Charles Patricius

To no surprise of Charlemagne's, Artoria had no arguments against his plan. Given the way she often behaved in regards to Jeanne d'Arc, he expected nothing less. In fact, he was almost surprised she had no intention of throwing herself into the fray. "Good. I don't expect a single plan to work, but those are the ideas. If none play out the way I want, I'll find another way to do each. Then... I'll deal with Father An," he said with conviction. The alleged god known as An had a hold on his soul and comrades ─ one that could not be allowed to continue. The fact that he apparently had some intentions with Angelica as well, was sickening enough that Charlemagne became even more motivated to act. Alas, it seemed motivation and stress had become synonymous to him of late. No matter.

Artoria Pendragon had seen and participated in two Holy Grail Wars. It was widely known that a small group of her knights had done the impossible, and located a Holy Grail some time before its war began. He needed that story's details to know if an early acquisition might be possible. As it sounded, there was hope. "Two years? That might not work. It'll take this next grail about two years to spawn, and I have reason to believe there won't be any time between the spawn and the war. Seems like things work a bit differently now that the grails are alive preemptively. At least, that's my interpretation," he said as if equally annoyed by the magical world's mechanics. Charlemagne then paused to think. His mind was racing with all the things he needed to do. Currently, what he needed was focus. The best route was to be as prepared as possible. This conversation would help said preparation, so he had to ensure all important questions were asked. Ah... there was one that kept appearing in the lad's mind. He fell silent for some time, but eventually... he couldn't keep himself from asking. "... How do you kill a god?" he inquired at last. Of all the things that were necessary, one thing was a potential requirement to make any of his plans work. So long as Father An could act in his current state, he could probably still claim Charlemagne's soul as his own. Artoria Pendragon was one of two who staged a rebellion against the divine. Perhaps she had the answer his mind kept screaming for.

Charlemagne sat in front of Artoria Pendragon facing the scrutiny of her blazing emerald gaze and spoke only his most honest truths. His plans whether they worked or not would be followed through to the purposes he gave. He was so sure of himself and his desires that she would not argue her point about him. She looked at him in this moment and saw the makings of greatness, but moreover she saw something else, she saw herself a thousand years ago. Surely, she was mistaken.

But as the lad continued to talk he seemed to express more of himself. She sipped from her cup and watched his face and listened to his voice. He was still thinking as much as that was worth. She'd offer her opinion given his words. "It is very possible the previous ones were 'alive' in shifts before. Moving from place to place towards their goal. I would assume that now they are alive earlier as a form of protection, given what has been said about them..." she expressed her current understanding. "Galahad and her party began searching for it, immediately following the previous holy grail's claiming. Merlin stated it would spawn within 10 years and I took the time to allow them their search and prepare my lands," she explained of the situation surrounding her own grail. "Admittedly, it seems like the grail you hunt will be more like the second. Gathering all the necessary challengers in a single place and then spawning its barrier and challenge around it," she surmised given his own words about it. Ah but the lad as deep in thought. She watched and saw something in him, she didn't fully expect to see outside of her own family. A darkness and felt the embrace of the warmest desire she'd ever experienced before more recent times... the desire to kill. And what did it culminate in for someone like Charlemagne. A single question. Six words. And within those six words... so many heavy things. She could see his likeness to her so clearly now... hurt by the gods in a way that couldn't be forgiven, he sought retribution, whether for himself or someone else. She could understand his sentiment, even if he didn't express it fully. After all, if there was one thing understood by the person at the base of Artoria Pendragon, it was killing. "That is a very large question for someone who does not believe themselves to be a big person. It will be far outside of your ability, if you cannot be enough," she expressed in a rather coy manner for someone who killed and understood killing at a deep level. But she wasn't sure telling this lad this exact information would help him, and in turn help her sister. "Why do you want to kill a god, Charlemagne?" she asked him. She'd agreed to help him on his quest, but dealing death to big entities was technically a very dangerous thing and she'd only witnessed the real death of two gods, one indirectly.

A discussion would take place about Holy Grails and their 'lives' in whatever various states there were. Ten years was the time given during Artoria's search. It seemed ten years was roughly the same time period now, given the few years each hunting party of Aincrad had after being sent in increments. "Ten years? It might still be the same then. I just wonder if the templars are initiating wars every time they find a grail. I can't be completely sure about that part," he stated. Charlemagne's ideal approach would be to either find the grail in its living form, then trap the templars who sought it... or to initiate the war and defeat those same templars instead.

Before any of that, though, he'd have to know how plausible the end of his journey was. Killing a god seemed to be the most realistic outcome, impossible as such a task was. Artoria heard his question and brought curiosities of her own. Indeed, it was a tall order... but not too tall for reason. Why did he want o kill a god? There were two answers. The first was that, internally, he was angrier ─ more so than even he realized. The second answer would be the one offered. "Because..." he started. A brief pause occurred then. He knew how irrational it was as a goal, but it was so much better than the alternative. "Because stopping a god seems less likely. Even if he can be stopped, he'll do something else. He sacrificed Jeanne, then tried to sacrifice me. If I stop him... what does it help?" he wondered. Ah, there was much context to be given by one who wasn't sacrificed the same way Jeanne had been. With a heavy sigh and a heavier weight on his shoulders, Charlemagne spilled the proverbial beans. "I was married the other day. Father An's daughter, the Holy Princess. That same day was my coronation as Holy Emperor, and the same day he tried to snatch my soul. I have part of him now, and still have burns from meeting Jeanne again to prove it. But, he's still got what he took from me. If I can't stop him, I don't exist anymore. Even if I do stop him, he remains able to absorb me. He's the Holy Emperor, Angie's husband, and... the owner of the Holy Grail I earned in the Labyrinth. He can keep Angie, keep my friends, and make his way here in the Nexus. If that's a possibility I let stick around, I'd rather kill a god... or myself if it can stop those events."

Artoria gave consideration to his statement. The ten years part seemed to be a constant factor according to Charlemagne. Even so, he had a curiosity about whether or not a war was initiated by the Templars who were taking hold of grails. A bit of thought came to Artoria. Before this, only a group of those worthy would have made the grail trigger... "I do not know if they are initiating wars. In truth, a King or Queen would be made by the claiming of a grail in a Holy Grail War, and they likely would have come in contact with at least the Great Pharaohs of Egypt if no one else," she explained. "And they have not mentioned meeting any other grail holders after Emi and myself. So, I am willing to believe they are not fighting and drinking from the grails as they are filled with the spoils of war..." she gave her own explanation. She'd give him whatever information he might find useful. "As an aside, I do not think a Holy Grail War can be triggered without enough worthy people gathered in one place. The two I participated in had seven people of different classes gathered together each deemed worthy by the system. I would assume that such knights who would hunt children would not count as worthy of the sort of divinity which would be granted by the grails, nor the responsibility of holding the grails," she concluded. As one who often determined worthiness herself, she could not imagine Holy Grail Wars being easily triggered by groups of Templars sent out to collect them. In her own mind something much more underhanded was likely.

Ah, speaking of likely underhanded behavior, apparently this god that Charlemagne wanted dead had his own list of ill deeds. Artoria listened with an open expression on her face, as Charlemagne explained his logic. Stopping a god seemed less likely. She could confirm that stopping someone who was already that deranged and that powerful was indeed something that would not work. They tended to have no real sense of reason left. What was more the further explanation came with the exploitation of innocents, including Charlemagne and Jeanne d'Arc. It also contained the horrifying idea of a king and god marrying his own daughter and keeping spoils of wars he could not earn himself to gain prizes he'd not achieved the proper stance to take. "I see..." she said those flames in her eyes dancing just a little. "That is a lot for a few days time. I understand your stance. Even the part you do not yet seem capable of verbalizing," she said, knowing the sort of anger that such feelings and horrific things seated within a soul. She gathered her thoughts to prepare to give him an answer that probably wasn't much of an answer at all.

"I will be honest with you, Charlemagne, to kill a god is not something I have actually done with my own hands. I have seen the death of two of those annoying and disgusting creatures both under different circumstances. My first act of rebellion against the divine, aside from the deaths of every follower who entered my castle with her sickness infecting them... was an act of defacing. I knocked down every temple in that thing's honor that I could find," she told that little story as a preface to the rest. "As for the two deaths I witnessed, the first was at the hands of another god, the goddess of Wisdom, Metis, slayed the rusty butter knife wielding... creature called Enki. He was aptly beaten and run though before such, and the entire continent thoroughly wiped from the map, along with its population," she explained of that particular incident. "The other death I witnessed was a memory of another. King Giigamesh has apparently given death to that thing known as Ishtar at least twice. But I do not know if the death was given simply because his power and state of being outweighs its. Or if it is his weapons and their far superior quality which would be the difference," Artoria mentioned. Strangely in some contexts, both of her most recent statements could have been counted as the same thing. Whatever he took from the information she gave, she'd continue to speak to Charlemagne as long as he had things to ask.

