Fate: I Heard After Death, You Can Ascend to the Throne of Heroes?

"Hey, you over there—are you my Master?"

A slightly flippant voice rang out as the crimson glow of magical energy from the summoning faded as blond man with striking green eyes emerged from the light, his posture casual and his tone brimming with confidence.

"Rider, Jason. The legendary captain of the Argo, who led a crew of heroes on the greatest voyage of all time."

Jason raised his head proudly and said. "Feel honored, Master. You've summoned a great hero like me, which means you're destined to raise the Holy Grail and claim ultimate victory!"

As Jason finished his grandiose declaration, he finally took a proper look at his surroundings.

The first figure to catch his eye was Jeanne d'Arc—her radiant golden hair, clear blue eyes, shining silver armor, and saintly aura making her a striking presence.

The first moment he saw her, Jason was very surprised and naturally, assumed she was his Master.

Nodding in satisfaction, he thought to himself,

'A Master this beautiful? Well, no matter what happens, she's definitely easy on the eyes.'

However, Jason's excitement quickly turned to confusion after he felt something missing off.

Yeah...

From Jeanne's presence, he sensed the unmistakable aura of a fellow Servant.

A Servant? Wait...

Jason's face stiffened as his thoughts raced.

'Does this mean I've been summoned straight into a fight?'

But I'm a captain! Who would expect a captain to actually fight on the battlefield?!

Just as this thought came to Jason's mind and his whole body froze, he found that the servan looked very calm and kind.

There was no hostility emanating from her, which only deepened his confusion.

Before he could ask any questions, another voice cut through the room.

"...How could it possibly be you?"

The voice was tinged with exasperation, yet carried a tone of familiarity.

"This has to be some kind of joke,"

"Isn't it said that the higher the bond, the greater the possibility of summoning? If it wasn't Atalanta or Heracles, I'd have been fine with Theseus or someone like that. But why—why—did it have to be you?"

It seemed as if amidst the voices of slander and complaints, there was also an uncontrollable smile..

The voice, laced with complaints and teasing laughter, was painfully familiar yet felt impossibly distant.

Jason turned his head, his movements slow, almost hesitant. When his gaze finally fell upon the figure standing in the moonlit room, his eyes widened.

There he was—Promise, bathed in the silver light of the moon, as if it adored him.

Those emerald eyes, clear and bright as the stars, had not changed in the slightest.

His presence, imbued with an ethereal aura as though the goddess of art herself had kissed him, remained exactly as Jason remembered.

"Hey, Jason, take me down the mountain!"

"Absolutely not! I don't want to get scolded by Teacher Chiron!"

"But I swear on the gods, I can help you reclaim your throne!"

"Fine, I'll take you down the mountain, but... to be honest, I never really cared about your vow. I took you down the mountain just because I didn't want to watch you throw your life away."

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"Look at that—I kept my promise. I became a king, and I managed the kingdom well. But... this kind of life is boring. Also, you always promised to paint me a picture, but you left without ever giving it to me."

"I don't understand what the goddess or Chiron meant when they said you hadn't died—that you just returned to where you came from.

But if that's true, it means you're still alive, right? So I've decided: The Argo will set sail again!

"This time, Promise... I'll make sure you paint me that picture!"

Seeing Promise now, Jason couldn't stop the flood of memories from rushing back as he recalled their journey down the mountain, their adventures aboard the Argo, and the promise of a painting that had never been fulfilled.

When the Argo had set sail again, Jason had brought up the subject once more.

The boy, smiling as always, had replied that Jason was worthy of such a gift—but only after their adventure was over.

But when that adventure ended, Promise had vanished, leaving behind nothing but a fleeting impression, like the streak of a shooting star across the sky.

In this regard, the whole world had accepted this outcome, understanding it as the fulfillment of Promise's dream and purpose.

But Jason refused to accept it.

Even if he stood alone, Jason was determined to find him.

To chastise him for his sudden departure, and finally claim the painting that was rightfully his.

Looking at Promise now, Jason felt a surge of emotions, relief, joy, frustration—all bubbling to the surface at once.

"You!" In a flash of emotion, shock, confusion, joy, and anger, the hero raised his fist and swung it at Promise.

"You bastard! Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?! You're going to paint me that picture, and this time, I won't take no for an answer!"

