"Morning."
"You're pretty late, Nero."
"Sorry, I slept like a baby."
"I didn't need to know that..."
"I'm glad you could sleep well. I catered everything to your needs and desires."
"Now that I think about it, it's kind of creepy the way you can just stalk us and know our secrets..."
"Why? Afraid I'll reveal something, Salter?"
"Say something like that again and you'll be the one who's afraid. And don't call me that stupid name."
"Isn't that your name?"
"... yeah, I think he's your kid, Galter."
"Enough with this nonsense!"
"Father, would you prefer tea or coffee?"
"See? Now you've encouraged his mongrel idea!"
"You're doing the right thing, William."
"Pardon?"
"You should follow what your heart tells you, no matter the obstacles you might face, but I guess you know that better than everyone else."
"I thank you, King of Knights."
"No, I should be the one to thank you. I'm glad you and Mordred are friends."
"Yeah, I'm glad too. Well, except from the times when..."
Not too long ago...
"Sandy, I broke the wall."
"I told you not to train inside!"
"Sandy, Pilgrim keeps screaming."
"What's the matter, Pil- she dreamt WHAT?!"
"Sandy, I'm going to sleep."
"Don't just sleep on the floor."
"Sandy, cut my hair."
"What am I, your hairdresser?"
"Sandy, Rodion got mad at me."
"That's the fifth time today!"
Back in the present...
"Yeah, apart from all those times, it was totally worth it."
"I assume Mordred gave you some troubles."
"Oh, none at all, your Majesty."
"Just call me Artoria. You're a good kid. Unlike your wretched-"
"Ohi, mongrel, let's go for some father-son bonding this afternoon."
"Oh, well, sure, but don't you have to-"
"We might as well train while we're staying here."
"Oh right, that does tie to something I wanted to tell you. Noble Phantasms go hand in hand with the legends of their hero. Legends and myths are exaggerations of reality. An hyperbole."
"Are you trying to say that our accomplishments aren't real?"
"No, no, I'd say such a thing, Sal- King of Knights. What I mean is that we exist thanks to the memory that people have of us. But heroes are never remembered correctly. There are always some mistakes here and there. That's due mostly to the fact that they aren't treated like humans, but like ideals. Each legend and myth aims to explain something or to teach a lesson, and you could say that the story is built around that lesson.
It wouldn't make sense for an underdog story to end with an elephant crushing a bug. What I'm trying to say is that, if people can reduce your existence to a single ideal, then so can you with your Noble Phantasm."
"... yeah, I'm not following."
"What do your Noble Phantasms represent?"
"My life."
"Myself."
"The King's way."
"My accomplishments."
"Precisely. But that's broad. And it doesn't hold much weight. But now, think about this: what was your life about? What were your actions aimed toward? How would you describe yourself in one word? If you can channel that into your Noble Phantasm, you'll be unstoppable."
"... yeah, I still don't get it."
"I kind of do, basically, we need to develop one particular strength."
"Basically."
"Like the stats in a videogame, we have to bring one to max level."
"... sure. Why does the King of Knights know of video games? Did they have them in her timeline?"
"That's not necessary, mongrel. I shall crush my enemies with my power, which is absolute."
"Is that why you were able to stop Alaya last time, Archer?"
"Huh?"
"If you think you can rescue Mordred without improving one bit, then do me a favor and get out of my sight. Thank you for the tea, William. I'm going outside to train."
"I'm coming too, Arty."
"Guess I have no choice but to go too."
"Ah, good morning, Rodion, how are you feeling today?"
"Terrible."
"I see, so you're making an improvement!"
"Damn it!"
"Father?"
"I'm going away, William."
"Why does Saber treat me in such a mean way."
"Father, if I may..."
"You may not!"
"..."
"... hold on. You said you controlled dreams, right?"
"I-I guess I do..."
"So you can help me after all, mongrel."
"Father, you're scaring me..."
"Do not worry, sonny. All you have to do is slip inside Saber's mind and give her the most wonderful dream of me and her together."
"I said I controlled dreams, not nightmares... even though I do..."
"What was that?"
"Nothing, fantastic plan, Father!"
"Stop being such a suck-up."
"... horrible idea, Father!"
"How dare you question my methods, mongrel?!"
"..."
At the training grounds...
"You know, just swinging around your sword won't do much."
