The chilling coldness seeps into my skin and in front of me is abound with the starless night sky. The morning sun hasn’t broken out yet from the horizon, from the sea of trees as far as my vision could scrape.

From the veranda of the mansion we are currently staying in the Elven Continent, the Land of Greenwoods, I look down upon the city with marching elven soldiers patrolling the place. The poor sods can’t even take a break as no one knows when the dwarves will actually attack.

This has been dragging on for a really long period of time. The war has broken out between the kingdoms, however, not one clash has yet to happen. This situation has put everyone on the edge. It will be another matter if there’s an actual battle and everyone would have something to vent out these frustrations.

The long term preparedness for the war with no actual battle took a toll on a lot of people.

Resources are wasted, a strict order with time is implemented and barely anyone got to rest with our group as an exception even though our tirade on the borders with Boss’ lead to failures. Actually, it’s the reason I am up early…

No…

With all these in my mind, I haven’t slept a wink.

There’s also the case of Mimi and Daisy…everything is in shambles and our objectives keep shifting. The stress might have been double for Casablanca and Hibiscus as this war will determine how their kingdom will fare and I know how they love their people.

With Mimi’s disappearance, Topaz is also on the edge and she is fuming. It was the first time for me to see her raging like that…

And now…Daisy’s tantrum tampered quarrel with the consciousness of King Arthur from an old legend and the wildcard called Merlin.

“Uwah, that’s an adorable grumpy countenance you wear there, little girl.”

“…?!”

“Surprised, I saw you daydreaming earlier so I took upon myself to see how do you do.”

“It’s crime to suddenly barge into someone else’s room, no less, a room of a girl!”

“Hahaha! Surely it is.”

It was him, Merlin.

I doubt he even needs to use the door to enter my room. He just magically appeared in my room without me sensing his presence or hearing any sounds. The long blue mood I’ve painted myself is now replaced with a displeased one.

I quickly wore a disgruntled most annoyed face I think I could ever show to anyone.

“That’s exactly the face I’m looking for.”

“Tsk! So…what do you need from me?”

“No chill, huh. You are someone who is stubborn and doesn’t think much of action from the get-go.”

“N-No…Why do you think that? Who are you to read about people’s personality anyway?!”

“I believe you’ll grow into a splendid woman, one with proportions of unquestionable beau.”

“You have the blood of an incubus, no? It won’t work on me, you and your slippery words. I’m actually a man inside a girl’s body.”

“Regardless, you have promise.”

Mother has large boobs. This body is an exact carbon copy of hers but I am the one who occupied. Up until this day, I’m still wondering why my body is this young or why I did grew up by two ages older when I performed divine possession with Hasu.

Why is my access to my power locked and the only way I can bring it out is through the means of other people?

Oh yeah, I need to remind myself of my body’s condition of everlasting readiness to conceive, even at this form…

Thinking about it immediately sent down a chill in my back!

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t come closer to me, okay? You were a womanizer as I heard!”

“I like women, yes. I was punished because of my excessive womanizing but I don’t regret it.”

“……”

“I usually don’t like brats but seeing that you are a unique existence, someone who is seemingly an embodiment of divinity, I don’t mind doing it with you.”

“You’ll die a horrible death, I promise you that!!”

“Now, now, I’m just kidding.”

“You sounded so dead serious though.”

“I’m a scumbag after all.”

“Well played, calling your own self like that.”

Merlin made a shit eating grin that it made me unusually perplexed. I just let go of this feeling and stare at the horizon beyond this veranda. Once again, a breeze comes gently blew past my skin and the sensation of chill sticks to my shoulders at it trembles a little.

The shirt I’ve been wearing as my sleeping wear couldn’t provide anything past cold and my bare legs don’t exactly try to shy away from the gust.

“Fuuuu… baring yourself like that, that’s bound to happen.”

Merlin wraps a scarf around my neck until it hangs on my shoulder. I thought that he was being so gentleman that he offered his own scarf but I immediately recognized this scarf and it came from the drawer inside the room.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Obviously, I gave him a mean glare.

“Lionheart, a storm is coming.”

“Seems like it…the downfall yesterday was just the start…”

“No…this storm…it’s unnaturally made.”

