My Promise to Gray

Thinking this, Rovey glanced at his pocket watch, which showed that it was already around eight o'clock in the morning. This time was clearly already past what was considered early morning.

Has that old guy run into some trouble? Was it Morgan's doing? Or something else...?

'Knock knock knock...'

Just as Rovey was pondering this with some doubt, there was a sudden knock on the door.

He initially thought it was Belsack, but the gentle force seemed completely out of character for the tall, imposing old man who wielded a single-handed axe with such power. So he asked him aloud.

Who is it?

"Um... I'm the guide that Master arranged for me to help you find your companions... We just met last night."

The voice that answered him from outside the door was very familiar, warm and soft, belonging to a young child.

Rovey, who had met the voice just last night, was naturally very familiar with it.

"Is that Gray...?"

He nodded and muttered to himself.

She then got up and walked to the wooden door, opening it. A chilly morning air rushed into the room, and a petite and lovely figure came into view—it was indeed Gray.

Last night, due to the rush and the darkness, he didn't get a clear look at the girl's face. Now, with the morning sunlight, Rovey can finally see her face clearly.

Before her stood a little girl in a black cloak, whose face bore an almost identical resemblance to both Artoria and Morgan, though still bearing a touch of childishness. A few strands of silver hair cascaded down from the gaps in the hood. She was very young and short, barely reaching her waist, and was completely enveloped in the greyish-black cloak.

If you look closely, Rovey thinks she's about five or six years old.

She should be around the same age as Reines and Sakura, and they are of the same generation, still considered little girls.

Noticing Rovey's scrutinizing gaze, Gray looked up, meeting his eyes with Rovey emerald-like gaze, and timidly began, "Y-you, hello... Good morning, my name is Gray... My master asked me to show you around the village... to help you find your companions..."

"..."

Rovey did not answer her question, but continued to stare at her intently, while also carefully pondering some things.

Based on speculation, the situation is roughly as follows—

The reason Gray possesses a face identical to Artoria's is due to the influence of a ritual array set up by Morgan in this land. This Witch's ritual affected Gray, the village's most suitable age and with the highest synchronization rate with Artoria, transforming her face and body into the most suitable state for Artoria —the so-called vessel for King Arthur. It is precisely for this reason that the village of Gravekeeper Gray, worshipping her as the God Child who will bring King Arthur to life. Because when the time is right, Gray will give her body to King Arthur's soul, thus resurrecting Artoria, completing the village's mission, and easily lifting the curse. This is why she was taken in as an apprentice and trained by the village's Gravekeeper Belsack; in reality, her greater purpose was protection.

As for whether Gray would become the Gravekeeper, the villagers didn't care at all. These villagers, imprisoned for over a thousand years, only cared whether Gray could resurrect King Arthur, break the curse on them, and regain their freedom.

And the result...

This plan was indeed promising, especially after sensing King Arthur's presence in the Fourth Holy Grail War; the entire arrangement was complete and functioning perfectly. However—

Morgan and all the Gravekeeper never expected that, under Rovey's patient persuasion and earnest guidance, Artoria would choose to be reborn, refusing her destined death and disappearing from history. This made the meticulously prepared resurrection ritual an impossible feat.

That is why Gray could never be a sacrifice to resurrect King Arthur.

Morgan had belatedly realized this, but the villagers probably hadn't. If things continued this way, the curse on them would likely never be lifted.

"Gray ...is that so? Hello, it's nice to meet you again, little sister. My name is Rovey Crowley." After looking the little girl in front of him, Rovey greeted her in a similarly gentle manner.

"Um... it's so good to see you're alright, big brother." Gray nodded quickly, then asked with some concern, "Um... did I bother you?"

"No."

Rovey shook his head. "I've only just recovered. In fact, you've come at just the right time. I was just about to go and ask your master for help. Would you like to come in and sit down? I'll prepare a few more things and then I can set off."

"Okay, okay... thank you..."

Gray quietly expressed her gratitude, and was about to follow Rovey into the house to wait a moment when an untimely voice suddenly rang in her ears—

"Aaaaaah! Wait a minute, Gray, be careful! This guy in front of you has a smell that really annoys me!!"

Unlike Gray's quiet demeanor, this was a complex voice that sounded extremely lively, even a bit too noisy.

