My Promise to Gray (Part 2)

Since Rovey freed King Arthur and fulfilled the wishes of these incompetent men, all the Knights of the Round Table should owe Rovey a huge favor. Furthermore, Kay stated that if Rovey needed any help, he could come to him anytime; it would do anything within its power, even at the cost of its own destruction.

Upon hearing this promise, Rovey's eyes lit up instantly, and he wore a "plan is in the air" expression. It was as if he had been waiting for Kay to say these words.

Going through fire and water, even to the point of being shattered to pieces—that's not quite right. However, there are certainly many places where I can help you.

Anyway, you'll have a way to repay this kindness once I take Gray and you back.

"Um... big brother, do you mean... King Arthur didn't die?"

Upon hearing this, Artoria, in her final moments, did not choose to give up on life, but instead relinquished her identity as King Arthur and embarked on her final journey. Kay, possessing the personality of Sir Kay, was naturally extremely pleased, but Gray, having listened attentively to the story, had a much more complex feeling.

As King Arthur's Shrine Maiden, Gray was naturally happy for Artoria's rebirth, but... if it turned out like this, wouldn't everything the village had done from beginning to end have been in vain?

"So..."

A look of fear crossed Gray's face, but Rovey quickly put a finger to his lips, signaling to Gray.

"Shh~ Don't say things like that carelessly... Although this is a good thing for King Arthur and Artoria, it could cause chaos for this village."

Riot.

Rovey's words contained no exaggeration or falsehood. After all, the very existence of the Gravekeeper village was to complete the ritual that could resurrect King Arthur, awakening the long-sleeping king from his eternal slumber. This was their goal and responsibility, and for this reason, the entire Gravekeeper Village had strived for over a thousand years. The birth of Gray was the most important outcome of this ritual; she was the most successful individual born from their millennia-long existence, a true vessel capable of containing King Arthur, and their most promising chance for liberation. However, Rovey's frankness directly revealed the answer.

It's no use. No matter what, the ending is predetermined.

King Arthur did not die, so it was impossible for her to be resurrected. The Gravekeeper's hopes were just wishful thinking from the very beginning.

Therefore, no matter how perfect Gray Shrine Maiden, even if she has a face and similarities to King Arthur, she cannot be used as a basis to resurrect Artoria.

If the villagers, trapped for over a thousand years, were to learn of this cruel reality, there would only be one outcome. Upon learning that their millennia of effort had been reduced to ashes, that their efforts had ultimately failed, and that their assigned mission could never be fulfilled, the villagers' faith would crumble. Having confirmed that they would never find liberation, they would descend into despair and madness. Such things are extremely common in the world of Magecraft. If it were to truly escalate to this point, no matter what actions were taken, the final result would inevitably be a tragedy.

So, at this moment, Kay decisively shut his mouth and promised Rovey that he would never tell anyone about it. Gray also fell silent, deeply affected by this tragic event.

"... Um, big brother... you mean King Arthur can't be resurrected, and everything is over, right?"

Gray asked, her head bowed and her voice dejected.

However, she is really bad at hiding her inner emotions.

Although she did show extreme sadness, there was more of a... complex look in Gray's eyes.

It was a complex emotion born from a mixture of relief and pain.

After all, everyone fears death and is afraid of disappearing. Even gods who have existed for countless ages are not willing to die easily, let alone an ordinary little girl.

Although Gray knew all along that one day she would disappear as the vessel for King Arthur's resurrection.

She kept trying to convince herself to accept this glorious destiny, to respond to the expectations of the villagers and her parents, and to fulfill her responsibilities as King Arthur's Shrine Maiden. But when that day actually came, she was still terrified.

Rovey had actually noticed this long ago. While he was telling the story of Artoria, Gray's fair little hands began to tremble unconsciously, indicating her restlessness.

Upon hearing that Artoria was still alive and that she might not need to sacrifice herself, Gray couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

But...

Then, thinking of her mission and duty—to become King Arthur's vessel, to help the entire village break the curse and regain their freedom—she felt a sense of relief followed by fear and sorrow upon learning that this mission could never be completed.

Having grasped the general situation, Rovey asked, "Little Gray, are you worried about everyone in the village?"

"Um..."

Gray nodded. Her voice was barely audible, but her gentle tone carried an undeniable sadness.

"Although I don't want to disappear, I don't want everyone to be trapped in the village forever. I know everyone's longing and yearning for the future, and that's probably why they were so happy to see me."

"Because they saw not only hope in me, but also that shadow of King Arthur... I, who bore everyone's expectations... felt fear in my sacrifice. It was all destined, but when I heard that King Arthur would not return, I felt... relieved. I'm sorry, big brother..."

