An undisguised delight flowed from Kellive’s smile.
Outwardly, there was no significant difference, yet for some inexplicable reason, it felt otherwise.
Striding forward, Kellive pressed his lips to Morgana’s hand before quirking an amused glance at her and asking,
“How was the teleportation stone?”
“Comfortable and pleasant.”
In Britain, magical artifacts were exceedingly rare and expensive, making them far from commonplace.
Naturally, teleportation stones were only used by the wealthy few for important occasions.
Even then, supply was so limited that most still relied on carriages whenever possible.
As she settled onto the sofa with her escort, Kellive looked down at her and replied,
“Glad to hear the effort paid off.”
Just as before, he made crafting magical tools seem effortless.
Seduced by the convenience she had just experienced, Morgana cautiously inquired,
“Are teleportation artifacts very expensive?”
“Quite so. They’re single-use, after all.”
“Ah, that’s rather inefficient.”
Disappointed, she clicked her tongue. Kellive flicked a glance past her, fixing his gaze on Raon standing behind.
A faint rustle followed, and soon a palm-sized box materialized before her eyes.
‘A box?’
Morgana lifted her head, glancing alternately between Kellive and Raon.
Raon, smiling as though weighed down by regret in the face of death, weakly clicked the box open.
Inside, a resplendent festoon necklace adorned with gemstones of varying sizes—identical in hue to those from the letter—gleamed dazzlingly.
Under the chandelier’s glow, it almost seemed to emit its own light.
As Morgana stared at the necklace with a mix of awe and confusion—
A soft plip of blood dripped beside her.
Startled, she looked up to see Raon covering his mouth, his frail smile unwavering.
Before she could fully process his state, Kellive swiftly added, “It’s something you left behind. I infused it with a trace of magic. From now on, use this for teleportation.”
“I left this necklace behind?”
No matter how far she searched her memories, she couldn’t recall ever seeing such jewelry.
Something this overwhelmingly extravagant would have surely left an impression—yet she had no memory of it.
But Kellive seemed completely at ease.
“It was in your room, where your belongings were placed.”
“Was it among the things Olivia brought…?”
She wasn’t entirely sure what items had been brought from the House of Fay.
Perhaps it was one of the things Olivia had packed for her.
‘Well, even if not, it’s still jewelry.’
And didn’t he say he had even infused it with magic?
She had long since verified Kellive’s skill in crafting magical artifacts.
Knowing this was no loss, she tightly clutched the box. But when she looked back at Kellive, then at the necklace again, it no longer felt as dazzling as before.
‘Did I mistake it for being extravagant just because it was unfamiliar?’
Only then did Morgana’s gaze drift to Kellive’s attire.
A crisp uniform, insignias, and a cloak draped fluidly over one shoulder—everything was immaculate.
Had he prepared for an official event after meeting her? It was too perfectly put together for a mere personal greeting.
With such gleaming accessories, it should have felt lavish.
Yet, if she hadn’t deliberately paid attention, she might not have even noticed he was in uniform—his presence was that subdued.
Strangely, only his face stood out.
‘What’s going on…?’
Of course, Kellive’s features were undeniably striking.
Today, his sly, knowing smile made him seem even more so.
And with Raon beside him—damp-eyed, hand pressed to his mouth—the contrast only amplified that brilliance.
Before Morgana, still dazed from receiving the necklace, could ask anything—
Kellive smoothly continued,
“I’d like to hold a banquet in honor of your visit. Is there anything you’d like to see in the meantime?”
“Are you not busy?”
“Not at all.”
Dozens of white pigeons were peering in through the window behind him for some reason. Though they were just birds, it somehow felt like being watched.
Kellive casually crossed his arms and flicked his fingers.
“Hmm, Avalon’s nights are bright thanks to the Mage Towers. Magical lights, like stars, illuminate every corner.”
“Wow, that sounds beautiful.”
“You haven’t been around the Mage Towers, have you? The mages leave behind all sorts of strange enchanted stone fragments from their experiments. There’s even a street where they collect and display them.”
She wanted to see it. When else would she get such a chance?
As Morgana’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, Kellive’s smile deepened.
Only then did she realize how openly eager she must have seemed about Avalon. She stiffened slightly, straightening her posture and clearing her throat.
