There are, in fact, two Ladies of the Lake.
This is a secret known to few... but unfortunately for them, Alaric, well-versed in The Legends of King Arthur, was fully aware of it.
Vivian, embodying [Purity] and [Goodness], and Morrígan, representing [Conspiracy] and [Evil]. These two Ladies of the Lake, one in the light and one in the shadows, ruled over the fairies dwelling on the reverse side of the world.
In fact, Alaric knew even more. A third "Lady of the Lake" would later emerge... Morgan le Fay. The noble-blooded Red Dragon Princess, upon realizing her dream of restoring her kingdom was hopeless, would use some secret magecraft... unknown to him for now... to shed her frail human body and ascend to become a [Lady of the Lake].
Only then would the trinity of Ladies of the Lake achieve true completion, becoming the ultimate sovereigns of this reverse world... the so-called [Avalon].
But with Alaric ruling this world now, that future was impossible.
"Eh, you saw through me?"
Caught in the act, Morrígan stuck out her tongue, her face adopting an utterly innocent expression.
This was a common trait among the fairies of this world: they not only excelled at but thoroughly reveled in pranks, feeling no shame when exposed. Instead of fear or guilt, they'd boldly admit their mischief and bide their time to set another trap.
Even someone as clever as Merlin had fallen for their tricks.
And the worst part? There was little you could do against these Ladies of the Lake. They couldn't be killed... destroyed a thousand times, they'd simply be reborn in the magical waters of their lake.
"You really don't want to take a closer look? This tower is really impressive!"
"If you could truly master it, ruling Britain would be child's play. Maybe even the whole planet!"
The Lady of the Lake's voice dripped with temptation.
But when she looked up and met Alaric's menacing gaze... practically saying, "Keep talking, and I'll toss you into that tower to be sealed forever"...
"Alright, alright, I surrender."
"I'll show you the rest of the treasures instead."
…
The Lady of the Lake led on.
She brought Alaric to a grand temple, open to the sky with no roof, large enough for even his colossal dragon form to land and inspect the contents up close.
"These are our three highest-grade treasures."
"They're not quite on the level of that tower, though… Are you sure you don't want to check it out?"
The Lady's voice chimed again, but Alaric had mastered the critical skill of "selective ignoring." Brushing off her incessant chatter, he turned his gaze to the "treasures" before him.
There were three in total.
Two swords and one scabbard.
Hmm… seemed a bit odd?
"There were supposed to be three swords."
"But one was lost long ago. So, we had the fairies craft a scabbard to place here instead."
The Lady of the Lake smiled, attempting to explain the origins of the three items.
But she didn't need to... the moment Alaric laid eyes on them, he understood their full history.
[Excalibur]
The holy sword at the center, radiating a dazzling pale golden light. This blade embodied the concept of [Starlight]... each strike was the breath of the stars themselves.
To its left, where [Caliburn] should have been, now rested a scabbard crafted specifically for this starlit holy sword.
[Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia]
This scabbard, forged by fairies, was undoubtedly inferior to the supreme relics shaped by the planet's will. But its power was not to be underestimated. When activated, its bearer gained the blessing of [Avalon]... as if transported to another world, untouchable by any external attack.
"With both this holy sword and scabbard, you'd surely be invincible!"
The Lady of the Lake marveled at the might of the two treasures.
But Alaric caught the sinister undertone in her words.
Here, a bit of context is necessary: this is the island of Britain, part of the Celtic mythology branch within the broader Norse mythic framework.
And Celtic mythology has a distinct trait: great power often comes with an equally fearsome, inevitable curse.
In Celtic lore, this is called a Geis... a binding taboo.
The great Irish hero Cú Chulainn, for instance, lost control of his left hand and ultimately his life due to conflicting Geasa: [Never eat dog meat] and [Never refuse offered food].
The Lady's words... "With both this holy sword and scabbard, you'd surely be invincible!"... sounded grand. Indeed, a sword of certain victory paired with a scabbard of absolute defense would make one unbeatable.
But reading between the lines revealed her true meaning: "The sword and scabbard together make you invincible, but lose one… heh, you're as good as dead!"
"So, in the original history, the ahoge sister was doomed by this hidden Geis."
Alaric eyed the two glowing artifacts, pondering. Ultimately, he decided to eliminate this hidden threat once and for all.
Crunch...
Crunch...
Crunch...
The sound was crisp, like biting through three small biscuits.
What? You're asking why the third sword, [Arondight], the Unfading Light of the Lake, suffered the same fate as the other two relics?
"Sorry, but the mood was just right… I figured I'd bite that one too."
"It'd feel off otherwise."
Alaric chewed the fragments of the holy relics, savoring the mysteries flowing into his body.
[Ding! You gained: 3000 Growth Points.]
[Current Growth Progress: 4500/10000.]
[Ding! Concept Extraction in Progress.]
[You extracted a new concept from Excalibur: Victory.]
[You extracted a new concept from Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia: Protection.]
[You extracted a new concept from Arondight: Fairy.]
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