Mangeum let out a pained whimper, as if even she felt uneasy.
Seemingly concerned, she refused to leave the old man’s feet. Mangeum was a divine beast that grew by consuming divine power.
If she had lived here with the old man, it surely meant he had enough divine energy to feed her.
‘And yet, a man like this can’t even properly heal his own hand…’
Hiding her thoughts, Morgana lightly played along.
“This estate is quite large—you must live alone. It must be hard, especially with your condition!”
The old man blatantly pretended not to hear, focusing on his meal instead.
Unable to carry the conversation alone, Morgana elbowed Kellive beside her in the ribs, urging him to continue.
“The food seems quite skillfully prepared, doesn’t it?”
“Certainly, serving the exact same dish in three portions consistently would be difficult unless one were highly trained,” Kellive remarked, pressing his knife into the steak’s cross-section while staring at the old man.
“Unless, of course, they weren’t human.”
No sooner had he spoken than the old man suddenly shot up from his seat with a shout.
“This is why I can’t stand youngsters! Yapping away while eating—!”
But as he stood, his legs gave way, and he crashed to the floor with a loud thud.
“Grandfather!”
Startled, Morgana and Mangeum rushed to his side.
The old man clutched his leg tightly with one arm, his limbs stiff as if seized by a cramp. When Morgana moved to heal him, he violently swatted her hand away with surprising strength.
“Don’t touch me!”
“It’s alright. Just calm down—”
“I said, don’t touch me!”
He gripped the chair, struggling to rise while refusing her help.
Morgana watched him intently as he floundered, unable to stand properly. Then, resolutely, she seized his arm.
“No. If you keep moving like this, you’ll only make it worse.”
“I told you not to—”
“Fine, fine. Then I won’t touch you. I’ll just step back and lend a hand from a distance. Is that acceptable?”
Morgana nodded toward Kellive, who was supporting the old man from behind. With ease, he took the old man’s arm and swiftly seated him in a chair.
Suddenly lifted into the air as if plucked by force, the old man blinked in confusion.
“Huh…?”
“Stay still. If you move carelessly and break a bone, it won’t heal easily at your age.”
Despite her gentle smile, her kind voice carried a sharp warning.
The old man tried to struggle, but Kellive was quicker. Beneath the chair where the old man sat, a magic circle unfolded.
Soon, the runes within the circle linked like chains, binding his arms and legs to the chair.
Trapped without warning, the old man resisted fiercely.
“No matter what you do, I won’t reveal the Holy Grail’s location! Just kill me instead!”
So, he does know about the Grail.
No wonder something felt off on the way up.
Ignoring his shouts, veins bulging in his neck as if in battle, Morgana rolled up the old man’s sleeve.
His skin was covered in strange black symbols, completely covering one arm.
Just in case, she lifted his pant leg—his leg was the same.
Kellive, observing from behind, added an explanation.
“Black magic. A normal person would’ve died from this.”
“You don’t seem to have divine power. Interesting.”
“It likely spread from near his heart. He may have had divine power in the past.”
As if confirming, Kellive smirked and asked,
“Am I right?”
“Do I look like I’ll answer easily?”
Brushing off the curt reply, Morgana placed her hand on the old man’s arm.
A soft glow spread warmly, and the old man’s anger from moments ago began to fade. His sharp, wary eyes darted around, trying to grasp the situation.
Unfazed, Morgana continued healing him and smiled brightly.
“I told you—I came to find the lost treasure.”
“…What? You have divine power?”
“Something similar. Do you know about the power of the Lady of the Lake’s family?”
The old man narrowed his eyes at Morgana’s words.
“Don’t think you can fool me just because I’m old. I’ve known for a long time that the power of the Fay family has weakened!”
“That’s right. It was like that a long time ago!”
Mangeum, who had witnessed the power, panted excitedly beside Morgana, wagging her tail as if it might fall off.
When Morgana shared her power with Mangeum as well, the old man’s wary gaze sharpened.
“How did a member of the Fay family end up with a puppy? Isn’t this because of the Holy Grail?”
Now, it felt like they were finally understanding each other.
Morgana tilted her head and continued,”Well, it’s true that we’re looking for the Holy Grail. But to be precise, we’re searching for it because we don’t want it to fall into someone else’s hands.”
“…”
For a moment, the old man’s frown deepened, but then his expression gradually softened. He cleared his throat and turned his head toward Kellive.
“Untie me, would you?”
Kellive only smiled faintly, pretending not to hear. The old man raised his voice again.
“I’ll behave, so untie me right now!”
Still grinning, Kellive continued to ignore him until Morgana spoke up again.
“I think we can let him go.”
“If there’s no other choice. If that’s Morgana’s wish.”
No sooner had Kellive finished speaking than the magic circles binding the old man’s hands and feet dissolved into nothing.
The old man rubbed his wrists lightly and shot Kellive a sharp glare.
“I definitely sensed something ominous earlier, yet you held out well.”
“…You must have been lonely living alone. You talk too much.”
At Kellive’s quiet threat, the old man scoffed and fixed his gaze on Morgana.
“Hmph. Morgana, was it? I am Pelles.”
Flexing his now-freed hands, the old man’s eyes gleamed with determination as he spoke firmly.
“The family that has guided the Holy Grail for generations. In the scriptures, we’re recorded as the Fisher King, or so they say.”
“A family that guides the Holy Grail?”
At the unfamiliar sound, Morgana tilted her head.
Pelles, who had been silently watching her blink while cradled in Morgana’s arms, let out a dry cough.
“Did you not properly study the scriptures at the temple?”
“I didn’t look closely. Then, do you know the location of the Holy Grail, Grandfather?”
“The Grail is a dangerous relic. So the gods have arranged many safeguards to ensure not just anyone can find it.”
His voice was calm and cultured, unlike the stubborn old man he had seemed to be.
Every action he had shown until now had been an act. Pelles lightly tapped the nose of the child in Morgana’s arms and smiled faintly.
“The path is guided by the sacred beast, and the exact location of the entrance is marked by the scabbard. And that land—our family has guarded its secret for generations.”
His briefly smiling expression suddenly hardened.
As if recalling the past, Pelles gritted his teeth.
“But then, that damned sorcerer found out somehow and came looking for it.”
“A sorcerer…?”
“Merlin. Outside, he pretends to be the High Priest, it seems.”
Merlin had already come here long ago.
Pelles glared down at his own arm and continued in a heavy, furious tone.
“That cursed sorcerer used dark magic on me, and while I was unconscious, he stole the sacred beast. Damn him…”
Coughing roughly, Pelles returned to the expression of an ordinary old man. He smiled awkwardly, in a way he had never shown before.
“You came looking for the child, and the sword without its scabbard… I misunderstood you.”
With a sidelong glance at Kellive, he added, “And you even brought along a black-hearted wretch.”
“Who? Kellive?”
Following his gaze, Morgana stared at Kellive and asked in confusion. Though his hair and clothes were dark, he didn’t seem like a bad person.
Pelles clicked his tongue loudly, glaring at Kellive with clear distaste.
Then, turning back, he smiled kindly at Morgana, as if he were a completely different person.
“You even lifted that damned sorcerer’s curse for me, yet I have nothing to give in return.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t help you, expecting anything.”
Though Morgana firmly refused, Pelles shook his head.
“No. The only thing I have is knowledge of the Grail’s location—so I should at least tell you that.”
Still eyeing Kellive with displeasure, he whispered quietly,
“The Holy Grail is in Avalon.”
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