Heading to the Witch's Lair

"A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. Whatever your goal may be, in my opinion, what you have done is a good thing for the world."

"Um."

Rovey nodded, then chose to get straight to the point instead of continuing the conversation on that topic.

"Well... let's wrap this up first, and then we can start talking about what's going on right now, right?"

"Please speak."

"I would like to hear your thoughts on this village and the resurrection ceremony of King Arthur, as well as detailed information, regarding the Dean of the Atlas Institute."

"That's a really direct question."

Upon hearing this, Tzvia couldn't help but chuckle with a troubled expression. Then, rubbing his forehead, he turned to Gray beside him and said, "Because the Holy Grail War summoned King Arthur, this ritual began to operate autonomously, resulting in Gray birth of Gray, Arthur's Shrine Maiden, who was chosen as a vessel to fulfill her mission. Actually, up to this point, everything was going quite smoothly, but I never expected that you and the Magus of Flowers would accomplish such an astonishing feat in the Holy Grail War. The effect preceded the cause, changing the past from the future. This altered the most crucial premise—the death of King Arthur —making the entire calculation based on Arthur's death and resurrection completely wrong. This caused an irreversible bug in the ritual, rendering it utterly useless."

At this point, his expression, which had been as vivid as that of a theatrical actor, became extremely distressed and complicated.

"Your actions this time can be said to have ruthlessly negated all my calculations and the efforts of the entire village over the past thousand years. In fact, this is quite a blow to a researcher like me. But more importantly, even if I wanted to correct or make amends, I couldn't, since the premise or the initial goal was wrong from the start."

As he spoke, Tzvia couldn't help but glance at Rovey, who had caused this situation, and Gray, who was hiding beside him, and his expression became somewhat gloomy.

"I'm really sorry... But compared to resurrection, the result I've achieved is the best answer that doesn't require sacrificing anyone, isn't it? It's a happy ending for both Artoria and Gray. It's just that she seems to have encountered some problems and is now waiting for my help."

Noticing that the girl beside him was clearly frightened, in order to comfort her, Rovey quietly reached out his palm and held Gray's small hand.

'So big, so warm...'

Feeling the warmth, Gray nodded gently and leaned closer to Rovey, making Kay realize something was wrong.

"Yes, although it's heartbreaking, from any perspective, I'm the only one who's sad. What you've done is a much better solution. However, the anomaly that occurred underground because of it still gives me a headache."

"... that thing?"

Rovey's expression turned somewhat strange.

"Oh, right, you probably don't know this."

Upon hearing the question, Tzvia immediately reacted. He cleared his throat, seemingly organizing his thoughts, and then continued, "Speaking of this matter, we must mention something very important—the [Contract of the Atlas Institute]."

"Those are seven important tokens written at the very beginning of the Atlas Institute's founding. As long as you possess one of those tokens, the Atlas Institute will provide you with its full support. This is one of the main reasons why I often return here and leave behind the Projection equipment."

"To be specific, a long time ago, a Gravekeeper in this village contacted me using a contract, wanting to borrow the [Logos React], one of the seven great weapons created by the Atlas Institute, to complete some important plans. As the current headmaster of the Atlas Institute, I am often forced to stay here because I am concerned about the operational status of that device. Of course, you can also interpret this as my sense of responsibility as the headmaster. Although, undeniably, I am also very interested in the Magecraft rituals left behind by the Witch of the Age of Gods and King Arthur's rebirth plan."

"My departure was largely due to Logos React, because I noticed its huge changes and had to go back to find a way to stop it."

At this point, Tzvia sighed helplessly, "Actually, the real purpose of this village using Logos React is to simulate the spirit of King Arthur, thereby gathering the three elements that would allow King Arthur to be resurrected."

The three essential elements for King Arthur's resurrection.

"Body, mind, and soul?"

'The body is that of the Shrine Maiden Gray, the soul is that of Artoria, and the spirit is the key to their fusion; it is indeed a feasible solution.'

At this moment, Rovey had understood the entire principle and theory of this ritual.

