‘There’s a scabbard?’
Morgana glanced sideways at Excalibur, held in her hand.
It was a blade so sharp that even the slightest graze could mean death.
All this time, she had been inconvenienced by the lack of a scabbard whenever she carried it.
Now that she had seen it, she grew even more curious about what was written in the ancient documents.
‘Does it mean the sword and scabbard are one, even if it doesn’t look like there’s a scabbard, or is there a separate scabbard?’
Many had drawn Excalibur before, but they only ever spoke of the sword itself—never the scabbard.
From that perspective, the idea that the sword and scabbard were one seemed plausible.
As if sensing her scrutiny, Excalibur proudly asked,
—What? Smitten?
Morgana scowled, her expression turning stern, but the sword only looked at her as if she were strange.
—What’s with that face?
It seemed they would never understand each other.
Shaking her head at the sword, which clearly didn’t grasp the core issue of her question, Morgana quickly turned to Merlin before Excalibur could press for an answer.
“I’d like to see the other ancient documents. Please guide me.”
It was a statement, not a request.
Given her saint-like status, it was her rightful privilege. She wondered just how poor the condition of the other documents must be for even Merlin and the saints to have failed in deciphering them thus far.
‘I should also be able to see the temple records mentioned in the ancient texts.’
And if Merlin was to be believed, there might even be references to the sanctuary in the Caledonian Forest.
Without hesitation, Merlin gracefully descended from the podium.
“It might be difficult to read if you don’t know the ancient language. Are you sure?”
“Yes!”
At Morgana’s cheerful reply, Merlin smiled brightly and asked again.
“Most find the scriptures sufficient. Still, you wish to see them?”
“Yes!”
Who said I couldn’t read the ancient language?
Hearing Morgana’s enthusiastic responses, Merlin lifted the hem of his high priest robes with one hand to prevent it from dragging and took charge of guiding her.
“…Very well. Nimue, please accompany Lady Morgana and follow me.”
“Understood.”
Before her words even finished, Nimue’s bowing gesture betrayed her impatience.
“Let us go to the main hall, Lady Morgana.”
Fidgeting restlessly, he gestured with an urgency that bordered on discourtesy.
Morgana watched the shrinking, ghostly figure of Nimue gliding silently and thought to herself:
‘He acts like someone desperate to show off an ancient manuscript.’
💫
The temple was fundamentally open to all—except for one place.
The main hall, where the High Priest resided.
No matter how many times the building’s occupants changed, it had always been regarded as sacred.
Perhaps because of this, the main hall was located quite far from the areas Morgana had wandered before.
Morgana blinked as she stared at the towering, narrow entrance of the main hall.
‘I never even noticed a building like this here.’
At a glance, it was so inconspicuous that one might easily pass it by.
Unlike other temples, aside from its unusually narrow and elongated arched entrance, there were no notable carvings or even decorative flowers in sight.
Most would assume the main hall to be the largest, central building—yet this first impression shattered that prejudice entirely.
Upon reaching the entrance, Merlin smiled warmly over Morgan’s shoulder.
“From this point onward, only the Saint and Lady Morgana may enter.”
His words were directed at Arthur and Bedivere, who had followed behind.
Morgana raised Excalibur pointedly and asked in return, “What about this?”
“The Holy Sword is not a person, so it’s fine.”
Clearly, he didn’t seem aware that Excalibur possessed a will of its own.
Having spent time in the temple, Bedivere quickly nodded in acceptance.
Arthur, however, reacted sharply, “You’re sending the lady in alone as if expecting something to happen.”
Merlin gestured toward Excalibur and replied, “I’m well aware the temple has lost trust. But if trouble arises here, even the Saint and I would have nowhere to flee.”
The implication was that both of them were equally dangerous.
Even if it wasn’t quite the mythical Excalibur, a massive sword that reached up to one’s waist was undeniably a threatening presence in its own right.
Add to that the fact that it could move on its own, and it wasn’t exactly an incorrect statement.
Morgana raised a hand to stop Arthur.
“It’s fine. I’ll be back soon. Just wait for me!”
