Aozaki Touko Returns to the Team

As for the reason? It's actually quite simple. Rovey really doesn't want to go back to that haunted house in Belsack; lying on a church pew is much better. And because of the termination of [Logos React], the entire village is in an uproar. Everyone is on edge, desperately trying to find the scoundrel who ruined their plans and thwarted their dreams.

Rovey, who had been consistently present with Gray and had the Gravekeeper Belsack's guarantee, was safe and could continue moving about in the village. However, this didn't apply to Lev, the stowaway. His green uniform was too conspicuous, and his suspicious behavior meant he would definitely be tortured if caught. Therefore, they decided to keep him hidden in the church for now. Currently, the portly priest Ferdinand had left, and since the church was Holy Land, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly there; it was perfectly suitable as a short-term refuge.

Although Lev was dazed when he was first woken up by a basin of water, his mind was still foggy. The only thing he could remember was meeting a strange person in the windmill. The person claimed to be the Dean of the Atlas Institute and asked him to do something. Then he went down into the tomb through the secret passage of the church. Then... then... he was knocked unconscious by a black light and slept until now.

Although the terrifying experience gave Lev goosebumps, seeing Rovey made him feel much more at ease. He didn't object much to his arrangements and calmly hid in the church, studying the Madonna Statue of the Virgin Mary while concealing himself. He showed absolutely no sense of danger, undoubtedly trusting his partner completely.

Later, with Lev hidden away, Rovey, being an outsider in the open, naturally became a suspect. After all, everything was running smoothly before he arrived, but problems arose just a few days after he arrived. Nobody would believe there was no reason for it.

So he didn't even think about hiding, but instead swaggered into Gray's house, making it clear that he was saying something.

"You're welcome to come and investigate!"

For the past two days, Rovey has been under the watchful eyes of the villagers. Because Gray has been protecting him at home and vouching for him, the villagers dare not be too aggressive. It wasn't until the oldest woman in the village came that she began a highly targeted interrogation of him.

However, when Rovey still couldn't answer any of his questions, the old man was thoroughly enraged. He was about to explode and teach this outsider a lesson, but the light flashing on Rovey's chest made him close his eyes, as if he had realized something.

In the end, the matter ended in silence between the two, and the old man left with the rest of the villagers.

Nighttime, Gray's family's cabin.

Because Gray was an important Shrine Maiden of King Arthur, her residence was very different from the rest of the villagers; it was a large, detached wooden house.

She doesn't usually live with her parents, so there wouldn't be any problem if Rovey stayed with her. Besides, Gray is only about the same age as Reines and the same age as Sakura. So Rovey naturally wouldn't think anything of it, especially since he always sleeps on the wooden sofa in the living room.

Initially, when Rovey arrived, the Gravekeeper, worried about Gray's safety, wanted to drive him away. However, due to Gray's persistent efforts, they eventually gave up. This was also the first time Gray had shown anger in front of the villagers and exercised her authority as Shrine Maiden. When Rovey was about to be forcibly taken away, Rovey initially wanted to teach them a lesson, but Gray's actions genuinely surprised him. Seeing the gentle and kind Gray willing to argue with the villagers for her sake, Rovey was somewhat moved.

At the behest of King Arthur's Shrine Maiden, Rovey stayed here. The Gravekeeper outside could only keep a close watch on the room to prevent Rovey from escaping or doing anything harmful to Gray. However, after confirmation from the village head, the old woman, and with Belsack's guarantee, the Gravekeeper, puzzled, quickly withdrew all those monitoring Rovey. Now, only Gray and Rovey remained.

On the third day, the person who had made the appointment finally returned.

'... knock knock knock.'

A knock came from outside the door, and before Rovey could open it for him, Belsack pushed the door open and walked in.

Clearly, his claim to being King Arthur's Shrine Maiden was of no importance to him. Gray was simply Gray; she was herself, not anyone else. Before becoming King Arthur's Shrine Maiden, Gray was also his student.

At that moment, Rovey, who knew in advance that the other party would come, was already sitting on a wooden chair in the room. He turned his head to look at him and then gestured for him to sit down.

"Um..."

She even raised her hand and poured a cup of hot water for the panting old man, who clearly had a lot of work to do.

As for why it wasn't tea...

This place is so remote that there isn't even any black tea available; this pot of boiled water is our daily drink.

Fortunately, the guy didn't seem to care. He picked it up and drank it all in one gulp, then gestured for Rovey to have another glass of water.

"So, how exactly did those guys ultimately plan to resolve this?"

