"I can't believe you have a mount like this."
Barghest, now dressed in a banquet gown, sat behind Jiang You. The rushing wind swept past her, lifting her loose hair high into the air.
With no other means of transport and after refusing Barghest's embarrassing offer to carry him, Jiang You had summoned the Flying Dragon-type creature gifted to him by Quetzalcoatl. Fortunately, the Lostbelt hadn't rejected it. As an elite specimen, it had no trouble carrying both Jiang You and the 240-pound slab of British marble that was Barghest.
"A friend gave it to me. Speaking of which, Fairy Tristan has one too, right? I think she could have taken it with her after forming a contract. I haven't seen it in a while... I hope she didn't roast and eat it."
At Jiang You's words, the Flying Dragon beneath them shuddered, nearly throwing them off. Jiang You patted its neck reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'd never do something like that. By the way, I don't think I've given you a name yet. Since you're all reddish-orange, how about Carrot?"
The Flying Dragon possessed considerable intelligence and certainly understood what the name "Carrot" implied. It let out a roar of protest.
Unfortunately, it was useless. Jiang You had already made up his mind. He even decided that all his future mounts would be named Carrot as well. After all, only one would ever be on the field at a time.
"Fairy Tristan?"
Barghest recognized the familiar name. Jiang You sometimes called her "Fairy Gawain," so she immediately knew who he was talking about. The nickname sounded far too intimate, and she desperately wanted to ask him about it. However, Barghest was utterly submissive to those stronger than her, so she ultimately held back. Considering Jiang You was close to Queen Morgan, it was perfectly reasonable for him to know the heir, Fairy Knight Tristan. Perhaps the "friend" Jiang You mentioned was Morgan herself—he never used honorifics when speaking of her.
Unaware of the mental storm brewing behind him, Jiang You, bored, began recounting the history of this Lostbelt to Barghest. Just as he reached the part about the Great Cernunnos being poisoned by the Original Fairies, Barghest's nose twitched.
"Jiang You, I smell Mors at eleven o'clock!"
This area was already quite close to New Darlington, and not far from the Royal City either. Many of the Queen's Knights were from the Fang Clan, so the presence of Mors here was highly unusual. Logically, they should have been cleared out long ago, Barghest thought.
"We can't let it roam freely here," she said. "Let me down. It won't take long."
"No need," Jiang You replied, steering Carrot toward the direction Barghest had indicated. "At least, not with your usual fighting style."
Soon, they spotted a black, amorphous creature writhing on the ground below. Jiang You thought it looked a bit like a slime.
"Are you worried because I'm not wearing armor?" Barghest asked, her heart warming at the thought of his concern for her safety in her evening gown. "Actually, light attire doesn't affect my combat ability. Besides, I'm from the Fang Clan; I'm not easily affected by curses."
"That's not it," Jiang You said. "You know that Mors are actually Fairies corrupted by a curse, right?"
Barghest had already seen Jiang You's Noble Phantasms. When Fairy Tristan performed, she would instantly understand the truth. There was no point in hiding it.
"I can remove the curse and restore his original appearance."
"?!"
Barghest was even more astonished. If Mors' Curse could be lifted, the Faerie Realm wouldn't have suffered over it for a thousand years.
"Can you really? How would you do it?!"
"Through a Duel," Jiang You explained. "The knowledge of Dueling should include Shadow Games. Mors' Curse is what animates this body, so if we engage in a Shadow Game Duel, the curse itself will be forced to pay the price. By setting the condition as the curse's elimination, it can be easily achieved."
Having witnessed Jiang You's Dueling prowess, Barghest realized this was indeed possible! She trembled with excitement. "This ability... this power... it's like that of a Savior!"
"Pretty much," Jiang You thought. Exactly. The Savior template I'm preparing for Fairy Tristan is built on this very foundation. "Want to give it a try?"
"You're the real Savior, aren't you? You subdued the Demon Dog and can even lift Mors' Curse."
Barghest's eyes gleamed. She felt her appetite spiraling out of control, but she wasn't worried about harming Jiang You. She knew she was no match for him.
"Actually, Fairy Tristan will demonstrate this ability later to prove her qualifications as the Savior. Don't be surprised when it happens. I'll explain the details later; for now, let's deal with this Mors."
Jiang You could have expanded a massive domain to grant all fairies the ability to Duel, but he chose not to. His goal was to package Fairy Tristan as a Savior to solidify Morgan's rule. Besides, the fairies here were too human-like; if it weren't for Morgan, he couldn't care less whether they lived or died.
"!"
Upon learning that Fairy Tristan's ability came from Jiang You, Barghest's mind raced. Her Majesty Morgan has a good relationship with Jiang You and was willing to connect them. And the ruthless Fairy Tristan is being hailed as the Savior... A bolt of insight struck her. Her Majesty wants to consolidate her rule, and Jiang You is helping her!
She blurted out, "You were the one who rang the Pilgrimage Bell, weren't you?"
Her voice came out muffled.
"No, that wasn't me. She really did ring the bell herself."
Hearing Barghest's theory, Jiang You almost started to believe he was the Savior. But Fairy Tristan had genuinely rung the Pilgrimage Bell. "And if you're going to chew on me, at least try to control your drool."
Jiang You's reminder snapped Barghest back to reality. She realized that her instincts had taken over, and she had started gnawing on him, only to be blocked by the passive effect of his Noble Phantasm. Even then, she subconsciously licked his neck a couple of times, as if checking the flavor.
"Sorry, sorry!"
Barghest's face flushed red. At the same time, she found it strange. Jiang You was so clean he was practically spotless, and she couldn't taste anything on him—not like a human at all.
She quickly dismissed the thought. Jiang You met all her criteria for a perfect lover. The lack of taste was actually a good thing; after all, she was destined never to eat him.
"If it can break the curse, I'm willing to try. How do we start?"
"I've already captured it within my Noble Phantasm's range. Just let it attack you and then choose to Duel."
Jiang You gave Barghest a gentle push, signaling her to begin.
"The ritual is running out of time. Make it quick. I've slipped a few things into your Deck; try to make use of them."
"Got it!"
Without hesitation, Barghest stepped into the Mors's attack range. The Duel Space immediately unfolded.