Merlin, Come Out Here! / Double the Trouble with Women

"I thought things would stay this way. If everyone did this, I could look for opportunities after graduating high school. But then they suddenly appeared, hanging around you all day long," the woman roared.

"They're my friends, so it's only natural for them to be around," Shirou said calmly.

"No! There's never been anything I couldn't get since I was little, and if I can't get it, I won't let anyone else have it! This time will be no exception. If you cherish them so much, then come to my side, or I'll attack her!" the woman shouted menacingly.

"I'm sorry! But I don't treat everyone the same. They are my important companions, and I will not allow, nor will I befriend, anyone who wants to hurt them," Shirou said earnestly to the woman.

"What...?" The woman angrily raised her whip, intending to lash out at the boy.

Shirou reached out and grasped the whip, then instantly appeared behind the woman, Hand Blade together, and struck the woman's pressure point on her neck, knocking her unconscious.

This little world is so strange. Shirou couldn't understand its workings for a while and had no way to send the woman out to the outside world. He could only use his Magic Eye to create a safe tent, put her inside, and then set up a protective barrier and disguise outside.

Shirou then continued on his way to find the location of the girls.

Chapter 304 Merlin, come out here!

At this very moment, the dark, dense forest in this other world has become an Asura Field for the fight over Shirou. As the literal meaning suggests, it's Asura Field kills the other and gains ownership of the boy... well... at least ownership of a certain part of his body.

Shirou ran for half an hour without encountering the girls he was looking for, but instead kept running into terrifying women: a fire-breathing snake woman, a brown-skinned girl who was about to pounce on him while releasing poisonous gas, and so on...

Shirou managed to escape with all his might.

The boy could no longer contain himself. He pulled out his phone, pressed the summoning button, and roared.

"Merlin! You better come out here and think of a solution!"

"Sorry, sorry, I was updating Magical Merlin's blog..." the white-haired man said with a smile as he entered the boy's body.

"What's going on? This familiar Magecraft barrier is practically an enlarged version of the Magecraft that locked me up." Merlin, in his Inner World, observed his surroundings.

Shirou and Merlin are 100% compatible partners through possession, and during possession, they can see each other's past. Therefore, Shirou understands Merlin's true nature, doesn't want to blame him too much.

Ultimately, Merlin is a nightmare demon; he is attracted to women and thus seeks them out—this is both his racial trait and his nature. His instinct to flee from danger is also natural.

Merlin once ran away too...

For King Arthur, there was no escape from his fate; for his disciples, his close friends, and those he had placed on the throne.

That pure and upright girl chose the most difficult path, one that would lead to despair. He didn't try to stop her, nor did he try to change her fate; instead, he chose to run away...

Morgan le Fay was causing trouble behind the scenes, the vassal kings and princes were already dissatisfied with the king who was too correct and too strict, and Gawain, who was assisting the king, was blinded by the hatred of his younger siblings and could not care about anything else.

After Mordred was rejected, she became a ticking time bomb, but King Arthur chose to keep her on as a guard.

Everything was already foreseeable; upon his return from the conquest of Rome, the king would not be greeted only with the smiling faces of his subjects.

But whatever, human life is only a few decades long anyway. Whether you die from exhaustion, starvation, disease, or being killed, it doesn't really matter.

Before leaving Camelot, he had already said goodbye to the king, so he had no regrets.

He is Magus of Flowers, with eyesight only slightly better than the average person, but he is not an omnipotent god. He prefers to play with pretty young ladies rather than fight to the death with a group of brutes, and he has no desire to get involved in these trivial human affairs.

At the time, he was being chased by his former partner with whom he had a lot of fun. After wandering around outside for a while, he suddenly lost interest and decided to hide in that secluded place, isolated from the world.

However, what they didn't expect was that a witch they had once played with had set a trap there. At the entrance to Avalon, there was a stone tablet that read, "Only the innocent may pass."

Only the innocent can pass...

Upon seeing this, Merlin realized he had been tricked.

