How About You Find a Different Savior?

Morgan took Xi Jianxi's hand and walked forward with a light step.

"What kind of thing is that to say? Though I can remain in this world only because of the mana from my contract with you, I am still a Servant." She walked beside Xi Jianxi. "Rather, I should ask my husband whether his legs can still hold up."

"So-so." Xi Jianxi nodded with a smile. "The ambient mana here is especially dense. As long as I circulate my mana, I'll be fine."

But precisely because the roads here were extremely difficult to traverse, Xi Jianxi had repeatedly told her before setting out that, if necessary, he could come here alone.

As he had discussed with El-Melloi II beforehand, he would arrive at their destination first, make sure there were no problems there, and then wait in the village for II to arrive.

"Even so—" Xi Jianxi still held Morgan's hand. "I thought Her Majesty the Queen would dislike such rough, untraveled roads."

Morgan smiled indifferently. "That was all much later. Before that, I had traveled across the entire island of Britain."

"Then what do you think of present-day Britain?"

"I have no particular thoughts. It is simply what this planet in this age ought to be like," Morgan said softly.

Though the ambient mana was generally denser than elsewhere on the planet, this was still, in essence, a world after the decline of the Age of Gods.

Phantasmal species such as fairies had long since moved to the Reverse Side of the World. This planet had now become entirely a world suited to the survival of primates.

On some level, describing Morgan's feelings as finding it utterly unrecognizable would not be far off.

"Do you like it?" Xi Jianxi asked with a smile.

Morgan fell silent in thought, then slowly spoke after a while.

"Because it can accept my husband, despite the many things I find unsatisfactory about it, it is ultimately still a fairly beautiful world."

"What kind of description is that...?" Xi Jianxi grumbled, but his hand tightened slightly around hers. "Who gets rejected by the world?"

"They do. Because of certain things they have done, people can be rejected by the world, or by the foundation of human order." That was what Morgan told Xi Jianxi.

"The more I hear, the worse this sounds." Xi Jianxi could not help sighing.

"That is simply how it is. As a Magus, you should understand such matters quite well." Morgan looked at Xi Jianxi.

That was true enough, but the foundation of human order was simply too distant a topic for Xi Jianxi.

He was merely a Magus living in this world. To human society, he belonged to the more mysterious sort, but within Magus society, he still lived a fairly ordinary life.

"Enough about that. I have a feeling we're almost there. What sort of place are we going to this time?" Morgan asked.

"The world after death," Xi Jianxi said.

The moment he finished speaking, Morgan frowned in displeasure. "Are you in such a hurry to return there?"

"...Uh, I'm not talking about the Shadow Realm." Xi Jianxi hurriedly added, "Didn't I say on the train that this place was connected to the 'Witch of Britain'?"

"That is true." Morgan's brow relaxed. "But what does this have to do with El-Melloi II, as you said?"

"Of course, because of the Holy Grail War." Xi Jianxi sighed.

After the Holy Grail had been purified, investigation reports from the Mage's Association and the Holy Church concluded that, since it had never formally activated and had consumed only part of its mana, the Greater Holy Grail would hold the ritual of the Holy Grail War again ten years later, in 2004.

Xi Jianxi had felt too awkward to directly dismantle a ritual someone else had established, and for a certain reason, he had ultimately chosen only to purify it.

But with the Holy Grail War set to begin again in merely ten years, Xi Jianxi felt somewhat uneasy.

If possible, he wanted to stay as far from that ritual as he could and avoid becoming involved again.

"You are already involved with the Holy Grail War. Even if you wish to avoid it, it will be useless." Morgan saw through Xi Jianxi's hidden worries. "Even if you want to stay away, there will surely be all manner of reasons forcing you to return to Fuyuki and confront the Holy Grail War."

"You make it sound like it's already decided," Xi Jianxi muttered.

Yet in his heart, he could not deny Morgan's judgment.

At that moment, the sound of wings beating came from the shrubs beside the mountain path, followed by more than a dozen black birds taking flight from the woods.

Blackmore

Seeing this, Xi Jianxi did not hesitate. He pulled a folded cloak from his backpack, draped it neatly over Morgan's body, raised the hood to cover most of her face, and gently fastened the cord at the front.