“Ahem, so… is this necklace the only thing I left behind?”
“Ah, there’s more.”
As he nodded, Raon placed a single document on the table.
Familiar handwriting and a seal were stamped across it.
<To Morgana Le Fay, I hereby relinquish the position of head of House Fay.
—Frederick Le Fay>
Morgana doubted the words before her eyes at first.
But seeing Morgause and Elaine’s signatures beneath the Duke of Fay’s seal confirmed it wasn’t forged. She stared at the document as if beholding something bizarre, prompting Kellive to explain further.
“Lord Fay voluntarily handed over the title to you.”
“That doesn’t sound like him… Did he eat something strange?”
“Who knows? He dismissed all his servants too. House Fay was already in decline before you arrived—perhaps he realized he lacked the qualifications?”
He wasn’t the kind of man to have that much self-awareness…
But most of House Fay’s servants had already come to Morgana’s estate.
Considering how helpless he’d be without attendants, it wasn’t entirely implausible.
Kellive smoothly pushed the documents forward as if sliding them away and whispered in an even gentler voice,
“Now there’s a place in Avalon for Morgan to return to, isn’t there?”
“That’s right.”
The back mountain of the Duke of Fay’s estate had quite a number of rare medicinal herbs growing.
It wouldn’t be bad to accept them.
Just as Morgan was staring at the documents with unfamiliarity, the pigeons began tapping at the window again—knock knock knock—pecking at the glass with their beaks.
Morgan, watching their unrelenting numbers, asked with a hint of bewilderment,
“Are there really this many pigeons here, enough to litter the place if you go to a park or something?”
“No. These are all messenger pigeons sent by the Britannian royal family. They’re demanding replies.”
“That many…?”
Morgan, unable to even count the sheer number of pigeons, repeated the question with visible exhaustion.
Seizing the moment, Raves, covering his mouth with a handkerchief, mumbled a report.
“Yes. I heard Britannia is sending a delegation, with Sir Lancelot du Lac as their representative.”
💫
Balin, who had stolen the sword, faced a very big problem.
“Bring the invitation.”
“No, I told you I lost it?”
“Not acceptable. Find it and bring it.”
Unfortunately, merely changing his appearance wasn’t enough to enter the palace.
At best, they simply wouldn’t recognize him.
Security had grown even more intense due to the largest banquet in history being held.
Balin, loitering near the palace, roughly sat down on a large rock and gritted his teeth.
“Damn it, I knew it, but they’re annoyingly thorough. How do I get into the royal palace?”
He glared at the countless carriages entering the palace grounds and bit his nails. Though he had a magical tool to alter his appearance, none of the options were ideal.
“If I disguise myself as someone from Avalon, I’ll get stopped the moment something goes wrong.”
He needed to become someone Avalon wouldn’t dare to obstruct. But having lived his whole life in Avalon, he couldn’t possibly know the faces of foreigners.
Just then—
Blaaast!
A horn sounded.
It was the signal announcing the arrival of the High Priestess.
Sure enough, Merlin, dressed in white priestess robes, stepped out of a carriage flanked by two holy knights.
His face alone was proof enough, so the guards only gave the invitation a cursory glance before saluting and shouting,
“High Priest, you may enter. May the blessings of Coventina be with you!”
“Thank you. May her protection be with you all.”
As she returned the greeting with a gracious smile, her gaze suddenly shifted toward Balin, who was sitting on a nearby rock.
Afraid his magical tool might be discovered, he quickly lowered his head.
But then—rustle rustle—the sound of dragging fabric reached his ears, followed by Merlin’s soft voice above him.
“You seem troubled. What’s the matter?”
For a High Priest, he sure couldn’t ignore even an ordinary person. Thinking he was quite meddlesome, Balin hastily blurted out an excuse.
“Ah, no. I just heard a delegation from Britannia is coming, so I wanted to see.”
“It is a historic occasion for Avalon. If you’re looking for the Britain delegation, they’ll likely pass through the forest path toward the downtown crossroads in about an hour.”
The answer to his rushed words unexpectedly turned out to be quite useful information.
‘Wait, if I ambush the Britain delegation there and disguise myself as one of them…’
As he lowered his head, his scheming eyes darted around. Merlin, oblivious, gave him a kind farewell.
“Then may you achieve what you desire.”
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