Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

"This is the United States during the War of Independence, also known as the United States of America. The reason for the War of Independence was that it was a British colony at the time. It was based on the victory in this war that it was able to gain independence and eventually develop into a superpower."

Novia paused, then looked out at the starry sky and continued.

"However, the enemy they were fighting was not the British."

"really."

In Ritsuka's memory, the enemies she fought against seemed to be dressed in simple indigenous clothing or in technologically advanced armor that was ahead of its time, and this place was similar.

"The American continent is now divided into two parts, and they are at war with each other. It is said that a new power has emerged in Central America. In short, the western part is the American Allied Forces led by President Sun King, and as for the eastern part—"

"It is a 'warrior'."

"They...aren't they human?"

"Their bodies were not left on the battlefield; they were not heroic spirits, but rather warriors similar to summoned heroic spirits."

"I understand. Does that mean they want to prevent the founding of the United States? But they're also quite puzzled."

Indeed, from the perspective of human history, the timeline would become very complicated if the United States had not been established. Moreover, Mash probably thinks so too about Ritsuka's "strangeness," because the firearms used by the US military are clearly not products of this era, and there are even robots involved in the war.

Novia was somewhat aware of this; the technological aspect was probably due to Edison. However, the most puzzling thing was the title "President of America, Sun King." Didn't he remember Edison being called "President King"? Why such a strange title?

However, looking at the local residents and animals who had joined the war with the US military, he thought it must be some kind of god from the American pantheon. After all, the other side was a pantheon from afar, so it wasn't strange that it would appear on purpose. He just didn't know who it was for the time being.

"A patient from Chaldea wants to see you. Should you come over?"

As the three were talking, the door was pushed open, and Pirogov walked in and said this to Ritsuka.

Having roughly figured out who wanted to see her, Ritsuka naturally wouldn't refuse, so the three of them followed the old man to another hospital.

The field hospital's relatively good environment created a stark contrast. From a high vantage point, one could see a desolate battlefield with muddy hay used by soldiers as bedding, discarded backpacks, and rusty bandages.

The bodies of the dead should have been buried by their respective units before midnight, but there were often too many bodies and too little time. As for burying the dead horses, there was even less time. On other battlefields, the dead horses were left unburied for a long time, and they had already rotted and swelled up. Only crows were excitedly taking off and landing on the blood-stained earth.

"No matter what, please stay calm. Inner turmoil can cause harm."

Pirogov gave this special warning before entering the hospital.

Then, after entering the field hospital filled with severely wounded personnel, there was a constant low clatter of hemostats and scalpels colliding, and a faint musty smell still lingered in the air. Finally, the soldier who had saved Ritsuka earlier appeared before her.

"I've brought the person, and they can already talk to each other."

"Oh, I'm sorry, doctor, my vision hasn't fully recovered yet..."

The man with his wound bandaged gently said to Ritsuka, who was sitting in a chair, "It's good to see you're alright. Don't be nervous, let's talk."

"Ah, okay..."

The girl nodded somewhat reservedly, then met the gaze of the smiling soldier.

"I've heard that almost everyone in the West serves in the military, including those who worship the sun god and even spontaneous animals. Thinking about it that way, it doesn't seem so strange that a young child like you would come here..."

"...Thank you for your concern. If it weren't for you, I would be..."

Ritsuka hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.

“My father runs a farm…”

Ignoring the girl's words, the soldier muttered to himself, "My daughter looks a lot like you. She often came to help me when we were on the farm. The thought of having to stand by and watch a child her age die makes my legs tremble."

"..."

"but……"

The soldier's tone turned somber. "Why are my hands and legs gone?"

The moment the words were spoken, Ritsuka, who had been smiling, suddenly narrowed her eyes as she stared at the soldier struggling to control his severed arm.

"Even if I survive, how am I supposed to inherit my father's farm in this body? How am I supposed to hug my daughter? Should I not have saved you? If I hadn't saved you..."

"How did you..."