"My form is terrible. I can't even beat you."
"No need to insult yourself... that said, if you're that salty about losing to me, why don't you ask for a rematch? Or are you afraid to get a bit cut? Besides, I look just like the person you're the most pissed against, right?"
"You don't need to make me even more mad than I already am."
"Then bring it."
"With pleasure."
As the two Artorias clashed, Nero looked at them.
"As usual, Salty is using some tough love... I guess she's this hard on Artoria because she also uses her as a way to vent out her own frustrations against herself... what a hassle, I don't have time nor the inclination to reflect on my own wrongdoings... anyway, thank you for agreeing to help me, Pilgrim."
"*squeaking noises*"
"You're sure I won't end up hurting you?"
"*more squeaking noises*"
"Pilgrim, I have to be honest, I have no idea what you're saying, so I'll just assume you said yes. In that case, we can start."
Pilgrim quickly flew up in the sky and, with a flash, turned into a thousand golden arrows that came crashing down toward Nero.
"... now. Jove!"
With one quick strike, Nero blocked a great number of arrows, knocking them away.
"Ok, pretty good... still, a few of them would have hit me. Thank you, Pilgrim. Let's do it a couple more times and then we can increase the speed."
Elsewhere...
"Ugh... why did I agree to this... this mongrel just keeps talking and talking about his mongrel life, his mongrel feelings, his mongrel desires... what a waste of time... I need to support Saber... if she feels better... and it's because of me... she'll instantly fall for me, hehe... at this rate, even training would have been better than this... training... what a ridiculous thing... me even thinking about training is quite absurd... it must be the influence of all these mongrels... it's like a disease... and they're slowly starting to infect me..."
"And so I started courting Sylvie in her dreams, I didn't have the courage to talk to her in real life. Just imagine... the most beautiful girl in the village and the orphan assistant of a lumberjack. Luckily it all turned out alright... I promised her she would leave forever and be forever young... I lied, she'd start ageing again as soon as I would have died... I'm sure she realised that eventually, and yet she never got mad at me... I miss her a lot, these days."
"Yeah... that's... that's lovely..."
"You know, I'm glad I found you, King of Heroes. You can never be truly honest with people, there are always some secrets you must keep to yourself, so that you can inspire others to be better, or in any case, so that you can play your part in this world. But since you didn't listen to me, I was able to say out loud everything I have ever thought but was never able to say. I feel much better now, thank you."
"... mongrel, listen closely: for a true man, there is no such thing as a part to play. A man laughs when he wants to laugh, cries when he needs to cry, and lashes out whenever he feels sufficiently irritated. The best men are those who don't let others bind or change the way they feel. That's the privilege of being a mongrel."
"... but people do change the way you feel. Look at you. You were appalled by the story I told you, and yet you were the one who birthed me."
"As foolish as it was, I changed on my own accord."
"Yeah, but for whose sake?"
"For my sake."
"But that kindness, that compassion, where did it come from? From a vacuum, or was it always in you?"
"..."
"And who helped to bring it out? Was it just the snake? Or was it those who welcomed you back after your journey, terrified of your potential for evil, but still loyal to a fault, aware of their own mortality and duties, just like you had just become?"
"... enough with this. Tell me something more about you. I'll listen this time."
"Let's see... well, I'm very tired."
"You didn't sleep well yesterday?"
"I didn't sleep at all."
"Why?"
"I can't. I'm the one who controls the flow of dreams and dream dust. If I were to lose consciousness, there's a chance everything would be plunged into chaos, just like before I was born. The dreams know I am watching them and that I am by their side. If I were to suddenly disappear, who knows how they would react."
"... what a fool you are."
"?"
"You haven't slept in years because you doubt your subject's loyalty? Do you think that the absence of their ruler would make them think that you're gone? The presence of a good ruler is at its strongest when the monarch is away. Do you have no trust in those who follow you?"
"No, no, that's not what I-"
Gilgamesh grabbed William's head and forcefully placed it on his lap.
"Sleep, mongrel."
"I'm... I'm not sure..."
"Everything will be fine. You have my word."
"... I guess that for once... I can dream too..."
"... ... he's already asleep. What a mongrel. Afraid to show any weakness. You really are foolish enough to be compared to me. For you to try and take my place as a mere human... you truly are an idiot."
