Hearing that answer, Samael nodded in satisfaction.
Perhaps this was why Kay had taken such a liking to him when they first met at the stone pedestal and had approached him of his own accord.
Because in their eyes, Artoria was first and foremost a living, breathing person, not a machine created solely to accomplish some predetermined purpose.
Before Samael could indulge in reminiscence, however, Kay, already irritable from being tormented by his prophetic dreams, showed signs of impatience.
"So what exactly is your plan?"
Samael rhythmically tapped his fingers against the tabletop and answered casually while thinking.
"Since becoming a Divine Spirit is the root cause of her emotional deterioration, as well as what she will rely on to carry out the Holy Selection in the future, then we need to find a way to weaken her Divinity."
"That's it? You think I haven't tried?"
Kay rolled his eyes, clearly disappointed.
He had no idea how the other Knights of the Round Table regarded Artoria's transformation into a Divine Spirit.
But before he was a Knight of the Round Table, Kay was first and foremost the Lion King's adoptive brother, the older brother who had protected her since childhood and watched her grow up.
If there was anyone who least wanted Artoria to undergo this transformation, he certainly counted among them.
For that reason, Kay had privately tried countless methods to awaken Artoria's emotional side and slow her progress toward becoming a Divine Spirit.
He had reminisced with her about amusing events from the past, frequently brought her things she once liked, and even tried stimulating her emotions through all kinds of situations.
None of it had worked particularly well.
Every attempt was like throwing a pebble into a lake. It might create ripples for a time, but eventually everything would return to stillness.
The lake remained stagnant.
Emotionless.
Merciless.
Without expectation or joy.
Even her current habit of coming over every day for free meals did little more than stir a few faint ripples in her heart. If her transformation into a Divine Spirit continued to deepen, even those lingering attachments would eventually disappear.
It could never solve the problem at its source.
And it was not just Kay.
As far as he knew, his father Sir Ector and that old fraud Merlin hiding away in his tower had also attempted similar things, both openly and in secret.
The three of them were perhaps the only oddities in Camelot who cared more about Artoria herself than about her identity as the Lion King.
Yet judging from the current situation, every one of them had failed.
The Lion King continued methodically gathering Mystery and advancing toward complete deification.
If all of their efforts had not proven useless, if Artoria's transformation had not continued to accelerate, and if not for that terrifying prophetic dream and the recommendation of a certain old bastard, Kay would never have placed his hopes in someone from Morgan's side.
He was not an idiot.
From their previous interactions, Kay might personally feel a certain affinity with Samael, perhaps even a sense that they understood each other.
But when the matter involved his sister and the future of Britannia, he was not foolish enough to place complete trust in the mysterious husband of a Witch whose origins he barely understood.
At most, the two of them were half friends.
Perhaps their relationship could go further if they truly stood on the same side.
"Don't be impatient. That's only the first step."
Samael could see Kay's agitation and unease.
He calmly poured a glass of water and pushed it across the table. Only after the man patiently drank it and settled down somewhat did Samael continue.
"As you've probably guessed, becoming a Divine Spirit is only the outward symptom. Artoria's real problem is the depth of her fusion with the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad."
Once Kay quieted down and began listening seriously, Samael slowly explained the nature of the Holy Lance.
At its core, the Holy Lance was the [Anchor of the Storm] that pierced the heavens and connected them to the earth, as well as the [Tower at the End] that supported the inner and outer layers of the world.
Its very nature was to anchor and preserve.
Artoria's fusion with the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad meant that her own soul was gradually being affected by those same qualities.
And as the price for wielding the Holy Lance and ruling this last remaining land of the Age of Gods, her emotions and sense of self would gradually be sealed away and eroded.
Eventually, she would become nothing more than a human pillar sustaining Britannia's Mystery, coldly carrying out any plan necessary to preserve it.
Even as Mystery faded, if continuing Britannia's Age of Gods required humanity to be collected inside the Tower at the End like valuable seeds of life and precious specimens, Artoria would still carry out that plan without hesitation.
That was why the will of Artoria as a Divine Spirit and the future desired by Britannia's people would gradually diverge until they ultimately stood in opposition.
Gifts from the gods often came at an enormous price.
Uther and Merlin had sought to grant Britannia a thousand years of prosperity and create a pure white ideal kingdom.
But in doing so, they had also planted the seeds of this outcome.
So when traced back to the true source of the problem, there was only one real way to awaken Artoria's humanity.
Samael's expression grew solemn, his gaze deep.
"If we can successfully weaken her Divinity and reduce the degree of fusion between her and the Holy Lance, then during the second phase, I'm confident I can separate Rhongomyniad from her and return her to normal."
The Ancient Serpent frowned slightly, raised a hand to rub his temples, and sighed helplessly.
"The problem is that Artoria and the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad are absurdly compatible. They've fused far too deeply. Forcibly separating them could damage her soul, and there's a good chance it could trigger the Holy Lance's self preservation mechanism."
"If that happens and she stops recognizing friend from foe, we'd better be careful she doesn't blow all of Britannia away."
Hearing the genuine concern in Samael's words, Kay gave the mysterious man a long look, and his expression softened somewhat.
That concern was real.
Just as it had been when Samael stood before the stone pedestal and spoke up on Artoria's behalf.
Kay gathered his thoughts and paused for a moment before looking at Samael with renewed scrutiny.
"Then what do you plan to do about the first step?"
"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm only responsible for feeding everyone. I've got no solution for the rest."
Samael spread his hands with an innocent expression.
Then why the hell did you say all that?!
Kay nearly choked with frustration and had the sudden urge to strangle the bastard in front of him.
Before his half friend could actually explode, however, the Ancient Serpent changed his tone and smiled.
"Still, Morgan is currently in the workshop trying to find a way to suppress the Divinity inside Artoria. If she gets results, and you're brave enough to use them, then we can give it a try."
"At this point, what would I possibly be afraid of? I..."
Kay ground his teeth and snorted, clearly having already decided to climb aboard Samael's ship and start undermining his sister Artoria's grand ambitions.
"Are you certain you want me involved? Aren't you afraid I might poison her? I am, after all, the Witch whose throne she took from me."
While they were speaking, a figure emerged from beyond the veranda, her voice low and cold.
Kay's expression stiffened.
The determination he had shown moments earlier caught in his throat, and he fell silent.
It seemed they still had a long way to go before either side could completely trust the other.
The Ancient Serpent glanced between Morgan, who stood outside the room surrounded by a cold aura, and Kay, who was now hesitating.
He shook his head inwardly.
Just as the atmosphere became increasingly tense, a patterned series of knocks carrying a distinct rhythm echoed through the courtyard.
Samael stood up and stretched, a teasing smile curling across his lips.
"What are you two arguing about? Our professional poisoning team has arrived."
The Ancient Serpent crossed the courtyard and pulled open the gate.
Several luxurious carriages stood outside.
Aurora, Chieftain of the Wind Clan, and Muryan, Chieftain of the Wing Clan, stepped down from them, accompanied by several other fairies whose names Samael did not know but whose faces seemed vaguely familiar.
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