Deep within an inconspicuous alley in Camelot, Kay yawned repeatedly, his eyes bleary and unfocused from the exhaustion brought on by his recent mental strain.
Fortunately, he did not have far to walk alone. With heavy dark circles beneath his eyes, Kay wound his way through several twists and turns until he reached the end of a passage overgrown with tangled vines.
Dense pothos vines intertwined like a flowing green waterfall, while flowers grew between them at slanting angles, resembling points of starlight floating upon water.
Kay checked his bearings and counted the steps he had taken, then casually parted the dense vegetation before him, revealing a sealed wall of blue gray stone.
This should be the place.
Though come to think of it, that bastard had never given him the password.
The head of finance paused for a moment before tentatively raising the hilt of his sword and tapping a particular brick.
After a bit of probing, the blue gray stone wall rippled and receded like flowing water, opening a narrow passage just wide enough for one person.
Of course. The same old trick.
After all these years, he had not even bothered changing the password. As lazy as ever.
Kay rolled his eyes and stepped into the passage between the stones.
Once his body passed through a layer of resistance resembling a film of water, the view before him suddenly opened up.
Kay found himself standing amid a vast sea of purple red flowers.
Looking around, the place resembled a secluded paradise untouched by the outside world, filled with thriving trees and blossoms of every color.
By day, it was filled with the sunlight of spring and the fragrance of summer. At night, it was covered by the air of autumn and the starry sky of winter. Flowers and insects filled the earth, while streams, greenery, and wild beasts inhabited the forest. Along the water stood exquisitely beautiful fairies.
The moment the visitor entered their domain, voluptuous fairies with butterfly or dragonfly wings fluttered toward him and began circling the gentle, handsome Knight, giggling from time to time.
At the same time, countless small hands brushed across Kay's face, fingers, and back, leaving behind a tingling sensation filled with blatant seduction.
Kay remained completely unmoved.
Standing where he was, he raised his eyes toward the purple white tower floating above the sea of flowers like an enormous diamond and snorted irritably.
"Merlin, cut out the stupid tricks."
"Changed your tastes? Hold on, I'll switch to another type."
A muttered voice came from nowhere.
With a crisp snap of the fingers, the voluptuous fairies surrounding Kay abruptly became slender and petite. Their lively manner turned quiet and graceful, though their glances remained every bit as alluring.
Veins bulged on Kay's forehead as he swatted the beautiful figures away.
"Enough, you old pervert! Stop trying to distract me with this nonsense. I'm here to discuss something serious!"
"Wasn't this the kind of serious business you used to come here for?"
That teasing whisper carried far too much meaning.
Kay's expression froze.
His face gradually darkened.
The ignorance of youth.
Truly, the ignorance of youth.
If he could turn back time, he would probably return to the past and strangle his younger self a hundred times over, then kill the old bastard who had corrupted him while he was at it.
He soon suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart, however, and his voice turned cold.
"Stop changing the subject, you old bastard. Get out here and talk to me!"
"Huh? Have you gotten so desperate that even I am no longer safe from you?! For everyone's safety, shouldn't you go home and cool your head first?"
The deliberately shocked teasing echoed from every direction, making Kay's blood pressure soar as his teeth ground together.
Then Kay took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
He raised an exquisite ceramic bottle, casually pulled out its wooden stopper, and sighed.
"Forget it, then. Looks like this fine wine offered to the gods during Rome's Lupercalia is going to waste."
Splash...
Amber liquid poured from the mouth of the bottle and spilled across the sea of flowers, filling the air with a rich aroma of wine.
"Stop, stop, stop! Wasting good wine is shameful!"
The air beside Kay distorted instantly.
A pale hand shot out like lightning and snatched away the bottle, which now had only half its contents remaining.
"Something this good, and you're wasting it right in front of me? What happened to the Knightly virtues of thrift and making proper use of everything?"
Muttering indignantly, the handsome white haired man in purple and white robes tipped the bottle back and took a large drink.
"Pfft!"
The instant the wine went down, Merlin's expression changed.
He spat the amber liquid straight back out.
"What Lupercalia wine?! This is Old John's ale! And what's even worse, they watered it down!"
"Ah, Little John's running the shop now. Looks like I'll need to buy my wine somewhere else from now on."
Kay coughed dryly, rubbed his chin, and thoughtfully delivered one final blow.
"Kay, you've fallen so far. You used to be such an upright Knight, and now even you've learned to behave badly."
Merlin clutched his chest with a look of profound disappointment, even as his body quietly began retreating.
"If I didn't do something like this, would an old fraud like you ever come out to see me?"
Kay grabbed Merlin by the arm and gave him a cold smile, completely unmoved.
After Artoria had drawn the Sword of Selection, Merlin, Kay, and Artoria had once traveled together so that they could further train her to become a proper King.