Gilgamesh kept quietly spewing insults such as these while he slowly caressed his head. William kept sleeping with a smile. After a long time, he could dream of his wife.
Some time later...
"Did I oversleep?"
"You're not the first to linger on my body for too long, mongrel."
"You're still here... good, I thought I'd wake up when you were already long gone."
"I was merely repaying my debt, now don't test my patience."
"Sure. I was getting hungry anyway."
"Let us go and see what those other mongrels are doing..."
"Father."
"What?"
"Don't force your move. Like any conquest, conquering a woman is a matter of choosing the right time and way to strike. If you shoot a bad shot too many times, when eventually you'll land a good one, she won't even realise she's been hit."
"... I shall keep that in mind."
Back at the base...
"..."
"..."
"... are they alive..."
"Only one way to know..."
"Are you just going to prepare dinner?"
"You'll see."
As Gilgamesh royally sipped on his wine, his automatic kitchen started preparing dinner, spreading a powerful and mouth-watering aroma all around the ship.
"Want some, mongrel?"
"No thanks, I prefer beer."
"... help yourself then."
"I should have expected it. You really do possess everything you desire."
"It seems like that..."
"... if you were someone else, but I'm sure there's something you've desired for long that you still have to obtain."
"What are you talking about, mongrel?"
"Food..."
"What?"
"I smell... FOOD!"
"Ahhh! Zombies! They're zombies! Run, Rodion, run!"
"What is all this screaming? Is this how you wake people up in Norway?"
"So they woke up the minute their brains recognised the smell of something edible... freaky..."
"But what about Nero? She still hasn't woken up."
"Observe."
"Mmm... wine... wine... wine... where's the wine? Oh hello, everyone, I was looking for wine."
"Here it is."
"Ah, thank you, Goldie, nothing better than to wake up with wine in your hands."
"... why am I the only normal one?"
"This is delicious! I want more! Tell that thing to make more!"
"It's trying, but... you're eating faster than it can prepare food."
"Tell it to work faster!"
"It's fine, I can create food with dream dust."
"Oh my poor mongrel boy, you sure picked the wrong choice."
One dinner later...
"Man, I'm so full."
"So am I."
"Do you admit to your mistake, mongrel?"
"I can't move..."
"*squeaking noises*"
"Pilgrim, there you are... why are you full of cuts?"
"*more squeaking noises*"
"What? Why didn't you take a human form and explain yourself?"
"*even more squeaking noises*"
"See, Rodion? This is what being shy gets you."
"And I guess that's what being kind gets you..."
"I'm not a great role model, am I?"
"No, but you are a ray of light in this otherwise dark existence..."
"Oh no, he's gloomy again..."
"What's his deal anyway?"
"Ever heard of Crime and Punishment? Yeah, he's that guy. Poor him... I try to keep his mood up. Though he was much happier when Mordred was around..."
"I'm going to bed."
"Sleep well, Rodion!"
"Well, if that's the competition, I guess Mordred might as well already be yours."
"Mine? What do you- oh, no, no, I think this is a misunderstanding, we're just friends."
"Sure, sure."
"I'm married."
"How has that ever stopped anyone?"
"You really are the worst, King of Knights."
"Thanks."
"As if I'd ever let anyone lay a finger on my daughter..."
"Oh God, she turned into a possessive parent overnight..."
"Jesus, that's the creepiest way she could have said it..."
"Anyway, thanks for the meal, William. If you don't mind, I'd like for us to stay a little longer."
"No problem."
"Arty, let's sleep in the same room! Let's have a pajama party!"
"I'm pretty tired..."
"Party! Party! Party!"
"Fine..."
"Indeed, that is the spirit, mongrel! Party! Par-"
Gilgamesh was knocked out.
"He didn't listen to me at all!"
Later on, while everyone was asleep...
"Hey."
"Oh, King of Knights."
"You can call me Salter. Everyone else already calls me that."
"... sure..."
"... I have a favour to ask you."
"Whatever you dreamt about."
"So corny..."
"I've noticed something about you, Salter."
"?"
"People attract different type of dreams depending on their state of mind. You attract an awful amount of dreams connected to memories."
"..."
"You like to reminisce a lot, don't you?"
"That's none of your business."
"You're really closed in yourself. You should try to express your feelings. Bottling them down won't do you any good..."