'So it's still there?'

Upon hearing this voice, Rovey's eyes lit up slightly, while Gray hurriedly covered the contents of her pocket and pulled it out.

"Kay, don't be so loud. We're in front of guests. Be polite."

Upon closer inspection, it was a square with neat edges and corners, engraved with many strange patterns, resembling a Rubik's Cube. However, it was currently being kept in a small birdcage by Gray.

Rovey actually recognized the strange object Gray was carrying.

[Kay]

At least that's what Gray called it.

However, Rovey prefers to call it the Holy Lance: Mystic Code, the Tower of the End, or the Anchor of the Planet. This is also one of his important goals on this trip.

However, as Rovey looked at the strange Rubik's Cube that was protesting against Gray, a strange expression appeared on his face.

Although this Kay was indeed the same as he remembered, because the personality within it imitated King Arthur's sworn brother, Sir Kay, one of the Knights of the Round Table, and thus appeared very noisy, what Rovey cared about was not his personality, but rather the aura within it... Hmm, there was indeed the aura of the Holy Lance, but wasn't this aura far too weak? Was it because of the seal? The situation seemed rather strange.

He felt a little curious.

However, seeing Gray and Kay start arguing, he didn't rush to snatch Kay away to find out what was going on, but decided to wait until they got back.

"Alright, alright, you idiot Gray, of course I know to be quiet. But this kid's scent is so familiar, there's an extremely unpleasant fragrance and a feeling that makes you want to drowsy, but there's also little Artoria's scent... What's going on?"

"A feeling of drowsiness?"

Upon hearing this, Gray's expression turned somewhat strange. She looked at Kay in her hand with a puzzled expression and asked, "Kay, didn't you say that you had been sleeping before I woke you up? Why do you feel so familiar? Could it be that Mr. Crowley is someone you knew before you fell asleep?"

"No, of course that's impossible! How old do you think I am?! I'm not talking about him personally, but rather an extremely annoying yet familiar scent. That scent is as sweet as flowers, as intoxicating as a dream, yet as repulsive as scum. Ahhh~ This feeling is really ominous. I didn't expect to be able to smell that guy's scent even in this state. He's really persistent..."

"What a strange description!"

After hearing this description, Gray's expression became somewhat strange.

However, Kay and Rovey's eyes met at that moment, clearly indicating that they both understood what the other was talking about.

After confirming with a glance, Kay turned directly to Rovey and asked, "Young man, if I'm not mistaken, you should have some connection with that damned Nightmare who deserved to die even if he were killed hundreds of times, right? Is there something he left behind? Or something? And you also have a faint aura of Artoria on you... You really are quite surprising."

Nightmare who deserved to be hacked to death hundreds of times...

Rovey was naturally familiar with this nickname; in fact, because the description was so accurate, he had personally taught that pervert a lesson countless times.

Are you talking about Merlin?

"Aaaaaah—!! It really was him!!"

Upon hearing Rovey's answer, Kay suddenly let out a howling sound.

"That damn perverted bastard, it really is him! What a twisted fate! Even after all these years of death, he still won't let me have peace. Tell me quickly, brother, what exactly happened to Merlin? Wasn't he supposed to be forbidden from leaving the tower until the end of the world? How did he get involved with you? And the aura of Arleigh Burke, that aura is quite obvious too. How did you manage to encounter both Arleigh Burke and Merlin at the same time?"

When Artoria was mentioned, Kay's tone suddenly became somewhat anxious.

"... Well, there are many complicated issues involved. However, I only communicate with Merry through dreams, and she's currently my illusion teacher, so it's normal for us to have some connection, right? As for Artoria, I met her a few times during the Holy Grail War and we became friends. The familiar aura you sensed is probably because of that..."

Rovey pointed to his chest, where the light belonging to Avalon flickered slightly.

"It's Avalon! I knew it! I never expected that you and Little Al would have this kind of relationship, and Avalon is still with you... But what did you mean by 'she' just now?"

Upon seeing the light emanating from Avalon and sensing its familiar aura, Kay shouted excitedly. He was about to ask his sister how it was when they met again when he suddenly noticed something extremely strange in Rovey's words.

For example, Merlin isn't actually Merlin, but rather the name Merry, and... [she]?