In that moment, it was as though the legendary Argo had once again reached its final destination.

Jason's wish for the Holy Grail War, his true desire, had already been fulfilled: he had found Promise.

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That Same Night

The Clock Tower, Hallways

"You're asking about El-Melloi II? He may not be a particularly powerful magus in terms of rank, but that's not where his strength lies,"

A magus cloaked in red cloth, his appearance resembling a scarecrow spoke as he walked down the brightly lit hallways of the Clock Tower, accompanied by a young student.

This scarecrow-like figure was merely a puppet—a construct made by the magus as a remote avatar.

"What truly sets him apart is his unparalleled eye for talent.

Within ten years, every student who has graduated from his classroom has risen to the rank of high-tier magus without exception.

"In fact, you could say that if he were to give his disciples a single command, he might very well shake the entire history of the Clock Tower."

As the scarecrow spoke, the young student following them looked on in awe.

Arriving at Waver Velvet's office, the magus knocked gently.

Inside, Waver was still at his desk, immersed in work despite the late hour.

"Ah, Mr. Langar," Waver greeted, immediately recognizing the true nature of the scarecrow construct and smiled politely. "What brings you here at this hour?"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two began discussing the Holy Grail War.

Though Waver had not directly participated, the intelligence he had gathered painted a grim picture.

After a moment of silence, his expression turned unusually dark.

"There's something seriously wrong with this Holy Grail War," Waver muttered. "It's as if someone is watching it from above, deliberately mocking and desecrating the very concept of the Holy Grail War."

"And that is the greatest insult to those who risk their lives to participate in it."

Realizing that his emotions were getting the better of him, Waver took a deep breath and quickly apologized for his outburst.

Calming himself, he promised to continue monitoring the situation and piece together the full puzzle before taking further action.

As they talked, the scarecrow magus chuckled softly.

"Still, it's no surprise. A Monarch of your caliber would have foreseen something was amiss. Sending a student to observe the situation on-site... You must have suspected this Holy Grail War would be unusual from the start."

"A student? When did I—wait..."

Weber froze in his place as if he had thought of something, and then said with an extremely ugly expression.

"Don't tell me... It's Flat, isn't it?"

"That idiot! I specifically told him not to—"

"Eh? Weren't there two?" the Scarecrow Magician interrupted, puzzled.

"Two?"

This time, it was Weber, who felt a bit stunned, raised his head.

At this moment...

"Professor! Something's wrong!"

Ignoring Tohsaka Rin's attempts to stop him, Shirou Emiya anxiously pushed open the door and walked in.

"I can't find Promise anywhere. I've been searching for him, but he's gone. And just two days ago, he mentioned wanting to participate in that... Holy Grail War!"

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The next day, at dawn.

Jason had finally calmed down completely.

The punch he threw last night, of course, never actually landed on Promise.

Not that he even had the ability to do so.

Afterward, Promise explained everything to Jason...well except for the matter of the Servant Class Cards—and gave him a general account of his current situation.

During this time, Jeanne d'Arc tactfully left the room, taking Kuruoka Tsubaki, who had just woken up and was rubbing her eyes, with her.

Once Jason understood everything, the realization dawned on him.

"So that's how it is. No wonder Teacher Chiron missed you but was never sorrowful over your departure. Even Queen Hera herself said you hadn't truly died..."

To be honest, if Promise had truly died and his soul had gone to the underworld, that would have been the outcome most desired by the gods.

As Jason came to understand, Promise was also observing the person he'd summoned.

Jason didn't seem to have aged much.

If anything, he looked more mature than the version in his memories. Beyond the heroic charisma, there was now a trace of regal dignity about him...

But Promise knew in his heart that at his core, Jason was still the same arrogant and self-satisfied person who often lost himself in pride.

"Still, why are you participating in the Holy Grail War?"

Well..Jason quickly understood Promise's situation and accepted it just as quickly—after all, it was Promise.

Nothing was too bizarre to happen around him.

So, he asked, a bit puzzled.

"You don't even need the Holy Grail, do you?"

After all, could the Holy Grail possibly be more useful than the gods?

If Promise relt desired something, many things would be as simple as speaking a single sentence.

"It is wisdom and destiny that have led me here,"

Promise explained in terms Jason could easily understand and find convincing.

