The Witch of King Arthur

Rovey Wei nodded slightly. "Well, after all, this is a very rare type. Also, this statue looks very similar to one of my old friends... well, it really does look very similar, which is why I'm curious."

"I see. But this is something that has been passed down in the village since ancient times. Even if you asked me, I would know nothing about the details. I'm afraid only the builder of this statue would know its origin and meaning."

Fernand shook his head, then looked at the old Gravekeeper again. "Well, it's getting late. Now that we've shown the guests the Madonna Statue, the ceremony can proceed as planned. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now. Mr. Belsack, you'll be in charge of entertaining this guest."

"I see."

Upon hearing this, the old Gravekeeper nodded expressionlessly.

Then, under the meaningful gaze of the fat priest, Belsack knelt down and began to pray to the Madonna Statue of the Virgin Mary. However, because of his tall stature, his prayer process was more like a knight's oath.

Rovey, following Puritan custom, made the sign of the cross before the Madonna Statue. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Rovey felt Madonna Statue of the Virgin Mary on the wall was constantly watching him. Those eyes were fixed on him, as if she had truly come to life.

After the worship ceremony, the two left together.

However, before leaving, Fernand gave Rovey a pointed reminder.

"Mr. Merlin, although this village is not large, it has many secrets and taboos. Please do not offend it lightly. If you need any help, you can come here to find me at any time."

After speaking, the portly priest left with his assistant. This time, however, they didn't return to their room to rest; instead, they headed straight out of the village without any attempt at concealment. This made Belsack's eyes darken.

He could roughly guess what Fernand was going to do.

His open departure from the village was both a warning and a plea for help; he was warning himself and Rovey not to escalate the situation. This place remained under the Church's surveillance. If the situation got out of control, they would send more people to handle it.

'He really is a smart guy.'

Even Rovey couldn't help but look at the fat priest Fernand with new respect after realizing his intentions.

The reason he didn't attack directly was because he noticed Belsack's injury and the other party's attitude. He didn't want to make a move openly, nor was he confident he could take down Rovey, but he also realized that the situation here had changed, so he decisively went out to seek help.

These Executor from the Church were indeed no ordinary people.

After meeting the priest and completing the prayers for entering the village, Rovey followed Belsack out of the church through the back door.

After traversing yet another complex graveyard, they arrived at a secluded wooden cabin, which was also Belsack's home.

Although the strange gaze made him still somewhat concerned about the Black Madonna Statue of the Virgin Mary in the church, and he wanted to take it down to see the truth, he was met with Belsack's firm refusal to allow him to do such a blasphemous thing. So in the Rovey, after a cursory inspection of the wall, he could only put it down.

The final result was simply that the statue was quite old and did indeed contain techniques from the Age of Gods, but it was merely an ordinary ritual prop, containing no significant secrets. Perhaps it was because the fat priest already knew this that he so calmly left the object for Rovey to examine.

The secrets of this village are indeed piling up...

Rovey felt uneasy, as if someone was constantly watching him.

Finally, we arrived at a small wooden house.

No, it was more like a storage room than a wooden hut. But seeing the crooked wooden bed and a few pieces of furniture, Rovey was certain that the old man really did live here. Rovey didn't mind sitting on the dirty oak stool, then took the cup that the old man handed him, which clearly smelled of copper rust, and quietly poured the water on the ground.

Upon seeing Rovey's rude behavior, Belsack frowned but said nothing, choosing instead to get straight to the point.

He said with a complicated expression, "To be honest, I never expected Avalon to return to the Gravekeeper's village, especially in this way. After King Arthur lost it, we thought it would never come back. It seems that some things are indeed predestined."

"What do you mean...?"

"There are some things you know, so let me tell you slowly."

"Just recently, the Ley Line of our cemetery and the ritual array beneath our feet underwent a certain magical change. At that time, it seemed that King Arthur resonated with Gray, but this change came to an abrupt end and has never happened again since. I thought it was just a coincidence, but seeing you and Avalon appear at this time, I realized that it seems to be the power of fate."

