Camelot Palace.
In the royal garden, bright summer flowers bloomed beneath the hazy night sky.
A cup of slightly cooled tea sat on a white wooden table.
Artoria sat inside a pavilion, golden crown on her head, cloak draped over her shoulders, quietly gazing at the distant surface of the lake.
After the banquet ended, she didn't return to her room to rest and went straight back to work.
Even so, the amount of political affairs she needed to handle was now far less than before.
After the battle with Attila, both the transmigrators and the Beasts hiding in the shadows calmed down instantly.
Well ...Violence wasn't the answer to everything, but that didn't mean strength was useless.
The existence of the Sword of the Stars had become a massive deterrent.
Unless someone had absolute confidence, no one wanted to face a White Dragon holding that sword.
Artoria's eyes were closed in silent thought.
After an unknown amount of time, she spoke slowly, "Since when did you develop the habit of spying on others, Merlin?"
No one responded inside the pavilion.
Artoria didn't say anything else and simply turned her head toward a nearby tree.
A gentle night breeze rustled the leaves, and the white-haired mage stepped out from behind the tree, leaning lazily on his staff.
Merlin.
The fluffy-haired mage gave her a bright, amused wave. "Your perception seems to be getting sharper. I was watching from far away, yet you still sensed me."
Artoria shot him a cold glance.
"That's only because I've been spied on far too many times. I've developed the habit of staying alert."
"Rather than saying my perception improved, maybe it's more accurate to say you've been spying on people more often."
Caught right on the mark, Merlin didn't look embarrassed at all.
He only scratched his head and laughed. "It seems like you've improved at throwing insults too. That must be Princess Morgan's influence."
Artoria was too tired to entertain him and asked bluntly, "What do you want?"
"It's nothing urgent. It's just that Alvin fought the King of the Huns today, and all the hidden enemies seem to be retreating. I was bored and wanted someone to talk to," Merlin said with a smile.
"You weren't this cold to me before, Lily."
As Camelot's court mage and Artoria's mentor, she used to respect him deeply.
But after being manipulated by him, combined with Alvin leaving at the time, her heart shut down completely.
Even after reuniting with Alvin, her attitude toward Merlin never recovered.
Seeing Artoria remain unmoved, Merlin let out a soft sigh. "I came for one reason."
"What reason?"
Merlin met her eyes, his expression turning serious. "It concerns the Age of Gods. Or more precisely, the future of all Britain."
…
...
Mordred lay on a couch with her hands behind her head, yawning lazily.
She had just finished attending the banquet and was now completely bored.
Not far from her sat a little girl with long black hair, staring at Mordred with a hesitant expression.
She was none other than the famous Tsundere Rin Tohsaka.
Since she was still young, she wasn't allowed to attend the banquet, which was reserved for Britain's leaders and the higher-ups among the transmigrators.
"What is it? You've been staring at me. If you want to say something, just say it," Mordred muttered, glancing at her.
"You want to ask about my father, don't you?"
Hearing her words, Rin stiffened. Her cute face froze for a moment, and under Mordred's gaze, she quickly looked away.
"You're misunderstanding. I was just curious about who went to the banquet."
She tried to deny it, but a girl her age couldn't hide her feelings and Mordred instantly understood.
She smirked and yawned again. "Is that so? I thought you were worried about my father being injured."
"He, he got hurt?!"
Rin's eyes widened in shock.
She still vividly remembered how easily Alvin had fought against Sessyoin before.
In her eyes, the new king of Britain, who defeated the old White Dragon, was someone who shouldn't lose.
Mordred couldn't help smiling a little. "Of course. The King of the Huns is incredibly strong. Even my father has to take him seriously. Getting injured isn't surprising."
Well… even if he did get injured, the White Dragon's healing ability was insane.
He'd be fine in no time.
Mordred thought that to herself.
Rin didn't say anything more.
Her eyes flickered as if she was lost in thought as the rebel knight watched her with interest, the little girl finally snapped out of it and quietly said,
"I see. Even if you tell me, I can't really help with anything."
Mordred nodded. "True enough. You should sleep. Kids should go to bed early."
Rin Tohsaka didn't answer and simply stared out the window, as if thinking about something far away.
.
.
Ten minutes later.
The little girl slowly opened her eyes, carefully lifted one corner of the blanket and peeked at the sleeping Mordred.
After making sure she didn't wake her, she tiptoed out of the room.
Only after the door clicked shut did Mordred, who had been pretending to sleep, open her eyes, with a satisfied grin appearing on her face.
"Still saying you don't care... heh..."
Tsunderes really are the most entertaining creatures in the world.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side.
"So just having this is enough to count as a holy relic?"
Inside the room, Tiamat's eyes widened the moment she saw the pitch black crystal in Alvin's hand and couldn't help asking the question.
Alvin held a perfectly smooth, ink black crystal.
Its surface shimmered faintly, and deep inside the stone, strange ominous patterns swirled like something alive.
"Having this is more than enough. I'll take care of the rest and find a way to summon you properly."
Noticing the doubt in Tiamat's eyes, Alvin smiled and reassured her.
This was a special Beast core, a crystal that symbolized their existence.
It was indestructible and would never decay, even after countless years.
If any object could serve as a holy relic, nothing was more suitable than this.
After bidding Tiamat goodnight, Alvin returned to his own room, sat at the desk, and opened his personal interface, quickly falling into thoughts.