Seeing Belsack waiting for him to refill his water, Rovey pushed the kettle to him, took a sip of the hot water, and asked, "Have you finished what I asked you to do?"

"It's almost done. I've already discussed what I said with a few of the older folks. Although some of the most devout old men were heartbroken when they learned their wish could never be fulfilled, they were equally overjoyed to learn that King Arthur was alive. Most importantly—the fact that you possess the Holy Grail and can lift the curse immediately stopped their pointless arguments. Plus, you showed Avalon to that old woman, so many of them now see you as Galahad, the paladin who returned after searching for the Holy Grail as King Arthur instructed, and who is now here to welcome Gray, King Arthur's Shrine Maiden. That's why they haven't dared to cause any more trouble lately. As for the culprit who destroyed that thing underground, it's been pinned on the Alchemy from the Atlas Institute who left; it's not that important anymore."

Belsack drank the water in his cup and then slowly said, "Most people in this village blindly worship King Arthur. When they learned that he was not dead and that Galahad had come to save them, they were naturally overjoyed. Most of them are still grateful for the king's mercy, hehe... As for the others, they were also blinded by joy when they learned that they were free and did not have time to distinguish the truth from the falsehood. After all, didn't you already have Gray wish to lift the curse? If they were not afraid of the outside world and their worship of King Arthur was not so deeply rooted, they would probably have run away by now."

"So, they're relieved now?"

Rovey smiled, not surprised by this outcome.

"They're pretty much at ease now. After all, you told that the curse would be lifted on the seventh day, they would be free, and you would give them a brand new land—a place flowing with milk and honey. So most of them are probably packing their bags now, preparing to go to that promised land you gave them."

"The Promised Land... Haha, you're talking like I'm God. Are you Moses?"

"Whether you are God or not, I don't know, and I'm certainly not Moses. Anyway, that's the situation. Tell me, what do you plan to do? Where do you want to put these guys? The expenses for a hundred households and the land are no small amount. And you must remember to isolate them. Throwing people who have never been in contact with the outside world out directly will definitely cause a great upheaval. Magus outside will also be spying on them, and protecting them will indeed be a difficult task. The Gravekeeper have left this land will not be able to fight against those Magus with ulterior motives."

"Don't worry, I was prepared for this a long time ago."

Rovey had anticipated Belsack's warning. He then retrieved the map he had brought with him from his suitcase and drew a route on it with a pencil, the final destination of which was near London.

"Yes, this is it... the area near the Clock Tower. It's a suburb with very few people, so it shouldn't cause such a big commotion. Besides, that land belongs to my teacher's family. It was originally intended to be used to build a branch manor (wedding house) when I moved into his family. So there are already many houses there, so I'll give them to you to live in for now. I'll explain it to him when I get back."

"Is it located... in the area near the Clock Tower, for ease of surveillance?"

Upon seeing this location, Belsack frowned.

"Well, after all, you are a group of people who suddenly appeared and possess Magus talents. If we leave you out there doing nothing, it will definitely cause a lot of trouble. Keeping you under the Clock Tower's nose will make them feel at ease, won't it? Don't worry, as long as you don't actively participate in the Clock Tower's factions, the Aristocratic Faction will try to win you over. After all, in terms of bloodline, you are an ancient clan with a lineage that has been passed down for over a thousand years, tracing your lineage back to Britannia. The length and value of your lineage are very high, which naturally suits the Aristocratic Faction's tastes perfectly. You only need to occasionally send someone to join their school of thought to study."

"Hiss... Oh well, nowhere is worse than this pile of dead bodies anyway."

As he spoke, Belsack took out the list of the entire village and handed it to Rovey.

"A smart person..."

Rovey glanced at it briefly, then held the list in his hand and nodded slightly.

"In that case, I'll leave first. Anyway, Gray has already used the Holy Grail, and the curse on this village has been lifted. There won't be any problems even if I leave this land."

"You're leaving?"

Belsack was somewhat surprised.

"Of course, I need to go back first to prepare your living supplies and accommodations, right? More importantly, I need to explain your origins to the Department of Law and the teachers and get you your identities. Otherwise, a large-scale migration of unidentified Magus into London could cause a lot of trouble."

"I see... then I'll trouble you. Oh, and by the way—take Gray with you, and make sure she never shows up in front of those guys again."

"Uh-huh?"

Just as Rovey was about to nod in agreement and stand up, his expression turned somewhat strange.

"Why? Is it really that urgent? What's wrong with having Gray go with you later? Anyway, the curse has been lifted, and King Arthur isn't dead, Gray shouldn't be affected..."