"You mean?"

"Magus, aren't you looking for your friend? In that case, why don't you search here first? If you can't find him in the village, he's probably underground."

Then, Belsack continued unhurriedly, "I will also help you find your friends, and I also hope you can do me a favor."

"What kind of help?"

"Come with me to investigate the Magecraft circle left by the Witch beneath the village. I am not an expert in this kind of Magus; at most, I am a Gravekeeper who understands the spiritual realm. Since this is the village's greatest secret, other Magus cannot enter, but you, who possess Avalon, can certainly."

Belsack nodded and then said, "So I would like to ask you to come with me to investigate what's wrong with the magic circle below? Because of that incident, the surrounding Leyline have become extremely abnormal recently, and many of the souls of the past are unable to find peace. If this continues, this land will inevitably have problems sooner or later."

"A magic circle left behind by Witch?... Wow, so there's such a secret beneath your village."

Rovey stroked his chin, then a thoughtful expression appeared on his face. "That's interesting. I promised you, if we can't find Lev up there, he's probably down there. I'll go with you then."

"That's good."

Belsack nodded.

"By the way, remember to be careful of the church people on your way back. They're not very friendly to Magus, and they've probably set up an ambush for you outside. But don't worry too much, I'll find a way to get you out of there. It's getting late now, and I imagine you must be tired from your long journey. Rest here tonight. I need to deal with the beasts that are getting increasingly agitated because of the Leyline, so please excuse me."

Wild beasts...

Recalling the time he went up the mountain, when those wild beasts, acting like they were on stimulants and clearly acting strangely aggressively, pounced on him as soon as they saw him, Rovey revealed a thoughtful expression.

Were those guys actually affected by the Leyline? And...

Upon hearing the specific time when Belsack mentioned the abnormality in the Leyline and magic array, Rovey seemed to have realized something as well.

Because that period coincided with the start of the Holy Grail War and the time when King Arthur was summoned, which means—

The anomaly here is very likely due to the influence of the Holy Grail War, right? Because the aura of King Arthur was sensed again, the magic circle that Belsack mentioned was activated ahead of schedule.

And because Artoria did not die this time, but chose to live, did this create a paradox in the resurrection ritual, thus triggering these chain reactions?

Rovey rubbed his forehead and began to ponder. For a moment, he felt as if he were getting closer to some concrete truth. And regarding the curse on these Gravekeeper, he seemed to have found a way to lift it.

However, further confirmation is still needed.

Who knows, he might gain even more unexpected benefits this time he goes back.

"What's wrong, Mr. Rovey?"

Seeing that Rovey was deep in thought, Belsack couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing much, just some things on my mind. But it still needs confirmation. Anyway... this might not be a bad thing for you; perhaps it's a rare opportunity, a chance to break free from constraints."

"You mean...?!"

Upon hearing Rovey's words, Belsack seemed to realize something, his eyes widening slightly. However, Rovey didn't explain further, simply extending his palm and then:

"Shh~ Some things are still uncertain, and saying them aloud might make them less likely to come true. In any case, Mr. Belsack, I hope you will take this matter seriously. After all, it is indeed a rare opportunity for you."

"..."

Looking at Rovey's speech, which was just like any other Magus's —a riddle-like tone that was neither human nor grammatically correct— Belsack's expression was somewhat helpless.

He then nodded slightly and pleaded in a low voice, "Then, I'll leave everything to you."

"Just leave it to me. After all, in a sense, we should be in a relationship where our interests are aligned."

Rovey's attitude was sincere, and his eyes were bright and piercing; there was nothing fake about him.

Even so, Belsack had a bad feeling; he always felt that Rovey had some ulterior motive.

And indeed, that's the case if things could really be resolved the way I wanted.

Then he wouldn't just have kidnapped Gray; he could have kidnapped the entire village of the Gravekeeper. When that happened... this Leyline, and the entire land filled with hidden treasures, would rightfully fall into his hands, and he could then freely begin his archaeological excavation at Morgan's grave.

The Witch's Workshop?

