Duke Fay, who had collapsed to the floor, struggled to rise with the help of a priest.
He seemed deeply troubled by Morgause’s behavior and kept glancing at Merlin for reassurance.
“High Priest, I apologize for troubling you with this. It seems my child has gone astray…”
Morgana bit down on the soft flesh inside her cheek.
The fleeting expression on her face vanished almost instantly. She bowed slightly, meeting Duke Fay’s gaze.
“I understand. May I have your hand for a moment? I’ll send some divine energy to help.”
“Thank you. To receive healing directly from the High Priest is an honor beyond measure.”
Merlin, however, didn’t seem to be paying much attention to his words. He was too preoccupied with locking eyes with Duke Fay. This caused Duke Fay’s expression to narrow slightly.
‘Even if my healing abilities are weak, does he really think divine energy is beneath him? Is he dismissing me like this?’
But he couldn’t afford to confront the High Priest. He suppressed his growing frustration.
“High Priest, since you’re familiar with our family’s affairs, perhaps you weren’t as surprised? You know about the holy sword, so you must have long understood our family’s powers.”
“…Ah, yes. Of course.”
Merlin’s response was slightly delayed. Whether it was due to his own unease or something else, his answer felt less than reassuring.
Morgana smiled faintly and replied firmly.
“Of course, I knew.”
As Merlin’s hands overlapped on the back of Duke Fay’s hand, the Duke’s eye twitched in confusion.
“…Huh?”
At his single exclamation, the hall doors burst open.
“Forgive me, Your Grace.”
The person who entered was Gawain, his brow furrowed. His brown hair was covered in dirt, and his sturdy armor, which fit his robust frame, was scratched and blackened in several places.
Morgana quickly scanned his disheveled appearance.
‘So, the knight Kellive sent from Avalon was Gawain.’
Blood dripped from his arm, staining the white temple floor.
In his injured hand, he clutched a bloodied teleportation stone.
It seemed he had rushed to the temple using the stone. He gripped his wound with his other hand and strode forward despite his injuries.
Standing before Kellive, he skipped formalities and went straight to his report.
“We found a strange mansion in the Caledon Forest. When we tried to investigate, we were met with offensive magic traps at the entrance…”
Gawain winced in pain, tightening his grip on his wound as he continued.
“I don’t recall the holy knights mentioning anything about a mansion. Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”
At that moment, Bedivere rushed in with a group of holy knights.
“Sir Gawain? I’m Bedivere, the knight commander who sent the dispatch letter regarding the holy knights.”
He glanced at the trail of blood on the floor and asked with concern.
“Are you alright? Since this happened while assisting the temple, I’ll have a priest attend to you.”
“Sometimes things go wrong when the sun sets. Don’t worry about it. But what’s this about a mansion in the forest?”
Gawain waved his hand, stopping Bedivere from approaching. Bedivere paused briefly, then wiped his face with his hand.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. A mansion in the Caledon Forest? I know the Caledon Forest inside and out, and there’s no such thing.”
His eyes were filled with indignation. He spread his hands, offering the most assertive explanation he could muster.
“Even if there were, think about it. Divine energy can’t be used to cast such ruthless offensive magic.”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
Gawain nodded, seemingly convinced. Just like that?
Morgana, standing beside Kellive, stared at him with wide eyes, as if looking at someone strange.
Divine energy and magic were distinctly different. Divine energy, granted by the blessings of the gods, was only effective for healing and defense.
‘If it’s offensive magic, it definitely isn’t divine energy.’
Gawain winced intermittently, as if enduring pain, and agreed with Bedivere’s words.
“The temple wouldn’t use such high-level magic… Could this be some prank from the Mage Tower?”
“I’ll request the Mage Tower to send someone to investigate immediately.”
At Bedivere’s quick judgment, Morgana leaned in curiously and subtly joined the conversation.
“Will the Mage Tower send someone right away?”
She recalled Raon, who had worked like a dog in Britain. He had once cursed, saying that mages only responded when they felt like it.
If it took too long to find the stranded noblewoman and the priest, their lives could be in danger.
Gawain, despite it being their first meeting, nodded casually.
“Ah, that’s true. But then we won’t be able to enter the mansion at all. Someone needs to dispel the magic first.”
Behind his large frame, Duke Fay could be seen staggering. He kept shaking his head, as if in pain, which looked quite strange.
Morgana whispered to Arthur, who was standing behind her.
“Can you keep an eye on Duke Fay’s condition? If he seems too quiet, let me know.”
“…Too quiet?”
“Yes. He’s not usually that quiet.”
Instead of answering, Arthur simply stared at her intently. His silent gaze carried a complex emotion. When she tilted her head in confusion, he finally spoke.
“Understood.”
With a quiet nod, Arthur took a step back and focused on Duke Fay.
Morgana first grabbed Gawain’s arm.
“Shall we treat your wound first? Your arm looks painful!”
“Oh, sure! But who are you?”
Only now did he think to ask, after they had been conversing so easily. Morgana smiled brightly and pulled his arm.
“That’s quite a quick question!”
“I’m a bit sharp, you see. Honestly, if it weren’t for the night, I wouldn’t have gotten hurt like this.”
As his wound slowly stopped bleeding, he widened his eyes in amazement and raised his voice.
“Is this… the legendary power of the Lady of the Lake? Right?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
“Wow, I once had to search the Duke Fay’s estate for herbs on His Majesty’s orders, and it was such a pain.”
Having confirmed Excalibur as well, he widened his eyes and covered his mouth with one hand. With his other hand, he pointed at Excalibur and asked in disbelief.
“Is that the holy sword? Then… are you the ‘Future’?”
“Huh?”
At his sudden question, Morgana tilted her head, and he leaned in closer, cautiously asking again.
“Britain…?”
“Ah, I was in Britain for a short while!”
Even in this serious situation, he was unexpectedly cheerful for someone of his size.
Meanwhile, Bedivere, standing beside him, seemed to find him odd and gave him a strange look.
Gawain bowed politely and then extended his hand to Morgana.
“Gawain Green, Captain of His Majesty Kellive’s Royal Guard. Let’s shake hands.”
With a firm grip, he shook her hand so vigorously it felt like her arm might fall off. His straightforward questions soon turned to Merlin, who was standing at a distance.
“By the way, High Priest, do you know how to dispel magic?”
His voice was so loud that it echoed particularly loudly in the quiet banquet hall.
Merlin, who had been openly targeted, paused for a moment before approaching and shaking his head.
“…No. I only possess divine energy.”
“Well, I just thought I’d ask. Seeing as there’s concealment magic as well, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary foe.”
He tapped his chest with his fist, tilting his mouth to one side with confidence.
“But who am I? I’ve trained under a master skilled in magic for a lifetime. No concealment magic can escape my eyes.”
Given that he had discovered a mansion even Bedivere hadn’t seen, his skills didn’t seem to be mere rumors.
Merlin, who had smoothed back his slightly disheveled hair, spoke kindly again.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but that place is an abandoned shelter. It was built a very long time ago.”
Bedivere turned his head toward her, his furrowed brows looking quite bewildered.
“This is the first I’ve heard of such a place.”
“I’d only heard stories about it, but I didn’t know it actually existed. I never imagined there would be magic there…”
She dropped her head and smiled bitterly. Her fidgeting hands seemed genuinely anxious, not just an act.
It wasn’t just the unease of a suspicious mansion appearing.
Then, there was only one answer.
‘So, the key is that mansion?’
Comments (0)