This is a powerful curse that could lead to utter destruction if one is not careful and makes even the slightest mistake. I'm really amazed by her. She was so adorable as a disciple and so sweet as a couple, so why does she become so relentless and unwilling to let go when it comes to breaking up?

As expected... humans simply cannot understand...

Because he is the child of a nightmare, although his mother was once Princess of Wales, his father was a nightmare born between the moon and the earth, transcending the limits of nature. The weak and powerless genes of humans ultimately could not overcome the strength of the nightmare genes, and it seems that they did not affect him much.

He was aware of his differences from humans from a young age. In terms of gender, although he looked the same as human males, it was only a matter of a single thought for him to become a woman.

As a half-human, half-dream demon, he shares the same habits as Lilith, the Britain British female dream demon who feeds on the life essence of men: he is naturally inclined to seek intimate contact with human women, yearning to embrace them, and even absorbing human life essence as food.

He is vastly different from humanity, absolutely different.

While he can't be said to be immortal, he at least has a lifespan that extends beyond the extinction of humanity.

Humans, on the other hand, are completely different. Their lives are short, their resources are scarce, and their bodies are so fragile that a single disease can prevent them from ever getting up again.

Everything destined him to be unable to understand humans.

However, perhaps because of his mother, he was also filled with curiosity about the human species.

Yes, he likes humans, he likes the upright king, he likes the silly knights, he likes Gudako, the straightforward girl from Chaldea who strives forward, he likes the pure Mash, and he likes the kind-hearted Shirou...

I like it much more than fairies, giants, or Demonic Beast.

Even so, he couldn't, in a human way, distinguish between good and bad, what was acceptable and what was unacceptable. Even with his current perspective, even after seeing hundreds of examples, what he couldn't understand, he still couldn't understand.

On one hand, he couldn't understand human thoughts, so he mostly chose to avoid face-to-face contact with them. On the other hand, he liked humans, wanted to be with human women, wanted to hug them, wanted physical intimacy.

So, in the Seventh Spectre, before Uruk in Mesopotamia was destroyed, he would immerse himself almost every day in the temples there.

The temples of ancient Babylon were very different from those of later times. Legend has it that the ancient Babylonians worshipped Ishtar, the goddess of Venus, an ancient goddess who was intricately connected with almost multiple pantheons and possessed various powers such as love, fertility, war, and agriculture.

However, in the temples of the city-state, this goddess was more often regarded as the goddess of fertility, namely Aphrodite, the God of Love known in later generations, or Freya, the goddess of fertility.

The Saintess inside were treated as substitutes for God, bringing joy to people in place of the goddess.

Therefore, in the temples of Ishtar, every unmarried woman was obligated, as a sacred substitute, to mate and make love with any man in the city-state until she became pregnant and married, or reached adulthood and married.

What a wonderful country it was! Yet, throughout history, humanity has been critical of it, saying that it was precisely because of its excessive debauchery and daily indulgence in lovemaking that the country declined and the ancient Babylonians perished.

The goddess Ishtar, so wonderful, was portrayed by Christianity as a great harlot of Babylon. Although they were both human, they seemed to be incompatible, desperately trying to distance themselves from each other.

So even though he tried to actively help and understand humans, as expected... humans still found it difficult to understand.

He admired the civilization of Uruk, the Saintess in the temples of Uruk, and then quietly watched them disappear.

Ultimately, that's just who he is; to humans, he's far from a good companion. Although he likes humans, it's like a carefree high school boy who, when asked if he can make a wish using the Dragon Balls, can't think of an answer right away, so he simply replies, "World Peace."

This doesn't have any profound meaning; it's simply a desire for happiness for all humanity, and for world peace, that would be wonderful.

However, it doesn't really matter if the world continues to be at war, since I wasn't born in the Middle East, I don't have any relatives or friends serving in the US, I don't know any Iraqis, and I don't know where Syria is.