Look, I've plucked all your hair out!!

Chapter 115 King Arthur's Shrine Maiden

Beside the cemetery, in a dilapidated wooden hut.

Although Rovey Wei considers himself not someone who enjoys or excessively pursues enjoyment, or someone who cares too much about his living environment.

Whether it was an old, abandoned apartment, a parking lot dozens of stories underground, or even sleeping with Lev in a cave workshop built on Ley Line hundreds of meters underground, he wouldn't mind as long as it was a place where people could barely live and have a place to stay. But after entering the so-called short-term accommodation cabin in Belsack, he suddenly felt that what Kenneth had said before seemed to be very true. After all, he was a nobleman and shouldn't be so casual.

It's a miracle that this damned dilapidated house didn't collapse.

The creaking wooden floorboards and worm-eaten walls were bad enough, but the bedding and blankets, covered in dust and mites and seemingly unwashed for countless days and nights, made Rovey wonder if this wasn't Belsack's home at all, but simply a storage room that had never been used. He couldn't understand what the old man's intentions were in leading him to live here; it was pure, deliberate revenge.

'I was too hasty in agreeing to stay; I should have stayed overnight at the church. I was so excited about the clues I found that I forgot about this environment, which is worse than a dungeon.'

So, shortly after Belsack left, Rovey, who had only just realized what was happening, slowly put down his suitcase and, with a wind Magecraft followed by a water Magecraft, gave the entire house a superficial cleaning, barely transforming it from a place even a dog couldn't live in to one that could barely be spent the night in. As for the tattered blanket, covered in stories and the marks of time, after being washed with water and then scorched inside and out by flames, it finally became usable as a blanket. However, due to his obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness, Rovey merely used it as a cushion, then sat cross-legged on it, intending to close his eyes and drift off to sleep.

Just as Rovey calmed his mind and focused his thoughts on Avalon, he wondered if he could find Merry to continue practicing illusion magic, or inquire about the Black Madonna Statue, and investigate the existence of Morgan's Magecraft.

However, this time Avalon did not connect with the dream.

No matter how he tried to call out, Avalon, buried deep in his chest, did not respond. He was also unable to contact Merlin. It seemed that the barrier here had severed the passage to the dream, thus cutting off the possibility of Merry as an outside helper.

Noticing this unusual change, Rovey couldn't help but gently open his eyes.

After repeatedly confirming, although I was somewhat surprised, I accepted the situation after considering whose territory this was.

After all, this was Morgan's workshop, the territory of the Great Witch of the Age of Gods. Before coming, Rovey had inquired about the specific situation here, but to no avail. Even Merry's Ex- Clairvoyance couldn't see through the barrier set up by the Witch to observe the situation inside. The only one who could fully know the layout inside was probably its owner, Morgan le Fay.

As one of Merry's arch-enemies, their relationship had deteriorated to an extreme degree ever since Artoria was tricked into becoming queen—no, even from the moment of her birth. And just as Merry understood Morgan, Morgan naturally understood her as well. Therefore, even though Morgan had erected a barrier separating the dream world here, Rovey wasn't surprised at all.

It's just a little regrettable...

After all, even if Merry is unreliable and always trying to sabotage him, it seems that for now, they are in a position of mutual interest. Therefore, her Clairvoyance EX and knowledge are indeed extremely useful when facing Morgan. Now, suddenly losing Merry's help is tantamount to crippling Rovey's most important external Clairvoyance.

The other party is indeed very troublesome...

Moreover, that's not all.

What truly troubles Rovey Wei now is that strange feeling.

From the moment he entered this land, he felt an invisible gaze watching him from the darkness. He had noticed it while talking to Gray, but at the time he thought it was Belsack. However, after defeating him, he suddenly realized that the source of the gaze was not the old man. Even after remaining vigilant, using his senses to search, and even using Avalon and the Holy Grail as bait, he still couldn't see the other's true form. This surprised Rovey. Especially after seeing the Black Madonna the Virgin Mary in that church, and particularly the moment it locked eyes with Morgan le Fay, this feeling suddenly became exceptionally clear.