Strangely, it seemed Charlemagne was the one with unknown information. Artoria spoke of a worthiness to participants of a Holy Grail War. The modern truth, however, involved some additional details that may have altered that criteria at some point. Charlemagne knew of that change quite intimately. When first drinking from his own grail, there was a toxin that had to be syphoned from his soul ─ one he was still technically dealing with the aftermath of. "That might also be different. I drank from the grail to repair myself. It was tainted by some darkness that felt like... so much. Fear, self-loathing, anger ─ all of it flooded my brain and keeps popping up from time to time... even today," he said, realizing he may have fallen a bit far in recent minutes.

Artoria had a strange amount of understanding for his plight. She voiced said understanding of his point, and further claimed she knew of the hidden agenda in an indirect way. "That part isn't important," he stated firmly. Charlemagne knew of his own anger. Even so, he couldn't let himself keep that at the forefront. There were others who would suffer far more than him, who wouldn't even exist, if his mission failed. Those lives were more important.

So then, how could he kill a god? It seemed Artoria didn't know, as she'd never done so herself. Still, she'd seen one god killed by another, and one killed twice by King Gilgamesh, though she wasn't sure the reason those two were possible. Charlemagne's own understanding was that he had no weapon that could fell a god. Just the same, he doubted it was possible to overpower a god who held half his own soul hostage. How annoying. He did, however, have god status as well... and access to one, if not two goddesses. "Sure could use a weapon like that instead of one I got from him. I'm with the daughter of another wisdom goddess currently. I also have some amount of his godhood, a King title and the Power of Order that I still don't understand entirely, and maybe the wisdom goddess herself if she's willing to help. But, from the sound of things, what we're dealing with is the father of the gods. That might still be a tall order. Maybe it's even a suicide mission, but I can't just back down. Got any ideas? Advice? Help, even if it isn't direct?"

Information was originally being given in a singular direction, but it seemed that Artoria would be taking a bit more back with her. Apparently, the worthiness of those in Holy Grail Wars was being tempered by darkness. Whatever form it existed in, it seemed to have seeped into the Holy Grail System and as such was allowing for the 'evils' of the world to taint what should have been divine apparatuses. Still those emotions that he spoke of sounded familiar to her. She'd fought a small boy who'd been treated badly by life during her own Holy Grail War. "Those emotions when they are foreign to your body can be quite distressing. Even the ones you feel more naturally can get the better of you... " she said knowing the feeling of at least the anger and knowing she'd allowed hers to almost carry her several different directions. She couldn't imagine having something like a tainted grail to further such things. "In truth my own grail probably neutralized a bit of my own darkness, for the rest though... a few trust worthy individuals is usually enough to keep you from spiraling into your own darkness. Even when you do noy realize it is what you are doing," she gave him that piece of herself. From the time period in which she'd gone crazy enough to become sleepless. When all she had was a calm quiet music playing knight to baby sit her while she busied her hands with work. She'd lost that knight, but in the quiet space of her brain while she was kidnapped and after she recovered from that... she realized her mistake in dealing with that particular individual and wished she'd not lost him. "I will have to pass along to the rest of the Grail holders those issues, so that we might brainstorm more fixes to those problems," she said with a sigh.

As for her understanding of his anger the unspoken reason death suddenly oozed from his intentions, Charlemagne claimed it was not important. She looked at him in that moment and blinked before picking up her cup again. "If you say so..." she said knowing better. The anger itself was quite important, but perhaps it would be easier for him to addressed when he was a bit farther away from that which upset him. Moving on, her explanation of god-killing from a strictly hypothetical and observational standpoint. According to him, he wished he had a weapon like the ones she claimed were brandished by Gilgamesh instead of the ones he had already. That was debatable, not many would reach that teir but one would be surprised at the strength of a weapon, depending on its maker and its wielder. According to Charlemagne though, he was far from a weakling. A Kings Title, Divinity from that Father of the Gods, whatever the hell the Power of Order was, access to a wisdom Goddess and her daughter. That was quite the arsenal. He then, asked for help. The Queen of Knights had her brows raise, so odd was it for her to be on this end. She wasn't too far displaced from her own such undertaking. What could she offer... not much but she would still offer it was in her nature after all.

"Advice? I could give that in droves, but my tactical advice may be lacking without a full understanding your skills, abilities and party," she explained of herself. She was literally the type of person who would knock on a person's door and call them outside to fight her, alone. This lad's case seemed to need more general tact, but her own ideas would still be shared. "Get that weapon of yours appraised by someone who truly understands its materials and potential. If you received it from your connection with that God, it could have various hidden properties. It could be among your greatest assets. It is not always about what something is, but is often about how you use it," she expressed of her own understanding. "I know not what the Power of Order is, or how it might help you, but if you have access to a wisdom goddess it would be your best bet to utilize her to the best of your abilities. The tactics, planning and magical knowledge you lack could be readily available to you. I heard once from Metis that wisdom is often ignored, make it your friend," she added. "What is your King title, Charlemagne... you'd be surprised how much those can help you. As Queen of Knights I am capable of commanding every knight, and using most if not all knightly skills and abilities. Your title may not be completely helpful against other Kings or Queens, but it could save you in a pinch," she wished to know and also wished to help. "As for help I can offer, my current indirect ability would say that if you find yourself near Loch Ness, you may find easy access to a few knights of the Round Table. At the very least they could help you with information for the surrounding areas and give you a place to rest, without worry." she offered that much of herself. She could not currently promise more, given her own questionable placement.

"Yeah, I noticed. It wasn't a very good experience," Charlemagne lamented. He still suffered the effects of that transaction, and for it... he blamed Father An. There were some conversations he still had to have. Alas, those weren't the ones he wanted to have. If anything, Charlemagne wished to speak with Angelica. Albertus Animusphere was not currently present within the Nexus, but... as he'd managed to call upon Artoria himself, maybe he could bring Angelica as well? It was worth a shot whenever this important discussion reached its end. Both parties were learning things previously unknown; it was imperative that things be shared.

A weapon of god-killing quality would be excellent. According to Artoria, he should give consideration to the one he had. He held that sword and observed it over the table, having a few things to say about it already. "Well it's definitely something. It's got part of Longinus in the pommel, and feels great to wield. Though I only fought Siegfried with it so far," he explained. The Power of Order was something Artoria also had no knowledge of. Sad as it was to hear that from one who had dealings with the divine, he at least had some information to share. "It's the power of the Father God who decided the rules of the world. I've used it accidentally a couple of times, and on purpose once... but it's too new to use haphazardly. I've been trying to avoid my opinions being too hard; I don't want to make any accidental world laws or anything."

Artoria's advice was plentiful and useful. He should make use of Miwa, even if all she offered him was guidance. Charlemagne was no stranger to relying on the minds of his comrades; she could be counted as such now. Sakura proved infinitely helpful, but he should also lean on her mother's greater knowledge and experience if possible. He could also apparently make use of his King title, which Artoria brought into question. Artoria couldn't help him directly; she didn't have to. She offered Loch Ness as a safe haven and a location of additional knights. That could prove helpful. "If I can, I'll go searching. Thanks. Oh, and my title was... uh... Status," he said, forgetting the exact title he was given by the Nexus. Charlemagne had no reason to hide things from this woman. His full list of parameters and skills was on display, along with other vital information. There, he saw what he needed. "King of Faith. I haven't messed with it at all yet. Busy week."

"It gets better. Over time you will find, that things worth living for, are also things worth being better for..." she offered the lad. Emotions were not nearly her strong suit, but Artoria Pendragon had already lived the part of her life where she let her own emotional ignorance and lack of understanding drive away others. She would not be the sort who did not offer an ear and a spare word of kindness when it could be given. "Just be wary. The more sensitive might not be willing to walk the path with you which would lead you to your own destruction. Losing a voice of reason because of the ones you spawned of discontent will leave you with regrets," she offered of her own experience. Artoria was finding herself being surprisingly candid with Charles. Perhaps, she was mellowing out, in her old age? The idea of that left the young woman smirking, just slightly, how different her world had become in so short a time period.

Ah, but that smile would be fading rather rapidly. The sword he held over the table was apparently the one he mentioned. She looked at and felt an almost familiar tug and would have wondered why, since she'd never laid eyes on this particular weapon before but Charlemagne's words would clarify the situation. It contained a piece of Longinus. "I will have to rescind that invitation to Loch Ness. Worry not of that place... it is likely compromised, but it is my responsibility and I will take care of it," Artoria mentioned with an ill-content sigh. "That is to say the Spear Longinus belongs to Percival, the Knight of Doves," she said. "He would not have willingly parted with his weapon, I was raised with him, and trained him to that end. So if part of it belongs now within this sword, Loch Ness is not the haven I left it to be," she said adding a few extra points to her list. This of course explained why Galahad had not been found and why she'd not laid eyes on a certain shield bearing blonde knight. All would be fine though... She moved on rather quickly, and held her hand over the table. "May I?" she asked holding her hand open to receive the weapon. She could at least look at it a bit. "The Dragon Knight is a fine opponent to test strength. I would advise looking for different types to truly stress test its abilities and your own. Speed is usually the secondary thing to look for when testing a new weapon, dexterity if you can find it," she said. Still willing to help.

