Atalanta's faith crumbled, which was unavoidable, given how she had idealized Artemis.
However, the gods of ancient Greece, truth be told, were far from virtuous. In modern society, anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Greek mythology holds little regard for those shaless and unscrupulous deities.
For a devout believer like Atalanta, who shut herself off in her world like an ostrich— or rather, a reclusive cat— it was one thing. But actively seeking out answers, especially from soone as knowledgeable as Chiron, was bound to end disastrously.
Though he understood this, seeing her pale face and drooping beast ears and tail, Shinji couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
"Uh, are you alright? I did warn you not to idealize the Olympian gods too much, but you wouldn't listen."
"Shut up, Matou Shinji!"
Achilles, ever the loyal little brother, stood up for his big sister.
"Who do you think is to bla? If you hadn't run your mouth so much, Big Sis wouldn't be like this."
"Uh, my fault?"
Shinji turned to Fiore.
Fiore nodded.
"Your fault."
Shinji then turned to Artoria and Jeanne.
Both nodded, with Jeanne adding,
"Though not entirely, you are at fault."
"Alright, I'm at fault. I apologize, Miss Atalanta. Please, you must pull yourself together."
"An insincere apology is better left unsaid."
Hearing Shinji's apology, Atalanta's dim eyes regained a slight spark.
"Forget it. After what happened last ti, my resolve has sowhat strengthened. Even if my goddess is as you say, I won't give up. I will seize the Greater Grail, stop Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, and create a world where all children can be happy!"
Achilles quickly chid in:
"Well said, Big Sis! I'll help you."
However, Shinji interjected again at this mont:
"Uh, sorry to interrupt, but I need to break in here."
"What now?"
Achilles shot him a hostile look.
"The essence of the Greater Grail is the accumulation of 60 years of massive magical energy and the materialization of souls as its core. Besides the pre-constructed path to the Root, all other wish-granting chanisms are based on these two points."
"And what of it?"
"Your intelligence and comprehension..."
Shinji rubbed his temples. "Are you Chiron's most prized student?"
"Huh? Are you looking for a fight?"
Achilles, with his explosive temper, was about to lose it, but fortunately, Chiron stepped in.
"Alright, Achilles. I understand what Shinji is trying to say. You an that this wish-granting device isn't intelligent; it only follows the direction given by the wisher, right?"
"As expected of Teacher Chiron, that's exactly what I ant. Based on my understanding of the Greater Grail, it's essentially a device that shortens processes. As long as the wisher proposes a feasible plan, it uses magical power to carry it out, yielding results in an extrely short ti. Conversely, if the wisher doesn't have a way to achieve the wish, it won't happen. Take Fiore's wish, for example—restoring the normal function of her legs without losing her magic circuits. There are many ways to achieve this result, like the surgical plan I suggested, replacing her legs with new, normal ones, or directly altering the function of her legs to separate the magic circuits from the physical functions. These are all feasible; the key is which thod she prefers. But Miss Atalanta, while your wish is indeed noble and admirable, I'm afraid I can't think of a way to achieve it."
"Just because you can't think of a way doesn't an others can't. Teacher, you must have a solution, right?"
Achilles turned to Chiron for guidance, but this ti, he didn't get the response he hoped for.
"I don't have a solution either—so, in the end, it's just an all-purpose wish machine, not omnipotent. It's a cruel reality."
Hearing Chiron's answer, Atalanta collapsed to the ground as if all her strength had left her. First, the idealized image of Artemis shattered, and then she was told that the Grail couldn't fulfill her wish. Within a few minutes, the two pillars that supported her crumbled completely—a blow perhaps even greater than Shinji losing Justeaze.
Achilles panicked: "Big Sis, Big Sis, it's okay. Even if that guy and Teacher can't think of a way, don't lose hope. There might still be other ways."
But even Achilles didn't believe his own words of comfort, let alone Atalanta. In sheer helplessness, he turned his gaze back to Shinji.
"It's your fault Big Sis ended up like this. You'd better co up with a solution, or you're dead."
"Again with ? Fine, I'll take the bla."
Shinji didn't shy away. Telling Atalanta the truth about the moon goddess and shattering her faith was a spur-of-the-mont mischief. But regarding her wish, he had been deliberate.
"It feels terrible, doesn't it? I understand."
"You—understand?"
Shinji squatted down, eting Atalanta's gaze.
"Yes, I do. Like you, I saw all my plans fall apart and lost the most important person to . It's an awful feeling, being overwheld with regret and self-reproach, even wishing the world would end. I even lashed out at Artoria and Jeanne who ca to check on . It was pathetic. You wouldn't want to end up like , would you?"
"Don't underestimate , Assassin!"
Atalanta's eyes cleared.
"I may be having trouble accepting this right now, but that doesn't an I'll run away from reality."
"So, what are you going to do?"
"Keep searching until I find a way."
"A hero indeed!"
Shinji genuinely admired her. After the Greater Grail was taken, his own state of mind was problematic, especially after Shirou revealed his identity as a transmigrator, making him feel like he was sleepwalking. If not for Justeaze's heartfelt confession, he might have been stuck forever. Yet Atalanta quickly adjusted her mindset and found a new direction.
At that mont, Shinji deeply felt the gap between himself and a hero—not in terms of strength or ability, but in mindset, or what Gilgash often referred to as caliber and style.
"In that case, would you like to hear my opinion as a modern person?"
"You? Hmm, go ahead."
"It's simple. Start from scratch, with what's within your reach. If you can't bring smiles to all the children in the world, start with one child. Save one child at a ti. You could open an orphanage to take in orphans or set up a foundation to help impoverished children who can't afford an education. It depends on how you want to approach it."
This suggestion hit right at Atalanta's heart. She couldn't help but grip Shinji's shoulders, her eyes shining.
"Are you serious?"
"Of course. This is sothing every modern person knows. The key is whether you want to do it and if you have the ans to do it."
"How exactly should I do it?"
"I don't have experience in this area, nor do I have any foundation in this world, so I can't say for sure. But that's okay because soone does."
"Who?"
"Our Master, Fiore."
"Master, do you know?"
Atalanta sprang up like a big cat, fixing her gaze on Fiore.
Fiore's mouth twitched. How did I get dragged into this all of a sudden?
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