When the soldiers confronted Ritsuka, Mash immediately wanted to argue with them, but Novia stopped her by reaching out her hand and shaking her head at the same time.

"no……"

The soldier rolled over, placed his still-intact hand in front of his bandaged eyes, and continued to sob uncontrollably.

"I didn't mean to say these things to you... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Please forgive me... I'm really sorry..."

……

late at night.

The night sky was filled with stars, the campfire gradually died down, and voices were almost silenced. An eerie stillness enveloped the American land, and the only sounds that could be heard occasionally were the cries of some unknown creature.

Outside the field hospital at this moment, Ritsuka, who should have been sleeping, was sitting outside the hospital.

According to her previous research, she was to leave the next day, so she thought about saying goodbye to the soldier, but she didn't know what to say, so she remained silent for a long time.

"Are you still awake?"

Just then, Ritsuka heard a familiar voice coming from inside the house, so she looked through the window and saw Novia talking to the soldier.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Father, I can't sleep..."

The soldier lowered his head. "I've been thinking about it. I said some really cruel things to that girl today. I know the truth, but I still said those things. I've become this kind of person..."

For this soldier, he had a vague vision of Novia carrying him there before he even arrived at the hospital.

"I don't think so."

"what?"

"Given that you've lost your hands and feet, it's understandable that you would say such things when you're extremely anxious."

Novia put the cross pendant that the man had placed aside back on his neck. "You are not at fault for how things turned out this way. If anyone is to blame, it is the war—"

"I think it was the 'war' that made you say those things."

At three in the morning, the sky was still pitch black.

"Isn't that right? You are actually a very gentle person. You risked your life to save others, which is a commendable act. I believe that not everyone can do what you did, and not everyone dares to do it."

Novia stood up, gently embraced the man, then held his hands tightly and solemnly told him:

“As a priest, this is my opinion, and I believe that the God you believe in must also think this way, and your daughter will also think this way about her father.”

A little while later, Novia, who had just left the field hospital, saw Fujimaru Ritsuka standing at the door.

"As expected, I knew you would come, given your personality, Ritsuka."

"Yes, I should be the one saying this, but I'm so sorry that you had to do this for me, consultant..."

"this is nothing……"

Novia sighed. "After all, one day, Ritsuka, you'll understand."

"Eh? Understand what?"

"What would happen if no one offered help, if everyone remained silent and did nothing, if everyone chose to protect themselves simply to survive? Perhaps this is not wrong, but rather the 'right' thing at the moment. And some people, knowing there is no way out, still choose to resist, which is 'foolish'."

Novia said with a soft laugh.

"Therefore, one day, Ritsuka, you will understand the joy of saving others."

Chapter 422 I am, the First Sun Tescatlipoca.

The following day, Pirogov traveled with him to Novia, the main stronghold of the Western American coalition, through a prolonged and fierce gale.

In the distance was a vast expanse of white mist, while nearby were patches of wet grass and bushes battered by wind and rain.

According to Pirogov, when they were summoned here, they learned that if there were any 'suspected Chaldea people,' they should be taken to the location of the American President, the Sun King. Given that the Western Alliance is currently the force protecting the course of history, Novia followed Pirogov after discussing it with Ritsuka.

"Speaking of which, what is Lord Pirogov's Noble Phantasm?"

Perhaps out of boredom, or perhaps simply to find a topic to talk about, Ritsuka asked the old man curiously.

Novia also wanted to hear about this, since Pirogov was, in a sense, a Servant who replaced Nightingale, and therefore should be extremely important in the context of the Fifth Singularity.

Pirogov stopped in his tracks upon hearing this, turning to stare intently at Novia and Ritsuka. His eyes, though dim with age, were sharpened by years of battlefield experience. After calmly scrutinizing Novia, he said:

"Based on the anecdote that I was the first to perform anesthesia and surgery on the battlefield, my Noble Phantasm can nullify all 'anesthetics' within the battlefield range. It's a completely useless support type with no combat power at all... If I were to summon Lady Nightingale, she might be more effective than me."

