Did I ever make such a promise…?
I couldn’t even clearly recall when that conversation had taken place.
‘Was it a promise made in Britain, or did I say something like that in Avalon…?’
I definitely remembered hearing about the Street of Sorcerers a few times before.
As Morgana sifted through her hazy memories, she narrowed her eyes and cracked the door open slightly. Through the gap, she could see Kellive, looking neat and composed.
Peeking out with only half her face visible, Morgana glared at him through slitted eyes.
Kellive leaned forward slightly, meeting her gaze through the gap.
“You said you missed me.”
“Did I ever agree to go with you?”
“No one knows Avalon better than I do.”
It was true—his usual demeanor did radiate a certain fondness for Avalon.
‘Well, I do need to travel around Avalon for the Grail’s sake, anyway.’
There was no harm in going with Kellive, who had nothing to hide.
With a creak, Morgana closed the door as she replied, “Wait a little. I just woke up.”
As the door shut with a soft thud, she almost thought she heard his quiet chuckle—though it might have been her imagination.
Morgana slipped into lightweight outdoor attire and slung Excalibur at her waist.
Unlike before, the blade of Excalibur was now tightly wrapped in thin cloth.
As she firmly tied the cord to keep it from loosening, Excalibur made a strange noise.
—Master, was this your preference all along? Binding me like this!
…Should I just discard it?
Shooting it a disgusted look, she yanked the cord tight and knotted it securely.
“You had a scabbard before, didn’t you? Then you should be used to this. Consider it a temporary sheath.”
‘I’ll have a proper one made later.’
Up until now, she had respected its preference to remain bare, but now that she knew scabbards existed, she couldn’t just let it slide.
The gleaming hilt was already eye-catching enough as it was.
This isn’t some mercenary-ridden Britain, nor is it a bustling street in Avalon teeming with mages. What reason could there be to move about so uncomfortably?
As Morgana finished her preparations and fastened Excalibur to her waist, the sword protested.
“When I needed my master, how quick you were to act. Even when you handed me over to that dark-hearted wretch, I shut both eyes tight for you, you know!”
In that moment, Morgana unknowingly tightened her grip on him.
“You saw all of that?!”
“Of course. Master and I are one. We’ll be together forever.”
For some reason, a wave of embarrassment washed over her, and she took a deep breath.
At least Mangeum is innocently preoccupied with the robes.
This damned Excalibur just has to blab about things that could’ve been left unsaid.
When Morgana abruptly scooped Mangeum into her arms, Excalibur snickered.
— What’s that about? Even beasts struggle to pretend they don’t know.
“My king!”
“See? I was right.”
“Don’t translate that.”
Clenching her teeth and forcing a smile, Morgana deliberately swung the door wide open, as if to make a point.
As if he had been waiting, Kellive, who had been leaning against the wall, straightened up.
Morgana fixed him with an intense gaze, approaching with a grave expression.
Completely clueless, Kellive tilted his head.
“Did a war break out somewhere without me noticing? You look ready to march into battle any moment.”
“Let’s go! Now!”
Shouting loudly, Morgana strode past him first.
But from behind, Kellive quietly caught her shoulder. With a swift turn, he redirected her steps, guiding her with extra politeness.
“Not that way—this way.”
“I got confused!”
Brushing off the awkwardness, she quickly adjusted her stride, and without another word, he matched her pace.
For some reason, his smile never left his lips.
💫
In Britain, bustling streets had been developed.
Most shops had their own buildings, and the popular ones had eye-catching, extravagant signs to attract customers.
It was natural for the night to grow dark, but Avalon’s downtown was different.
“Wow, I’ve never seen a ceiling this high before,” Morgana said, gaping at the glass ceiling that seemed as tall as a castle.
Kellive gently smoothed her tangled hair and replied, “Thanks to that, the streets stay fine even in bad weather. And it gets even prettier at night—lights come on all along the street.”
Because of this, many shops changed their businesses between day and night.
Some places even had signs shaped like a sun with teacups or a crescent moon with wine glasses neatly embedded in them.
Mangeum, too, seemed fascinated, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Even though it was indoors, the space was so vast it could easily be mistaken for the outdoors if one didn’t look up at the ceiling.
Some shops even had open kitchens—frying pans and spatulas moving on their own, wine bottles filling glasses without human hands.
“So this is the Street of Mages,” Morgana murmured.
