Attila returned to her camp alone. Archer, relying on her speed advantage, arrived first and is currently inspecting the tent where Suzuki Yuki stayed.
Her expression is not friendly, or rather, this is Attila's usual demeanor.
"King, you ordered us to 'pay special attention' to Elder Uvi, who suddenly collapsed and died an hour ago." As soon as Attila dismounted, a discreet attendant approached to report. Attila had cultivated many people like him, constantly keeping a close eye on those around her.
"I see. What do the shamans say?" Attila's face showed no change in expression, even though the elderly man who died under mysterious circumstances was an important person she had brought back from a prehistoric civilization cave, and whom young Attila regarded as an elder.
"They believe Elder Uvi was of an extremely advanced age, far exceeding the lifespan of an ordinary person. His sudden death without any warning is considered to be the fulfillment of destiny." The attendant respectfully conveyed the information, waiting for Attila's new orders or inquiries.
"According to their opinion, give him a dignified burial... Wait, Uvi should be buried according to the customs of the elders, but keep it low-key. Do you understand?" Attila was concerned that the soldiers would see the death of an elder before the war as an ill omen that would affect morale. She didn't care when these old geezers would die; it would be best if they could gather on an auspicious day and ascend to the heavens together.
"I understand," the subordinate replied.
Attila handed the reins to a stablehand and paid no further attention to the attendant. Walking more than ten meters away, she changed direction halfway and quickly approached the tent where Suzuki Yuki had stayed.
Archer was very efficient in her work. Before Attila's arrival, she had already turned the tent upside down. Apart from a magically imbued iron cross, there was nothing of much search value.
When she saw Attila enter, she held up the cross in her hand. "This seems to be a handmade craft by Saber Jeanne."
"You don't have to take it so seriously. Based on my observation, Suzuki Yuki seems more like a child with no ulterior motives," Attila said, taking the cross ornament thrown to her by Atalanta. She couldn't sense any magical power from it, indicating that Jeanne d'Arc had simply made it casually. Atalanta could feel the magical power, probably because the creator was also a Servant, which had some influence on objects.
"Does it make people lucky or strengthen their beliefs?" Attila casually asked, playing with the iron cross, not putting much thought into searching Suzuki's dwelling.
"I suppose it helps people sleep more peacefully and reduces the likelihood of nightmares. It doesn't have any other effects," Atalanta replied, also unconcerned about it. Attila had hardly hidden anything from her, telling her everything from possessing the Holy Grail to her ultimate goal. Except for the lack of a Master-Servant contract, their relationship was no different from that of a Master and Servant. She believed that Attila, as the holder of the Holy Grail, would ultimately be victorious and share some of the blessings of using the Holy Grail's wish with her. "It seems the magus who came from the future doesn't understand the current situation."
"He will understand, and he will have only one choice—to submit to me," Attila replied, accepting the iron cross. She glanced around the tent that Atalanta had already searched. Her gaze finally fell on two unconscious female slaves. "Why are you keeping them?"
Attila's mood was currently very bad. Suzuki Yuki had refused to obey and was most likely taken away by Aetius. Anything Attila favored, Aetius would surely seize, especially now that the two armies were facing each other and the Servant count had become 2 vs. 1+2. Aetius would never let Suzuki Yuki go.
"They may have some information about the future magus. I'm not good at interrogation."
"No need to interrogate, it's unnecessary. Archer, tonight you will attempt to continue attacking the enemy's camp. I have already contacted Lancer, and she will also launch a surprise attack and cause disturbance tonight," Attila said. She had her guard up against Lancer Brunhilda as well. From her perspective, Brunhilda was a deranged Servant who would give the Holy Grail to someone else. Attila couldn't fathom the reason behind it.
The vast majority of conspiracies have already been exposed, and all that remains is the decisive battle after the gathering. With Attila holding the Holy Grail, victory is within her grasp. She didn't rush to attack the Western Roman Coalition before because she didn't know of any uses of the Holy Grail besides granting wishes. However, after retrieving the souls of two Servants, Attila felt a further enhancement in her power, coupled with the inexhaustible magical energy. She didn't believe that the cunning Aetius could defeat her.
The wish-granting function of the Holy Grail had lost its appeal to Attila.
"The enemy has two remaining Servants. Tonight, we can defeat one more, and victory will unquestionably be in our hands. If we maintain the current situation, we still have the advantage. Archer should withdraw when the situation is favorable and be wary of Lancer. Verbal cooperation may not be reliable."
Atalanta nodded in response, and then her spiritual form left the encampment. Attila also left, as she had come here out of curiosity, wondering if Suzuki had left behind any future items, but the search yielded nothing.
Later, the soldiers of the Huns would come to clean up, and the two unfortunate slave girls might be casually buried in a pit or sent elsewhere. Their lives and deaths were inconsequential, but if Attila were to treat them as humans, she would surely be enraged and kill them.