Ah but this would not be the only potential slip of Artoria Pendragon today. Charlemagne apparently decided to describe the workings of the Power of Order. The powers of a Father God to determine the rules of the world. Her emerald eyes widened the fires in them dancing and her tongue slipped just a bit. "That is such an isekai protagonist ability. The restrained get to have all the fun. I could not say I would not be changing many rules all the time if I had such an ability," she pouted? Surely, she did not do any such thing. She was simply giving commentary. The dignity of the Queen of Knights surely would not allow pouting as a part of her persona. "Still while I would not advise changing the rules of the world arbitrarily. Though, you might find bending them in some specific instances to be rather useful. Do not be afraid to exploit obvious weaknesses and loopholes..." she gave that advice in passing.

Though she'd been thanked for the help, she'd have to think of something a bit less openly useful. Ah, but it seemed the lad already had quite a bit on his plate, having forgotten his title and needing to call upon his Status to give it in full. "Truly, I do not envy you whatever has plagued you," she said about the nature of his week. As for the title itself. "Faith? The King of Faith... that may be one of the most open-ended concepts for Kingship I have heard of so far. And I hold the light of hope in my hands..." she said exasperated, but... seemingly pleased. In fact, a little subtle itch was developing in the mind of Artoria Pendragon, she wished to fight this lad, and if her condition were better she would. For now, she'd relegate herself to the task of advisor to the next generation of Grail Holder. "Regardless, as it means or can mean many things... it likely has many uses. If you do not feel comfortable using it. Your Wisdom Goddess may be able to help guide you a bit... or any who migrated from the other side may be able to help you, parse out the details. You can always start small, I did with my first uses of my title. The Pharaohs might be more useful in such a case..." she explained the network of care that grail holders could eventually look forward to fully utilizing.

"Trust me, I've had plenty of time to notice that," Charlemagne stated firmly. He had things worth living for, things he would die for, but... "Lately, it's just been fight mode day after day. Well... there's been something else, but that's a level of confusion and uncomfortable crap I don't really want to get into. I was putting off coming here because of..." He paused. That stupid tongue of his was going to get him in trouble one day, or at least in a very awkward and impossible to escape situation. Silence was often golden. "... Anyway─"

Loch Ness was not the place it was originally purported to be, apparently. Charlemagne once knew Percival and his possession of Longinus. What he didn't know, was that something foul had to occur for said lance to fall out of the other knight's hands. He could have assumed it was offered as tribute, or even passed on in retirement. "Oh... I didn't know him well enough to even think that. We trained together at the sanctum, but that's about it. It was so long ago. Do you want me to check Loch Ness? I could do it if there's room in the journey, and maybe report back to you through here with anything I find out," he offered. Whether she accepted or not, there was a request made by Artoria involving his sword. With a nod, Charlemagne passed it over the table for her inspection. "Go for it," he said. As for training, he did have access to at least one dexterous and speedy individual. Siegfried, however, had not been a very good sample. "It wasn't very good as a test. Not much of a fight either."

When told about the Power of Order, Artoria had a very interesting thing to say. She was right; it did sound like the power of some isekai protagonist. If he ever figured it out completely, Charlemagne would likely use it as such too. Exploiting loopholes was once second nature to the lad. "That'd be nothing new. I play trading card games," he specified, remembering how he managed to achieve victory so often. Utilizing his identity as the King of Faith would have a similar end result eventually. The goddess Miwa could offer some guidance, surely ─ as could Sakura, he believed. It really was a very nonspecific concept that sounded very exploitable... whatever it really meant. He was advised to consult Egypt's Pharaohs as well, though that wouldn't work so easily in the present situation. If anything, he'd have to visit Miwa. "I'm actually on the way down right now. Anything in Chaldea will have to wait. I'll go for an audience with the goddess if her daughter can't help."

It seemed that though he was only lightly displaced from his discontent, Charlemagne was well on his way to understanding the truth of life. Artoria's journey towards something like that was much longer and in all honesty still ongoing but if she could share words which eased someone else, she always would. Charlemagne though, had a habit of rambling, he spoke of the constant fight. He spoke of things both confusing and uncomfortable, but also putting off his trip... a pause. Artoria's eyes rose to meet the lad as he became quiet and then rather quickly changed the subject. "I understand that too... surprisingly enough. I will leave it though, if you wish not explain yourself fully..." she said a knowing little smirk. She played against an assumption, she was rather artfully told by her sister that if she was called upon to be nice and as such she considered any aggression against Charles to be off limits per her own agreements, she was after all, a woman of her word.

As for the matter of Percival apparently there was something to it. He and Charlemagne had trained against each other in the Sanctum started by her younger sister but he did not know him well enough to make assumptions about why his weapon was no longer in his hands. "I might have been a bit overwhelming as a younger person. I beat into him the idea that one such as him should not part with his weapon even if his life depended on it... lessons like those are not forgotten even after a thousand years, but there is no need to check on Loch Ness. It is a lake after all... I will have the Fae Princess look in on it. It would be no extra work for her, and I would be able to let you know if my assumptions are wrong or not," she added. No need to add more to the journey of a lad like this. Some things were best cared for by others regardless. That sword soon found itself in her hands and she turned it around in her fingers. She tested its weight following the line of its blade and seemed to be quite interested in viewing it from all sides and angles. "My my, we are quite a cute thing, are we not? I would say beautiful but the Light of Hope is present~" she murmured. "Unnamed though and so very full of potential... I do wonder why your wielder has not named you?" she asked of Charles looking over the blade at him. Of course there was the matter of his fight with Siegfried which he claimed was no test and no real fight at all. Her once stoic visage seemed to shift, into an oddly menacing but jovial grin. "Hoh? Then perhaps you are already much more used to your new abilities than you know... how delightful!~" she was beyond amused at the idea of fighting Charlemagne and properly would have suggested it immediately, but for a certain thing she was presently dealing with.

Apparently Charles was used to exploiting weaknesses. He claimed he played trading card games previously and Artoria had some light experiences with such things. Not necessarily her favorite kind of game but one she could understand a bit. "I have found that understanding games and the like can help give a bit more perspective to certain aspects of magical combat," she stated. Charlemagne was apparently on a trip down and would not be capable of visiting the Egyptians immediately. Still... he claimed a goddess or two might be of help to him and she could only nod. "If you can they would be the best option in my opinion. The lower world is full of darkness though... I am sure you understand that but I would be remiss not to advice caution on such a trip," she added gently.

Charlemagne really didn't have the desire to explain certain things about his previous Nexus visit, and why he kept pushing this one off in his mind. On the other hand, he'd never been one to conceal truth in any harmful way. The topic was one that had to be broached at some point, and... it was certainly one better addressed on the 'sooner' side of things. "Well, it's nothing like that. Really, it's something I'd expect Jeanne to mention... though I don't know if she would have? Did she? Was there, just maybe, a uh... thing mentioned when she came back yesterday?" he wondered in a roundabout way.

It seemed Percival's views on weapon retention were pummeled into his mind at a young age. Somehow, that information wasn't surprising at all. What was surprising, was the rejection of his offer to inspect Loch Ness... and the very queer way Artoria chose to appraise his new sword. He hadn't named it, nor had he discovered its latent potential. The reason, of course, was the same as his reason for most recent negligence. "Well since getting it, I was halfway unexisted, dropped to the lower world, spiritually pieced back together in THE weirdest, somehow hottest way imaginable, and... yeah. Busy week. I haven't had the time to even think about it," he explained. That unsettling grin wouldn't be getting any acknowledgement from Charlemagne. He'd seen enough battle maniacs to know what that meant, and he already had multiple fights on his plate. He could only hope this one didn't present a challenge directly, like some others tended to.

"Soooo yeah," he said, thinking up some form of diversion from the topic of combat ability. "I've got a few days to basically relax now. Even then, I have to keep thinking about what's next. I might be able to come up with something in that time."

Artoria had been willing to let Charlemagne off the hook about whatever thing he was trying to avoid mentioning. Ah, but he wouldn't let himself off the hook. When he spoke of it again, he claimed it was something he thought Jeanne would mention and wondered if she'd mentioned a thing... any thing that happened when they met up with each other. Oddly enough, Artoria couldn't resist a bit of a joke at the lad's expense. "A thing? I suppose she did mention a thing or two... I do wonder though if she mentioned the thing you speak of," she questioned seemingly serious only to take a drink from her cup with a rather pregnant pause and smile good naturedly afterwards. "Yes, she may have mentioned the magical world mechanics leading to what I decided to whittle down to the most important points. I am getting a new niece or nephew. There is another Grail Holder who has been wronged by the 'gods'. There is a separate King to her Queen and I get some kind of little brother out of the deal... all is well. There is no reason for awkwardness between us," she clearly.