"As expected of you, it seems that you have made a great breakthrough in this area in the process of interpreting the Law Book."

Tzvia nodded. He really enjoyed talking to intelligent people like Rovey; it was so time-saving and effortless. He only needed to subtly reveal a few details, and the other person could easily learn the whole story.

"According to my calculations, the Witch's plan was supposed to be completed soon, within the next fifty years. After hundreds of years, the Shrine Maiden of King Arthur was successfully born in the village of the Gravekeeper, and the girl had met the requirements to be a vessel. All that was needed next was to complete the synchronization of their minds and the descent of King Arthur's soul. Sacrificing her as a sacrifice would allow King Arthur to be resurrected and their long-cherished wish to be fulfilled."

"Is it still about sacrificing others for one's own happiness? I feel disgusted no matter how many times I see this..."

After hearing what Tzvia said, Rovey frowned, then made no attempt to hide his disgust.

After all, it was Emiya Kiritsugu who did this last time. However, after being taught a lesson in the Holy Grail World by Kirei Kotomine, who seemed to have suddenly come to his senses, his thoughts seemed to have changed quite a bit. And now that something similar has happened here again, it's only natural that he feels disgusted.

Holding Gray's hand tightly, Rovey tried his best to comfort her while feeling disgusted by her behavior.

"But this is indeed the most correct way to resurrect..."

Seeing Rovey's expression, Tzvia shook his head.

Rovey's standards and values are significantly different from his.

From both a value and other perspectives, Tzvia felt that sacrificing a Shrine Maiden of King Arthur to complete such a grand Magecraft and resurrect King Arthur was an extremely worthwhile endeavor. There was nothing to regret; rather, Gray, who personally participated in the Magecraft, should be happy about her worth.

However, Rovey clearly values life more than Magecraft and dislikes this kind of sacrifice to save someone.

The essence of Alchemy is clearly equivalent exchange, yet Rovey made such an absurd choice.

Although he didn't understand, Tzvia still chose to respect it.

"But there's nothing more to say right now. After all, failure is failure, and I can't find any excuses. On the contrary, I have to deal with the mess below..."

Tzvia sighed, then his tone suddenly changed as he looked at Rovey again, "By the way, you're supposed to be looking for that assistant and the Witch, right?"

Rovey nodded. "Yes, do you know their location?"

"I know."

To Rovey's surprise, Tzvia gave an affirmative answer.

"Not long ago, that strange Magus came to my place and, with my permission, took some data about the Spiritron Computer. He should be going underground now to complete my commission to solve Logos React. But unfortunately, he's been gone for almost two days, and there's still no news."

"What?! You sent him down alone to handle Logos React?!"

Upon hearing that Lev was so brave, Rovey looked astonished.

Keep in mind that's Morgan's stronghold down there. Isn't he afraid of ending up like one of his unfortunate colleagues, the Demon God Pillars, being turned into a cake by Witch like Morgan and Medea Lily?

"Um... yes, after all, he came to us himself, and it was a very fair deal, so he didn't refuse. I originally thought that even if we couldn't solve it, nothing would happen, since I had already disabled most of Logos React's functionality. But judging from the current situation, the changes have exceeded my expectations."

Tzvia analyzed seriously, "I can sense that because of my shutdown, a certain abnormal and special energy took advantage of this opportunity to seize temporary control of Logos React through the Leyline. It has now completely taken control of the area beneath the village, turning it into another world. And based on the nature of that magic, I don't need to say more; you should already know its true identity."

" —Morgan LeFeuy."

Soon, Rovey gave the correct answer.

"Correct answer."

Tzvia nodded, then a wry smile appeared on his face. He sighed, "Really, as the dean of the Atlas Institute, it's quite shameful that the Witch of the Island managed to steal one of the seven great weapons I brought, the Logos React... But, what's done is done."

"In short, that's how things are now. If nothing unexpected happens, the mythical Witch of the Island and your magical assistant should both be down there. I can't say for sure what the specifics are right now."