The mountains were not especially hot in midsummer, and the two of them knew magecraft that could ward off snakes, insects, and vermin, so there was no need to wrap themselves up excessively for protection.

Yet Xi Jianxi still did so. Morgan did not ask why; instead, she understood why he had insisted that she carry no luggage and had borne everything himself.

After all, this was the man she had chosen. There had to be a reason for him to do such things. Morgan merely needed to wait patiently for the next answer to be revealed, with the anticipation of someone awaiting a film's ending.

"There really are a lot of crows here," Morgan said with a laugh as Xi Jianxi adjusted her cloak.

"Crows carry souls."

As the deep voice rang out, a black figure appeared where the crows had flown away. He was a man in black, around sixty years old. Though already elderly, his sturdy build was evident even through his coat. An old travel hat rested atop his untrimmed, messy hair.

"Britain is not the only place with such a saying. Crows also appear often in Celtic myths on the continent. They are guides for the dead, birds that guard graves. They cry: Nevermore."

A black feather landed on the man's shoulder.

"From the sound of it, you must be the gravekeeper?" Xi Jianxi stood before Morgan, turning slightly as he asked.

"A Magus from the Clock Tower has come here. What is your business?" the man asked.

The other man had recognized Xi Jianxi's identity as a Magus and his Clock Tower origins at a glance. He was clearly no ordinary person.

"Nothing much. I am merely scouting ahead for Lord El-Melloi II." Xi Jianxi calmly turned to face the man. "Also, the time for a certain prophecy is approaching, so I came here especially to deliver a message."

"Oh?" Surprise appeared in the man's eyes.

Through the gap beneath her hood, Morgan saw a smile rise at the corners of Xi Jianxi's lips. "It is said that the Black Madonna will soon arrive in this place and grant the gravekeeper new guidance."

"That is certainly something I have never heard before." Though the man remained suspicious, he did not underestimate Xi Jianxi because of it.

Because Xi Jianxi's words had struck directly at the truth behind the man's identity.

"I only learned of it by chance." Xi Jianxi smiled and nodded in greeting.

"If that is so, then please follow me. I am the gravekeeper, Bersac Blackmore. Since you have business with me, come along."

With that, the man entered the forest at astonishing speed.

Xi Jianxi knew the route and was in no rush to follow.

"Haah..." Morgan let out a sigh. "So it was this place. I did not recognize it."

Blackmore Cemetery.

It was one of the most widely known cemeteries in this land, and its name had long circulated among Magi.

"That is why I kept it secret beforehand." Xi Jianxi took her hand again, though this time he was rather particular about the gesture.

Morgan's palm rested atop Xi Jianxi's, and he raised it slightly. Anyone who saw them would know that she was an important figure, while he was instead the attendant.

"Then allow me to ask, the 'Black Madonna' you mentioned could not possibly be..." Morgan's face was hidden beneath her hood, and her lips pressed together, yet she could not suppress the curve of her smile.

"Do you even need to ask?" Xi Jianxi was smiling as well.

At last, even Morgan could not stand Xi Jianxi's mysterious act any longer. With Servant-level strength, she fiercely squeezed his hand, producing a sound that made one shudder.

The "Black Madonna" mentioned by both him and Bersac the gravekeeper was none other than Morgan le Fay.

Of course, for the "Morgan" standing here, that was not entirely accurate.

"I never expected you to bring me to such a remote mountain village just to put on this mysterious act." Morgan looked at Xi Jianxi, whose face had begun to sweat even as he remained perfectly composed.

"If you are dissatisfied, you may return now. It will delay us a little, but I will take you back to London and find another way to get here." Xi Jianxi felt somewhat guilty for making Morgan play along with this farce, so he had no intention of forcing her to accompany him.

"Since we are already here, we may as well take a look." Morgan stepped forward.

She did know of Blackmore, but in all these years, she had never personally set foot here, and she knew nothing of its circumstances.

Thus, following the tracks Bersac had left behind, the two arrived at the village built amid precipitous mountains.

The village had only around a hundred residents, so small that it seemed as though it might vanish into the tide of time at any moment. Most of its buildings were made of brick and tile, and appeared to have at least a century of history.

Though the villagers walking about wore modern clothing, there likely would have been no sense of incongruity if they had changed into medieval attire.