At this point, Rovey seemed to realize something, and his eyes changed slightly.

"Sigh... You guessed right. Although King Arthur cannot be resurrected, their worship of King Arthur will not disappear. In that case, Gray will no longer need to fulfill her mission as King Arthur's vessel. But even so, if she continues to live among them, she will still be seen as King Arthur's shadow and her life will end, and it might even get worse..."

"Because they see me as Galahad who came for Gray, they not only won't give up, but they've become even more fanatical, completely regarding Gray as a shadow of King Arthur... So you guys are really going crazy... How can your values be more twisted than Magus's?"

Finally, Rovey gave this assessment.

In response, Belsack simply sighed softly, expressing his approval of the idea.

"Yes, how can a custom that has lasted for more than a thousand years be so easily eliminated? Originally, I took her in as a student and appointed Gray as the next Gravekeeper in the hope that she would not suffer such a fate. However, now that everything is over, this practice has naturally lost its original purpose and meaning."

"I see, I think I understand now..."

Rovey nodded in understanding, then teased him, "Weren't you quite prejudiced against me before? Why are you so trusting of me now?"

"... I was prejudiced against you because I felt you had ulterior motives. Now that everything in the village is yours, there's nothing left to be wary of."

"And I have to admit, Gray seems happier with you than with those lunatics; at least the smile on her face is genuine now."

"I see... So Gray, what are your thoughts?"

After listening to Belsack's words, Rovey agreed, then turned to a small head peeking out from the doorway and asked a question.

"I... I do."

Realizing she had been caught eavesdropping, Gray emerged quietly from around the corner like a cat caught stealing food, and answered timidly. Meanwhile, Kay, standing beside her, started making a fuss.

"—Hahaha! You've been found out, Gray, you idiot! Who walks quietly in boots like that..."

"However, this old man's suggestion was indeed good. Gray, now that your biggest worry has been resolved, and you don't owe this village anything anymore, there's nothing wrong with living for yourself like little Artoria."

Kay laughed loudly.

"Well then, take good care of Gray. We'll see you soon, you little rascal."

Upon seeing Gray agree, a rare smile appeared on Belsack's usually serious face.

Without giving Rovey any time to reply, or rather, assuming he would definitely agree, he simply picked up the map, turned around, and pushed open the door to leave.

Chapter 125 Aozaki Touko Returns to the Team

Time: Two days later.

Location: Clock Tower, inside Kenneth's office.

"..."

"..."

The two figures stared at each other, creating an unusually eerie atmosphere in the room. Kenneth, hands supporting his chin, sat solemnly in his office chair, his brows furrowing slightly. He examined the document in his hands, looking at it from left to right, and then, as if to confirm his eyes weren't deceiving him, he even took out a magnifying glass and his magic detection magic item to check it several times. Only after confirming that the text was indeed in the correct order did he place it back on the desk.

Then he glanced silently at Rovey, who stood in front of him, looking weary from his journey and still carrying the smell of the tomb because the Gravekeeper Village didn't provide bathing facilities for outsiders. For a moment, he didn't know how to start a conversation.

"Well, I roughly understand the details now... right? Anyway, I think I've got it pretty much figured out, and this whole thing about you going to the Bramockya Mausoleum without saying a word should be over now..."

"Although there's so much to ask, I don't know how to ask right now, but as long as you're alright, that's all that matters."

Looking at the somewhat tired Rovey, who had clearly been through a lot, Kenneth sighed helplessly, and finally condensed all his unspoken words into a welcome.

For him, whatever happened to Rovey, as long as he was safe, that was enough.

"Ah... it's not that hard. The one who should be working hard and having trouble is Mr. Kenneth."

Sensing Kenneth's concern as an elder, Rovey responded very politely.

After all, he had caused Kenneth a lot of trouble this time.

"Hmph, so you knew too..."

Upon hearing Rovey's words, Kenneth snorted, but he wasn't really angry. Instead, he still had a slight smile on his face, clearly indicating that he was in a good mood, though he harbored some resentment.

He said coldly, "You left without a word again, saying you were going out to clear your head and would be right back in Wales. But you haven't been home for days, making Reines and Sakura worried about you, and they even came to me. Considering your previous example of disappearing without a word to participate in the Holy Grail War, I also feel that you've gone to do something extraordinary again. If you hadn't told the butler about your whereabouts this time, I would have sent someone out, no, I should have gone out to find you myself."

"So that's how it is? I've actually made them worry..."