His CG completion rate was at ninety three percent.
The system gave him no hint at all, and he had no idea where the remaining seven percent was supposed to come from.
How annoying.
He originally thought defeating Attila would unlock a new CG, but clearly it wasn't going to be that simple.
A sudden idea flashed through his mind.
Maybe because there's no "connection" between me and Attila, that's why no special achievement unlocked?
Every CG he had so far involved a heroine who had some kind of deeper or complicated relationship with him. Attila obviously wasn't on that list.
Thinking about that possibility, he couldn't help grumbling in his mind.
So I can only unlock new CGs if I have something more than friendship with other girls. What are you anyway, a CG system or a dating system? Are you only satisfied when I get chopped up by jealous girlfriends one day?
The moment that thought crossed his mind, he suddenly heard faint footsteps outside his door.
Alvin shut down his internal complaints immediately and lifted his head toward the sound.
His powerful perception swept through the room in an instant, and at the same time, the presence outside quietly entered his awareness.
"Rin...?"
Recognizing the presence at his door, a puzzled look appeared on Alvin's face. "It's late. Did you need something?"
"Can I come in…?"
A crisp yet faintly timid voice came from outside the room.
"You can."
Only after receiving Alvin's permission did the door slowly open from the outside.
A tiny girl with long, loose hair stood at the entrance, cautiously peeking inside at the boy in the room.
The room lights weren't on, but even in the dimness, the girl's eyes immediately found Alvin.
"What's wrong? Coming to find me this late, did something happen?"
Alvin asked with a gentle smile.
Tohsaka Rin hesitated slightly before whispering, "I heard you went to the border not long ago and got injured... so I wanted to come check on you."
The latter gave her a strange look. "I did go to the border, but I didn't get injured... Who told you I was hurt?"
Attila was certainly powerful, but the two of them had only exchanged a light blow.
Though the destructive power of that single Noble Phantasm had far exceeded everyone's imagination, it wasn't enough to injure him.
Not injured...?
Rin's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Alvin in disbelief, and when she noticed the questioning look on his face, the seven-year-old's face instantly flushed crimson.
A single thought flashed through her mind: I've been tricked!
...
The next morning.
News of yesterday's battle at the border had spread and fermented overnight; now practically everyone in Britain knew about it.
At this point, the people of Britain truly learned that the White Dragon had returned.
And not just returned; he had come back as an ally of King Arthur.
Some people were excited beyond measure, while others angrily scolded the White Dragon because of his past betrayal.
Of course, condemnation was one thing; the White Dragon's achievements in this battle still had to be acknowledged.
On top of that, another piece of news circulated, this one concerning the Knights of the Round Table.
Rumor had it that a new member had joined their ranks.
No one knew her true identity; people only heard that she wielded a crimson spear and was seventeen years old... but nothing more concrete than that
Alvin woke early the next day.
He originally planned to head to the Hall of the King to see Artoria, but on the way he was stopped by the crisp sound of weapon clashes.
Following the noise, he arrived at the training grounds, where he saw Scáthach holding her rose-colored spear, sparring in the center of the field against a tall, powerfully built blond man.
...Gawain.
At the entrance of the training grounds, two Knights of the Round Table stood with troubled expressions, as if dealing with something exhausting.
"How tragic... truly, truly tragic. Why did it have to come to this..."
The red-haired knight, Tristan, looked miserable, and even cast a sympathetic glance at Gawain.
Alvin stepped closer for a better look and asked curiously, "Why is everyone sparring in the training grounds so early? This energetic?"
"Who do you think is to blame? You caused the trouble, and now the rest of us have to deal with the consequences."
The moment Sir Kay spotted Alwin, he let out a cold laugh. "Lady Scáthach showed up first thing this morning insisting on sparring with members of the Round Table. Sparring, she says, but really she's just venting her frustration."
"What happened to her?"
Alvin was confused.
He had left the banquet early last night, so he had no idea what occurred afterward.
Kay explained the events briefly, and by the end, Alvin finally understood and couldn't help laughing helplessly.
Ever since the day Scáthach had 'lost' to him, she had been unable to let it go.
Last night she had managed to comfort herself a little, but the more she thought about it, the angrier she got, which led to this morning's spectacle.
"So everyone is helping me take Scáthach's anger for me?"
Alvin sighed. "You all are really united."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kay let out a cold laugh.
"If this weren't the wrong place for it, I would've already punched you."
After all, Alvin was the one who caused the trouble, yet they were the ones paying for it.
All because Alvin told Scáthach back then that every Knight of the Round Table possessed exceptional swordsmanship, and if she wanted to spar, she could challenge any of them.
And now look what happened.
After inviting Scáthach into the Round Table, Alvin simply tossed the responsibility aside, leaving behind a massive problem for his companions to handle.
Hearing this, Alvin sighed helplessly. "You think I did this on purpose, Kay?"
Kay raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Tristan also turned his head toward him.
"It was Merlin's idea."
Alvin replied helplessly.
Merlin… hearing the name, both men instantly narrowed their eyes.
"Merlin thought Lady Scáthach would be a perfect fit for the Knights of the Round Table, so he strongly pushed me to make a wager with her. The bet was that if she lost, she would have to join the Round Table."
Alvin explained further and the two knights remained silent, though the dangerous glint in their eyes made it obvious that they had mentally noted this debt and would not forget it.
Good luck, Merlin..
.
.
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