Truly, everything here was made of magical tools.
As she looked around, she asked, “Magical tools must be incredibly convenient. I heard they’re expensive, though.”
“It’s jointly managed by the Magic Tower and Avalon,” Kellive explained.
“Otherwise, mages would keep indulging their strange curiosities in the wrong places.”
His tone suggested this was a space created to keep troublemakers from causing havoc elsewhere.
Soon, she understood what he meant.
“Free herbal medicine that cures all ailments to the winner of this card game!”
At the mention of herbs, Morgana’s ears perked up—but only briefly.
Near the fountain, where light snacks and games lined the street, an unusually large crowd had gathered.
The tense atmosphere felt like a fight could break out any second, making nearby merchants click their tongues.
“Tsk, here we go again.”
Unlike the others shaking their heads in familiarity, one man pointed at the shopkeeper sitting at a small table and shouted.
“Hey, you! You used magic tools to switch the cards, didn’t you? I saw everything!”
“Oh, come on. You’ll run your business into the ground like that. Magic tools aren’t cheap—you think I’d use something so expensive just to earn a few pennies?”
The shopkeeper emptied his pockets with an air of innocence, proving he had nothing.
The now-broke guest huffed and retorted, “You expect me to believe no one’s ever won? You little—I’ve had enough of this!”
Wham!
The man lunged forward, but the surrounding customers held him back.
“Ugh, I told you to quit while you were behind. What are you doing?”
“But that herb… Ugh!”
The man, as if at a loss for words, pressed his lips together tightly. The idea that there was a herb capable of curing all diseases was completely unheard of.
Morgana narrowed her eyes, staring at the herb bottle displayed as a prize on the counter.
‘That’s just a common herb…?’
It was a simple herb with basic effects—soothing pain or easing discomfort when consumed for a sore throat or minor illness.
Yet, for some reason, it was being showcased as a panacea.
It must have been an appealing product, as a young boy tossed his money pouch onto the table.
“I’ll join the game.”
“Very well, sir.”
Morgana grabbed Kellive’s arm and pulled him back.
“Do you like games?”
“I’m trying to like them right now.”
Though the question was directed at him, for some reason, Excalibur’s excited voice chimed in.
—Ah, I can’t stand things like this! There’s no escaping Excalibur’s keen eye!
Well, that settled it.
Morgana pulled out a fist-sized pouch of gold coins from her magic tool bag.
Pushing through the crowd, she placed the pouch of gold on top of the boy’s money pouch.
“I’d like to take his place.”
“And who might you be?”
The eyes of the child in the robe suddenly twisted.
A hint of wariness flickered at the sudden intrusion of an uninvited guest, but Morgana stared firmly at the shopkeeper.
Upon spotting the gold coins spilling from her pocket, he swiftly changed his attitude.
“Of course. Please, have a seat. Kid, come back later.”
“No, I was here first!”
The child snapped angrily, but Morgana responded with a sweet smile, as friendly as possible.
“If I win the prize, I’ll give it to you. How’s that?”
“…Really?”
Whether herbs had been the goal all along, the child’s voice softened.
Quietly, the kid rose from the chair they had been sitting in. Morgana smoothly took their place and tapped the empty seat beside her with her palm.
“Come sit. What’s the hold-up?”
Kellive, who had been watching leisurely, pulled his robe deeper over his head and sat beside her.
The shopkeeper shuffled a deck of cards and asked, “Miss, take a look. Here we have the Ace of Hearts, Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds.”
He flipped each card onto the table one by one.
Shuffling the deck again, he continued, “You get three chances. If you guess correctly all three times after I shuffle and draw, the prize is yours.”
Morgana subtly nudged Kellive with her leg. He nodded slightly and whispered under his breath,
“You can say your favorite number and card. I’ll make sure it lands.”
Swish—
As the displayed cards mixed back into the shopkeeper’s hands, Excalibur shouted.
—It’s Hearts! Definitely the Ace of Hearts!
How do you know?
—How wouldn’t I? The rigged magic tool only draws Hearts.
The shopkeeper drew a card and placed it face-down on the table.
“Well, miss? What do you think it is?”
“Six of Spades.”
It was a completely off-guess from the start.
The smug shopkeeper playfully drooped his eyes and flipped the card.
“Ah, what a shame. It’s… Huh?”
But the card in his hand was the Six of Spades.
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