Moving on, there was the matter of his unnamed sword which apparently went without a name because of all Charlemagne had gone through in the last few days. The word vomit that fell from his face included something about the weirdest and hottest way to rebuild ones' self. A chuckle left Artoria at these words, so very awkward. "Congratulations..." she said in a jovial manner. "I am not judging, nor am I making light of the bad, but even you seem to acknowledge the good. I get it more than I would normally like to admit. This world is outlandish at times..." she commented. "Even so, with a bit of time, you might consider a name for it. Make it your own in the truest sense imaginable. Besides... there is strength in words and weapons are precious. They deserved to be called upon like old friends and greeted with respect," she shared her own philosophy about the importance of weapons and names. "I should also say if you have time, do not neglect your own care. Eat well, talk to those you trust, and calm your mind. Ideas and strategies will come, but you can only make true use of them, if you are the best version of yourself you can be," she advised. Artoria oddly spoke from experience. She'd seen a great amount in this world and fully understood that some things required time and others required companions.

Charlemagne was aiming for a confession in the gentlest way possible. Upon offering what he could in terms of information, he received... strangely, teasing delivered in a very serious manner. Before he had a chance to react to that, Artoria gave honest clarification. Jeanne had told her quite a few things about the strange relationship between them ─ the 'somehow married, somehow twins, somehow etc.' nonsense promoted by Albertus Animusphere. Oddly enough, Artoria had nothing to really say about the ordeal. Charlemagne was nearly lost for words. "... Oh. Well, that's a waste. I was expecting a long series of questions, and a big dash of judgment. I should have tried this meeting when it first came to mind, if this was going to be the outcome."

Stranger still, Charlemagne was congratulated for the way he was held together. She seemed to understand what he was getting at, as if she'd been through something similar. No, that wasn't possible... was it? The Queen of Knights had to be some sort of asexual entity beyond the realm of base instincts like that. Alas, she claimed to understand more than she'd care to admit. What else could that mean? "Apparently. Congrats, or condolences?" he wondered aloud, admittedly accidentally. Moving on though, his sword did need a name. He'd manage to toss a few around in his mind this past few moments, and one reappeared from his previous Nexus visit. Now that Artoria was talking about greeting a weapon as an old friend, he was thinking of an old friend and the one thing he wanted to see in that greeting. It was the one thing Jeanne seemed to be missing in her current form ─ something she was never short of before. "Merriment," he muttered. With that in mind, he quickly came to the conclusion of translating a word to match one goal kept for all his comrades. "Joyeuse. I think... Joyeuse," the lad concluded. "That's my goal. I'll take your advice, and I'll take that sword to Aincrad. Jeanne, Angie, Roland, Liv, Ren... everybody. I want to see merry faces on all of them when it's all over. What do you think?"

Artoria was in a teasing mood and Charlemagne would be the recipient. Oddly enough, the lad did not expect such levity given the seriousness of the situation he found himself in. Of course, few would know that Artoria was always like this in a very specific situation. When it came to a singular individual in her life a certain amount of allowance would always be given, and she would explain it just the same. By her own approximation the lad before her would understand. "You have no need to fear judgement from me for one reason specifically, the matters of this world's mechanics aside... those who are the Children of the Stars, follow a single extra rule, beyond those that we share with each other to live by," she explained using an odd way of referring to their given surname. "We do not take from the baby," she said finally. They all agreed that nothing would be taken from the baby, whether emotional, physical or intangible. If she did not wish it, they would not do it... as such Charles had been safely integrated, in the same way that Siegfried had been.

What was likely more odd, was Artoria admitting to understanding the nature of the world's presented complications. The way Charles mentioned his 'piecing' together made her realize he likely had some sort of sexual encounter. it was far from her place to judge, she'd never done such a thing to start with. Even so, it seemed he was apt to congratulate or commiserate, given her own undetailed experiences. "It is congratulatory. Even with the oddities such things present I cannot say I truly regret this turn in the path I walk," she said with a gentle smirk. In truth, she understood now, how little she'd been living this life of hers. And now that she lived she could at least appreciate a thing or two... and enjoy the sincerity of those around her, in a way she hadn't before. It seemed she wasn't the only one thinking of others. As she continued her inspect of Charlemagne's sword he seemed to have a few name options and even a pretty firm reason for choosing it. She'd once felt very similarly so she understood the notion, more than anything else she felt the truth of it from him as he took in his visage. The merriment of his friends and family was his goal... to bring joy, was such an idealistic thing to make your goal, but also so very fitting. She looked at the blade and rotated it in her hand. Her fingers gently traced the blade up to its tip. "A sword to bring smiles to the faces of others and leave joy in its wake," she posed it as if speaking some truth... in the Nexus a place of mystery a certain glow seemed to be settling upon the blade. "A name which encompasses the bonds between you and others..." she seemed to be speaking directly the the blade. "The name of a strong companion on your march towards merriment," she smiled at the blade and held it in her hands. "Joyeuse." she proclaimed properly. "A fine name for a blade. Look after him, goals like his are so fleeting and lovely it should be your honor to look after him," she spoke to the blade of Charlemagne before reversing her grip in a smooth motion and handing it back to him. Ah, but what would happen to this blade as such an odd and old magic was induced? Only when Charlemagne reclaimed his blade would the truth be revealed.

In addition to the knowledge and guidance Charlemagne gained during this audience with the Queen of Knights, he was to inherit a rule of the now-extended family of Artoria, Jeanne and so forth. It seemed they had a creed that involved taking nothing from 'the baby' among them, whom context implied could only be Jeanne. No taking, Artoria said. Given Charlemagne's plan for the end of this adventure, that phrase didn't quite work for him. "Don't take from the baby, huh..." he mumbled, thinking it over for quite some time.

While Charlemagne floated around in his own head, Artoria confirmed his curiosity. She had definitely fallen to the deviance of this world as well. Just as he recently discovered, she found it worthwhile. In that regard, they were truly kindred. Everything he'd been through recently was degenerate, but oh so valuable in the grand scheme of things. Apart from everything involving Father An, he really wouldn't change a thing. "I guess I could say the same. I've still got some complications to work out, but whatever," he said. Moments later, Charlemagne's sword was finally receiving a name. Artoria found Joyeuse acceptable. Her ringing endorsement resulted in the Nexus's acceptance as well, bringing a new light to the blade. Oddly though, her every word seemed to be for the weapon itself. No matter. Charlemagne knew the knight-queen had her oddities, but he had no desire to judge. Joyeuse was handed to its wielder while that glow settled. Charlemagne reached out to grasp its handle, and then... another glow began to spread across the entire tool. That was also the time Charlemagne finished his earlier train of thought. "Don't be so quick to dish out honors," he said. "I'm going to commit a cardinal sin, you know? Sorry, but I've got to break a rule. I'm taking from the baby," he continued.

The blade of Joyeuse gradually became something... almost silver. No, it couldn't be called that. Silver itself would gaze upon Joyeuse and think itself grey. The sheen of Joyeuse's blade created a spectrum of colors that spread into its aura. Accents of blue and black passed along guard and sheath alike, settling in homage to the queen who accepted arms for the greater cause, and the warrior who accepted a lifelong companion. All the while, Charlemagne was still making his point. "I swore to Jeanne, and I'll swear to you. I declare an oath, my soul as witness. I'm taking that darkness if it's the last thing I do."

The knowledge that the Hoshimi didn't take from their youngest member was something which seemed to catch Charlemagne. Of course he would be hung up on that, contrary to whatever he thought, Artoria had also been told of his desire. Her younger sister had called it, 'A stupid fuckin' pipe dream' if she was remembering the phrasing correctly. Even so, it wasn't something which Artoria would argue against, part of the reason she was so easily summoned to this realm, was because she intended to see the truth of this lad's words for herself. And he'd presented himself as nothing but earnest. Moving on, according to the lad, though he also saw his own activities as celebratory he had some complications left to iron out. A gentle nod of Arotria's head would occur at the news. "These things happen... sometimes things have to be less orderly than our preferences..." she offered the lad this information not of her own situation but one she'd observed.

Still there was the matter of the sword, now aptly named Joyeuse. His hands on the handle it was left to change under the influence of Artoria and the Nexus. A bit of a boon, this white room always was, as the things she desired within became possible even if they were previously impossible. For instance a blade of the same quality material as Excalibur. Apparently, this special blade was being partnered with someone who had the intention of breaking a cardinal rule. An oath would be made under the gaze of emerald fire, twice sworn on himself did Charlemagne proclaim to take the darkness of Jeanne d'Arc, even if it was something which killed him. There was a certain sparkle in the eye of the Queen of Knights who looked upon the lad as if burning this image into the depths of her soul. "On your honor, Charlemagne." Just those words were her acceptance of his most honest desire. In truth, when it came to her younger sister, her hands were tied. She'd have burned the heavens and the earth and every other world if that girl wished it so... but even steeped in darkness as she was, she did not wish harm on any but those who wronged her directly. And would not call the calamity of her siblings down upon the world as punishment for the actions of one. "I will leave this in your hands, as a twin the rule of not taking is somewhat less clear... exploitable even." she said with a gentle upturn of her lips. There was no dishonesty in Charles, as he declared even on his death to fix an issue for the world. Returning the Holy Maiden to her status as a true Saint was no small undertaking still, he would be left to it, such was the nature of Artoria Pendragon, to leave a man to earnestly pursue his goals.

