Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice

Chapter 132

Upon his return to the campsite, Shirou found that Artoria and Kay had already woken up and were anxiously searching for him. When they saw him, they both let out a sigh of relief.

"My king, where did you disappear to?" Artoria asked with a hint of anger in her voice.

Shirou responded with a smile and apologized, "Ah, I'm sorry. I heard some wonderful music and couldn't resist following it for a while. I apologize for making you worry."

"I'm not blaming you, my King! I am just a knight and have no right to do so. However, could you please inform us where you are headed next time? We were extremely worried!" Artoria said with concern.

He nodded in agreement, "Sure, I understand. But..." He placed a reassuring hand on Artoria's shoulder and added with a smile, "I must say, Artoria, you are making excellent progress in expressing your emotions. Keep it up!"

"No, that's not it..." She subconsciously retorted, her voice trailing off as she grew increasingly uncertain of how to respond. A troubled expression appeared on her pretty face.

He noticed her distress and offered some words of encouragement. "It's important not to ignore your inner feelings. Learning to express your emotions is a valuable skill."

Following their overnight stay in the cave, they departed at dawn to continue their journey.

Merlin appeared to be in an exceptionally good mood that day, with the corners of his mouth upturned in a cat-like grin and a glint of joy in his eyes.

Observing Merlin's demeanor, Shirou couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious.

Thanks to his clairvoyance, Merlin was able to observe everything that was happening at that moment. As a half-human, half-incubus, he had a natural inclination towards the latter, which drove his enjoyment of observing humans.

Merlin particularly enjoyed observing Shirou, especially when he encountered challenging situations. It had become one of his favorite pastimes.

Given Shirou's past experiences, it was clear to him that something troublesome awaited him in the near future, as evidenced by Merlin's cheerful expression.

He recalled an incident from two months prior when Sir Brastias had visited during a meeting with Sir Ywain. On that occasion, Merlin had undoubtedly observed something unfavorable for Shirou, but had stubbornly refused to reveal it.

Shirou lacked clairvoyance, so he was unable to observe everything, but he had learned to keep an eye on Merlin to get a sense of the situation. As a result, he grew increasingly vigilant and instructed Artoria and Kay to be on high alert as well.

Artoria, not understanding the reason behind Shirou's instructions, asked him why she needed to be vigilant.

He took Artoria aside and pointed towards Merlin, whispering to her, "As a king, it's important to learn how to observe those around you. Look at Merlin's expression, he's wearing a cheerful smile, as if he's watching a show. There's no doubt that we'll face some difficulties ahead!"

Artoria was initially skeptical, but her doubts were dispelled when Merlin suddenly made a bitter face and began to consciously control his facial expressions.

Shirou pointed out, "See, he's already starting to control his expressions now, undoubtedly aware that we're discussing him. It seems like he hasn't had much practice in concealing his emotions, and his current expression is quite amusing."

Merlin: "..."

Merlin's staff fell to the ground with a loud "clank," as he gave up struggling against Shirou's observations. He finally realized that he had always been the one observing others, and now, he was being observed. He had become a surveillance device, used to judge whether there was trouble ahead. He was at a loss for words, unsure of how to react to this situation.