Hearing this, the latter immediately understood that this was just another instance of Promise's 'daily life.'

While nodding, he couldn't resist commenting further: "So you plan to win the Holy Grail War in the end... But with your abilities, you could probably end it in one night, right?"

Promise didn't deny Jason's claim.

And since it was Jason, he had no intention of hiding his thoughts, replying, "This Holy Grail War is far more complex than you imagine.

Not only is Heracles involved, but even gods are set to appear."

"But the main reason is that I haven't received an oracle... Someone may be obstructing it, or perhaps, since this is my first stage upon returning, the choice has been left to me."

Jason thought over Promise's words and, combined with his understanding of him, quickly grasped the situation as he said, "In simple terms, you haven't decided how to proceed yet, right?

As always, you'll end up rewriting destiny and embarrassing your goddess of fate."

As Jason laughed, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

"I've already done that,"

Promise said.

The Pale Knight, Kuruoka Tsubaki, and the many others who should have died...

"But that was because Tsubaki yearned for a change in her fate, and the Pale Knight was too dangerous.

That's why I answered her call."

Jason now understood why Promise hadn't simply ended the Holy Grail War.

Promise had no desires tied to the Grail; he was here simply because he was meant to be.

And while he often rewrote destinies, he never interfered with others' choices.

Though he constantly embarrassed the goddess of fate, he showed extraordinary respect for fate itself.

It was precisely because of this, Clotho, the goddess of fate, was so fond of him.

"So, what have you decided to do?"

Jason mulled things over briefly but quickly gave up on thinking too hard.

From his perspective, the moment he saw Promise, the outcome of the Holy Grail War was already set in stone.

Likewise, his personal wish for participating in the Holy Grail War was fulfilled the moment he saw Promise.

Thus, Jason felt indifferent about everything else.

Simply put, he had already "checked out" mentally and was now just waiting for the war to end.

"I originally planned to observe things a bit and maybe paint a few pictures," Promise said as Jason looked at him with some surprise.

After all, not just anyone was worthy of being featured in Promise's painting..

It was a goal he had tirelessly pursued to this day!

"And as for now..."

Promise glanced toward the door with a smile and said,

"Miss Jeanne d'Arc, I believe it's time we had a proper conversation.

"After all, as of now, I can officially call myself your Master."

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Afternoon.

When the sun reached its zenith, bathing the world in its scorching heat, Promise, dressed in a light blue shirt, walked hand-in-hand with the young girl, Kuruoka Tsubaki, into the deep forest on the western outskirts of the city.

As soon as they entered, Enkidu, the divine weapon created by the gods, appeared before them, accompanied by her Master's synthetic wolf.

"Good afternoon, Promise,"

She greeted with a soft smile and a gentle voice.

The wolf beside her barked twice in greeting and wagged its tail happily at Promise.

Enkidu's gaze momentarily lingered on the little girl, then naturally shifted her attention to the Command Spells on Promise's right hand.

Seeing that Promise had become a Master, she was mildly surprised but found it unsurprising at the same time.

Promise, showing no intention of hiding his identity, even in the presence of another Servant, raised his right hand with a smile to confirm his status and then introduced the identity of the green haired figure in front of him to Kuruoka Tsubaki.

"This is Enkidu, my first friend in this place. So..."

"Say hello to her."

As his words fell, the spiritual forms of two figures materialized beside Promise...Jason, with his golden hair and blue eyes, and Jeanne d'Arc, the saint herself.

Due to the incident two nights prior involving the Pale Knight, and having deduced Promise's identity, Enkidu quickly recognized Jason.

Her gaze didn't linger long on him, however, and soon shifted to Jeanne d'Arc.

"An Arbiter?!"

Enkidu exclaimed in surprise.

The Arbiter of the Holy Grail War had been summoned as a Servant—and as someone else's Servant, no less?!

Even knowing how extraordinary Promise was, Enkidu couldn't help but look back at him, her expression betraying her astonishment.

Promise smiled but did not immediately explain.

Instead, he said, "Enkidu, I've come today to fulfill my promise to paint you. And also..."

After a slight pause, he raised his head and met Enkidu's green eyes, speaking each word clearly: "Let's fight for the Holy Grail!"