Truer words had never been spoken. Frankly, if things always went according to plan, Charlemagne would have a very boring time in this world. Even so, a little bit more smoothness of transition would have been much appreciated. "Tell me about it," he agreed with a sigh. This wasn't going to get any easier. At the very least, Charlemagne had always been able to consistently rely on others to help him through the long journey of isekai life.

A declaration was given, and an oath was received. He spoke it to Artoria as he had spoken it to Jeanne, but the true purpose was to invoke his first Skill. Oaths in this world were binding. When Charlemagne gave one however, it was more binding than normal. He would be strengthened while acting toward the oath's purpose, and made significantly weaker if he was not doing so. This was on more than his honor. With the specifics he gave, such a promise would be carried for life until it was met. "It's too late. Whether you accept it or not, it's something I have to do now. Breaking promises isn't cool~" he assured. With that, Charlemagne fully claimed the sword Joyeuse and performed a few practice twirls. It seemed a bit larger than before, but also even lighter than it was. Was he even holding anything? Moving it around was no different than moving his arm by itself. "Woah, that's crazy!" he exclaimed. Alas, there was no room for too much amazement. Another thing had been previously mentioned, and Charlemagne regrettably thought it was a good idea to ask about it. "So... one more thing. Do you think King Gilgamesh could tell me any details about god-killing? I don't really want to ask, but. . ."

Charlemagne and Artoria Pendragon surprisingly got along fairly well. They even shared a strange amount of confusing taste and distaste for the way the world works. The lack of consistency in adventures and fun were part of the the goodness of them, but also part of the frustration. Life was never black and white and more so... never really good or bad. It was fine. Things could be better they could also be much worse. Moving on, apparently the lad hadn't needed Artoria to accept his oath. It was apparently something sworn on himself and didn't require acnowledgement. Still, an earnest oath from a knight was something that fell under the Queen of Knights purview. According to the lad breaking promises wasn't cool. She'd heard he was fond of being cool and couldn't disagree. She shared such sentiments whether outwardly or buried beneath the surface of her queenly visage. "Definitely should never break promises. Oath-breaking is a terrible habit. Still, the words of earnest knights will always fall upon my ears. Their hopes and dreams are mine to protect and indulge," she said casually.

She watched from that point forward, as the lad got a feel for his new weapon. She'd seen that kind of excitement before, on the faces of many knights who received the weapons most perfect for them. A knowing smile graced her lips, a perfect part, a weapon which was an extension of the self was one of the best things this world could grant someone. She believed this truly. Ah, but all good things had to have a hiccup or two. As she drank from her cup it would seem that he wished still to speak potentially with Gilgamesh, fishing for information about killing gods. A nod came to the lass as she gave it a bit of consideration. Her brow furrowed as she knew the Golden King could indeed answer the lad's questions, but whether he would, or if he'd even answer the summons was something entirely different. "And here I was... having a good time," she mumbled once again seeming to be almost pouty. "He can likely answer your questions... call upon him. I will remain, just in case," she offered the lad truthfully.

They agreed that keeping promises was the only real way to go about life. Even so, Artoria laid claim to the hearing of all knights' oaths. He couldn't argue with that. Actually, his first thought was that it was a pretty cool thing to do. "That's awesome," he said aloud. As the Queen of Knights, Artoria Pendragon was one Charlemagne had to answer to if demanded. On the other hand, as one who did not count among the Round Table members, Charlemagne did not actively seek her guidance or acceptance. His own people were the only ones he needed the acceptance of, yet... "I appreciate it."

Now then, the pleasantries had come to an abrupt end by Charlemagne's own machinations. Speaking with Gilgamesh was another act one did not approach lightly. Even thinking about it, Charlemagne wished there was a better alternative to finding answers. As it seemed, Artoria agreed. She decided to remain nearby if he called upon the King of Heroes. If nothing else, he could consider that comforting. "Ugh... alright," he groaned. The lad stood then, sheathing his sword and summoning his grail. When he'd called upon Artoria, there was something notable about the event. The Holy Grail itself was a key, so it seemed he had to use it for invocation. As such he poured liquid from the filled grail onto the floor. Those ripples in reality returned at the point of contact. Charlemagne took several moments to consider his call, but then... "I call upon..." That summoning would not be permitted. In the middle of his sentence, Charlemagne was assaulted by a geyser spray of his own grail's fluids. It spewed from the ripples and drenched his face, leaving the lad speechless and absolutely dumbfounded. "... Uh... that's not how it went last time. Not cool," he surmised, certain he now looked like a moron.

Artoria was called awesome by Charlemagne. How interesting. She received compliments quite frequently, but she enjoyed the way that one hit her ears. He appreciated her sentiments and because of this, she'd gladly offer them. Charlemagne was a reasonable person and she quite enjoyed that part about him. She could even see, the logic behind a lad like this being good for her younger sister, though he wasn't the one chosen by her. His closeness to her could be appreciated, in the way that friends were made in their previous lives, she understood this, even if her closest friend was the sword at her side.

Ah, but that little jovial exchange would be ending soon. She'd told the lad to call upon the man whose mind he wished to pick. And she'd done her duty, understanding that same man's temperament and offered to stay and smooth things over. Even understanding all of these things, what happened next was laughable at best. He tried to call upon Gilgamesh but hadn't even gotten through the sentence, his face was covered in rippling grail wine and he'd thought it uncool. Calmly, the Queen of Knights reached into her pocket and removed a handkerchief to offer to the lad. This was one of her own, hand-stitched by her with her initials in its corner. Chivalry at its finest. "I figured it did not, Wipe your face. It is likely his own doing, moody as he is..." she said of Gilgamesh. But though her words were calm there was a vein directly over her left brow which was pulsing in anger. She was furious and it would only become more obvious over the next few seconds. "You who calls himself sovereign of this world, should answer when you are called upon. Especially to this place which should be considered your throne room. Answer the call of the queen you named," she said those words with such venom. "King of Heroes!"

Charlemagne's summoning resulted in a colossal failure. That wasn't much to his surprise, though he could have done without that hefty splash to the face. Like some sort of guardian angel, Artoria was there to offer a handkerchief. He reached out to take it, but hesitated upon seeing her initials upon a rather high-quality object. "Ah─ Thanks, but... I couldn't do that," he said. Instead, Charlemagne pulled on his cape until it could be used to wipe his face.

While the King of Faith wiped away his own shame, the King of Heroes received a more... acceptable call. By Artoria's angry demand, the ripples returned yet again. This time, a large, gaudy, golden archway rose from the floor to act as a gateway. Stepping out only moments later was the Golden King. He appeared differently to the norm, sporting one of his typical royal robes, a crimson one, around his waist over black harem pants. He was shirtless as usual, albeit with various golden pieces adorning chest, neck and arms ─ the former of which even contained red cloth. One more red article appeared in the form of a cloak draped over his head as if it were just a hood. As always, he bore a wide grin while stepping toward Artoria. There may have been someone else standing in the Nexus, but he obviously didn't care about that. "H'oh? An excellent decision. A king shall heed the call of his queen, indeed. However, it is equally the duty of a queen to call upon her king properly. Should not my name be passing your lips as a gentle whisper as you pine for my attention? Approach these matters properly, and the results you see will astound you every time~"

An offered handkerchief was politely rejected. Artoria's reactions so such things were only the most natural things she would have done. Still Charlemagne was not keen to accept that little token. The Queen of Knights took no offence, in fact she only had to suppress a chuckle as the lad used his own cape to wipe his face. "Boys," she murmured as she returned that handkerchief to her pocket.

Something that couldn't be returned, was Gilgamesh, King of Heroes, once he was summoned by her. That golden replacement gate made her scoff but still she was attentive. She was counting slowly in her head, the twitching of that vein in the forehead. Artoria's left brow rose. His attire was markedly different from what he'd been wearing when she'd left him only a short time ago. Did he really change clothes? Well, he could do so with no effort and... he did look nice. Too bad, she wouldn't be getting the change to comment on that. No, because Gilgamesh began speaking and suddenly that once calmed vessel began pounding. She'd been so good today. Her entirely queenly visage had been maintained. She'd come off as sisterly, helpful and a bit playful. A perfectly executed big sister showing up to welcome a lad to the family. Ah... but he was about to see the truth of her. "Why the fuck would you even say something like that!?" Oops. That slipped out. She took a deep breath, she closed her eyes and inhaled and exhaled. "I did not call you here for me, King of Heroes. As the person who claimed the title of this world's sovereign doing your job and answering summons to your own throne room is your responsibility," she chided him back in that queenly tone, like she hadn't snapped like a twig. As her eyes opened though she really couldn't stop herself. "Did you really change clothes for this?"

