And then there was the [Sovereign of Britain] skill.
This skill granted Artoria exceptional enhancements within Britain, akin to a "fame boost" often seen in legends. To confirm its effects, she had even traveled to lands beyond Britain to test it.
Additionally, the skill allowed her to convert her own power into spiritual energy for the land of Britain.
Unlike [Final King (Pseudo)], which only stole and never returned, this ability allowed her to give back.
During her previous battle, Artoria had absorbed a massive amount of spiritual energy from the land beneath her feet, amplifying her strength and enabling her to easily defeat Nuada and Saint George.
After the fight, however, she returned the stolen energy to the land, which explained why her power had diminished compared to its peak during the battle.
It seemed as though these two skills corresponded to the dual aspects of [Steel] and [Dragons].
Even so, despite returning the land's spiritual energy, Artoria noticed something else—her strength had grown slightly after defeating both Nuada and Saint George.
Even without drawing on the land's energy or fighting within Britain's borders, she realized her power had reached a level that rivaled most Campiones.
On another note, while Artoria had defeated Saint George, the man whom Saint George had possessed still clung to life.
With a casual healing spell, Artoria saved the man—a person whose name she didn't even know—from death. Then, she simply tossed him aside without a second thought.
Artoria had discerned something about him: this man was someone blessed with immense fortune. To be possessed by a god and still survive their battle was proof enough of his luck. She figured that even if she abandoned him by the roadside, he would somehow survive.
She had neither the time nor the inclination to concern herself with an ordinary mortal.
Healing him was already more than enough charity.
As for what she should do next, Artoria wasn't sure.
Normally, her first step would be to determine which world she had ended up in. However, her encounter with the two gods of rebellion earlier had already confirmed her location.
She was currently in England, specifically in the west-central section of Windsor Castle.
Before her stood a Gothic-style vertical structure: St. George's Chapel.
Built in the 15th century, it was a prominent example of Gothic architecture and had been the burial site for British monarchs since the 18th century. It also housed the tombs of queens, princes, and other members of the royal family.
Notably, this wasn't the only St. George's Chapel—others existed in places like Doncaster in England and Penang in Malaysia.
As Artoria gazed at the grand architecture, a sudden impulse surged through her—a desire to destroy it.
"Foreign faiths have taken root and flourished in this land... Such a weak nation. Perhaps it should just be wiped away."
Indeed, Artoria's destructive urge didn't stop at the chapel; she wanted to obliterate the entire country.
She had no tolerance for weakness—physical weakness could be overlooked, but the weakness of spirit and will was something she could not stand.
The original King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon, had sacrificed everything to protect this land. In contrast, this Alter version of her—corrupted by the Grail's curse—represented the cold and ruthless side of the King.
Yet even in her altered state, Artoria's heart remained tied to Britain. She didn't truly wish to destroy the nation; rather, she wanted to eliminate its weak and unworthy inhabitants, rebuilding the land anew.
The cruelty of this vision didn't trouble her in the slightest.
Fortunately, she wasn't the true Artoria Alter. A fragment of her original self, shaped by her connection to Fenhuan Yu, restrained these darker impulses.
"Am I more violent than the real Alter? Or is this the influence of being a heretic god?"
As a god who defied mythology, a heretic god would inevitably manifest the opposite of what their legend dictated.
A protector of the land might become a bloodthirsty beast.
A savior of the world could transform into a destroyer.
She thought, I suppose I'm now considered a heretic god too... How ironic.
Artoria sighed inwardly. In every fanfic I've read, the protagonist always becomes a Campione, the real hero of this world. Why do I have to stand out so much?
Her destructive urge flared briefly before she suppressed it once more.
Although she had only explored half the chapel, Artoria decided she had no interest in staying any longer.
There wasn't much to see anyway, and with so many people around, she worried she might accidentally kill them all.
As a heretic god, her very presence was dangerous. If she carelessly released even a fraction of her aura, it could flatten several city blocks in an instant.
What should I do next?
Turning away, Artoria prepared to leave.
Her dark gown fluttered gently with the motion. The black fabric resembled the depths of night, while the white floral embroidery along the hem resembled clouds floating in the sky.
Having found her armor too cumbersome, she had swapped it for a lightweight black dress. The sleeves and edges of the skirt were adorned with delicate snow-white patterns.
She paused mid-step, sensing something. Her gaze shifted toward a distant direction.
To an ordinary observer, she seemed to be staring at a misty sky.
But Artoria knew the truth. It was the place where she had fought the two heretic gods.
Now, several new presences had arrived at the battlefield.
"The protagonists of this world—the Campiones?"
Perhaps due to her [Final King (Pseudo)] status, she could sense the location of every Campione in this world. It was as if the title itself urged her to slay them all.
"There are... four, no, five of them? And one of them… doesn't seem to belong to this timeline?"
Artoria tilted her head in puzzlement.
A Campione crossing timelines? Who could it be?
She struggled to recall details from the fanfics she had read. Among the Campiones, she only recognized a few—the main character, the King of Swords, the Wolf King, and perhaps the Martial Arts King or the Black Prince.
The rest were a blur.
"Hmm? The Campiones at the battlefield are already fighting each other? Well... that's not surprising."
Losing interest in them, Artoria turned her attention elsewhere.
"They're just small fry."
Compared to the Campiones, Artoria had more pressing matters to attend to.
Her steps grew more resolute, her expression serious like never before.
What was her mission now?
To find a burger joint.
"As of now, I am neither a knight nor a king, so the Round Table has no say over me. I can feel it—the mighty call of a giant burger summoning me!"
---
T/N: YES YES YES YES YES BURGER JOINT YES YES YES... maybe instead of gil deep down im just salter...
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf