Chapter 1053: Morgan's Strategy
"Sorry, I was too impulsive earlier."
Just outside the palace gates, as the trio emerged from the labyrinthine passageway, Da Vinci-chan solemnly apologized to the other two.
"Not only did I fail to persuade the Queen, but I nearly dragged you both down with me. As your guardian, I've been utterly incompetent!"
Recalling the earlier scene, Da Vinci-chan still felt a lingering fear.
New Darlington was the territory of the Fairy Knight Tristan.
They had clashed with Fairy Tristan in many places before. If they had been sent to her domain, the consequences would have been unthinkable!
Moreover, it was said that under Fairy Tristan's orders, humans there were forced to fight each other in arenas daily, resulting in rivers of blood—it was an extremely dangerous place in itself!
"I don't think it's Da Vinci-chan's fault. To be honest, I actually wanted to say the same thing earlier."
Fujimaru Ritsuki shook her head, her expression clear and untroubled.
"It's just a shame we couldn't convince the Queen... We were only saved because Eiji arrived in time... It seems that topic might be taboo in the Queen's heart?"
Anyone who dared mention it lightly might lose their head.
Actually, she could understand why.
After all, it was the fruition of over two thousand years of waiting. In Morgan's heart, it was probably like a dragon's reverse scale—touch it and you die.
Not to mention that Da Vinci-chan's words had been particularly unpleasant to hear.
"Well, as long as everything turned out fine in the end..."
Facing Da Vinci-chan's apologetic gaze, Artoria could only offer a wry smile, unable to blame her.
Honestly, she felt some resentment.
To nearly die from a companion's reckless words rather than by the Queen's hand—anyone would find that hard to accept.
But as she said, what mattered was that everything turned out fine. They were comrades who had been through life and death together; she couldn't make a fuss over something like this.
"Anyway, I'll be extremely careful from now on... What worries me is, I wonder how things will develop next?"
Da Vinci-chan sighed deeply, still unable to completely let it go.
She turned to look at the massive palace looming like some ancient beast, murmuring to herself.
"You mean our next course of action?"
"Not just that."
Da Vinci-chan's face showed concern.
"Our negotiations with the Queen have completely broken down. The only path left for us is to oppose the Queen. Finding allies is one problem, but there's another important point!"
"What is it?"
Gudako immediately asked.
"Which side will Eiji take!"
Da Vinci-chan's expression turned grave.
"We all know he's the Queen Consort of this Fairy Kingdom. On our way here, Oberon must have told you about the Queen Consort's deeds, right? Charging into Camelot in front of everyone, defeating both the Fairy Knight Gawain and the Fairy Knight Lancelot in succession, then fighting the Queen for a full hour without being at a disadvantage!"
"If he stands with us, he would undoubtedly be a powerful ally who could play the greatest role in our plans against the Queen. But if he stands with the Queen... the situation would become even worse!"
Dealing with just the Queen was troublesome enough.
If Eiji joined her side too, they would truly be at a loss for what to do!
In the past, they had managed to traverse various Lostbelts because powerful allies had joined them along the way. Even then, they had still paid tremendous sacrifices.
And now, in this land of fairies, there was no support from Proper Human History, and the local allies they had found offered very limited energy.
Fujimaru Ritsuka and Artoria also fell silent.
After Da Vinci-chan pointed it out, they immediately understood.
Eiji was their strongest companion. If he chose to side with the Queen, it would be over.
To put it bluntly, Eiji's choice would likely determine the course of this Lostbelt!
"Anyway, let's go meet up with the others first!"
Da Vinci-chan rubbed her temples and suggested to the two of them.
"No matter how much we worry now, it's useless. Doing what we're supposed to do is the only thing we can manage at the moment!"
The two exchanged a glance and had no objections.
The three of them walked side by side, quickly heading toward the royal guesthouse.
...
"Sorry, in the end, I still couldn't help you change the past."
Stroking Morgan's somewhat unfamiliar face, Eiji was filled with regret and sorrow.
Though her appearance had changed a great deal, her eyes were all too familiar.
To Eiji, there was not the slightest sense of estrangement.
"I stopped caring about that sort of thing long ago."
Morgan smiled faintly.
Her smile was as gentle as it had been 2,400 years ago.
The coldness of that time and the anger from moments ago had now vanished without a trace.
"Even if I failed back then, haven't I succeeded now?"
She turned and looked out at the vast Camelot.
The top floor of the palace was nearly a hundred meters high, and from here, she could overlook the entire capital.
"No matter how unwilling this island may be, it has still fallen under my control. I have obtained Britain after all, and two thousand years have passed. Doesn't that make me quite successful?"
Eiji fell silent.
That was true.
Her goal from the very beginning had only been to possess Britain as a place to belong.
In the past, she had tried to change Britain through peace, but now she had simply abandoned that method and opted for domination instead.
However.
The Morgan of today and the Tonelico of the past—
They were truly not the same.
Words like these were something Tonelico would never have uttered.
"But this Britain is still unstable."
Eiji stepped forward and stood beside her.
The island's will to self-destruction had not ceased.
The Cursed God Cernunnos had not been dealt with.
As proof, calamities continued to occur on the island without pause.
"No problem."
But Morgan paid it no mind.
She pointed toward the great pit behind them.
"In that direction, I have deployed twelve Holy Lances. The moment the Cursed God shows itself, it will face my maximum firepower!"
"As for the island's self-destruction, it's meaningless. As long as the land beneath our feet remains and the fairies are not extinct, I can keep it lingering indefinitely!"
She had prepared for two thousand years and had accounted for every possible scenario.
So-called calamities, even the millennial Great Calamity, were utterly insignificant in her eyes.
Even the Child of Prophecy and the Foreign Traveler were not, in her view, enemies worth excessive concern.
There were only two main adversaries.
One was the Cursed God.
The other was the island's will to self-destruction.
For the Cursed God, she would respond with twelve Holy Lances.
"But the island's will to self-destruction cannot be eliminated."
Eiji remained pessimistic about this.
The Cursed God was easy to deal with.
After all, there was only one Cursed God. Killing it would be the end of it.
But Britain's self-destructive will originates from the island itself. As long as this island exists, it will ceaselessly scheme for its own demise!
Londinium from 2400 years ago has proven this point. No matter how cautious they were, they could not prevent the island from seeking self-destruction.
As long as Morgan rules Britain, the island's self-annihilating will shall never completely vanish.
This in itself is a paradox.
"Therefore, I have prepared this throne."
Morgan caressed the throne symbolizing her authority as queen, a proud curve lifting the corner of her lips.
"This is the strategy I conceived during my 400 years within the Fantasy Tree. With this throne present, no matter how many times this island attempts suicide, it will all be rendered meaningless!"