Although watching the video revealed the tragic circumstances of these families, where people went out only to return to find their homes destroyed and their parents inside gone, and they desperately tried to evade the border-blocking troops and sneak into Europe to escape, it was truly heartbreaking.

Well, I wish there were world peace.

Thinking this way, and then three seconds later, I went back to eating, playing, and sleeping as usual. After all, it was none of my business.

For Merlin, this is how he feels about human affairs: even if humanity were to become extinct, he would still be able to survive, though he would feel regret, but that's just how it is.

So Merlin ignored the stone tablet and went straight inside.

Then, the moment he entered Avalon, huge stones rose from the ground, forming a tight stone chamber with only one window, trapping Merlin inside.

Only the innocent can pass...

Merlin thought he was innocent, but as expected, his heart still ached.

Yes... it's impossible not to feel guilty...

Merlin sat on the only protruding large rock in the stone chamber. Although it was a bit hard and his buttocks would hurt after sitting for a long time, the angle was just right to see the sky outside the window. He could use his Clairvoyance to observe the outside world from here.

Merlin gazed at the sky, observing the girl, who was now in a deep sleep, her soul seemingly summoned to a distant world. Merlin, seeing only the present, watched over the sleeping girl with a heart full of guilt.

At that moment, the three-eyed cat demon's familiar called out "Fou, Fou," waking the white-haired man from his gaze.

"Ah, speaking of which... I'm locked up inside." Merlin looked around at the stone chamber, which had less than two meters of space to move around in. Huge stones were crammed together to form the walls, which were practically useless except for being sturdy, and had no aesthetic appeal whatsoever.

As a witch transformed from a human, that child truly lacked any aesthetic sense, which is why men disliked her. Patience is a necessary virtue for both men and women.

Merlin picked up the long black staff that was resting on his shoulder and tapped it on the ground.

Knock...

Knock...

As the sound rang out, the stone chamber began to change. The uneven stone walls inside and out became smooth and flat. The stone chamber continued to rise, eventually becoming a tall tower with a slender pointed roof. Purple flowers instantly sprouted from the barren land beneath, and green leaves spread across the entire earth.

Even the windows were surrounded by black iron bars. The entire secret chamber was now completely sealed off, with no gaps whatsoever, and had become even more sturdy. This tower would not collapse even if it were to stand for a thousand years and be subjected to earthquakes or tsunamis.

"If there's to be punishment, this much should suffice," Merlin muttered to himself, looking around.

"Fou..." The little white beast glanced at the man with disdain.

Back then, Merlin, who loved humans, chose to stand on their side and help them find a better future. However, he was ultimately just a dream demon who loved humans, so from the beginning, he came to the human world as an observer, taking a carefree attitude towards life.

When he was young, he came into contact with Vile King Fafnir of Britain. He was a prince of the Roman Empire assigned to Britain, but he did not have the ability to guide the island in the right direction, so he left soon after.

At that time, Isle of Britain was one of the few places on Earth that still retained its mysteries, but it had also reached the end of its journey.

The conflict between the Red Dragon and the white dragon was, on one hand, a struggle for survival and territory between the Celtic and the Anglo-Saxons, but on the other hand, it also reflected the island's choice to change itself.

After all, the age of gods ended thousands of years ago, and now the age of fairies has also come to an end. From now on, this world belongs to humankind. Due to the loss of mystery, the land that once relied on the blessings of the fairies has become barren. The original inhabitants have no other way out, so only by introducing new peoples can it be revived.

Knowing he couldn't save the country, King Uther asked Merlin to create a red Child of the Dragon to fight the white dragon. But even after winning every battle for ten years, the diligent King Arthur couldn't prevent the fate of his kingdom.

Merlin initially felt that the girl, who was forcing herself to act according to the correct standards in everything, would one day be unable to continue and would realize that protecting Britain was no longer possible.

The girl will one day cry and say she wants to give up. Until then, Merlin decides to observe silently.

But... the girl persevered, persisting for ten years, and doing it more perfectly than anyone else.