Arthur, who had been about to protest, couldn’t bring himself to say anything and merely bowed his head.
Merlin took a step forward, and as he stood before the door, the tall main gate opened with a creak—without anyone there to push it.
Following Merlin and Nimue, Morgana glanced back and waved at Arthur reassuringly.
As soon as Morgana stepped inside, the door that had opened on its own closed just as mysteriously.
It seemed to open only at Merlin’s command.
‘A personal automatic door, huh.’
Without hesitation, she was naturally led into a room.
Though it appeared ordinary, the fact that it opened automatically like before suggested some kind of magic was at work.
Upon entering the small room, a musty scent filled the air.
When Morgana sniffed a few times, Merlin gave an awkward smile.
“These are all old documents, so they have a… unique smell, don’t they?” His tone carried a hint of pride.
Shelves stretching all the way to the ceiling were neatly stacked with rolled-up parchments, much like the one she had received earlier.
Merlin pulled one out, unfurled it, and handed it to Morgan.
“This one describes how Excalibur was given by the Lady of the Lake. Would you like to see?”
The parchment Morgana took contained exactly what he had said.
[As monsters swarmed the land, every day was filled with the agonized screams of people and the roars of beasts. Unable to bear this endless suffering, the Lady of the Lake, in her fury, forged a sword with her hammer.]
‘No wonder the Fay ended up with such a temper.’
The founder of their lineage had been a hotheaded, capable being from the start. But that wasn’t why Morgana was surprised.
‘Merlin’s version is similar, but the details are a bit different…?’
Unlike the third ancient document she had received, this one was properly written in Korean. She tilted her head, puzzled by the strangely ambiguous content.
‘Are all ancient texts or scriptures written this vaguely?’
As if sensing her struggle to interpret it, Merlin gave a faint smile and handed her another document.
“I told you, you wouldn’t be able to read it. Would you like to see this one as well? It says that the holy sword can only be wielded by its true master.”
This document was similarly cryptic.
[One who can tame the whims of Excalibur shall save the continent. Yet, even they shall kneel before the Holy Grail.]
It was too ambiguous to outright criticize, yet something about it felt unsettlingly off.
‘The writing here is definitely different from the letters in the documents given to me.’
It was written like a cipher—yet in a way that only certain people could decipher.
‘They must have wanted to keep it hidden from those who shouldn’t read it. It’s clearly meant for specific individuals to interpret.’
Among the words, ‘Holy Grail’ was entirely new to her.
As Morgana lifted her head to ask about it, Nimue’s pale face was already staring intently at her.
Startled, she clamped her mouth shut, swallowing a scream.
Nimue showed no intention of stepping aside.
Instead, her bloodless face shook ever so slightly—a movement so subtle only Morgana would notice.
Like someone silently pleading for their life.
‘Is she telling me… not to ask about the Holy Grail?’
It was an uncertain signal. Keeping her eyes locked with Nimue’s, Morgana cautiously asked Merlin, who was sorting through more documents.
“Do you personally interpret the ancient texts, Your Eminence?”
“I do on occasion, but Nimue handles most of them. Sometimes, if a priest skilled in ancient tongues is available, they take over.”
Merlin’s behavior had long been questionable.
Despite being the High Priest, he seemed unable to fully grasp the power of Excalibur—or even Morgana’s own abilities—raising doubts about his divine authority.
Now, she understood.
‘He doesn’t know the ancient language, does he?’
No wonder he so readily handed over the documents.
Most of the ancient interpretations were handled by Nimue, who, for some reason, seemed to reveal only fragments to Merlin.
To him, the letters likely appeared different, and the undecipherable text would seem like useless documents.
‘Then why is Nimue helping Merlin? Going this far to assist him so ambiguously…’
Just as the question arose—
A distant shout from outside the window cut through her thoughts.
Unable to enter the main hall, the priest was delivering the news at the top of his lungs.
“Your Eminence! The knights dispatched to the Caledon Forest have returned!”
It was news that Kellive and the holy knights who had gone to the forest had come back.
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