"For their FUCKING WHAT?!"
"ARE YOU SHITTING ME?"
"Please, calm down, you two, getting angry doesn't solve anything."
As Saber regretted informing them of what she had heard from Mordred, Galter tried calming down Salter and Jalter while Nero started crying against Gilgamesh as the King of Heroes hesitantly and badly tried consoling her.
"I know this is pretty infuriating news, but-"
"Infuriating is an euphemism! Those bitches think they can have a laugh at me while I'm fighting for my life?! They can eat a sack of-"
"Yeah, yeah we get it..."
"That's so horrible, Goldie..."
"What's the matter, Nero?"
"... dear gods, so all that happened... my mother... those people... the little girl... they were all for this..."
"That's enough, everyone."
"That's easy for you to say, while I was busy fighting a man-eating bull in the middle of the desert, you were cosplaying as a teacher, you don't know-"
"I don't know how you feel? The moment I thought I had found peace and happiness, those monsters took it away from me. You think you're the only one whose blood is boiling?"
"You mongrels are too loud and inefficient."
"Archer?"
"You bastard, what do-"
"Instead of wasting time and energy, you should be able to store that rage until it's really needed. Getting mad now won't solve our problems. It will just slow us down. Emotions are a powerful weapon, but only if backed up with cold analysis. This revelation doesn't change our objective. If anything, it strengthens it. We'd better defeat those seven Grands quickly, so we can reach those mongrels faster and teach them a lesson as soon as possible. And then, once we defeat them... we'll be free from their control, free to do whatever we want."
"Big Bro is right, senseless rage only blinds us, we need to use this notion to see our objectives more clearly and to pursue them with even more tenacity and focus. When the right moment comes, we'll be ready."
"Yeah, and when that time comes... I'll rip a hole through them."
"You won't do anything of the sort, I'll burn them before you even have the chance."
"Alright then, let's go and defeat the bad guys!"
Saber nodded as she smiled gently, her determination invigorated by the knowledge that she wasn't alone in this perilous journey. She had people she could trust. Comrades. Friends.
After a day spent walking, following the path they were given, they decided to rest up a bit. They all fell asleep under the warm sun.
"Ow, ow... my head... when did my pillow fall... huh... why are my arms so short? And why does my voice sound like this? Why am I so small?"
Gilgamesh took out a mirror and looked at himself. He gasped. He had turned into a young boy.
"What's going on here?"
"Artoria, you won't believe- oh no..."
"Mmm? Is something wrong, Gilgamesh?"
"You..."
"You..."
"You're a kid!"
"Huh?! Me?! But... so are you!"
"I know!"
"How... how did this happen?"
"I have no clue!"
"Morning, everyone! Oh, sorry, it seems like I'm still dreaming..."
"I'm afraid not, Nero. We really are-"
"Ugh, what is all this noise, insects?"
"Galter?"
"Why are the servants making so much noise?"
"Who knows..."
"Huh?! W-What... what is going on here... why are we... why are we this way..."
"Stop fretting over nothing, farm girl."
"You reek of peasant smell."
"O-Oh... s-sorry... I'm so s-sorry... b-but this is so scary..."
"Hold on a second, guys, let's regroup for a second."
One awakening later...
"Ok, so we determined that for some reason, we've all been turned into kids... and not just that, but our personality has also changed to match that of our juvenile selves. Now, what we need to do, is find the source of this problem and get rid of it... or you know, find a way to go back to our adult forms."
"Ugh, all this talk has made me hungry, insects. Hey, farm girl."
"Y-Yes..."
"King! Call me King!"
"Y-Yes, King..."
"Go fetch me something to eat, together with some wood to keep me warm."
"*sobs* Y-Yeah, sure, sure..."
"Galter-kun, that one's too much of a cribaby to be a good servant."
"Well, no matter, we shall ask all other insects to serve us as well. Hey, you two! Don't just stand there! Do as I said."
"No, like I said, we need to focus."
"Yeah, you need to focus on the orders of your King!"
"And mine too!"
"Jeez, now I understand why he was so hated... he's no better than our normal Gilgamesh... while Gil-kun seems much more gentle..."
"I'll help you, Jalter-chan! Come on, let's go explore!"
"B-But, it's dangerous..."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you!"
"W-Will you?"
"I'm the great artist who one day will be emperor of Rome! Not even Jupiter himself will be able to stop me."
"Artoria, it seems like we are on our own. Let's go investigate."
"Sure, Gil."
As they walked around, they discovered that the region was full of natural wonders: giant turtles with delicious berries growing on their back, plenty of water that, even when diving inside, didn't make your clothes wet at all, and huge mushrooms with mouth like structures that swallowed whatever ended up inside them. The group split up.
Artoria and Gil found one of the turtles that was very sick, so Gilgamesh gave it a napkin that removed its cold with one blow. In exchange, the turtle let them try its berries. Gil helped Saber Lily to climb up the shell and she gathered as many as she could find. They then ate them happily under a tree's shadow, only to find out it was actually a troll. With their Noble Phantasms, still in their early stages but deadly in any case, they were capable of defeating it. Heading deeper into the forest, they discovered a whole gang of trolls that were blocking their way, and so they confronted them.
Meanwhile, Jalter was on the verge of a mental breakdown after having to pull Nero out of the tenth carnivorous mushroom. The little girl in red, on the other hand, picked up many flowers and created a flower crown for her friend, who blushed upon receiving such a gift. Together, they also walked in the forest, as Jalter pointed out every bird and their sound and recounted many tales of her life in the country. Nero listened attentively and then narrated many stories about the great city of Rome, leaving Jalter with wandering eyes.
