Chapter 209 - Ahoge's Lion-go!
"Hey? I thought something was wrong, turns out you don't have a vehicle." "If there's no vehicle, then I... can't drive around anymore... *gulp*," Artoria's mood also became gloomy. Just yesterday, she had thought of getting her revenge on Merlin during the race, but now it seemed she couldn't even participate.
At this moment, Artoria began to doubt whether her A+ Luck was just a fake.
Gill tilted his mouth and a rather good idea popped into his mind. "If you're lacking a vehicle, I happen to have a suitable one here."
Hearing this, Artoria, who had been feeling down, suddenly looked at Gill with hopeful eyes. "Huh? Really?!"
"Indeed, but don't spread it around, alright? It wouldn't sound good if news got out that I'm giving special treatment to someone."
Upon hearing this, Artoria solemnly slammed her right hand against her seemingly ordinary chest, swearing with determination. "I, Al... saber! Swear in the name of my father, Uther Pendragon, that I will never reveal this matter!"
However, the moment she said her name, Artoria realized she shouldn't expose her true identity, so she quickly used the term "saber" to refer to herself. This way, her real name remained hidden!
"Very well, quite spirited," Gill said with a pleased expression. He extended his right hand, and beside it shimmered a golden light – a golden ripple, like the ripples of water suspended in the air.
Gill gently waved his hand downward, and a vehicle slowly emerged from the golden ripple. It had a majestic lion as its outer appearance, a unique design.
"That is... a lion?" Artoria's pupils slightly contracted as she watched the vehicle descend from the golden ripple.
"Plunk~." Soon, the vehicle landed on the ground with a not-so-loud "plunk" sound. It didn't sound like metal or flesh, but more like plastic.
After landing, as if some kind of switch had been activated, the so-called 'vehicle' suddenly emitted a sound.
"Little brothers and little sisters, come and play~."
Artoria glanced at Gill, then at the vehicle, and finally cast a mixed look back at Gill. "...Rocking horse?"
"It's a chariot!" Gill said without hesitation. However, it was clear from Artoria's expression that she didn't believe Gill's nonsense. "This is a rocking horse, isn't it?"
"All right, King of Britain, ride this chariot and win the championship. I'll be waiting for you at the finish line!" Without giving Artoria a chance to retort, Gill swiftly transformed into a golden spirit particle and disappeared before their eyes.
Watching Gill vanish, Artoria forcefully suppressed her urge to chop him up. Turning back around, she stared at the lion-shaped rocking horse with a resistant expression. "Participating in the race on something like this would disgrace my knightly honor!"
"Even if I lost the Holy Grail War and returned to the Throne of Heroes in frustration, I will never ride this thing!"
Soji muttered quietly, "...Not going to chop up Merlin anymore?"
Artoria's gaze hardened, and she stepped onto the back of the rocking horse. Pointing forward with determination, she declared, "Onward, my trusty steed! Let us seize victory in this competition!"
However, after Artoria's epic proclamation, the rocking horse didn't charge forward. Instead, it displayed another message. "Please insert coin before riding~."
Artoria patted her pockets and realized she had no money on her. She turned toward Soji, raising her hands in a helpless gesture. "Hey? Can you lend me 100 yen?"
Soji, baffled by Artoria's current state, didn't say much. She simply reached into her scarf and pulled out several 100 yen coins, handing them over to Artoria. "...Here."
"Good teammate, a whole bunch!" Artoria accepted the coins from Soji, nodding earnestly. She greatly appreciated Soji's willingness to spend money for the sake of the team.
With a solemn expression, Artoria inserted one of the 100 yen coins into the coin slot. Accompanied by a mechanical whirring sound:
"Clunk clunk clunk~, thud."
"Charge forth, my 'Lion Chariot,' and let us claim victory in this competition!" Artoria patted the rocking horse's rear while shouting, "Giddy up!!!"
In the next moment, the rocking horse surged forward towards the starting line, accelerating like a runaway train, its speed incredibly sharp! Watching Artoria disappear into the distance, Soji stood in silence for a moment before averting her gaze.
After selectively erasing the recent image from her mind, Soji, too, began walking towards the starting line. There was still plenty of time; no need to hurry. Even if she moved at a snail's pace, she'd reach the line soon enough.
But as she walked, an unsettling feeling gnawed at her. Had she forgotten something? Halfway there, it hit her like a ton of bricks, and she cried out in horror, "Gahh! I forgot to plant the bomb on the rocking horse!"
In other words, she couldn't betray her teammates with an explosive trick now!
Soji regretted, profoundly regretted. If only she had thoroughly checked the engine last night. It had to be an engine problem. There was no way Tokiomi had given her a faulty gem. She had made it clear that the car was for his Servant, Artoria. Tokiomi couldn't have possibly made a mistake and given her a magicless gem to sabotage his own Servant, right?
Alas, what's done is done, and regrets can't alter the past. There's no magic potion to erase regret.
Feeling disheartened, Soji headed towards the starting line.
But then, she was stopped by a silver-haired staff member. "I'm sorry, please bring your vehicle over."
"Clunk~." Soji patted the rocket boosters on either side of her hips and told the staff member, "This is my vehicle!"
"I'm sorry, that doesn't count."
Soji pointed towards the motley assortment of vehicles lined up at the starting line, driven by other participants. "What? Why do theirs count as vehicles?!"
"I'm sorry, the definition of a vehicle is something you can ride on." The staff member assessed Soji's rocket boosters. "Clearly, these two things are attached to your body."
"So you are their vehicle, not the other way around."
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