelligent and morally upright, complained.

"You didn't kill them all, did you?"

"No, quite the opposite. None of them could be killed," Gilgamesh shook his head.

"Each had their use—some ran errands, some cleaned, some moved things—none were unnecessary."

"Is that so?"

Rin seemed a little puzzled.

"Yes, that was how the world used to be. Everyone had a use. But this world is different. Now, even if you select a thousand people, there will be no one who can't be killed."

With a sardonic shrug, the streetlight flickered, casting a deep shadow over the golden king.

"It's truly a world that has become overly gentle toward humans, so gentle it's sickening. Rin, whatever path you choose, whether to be good or evil, is up to you. But before that, I hope you find your use and don't let this gentle world lead you to lose your nature, becoming a mongrel with no direction or purpose, simply existing."

Rin snorted, "I didn't expect you to say something like that. But does this have anything to do with our earlier conversation?"

"You said my ears were bad, but it's your ears that aren't working. I just mentioned nature, the biggest difference between being useful and useless. Losing one's nature is what makes one aimless, a mongrel, and the first step to losing it is to deceive yourself, consciously or not—to deny it. There's a term I saw on TV recently, tsundere, isn't it?"

The term tsundere, referring to someone who acts cold but is affectionate, struck Rin as her weakness once again.

"I am not a tsundere! You're the tsundere! I'm just—just—"

"You're just not being honest," Gilgamesh smirked, clearly pleased by Rin's flushed reaction.

"Well, whether you're tsundere or just not honest, it makes no difference. At first, you might know you're not being honest, but if you keep it up, you'll get used to it and eventually lose yourself. In that regard, that clown is better than you."

"No way! That guy who sings 'I'm going to blow up the school' is better than me?"

"At least he's honest about his feelings and managed to amuse me."

"So, that's what you consider useful?"

Rin looked at her servant with annoyance.

For a moment, she almost categorized Gilgamesh and Shinji as being part of the same mentally ill group.

"Of course. Do you think making this king feel pleasure is an easy thing to do?"

"So, your nature is pleasure?"

"Indeed."

Gilgamesh nodded with satisfaction.

"Hmph, as expected of a tyrant capable of conducting such experiments."

"Rin, you're misunderstanding something. Gaining pleasure through crime is evil; pleasure itself is not. Can you say that the pleasure humans derive from acts of goodness is a sin?"

"Uh..."

Rin found herself speechless.

"Is it a sin for me to feel pleasure from the clown's singing? The pursuit of pleasure is inherent to humanity, and pleasure is, at its core, part of the soul. For someone like you, that may be difficult to understand. But that clown likely understands, and for that, he's not a mongrel."

"Him—"

"Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment, Rin. From the moment that clown appeared until he left, he never lied or hid his nature. Whether it was admitting what he did, his opinion of Tohsaka, or stopping your sister in the end, it was all his true feelings. Perhaps that's why the Queen of the Land of Shadows placed so much hope in him."

Gilgamesh looked at the silent girl with a smug expression.

"Rin, I've said I would look after you, but I am not your babysitter. If you want to use my power to achieve victory, then you need to be prepared to expose your true nature."

"True nature... preparation..."

Rin's expression shifted continuously.

"Use your bright eyes to see clearly, use your intelligent mind to think deeply, and come to your conclusions. Don't accept what others impose on you—be it gods, family obligations, or even your father's will. These aren't reasons to stop thinking. That way leads only to the decay and fall of the soul."

With that, Gilgamesh fell silent, standing still like a perfect statue, waiting for Rin to gather her thoughts and speak.

"Archer, what do you think of Shinji's earlier remarks about you and my father?"

"You're still hung up on that, huh? Very well, I'll tell you. The clown's evaluation was mostly correct. Tohsaka and I do share some similarities in style, but our essences are different. Tohsaka was a dull, rigid man, bound by outdated ideas, unable to see others' changes. From beginning to end, he looked down on that man, Matou Kariya, never considering how far he'd go for your mother. That was his greatest mistake. I am different. I hold firm to my nature. Taking mongrels seriously is an insult to the king. Even now, I have no intention of changing."

As he said this, Gilgamesh once again narrowed his eyes to mere slits.

"And which will you be, Tohsaka Rin? Will you be a puppet bound by others' influence, or will you, like me, stay true to your nature?"