Unnaturally made?

I tilt my head from the wizard’s rambling as he peeks over the horizon. There are rather dark clouds forming, spreading throughout the sky, as far as the eye can see.

Why haven’t I noticed it?

“What made you say that?”

“You should notice it yourself. The beginning of an upcoming storm will always be a drop in temperature.”

“It’s cold, yeah.”

“Well, it is. But this coldness is naturally brought upon the sighing night time. Welp, not that it matters right now.”

“Doesn’t matter right now…”

A secret attack using the storm as a cover…

I don’t think such paltry tactics could work against a city protected by Lady Hinoki’s barrier. If by chance they have something to break her barrier, I could just immediately replace it with mine.

Although how they made the storm raises some questions in my head…

“King Arthur…how was he when he was alive?”

That question escapes from my lips. Merlin’s gave a soft smile.

“Arthur Pendragon… you have told me that you read about his legend in a book, right?”

“What are the straightforward values that you consider to be the most important for him? There are a lot of things to say about him. For someone who was personally there to witness his life, I thought you could give a better view of that.”

“What are you into at?”

“Just making small talks…”

“You’re quite the cheeky conversation partner. Very well, since I’ve taken a liking to you and your whole group of friends.”

“Creepy…”

“Well, in one word, King Arthur can be described as…bright.”

“How so?”

“It’s not about the personality but how his presence described him.”

I tried to recall how I viewed King Arthur. Even with Daisy’s countenance, he carries an air that depicts his authority as a king, much like how other kings and queens that I’ve met. They do not shame themselves merely with their presence alone.

The previous beast king, King Folga, even though he was a hearty fellow and seems like he’s messing around, there were instances where I felt that he was indeed a king.

Is it something that they learned as they sat on the throne? Is it something that in their confidence to prove their subjects that they are special?

A king serves his subject…

“As the burden on his shoulder became heavier, he shone brighter. He was a charismatic person that upholds his beliefs at face value. Even when he was cheated and coveted by his own wives and knights, he kept himself headstrong.”

“That’s…really sad…”

“Right? Regardless, he knew that his knights do a responsible job outside of their fetish. Good thing I stuck on beautiful girls in the countryside.”

“I feel bad for King Arthur. Heck, I feel bad for those girls in the countryside.”

“That’s that. King Arthur’s depiction of kingship has far outweighed what I taught him. He had gone full martyr. In the end, one of the knights he trusted so much, tried to usurp him.”

“…Mordred.”

“Yeah…After that, he was taken to Avalon as he was badly wounded on their battle at Camlann. Basically, you already get the gist of the story from the stories written about the Arthurian legend.”

“Yeah…”

“Well…books aren’t all that accurate, to begin with, and there’s a lot of iteration…Heh.”

Goosebumps immediately come crawling on my skin like a wildfire! Merlin just wore a huge smug on his face as he creepily told me about a possible alternate ending of the book!

I know stories passed down from history will have a lot of alteration or even iteration but for someone who actually existed in that story, no less a fictional one, this just sent me so many red flags that I can basically predict the future with a lot of mess in it!

“I won’t give out a spoiler!~ Tee hee!~”

“Damn you!”

“Ah-Ahahahaha! I can’t get enough of that reaction!”

“Anyway, it’s a little bewildering that you’d be reading a book of fiction basically based on your own lives. There, it was written that you had a lot of affairs…even with King Arthur’s half-sister, Morgan.”

“Morgan le Fay to be exact. She’s one of the spiciest women I’ve bedded.”

“You know, I think why, for the first time we met, I felt really compelled on hating your guts. It’s like, hearing those words coming out from your lips awakened the desire for me to give you a kick on the face.”

“I’m a scum after all. However, how I loyally serve my king was all for the betterment of his kingdom, is true.”

“More like you are a dick.”

“Oh? Making a pun or something? That’s good.”

I can’t handle this guy!

In my whole career of being the retort man in a wacky situation like this, most of the time with Higan, I’ve never encountered a guy who wholesomely accepts insult!

“But you know, I felt really unfair for all them to live on my own…”

“…”

“My king died sustaining mortal wounds and was brought to the place where his sword was forged. It’s like they wanted to keep the ideal king’s purity in the land of everlasting.”