After years as traveling companions, Kay was probably the person among the Knights of the Round Table who understood the Grand Sage's personality best.
"Fine, fine. You win. Just tell me what you want already. I've still got a potion simmering in a pot."
Caught before he could escape, Merlin rolled his eyes helplessly and resigned himself to hearing out his old acquaintance so he could send him away as quickly as possible.
"I had a nightmare..."
"Dream interpretation? You should've said that sooner. Take the third street, turn right, and there's a pretty reliable fortune teller there. Tell them I sent you and they'll give you twenty percent off."
Kay ignored Merlin's smiling attempt to brush him off.
His gaze toward his old acquaintance gradually grew solemn and deep.
"It was about Camelot... and Artoria."
The frivolous expression on Merlin's face immediately stiffened.
For once, he fell silent.
The space around them suddenly twisted and shifted.
In the blink of an eye, the two who had been standing in the sea of flowers were seated beneath a spacious pavilion atop the tower, with steaming cups of tea already poured on the stone table before them.
"It's quieter here. What did you dream about? I've got nothing better to do anyway, so tell me."
Merlin spoke casually, but the lazy, dismissive smile had disappeared from his face.
Kay remained silent for a moment as he organized his thoughts, then slowly recounted the dreams he had been having.
The Sacred Round Table Realm...
The Millennium Pure White Kingdom...
The Holy Selection...
The unsealing of the Tower at the End...
Before long, Merlin's brow had drawn tightly together. His fingers tapped against the table as he sank into thought.
"It's obviously nothing more than an absurd dream, but every time I wake up, the memories are unusually clear. And lately, whenever I see Artoria or the others from the Round Table, I get this strange feeling in my chest for no reason."
Kay leaned back in his chair and rubbed both temples, looking exhausted and confused.
"Because of this, I haven't had a single decent night's sleep in almost half a month. What the hell is happening to me?"
"Ordinarily, a human's memories of dreams are fragmented, and dreams rarely repeat themselves exactly. The fact that you can extract such clear information and such a coherent sequence of events from yours makes one explanation the most likely."
Merlin returned from his thoughts and looked at Kay.
His voice became quiet.
"These were your memories to begin with."
"How is that possible?! We've never experienced anything like that!"
Kay's expression changed dramatically, and he shot to his feet in protest.
"Memories do not necessarily come only from the past or present. They can also come from... the future."
The Grand Sage of the Druids raised a hand to stop the argument Kay was about to make.
Then he turned toward the lush sea of flowers below the tower, his gaze deep and distant.
"Perhaps it is merely one possible future. But judging by your reaction to this dream, your compatibility with that future appears unusually high. In the terminology of the Age of Gods, this would be called a [Divine Oracle]. Beyond that, even I cannot say for certain."
A Divine Oracle.
A dream of the future.
A prophetic dream!
How could this happen?
Was that truly Britannia's ending?
After hearing the truth from Merlin, Kay stared blankly ahead, unable to believe it.
Wait.
The future had not happened yet.
That meant it could still change!
Kay immediately grasped the crucial point and looked expectantly toward the Grand Sage of the Druids.
"I'm afraid I can't solve this."
Merlin waved his hands repeatedly, looking thoroughly helpless.
The Lion King wielding the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad was simply too terrifying.
Forget Merlin alone. Even if more than two hundred Knights of the Round Table joined forces, they might still be unable to stop Artoria once she had become a goddess and made up her mind.
Unless...
A certain figure appeared in Merlin's thoughts.
His expression shifted slightly, and a contemplative gleam entered his eyes.
...
At the same time, at the Witch's House, the spacious courtyard was as chaotic as ever.
With nothing better to do, Mordred was running around with her beloved sword in hand, chasing the other three Fairy Knights and demanding fights.
"Tch, useless Tristan! Is that seriously all the strength you've got? Are you trying to tickle me? Tsk, tsk. What's with that face? Are you going to cry? Pathetic!"
"Hmph, Gawain! Stop looking so full of yourself! So what if you're strong? You're nothing but a brute who relies on raw power. Get lost, idiot!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Lancelot... Hey, Lancelot! Don't fall asleep, bastard! I still haven't settled the score with you for stealing my pillow last time! If you've got the guts, stop flying around and come down here to fight me!"
The emotion Mordred poured into those titles made it obvious she was treating Barghest, Baobhan Sith, and Melusine as stand ins for the actual three famous members of the Round Table.
Baobhan Sith, the weakest of the three, was tested a few times by Mordred before being promptly blasted aside to play with ants.
Barghest, being the muscle loving type, was more than happy to spar with Mordred.
But Mordred had already grown tired of fighting the same opponent, while Barghest herself had developed quite a few complaints about Mordred's relentless mouth during battle, which was infuriating enough to draw all the hatred in the world.
We're both fighting. Your swordsmanship is practically that of a wild beast. It's not as if you're much more skilled than I am.
