Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 949 - : Solomon and Karna’s Agreement

Roman—a new name Solomon gave himself.

"Roman, Roman..."

Luvia murmured the name several times, deep in thought, before saying, "It sounds a lot like romance."

"Ah, you've seen through it. Yes, it's because it sounds like romance. Even though that word didn't appear until long after I died, it represents something I lacked—freedom to dream of the future, a heart that seeks a beautiful tomorrow. In this second life, I hope to live romantically as a human."

Solomon—no, Roman—smiled brightly, his voice gentle, but his words made the Master feel a tightness in her chest.

Olga's feelings were conflicted.

On one hand, she was anxious. Solomon's overly weak power left her with no hope of victory. Unlike Luvia, who had a high degree of autonomy, she, as the daughter of a lord and still a minor, was strictly controlled. This time, she had boldly stolen one of her father's prized relics and run away from home to participate in the Holy Grail War, hoping to prove herself by doing so.

If she won, everything would be fine. Achieving the honor that even Lord El-Melloi, the number two figure in the aristocratic faction, hadn't achieved would be the ultimate glory.

If she lost, a life of immense hardship awaited her. The very thought of her father Marisbury's cold face filled Olga Marie with a sense of dread.

Looking at things now, the odds of the latter seemed much higher. And yet, she couldn't vent her emotions, because Solomon's life story had moved her. Though he seemed to have lived a life of glory, he had been devoid of freedom, like a prisoner, living a hundred times more strictly than she had in her ten-plus years. She simply couldn't bring herself to speak harshly to this man, who had lived such a tragic life. All she could say was—

"If you want to live romantically, you first have to win the Holy Grail War. If we win, you can live however you want. If we lose—"

"—then there won't be a 'next,' I understand."

Roman responded, "Even though I'm a useless Servant, I will do my best to walk alongside my Master until the very end."

"Hmph, at least you know," Olga gritted her teeth and turned to leave.

Roman hurried after her, but she waved him off impatiently.

"Don't follow me. Let me be alone."

"But—"

"It's fine. Leave her to me. We need to have a little girl-to-girl talk."

Luvia gave Roman a small nod and gracefully walked past him.

"Archer, you stay here too. We're not going far. As fellow Servants, you two probably have things to talk about. Even if not, you can at least discuss how to coordinate in battle. Your archery combined with Caster's ability to block detection could have terrifying results."

"Understood."

Karna maintained his usual calm, almost cold demeanor.

Luvia quickly caught up to Olga Marie and gently patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't be mad. Caster's quite decent..."

She was very adept at this kind of comforting. Before leaving home, she had often similarly consoled her sickly younger sister.

Though Olga Marie had a prestigious background, in Luvia's eyes, she was just a pouting little sister. When she found out that Olga had run away from home behind her father's back, this feeling only deepened.

There was no denying that there were elements of mutual exploitation between them, but Luvia had also taken on the role of the older sister, taking care of her younger sibling.

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Oh dear, oh dear, I'm such a worrywart—thought the blue-dressed lady as she disappeared around the staircase corner.

Behind them, Roman, still watching, sighed quietly, "What a remarkable young lady. You're pretty lucky, Archer."

"Indeed, I am. I never expected someone like me to one day be blessed with such fortune."

As he said this, Karna, the Hero of Charity, rarely smiled. He had spent his life giving, but in his interactions with Luvia, he had tasted the sweetness of receiving, a feeling that was precious to him.

"But speaking of luck, you're the same. Though Miss Olga Marie's attitude isn't the best, she has already accepted you."

"I know. I've always been lucky."

Roman withdrew his gaze and met Karna's eyes. The latter's cold, penetrating gaze seemed to see through all pretense.

"Since you know that, why do you still act this way on purpose?"

"What do you mean?"

Roman looked confused, appearing remarkably innocent.

But Karna wasn't fooled.

"Deception is meaningless to me. Why are you pretending to be like this? This isn't your true self."

"Ah, that. I haven't deceived anyone. Everything I've said is true. The person you're talking about is Solomon, not Roman. In my second life, I just want to live as Roman."

"And your power? Your abilities aren't as weak as you claim. Even I wouldn't dare say I could defeat you."

Luvia and Olga Marie's eyes weren't sharp enough to see through Roman's true strength. But Karna was different. As one of the strongest heroes, with eyes that could pierce through all illusions, he had known from the moment he saw Roman that he was a warrior of equal power.

"Well, there's another reason for that."

Roman glanced furtively in the direction where the two girls had disappeared, then lowered his voice.

"Ordinarily, I shouldn't be able to manifest in this world as someone's Servant. But due to some... unusual circumstances, I managed to secure some special privileges—someone like you should understand what I mean."

"I see..."

Karna subtly pointed to the sky.

Seeing the gesture, Roman finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Because of that, I have to keep a low profile. I can't display too much power, or it might cause unpredictable changes."

"I understand. I can see why you're doing this, and I won't expose you—on one condition. I hope you'll agree to a request of mine."

"What is it?"

"If I fall in battle and can't stay by my Master's side until the end, I want you to ensure her safety. You're better at that than I am."

The Hero of Charity spoke as he lowered his head, his nobility causing Roman to show, for the first time, a demeanor far removed from his usual ordinary self.

"Karna..."

"Although I'm not under the same restrictions as you, I can still sense the strange aura in this city. In any case, I leave everything to you."

"...Alright, I promise you, in the name of Roman, and the name of Solomon."

Roman fell silent for a while before finally agreeing. As he spoke, a phantasmal image appeared behind him.

White hair, brown skin, and a flowing robe of red, white, and black. In that moment, the Great Source of the world stirred, as if cheering.

This was the true form of King Solomon, the King of Magecraft with an irreplaceable place in history.