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--- playable:saber [2026/03/12 18:54] – [Character Story: Part III] anadmin
+++ playable:saber [2026/03/12 19:27] (current) – [Character Story: Part IV] anadmin
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 //"That's right, what you see now is the Sword of the Lake. The Sword in the Stone? I broke it a long time ago. One time, it couldn't handle the magical energy I poured into a swing and crumbled to dust...\\
 Maybe the mage who forged it never imagined I'd grow so fast. In the end, he had to take responsibility and plead with the Lady of the Lake for a replacement. That's the sword I hold now."//
+Legend has it that when wielded with enough magical energy, the Excalibur can obliterate any foe — hence its name. But like many legends woven with contradiction, its true power lies not in the blade, but in the scabbard that shields it.
+//"Only something that can protect all is worthy of wielding the power to destroy all.\\
+No matter how sharp the blade, how swift the arrow — they only protect the companions when they strike down or drive off the threat.\\
+In short, if a weapon causes both ally and enemy to perish, it protects nothing. And a king, who is also a weapon of the people, is no exception."//
+What makes an ideal king?\\
+What makes a mighty king?\\
+Some have defeated every foe beneath the heavens. Some have amassed all the wealth in the world. Some have conquered all lands... And yet, in the end, the nations they vowed to protect dissolved like reflections on rippling water, lost to the currents of time and legend.
+//"For a long time, I have lived in the shadow of losing my scabbard.\\
+But later, I came to realize something...\\
+If I can't find something that can take its place, then fate will never return it to me."//
+//"It's not some grand revelation,"// the girl says with a quiet smile. //"It simply means... Servant and Master must learn to treat each other as equals and support one another."//
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 ==== Character Story: Part IV ====
+Before she ever became a king, the girl once wandered her homeland freely. Back then, the world felt newly born. Unknown flowers bloomed in quiet valleys, nameless streams shimmered beneath the early spring sun. To her, many things had no names. She could only point and ask questions, again and again, to a certain knowledgeable companion.\\
+Feeding the horses, chopping firewood, running until breathless... Her familiar life was about to draw to a close. But she didn't mind. Each night, she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the adventures yet to come.
+//"A true king doesn't live that way.\\
+A king must never stray from the castle, and that castle isn't made of stone or brick. Its foundation is the people's trust.\\
+A king must not long for adventure. Every choice must come from deliberation, free from the pull of personal desire as much as possible.\\
+A king must not pursue a life of their own. A king stands as the nation's symbol, and in every word they speak, no matter to whom, they must carry the strength to lead."//
+To most, such a role would be an unbearable weight. But the mage who discovered the girl had a discerning eye — she took on the role with ease. Even presenting herself as a man raised no suspicion. Though, of course, a touch of magecraft helped with that.
+//"The funny thing is, her troubles didn't come from being bound by these rules.\\
+It is quite the opposite — what she struggles with most is the loss of all her restraint.\\
+Ah... I know, that's probably hard to grasp. Maybe it's better to explain with a more familiar example."//
+At the edge of the cosmos lies a planet ravaged by harsh weather, where endless threats loom over humanity's fragile home. To protect it, the people appointed a "king" and scheduled her every hour from dawn to dusk. And in doing so, the planet became one, united and ordered. Their efforts to defend their world fell into place with perfect precision.
+Years had passed when the king discovered blatant gaps appearing in her schedule. Though she felt rest was a luxury she couldn't afford, everyone around her offered various explanations. With her sharp intuition, she pierced through their words to the underlying truth: "We no longer know what more we can do to make tomorrow better than today."
+//"To outside observers, the king seemed finally free to pursue her desires.\\
+Yet the moment she considered her options, she realized that perhaps every choice she could now make was somehow wrong.\\
+This is a terrifying negative spiral — the more thoughts you have, the fewer who truly understand your burden."//
+This curse followed the king to her grave. Her most trusted knight[(aka Lancelot)] parted ways with her, while her most promising adopted child[(aka Mordred)] drew steel against her.\\
+The kingdom she raised to greatness ultimately met its downfall through her own hands.
+//"If only someone more worthy had taken the throne."// Such was her self-judgment in her dying breath.\\
+But rest assured. The girl she is now no longer scrutinizes herself through such harsh eyes.
+//"If we consider the outcome, then everything transformed when I participated in that fateful Holy Grail War.\\
+But please understand — the Holy Grail War was just an opportunity —\\
+It stopped you in your headlong rush, allowing you to finally see the beauty that had always surrounded you.\\
+I am still the king, and this is just another method of fulfilling my duty.\\
+Like the flowers of spring... by the time you notice their beauty, you're usually only on time to witness them withering. Ye thankfully, though flowers eventually fade to soil, the branches that produced the bloom endure.\\
+These branches, full of promise, will forever await the next spring."[(utopia's arrival)]