Mordred, naturally, had a perfectly confident answer.
How stupid. Winning is what matters. Winning. Swordsmanship is only one option in a fight. If it gets you the victory, punching, kicking, or even biting is completely fine.
Fine, fine.
You're always right.
I'll just stop fighting you, all right?
Unable to endure Mordred's relentless verbal attacks, even Barghest had gradually become reluctant to spar with her.
As a result, Melusine, who possessed the Dragon's Jewel and currently had the most outstanding abilities of the three, became the dueling target that both Mordred and Barghest set their sights on.
Unfortunately, Melusine preferred peace and quiet, and once she spread her wings of light, she was extremely difficult to catch.
So most of the time, Fairy Knight Lancelot did not even need to fight.
Mordred and Barghest would encounter each other first and immediately start beating each other up over who got the right to challenge her.
After exhausting their energy, they would glare at each other with mutual disgust, agree to fight again tomorrow, and leave the courtyard in complete ruins.
Of course, if they caused too much trouble, the two little girls inevitably had to face the clutches of their guardian and teacher.
Their bottoms would be spanked red, leaving them whimpering until daybreak.
Go on, keep fighting.
You'll both get what's coming tonight.
At that moment, Samael lay face down across a lounge chair and cast an irritated glance toward Barghest and Mordred as they assumed fighting stances again.
He wickedly flexed his slightly itching fingers while muttering darkly to himself, then shifted into a more comfortable position and gave a pleased hum.
"Mm, a little farther left... yes, yes... now right. A little more to the right..."
On his back, the tiny silver haired dragon girl was stepping barefoot across her guardian's muscles and tendons, carrying out the massage with an extraordinarily serious expression.
Now this was living.
Nice!
The serpent, having gradually discovered all sorts of uses for the girls, had become increasingly lazy during this peaceful stretch of full time childcare.
In fact, with the resident freeloader absent for the past few days, Samael had actually become a little bored.
Thud!
A figure suddenly landed inside the courtyard with a dull impact.
The newcomer stared directly at the man lying there with someone stepping on his back while wearing an expression of complete enjoyment.
"Why are you here? It's not even mealtime yet."
Under Kay's strange stare, Samael instantly tensed like a compressed spring and flipped upright in a single motion.
He asked the question as though nothing unusual had happened, though the stiffness in his facial muscles was making his expression dangerously close to collapsing.
Bastard.
Have you never heard of knocking before coming into someone's house?
Why do you people always climb over the wall?
From the corner of his eye, Samael sized up the haggard and somewhat furtive looking Kay while complaining furiously inside his head.
"Forget dinner for now. I've got something serious I need your advice on."
Fortunately, Kay had enough tact not to make fun of him.
Instead, he immediately approached with a broad smile, grabbed Samael, and dragged him toward the quiet room inside.
As they passed the kitchen, he even remembered to call out to Freya, who was busy cooking.
"I don't like cilantro. Don't put any in my bowl, thanks."
Thanks, my ass!
You really do treat my house like a public cafeteria!
A vein bulged on Samael's forehead.
He was almost speechless at the man's shamelessness.
Still, after Kay enthusiastically produced a bottle of genuine Lupercalia wine and invited him to sample it, Samael's expression finally eased.
Maintaining his dignity, he followed Kay inside.
And this bottle, naturally, was not some watered down fake.
"I had a nightmare. It was about Camelot and Artoria..."
After several rounds of leisurely drinking, Kay organized his thoughts and explained the reason for his visit to the man who could only barely be called his friend.
"I asked Lancelot before coming here. He admitted that even if the entire Round Table, himself included, fought you at full strength, they probably wouldn't be able to defeat you. Only Artoria can truly contend with you. Merlin also said that you might have a way, so..."
"So you want me to stop Artoria from fully becoming a Divine Spirit and prevent that apocalypse from happening?"
"Yes. Exactly."
Kay nodded sincerely, impressed by how quickly Samael understood.
"Then what's the price?"
"The price?"
The Ancient Serpent's quiet question left Kay stunned.
"If she gives up her divine authority and loses her status as the one chosen by destiny, how will she keep the arrogant and unruly warriors of the Round Table under control?"
Samael's gaze deepened, and an amused smile appeared on his lips.
"If the price of returning her to normal is giving up the throne of Britannia, then what is your answer?"
"Has Morgan still not given up?"
Kay's gaze toward the Ancient Serpent gradually turned cold, his voice carrying a trace of mockery.
But before Samael could answer, Kay gave an easy laugh and spoke seriously.
"I don't care."
"Whether the dynasty changes or the Round Table rebels, I have no time to keep indulging Merlin and King Uther's dream. I don't care who rules Britannia, either, or whether you have some other motive."
"Artoria has already spent one lifetime as the [Divine Agent Who Saves Everything]."
"She deserves to live for herself at least once."
***
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (50 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***