Chapter 1013: 2400 Years Ago
The misty coastline stretched hazily before their eyes, everything obscured in a blurry veil.
Mash blinked dazedly.
Once she regained her senses, she immediately stood up and raised her shield.
"Huh? Where is this...?"
But then she froze.
The terrain here was identical to Norwich, yet with subtle differences.
"Whoa!"
Just then, an exclamation reached her ears.
"She's awake! Cernunnos, that human-but-not-human person is awake!"
Turning her head, she saw the petite tailor fairy shouting nervously with wide eyes.
"Ms. Habetrot?"
Mash stared at her in confusion.
What was going on?
Why did everything feel slightly off?
"That's quite rude, Totrot."
The next moment.
The person she had called approached them, wearing a bright smile as she gently scolded the tailor fairy.
"Ms. Artoria?"
Seeing the newcomer, Mash was both surprised and delighted. She quickly lowered her shield and stepped forward.
"What happened after that? I lost consciousness after being engulfed in light—did I say something wrong?"
Upon hearing the name "Artoria," the girl's smile faltered slightly.
It was as if she had recalled some unpleasant memories.
"Well, how should I put it..."
The girl lowered her gaze, her expression turning subtly complex.
"She's not Artoria, Mash."
Just as Mash was feeling bewildered, a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Mr. Eiji!"
Spotting the cloaked figure standing not far away, Mash breathed a sigh of relief.
For some reason, ever since she woke up, she had felt a sense of dissonance—though she couldn't pinpoint exactly why. It felt as though Habetrot wasn't quite Habetrot, and Artoria wasn't quite Artoria.
Seeing Eiji still clad in his familiar, suffocating attire, Mash finally felt a sense of security.
"You say she's not Ms. Artoria? What do you mean?"
"She really isn't Artoria."
Eiji approached Mash and tilted his head meaningfully.
"Can't you sense the differences between her and Artoria?"
"Well... forgive my bluntness."
Mash carefully observed the girl before her.
The girl openly allowed her scrutiny, showing no signs of offense.
Her appearance was identical to Artoria's—so much so that they could have been mirror images rather than mere twins. If they weren't the same person, they could only be creations of the same system.
The only noticeable difference lay in their attire.
Artoria dressed like a plain country girl, with no artistic flair, making it obvious to anyone that she was an unsophisticated rustic.
But this girl was different. Her clothing was slightly more elegant—a white blazer-style top and skirt clearly made from expensive materials, paired with a dark blue vest that gave her a more dignified aura.
She gave off a far more composed and dignified aura than Artoria.
Moreover, there was another point.
"The Staff of Selection isn't with her either?"
Mash suddenly understood.
As the Child of Prophecy, Artoria almost always carried the symbolic Staff of Selection with her.
But this girl wasn't holding the ornate Staff of Selection—instead, she was using an ordinary wooden wand.
It was likely a wand made from ash wood, the material most compatible with magecraft, yet it appeared exceedingly plain, far from the untouchable nobility exuded by the Staff of Selection.
"But if she isn't Miss Artoria, then who could she be?"
Mash grew puzzled.
Ever since waking up in the light, she had been surrounded by an overwhelming sense of dissonance.
"She is Caster."
At that moment, Eiji gave a straightforward answer.
"Caster, the Savior."
"Eh?!"
Mash gasped in shock.
She was utterly astonished.
"Savior Caster? According to legend, didn't she never return after going to the faraway Orkney?"
Through Habe's introduction, they had long since learned of Caster's legend.
"?"
The girl, Caster, blinked.
Why does it sound like I'm dead?
Are you being serious right now?
"Tell me, who exactly are you?"
Hearing such remarks, Caster felt somewhat displeased.
"Why were you caught up in magecraft related to 'Mirror'? Don't try to deceive me—I came to this shore precisely because I detected a spell identical to my 'Mirror' series of magecraft!"
She wore an expression that said, "You can't fool me," as she scrutinized the two with a probing gaze.
"As you can see, her name is Mash."
Seeing this, Eiji temporarily set Mash aside and introduced her to Caster.
"I'm willing to believe this child is a good person, especially since she possesses a Spirit Origin similar to Totrot's—meaning she's a Fairy Knight, right? Though I don't recall bestowing a name on her at any point…"
Caster's gaze toward Mash held a certain warmth.
After arriving in this Lostbelt, Mash had inexplicably regained Galahad's power, elevating it even further—her magical energy now rivaled that of a Fairy Knight!
According to Da Vinci's speculation, this was due to the combination of her own power and Galahad's, creating a multiplicative effect.
The reason she regained Galahad's power was hypothesized to be related to the Fairy Knight system of this Lostbelt.
And Habe, also known as Totrot, was the very first Fairy Knight bestowed that title by Savior Caster!
It was only natural for Caster to feel a sense of familiarity.
"And who are you?"
She then turned her gaze to Eiji.
Her ocean-blue eyes seemed capable of piercing through all falsehoods in the world.
"Me?"
Eiji raised an eyebrow slightly.
"My name is Eiji. Like Mash, I was transported back through the 'Water Mirror' spell during the era of the Queen's Calendar, while we were fighting against the Great Calamity."
"The Queen's Calendar?"
Habe, standing nearby, tilted her head, her face full of disbelief.
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about? It's clearly the Fairy Calendar era right now. Are you trying to trick us? I get it—the Six Clans must be upset about being defeated by Uther and are causing trouble again, right?"
"King Uther defeated the Six Clans?"
Hearing this, Eiji fell into thoughtful contemplation.
"So, this is around the time of the Londinium coronation ceremony?"
"...You could say that."
Caster's eyes remained fixed calmly on Eiji.
"However, Uther has just defeated the Six Clans, and there are still six months until the coronation ceremony in Londinium."
"I see! So it's currently the year 400 of the Fairy Calendar, right after the Autumn War ended!"
Understanding this, Eiji suddenly had an epiphany.
"Let's get back to the main topic. Well, to put it simply, both Mash and I have traveled here from 2400 years in the future. As for who I really am... actually, I'm your future husband!"
Mash: "...?"
Habetrot: "...!"
Caster blinked.
"...Huh?"