Upon hearing that Merlin had become Merry, Kay suddenly screamed as if he had heard something extremely terrifying, "Whoa!! That pervert actually went so far as to cut off his own manhood?!"

However, it quickly realized that something was wrong.

"Something seems off, after all, that guy doesn't even have a gender."

"..."

Looking at the easily startled Sir Kay, Merry Rovey mentioned Sir Kay when recounting her adventures. Putting everything else aside, his personality alone was enough to make for a good show. He and Merry were definitely the kind of people who could easily get along. He was also the kind of person Merry loved to tease the most.

However, looking at Grey, who seemed to be overloaded and completely bewildered, unable to understand Gray Kay and Rovey were talking about, Rovey shook his head and then opened the wooden door to invite her to bring Kay inside first.

"I have a lot of connections with Merry and Artoria, and it's a bit complicated to explain. Anyway, please come in and have a seat. I'll tell you a story about me and them later."

"And it's not just between them, actually... I also have a certain connection with you, little Gray. While I was looking for companions this time, part of my goal was also for you and Kay."

"You came for me and Kay...?"

Upon hearing Rovey's undisguised answer, Gray's eyes involuntarily flashed with fear, and she instinctively wanted to run away. However, encouraged and reminded by Kay beside her, she stopped and looked back at Rovey.

Although she couldn't understand a word of Kay conversation, Kay said, "Since he can use Avalon and has connections with both Artoria and Merry, he's probably not a bad person. Besides, even that old Gravekeeper, Belsack, said this kid is trustworthy. So what's there to hesitate about? I also want to know about Artoria's situation!"

Encouraged by Kay, Gray mustered her courage and chose to trust Rovey, entering the room. Although she didn't understand what he had just said, a strange Instinct told her—[This older brother in front of her is definitely not a bad person; he is trustworthy, and he must be someone extraordinary.]

Furthermore, Gray's heart skipped a beat when the name Artoria was mentioned.

Because she knew it was King Arthur's name.

It wasn't just Kay was concerned about Artoria; at this moment, she was even more eager to know about King Arthur and her own future—

Fate

Chapter 116 My Promise with Gray

Inside the Gravekeeper's house.

"—Hahaha! Is there really such a thing? The Holy Grail War, the Heroic Spirit Summoning, such a magical thing actually happened without my knowledge? It sounds just like Valhalla's Hall of Heroic Spirit. How interesting. Crowley, your story is even more fascinating than I imagined."

"And also..."

After listening to Rovey's brief account of the Holy Grail War, Kay burst into loud laughter. Unlike Morgan, who had remained silent and watched quietly the previous night, the boisterous Kay always offered his own observations and opinions when Rovey recounted Artoria's story.

At first, when he heard that Artoria was almost carried away by Fionn mac Cumhaill during their first meeting at the port, he couldn't help but worry for his sister. Later, when he heard that Artoria's Master, the man named Emiya Kiritsugu, repeatedly ordered his sister to do things she didn't want to do, Sir Kay directly cursed the man's despicable behavior, wishing he could personally step in and teach him a lesson.

At the same time, he didn't forget to directly hurl insults, saying that the one summoned by Emiya Kiritsugu was actually Artoria, and that she still seemed to have retained some of her personality traits, not fully transitioning to her royal status, and thus still clinging to her principles as an Artoria. If he were to encounter any of his more hot-tempered Knights of the Round Table, who dared to force him to do things like that, he would definitely teach them a lesson about the style of the Knights of the Round Table.

Later, when he heard that Artoria was being criticized by the other kings at the Banquet of Kings, Kay's mood worsened. It felt as if he, as the older brother, was incompetent and only realized what had happened belatedly, allowing his sister to be bullied without his knowledge.

Especially when he heard that Artoria's initial wish was to negate his efforts, that she was not a qualified king, and that her goal and desire for the Holy Grail was only to change that tragic history and start over, Kay fell completely silent.

This time, Sir Kay didn't make a sound; he just listened quietly and pondered.

Although he didn't utter a word, both Rovey and Gray could sense the pain and sorrow hidden deep within Kay's heart and soul. Even if he wasn't truly human, nor the real Sir Kay from history, his feelings for Artoria were undeniable.

Unlike Rovey, Gray, as Kay's companion, quietly placed Kay in the birdcage on the table after noticing this. Although she also had many questions, the understanding Grey did not interrupt Rovey's story, but simply listened quietly with Kay to the end of this tale of King Arthur.

