"Yup. We just thought she had amazing medical skills before, but it was actually because she's a fairy. But that's exactly why she can help so many people. She's truly a kind fairy lady, and I like her the most. Oh, and by the way, she also contributed a lot to the workshop that was set up in the snowy peaks to ambush you guys. Of course, I did most of the work. Hehe," Chloe said with a laugh.
A fairy as a doctor, huh? He didn't know why, but it reminded him of Vivian who had disguised herself as Guinevere, causing him to smile. "Now I'm curious about her."
"Hmm, she should be at the base right now, monitoring the physical condition of the villagers. I'll introduce you to her later, Shirou-niisan."
"Thanks, Illya."
Chaldea's base was located among the mountains, not far from there, and it only took about an hour to arrive. Illya led everyone into the camp. The villagers in the camp saw Illya return, and each of them greeted her sincerely, calling her the Spring Goddess. They welcomed the other villagers from Village No. 6 and the surrounding areas.
However, Shirou's soldiers made the villagers feel both a little scared and curious because human soldiers hadn't existed in this world for a very long time.
Chloe dashed into the camp, a wide grin on her face. She couldn't wait to introduce Shirou to the doctor. There was just something about her that she found irresistible - maybe it was the way she was so easy to tease, or how she'd complain but never actually get mad. Or maybe it was the way she always had Chloe's back when it really mattered. Whatever it was, Chloe knew she liked her.
It didn't take long for Chloe to spot the doctor, who was busy scribbling notes on a writing pad as she checked in on the villagers. Chloe hurried over, ready to surprise her with a cheerful greeting, but the doctor glanced up first and flashed her a warm smile. "Welcome back, Chloe."
"Aw, you saw me first," Chloe pouted.
"If I hadn't spotted you first, you would've definitely snuck up on me again, wouldn't you?" The doctor's brow furrowed as a troubled expression settled on her face. Her voice grew heavy as she added, "But if you're back already, I guess that means the giants have started their invasion."
Chloe nodded solemnly, but then a smile spread across her face. "Hey, no need to worry about that right now. Come on, I want you to meet our new super reliable companions!" Without waiting for a response, Chloe grabbed the doctor's hand and tugged her along.
"New Servants? But that's impossible... The leylines in this world were all destroyed over two millennia ago. We can't even grow crops without divinity provided by Skadi. How could anyone summon new Servants under these conditions?" The doctor's curiosity was piqued as she tried to make sense of Chloe's claim.
Chloe just laughed, her hand still firmly grasping the doctor's as she pulled her along. "You'll see when you meet them!"
"Okay, okay, I'm coming! Just slow down a bit, will you? The snow's melted here and the ground is all muddy. You'll slip and fall if you're not careful." The fairy's tone was gentle as she let Chloe lead her, half-reluctant but still offering a kind reminder to watch her step.
As Chloe dragged the doctor over to Shirou, she called out excitedly, "Oniichan! This is the fairy lady I was telling you about earlier."
Chloe was so focused on getting his attention that she completely missed the way the doctor's smile froze on her face, her body beginning to tremble as she tried to resist Chloe's pull. But Chloe, oblivious to the doctor's distress, just tightened her grip on her wrist and tugged her right up to Shirou.
The doctor, caught off guard and overwhelmed, instantly crouched down behind Chloe, her tall frame shaking like a leaf.
"Oniichan, meet Morrigan, Chaldea's most reliable doctor!" Chloe announced proudly. She tried to coax Morrigan out from behind her, but Morrigan refused to budge. She clung tightly to Chloe's hand, hiding and trembling, looking for all the world like a frightened rabbit.
Chloe was confused by Morrigan's sudden shyness. She thought to herself, 'Since when did Morrigan become so timid?' But she carried on with the introduction anyway. "Oniichan, Morrigan's just a bit shy, so don't mind her. Oh, and Morrigan, this is the King of Britain, the Eternal King!"
Shirou stepped forward, offering his hand in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Morrigan."
But Morrigan remained hidden behind Chloe, shaking and too afraid to show her face.
The awkwardness hung in the air, but Salter seemed unfazed. As if catching the scent of a hated enemy, she instinctively drew her holy sword and pointed it at Morrigan, demanding loudly, "It's you, isn't it, Morgan?"
Morrigan's head popped out from behind Chloe as if triggered by Salter's accusation. "I-I'm not Morgan!" she blurted out. "My name is Morrigan!"
Salter narrowed her eyes. "So you claim you're not Morgan?"
Feeling her intelligence was insulted, she raised her Excalibur menacingly, and the terrified doctor took off running.
"Don't you dare run!" she yelled and chased after the doctor.
"You've got the wrong person, I swear!" Morrigan cried out as she fled.
Salter gritted her teeth. "The holy sword doesn't make mistakes!"
"How can you be so sure? I've read plenty of novels where divine weapons mistake their owners. Oh, that reminds me..." she skidded to a halt as if struck by a sudden thought.
"I recently came across this online harem novel. There was a scene where the protagonist, who had become the Lord of the Universe, was battling another Lord. His weapon got confused and ended up killing him instead! See, even the sword of the Lord of the Universe can make mistakes. So how can you be certain yours hasn't? By the way, if you enjoy that genre, I have some great recommendations! And if harem's not your thing, I've got plenty of other options. Maybe you'd prefer something focused on yaoi or reverse harem..."
As Morrigan chattered on, she turned her head, only to see Salter charging at her at full speed. With a fierce tackle, Salter brought Morrigan crashing to the ground. Morrigan let out a startled "Wah!" as she flailed helplessly, pinned under Salter's weight.
Salter roughly forced Morrigan to the ground, twisting her arms behind her back like a cop apprehending a criminal.
"Ow, ow, ow! That hurts! Please, let me go! You've got the wrong person, I swear! Ah, it hurts so much... I'm going to cry, I really am! Wah, somebody help me!"
Morrigan's desperate pleas drew the attention of everyone nearby, and they turned to Salter with disapproving looks.
Chloe spoke up bluntly, "Miss Artoria, that's enough. Let Miss Morrigan go. The joke's gone too far, and you're hurting her."
Illya also spoke up, "Um, we understand why you're upset, but you've really mistaken her for someone else. Please, just release Miss Morrigan."
Salter scowled, but Shirou approached and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Saber, let her go. Deep down, you know that if she were really Morgan, she wouldn't be this weak. She would've fought back long before letting you push her around like this."
Salter looked down at Morrigan, taking in her teary, pitiful expression. Her resolve faltered as his words sank in. She thought hard, and realized he was right. If this were truly Morgan le Fay, there's no way she'd be this soft and easy to overpower. She would have been snarling and grappling with Salter from the start.
As much as she despised her sister, she had to admit that Morgan was an incredibly tough and formidable woman. If anyone dared to bully her, she'd fight tooth and nail, ready to take a chunk out of them even at the cost of her own life. She would never be as dazed and submissive as the woman currently pinned beneath her.
Could it be that her sword had actually made a mistake? Doubt crept into Salter's mind as she began to question herself.