“You mean that place called Avalon, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then…what did you do? Or…you’re not going to tell?”

“Well, I am in a better mood so I’ll tell you. As the greatest most handsome mage, I collected all of the Knights of Round Table souls including my king’s, and then I kept them all in the Caliburn.”

“That’s…don’t you think that’s far crueler than death?”

“You think so because I don’t. I waited for a long time before all the knights fell and sealed them inside Caliburn.”

“What happened to King Arthur’s greatest most treasured sword, the Excalibur?”

“Sir Bedivere returned it to the Lady of the Lake. I then took the chance to steal Caliburn. I couldn’t just simply let them go.”

“…Why is that?”

“If anything, it’s all about the life that they lived. The time is nigh and we have now a perfect opportunity.”

“What for?”

“…The king’s last war. I am hoping that they can duke out everything before they truly pass away.”

“…You are a really terrible person.”

I look down as I tried to imagine what those knights would feel about everything. It’s not because Merlin deliberately trapped their souls in Caliburn but…

How bringing back their life’s excitement in a single moment just to have it crumbled on the next second.

I started gripping the rail of the veranda’s fence while trying to hold back my tears.

“…You are the purest, most kind soul I’ve ever met. You don’t even know them.”

“…You are truly a terrible guy.”

“Sorry. It’s all about my responsibility to myself.

It took me quite a while to settle down.

I can never ever understand Merlin’s motive. The line that separates genius and insanity is truly that thin.

“Well, it’s time to do something about that.”

“…Yeah.”

I look at the looming storm clouds getting closer to the walls of the Elven Capital. Approaching through bad weather that they themselves made could prove badly…

On their side…

If this storm that they made was made of magic, chances that they can penetrate Lady Hinoki’s barrier is close to none. I’ve heard of the dwarves skills in metallurgy and they are the best. However, there’s a significant difference if they tried swords and bows against a magic barrier that Lady Hinoki reinforces on a daily basis.

I heard that Susanoo easily bypassed her barrier once and that was the first time the dwarves declared war against them. At that time, Lady Hinoki wasn’t prepared at all. In the end, Susanoo and Priscilla got themselves involved.

However, right now, Lady Hinoki learned from her mistake and took it upon herself to study militaristic stratagem.

“Ah…what…in the world is that…?”

“…Hey…you gotta be kidding me.”

Slowly, behind the clouds descends a huge metallic plate that completely camouflages with the dark clouds. In mere seconds, a huge jolt shook my entire mind as the next part showed itself.

It was a large metallic barrier compounded on a huge flying aircraft or some sort. And the emblems that it has…I remember it back from the ruins I explored together with Higan back at the demon continent.

“Ether…why…?”

Come to think of it, Boss told me to be wary because one of the sins are working with the dwarves. Don’t’ tell me it’s that guy…?

If it is that…then…Lady Hinoki’s barrier will…

“Lionheart…th--!”

Merlin tried to tell me something, however, I immediately jumped down from the veranda.

“Topaz!”

“Yes! At your will.”

On my call, Topaz immediately caught me on her arms. As her feet almost touch the ground, an earthen spike immediately shot us off in the air again.

“Topaz…”

“I know already. It’s one of my father’s creations!”

The onlookers who are seeing this has an extremely confused countenance. They don’t have any idea about the ethers, less, the destruction that will be brought down on them.

Evacuation is futile.

There’s only one thing that I can do.

“Asagao…!”

The muzzle of the huge barrel started glowing in bright and eerie light. It was the same as the laser of the etherian golem. It would immediately burn this whole capital in half!

“Topaz, to the highest point, straight to that thing!”

“Yes!”

I immediately drew out a sword from my dimensional storage as Topaz’s last volley into the air took us at the limit of Lady Hinoki’s barrier.

The dark clouds showed the true form of the invading enemy…

It was a flying ship, as huge as a fortress!

As it accumulated an astounding amount of heat and energy, the barrel fired off a huge beam, probably even bigger than the mansion we are staying right now, directly towards the capital’s heart.

“Asagao!”

“I’m on it!”

“[Divine Counter!]”