From the moment she pulled the Caliburn, she was truly prepared to accept this fate, no longer seeing herself as a human being, but as a queen, taking the happiness of the entire nation as her own.

She cast aside her own feelings and needs, becoming the queen Human Order.

She led her knights to quell the rebellion, united the principalities, and quickly unified Britain. Then she repelled the invading Anglo-Saxon people and signed a non-aggression pact.

The wealth she obtained through conquest was used to compensate for the insufficient food supply from the barren land, so she asked Lancelot to go to his birthplace to buy food.

The young girl was willing to do anything to make the country better and to change Britain's fate of decline.

But reality is always so cruel...

Chapter 305 The Women's Difficulties are Multiplicative

"This place is too monotonous; let's find a more stylish view."

At this moment, Shirou and Merlin were in the Inner World. As Merlin spoke, a portion of the entire white space was divided up for the being that had possessed them.

Merlin then created his most comfortable scene: a boundless grassland filled with vibrant flowers, with a tall tower with a pointed roof standing in the center.

This is the place where the silver-haired man has lived for a thousand years.

"Avalon, huh?" Shirou looked around.

"Well, that's how it is. Although it's called a paradise far removed from the world, it's really just Issei, ancient place."

"The only good thing is the natural scenery, and the magic is so dense it's almost overwhelming the oxygen. Other than that, there's nothing at all. For humans, they probably couldn't even stay here for a day," Merlin said, shrugging.

"Don't say that. Although I also think it's better to be with family and friends, for Magecraft, this is an ideal paradise." Shirou said, looking around at the scenery with curiosity.

"Family... Come to think of it, it's been a long time since we've been in touch. You're living with Wang now, right?" Merlin said with a smile.

"She's in this world too," Shirou reminded her, just wanting Merlin to come up with a solution quickly.

Merlin activated his Clairvoyance, taking in everything in the world. Sure enough, he saw Artoria fighting. He grinned mischievously and said, "Ah, it's that dark one. It would be quite amusing if the Round Table members saw her. If it were those stubborn guys, they might start fighting at the drop of a hat."

"It is indeed the black Alter, um... I don't know how you and the Knights of the Round Table view her, but for me, no matter what her state is, Artoria is family," Shirou said seriously.

Merlin smiled with satisfaction after hearing the boy's words, nodded, and then continued.

"To me, all kings are the same, regardless of which side they represent. Whether it's the eternal king in King Arthur legend, deified and slumbering in the Garden of Avalon, destined to awaken one day to save the world, or the king who enters the Throne of Heroes by his own will."

"Ultimately, no matter what kind of Spirit Origin Artoria manifests in this world, she is still a facet of King Arthur from his previous life. Even if she was the ideal king in his previous life, there will be people who cannot understand her."

The things that people faced in that era seem like a human tragedy now, but back then it was considered common sense.

Even if I explained these things, Shirou, you still wouldn't be able to understand them.

In that era, humans had not yet discovered the New World. There was no corn, no potatoes, no sweet potatoes, no hybrid rice, and the land was so barren and infertile that even wild animals had migrated away.

The meager harvest from the barren land was far from enough to feed the island's inhabitants, and people starved to death every year. Diseases were incurable, leading to death from illness. In winter, the lack of protection against the cold resulted in some freezing to death.

This is not a year of famine, but something that happens every year, throughout the four seasons.

The circumstances in Britain at that time were so harsh that they had no choice but to make the cruel decision to give up something. In her lifetime, Artoria was seen by some as a saint they admired greatly, yet who remained unattainable.

But some people might find her too perfect and upright, and even following her would feel like an unbearable burden. At least back then, those feudal lords and kings disliked her, and some might even consider her a tyrant or a foolish ruler.

"Therefore, Shirou! I express my deepest gratitude." Merlin said, placing one hand in front of him and giving the boy a gentlemanly bow.

"No, no! I've never done anything that required you to bow like that!" Shirou exclaimed, waving his hands in surprise at Merlin's sudden change in demeanor.