Is Shinji good to Altria? Of course he is good.
From the Holy Grail War when the two first met until now, Shinji has always consciously or unconsciously been thinking about Altria, and has never thought about asking for anything in return.
When they first met, she let Scathach intervene to treat her injuries and fight off powerful enemies.
A meeting of three kings, full of high-sounding speeches. It sounded harsh, looked ridiculous, and acted like a clown among the kings, but when you think about it carefully, it was to burst her fantasy and make her face the reality.
Weiyuanchuan fought against the sea monster. Toskah pointed out the location of the scabbard, retrieved the strongest trump card that she lost during her lifetime, cured her curse, and finally killed the sea monster.
The final battle at Ryudo Temple allowed Lancelot to regain her sanity, kill her strongest enemy Gilgamesh, and resolve her heart knot through the First Knight she valued most, allowing her to finally accept the end of her life and gain the peace she deserves.
When they met again, he recognized her immediately. Even after five years, he still cared about her.
He felt upset that she had not broken her obsession, and was sad that she was imprisoned by the force of inhibition.
She still remembered the joy he felt when he learned that she had entered Avalon and found peace.
In the following Holy Grail War, although he was not around, he always arranged her affairs very well. Whatever she wanted to do, he would find a way to arrange it.
And when her child, the rebellious knight who ended her dynasty, appeared, he tried his best to resolve the misunderstanding between the two so that they could get along like normal family members.
What he did for her had already surpassed the boundaries of Master and Servant, just like a friend who had known each other for many years - at first, she thought so. But after talking with Mordred, she found something different.
He treated her differently from Merlin, Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table.
She wanted to know the answer, which was why she came to him at this time.
"You ask that."
When Shinji heard Altria's question, his eyes became slightly dazed.
"Maybe it's because I like you."
A few days ago, Shinji would never have honestly admitted it, even though this love was somewhat different from the romantic relationship between a man and a woman.
He might find some high-sounding reasons, or talk about something else, or say something cool and impressive. Because at that time, his mentality was very impetuous, and he was also a little worried that telling the truth would leave a bad impression on Altria.
But after a series of events, he discarded those little thoughts that now seemed ridiculous, and completely calmed down his mentality to be his truest self.
He also believed that given the Knight King's character, he would never get angry because of telling the truth. He would simply refuse directly or say a few words like he should focus on the battle at hand.
Altria's reaction was basically the same as what Shinji had expected. After a brief moment of surprise, she quickly recovered and said in a slightly heavy tone:
"I'm sorry, Master. I can't respond to your feelings right now. I'm really sorry."
"It's okay. I'd find it weird if you responded. And seriously, I don't know how to categorize this 'like' or how to deal with it. What you said actually made me feel a lot more relaxed."
There was a fleeting complex look in Shinji's eyes, but Altria didn't see it.
"Thank you for your understanding, Master."
"Then continue to be partners and comrades."
"Well, the rest will be left for when the war is over. Hopefully, by then, we'll all be alive."
Altria naturally took the hand that Shinji extended, and said goodbye and left shortly afterwards.
This authenticity and openness are what Shinji admires most about her, but at the same time he can't help feeling a little regretful.
"I thought I'd see some panic or blushing, but I didn't expect him to just freeze for a moment and raise his aho-ge. Is it because this isn't really a confession? Or has he become more mature after 1,500 years? Or is it simply because he hasn't gained enough favorability points? Haha, compared to this, the hyena is really amazing."
Someone who was in a state of self-deprecation had no idea that he had not guessed anything correctly. The reason why Altria's reaction was so indifferent was because of Mordred.
Just imagine, if Mordred, who is a fan of the king and has a father complex, had spoken out with Altria, how would the two of them get along
In fact, the way of communication has not changed much, but the time they spend together has obviously increased. In Mordred's words, she really wants to know how her father has been doing over the years and what he has experienced.
After talking about these things, they couldn't help but talk about their respective masters. So Altria told Mordred everything about what happened between her and Shinji.
Although Mordred is a problem child, she is much better than her father in common sense. It is probably because her mother Morgan taught her better in this aspect.
When I heard that Shinji had done so many things for Altria, my first reaction was that this guy had some ill intentions - like wanting to be her second father, wanting to be her second mother, in short, he had his eyes on my father.
At that time, Mordred was furious and was ready to draw his sword to kill him. But considering that the guy was his father's master and had strong fighting ability, and that he was also a credit for being able to communicate so harmoniously with his father, he did not really go, but told Artoria what he was thinking, asking her to be careful of her master.
Altria didn't believe it at first, but after Mordred's persuasion, she was a little shaken and went to her master to verify it. As a result, Mordred was right.
Because of Mordred's precautions, Altria's reaction was not as big as being "confessed" without any preparation. Before coming here, Altria also thought about what to do if it was true.
The answer was just as Shinji had heard—he could not respond now, and the rest of the words would be left for after the war was over.
...
...
...
Wait, something seems wrong
What this means is that I will not reply to you now, and will give you a formal reply later.
But with a few explanations and courtesies in between, the meaning is different. At least in Shinji's understanding, it is rejection (tragedy), and it is a tragedy without any hesitation.
After returning to the room, Altria was still thinking about what kind of feelings she had for Shinji.
Hate it? Definitely not.
So they are comrades-in-arms like Gawain and Lancelot? Not exactly.
Merlin, who is also a father, a teacher, and a friend? Not really.
The Knight King, who had never experienced such a feeling, was in distress. She remembered Merlin's nagging before she was summoned - Artoria, you are no longer a king. You finally have a chance to go out and enjoy your life as an ordinary girl. Do you want me to teach you some experience about making a boyfriend and having a relationship? I am very good at this.
Could it be that what Merlin said was right
PS: After all, he is a famous online scammer with rich experience in love.