Admittedly, in this brutal battlefield where everyone is either a god or a great hero, it seems too powerless for a doctor who is only famous within his own country and whose reputation on a global scale is far less than that of Florence Nightingale, who also fought on the Crimean battlefield.

"That's not necessarily true. Maybe we'll be able to rely on this treasure someday..."

"Hopefully."

After casually brushing off Ritsuka's attempt to comfort him, the old man turned around again and led them forward.

How should I put it? Novia was able to sense that the old man's Noble Phantasm seemed to have some connection to her? Of course, it wasn't about borrowing power or anything like that, but rather the incantation used when wielding the Noble Phantasm, which was probably chanting some sacred words of Orthodox Christians.

Moreover, Novia understood that Pirogov had not told the truth, but had concealed some of it.

According to the anecdote, he didn't render all the 'anesthetics' on the battlefield ineffective, but rather made all the 'anesthetics' come to him, because in order to prove the effectiveness of anesthetics in stopping illness, he openly used anesthetics on himself on the battlefield in front of many doctors.

Novia was somewhat puzzled by this thought.

Are there any gods in India who use something like 'anesthesia'? After all, Servants summoned to singularities are usually specially selected to deal with certain crises.

However, based on the conversation he had overheard between Parvati and Kama, the one who commanded India was Durga. It was because of his involvement that Kama, whom she had been keeping a close watch on, was able to escape, and Parvati, worried about Kama, followed him all the way.

But Novia felt that this high-profile approach was not like Durga's character, and that someone must have been instigating it behind the scenes...

So who could it be?

The thought of instigation, coupled with the association with India, involuntarily conjured up an image in Novia's mind: a blue-skinned man who loved playing the flute all day long, the most suitable person to be Brahman's representative from the perspective of the 'Supreme Brahman'—

The original man, Krishna.

This is understandable, since Novia has replaced the High Vanguard, so it's normal to think this way.

"Ok?"

After a while, Pirogov, who was walking in front of the three, suddenly stopped and squinted at the ground below.

"what happened?"

"The guy in charge of manufacturing robots under President Sun King has arrived..."

The old man paused for a moment, then said, "His name is Thomas Alva Edison, you should have heard of him."

"Huh? That lion's head is Edison?!"

Upon hearing this, Ritsuka exclaimed in disbelief, "How is this possible! It's completely different from what I saw in the manga when I was a kid!"

"There must have been a problem during the summoning."

"Even so, this appearance is still too unexpected!"

"You should stay calm in this situation."

Ignoring the conversation between the three, Pirogov walked straight toward Edison's location.

"Since we've run into him, I'll introduce you to him."

……

A little earlier.

On the land, which was sunny and calm but still covered in withered yellow leaves, Edison, accompanied by a bunch of robots, proudly stroked his hairy chin.

"Indeed, those in high positions have an obligation to travel to various places to offer condolences, and your actions represent the authority of the 'President'!"

Edison clapped his hands as he spoke, seemingly hoping someone would flatter him, but since no one did, he continued speaking.

"Excellent! Truly magnificent! The Western Allied Forces' mechanized legions are so perfectly aligned and uniform. Aren't they superior to those animals? Mass production is the key to success!"

"Hahaha, that's right, that's right, that's exactly it!"

Before he could laugh for long, Edison saw Pirogov, who had brought the Novia group with him. Upon seeing the old man, Edison's lion-like head instinctively shuddered and he couldn't help but cough a few times.

"Humph……"

Edison first hummed in a voice only he could hear, then looked at the group with enthusiasm.

“Welcome! It’s a pleasure to meet you all! Mr. Pirogov! And these people behind you…”

"The Chaldeans."

"A very warm welcome to everyone from Chaldea!"

Edison roared with a lion's head, "I am Edison, the technical advisor to the second President of America, the Sun King! I care deeply about my head, and even if I become a lion's head, my wisdom will not change!"