He realized that Morgan might be hiding in this land, monitoring his every move through unknown means. She had even disabled the connection between his dreams and Avalon —was this to prevent him from finding her?

Rovey wasn't sure, but if that were the case, then Morgan was indeed very successful. Without Merry's Clairvoyance, it would have been very difficult for him to find her in this land.

The other side is in the shadows, while he is in the open. For now, all he can do is search for clues while searching for Lev.

However, he noticed that Morgan might be watching him.

Rovey still covered his face, turned his head to look at the wall, and then said in a pretentious tone, "You're looking at me, aren't you, Morgan le Fay?"

"..."

However, there was only deathly silence in the air; no sound answered him. Even though Rovey tried to communicate with the other party, he ultimately received no response.

So...

He could probably deduce two possibilities: first, Morgan didn't want to pay him any attention; second, Morgan was not in a position to respond at the moment. But either outcome would be pretty much the same to him.

So since he was just sitting there anyway, Rovey decided to treat it as a review session. He took out a few pieces of gold and gems from his briefcase and used them as a medium to draw the illusion ritual that Merry had taught him on the dark wooden wall, playing out everything that had happened on Artoria's side during the Fourth Holy Grail War.

And as Rovey had predicted, although the spying hidden in the darkness still existed, when the Holy Grail War adventure about Artoria was broadcast, there was indeed much less attention paid to him.

'So... this Morgan from Proper Human History is really, as Merry said, and as those people on the forums in my previous life deduced, a so-called siscon?'

Rovey couldn't help but make up some stories in his mind.

However, this result seems quite reasonable.

After all, if Morgan wasn't a sister-complex character, then she must have some special feelings for her sister Artoria, such as guilt. Otherwise, it's really hard to explain why she would go to such lengths to resurrect Artoria after her death.

Actually, he didn't have any major grudge against Morgan. It was just that he had resurrected Artoria first? No, it should be that she hadn't died at all, which was a different way of achieving Morgan's goal. Their biggest conflict was that he had turned Morgan's thousand-year-long efforts into a joke. Although that guy might really have the traits of Britannia madwoman, Rovey still wanted to resolve the problem in a peaceful way possible.

And so, as the illusionary Magecraft played, Rovey sat on the bed and watched intently with the gaze that had been fixed on Artoria's figure. He even added a lot of information about Artoria's experiences in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

Soon, time flew by and it was daytime.

Sitting on the bed, Rovey yawned and stretched, facing the rising sun outside the window.

Because of that prying gaze, he couldn't help but wonder if a white-haired Takeuchi Face with a dagger would stab him to death whenever he closed his eyes, so he didn't sleep. He only managed to rest with his eyes closed that night. The illusion on the wall also disappeared midway through, because he wasn't Emiya Kiritsugu; the only part he could discern was what he Rovey of Artoria, and he knew nothing more.

However, the gaze seemed quite satisfied with his actions. At least to his current senses, the perverted prying that had been following him had indeed disappeared, which made Rovey secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

"However, this wooden house is really a bit cold..."

Touching his neck, Rovey, who had leaned against the wall all night, sighed as he got out of bed. Although this level of all-nighter was nothing new to him, the mental strain of being constantly watched by the Witch and having to remain vigilant was indeed taking its toll. In the Witch's workshop, he dared not be careless in the slightest.

"Then let's go out and thoroughly search the buildings above this village today. Let's start with the most iconic or oldest buildings, since Lev, with his Archaeology Department background, loves digging in these ancient places."

"... However, although the village isn't large, the people there are extremely xenophobic. A stranger like myself wandering around would undoubtedly cause unnecessary panic. While I could use illusion magic to resolve this, I'm truly unfamiliar with the village's layout. To quickly find my target, I'd need someone familiar with the area to guide me."

"By the way, where's that guy Belsack?"

Thinking about this, Rovey suddenly thought of the old Gravekeeper.

Didn't he say he'd come first thing tomorrow morning to take me to look for him? Why is there still no sign of him at this hour?