Continuing on, Tzvia sighed, then turned to Rovey and said, "If possible, I'd like you to shut down the running [Logos React] for me, or simply stop the simulation. I know this is dangerous, but it might not be a problem for you, since you'd go anyway even if I didn't say anything, right?"

"Well, Lev is still trapped down there, so we have to get him out."

"That's good."

Hearing this, Tzvia breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "As for the compensation, it will be based on the Spiritron Computer data I gave Lev, plus my personal assistance. Although it's not as good as the contract with the Atlas Institute, my abilities are more than sufficient for many things. So, are you willing to accept this request?"

"... Hmm, it's actually Atlas Institute's personal aid? That's quite a generous reward. Plus, with Lev and Morgan both down there, I certainly have no reason to refuse."

Upon hearing Tzvia's unexpectedly high offer, Rovey's expression showed some surprise, but he didn't reveal much of it and ultimately accepted it without making a sound.

However, at this moment, he was already overjoyed.

And he was already planning how to bring Tzvia back to his workshop to work overtime with Lev. After all, this was aid from Atlas Institute, something he couldn't refuse.

More importantly, unlike Lev's condition, this guy is a Dead Apostle. Even if he works overtime at will, no matter how much he's exploited, he won't overwork. He's truly the best tool!

"That would be wonderful."

Seeing that Rovey had agreed, Tzvia, completely unaware of the seriousness of the matter, showed a relieved smile.

Little did he know what kind of special treatment awaited him in the future.

"So, we're going to have to face Morgan next? Hiss..."

Upon hearing that Morgan might be located directly beneath this Gravekeeper village, Kay, held in Gray's hand, seemed to have thought of something terrible and asked in a somewhat panicked tone, "Can Gray and I not go?"

"Kay! You can't be so selfish."

Gray angrily grabbed it.

"Aaaaaah! Stop pinching me! Please stop pinching me, I'll go, okay?"

Seeing Gray and Kay start playing around again, their usual energy restored, Tzvia and Rovey exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh, "Then I'll be here waiting for your victorious return."

"No problem, just wait for me to come back."

To this, Rovey responded with a smile.

Having spent so much time, now that all the necessary elements have been gathered, it's time for him to set off.

Meanwhile, in the Starry Sky, amidst a vibrant flower field.

Since she couldn't see Rovey, Merry, who was leisurely sunbathing in the flower field, suddenly realized something.

"That is..."

She hurriedly climbed down from the bench and looked up in the direction not far away. A figure was approaching her. Just as she narrowed her eyes and focused intently on the person's face, her smile suddenly froze.

"Oh my, what a rare guest! What brings you here today?"

"Artoria's sister— Morgan LeFee."

Chapter 119 Heading to the Witch's Lair

Time: Late at night.

Location: The back hill of the Gravekeeper Village, near the church.

Time flies by in the midst of our busy schedules, and soon it's late at night.

Having accepted Tzvia's request in the windmill hut and learned the correct locations of Lev and Morgan, as well as a lot of astonishing information about Artoria's current situation, Rovey felt that his mind was a little foggy.

First, there's the issue of Kay.

To be fair, Tzvia truly lived up to his title as the Dean of the Atlas Institute; his discerning eye in Alchemy and his ability to distinguish genuine from counterfeit Mystic Codes far surpassed his own. Although he had also sensed something amiss with Kay's aura this time, while the craftsmanship was still top-tier Mystic Code, the planetary power aura of the Anchor of the Planet was significantly weaker than the genuine article. Initially, Rovey had attributed this to the incomplete removal of the Thirteen Seals of the Holy Lance.

However, after being reminded by Tzvia, he checked it carefully again afterwards.

It was confirmed that the other party's discovery was correct.

At this moment, the Holy Lance in the hands of Kay, or rather Gray, is indeed not the genuine Anchor of the Planet (Rhongomyniad). Instead, it's a Mythical Mystic Artifact crafted by Morgan using the mythical craftsmanship of the Lake Nymph, gathering materials resembling planetary crystals and elements from mythology. Because its construction closely replicates the true Anchor of the Planet, and its Magecraft functions are also tailored accordingly, this Holy Lance, while not as powerful as the original, can indeed replicate most of the Anchor of the Planet's capabilities. At least it can still serve as an anchor point for the soul. Giving it to Gray, King Arthur's Shrine Maiden, in the future, for the resurrection of Artoria, is perfectly sufficient. However, this imitation still cannot fix the surface of the world, so Rovey must continue searching for the true Anchor of the Planet.

