Merlin's Love Lecture

"No, you not only helped Artoria resolve her inner conflict and avoid Alaya's deception, but you also saved me." Merlin put away his frivolous smile and looked at the boy seriously.

"Huh?" Shirou looked at the silver-haired man in confusion. His impression of Merlin was that he would still laugh carefree even if it was the end of the world. He didn't expect him to be so serious.

"I was truly saved by you... If it weren't for that, I might never have allowed myself to leave the tower." Merlin gazed at the tower that had been created in his Inner World and said with a sigh.

Merlin, far removed from Camelot and the Battle of Camlann, merely used Merlin Clairvoyance to watch how the girl killed the rebellious knights. Then, all alone, he gazed at the desolate land littered with corpses and rivers of blood. Both sides held the people she wanted to protect, her comrades who had fought tirelessly on the battlefield, now lying dead on the ground.

The country she had painstakingly protected, and the Camelot, which she had built with the Knights of the Round Table, were destroyed in an instant. For the first time, the girl cried out, her cries filled with more despair and sorrow than anyone else's.

The girl, who loved Britain more than anyone else, harbored no resentment towards anyone, only a deep despair at her own powerlessness.

It was precisely because she was not a qualified queen that knights chose to leave and betray her, which is why Britain could not escape its fate of destruction.

If it weren't her who became king, but a stronger and wiser one, wouldn't there be a better solution?

The thing that could grant this wish has appeared before: the Greater Holy Grail, which Galahad, Knights of the Round Table, obtained and took with him away from this world.

For the first time, King Arthur, who had been devoid of desires, longed to obtain the Holy Grail.

At that moment, the Counter Force appeared...

As the collective subconscious of humanity, the Counter Force has its limitations. For humans without power, the Counter Force will grant power as a price; for humans who yearn for salvation, it will save them and then sign a contract in exchange for it.

However, for an individual like King Arthur who was already incredibly powerful in life, his desires and needs are often far greater. What the girl wanted to do was not to save the thousands or tens of thousands of people who were alive, but to change the past and rewrite history. Even the Counter Force could only establish a contract with the girl in this roundabout way.

However, Merlin knew that the collective Counter Force of humanity, for non-humans and even individual humans, was actually a means to protect humanity as a whole, and that such people could be unscrupulous and have no bottom line.

The Counter Force spoke to the girl in this way:

"I will help you obtain the Holy Grail, but in return, from the moment you obtain it, you will become its guardian."

Artoria agreed without hesitation. The Counter Force froze the last moment of her life, allowing her to transcend timelines and participate in one Holy Grail War after another while retaining her body and memories.

The moment she wins the Holy Grail War and obtains the Holy Grail, she will die and become a guardian, tirelessly carrying out cleansing work until humanity is wiped out, facing tragedies that are too unbearable to witness.

Merlin watched from the tower as the girl slept in the woods, and saw her awaken, repenting, endlessly repenting, her heart filled with feelings of guilt that she thought she had never experienced.

Until that moment, he saw a different scene; suddenly, at some point, the girl's destiny of becoming a guardian was reversed.

Although no one knows exactly what happened, someone changed the girl's mind, and she voluntarily gave up the Holy Grail, thus breaking the contract with Alaya.

Merlin was pleasantly surprised to see a small bird fly to the branch of the tree the girl was leaning against. Upon seeing the girl awake, Bedivere threw the holy sword back into the lake.

Merlin in the fifth century AD had no idea what had happened in some place, in the future or in the past.

The only certainty was that the stubborn girl, who never wanted to admit defeat, eventually accepted her fate.

The connection between the Counter Force and her disappeared. It seems that she obtained the Holy Grail through her own power and then relinquished it by her own will, thus the contract was no longer valid.

Merlin was thus redeemed. At least the girl he raised lived her life as a queen and met her end as a human being. This was the first time the girl made a choice based on her own will, not for the sake of her people, but for herself, which was not bad.

It was for this reason that Merlin once again had hope for the world and for humanity. He released Fou, whom he had originally intended to keep sealed by his side, out of the window so that she could witness everything that happened to humanity.

Letting it make its own judgments and choices is like seeing the beautiful side of humanity, finding its own happiness, and then protecting that humanity.

Or perhaps it's utter disillusionment and disgust with humanity that ultimately leads to becoming a world-destroying Human Evil...