"I'm really sorry, there was a bit of an accident that happened in the middle of things, so it was delayed for a while. Anyway, I'll have to trouble Professor Kenneth to take care of things in the Department of Law. I can't get along with the people in Barthomeloi. They always act like they're the boss and I'm the second-in-command, which is really annoying."

"... Your description is quite apt, and,"

Hearing Rovey's description, Kenneth chuckled, "That's quite normal. After all, Barthomeloi can now be considered the king of the Clock Tower, and he has unified the Aristocratic Faction. His power is at its zenith, so of course he'll be arrogant. However, that's only temporary. Who knows what the future holds?"

As he spoke, he put the documents in his hand into his drawer, then glanced at Rovey in front of him, the meaning of which was self-evident.

"Although I'm very angry that you slipped away without a word this time, and even took it upon yourself to give away the family residence I prepared for you, it is indeed an extremely lucrative deal. Just a piece of land in London can be exchanged for more than a hundred households with Magus qualifications, which is definitely a huge profit. Although other factions will get involved later, you have undoubtedly handed the initiative to me this time. The value of the benefits involved is very considerable, far exceeding the value of that piece of land."

Kenneth said, "You don't need to worry about your future residence. I will find a suitable area for you. And if you want, you can move to the Archibald family's residence with Reines in the future without any problems. However, for now, I have already had people prepare living supplies and infrastructure. You can just have them come over."

"In the next few years, these unregistered people will probably undergo qualification assessments, and then be transferred to different factions to develop into Magus in different systems..."

Kenneth banged on the table as he announced his final solution.

The implication of his words is that these people can establish their own families in the London area, and that their resources will be supported by the Aristocratic Faction.

Although Kenneth could easily have eaten it all by himself, the other members of the Aristocratic Faction wouldn't allow him to hog it all. Therefore, they would try to participate and gain some control over the selection. However, the lion's share of the profits remained in the hands of the Archibald and Crowley families; the rest could only eat the leftovers or give them away voluntarily.

As for the so-called resource allocation, it actually refers to the Magus.

However, this is not a matter of buying and selling people, but rather the absorption of talent.

After all, Magus are an extremely rare breed, treasures in every way, let alone these mysterious descendants who have lived for over a thousand years. Born and raised near the Leyline, coupled with the mystique within their bloodlines, each of them possesses the aptitude to become Magus; they simply haven't had it properly developed. Even with just a little development, even with a 50% success rate, they would still be a considerable resource of Magus.

Whether it's hiring people to do things, recruiting them to strengthen their schools of thought, or even selling bodily fluids, these are all extremely valuable resources. Therefore, it's no wonder that they are sought after and valued by major factions, making them extremely sought-after at this moment.

By ensuring that the original family remains unchanged, and having the rest join other factions, coupled with the fact that these Magus have extreme faith in Rovey and will work according to his instructions and arrangements, and are extremely obedient, this village can be considered a collateral branch of the Rovey family. If it evolves and develops for a few more generations, it will become a Magecraft lineage with great potential. Therefore, investing now is the most correct choice.

Rather than an investment, it would be more accurate to say that if it weren't for the powerful Lord Kenneth standing behind their family and securing the support of several other major noble factions, these Magus would have been swallowed up by Magus from different factions the moment they entered London.

And now...

Kenneth already sees this as a betrothal gift from Rovey, and it will be incorporated into his Archibald Family in the future, forming a new branch of the family line with Rovey.

Originally, the Crowley Family, aside from servants and attendants, only had about twenty members who were actually members of the magical path, which was undoubtedly too few. Now, all that was saved was that one trip solved the problem of their small population.

This pleased Kenneth as well, since the stronger Rovey's lineage, the stronger his family's power.

This is a relationship where they rise and fall together, so only by joining forces can they, master and apprentice, grow bigger and stronger together.

"Is that so... There's nothing wrong with this approach, as long as they aren't maliciously used as expendable resources and can be integrated into normal society."

Hearing this, Rovey secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "They have been isolated from the world for many years, and their understanding of the times is mostly still stuck in the distant past. They don't know how to live a normal life. Joining a different school of thought is a good option. After all, this family is now under your control, Professor Kenneth. Even if they have ulterior motives, the other schools of thought, being Aristocratic Faction, will naturally not dare to act recklessly out of respect for you. For them, this is the best way out."

"Of course. Although you brought them back, since they've settled on my territory, they're practically my clansmen. So, rest assured, they'll receive all the protection they deserve. And with me handling this for you, you can relax a bit more and focus on preparing for your advancement exam."

Kenneth nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's put the matter of those villagers aside for now. Now that we've finished talking about those guys, it's time to talk about the child behind you."

"Aww, Rovey..."