Fortunately, this sadness and silence did not last long. When he heard that Rovey and that Nightmare had joined forces to scheme against Artoria, and even taught her a lesson in the end, waking her from that absurd dream, Kay laughed happily again.

This time, while laughing heartily at Artoria's carelessness and underestimation of her opponent, Sir Kay gave a very high evaluation of Rovey's strength.

After all, Artoria was his younger sister, and as her older brother, he knew her best. Having watched Artoria grow up, Kai was also Artoria best sparring partner. Around the time Artoria was seven, he personally experienced the oppressive power of a humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex. That battle easily left him completely disoriented, let alone Artoria after she became a full-fledged knight and a king.

So even though Rovey emphasized that this time it was because Artoria's Master dragged her down to some extent, and because she herself was absent-minded, he was able to take advantage of the information gap. Furthermore, his verbal taunts and provocations caused her to lose her mind, which is why he was able to defeat her by chance.

However, Kai knew this. Even a weakened Artoria was still King Arthur, his sister, and a veritable humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex. Even if she was weakened, how much weaker could she be? Therefore, for a Magus like Rovey to defeat King Arthur in person was indeed an unimaginable miracle.

More importantly, after hearing that he had recounted the events surrounding the fall of Britannia to Artoria after that battle, successfully helping her overcome her inner turmoil and abandon her absurd desire to deny her past actions and achievements and choose to start anew, Kai breathed a sigh of relief. He subsequently gained complete trust in this stranger, Rovey, and found him increasingly agreeable.

And without any hesitation, he said, "Compared to that useless Nightmare, you're much more suitable to be little Artoria's mentor... If you had been there in our time, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out the way they did..."

Sir Kay expressed his heartfelt feelings.

To this, Rovey simply shook his head and did not offer any further explanation.

After all, the past is the past, and no matter how much we talk about it, it cannot be changed. Instead of lamenting and regretting the present, it's better to look at the present with the future in mind. At least from a long-term perspective, things are moving in a positive direction.

Moreover, sensing the admiring gaze from Kay, Rovey even felt that this guy wasn't even human. If Sir Kay were really here now, the other party would definitely drag him out for a good drink, and they might even become sworn brothers.

As for the events that occurred in Britannia in the later period, Rovey actually had some understanding of them.

Natural disasters and man-made calamities, the changing times—no matter how hard you try, you can't change anything. Besides, Merlin felt that he had reached the end of his journey and there was no point in continuing, so he simply gave up.

Because Britannia lost Merlin, its strategist, and the land and the Age of Gods Britannia truly come to an end, plus the unexpected emergence of Mordred, the entire Britannia collapsed and inevitably perished.

The reason Kai hates and dislikes Merlin is mostly because of this.

If it weren't for his guidance, Artoria could have lived a normal life. She could have lived a free life as a knight, and there was no need for her to face this tragic end and bear this responsibility that wasn't hers. If that guy hadn't irresponsibly left, many of the tragedies that followed wouldn't have happened. Don't say Merlin's Clairvoyance couldn't see it? Don't say this is some kind of bullshit correct development! It's just that guy's excuse for standing by and doing nothing.

And that is indeed the case...

Later on, Merlin did indeed let go, witnessing everything come to an end. However, he did not expect that the outcome he had foreseen would plunge the girl he had raised and watched grow up into such pain, into despair, unwilling to rest in peace or find release, and tormenting her soul endlessly.

This was also the first time that non-human being had felt guilt and pain that belonged to humans, which is why he did everything he could to change Artoria's fate.

And the final result...

When Merlin saw Artoria personally choose to liberate herself, Merlin genuinely felt a new emotion. This time, however, it was the happiness and joy he had been searching for for countless years, a beautiful emotion.

Although she later became attached to Rovey and was forced by him to use the contract that could do anything to turn Merlin into Merry through a deal with the Jewel Magician, the other party showed no remorse. All she wants now is to see more interesting things and to experience new happiness from Rovey once more.

After hearing all this, Kay was now completely convinced, just like the Silver Knight Bedivere who accompanied the awakened king on his new journey fifteen hundred years ago. Sir Kay before him also expressed his deepest respect.