角色故事•四（解锁条件：角色等级80）
在真正成为王之前，少女有一段在家乡四处游历的时光。那时，整个世界仿佛刚刚诞生，不知名的花朵盛开在山谷，不知名的溪流反射着初春的早阳。有太多事物对少女来说没有名字，只能用手指指点点，不停地向某位知识渊博的同伴提出问题。
喂马、劈柴、尽情奔跑…少女熟悉的生活即将告一段落，可她毫不计较，每天入睡时都畅想着新的冒险。
「真正的王并不如此。
「王不可擅离城堡。那城堡并非由砖石所造，它的原材料是民众的信心。
「王不可期待冒险。每项决策都应该是深思熟虑的结果，并尽量排除个人喜好的影响。
「王不可拥有生活。王是国家的象征，无论在何种场合与人交流，都应该拥有指引前路的力量。」
或许对很多人来说，这都是一份无法承受的重担。但发掘少女的那位魔法师眼光很好——她不仅轻松地适应了这一切，甚至用男性的身份示人也不会露出任何破绽（当然，需要借助一点小小的法术）。
「有趣的是，王的烦恼并不来自这些约束。
「恰恰相反——她最头痛的，是自己失去了所有的约束。
「啊…这样说大概很难理解，不如用大家都熟悉的场景来打比方吧。」
在银河的边陲有一颗行星，那里气候恶劣，无穷的敌人威胁着人类脆弱的家园。为此人们推举出了一位「王」，把她每天的日程都排得满满当当——这样一来，从上到下，整个星球团结成了有机的整体，一切保护家园的行动都得以井井有条地展开。
但很久之后，突然有一天，王发现自己的日程出现了明显的空缺。她不觉得自己有休息的余闲，但身边的人们提供了各种各样的回答；但王敏锐地发现，这些回答的本质，都指向了同一个事实…「我们不知道还能做些什么，才能让明天比今天更好。」
「表面上看，这时的王可以想做什么就做什么。
「但只要稍动脑筋，她又会发现，自己可能做什么都是错的。
「这是一个可怕的恶性循环——想的越多，理解你的人就会越少。」
在自己的有生之年，王无法跳出这个诅咒。她最信任的骑士与自己分道扬镳，她最器重的养子与自己刀剑相向。
她的王国在她手中崛起，亦在她手中败亡。
「如果有个更合适的人能成为王就好了。」弥留之际，她一度这样评判自己。
——不过，大可放心。现在的少女，早就不从这个角度看待问题了。
「从结果来说，一切的改变，都因为我参加了某次圣杯战争。
「不过，千万不要误会，圣杯战争只是这样的一个契机——
「——它喊住了埋头奔跑的你，让你有机会重新发现身边的风景。
「我仍然是王。只是换了一种履行义务的方式。
「就像那些春天的花朵…当你注意到它们的时候，往往正目睹着它们的凋谢。不过幸运的是，尽管花朵终会化作泥土，但开出花朵的树枝依旧在那儿。
「含苞的树枝，永远会等待着下一个春天。」
Character Story: Part IV
• Unlocked at Character Level 80
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 knowledgable 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 knightLancelot parted ways with her, while her most promising adopted childMordred 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. Yet thankfully, those flowers eventually fade to soil, the branches that produced the bloom endure."
"These branches, full of promise, will forever await the next(utopia's arrival) spring."