Charlemagne had failed to properly call upon Gilgamesh. Artoria, on the other hand, would not. The King of Heroes appeared with all the pomp and splendor that many expected of him, but with no heed paid to his original caller. By the time Charlemagne finished wiping his face, he realized Gilgamesh hadn't even looked in his direction since appearing. No, he had eyes only for the Queen of Knights... and their interaction would begin as if they were alone. 'Oh. Wait... no way!' Charlemagne thought. Surely this wasn't the thing Artoria was talking about earlier. He knew the Golden King had some obsession with Artoria Pendragon, but when he last saw her, there was seemingly abject hatred in the other direction. On the surface, that seemed to be the case now as well.

Alas, there was something else. From Artoria, there was an outburst the likes of which Charlemagne couldn't fathom from her. Still, given Gilgamesh's words, he couldn't say anything about it. Gilgamesh himself could, though. He had much to say about many things, all in response to the queen herself. "Hmph. Why? Because it would be wasteful to leave the thought unspoken. And if you did not call me here for your own sake, your time has been wasted as well. Only a king or queen may inhabit this dismal canvas that calls itself a room. Only my queen has permission to call me to my throne," he said. In speaking, Gilgamesh carried a tone that seemed to have some underlying meaning. Indeed, this place was where togetherness almost began for them. He said throne aloud, but it would have been more accurate for the king to say... bedroom instead. Whatever the case, Artoria took note of his altered attire, and his grin widened. "I was called upon by Artoria Pendragon, was I not? It is only right that I make a show of it. Well? What say you?" he asked while displaying himself as freshly-ordained upholstery for the queen's appraisal.

The surprise of Charlemagne wasn't something surprising. He'd not been around for the growth of this particularly juicy tidbit of development. Artoria for her part in this knew the behavior of Gilgamesh way better than she'd normally like to admit, even so she'd managed to calm herself quite a bit since her little outburst. Gilgamesh for his part in this, seemed not at all discouraged by the outburst he received. In fact, if one looked at him, he appeared to be rather amused by the whole of it. He claimed her time had been wasted if she'd called upon him for the sake of another. "I will use my time as I see fit. I see no waste in helping another navigate the moodiness of an old tyrant," she commented as she sipped from her cup. As for her appraisal of him...

She looked over the rim of her cup. This was an ensemble she'd not witnessed before and she allowed her eyes to trace his always perfect form. Though she was annoyed by how much he felt the need to show off, she was also appreciative of the upgrade in his attire. "It is quite a nice view, I assume the accessories were your choice alone but not quite as outlandish as I would have expected," she said of his adornments. It went without saying that the designs of the Pharaoh Nefertari were without question top tier. "Still I did not call you here to appraise you," she said. "This is Charlemagne the King of Faith, who has a question for the eldest among us which only you can answer," she offered the gold adorned king her words both of praise and clarification. She wouldn't make this day any more awkward than it needed to be for Charlemagne nor herself.

Artoria would use her time as she pleased, and she saw no waste in her current choice. That sort of bite was what Gilgamesh expected of her ─ what excited him time and time again. As for the end of her statement, well... Artoria was leaving herself open to a cheeky retort. "H'oh? Your moodiness is mine to navigate, not someone else's. Besides... you're not nearly that old," he replied. If she was going to talk about a moody old tyrant, Artoria should have been looking in a mirror mere moments ago.

The most important thing here, of course, was the queen's opinion of his new ensemble. He wondered how much reservation her response would have. What he got, was... that it was a nice view. What an interesting way that was to phrase her appraisal. There was a special note about accessorizing. Naturally, there was a reason he went less 'outlandish' as Artoria claimed. "An astute observation. I dared not bother with too much ornamentation. After all, I may need to rid myself of them. One shouldn't create too many unnecessary steps," he said jovially. Ah, but Artoria's purpose was not appraisal. She called upon him because of Charlemagne. A question could be answered only by him, apparently. Was he meant to care? Well, it seemed he didn't. "One who holds the Holy Grail cannot find their own solutions? It is not the place of Gilgamesh to uplift the incapable. Shall I treat it as a requested personal favor from my queen? Perhaps then, I may give it consideration," he said, as if he expected some form of recompense for being called upon for such menial purposes.

The words originally shared by Artoria were rather aptly turned around on her. A giggle erupted from within her cup as those words processed in her mind. Light danced behind those emerald colored orbs as her laughter filled that cup she drank from and then faded. She'd move it from her face for just a moment as that little bit of music died down for just a second. "Alright, I left myself open for that one..." she said calmly. "I still hate you." she said directly... ah but that was another of those contradictions. She said those exact words but her tone and cadence implied that she actually felt quite the opposite. Perhaps this was the 'complicated' nature she claimed to be dealing with, but it didn't really matter.

She moved on to appraising the golden king in her usual way. She commented about his appearance and attire. And received feedback which she expected but caused her to roll her eyes. "Why are you so shameless?" she uttered only to immediately follow up. "Do not answer that... it was rhetorical," she clarified immediately. Her entirely queenly visage was only just being restored, if she blushed she'd lose all her remaining credibility. "Right, I have to remember your lack of social graces..." she smirked. "Not all who win grails have jumped directly into foolhardy activities. He is not seeking direct assistance only guidance and what he plans to do will help us all," she mentioned in a rather lax way. "In this case, it is a question I would also like answered but I have not given consideration to the finer details... I suppose I do not mind bearing responsibility for the request. It is the least I can do considering my hands are currently tied. How do you kill a god?"

Laughter. Here and there, the Queen of Knights collapsed defenses of steel in such moments, making every effort worthwhile. Even when crediting the rebuttal, however, she claimed to still harbor a hatred for the blonde male. "Is that so? Well then, perhaps you should let out your aggression against me. I welcome the challenge as always," he said. Surely that was a topic he wouldn't let go; Artoria could expect by now that it would resurface in due time. First though, there was a question that he was not to answer.

Why was Gilgamesh so shameless? He would have easily and happily explained himself, but Artoria had different plans. No matter. As frequently as she questioned him, that would also likely resurface. More importantly in the mind of Artoria, was the matter for which she called him. This alleged King of Faith required no assistance, but instead guidance. It made no difference to Gilgamesh. To ask his advice was to show a lack of thinking one's own way through an issue. Ah, but this was apparently something even Artoria sought the answer to. That made things quite different after all. "Well, perhaps you should have simply asked the question," he said. What did they want? Knowledge on slaying the divine in this world. Gilgamesh's eyes cut toward Charlemagne, who hadn't said a thing since his arrival. It was not a new query he was having to deal with. "Twice, I have been asked about deicide, and twice I will point out the stupidity of the attempt. There is but one way to eliminate the gods of this world, and it is by being beyond superior," he answered simply.

Surely that answer couldn't be all. According to Artoria, she had seen one god felled by another, and one felled twice by Gilgamesh ─ whom he heard was only part divine himself. "But... there has to be something else, right? I have the Power of Order, so shouldn't that at least put me in the ballpark?" the lad wondered. Ah, the Power of Order. Gilgamesh knew what that was, and in viewing the King of Faith, he knew it was in the younger male's possession. "Killing An? You would have an easier time killing death itself. To face the Father in your state would be to offer the rest of your mortal soul for claiming. The Dragon Witch holds the only gift beyond my coffers that may achieve what you speak of," Gilgamesh assured. "Your only contribution here is managing to cut the old god's Divine Authority in half to allow its removal from this world. Tell me, both of you... what do you know of prophecy?"

As always Gilgamesh welcomed any aggression the Queen of Knights had to offer him. Artoria for her part in this, would only playfully scoff before continuing to drink from her cup while chiding the man before her. "Do not start," she offered this particular man. He was a bit singular minded and when it came to her she realized his mind had a specific leaning. She would have him focused on the task at hand, lest the lad not receive the guidance he needed.

As the moved on to the reason he was summoned, Gilgamesh claimed that if she wanted a question like that answered she should have simply asked. A snarky reply would come form Artoria in the moment as she waited to hear him out. "I have not considered killing anyone but you for the last few weeks. Obviously, this is your fault I thought not to ask sooner," she said with an almost peaceful grin on her face. Of course, that sentence could have meant several things, and given Artoria's disposition it likely meant several of them. Gilgamesh though, did have an answer for her, making the claim that it was stupid to want to kill a god but to do so required one to be superior. Artoria had made that kind of assumption, she'd even hinted at it in her explanation to Charlemagne based on her observations.

Ah, but Charlemagne obviously wasn't too idle in this thoughts. He wondered why his Power of Order wasn't enough to level the playing field, but it seemed his target was a fairly large one. The Father he was called, seemed to be someone of greater stuff. According to Gilgamesh he'd have an easier time, killing death. He also claimed that the only one with a weapon which could fell him, was Jeanne, in her present form. This made sense to Artoria as well, vengeance was a powerful tool. But the lad was not to be considered utterly useless either, as he cut the Authority of that god in half. But Gilgamesh would soon be taking a turn asking what they knew of prophecy. "I have been part of a prophecy or two in my time. I know that they often only make sense in hindsight and usually trying to prevent them makes them happen," she said. It was a common staple in media and her own story included the tale of ,'the once and future king'. Whatever those words actually meant, she knew Gilgamesh did not tarry too far from the importance of subjects, so she figured what he had to say on the matter would be quite important to Charlemagne's journey. She listened intently for several reasons not the least of which being to help.