It wasn't until a thousand years later that Merlin witnessed the girl's encounter with the boy and the events of the Fifth Holy Grail War.

The boy had endured all sorts of hardships, and Merlin decided to help him achieve this miracle, no matter how much time it would take, because he was the one most deserving to stay by the king's side.

No, perhaps it's more like he hopes he can stay with the king forever.

If it were him, he could bring happiness to the king. Beside him, the eternal king sleeping in Avalon would be nothing more than a lovable young girl, not the king's Artoria, and thus she could find happiness.

The boy in that world deeply loved the girl, and they made a promise to meet again. So he spent his whole life fulfilling that promise.

Avalon, Avalon isolated from the world, transcends time and exists independently of space. For humanity to reach it is perhaps more difficult than to master True Magic.

Then one day, Avalon opened a crack, connecting to the ruins of time. The boy, who had experienced countless things and walked for an unknown amount of time, seemingly having left the world behind, finally reached the end of the world.

On the green grassland, a blonde girl, awakened from her slumber, wore a plain white dress, her long golden hair fluttering in the wind, and then greeted the boy.

But the boy who performed this miracle suddenly disappeared one day.

After that, Merlin, through his now-seen Magic Eye, witnessed the boy's journey to godhood.

Even though he has lived for over a thousand years, this remains true; as a nightmare, he can only act according to his own nature. You can't expect a lion to eat grass and a zebra to eat meat, right?

Although he felt bad for Shirou, forcing this kind-hearted boy to clean up his mess, he really didn't mean it. It's just that human women are always like this, or perhaps women are always like this? Even though he wanted to leave, things always turned into this messy situation.

He was even less able to do this 1,500 years ago.

"So, sorry, Shirou! Next time I'll definitely introduce you to a nice girl who won't get angry or go berserk!" In the Inner World, a handsome man with long silver hair clasped his hands together and said with a flirtatious smile.

"Fine... as long as you help us get back outside, we'll call it even." Shirou sighed helplessly, too exhausted to complain anymore. He simply couldn't understand why Andorf Dumbledore, the characters based on him in Western movies and novels, were wise and brave white-bearded old men, yet he himself was like this.

"Sorry, I can't do that!" Merlin flashed a bright smile, shattering the boy's naive thoughts.

"Huh? What's going on? You're a top-tier Magecraft, right?" Shirou asked.

"The witch behind this little world is probably after me, probably because she discovered I slipped out of the tower. Now everyone is locked in this little world. I was summoned here by you, and now I can't go back. After all, she was once my disciple, so she knows everything I know."

"More than 1,500 years have passed, and she's still not over it. A woman's obsession is truly terrifying, hahaha." Merlin shrugged and laughed.

"It was definitely your fault!" Shirou roared at the silver-haired man, on the verge of a breakdown. "Just figure out a solution to this now! Explain what you can, apologize properly! And if there's any punishment, you'll be the one to accept it!"

"I know, but since I'm still alive and not Servant, I can only come here by possession and summoning. Even with the Holy Grail, I can't achieve the same rebirth as Artoria, so I still have to rely on your body Shirou, to move around," Merlin explained with a friendly smile.

Shirou froze for a moment, then covered his face in anguish and said, "I know, there's no time to dawdle! Tell me! What should we do?"

Merlin clapped his hands, then seriously considered the matter and said, "Yes, after all, it's a small world created by a witch, so it's actually like Magecraft's workshop. It would be extremely risky to confront her directly here."

This is a small world created by the legendary witch who was famous since the time of King Arthur. She was on par with Merlin. In the legends that have been passed down, there are even cases where the witch is regarded as an elf or a goddess.

The witches, whose lineage began in ancient times when even the gods still lived on this land, could, in a sense, be considered a new race.

The children born of witches are inevitably witches themselves. They generally inherit a unique Magecraft system, which in ancient times may have even been called Magecraft. However, in modern times, with the continuous development of technology, this special system is no longer unique, but True Magic is still incredibly powerful.

Although they look like humans, they were destined to be inhabitants of the other world before they were born. Their Magecraft talent surpasses that of human geniuses, and their entire bodies are filled with an astonishing number of Magic Circuit, bones, and even internal organs.

"Yes, the girls are involved too. It would be terrible if they were taken hostage. If a direct confrontation doesn't work, do you have any other ideas?" Shirou asked Merlin nervously. The thought of his opponent being a cunning and treacherous witch, and now that the girls were also involved, sent chills down his spine.