Even before Suzuki Yuki's arrival, Attila had noticed the strange behavior of Elder Uvi and gradually learned the reason after having someone follow him. But she didn't rush to deal with the "time bomb" of Aetius lurking by her side. After all, she understood Aetius's character. Only when that old fox felt confident would he refrain from further scheming. Since there was already one Elder being manipulated, it was best to pretend not to notice, to avoid Aetius inserting spies from other angles. Mental warfare was not Attila's strong suit, and she saw no need to engage Aetius in that aspect.
In the place where the bodies were stored, a few witch doctors saw Attila personally approaching and immediately respectfully retreated and bowed, not daring to be negligent.
"When did he die?"
"In the afternoon." One of the older witch doctors answered Attila alone, not daring to look up, and replied concisely.
"Our tribe has lost another elder guardian. May his departed soul be blessed by the gods." Attila didn't appear sad, maintaining her usual dignified demeanor. Uvi, the oldest wizard in the Elder Council, rarely offered advice to Attila after she killed her brother and seized the throne. Attila believed she had bestowed the most favors upon this elder, who was closest to her, but she couldn't maintain their previous relationship.
"Do you have a wish too? Is that why you're participating in the Holy Grail War?" Attila softly asked the corpse in Latin, knowing well that she wouldn't receive a response. It was merely to prevent those around her from understanding. "Is there something in this world that I cannot bestow upon you, something that requires the Holy Grail to fulfill? Uvi?"
The hunched old man had lost his life due to Aetius's deliberate actions. Aetius wouldn't spare the Assassin's Master, who had lost his usefulness, just because Assassin had withdrawn. Useless tools were discarded, lest they be utilized by the enemy.
"Then you have committed a great sin! You deserve to die! Deserve it! Old fool!" Attila cursed the deceased old man in Latin, unable to resist pushing the wooden framework, nearly knocking it over. No one around dared to raise their heads, especially as they could discern the anger in Attila's unintelligible language.
Pointing at the closed eyes of the old man, Attila glanced at him a few more times. She didn't cease her curses. She knew Uvi's preferences, but he was nothing more than a peculiar old man who enjoyed studying herbalism. He couldn't possibly have a wish that required the Holy Grail to fulfill! This greatly infuriated Attila. A trusted old man like him, who belonged to her, dared to secretly participate in the Holy Grail War, concealing it until it led to a disaster, resulting in his death.
The old man continued with his hobbies, making good use of his dwindling life. Attila's requirements were modest, especially for the superstitious Uvi. Considering that he had brought her back to the Hun tribe, he would undoubtedly receive rewards even without the opportunity for a wish granted.
"Old fool, what is your wish?"
Attila might have been able to guess, but she didn't continue to spend time on this old wizard. She wasn't someone who could remain calm at all times, and her understanding of human emotions differed from that of ordinary people due to her 45 years of life and the knowledge she had acquired. She was the King of the Huns, once the most valiant warrior of the Huns, and, in the past, the adopted daughter favored by the previous generation's tribal chief. If she had been able to stay away from warhorses and swords throughout her life, she might have understood what emotions were. Unfortunately, her fate in this life had no room for such expensive matters as emotions.
Returning to her tent alone, Attila's servants quickly arranged cooked food and sheep's milk for her. The taste was not as good as before, no matter how much sugar or spices were added. For a moment, Attila wondered if things would have been better if she hadn't been involved in the chaos of the King's Selection in Gaul and hadn't soured her relationship with Aetius. There were opportunities for extorting gold coins from the Eastern Roman side, without the need for long journeys and multiple fronts.
Attila didn't realize that she accidentally poured all the remaining sugar grains from the sugar jar into her bowl. She snapped back to her thoughts, fiddling with the empty jar and angrily overturning the low table. She couldn't wait to restore her mood on the battlefield. Self-proclaimed as the war god of the Huns, battle was her calling, and only on the battlefield could she find satisfaction.
"Are you not feeling well?" Archer, who was ready to depart, materialized inside the tent. The others had been driven away by Attila's bad mood earlier.
"Am I not strong enough?"
Atalanta was not adept at emotional matters either. "I have seen many strong individuals and embarked on adventures with them. Compared to the strongest among them, you are no less capable."
"Am I still not strong enough?"
"Perhaps you are just too concerned. A magus from the future is merely unique, like a mythical beast rarely seen. It's just a special case, and people from the future undoubtedly have different ways of thinking, along with a sense of superiority due to their familiarity with history. After your victory, such individuals will naturally surrender and submit. It's like taming a wild horse that doesn't obey." Atalanta didn't hold a high opinion of Suzuki Yuki. She had a bias against men, and if Suzuki Yuki were a woman, she would have had a different assessment, advising Attila to use persuasion instead.
After finishing her words, Archer disappeared without a trace. The night would not remain peaceful.