"I really am a selfish person..."

Gray spoke painfully.

"No, rather, it shows that Gray is a kind and good girl because she is thinking of others at times like this."

"No, I'm not..."

Faced with Rovey's praise, Gray lowered her head slightly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Big brother, I have not only failed to meet everyone's expectations, but I have also failed to fulfill my responsibilities as a dutiful Shrine Maiden. My duty is to offer my body to the king, but... but I am terrified of it. My destiny is to lead everyone to freedom, but now I am completely unable to do so..."

As she spoke, Gray's voice trembled with tears, and warm tears streamed down her cheeks as she unleashed the pent-up resentment and pain within her.

For this little girl, the responsibilities and pain she had been suppressing were simply too much. Such a heavy responsibility placed her in a situation similar to King Arthur over a thousand years ago, forced to bear too much suffering, with no way to escape, only able to silently suppress it within her heart. Originally, this frail girl had prepared herself to endure it all alone, until she completely sacrificed herself to fulfill her mission of helping everyone.

However, the appearance of Rovey disrupted this predetermined outcome.

Perhaps it was this overwhelming blow that shook Gray's heart, or perhaps it was because of Avalon that Gray subconsciously developed a sense of attachment and trust towards Rovey. It was precisely because of this that she was able to trust the young man in front of her without any reservations and begin to confide in him.

"Stupid Gray..."

To Kay, who was standing nearby, this scene was strikingly similar to that familiar figure from over a thousand years ago.

Kay wanted to offer comfort, but Sir Kay's straightforward personality prevented him from speaking. He could only offer silent companionship, turning his gaze to Rovey, hoping that this wise man who had enlightened Artoria could, as before, enlighten and liberate the girl before him who was also bound by fate.

Rovey already understood this.

When faced with Gray's tearful outburst, Rowe didn't respond with scolding or a lecture; instead, Rovey offered her a warm embrace. He knelt down, gently wrapped his arms around Gray's petite frame, and patted her shoulder.

"It's okay, Gray ...it's not your fault, and it's not your problem."

He gently comforted her, "You know what? Everything will eventually perish, even gods and the world. Fear of death is a human instinct, it's not your problem."

"And... believe me, you owe King Arthur nothing, or anything to this village. On the contrary, Artoria should be apologizing to you. It's because of her existence that your life has been ruined, forcing you to bear responsibilities that aren't yours. And..."

"Gray, you have actually done very well. I believe King Arthur would be proud of you."

"Really... really? But I..."

The sudden warm embrace made the lonely Gray pause slightly. Then, her tense body relaxed, and she gently leaned against Rovey's shoulder, following the familiar and warm scent. Tears flowed freely, wetting his clothes, making Rovey feel even more sorry for the girl.

"To ensure that the villagers will never be free, to fail their expectations, and to fail so many others..."

"It's okay, it's okay... Trust me, everything will be alright."

Seeing Gray's attempt to take all the blame upon herself, Rovey sighed. He gently patted Gray's back, again and again, as if soothing a frightened kitten. In this cold moment, this embrace was her only refuge, letting Gray know that there was still warmth in this world for her.

He spoke softly, "Although you are King Arthur's Shrine Maiden, before that, please do not forget something more important."

"Something more important...?"

Gray was somewhat puzzled.

"Yes, please remember what I am about to say, Gray. Nothing in this world can dictate your fate, not the villagers, not even King Arthur, because before you became Shrine Maiden, you were yourself, a girl named Gray."

"And... don't worry, King Arthur won't blame you. On the contrary, he'll definitely feel sorry for you after he finds out about your situation. After all, Gray so adorable..."

"As for what happens to this village, you can rest assured. Leave it to me. It's just a curse. Even if Morgan appeared here, I wouldn't be afraid. I'll help you break free from a Witch's curse. That way, your mission will be completely over, right?"

"Really... really? Big brother, do you really have a way to help everyone?"

Upon hearing Rovey's words, Gray, who was sobbing in his arms, suddenly raised her head and gazed intently at Rovey, who was so close to her, with her tearful eyes. For a moment, Rovey could feel the warmth emanating from this little girl.

Seeing this, Rovey reached out and wiped away her tears, then couldn't help but laugh.

"Big brother, I never lie. It's just a Witch's curse, it's no match for me at all."

He held out his finger and then said gently to her, "If you don't believe me, we can make a pinky promise. If you lie, you'll suffer the consequences. Anyway, just trust me for now. I will help you reclaim your own life from fate."

"Hmm... hmm, I believe in my big brother."

"Thank you for your trust, Gray. I will live up to your expectations."