Caster from the Fifth Holy Grail War is a prime example. Her father is Aeetes, King son of the sun god, who possesses the blood of the sun god. Aeetes is also a hero in all of Greece whose strength is second only to the Great Hero Heracles. The heroes on the Argo, led by Jason, could only choose to flee and seek refuge when faced with his pursuit.

She herself is a disciple of Hecate, the goddess of Magecraft, and is the highest-ranking Magecraft. She can instantly unleash great Magecraft, create various Magecraft artifacts, and grant martial artists enhanced abilities to fight against Servant.

They then entered Ryudoji Temple, which possessed a spiritual vein, and used its unique characteristics to build a fortress that even Servant could only enter through the main gate. They also summoned Sasaki Kojiro to guard the entrance.

In fact, the strength she displayed was greatly weakened due to the constraints of her class and the rules of the Holy Grail War, making her considerably weaker than she was in life. Furthermore, she was unable to summon the dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece.

If it weren't for the fact that she wasn't inherently suited for head-on combat, but with curses, charms, and unpredictable Magecraft constantly appearing, Shirou had suffered greatly. If she had enough time to prepare and plan, even a large number of Master might not have been enough for her to kill.

In the Holy Grail War, Caster is easily defeated once she has used up all her trump cards. This is because of her class limitation; her physical abilities are almost the same as those of an ordinary person.

But it wouldn't be good if it were a living witch. In fact, there are witches with extremely strong bodies who can survive even with a broken heart through sheer willpower.

Besides the betraying witch Medea, Shirou also met another Coal Witch at the Clock Tower. She was the Lord of the Botany Department, and unlike the ostracized Waver, she was said to be a super idol with hundreds of millions of fans who held concerts all over the world.

It is said that she also assisted the famous Dr. Henry Jekyll in creating a elixir that could produce individuals with opposite personalities.

'Thinking about it this way, she seems to have lived for hundreds of years, a super idol who's hundreds of years old?' Shirou pictured the Lord, who looked like a girl with twin tails, in his mind.

The boy shook his head repeatedly; now was not the time to think about that!

The problem now is that he and his companions are facing Medea, who might be as tough as Cú Chulainn —it's terrifying...

Shirou patted his cheeks and looked at Merlin, asking, "So what should we do now?"

"Direct confrontation is not feasible, therefore..."

With her long silver hair flowing high, Merlin raised one hand and pointed it at the boy with a whoosh, declaring loudly.

"Shirou! Go and woo them!"

Chapter 306 Merlin's Love Lecture

"Huh?"

"That's why I just said, let's go and win them over," Merlin said again.

"Eh?"

"They became like this because they like you, Shirou, so let's just change them back."

"That's not right! You're the one who provoked them."

"But when I practice with them, I always use your account, Shirou. If they use that account to learn about you, all they see are your information and your photos."

"This has been proven by their reaction when they met Utaha Kasumigaoka- chan before. They prefer your appearance to mine, which is just a phantom in the world." Merlin said, shrugging.

"But our personalities are so different, they'll notice the difference soon enough, won't they?" Shirou argued logically.

"No, humans are inherently contradictory beings. Their attitudes towards reality and the internet are naturally different. Even a troll who acts recklessly might be a law-abiding person who never swears in real life."

Ultimately, with a screen separating you, you have no idea who's on the other end. A delicate, coquettish woman could be a man in disguise, or it could not even be a real person.

"Who says online female idols have to be women? There are guys who deliberately deceive otaku for fun and play pranks on them, you know." Merlin said with a wicked grin.

"So convincing..." Shirou was unable to refute it; in the face of facts, all common sense became so powerless.

Merlin smiled and patted the boy's shoulder, comforting him as he said:

"In fact, even in real life, many of the personality traits and behaviors that people exhibit are not from their true feelings, but rather compromises made after weighing the pros and cons."

Everyone wants to show others their best side, hiding their other side deep inside.

This refers to a persona, such as wanting to be a well-behaved and trouble-free student in front of teachers, a trustworthy child who can be given more pocket money by parents, and a loyal and kind brother or sister to friends.

Those who only care about their own ideas are either suffering from adolescent delusions or hysteria. Online, people can champion freedom, flaunt their individuality, and uphold their beliefs. But in reality, nobody wants to be seen as an incurable, universally disliked oddball.