In terms of destructive power alone, this Holy Lance forged by Morgan is comparable to a special artifact created by a god. After all, it was crafted by the Witch of the Island and the Lake Nymph, and its unleashed power makes it a top-tier divine artifact. However, what Rovey wanted was never destructive power, or rather, he didn't even want the Holy Lance itself, but rather the Tower of Radiance at the end, the true anchor of the planet. Therefore, this Holy Lance forged by Morgan was truly meaningless to him.

After confirming this situation, Rovey couldn't help but sigh, "Throughout history, heroes have been as numerous as carp crossing a river."

'As expected of the Witch of the Island, her ability to create Mystic Code is truly at the Ex level; she even fooled herself.'

'So... can this thing in Gray's hand still be called—Rhongomyniad, the Rhongomyniad? Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it Rhongomyniad, the Spear of Longinus?'

After carefully examining it, Rovey sighed and returned Kay to Gray.

This scene also worried Gray, who had a gentle and kind personality but was also very insecure. She anxiously asked, "Did Gray do something wrong? Didn't Kay help Rovey?"

Seeing this, Rovey felt a pang of pity, but also a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

It's hard to imagine that such an adorable little angel could exist in this world. And she even has Artoria's face, creating a stark contrast with that lioness—one a gray kitten, the other a golden lion. Oh, and there's also a silver-gray viper sister. (None of them in the Britannia family are simpletons, and none are easy to deal with.)

However, he still comforted Gray, saying that these were not her problems, but rather the fruits of her own actions, and she had to bear the consequences herself.

After all, it was indeed his own act of redeeming Artoria that led to the current situation, turning Kay from the original in the original timeline into Morgan's imitation. Although it certainly caused him a lot of trouble, Rovey didn't feel any regret.

While the Holy Lance is precious, it is ultimately just an inanimate weapon; he can always find other ways to obtain it. Artoria's happiness and life, however, are far more valuable and irreplaceable treasures, incomparable to a mere inanimate object like the Holy Lance.

However, based on the information Tzvia has provided, he still feels somewhat confused and doubtful.

Because Rovey simply couldn't imagine how Artoria, who had already let go, could make this choice? To become the Lion King once again?

That's impossible...

Even if she returned the Holy Sword and took up the Holy Lance to travel, she clearly still possessed desires and a sense of self. Having relinquished her obsessions, she could never forget everything and become the Lion King. Even wielding the Holy Lance, she should have ultimately transformed into the incredibly human-like White Lancer Artoria, a being somewhere between a human and a god. Therefore, Rovey couldn't understand where this Lion King came from. Was it from a parallel world? Or some other unforeseen event? And why had she even left the current World Line?

There were clearly a lot of things happening, and the amount of information was too great. Even though he didn't know the whole story, it was difficult for him to fully understand it.

However, whether it's for the Holy Lance he needs or for some other reason, he has to find out the truth.

After all, Artoria was his most important friend, and an extremely important one at that. Now that he knew her situation was unclear and she might be experiencing some problems, Rovey naturally couldn't just sit idly by.

He had already decided that once he pulled Lev out of the water, he would go back and ask Merry if she knew any clues. After making some preparations, he would ask either Jewel Magician or Tzvia to take him there. He had to handle this matter personally before he could feel at ease.

He had originally intended to finish quickly, entering the basement directly according to the coordinates Tzvia had provided. However, unfortunately, this time, no matter how long he searched the location Tzvia had mentioned, he still couldn't find any entrance. Clearly, someone had already sealed it off first.

This made Rovey somewhat upset, but while waiting, to comfort Gray and pass the time, Rovey chatted with her, sharing some of his own story and the situation at the Clock Tower.

During this time, Gray's eyes revealed boundless longing.