Under the astonished gaze of Kay, the two fingers, one big and one small, had already gently touched together in mid-air.

"Thank you, big brother..."

At this moment, Gray's face was completely covered in tears, and her voice was still choked with sobs. However, this time her tears were not from pain and guilt, but from joy and relief.

"Cry, cry, Gray, you've done so well. You don't need to do anything else now. Just entrust everything to her."

Rovey also felt a bit of pity for the girl in front of him.

That's why I talked to her so much.

Her life did not belong to herself; even the meaning of her existence belonged to a king she had never truly met.

Because of her status Shrine Maiden of King Arthur, Gray was forced to be feared and shunned by the villagers, which resulted in her having no friends or relatives in the village.

Even her biological parents, no matter how much they love her, can only maintain a respectful attitude when facing her. This pain of being both respected and estranged by family and friends, falling on such a small body, must be very difficult for her to bear, right?

You must feel... very lonely, right?

Rovey found it hard to imagine what such a delicate girl had endured.

This made him think of the King of Knights who was forced to move forward, and he believed that if she came here, she would say the same words as him.

Watching Gray cry, Rovey remained silent, quietly staying by her side to let the girl calm down on her own.

After a long while, Gray wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes again, and then pulled herself together.

"Thank you, big brother."

"You're welcome, Gray. I'm just doing what I believe is right. It's also something I want to do as Artoria's friend."

Rovey returned the smile with the same smile.

"Um."

Gray nodded slightly, then looked at Rovey with some trepidation and asked, "So... are Gray and big brother friends too?"

"Of course, we're friends, and Gray can just call me Rovey from now on."

"Hahahaha—!! Bro, you really have a knack for this, you managed to win over that idiot Gray so easily! Now I'm even more certain that you have a relationship with Merlin, no, it should be Merry, that non-human."

"Putting everything else aside, your skill in deceiving little girls is absolutely top-notch; it really makes me look at you in a new light!"

Seeing Gray emerge from the shadows, Kay, who had been quietly observing everything from the table, suddenly burst into laughter and started making fun of Rovey.

"Gray, you need to be careful. Men who are sweet-talking are more likely to lie. You can be friends with them, but be careful not to let them deceive your feelings..."

Kay joked thoughtfully.

"Kay!"

Hearing Kay's words, Gray's cheeks suddenly flushed, and she immediately pressed Kay into her palm.

"You mustn't talk about Rovey like that, it's so rude!"

"Cough cough cough!! You idiot Gray, be gentle, and don't be so quick to side with outsiders, okay? Idiot, idiot..."

Kay, who was being held in the palm of someone's hand, protested in dissatisfaction.

However, its words were merely a joke directed at Gray and contained no malice.

Regardless, Kay is genuinely happy for Grey now that he sees Gray recovering from her grief.

But...

After escaping from Gray's grasp, Kay returned to the table, looking at Rovey with a serious and scrutinizing gaze, his words filled with solemnity.

"Young man, while I'm very grateful for your help to Artoria and for helping that idiot Gray recover from her grief, you know what? Morgan, that crazy woman, is not someone to be trifled with. Her spells are virtually impossible for modern Magus to break. So... don't speak too confidently."

"I don't want you to have too many expectations for that fool Gray. Only in this way will Gray not be too sad when she finally realizes that everything was just an empty promise. Because if you have no expectations, you won't feel disappointed about anything."

"Kay said seriously."

Having witnessed Artoria's expectations and despair, it understands better than anyone just how cruel it is for those expectations to be shattered and for despair to follow.

Therefore, Kay did not want Rovey to place too much expectation on Gray. He had no need to make such an unfulfillable promise, so that he would not be hurt too deeply when his hopes were dashed.

"Kay ..."

Hearing Kay's voice, Gray's gaze turned fearful. She looked at Rovey, who hadn't answered, her eyes filled with unease. She was truly terrified, extremely terrified. She feared that everything that had just seemed so wonderful was a lie Rovey had concocted to comfort her.

However...

"Sir Kay, don't confuse me with that fraudster, Merry. If I said I could do it, then I was absolutely certain."

Rovey's confident answer brought a beautiful smile back to Gray's face.

"Wh... what? Bro, are you serious?! You probably don't know Morgan's methods, she really isn't..."

"I understand your concerns and how you feel right now. However, Sir Kay, why don't we take a look at this first before drawing any conclusions?"

Kay was also surprised by Rovey's answer. It was about to continue speaking when Rovey interrupted it.

Then, to Gray and Kay's astonishment, Rovey flipped his hand, and a huge golden goblet appeared in his palm. The powerful magic filled the entire room in a mere instant.

"This... this is! The Holy Grail?!"