"Indeed..." Shirou nodded. When he saw someone he knew doing something wrong, he couldn't help but lecture them, but he would often be criticized for being like a nagging mother, or simply be disliked.

Of course, he wants to stick to what he believes is right, but if the other person doesn't listen and instead becomes rebellious, then it defeats the purpose. So, he won't bother with people he doesn't fully trust.

It's very easy to talk badly about others behind their backs and criticize their shortcomings. But if someone points out your own shortcomings, it's definitely not a pleasant feeling, and most people's first reaction is resistance.

Some people might find the other person impolite and inconsiderate, causing them to lose face, which could lead to anger, worsen the relationship, and even lead to thoughts of killing the other person.

Merlin looked at the boy and said:

"Shirou, even if they aren't witches, there are many people who do cruel things because of love, even in King Arthur's time, like Morgan le Fay, like the White Hand Isolde, and the married women that Lancelot seduced."

When humans fall in love, they truly become incredibly vulnerable and sensitive. Roland, the France swordsman, went mad and ran naked under the moon after being rejected. Even that fool Mordred went berserk because he couldn't get love.

"I think everyone has a vulnerable spot in their heart, more or less. It may seem ordinary, but that's just because they haven't experienced anything that touches their heart."

Shirou nodded in agreement with Merlin's statement. Even though he had already lived a second life, he still sometimes dreamed of the fire from his childhood and would wake up in a fright.

This isn't a bleeding cut or laceration that will heal quickly, nor is it something that can be completely resolved with the company of family or the understanding of friends. This kind of emotional trauma is incurable; it's ingrained in the blood, branded deep within the soul, and will accompany one for life as a nightmare. Even rebirth won't make it any less of a laughing matter.

The warmth of family and friends only made him feel relieved after he woke up, and helped him recover from the depression and panic more quickly; that was all.

"No need to think about it anymore! Shirou, do you want to stay here and wait for the witch to complete all her schemes and curses, or do you want to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible?" Merlin waved his hand, concluding the matter.

"Maybe one of these girls wants to exact revenge on you like Medea did, thinking, 'If I can't have it, I won't let anyone else have it either.' I don't understand true human thought, so maybe..."

"..." Shirou had no choice but to compromise and made an Akechi choice.

If there really were berserk, Yandere- type girls in this world, like Medea, and they were blinded by rage, then that would indeed be extremely dangerous.

This is a woman who is unusually devoted to love. For the man she loves, she is willing to give up her status Princess, her wealth and honor, and elope with Jason with all her heart.

For love, she stole her father's treasured Golden Fleece. To escape the pursuit of the army sent by her father, she even tricked her own brother into coming over, had him ambushed and killed, leaving the pursuers leaderless and unable to pursue her.

For love, she chose to sever ties with her blood relatives and be abandoned by everyone.

But even the person being loved will feel fear when faced with a woman who loves so completely.

Jason and Medea returned to the country, bringing back the Golden Fleece as agreed. According to the agreement, the King should return the throne to Jason, since it originally belonged to Jason's father but had been usurped by his brother, who was now the King. He had promised Jason that if he brought back the Golden Fleece, he would return the country to him.

However, the King broke the agreement and refused to relinquish the throne, leaving Jason with no other option.

So Medea, for Jason's sake, created a magic cauldron in which creatures could be boiled and rejuvenated. She showed it to the King's children and gave it to them. The King's filial children excitedly chopped the sleeping King into mincemeat and threw him into the cauldron, where he was boiled into a pulp.

Jason eventually obtained the throne and had several children with Medea. However, as time passed, the previous kindness was forgotten, and Jason began to tire of Medea. He then set his sights on the beloved young Princess, the only daughter of the old King of the neighboring country.

The old King there wanted to find a suitable son-in-law to inherit his territory. If he could get the Princess, he could have both wealth and a beautiful woman.

So Jason, in order to marry the Princess, planned to divorce Medea, but promised her and the children alimony. No matter how much Medea cried and begged, she refused to turn back.

Finally, Medea agreed to the terms and sent the Princess a magnificent golden robe. The Princess, seeing the rare and beautiful robe, gladly accepted it and immediately put it on.

In fact, it was a poison soaked in deadly venom. The Princess immediately began foaming at the mouth, and flames erupted from her body, burning her flesh into deformed charcoal. The old King, who rushed over, grievingly embraced his dead daughter, but he too, having come into contact with the poison, died.

Jason thus became the murderer of the King and Princess.