"Actually, um, I think both alchemy and swordsmanship are great. Why can't you two find a middle ground? I can multitask and teach both at the same time…"
Moran still wanted to take a compromise approach.
There was no way around it; both Mordred and Irisviel were people he loved, and he couldn't choose between them.
To avoid hurting anyone.
Especially to avoid personal threats, he had no choice but to opt for a compromise.
"No way, it has to be one or the other!"
Irisviel and Mordred said in unison.
Then, their gazes clashed again.
The surrounding artificial beings looked on in confusion, unsure of what action to take.
This was far beyond their understanding of human nature.
Rin and Sakura, seeing Moran caught in a dilemma, also showed puzzled expressions.
"Um… Moran-sensei… shouldn't you be our teacher, me and my sister?"
Sakura suddenly said this.
Undoubtedly, this was an opportunity for Moran to escape the storm.
He immediately seized this lifeline.
"Ahem, what Sakura said is absolutely correct! Tokiomi entrusted Rin and Sakura to me! I can't neglect my duty to teach them!"
Moran, like a magus performing a trick, managed to escape.
He didn't give Mordred and Irisviel a chance to react; he knew the two girls were at odds.
There was only one way to break this deadlock.
That was to immediately run out of the vortex.
"Eh! Teacher!?"
"Moran-sensei…!?"
Rin and Sakura had not yet reacted.
Moran picked them up around their waists as if he were carrying luggage, and they didn't even have time to express their surprise.
Then, he used spatial folding techniques to make his escape.
Leaving the two girls unable to catch up.
"He's… gotten away!?"
"Ugh, as expected of Father, to be able to pull off such a feat in an instant! What a blunder~!"
Only the two girls remained, staring at each other.
In the end, they couldn't continue their conversation, and the initial clash of this battlefield came to an end.
This did not mean that the two girls had given up.
After all, the night had not yet fallen.
Having experienced the battlefield, Moran was very cautious.
He walked toward the main bedroom of the castle.
"Ah, Mordred is too aggressive, and Irisviel is still not steady enough. The compatibility between these two has never been good from the start, so it's not surprising that such conflicts arise…"
Mordred had always been true to herself.
Irisviel, in reality, had only been born not long ago, so her attachment to Moran was also significant.
In the past, Altrouge could coexist with Ciel, and Medea and Atalanta could avoid conflict.
All of this was based on the time the girls had to bond.
And it required a foundation of sufficient experience and a stable mindset.
"Ah… although it's troublesome… it still needs to be dealt with…"
Moran felt that he couldn't keep avoiding the issue.
He had to resolve this matter as soon as possible.
As Moran was still contemplating, he unknowingly returned to the main bedroom.
Suddenly, an instinctive warning buzzed in his mind.
He turned to look at the shadow rushing toward him.
"Ugh!"
Moran saw the full figure of the shadow.
He could have counterattacked in an instant.
However, after seeing who had attacked, he made no move to retaliate.
With a thud—
The overlapping figures fell onto the bed.
The room was filled with two distinct presences.
"I see… is this Helm of Hidden Infidelity? Mordred, you've managed to conceal your presence to this extent; you've made quite an improvement."
Moran was pinned down by the shadow.
In reality, it was because he had no intention of breaking free.
Once he saw that the attacker was Mordred, he had already fallen into this web.
Because, no matter the situation, he could never bring himself to attack his beloved daughter.
"Father, you could have countered me the moment you saw through me."
"If I did that, it would only hurt you, wouldn't it? How could I bear that? Compared to before, your concealment technique has become more natural; did you train while I was away?"
"… Yes."
Mordred stared closely at Moran, who was within arm's reach.
Her heart was filled with uncontrollable anxiety.
From the very beginning, she had been wondering if Moran would return; she chose to use her inherent skill to hide.
Every second of waiting was incredibly tense.
Hiding in the dark and planning a surprise attack on Moran was a rebellious desire she had never experienced before.
"It was Father's fault… After you left… I thought of you every moment…"
"Mordred…"
"My wish in response to the Holy Grail was to see you again, and also…"
Mordred paused as she spoke.
It was as if there were words stuck in her throat.
However, when she thought of the reluctance and regret in her heart during her lifetime, that intense emotion reignited.
Her cheeks became hot as well.
Looking back, she believed she would definitely lose control, unable to suppress this passionate feeling any longer.
—However, her thoughts were very calm.
Although Mordred also felt somewhat unclear.
Love might be an impulse, both crazy and rational, pulling one deep into it without escape.
"After you left, I actually hated everything—hated you, hated King Arthur, hated Britain, hated myself."
Contrary to her words, Mordred's voice was very gentle.
Every word flowed into Moran's heart.
"—At first, I felt hatred, but in the end, I couldn't betray your expectations. I couldn't stop missing you, to the point where I was almost losing myself.
Every time I think of your dazzling appearance at the end, and that my future is paved by you, I feel incredibly happy and want to protect the future you created."
Mordred grasped Moran's shoulders.
Gradually, she tightened her grip.
"Every time I recall your final acknowledgment of my feelings, I feel that the future is full of meaning. However, I still have things I want to accomplish, which is why I entrusted my wishes to the Holy Grail… I want to be looked at by you like that, like my mother, rather than being seen as your daughter…"
Mordred's emerald eyes trembled continuously.
Her face was as red as heated iron.
The determination it took to say these words must have been greater than any battle she faced in her lifetime.
Only because of the man before her.
She revealed a moment of vulnerability she had never shown before.