Once they came back to camp, they found it trashed and turned into a battlefield as war had broken out between the two arrogant rulers, Galter and Salter, over who should own the highest peak (or, to put it another way, the biggest rock they could find). Trying to mediate, Nero offered to prepare them a snack, which prompted a temporary truce. With the help of Jalter, she gathered many local and fresh ingredients to create the "Super Nero Salad".
"Where's the sauce?"
"Do you expect me to eat grass, insects?"
Luckily, the region was full of bugs that tasted like mayonnaise and ketchup and so, one little journey later, the new and improved "Super Nero Salads" were back in action. And yet, they were missing something. A certain umami flavour. Nero jumped inside a mushroom and carved it up from the inside, after which Jalter roasted it with her flames.
"Mmm, this is actually pleasant, insects..."
"Not bad *keeps biting into it*"
"Here, let's have it for ourselves, too."
"Mmm... champignons hachés... this takes me back..."
"See? We're an unbeatable duo! Come on, our adventure has just begun- *gets swallowed by another mushroom*"
"*starts sobbing*"
"*keeps eating*"
"... insects... hold on... INSECTS IN MY SALAD?!"
In the meantime...
"Phew, that was taxing... are you alright, Artoria-chan?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks, Gil-kun. The monsters were pretty tough, but working together, I was sure we could beat them."
"You're right, teamwork makes the dream work."
"Hehe..."
"... you know, I'm very sorry."
"Mmm, for what?"
"I know my older self's personality may come off as a bit... unsufferable... but... you know... I have since started to realise that he was the Gilgamesh that was needed in that moment... to change history, there had to be someone who could stand up to the Gods, and that person couldn't be me."
"Don't worry, Gil-kun. I'm sorry that, growing older, I also became less accommodating, more fixed on certain values, more stubborn."
"Life was much easier when we were kids, huh?"
"No, we just decided that being adults meant we had to make our lives harder. And so we spend our lives trying to make them less and less hard... sometimes it's a bit confusing, just like our actions and our words, but the important part is that we try... always and forever..."
"You really haven't changed that much at all, Artoria."
"Huh? Are you saying I didn't mature at all?"
"Hehe, no, no, you certainly did, but even as you got older... you're still you. You know... unlike me."
"... maybe that's not true... maybe, deep down, this version of you never went away... maybe this is the true you, and your older self is scared to admit that, and so he tries with all his might to hide it..."
"Why? For his sake?"
"No, for the sake of others. Maybe... he doesn't want people to grow too attached to him. He thinks he needs to be the Gilgamesh you described: a tyrant capable of standing up to everyone on behalf of humanity."
"..."
"... and yet... I think... a part of you, a part of his true self... it's still there... in his little, rare acts of kindness... there's no fakeness, no ulterior motive... there's just someone... who really wants to help people."
"I think he needs to reevaluate his priorities, what he has to be and stuff."
"I think he needs friends to guide him, to help him become who he wants to be."
"Well, it's a good thing he can count on some amazing people. I'm sure that if anyone is going to get through him... it's going to be you."
"I can only hope so."
"That's good enough for me."
"... look, Gil-kun! A house!"
"You're right! Shall we check up on it?"
"Why not?"
Entering the house, they found no one there. As they were exiting, right outside, in the courtyard they found an old man on a swinging chair.
"Hey, mister, sorry to bother you, but-"
"A swallow was going back to her nest. They killed her. She fell in the thorns. She had in her beak an insect. The dinner of her chicks."
"It's the X August."
"I still remember that day like it was yesterday... my sisters were so impatient... it was that time of the month, in which our father was usually coming back home with a gift. Dinner was ready, waiting for us, waiting for my father. He never came back home. That's the day my childhood ended."
"Mr. Giovanni Pascoli... why did you do this to us?"
"... everyone of us has a little kid inside that screams... when we are little, we tend to hear him, to follow what he says. But as we grow older, we start to ignore him, eventually we even forget that he's there... great heroes, I want you to listen to that voice. I hear it every day. It's deafening. It's like she's scolding me. Because I can hear it... and yet... I can't understand it anymore. I hope you had fun today... kids always seem to have fun... and now, I hope that you'll never ignore the kid inside you ever again."
As he concluded, Gilgamesh and Saber could feel their bodies changing. In a moment, they were back to their adult forms.
"I ask nothing else from you."
"Yeah, about our day... you know we almost died, you mongrel?"
"... whoops..."
"... but I suppose you're correct. I did enjoy myself. It's your lucky day. Goodbye."
"Mr. Pascoli, I hope you will be able one day to listen to what that voice is saying to you clearly. I can hear it. Mine keeps saying 'protect'. That's what I've been doing, and that's what I'll continue to do. Farewell."
"... sometimes... I really do act like a child, don't I... but, after all... doesn't everyone do that... I heard my mother's voice... then nothing... towards evening time..."
Gilgamesh and Artoria went back to the base. On the way, there was a long, awkward silence.
"Saber... please forget what I said... those were just the ramblings of a fool-"
"No."
"?"
"I'll keep those words in mind, Archer. I truly believed them. I hope you do the same, and I hope you'll show me that what I believe in is right, that you truly are how I imagine you... you're on the right track... don't disappoint me now."
"... you know I'd never do that, my dear Saber."
When they returned, they were both bewildered by what was unfolding in front of them.
Galter was hiding his face, clearly flustered. Jalter was facing away from him, an angry expression on her face. Salter was pouting with her arms crossed. Nero was lying on the ground, looking worst for wear.
"Ughh... those mushrooms... they were poisonous... I shouldn't have jumped in so many of them... ughh... I'm going to die."
"It... doesn't really look like they had fun."
"I guess that some people are better off as adults than as kids."
"You're pretty cute either way."
"No, shut up."
"... worth a shot."