Bersac had been waiting at the village entrance. With him stood a rotund man in priestly robes, with three chins and a body round as a ball, as well as a young woman dressed as a nun.

People from the Holy Church.

At a glance, Xi Jianxi and Morgan understood the situation here.

According to Bersac's introduction, the two were the priest and nun of the church in the village's north, and they were also responsible for managing the village's daily affairs.

As outsiders, they needed the priest's permission to enter the village.

The priest was named Fernando Cruz, and the nun was named Ilumia.

Since they were outsiders, the two headed toward the church under the guidance of the priest, the nun, and the gravekeeper.

"Then may I ask the names of you two?" Fernando shifted his round body as he wiped away sweat with a handkerchief.

"My name is Xi Jianxi, and this is my wife, Toneriko Xi," Xi Jianxi introduced Morgan.

Bersac glanced at Morgan, whose face was obscured by her hood. "Is your wife unwell?"

"No, her skin is simply naturally delicate, and she is not well suited to the mountain climate." Xi Jianxi lied without changing expression.

Since he was a Magus from the Clock Tower, the priest and nun, as lower-ranking Holy Church personnel, did not press further.

Bersac had already explained that the two were an advance party, and that the true guests would arrive the following day.

Therefore, once they reached the church, the priest handed matters over to the nun to prepare while he went to receive visiting believers.

However, as the nun went to arrange for the guests' reception, she passed by Xi Jianxi and whispered something in his ear, which caught Morgan's attention.

It was not that she minded an unfamiliar woman approaching him. Rather, the words themselves carried an inexplicable air, yet did not seem to be a warning.

"You had best not stay here for long."

Origins

The church in the northern part of Blackmore Village had a plain exterior, its walls covered in ivy. The chapel within was simple and spacious, much like the church in Fuyuki, though its ceiling was far higher.

The chapel was spotless, and delicate yet unostentatious items had been placed everywhere, lending it an air of solemn sanctity. Xi Jianxi could even imagine it packed full on Sundays, with the villagers listening to the obese priest preach Mass.

After leading the two into the church, Bersac left first. Before departing, he warned them that they should first pray before the Black Madonna statue at the front of the chapel, as that was the village custom.

The old gravekeeper even demonstrated it for them.

"I will handle the prayer." Xi Jianxi knelt on one knee, holding his hands before his chest.

"In that case, it would be better to pray directly to me." Morgan said blandly, "Compared to praying before a statue, praying to the Black Madonna herself would be more effective."

"That is true." Xi Jianxi smiled.

Though she said that, Morgan did not actually do so. She merely stood behind Xi Jianxi, waiting for him to finish praying while surveying the church.

There was nothing unusual about the church compared to others, save for the Black Madonna statue painted black, which drew particular attention.

The crucial point was its face.

The face of the Virgin Mary differed subtly among statues and paintings from different regions.

But the face of this Black Madonna statue alone inexplicably made Morgan's skin crawl.

Its brows, eyes, and features all resembled her—Morgan le Fay—very closely.

Though she still did not know why the Holy Church was in charge here, Morgan had already vaguely guessed one reason Xi Jianxi had invited her along.

This village likely had a very deep connection to "Morgan."

As someone similar to, yet not the same as, that person, she now felt both amused and helpless.

"I have changed my mind," Morgan suddenly said.

"Are you going back? Then I will take you." Xi Jianxi said, "I need to finish dealing with this matter for El-Melloi II, so I will leave things at home to you—"

"I am not going back." Morgan raised a hand to stop him. "In this village, when we are in private, do not call me by my original name either."

"Huh?"

"Just as you introduced me to others, use another name when addressing me," Morgan demanded.

Though she had not changed herself into the past form corresponding to that name, she did not want to use her current name here alone.

Names themselves symbolized mystery on another level. Merely speaking certain names aloud carried a curse.

In this village so deeply connected to "Morgan," she could not help being more cautious than usual.

"I understand, Toneriko." Xi Jianxi looked at Morgan... Toneriko, nodded, and agreed to her request.

Toneriko gazed at the Black Madonna's face. "This is a good opportunity. Though I knew about the situation here, I never imagined I would visit something connected to it on 'this side' in this form."