Do not start, Artoria said. Oh, he was well past started already. What he wouldn't do, was finish... for now. The look on his face implied as much ─ this was far from over. First though, he'd deal with this so-called important discussion about god-killing... and apparently how Artoria had only thought of killing him the past few weeks. His eyes locked onto the woman. That time period encompassed a very titillating ten-day cycle. Her words and their meaning tended to be different, but simultaneously the same. "Keep those thoughts in mind. They may prove useful to you," he said. Aggression was perhaps one of Artoria Pendragon's more charming features. Whenever he could get under her skin in such a way, Gilgamesh relished the moment.

Moving on to the matter of prophecies, Artoria gave her answer. Charlemagne also had some familiarity, though no prophecies existed about him to date ─ at least none that he knew of. "I've seen them play out. They're usually heavily misinterpreted, and not nearly as direct as they sound... unless they're way more literal than anybody gives them credit for," he answered. Two responses were given; both were off the mark. Well, that wasn't true. Both answers were very accurate, yet Gilgamesh's point was a separate matter entirely. "Fools. Neither of you knows the root of prophecies. A prophecy exists in a moment and connects to another moment. There are thresholds to power. To become ultimate, one becomes the source of a prophecy," he explained. With that part out of the way, Gilgamesh pointed at Charlemagne to continue the greater point. "One prophecy is common among those who wield divine power. 'The power to vanquish a god approaches. The god will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the god knows not... and either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives.' That is a prophecy as old as power itself, and though inverted in purpose this time, such a prophecy repeats itself time and time again. That is the prophecy we are seeing here. A boy and an old god, forever invulnerable to all but one another. One may consume the other, but neither can die while the other remains... unless a variable is introduced. That variable is the Dragon Witch whose power exists from a realm beyond to annihilate Anu himself. However, that itself is a curse that will afflict many in its wake."

Artoria was aware of several things, one of them being... that her direct words to Gilgamesh, were often interpreted differently from how she would have meant them. She also knew that little of what she said would be effective against the man. Instead she would take her little jabs as she wished and scoff at his antics. For instance the idea that she should hang on to the desire of killing him as it might prove useful to her. Of course he would say something like that... he enjoyed when she aggressed him. "You really do not heed the words I speak..." she murmured. It was the sort of thing that generally led to her lashing out against this man but... in this instance they had a buffer and because of this she could keep her façade if only for a little while longer.

Beyond this point, it seemed that Charlemagne and Artoria had similar ideas about prophecy. After all, they were similar company as far as their knowledge base was concerned. Ah, but this wasn't right either. Gilgamesh shouted fool and accused both of being unaware of the root of prophecy. A prophecy was apparently something which connects one moment to another. Were the words of Gilgamesh. Artoria quite used to this man's method and manner of speech chose only to scoff while thinking something less than charitable. 'Of course we do not know the root of things... some of us are not as old as dirt,' Even so she was still attentive. She heard his words about the nature of prophecy as it connected mortal and divine and it sounded... familiar? Maybe it was just some kind of fantasy trope... those were pretty common on some 'chosen one' style things. In addition it seemed the only one capable of carrying out this task was Jeanne, and she... should not given what their elder sister had to say about the nature of the power she currently used. This power balance was indeed quite delicate, but hers was not to fully baby the lad either. "So, what say you Charlemagne, does that actually help you?" she asked of him as she sipped from her cup. As far as she understood it, he had about two years, to figure out the power he had over his opponent. Find his weaknesses, track down his grail and strategize a way to murder him.

A prophecy dictated that between Charlemagne and Father An, one had to die. He hadn't given that much consideration, but the entire topic of an absorption made it quite obvious in a way. From the sound of things, he was still wholly incapable of emerging victorious. Jeanne could kill the god in question, but even Charlemagne could see how much of a problem that would be. That outcome simply couldn't be allowed, he thought. "So the how is still in question," he muttered. Gilgamesh's retort was immediate. "It is no question. The how does not exist. Your only fate is to be consumed by Anu. The only one with the ability to succeed, is the Dragon Witch," he reiterated.

No. No, that could never happen. Surely Jeanne wanted that exact outcome in her current state, but that would lock her into place. Two years, he had. In two years, Charlemagne had to become powerful enough to avoid absorption, and powerful enough to succeed in defeating Anu. What a tall order. Whether it worked or not, only time would tell. For now, all he could do was hope. "That doesn't help at all, but... it also does. Thanks, both of you. I have no more questions," he said. Gilgamesh scoffed. "Hmph. To think, I adorned myself for this to be the outcome. For that, Artoria Pendragon, I hold you responsible. Come now, before we miss the best part of the show~"

It seemed things had become rather interesting wherever these two were before appearing here. Charlemagne would leave them to their business, but there was one more thing he now needed to do in the Nexus. His body was half-frozen. Up to this point, the idea of failure hadn't properly settled in his mind. He had to start considering contingencies. If his life and existence had to end, he should at least ensure promises were kept. Angelica and the others had to be freed of Aincrad's clutches, and Jeanne had to be spared a life of bitterness. Could he manage that? Well... he didn't have much choice but to try. Even so, there were some who had to be informed of the possibilities.

The how was in question, this was something that Artoria had been considering. Though she knew not the fine intricacies of the sorts of powers and abilities, she knew that a lad like Charlemagne technically had to come with everything he needed to defeat his opponent. It was simply a matter of figuring out exactly what all it was. Gilgamesh in this case would be of little help, he claimed the only one who could beat this father god was, the Dragon Witch, but for the sake of preserving her original self letting her actually go through with it wasn't something which could be allowed. 'That thinking of yours is still quite inflexible,' Artoria said of Gilgamesh. His words might have been the truth, but there was always hope, and as a person whose fate rested on hope she wouldn't discount the lad and his very earnest oath. She'd seen his conviction and she understood his logic, even if he could not do everything what he did would be magnificent.

There was a moment where Artoria should have replied to Charlemagne but instead the words of Gilgamesh graced her ears. He'd adorned himself for this outcome and apparently she was to blame. And what was more they would be missing the show... "I did not tell you to change, decisions you make on your own are your problem," she said to King Gilgamesh. "You are welcome, Charlemagne..." she offered the lad those words. Artoria reached for her grail and grabbed hold of her sword. Back to bearing witness to battles she went. Even so, the lad's plight wouldn't be far from her mind. They'd both go back from whence they came leaving the lad to his thoughts and his newfound reality. Likely this wouldn't the best possible news, but heroes needed adversity and those who walked the path of savior had to simply continue on their paths. That was how Artoria saw it anyway. She had faith that lad wouldn't find himself in too much trouble, at the very least the sword in his hand would be an apt companion...

This was going to be the most hectic two years of Charlemagne's lives. He'd be left to it, as those he called upon were also going to be quite busy. He had two years before the Holy Grail appeared, and oddly, Gilgamesh would be keeping that two years in mind. Little did Charlemagne know, it would be made possible for Jeanne d'Arc to join the journey before its end. If nothing else, Gilgamesh would ensure as much. Left ignorant, Charlemagne could only bow as the pair took their leave of the Nexus.

Once he was alone in the blank white space, Charlemagne held his grail once more. He wondered if it would be possible to summon Angelica without the help of Albertus. Summoning others who possessed Holy Grails was one thing, but she was brought out previously due to the weak remaining connection between them. Could he manage something of that caliber? Well, the only way to find out was by trying. Once more, the grail filled. Once more, he poured out that glowing golden liquid within. Once more... reality itself opened. All Charlemagne had to do then, was find out if he could reach the right person. "Angie?" he called out, curious. The ripples reacted as if a drop of water had fallen into the pool, but there was nothing. "Angie!" he called again. For the second time, nothing happened for several seconds. Charlemagne stopped to think, visualizing the Holy Princess as vividly as he could. The portal had spawned; he just needed to reach the princess. Maybe he had to enhance the link between them? He did know of one way to ensure she could hear his call. With that in mind, Charlemagne took a deep breath and... "Luviagelita Angelica Edelfelt! Hurry up, or I'll be gone for sixty years!" he yelled into the portal.

In the mind of Artoria Pendragon, Charlemagne simply had to endure. The paths walked by those who tangled with gods, were never easy, but... a bit of skill and some hope, could go quite a long way. He'd be left, bowing as he was, as the pair of sovereigns exited the Nexus. Things in this world were set in motion a dance of fate was only a little farther off. And though it likely wasn't obvious, Charlemagne had quite a few people on his side, even if they would not directly interfere with his journey.

But moving on from those topics, it would seem that Charlemagne wasn't quite done even at the exit of the sovereigns. He would be waiting around and then calling upon another. A call would go out, for Angie? Well whoever that was supposed to be, they didn't show up immediately. Another would happen but it would have similar results regardless of his concentration. Something about the way that the Nexus worked, made it so requests had to be very specific especially for those who could not be called 'Grail Holders'. Ah, but that last one, with a full name, would have a semi armored young woman with long blonde hair that curled in blue, appearing within the Nexus. And what was more that thinly veiled threat would only get him a pretty aggressive greeting. "YOU WOULDN'T DARE, CHUCK!" was the exclamation of a greeting. Ah, but with just the two of them being within this space, she immediately wrapped her arms around the young man. She'd had quite the busy day, and it was good to see him well...

