Chapter 209: Ahoge's Lion-go!

Chapter 209: Ahoge's Lion-go!

"Hey? I thought something was wrong, turns out you don't have a vehicle." "If there's no vehicle, then I... can't drive around anymore... *gulp*," Artoria's mood also became gloomy. Just yesterday, she had thought of getting her revenge on Merlin during the race, but now it seemed she couldn't even participate.

At this moment, Artoria began to doubt whether her A+ Luck was just a fake.

Gill tilted his mouth and a rather good idea popped into his mind. "If you're lacking a vehicle, I happen to have a suitable one here."

Hearing this, Artoria, who had been feeling down, suddenly looked at Gill with hopeful eyes. "Huh? Really?!"

"Indeed, but don't spread it around, alright? It wouldn't sound good if news got out that I'm giving special treatment to someone."

Upon hearing this, Artoria solemnly slammed her right hand against her seemingly ordinary chest, swearing with determination. "I, Al... saber! Swear in the name of my father, Uther Pendragon, that I will never reveal this matter!"

However, the moment she said her name, Artoria realized she shouldn't expose her true identity, so she quickly used the term "saber" to refer to herself. This way, her real name remained hidden!

"Very well, quite spirited," Gill said with a pleased expression. He extended his right hand, and beside it shimmered a golden light a golden ripple, like the ripples of water suspended in the air.

Gill gently waved his hand downward, and a vehicle slowly emerged from the golden ripple. It had a majestic lion as its outer appearance, a unique design.

"That is... a lion?" Artoria's pupils slightly contracted as she watched the vehicle descend from the golden ripple.

"Plunk~." Soon, the vehicle landed on the ground with a not-so-loud "plunk" sound. It didn't sound like metal or flesh, but more like plastic.

After landing, as if some kind of switch had been activated, the so-called 'vehicle' suddenly emitted a sound.

"Little brothers and little sisters, come and play~."

In the next moment, the rocking horse surged forward towards the starting line, accelerating like a runaway train, its speed incredibly sharp! Watching Artoria disappear into the distance, Soji stood in silence for a moment before averting her gaze.

After selectively erasing the recent image from her mind, Soji, too, began walking towards the starting line. There was still plenty of time; no need to hurry. Even if she moved at a snail's pace, she'd reach the line soon enough.

But as she walked, an unsettling feeling gnawed at her. Had she forgotten something? Halfway there, it hit her like a ton of bricks, and she cried out in horror, "Gahh! I forgot to plant the bomb on the rocking horse!"

In other words, she couldn't betray her teammates with an explosive trick now!

Soji regretted, profoundly regretted. If only she had thoroughly checked the engine last night. It had to be an engine problem. There was no way Tokiomi had given her a faulty gem. She had made it clear that the car was for his Servant, Artoria. Tokiomi couldn't have possibly made a mistake and given her a magicless gem to sabotage his own Servant, right?

Alas, what's done is done, and regrets can't alter the past. There's no magic potion to erase regret.

Feeling disheartened, Soji headed towards the starting line.

But then, she was stopped by a silver-haired staff member. "I'm sorry, please bring your vehicle over."

"Clunk~." Soji patted the rocket boosters on either side of her hips and told the staff member, "This is my vehicle!"

"I'm sorry, that doesn't count."

Soji pointed towards the motley assortment of vehicles lined up at the starting line, driven by other participants. "What? Why do theirs count as vehicles?!"

"I'm sorry, the definition of a vehicle is something you can ride on." The staff member assessed Soji's rocket boosters. "Clearly, these two things are attached to your body."

"So you are their vehicle, not the other way around."