Chapter 1132: The Familiar Old Blacksmith
In the blink of an eye, it felt as if someone had given him a push.
Eiji's consciousness detached from the memory and returned to his main body.
Yet his expression turned grim.
Fairies seemed to possess a special talent by nature.
Just when one fairy exposed their bottom line, making people think that was the limit of how despicable these creatures could be, another fairy would always prove them wrong in no time, revealing an even lower standard!
If the previous surveillance and slave-like treatment could still be somewhat justified, this command made anger surge from the depths of his heart!
He heard that Tintagel Village had long been destroyed by Woodwose?
As if!
If they weren't dead, Eiji might not have been able to resist rushing over and setting the place ablaze!
"This is the third location!"
Merlin led the group forward.
With each step, the altar-like forging ground drew closer.
At the location of the Summer Memory, Artoria vanished once again.
Eiji employed the same method as before, infiltrating this memory.
...
"Alright."
As always.
Artoria smiled and agreed to the villagers' request.
It was said that the old blacksmith had once been a member of the Queen's guard, so the fairies in the village were afraid he might report to the Queen. If he could be killed, everyone would feel more at ease.
Clutching the rusty dagger given to her by the villagers, she arrived at Driftwood Corner under the cover of the dark night.
Standing before Ector's bed, she raised the dagger.
Eiji silently watched the scene.
No one knew of his presence—not even Artoria, the owner of the memory, was aware that someone was peeking into her past.
Watching that moment, Eiji felt no panic.
He knew clearly what kind of person Artoria was, and he knew even more clearly that she would never be capable of killing Ector, her only family.
"I've done it!"
Artoria returned to the village and threw Ector's blood-stained helmet onto the ground, her face cold and expressionless.
Fairies generally refused to touch ironware.
So, by bringing back the helmet stained with blood, she might be able to deceive them.
"I report! She didn't kill Ector at all!"
But at that moment, the young female fairy loudly exposed her.
That young fairy took pride in never changing her attitude toward others. She had reported to the village chief that Artoria was laughing and chatting with her staff in the fields—the very fairy considered her "childhood friend."
"This girl is definitely a fake!"
"Lock her up!"
"I've had enough! Does she have any idea how much effort we've put into hiding from the Queen's army?"
The villagers were utterly enraged.
Even as the pilgrimage approached, her magical power remained so weak.
She couldn't even manage to kill one person!
How could someone like her become the Child of Prophecy?
How could she help them make a fortune?
Artoria was seized by the villagers, roughly handled, and thrown into the dungeon.
"We've already reported you to the Queen's army! In three days, they'll be here, and that will be the end of you!"
"Sorry, Artoria, but we have no other choice now. Please don't blame Mother..."
At this critical moment, everyone in the village had lost their minds.
The woman she called mother kept saying sorry, but in reality, she felt a deep sense of relief.
Three days.
Only three days left.
After three days, it would be her death.
Locked in the dungeon, Artoria smiled bitterly.
"After all, I'm just not cut out for this, right? Why choose me as the Child of Prophecy? Wouldn't it be better to find some other powerful fairy?"
She had been in the dungeon for three days.
For three days, she had been wallowing in self-pity, exuding a strong aura of worthlessness.
"Instead of drowning in self-pity, why not think of a way to escape!"
But on the dawn of the third day.
The old blacksmith appeared before her, scolding her harshly.
"Take this and run away quickly!"
He broke open the prison door and threw a magic wand to her.
It was the Staff of Selection, the Staff of Selection she hadn't seen for ten years!
Eckert had stolen it from the village chief's house!
"Eckert, but I..."
"If you want to die, you can stay. I won't stop you!"
Artoria immediately fell silent.
She was just an ordinary lower-class fairy, dreaming of living an elegant, noble, and luxurious life like the upper-class fairies. She didn't want to die so early, and in such a foolish way!
Following Eckert, Artoria rushed out of the dungeon.
What greeted her eyes.
Was the village of Tintagel engulfed in flames.
"Wh-what is going on?!"
"They brought this upon themselves!"
Eckert sneered coldly.
"The village ran out of money long ago. It should have disappeared years ago, but they managed to survive until now by selling the treasures from the wooden boat that drifted ashore with you back then."
"But even so, the treasures have finally run out. Now that winter has arrived, there's less than a month left until the Queen collects the existence tax. They must earn more money and buy enough oak wood to survive."
"Exposing you was also to get the Queen's reward!"
Eckert coldly revealed the truth.
As long as they received the Queen's reward, they could at least survive this winter!
"But the Queen's reward is limited, and there are too many fairies in the village. So they came up with a brilliant idea."
"Just fight to the death. The fairies who survive will be qualified to receive the reward."
How brilliant indeed!
After all these years, these weak fairies only knew how to live off their dwindling resources, without ever learning to earn money themselves.
For fairies who possess mysteries, how pathetic!
And they still look down on humans? What gives them the right?
Eiji felt nothing but contempt.
"I-I have to stop them!"
Artoria instinctively picked up her wand, ready to rush into the village.
"What's the use!"
But Eckert slammed his hammer down in front of her, startling her.
"Fairies are not worth saving. This is the conclusion she, whom I once regarded as a granddaughter, came to... But I suppose you wouldn't listen to such words anyway."
He could see it.
Artoria's eyes were filled with hesitation.
But hidden within that hesitation was a certain stubbornness.
Just like her back then.
"Lord Woodwose, we've found two fairies here!"
"Capture them!"
The voices of the Queen's army echoed from nearby.
"No matter how many times betrayed, they can charge forward courageously; no matter how many times they fall, they can quickly rise again—such people are born saviors!"
Ektor lifted his heavy hammer.
"Run away quickly, you wretched girl! If the Queen's army finds you, you're finished!"
"But remember one thing well! For what reason do you want to save this utterly rotten world—only when you find this answer will you truly possess the capital to stand against the Queen!"