"... I barely know how to do it..."
"But you're trying, I can tell. That's fine. Short steps, long steps, the important is that you keep moving forward."
"I didn't come here to get lectured."
"And I didn't come here to lecture you. Only to give you some advice."
"Who told you I need your advice?"
"Your heart."
"... yeah, that's super corny."
"I know. Anyway, what did you want to ask me?"
A week later...
"I must admit, you really improved a lot. All of you."
"Yeah, we don't need you to tell us, Mr. Slummer."
"Do you think we're close to achieving what you were saying?"
"You're on the right track."
"So we're nowhere near close..."
"William, use your words more carefully!"
"Exactly, mongrel, I always pick my words careful- ow, my throat..."
"You never do."
"I can't say I won't miss the chaotic nature of these days."
"Why don't you come with us?"
"I'm afraid I can't move around that much in this reality, it's already hard enough as it is to coordinate my activity between this world and the real one."
"Why did you even bother to stay here? You can just escape, right?"
"Perhaps, but then again... why should you be unable to dream?"
"Oh my gosh, Sandy, you're too precious for this world! Take care!"
"Same goes for you, Nero."
"Goodbye, William. I hope to see you again."
"Remember my promise, Artoria."
"... see you soon, Lord of Dreams."
"Can't you call me by my name at least once?"
"... take care of that depressed guy, William."
"Salter."
"..."
"I hope you find who you are looking for."
"... thanks."
"..."
"..."
"... keep up the good work."
"Thanks..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... is there something-"
"I'm proud of you, ok?"
"..."
"What? What-"
William hugged Gilgamesh dearly, catching the King of Heroes completely by surprise.
"I said everything in one breath and now I can't breath in... I'm going to suffocate!"
"Thank you. I know you'll achieve the impossible. That's what you've always done."
"*deep breath* See you later."
"Yeah, see you in your dreams."
They all boarded the Ship of Light and were on the move again.
"In my dreams, huh? What a cheeky mongrel..."
"You've progressed so much, Arty! You can even keep up with Salty now."
"It's still not enough, but it is a start."
"Yeah, what do you say, Salty?"
"Eh? Ah, yeah, sure."
"Were you ignoring me, Salty? Oh, wow, what a beautiful necklace... look at that design... with a cute little snake."
"William made this, I requested it."
"I figured you weren't the type to collect accessories."
"I'm not. This is a gift."
"I see. It's a real good thing that we met Sandy. Now we know where we have to go."
"Indeed, we can simply follow the mana trails he created that will lead us to one of those point of fusion between realities."
"Hey guys, can we please stop for a second?"
"We have just started moving again..."
"I need to use the bathroom"
"..."
On the ground...
"What is this?"
"Grass."
"And what do you want me to do with it."
"Ideally pee on it."
"I'm not doing such a thing out in the open!"
"Well, what do you suggest?"
"Look! There's a village just there. We can go there, ok?"
"Stop acting like a child, mongrel."
"*childish complaining*"
"Please just do what she asks..."
They quickly got close to the village and descended again.
"Ok, we're here, are you happy?"
"Thank you guys, now we just need to find a-"
Before Nero could finish, Saber raised her sword and blocked a series of incredibly fast projectiles.
"What's going on?"
"Bullets... could it be..."
"Salty, behind you!"
Nero shouted, pushing her aside and clashing with the assailant, who in return unleashed a black flame against them.
Salter in return cut through it, ready to strike again, when suddenly she stopped and lowered her weapon.
"Who are you, intruders trying to- wait... Artoria?"
Their attacker, a woman with pale skin, gray hair and a fairly long and tight dark purple dress, holding what seemed to be a black flagpost with a dark banner, stopped, her eyes wide in surprise, looking directly at Salter.
"Jeanne?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Long story. Is he by any chance-"
Someone else landed close to them.
When the dust settled, what came out was a mech, from which a man emerged, bearing similar skin and hair colour as the woman who had attacked them.
"Everything ok, Jeanne? Are these guys giving you trouble?"
"No... it's just that..."
Jeanne stuttered, slowly moving aside, revealing who was standing in front of her.
"Is... Is that you, Artoria?"
It was impossible for the others to tell in that moment, but Salter smiled, tears nearly forming under her eyes.
"Found you, King of Heroes."