#(.incharacter)

Ishtar:

That’s because he’s got nothing to lose! …Hmph, once humans finally face their destiny, I guess their true nature’ll show after all. Gudako and Mashu, you two are like him too. Ah, no. Wait… No, you’re a little different. You’re afraid of fighting, Mashu, aren’t you? Kill or be killed, you really aren’t used to that at all, no?

Mashu:

…Yes, someone else pointed it out too. But… for me, I don’t think it’s an issue anymore… That Servant, he taught me that lesson, right here… in this place… (Flashback)

Leonidas:

Do not be ashamed of the fact that you fear battle. Battle is a gamble with your life, so it is impossible to be unafraid. Just like how a weapon user have preferences for their weapons, so too, are there preferences for one’s attitude when it comes to battle. Some are skilled, others are not. Lady Mashu is not the type to be able to hold her fear in check, nor is she used to fear. That fear will follow you for the rest of your life.

Mashu:

…I think so too… But I want to overcome that fear. Or else, I’ll never be helpful to Master.

Leonidas:

Then it is I who has been disrespectful. My apologies. (Takes off Helmet) Haha, it’s getting really hot, so I’m gonna take it off. Tomorrow is the day we save Nippur, so I can’t calm down either. Why don’t we continue that topic earlier? You aren’t the type to forget your fears. You are the type to use your courage, and overcome your fears. I have far more respect for warriors of this type like you, and I can trust them better as well.

Mashu:

Using courage to overcome… Er, Mr. Leonidas, does this mean…?

Leonidas:

Ahahaha! Sorry, the only thing I’m afraid of are ghosts. After all, I am a king too. In order to be fearless, I begun training at a very early age.

Mashu:

Ah… Sorry, I’m prying too much…

Leonidas:

No, don’t be sorry. While I am fearless in battle, I confess I often feel afraid before I go into battle. To think that I will leave my kingdom behind, the safety of my kingdom becomes uncertain… To think of the lives of all my people that I will leave behind, sometimes I get so afraid, I will subconsciously crush and break the shaft of my spear.

The worst time was the time at Thermopylae. A hundred thousand Persians stood against us, and us Lacedaemoi, Spartans, we numbered only 300. We were a tiny fraction of the seven thousand coalition Greek forces. Tiny. Someone told me, if I fought, I would surely lose. If I surrender now, and allow the Persians to pass, then Sparta will be saved. To Persia, Sparta is only a speed bump. Their true goal was Athens.

… But, if we did not stop the Persians there, Athens is doomed. Only one day is needed. If we hold onto them for only a few days. Our insignificant resistance, that … may save that great country, Athens.

Should I stay alive, or should I follow my values. I struggled internally. And then, the terror hit me. It was a fear unlike anything I’ve experienced before. To leave my wife and child behind, to go to absolute death. Even if I no longer fear my own death, I cannot get used to this idea, that I’m going to give my wife and my child a dim, sad future.

Mashu:

…Yet, Mr. Leonidas, you went and fought, didn’t you? You held off ten thousand Persians for several days, and then… you fell. … Did you go to fight with fear in your heart?

Leonidas:

No, I only go fight after I’ve conquered my fears. There was a prophecy, Lady Mashu. I prayed to the heavens and asked for the voice of the gods to give my guidance. The gods told me, “If you go fight, you will not return to Sparta.”

Mashu:

…

Leonidas:

And so, my internal struggle was gone, just like that. And so, I had no more confusion, and no more fear. I went and fought like I always did.

Mashu:

W-why is that? They said you won’t come back!

Leonidas:

But “They” did not tell me that the fighting was meaningless. And, even if we lost, Sparta will not be destroyed. We won’t come back from the battlefield, but it didn’t say that our actions had no purpose. I knew, right there and then, that even though I won’t come back, my battles will help protect those who will one day inherit the future.

Then I understood. This isn’t about suppressing or conquering fear. This is about changing fear into something greater: hope. I bragged to my best friends about this truth that I have discovered.

“So! What do you think! Did you know this?”

My friends answered.

“Of course! Everyone here other than you has been doing just that thing for all this time! What point is there for you to bring that out and show it off now, your majesty?”

Hahaha… Yeah, I remembered well. The three hundred of us, we laughed together. It was very loud. So, as you can see, I’m really pretty slow… I didn’t see why my friends, those that I respects tremendously, could be motivated to fight. It wasn’t until this last battle that I realized why their heart was so powerful, and how we could maintain our spirits.

…No, finally, in that last battle, I learned this and understood at last. Thanks to this, I was able to summon that miracle you know as Thermopylae.

So, listen well, Mashu Kyrielite. You will fear battle because you have many important things that you fight for. Those are things you hold dear in your heart. The more things you have to fight for, the stronger your heart will be, once you surpass these fears. That will become your greatest weapon. As long as your heart do not bend to any fears, no one will be able to penetrate your shield. You will not lose to anyone.