Once, twice, thrice did Charlemagne call upon the Holy Princess of Aincrad. Two failures were counted, but that final outburst caused some changes. Perhaps it was the emotion. Perhaps it was the full name used. Perhaps it was neither of those, and could simply be blamed on keeping a natural state that played to the bond between them. Ah, and it was so very natural. Angelica emerged in the most notable and familiar way possible: yelling. In addition to yelling about how he wouldn't dare, she captured him in a hug. The grail he held wound up pressed against Angelica's back as his arms ensnared her as well.

"Of course I wouldn't," he said as their embrace solidified. "Well... not if I could help it," he added. It had only been a day or so since their last meeting, but that was a very hectic encounter with a few others present. Now, it was only the pair of them ─ just as it had been the day before everything went south. He wasn't sure if things were looking better or worse now. All he could say, in fact, was... things were moving forward. "So... there's a lot happening. You doing well out there? How's the hiding going?" he wondered. Before delving into all the craziness on his side, there was still the problem of Angelica being hunted in Aincrad. Her current status was much more volatile than Charlemagne's side of the journey.

Not if it could help it. "You better help it!" Angelica mentioned. She found herself easily ensnared within Charlemagne's arms and felt quite comfortable there. She'd been on the run for the last couple of days but her adventure so far hadn't been completely negative. In fact, she had new and sort of happy things to share. She wasn't having a bad time or anything currently. Actually, after getting over the shock of her 'father' trying to marry her... she was actually having a pretty good time exploring the labyrinth. She continued to hold Charlemagne the way she was for a few moments longer as she explained her current situation to him.

"Hiding is going fine. And I'm also doing fine. Actually, I met my real dad, and he's with me... so it's not so bad and I'm not too lonely," she explained of the present situation. It would likely take some real explaining in just a few minutes. But for just these few moments she was happy to fall back into comfortable arms without anything weird happening. "And you? Are you feeling better, is your group okay? How's Sakura?" she asked wanting to make sure they weren't having a bad time either.

There was so much happening, but things between Angelica and himself hadn't changed at all. She remained the same bossy, somewhat bratty individual that managed to make such behavior endearing. "Right. Well... I guess I'm helping it, huh?" Charlemagne replied. It seemed he was easily finding himself in high spirits after that summoning finally worked. It also seemed the pair wouldn't be letting go of one another. Charlemagne certainly wasn't going to, knowing two long years were ahead of them.

Apparently, Angelica was still managing to hide from Father An's followers. That was one sigh of relief out of the way, followed by immediate confusion. She met, and was currently with, her 'real' father. Given the number of things Charlemagne heard recently, he could hardly be surprised finding out that Father An wasn't Angelica's legitimate father. In fact, he couldn't be surprised if she said there were multiple 'real' dads, after meeting Sakura. "Oh. That's weird... and random. But you know what? That's good. I hope he's better for you than the one that tried to unexist me," he said. Angelica went on to ask questions of her own, regarding his wellbeing, that of the group, and... Sakura specifically. "Uh... yeah, about that. Everything's fine. I'm fine, they're fine... Sakura's... fine," he said, realizing there was a matter of great importance they didn't previously address. "So uh... did I mention how Sakura kept me from breaking apart when we met? By, what was it... mana transfer? Because that happened. Y'know, before uh... another mana transfer for general purposes. And another. And... a few more since then. And... a couple of hours ago. And probably again later, and... yeah. . ."

He was helping it. Well, yes, that was very true. Still, even that knowledge wouldn't have stopped Angelica for giving that sort aggressive retort. Even as she relaxed in the lad's arms. "Yeah, you are... this is nice," she murmured. In truth, she'd missed Charlemagne long before any of this happened. She'd just thought they'd be getting to spend some real time together and they were thrown this rather intense curve ball. This was fine though, she was actually still seeing him far more consistently now, than she had since he'd completed the labyrinth. And so, she'd take comfort in the contact, together they stood, with her explaining meeting her real dad, and meeting him, and Charlemagne for his part in this seemed to encourage it. Hoping this one was better than her previously assumed father. "He's definitely way cooler. I'm sure you'll like him!" she said seeming to understand that whole situation. "Also you took that a lot better than I expected," she said seeming pleased.

Of course, that newfound sense of understanding the lad had, seemed to fall short of true understanding. This of course, would be made obvious by his weird way of broaching the topic of Sakura and his group. Everyone was fine and so was Sakura. But his explanation of his apparent changes as they concerned Sakura were... rambling and sounded crazy to Angelica. In fact, the lad sounded like he was confessing to something he'd done wrong. He spoke of mana transfers being how his body was fixed and then his continued, several times over. He even prefaced that it would be happening in the future. "Charles, calm down," she asserted pulling back from this deep hug to look at the lad's face. "I really want to know, how you think my senses work... No, how bad yours are if you think you have to confess to something like that. Or you think I didn't notice," she said in a slightly bratty fashion. "Really, I know she's pregnant too. And compatible people should want to do that sort of thing... and she helped you and she's great so you should like her. I hope you haven't been being human weird about this to her. Have you really been freaking out about this?" she asked seeming not to realize that she was inadvertantly hinting at being pregnant herself.

Angelica asserted that this new, or rather original father, was... cool. She actually managed to use that word correctly as well, somewhat to Charlemagne's surprise. As for how well he took the information, that wouldn't have been the case a few days prior. After all he'd learned recently however, it was easy to accept a lot of things. "Yeah, I've seen a lot of crazy stuff lately. Five biological dads wouldn't surprise me anymore," he specified.

Moving on to his rant about recent developments with Sakura, Angelica responded with a name she used only under very specific circumstances: Charles. Calm down, she said upon loosing their embrace. In the following moments, Angelica shared words that Charlemagne expected only in his wildest imaginings of the current confessions. In fact, she seemed disturbed by the thought that she didn't already know what was happening. That was something Charlemagne hadn't given any consideration to before. "Huh? Firstly, who the hell is Charles?!" he corrected. "Secondly, no way was I going to think about all that sensory junk while having the week I've had. I was never a sensor type in the first place, Luviagelita!" he added afterwards. Ah, and Angelica knew of the other goddess's pregnancy as well. It all sounded like Charlemagne's degenerate thoughts about his own relationship status were coming to fruition. Maybe karma was working in his favor after the Father An debacle? "Alright, so... you're telling me I didn't have to explain any of that? That's fine. Not changing the fact that I was going to do it anyway. Vows are vows for a reason, and I still stepped outside of that. Not cool. Where do we go from here? When I reincarnated into this world, the last thing I expected was to become an actual French nobleman with the whole polygamy thing."

Apparently, Charlemagne was being more acclimated to the more magical side of the world. He'd come to understand even the five biological fathers of Sakura in the time he'd been gone. That was good, "Well, it's nothing like that... it's more like putting frosting on cake. My actual dad and mom made all the cake and that guy that tried to un-real you, added the decoration and took me under the pretense of letting me out of Celestia, only to lock me in Aincrad instead," she explained of the situation. Angelica came with slightly better to understand metaphors for the way her life worked out and it would seem that she was a bit different now than she had been but it didn't matter.

Moving on from that, the small tirade of Angelica seemed to be something that Charlemagne wasn't ready for. The first response was about what she expected when calling his legitimate name. "Obviously, the name of someone who was having some kind of issue," she said in typically bratty fashion. The second however, was him not using his senses and like given the week he'd been having, "I understand that you've been through a lot. Not denying that at all... but maybe consider figuring out how that sort of thing works. You're an adventurer after all... having a more passive use of that sort of thing would definitely help. Given my current experiences I can say that... and you will be able to be calmer about things. Also given your new existence you probably have or could develop a fairly good one," she offered the lad. She was willing to give him a bit of a pass since he'd been so human but thinking like that wouldn't help him adjust to his new existence at all. "And I don't know who, hmphf!" she said crossing her arms over her chest.

But it seemed that Charlemagne wasn't fully prepared for what it would mean to have two goddesses interested in him. He seemed to think that he was still in the wrong and he was going to explain it anyways because what he did was uncool. Angelica sighed and took hold of Charlemagne's face in both her hands. "You explaining all that was not necessary though. It is very human of you to feel bad about life-saving procedures or natural inclinations. And just because you think you did something wrong doesn't mean you did," she said seeming to have a very goddess way of thinking about things, even after coming to understand that such things were partially done for fun. Knowing about the fun part made her boundaries more specific but that didn't necessary apply to the idea of monogamy. After expressing that very honest truth, her body relaxed and she relaxed her arms against his shoulders holding him as such. "As for where we go from here. We are missing a person for that conversation, yes? And if this sort of thing is normal in France why was it ever something you felt guilty about?" she questioned directly. She didn't understand what Charlemagne was finding so bad about potentially having two wives or picking two of them within a short time span. Humans were confusing.