Shinji Matou at Your Service

Although Sieg's intervention led many homunculi to stop fighting and return to the castle, and despite Shinji's arrangements that sent Spartacus into the sky, greatly reducing the impact of the explosion, the situation was still dire compared to before the battle. One-third of the homunculi lost their lives, and more than half of the survivors were injured to varying degrees.

Fortunately, among the surviving homunculi, those influenced by Sieg held an overwhelming majority. They might not have Sieg's luck or the guidance of several Servants to develop a strong will, but they were gradually shedding their cold, machine-like mentality and starting to think independently.

Led by the first homunculus who had contact with Sieg, the homunculi formed a small group dedicated to rescuing their comrades.

Housekeeping homunculi cleaned out rooms to accommodate the wounded, while medical homunculi, organized in shifts, provided various emergency treatments. Combat homunculi split into two groups: one cleared the collapsed parts of the castle to rescue more comrades, and the other stood guard at the perimeter—not only against potential enemies but also against the magi who were supposed to be their "masters."

The leader of the homunculi group, who later received the name Toole, led a team drawn from various models into the core of the workshop, where the battery-type homunculi were stored in incubation tanks.

They cut off the supply tubes with battle axes, removed the magic-absorbing machines, and, after wiping down the bodies with bedsheets, dressed them and placed them on stretchers. When it came to "calmly and efficiently performing tasks," the homunculi with the highest qualities carried out their work meticulously.

Not all those rescued from the incubation tanks were survivors; some had their mana completely drained and were ultimately discarded. They were likely consumed during this large-scale war.

The homunculi did not place these sacrificed comrades on stretchers but wrapped them in the sheets used for wiping their bodies, hoping to mourn them properly in the future.

Although the other homunculi had relatively weak emotions, they could somewhat endure it. However, witnessing their comrades' lives vanish before their eyes planted the seeds of sorrow in their hearts.

The homunculi battery system was the most important asset of the Yggdmillennia family, so it was inevitable that Gordes discovered Doll and the others' actions.

When the enraged Gordes, along with Fiore and Caules, rushed to the workshop and saw the homunculi standing ready, treating them as enemies, Gordes trembled with fury.

He was angry.

To him, homunculi were tools. Their roles had been predetermined: mana supply, combat, chores—all decided long ago.

But now, such an incident had occurred, and as their creator, how could he not be enraged?

He was hysterical, shouting curses, almost ready to destroy the homunculi blocking his way with his own hands.

Yet, despite his outburst, not a single homunculus retreated or showed fear. They might have expressed their thoughts verbally, but their stance conveyed everything—they wanted to live and refused to be drained of mana until death, even if that was their assigned duty.

When Fiore asked them what they planned to do next and revealed that they had very short lifespans left, the homunculi fell silent once more.

They were well aware of their nature and knew that even if they gained freedom, they didn't have much time left.

Unlike the homunculi used for chores and mana supply, the combat homunculi underwent special adjustments for battle. This made them quite exceptional in terms of combat capabilities, such as strength and mana. However, this came at the cost of a shorter lifespan.

They were beings with compressed lifespans, created solely for the battlefield.

Yet, they still wanted to act, still wanted to live—not just for themselves but also for their comrades behind them.

This was something they learned from the homunculus who had given them the right to choose, and it was the first thing they truly wanted to do.

So, they would not back down.

Nor would Gordes.

The situation reached a stalemate.

It wasn't until Caules, unable to bear the atmosphere, muttered softly, "At this point, there's probably nothing more for them to do anyway."

Although he was immediately scolded by Fiore, everyone knew he was speaking the truth.

The Greater Grail had already been moved to the Hanging Gardens, and the homunculi, as mere foot soldiers, had no means to reach it. As the distance increased, the importance of the homunculi battery system would diminish. Servants could not be too far from their mana sources; once the Hanging Gardens left Trifas, this support system would become useless.

Given that, why should they escalate tensions over these homunculi who had little time left and were destined to be discarded?

In the end, the magi left. They neither harmed the homunculi nor agreed to free them.

As they departed, Gordes kept shouting insults like "trash," "inferior products," and "useless failures," repeatedly saying, "You'll regret this."

In his anger, he didn't realize that "regret" was a human behavior. The moment he subconsciously said it, he had already started to see these homunculi as human.

Soon, the Servants who had gone to the Hanging Gardens returned, bringing back a series of shocking news.

After a brief period of shock, panic, and turmoil, the Yggdmillennia family began a new consolidation.

With Darnic's death, Fiore assumed the role of patriarch as the heir, taking over the reins of power.

Assessing the current situation, Jeanne proposed allying with all remaining forces, announcing a temporary halt to the Holy Grail War. They aimed to protect the Lesser Grail, reclaim the Greater Grail, and prevent the world's destruction. The plan was to resume the war after defeating Amakusa Shirou and his group.

They established new contracts with Achilles and Atalanta, who had lost their Masters.

Efforts were made to treat the injured and poisoned Servants, restoring their combat capabilities as quickly as possible.

A new defense system was set up to prevent enemy ambushes.

They reached out to family members scattered across various locations to gather intelligence and monitor the movements of the Hanging Gardens.

The events at the Hanging Gardens were reported to the Holy Church and the Mage's Association. Though these two pillars of the mystical world would likely shirk responsibility, claiming it was personal actions unrelated to their organizations, any help in this potential world-ending crisis was welcome.

In this busy atmosphere, the homunculi's issue was pushed to the back of everyone's minds. It wasn't until Gordes, after a day of busyness, lay in bed that the scenes he had pushed aside returned to his mind.

The long-held theories and the resolute, unyielding homunculi.

The short lifespan and the will to survive.

Emotionless tools and the determination to protect comrades.

These contradictions clashed violently in his mind, almost causing it to explode.

Many times, he told himself not to think about it, but he just couldn't stop.

After downing two bottles of red wine, hoping to drown the persistent images, he found it had the opposite effect, making him more awake.

Tossing and turning, he finally stopped avoiding it. He donned his coat and walked towards the large room where the homunculi resided.