Chapter 876

I am unworthy of the name of Faerie Knight and the trust His Majesty has placed in me.

Please give me the punishment I deserve; I will willingly accept it.

Morgan: "Indeed, it is truly unbearable to hear that Faerie Knight could be bewitched by a human from the outside world."

I hereby sentence Barghest to return to his own territory and remain in seclusion to reflect on his actions, awaiting further orders.

If I discover any new movements of that man, I will immediately appoint you to be in charge of his capture.

"Yes."

Gawain lowered his head deeply.

This was less a punishment and more an act of the Queen's mercy.

For Gawain, the most pressing question now is why.

What exactly happened to cause Shirou's state of mind to change so drastically overnight?

There was only one thing on her mind—

That was the rumor about the "Child of Prophecy".

Two days ago, Shirou heard about the "prophecy" from Gawain.

Did Shirou actually believe that absurd "prophecy"?

Gawain was extremely unwilling: Would Shirou really believe that a fairy he'd never met could save the country, rather than us?

So the three Faerie Knights, each with their own thoughts, withdrew from the throne room.

After even the guards and officials had left, the Fae Queen slowly raised her arm.

On the ring finger of my left hand is the ring that person put on my finger last night.

Soon they will be reunited, and this time they will never be separated again—that's what Shirou said.

Morgan believed in the promise Shirou made before he left and never doubted the promises he made.

However, before that perfect ending arrives...

Let me struggle one last time.

When Shirou left Camelot, he had already decided on the next stop on his journey: Tintagel.

In the history of Pan-Human History, Tintagel is the birthplace of King Arthur.

In the history of the Fae Kingdom, Tintagel was the place where Shirou first drifted to.

As for why I chose to go to that kind of small village, it was partly a matter of my mood, and partly a matter of "Instinct".

If you go there, you might just have the right encounter.

Shirou's cheat-level skill, "Instinct EX," told him this.

Shirou stood on the shore, listening to the sound of the waves from the boundless sea, and began to organize the information he had.

His goal was to find the legendary Child of Prophecy as soon as possible.

The clan chief of the Mirror Clan, Ainsel, left behind one of the most famous prophecies.

Simply put, that's it.

"Sixteen years from now, the savior will appear."

"Guided by the Staff of Selection, the true king will eventually be crowned."

"When the six bells toll, the hypocritical Queen will be overthrown."

"To lead fairies and humans to end the history of falsehood."

This prophecy foreshadows a future where Queen Morgan will be defeated by the "Child of Prophecy."

The prophecies of the Mirror Clan have never failed, and Shirou and Ash are witnesses to their foresight.

Incidentally, the "sixteen years later" mentioned in the prophecy refers to this year.

Because of this prophecy, Queen Morgan has been hunting down the "Child of Prophecy" across the country for sixteen years.

To this day, she is still arresting fairies who are 16 years of age or older and imprisoning them, which is proof that she has not yet caught anyone.

"What... she's just like an evil queen from a fairy tale, "Shirou thought to himself.

His immediate priority is to find the "Child of Prophecy" before Morgan does and ensure his safety.

Even so, Shirou doesn't know what the Child of Prophecy looks like, or even its gender. Where should he even begin searching?

No... Shirou actually knew.

He knew the appearance of the "Child of Prophecy" all too well.

And so, Shirou arrived near Tintagel.

However, what awaited him there was a village engulfed in flames.

"Catch Caster! Catch that liar!"

"Hand her over to Woodwose's execution squad as a fraud claiming to be the 'Child of Prophecy'!"

Amidst the chaos, Artoria Caster was captured by the villagers and imprisoned in a cell built beneath the village.

He reported her friend, revealing a smug expression of accomplishment.

This was exactly what Artoria had expected.

She harbored jealousy and suspicion towards the girl in the village who chatted with her as a "friend".

Because Artoria Caster was regarded by the villagers as the "Child of Prophecy" and became a special being, she was always jealous.

Artoria had encountered similar situations countless times.

The same applies when Staff of Selection.

The girls in the village denounced Artoria because they saw her happy expression as she waved her wand.

Artoria couldn't bring herself to hate them.

For so-called "others," even if the other person is not as lucky as oneself, as long as the other person becomes a "special existence," negative emotions will arise.

After the "Child of Prophecy" was imprisoned, the village began to fall into chaos.

Woodwose's execution squad was a terrifying army that hunted down the "Child of Prophecy" and brought them back to the city.

They will arrive at Tintagel village in three days.

Before that, Artoria had spent her time in prison.

Many fairies came to visit the girl, each with their own perspective and reasons.

"So you've finally shown your true colors. It's finally satisfying to hand you over to Her Queen."

"I never believed it from the start. How could a fairy like you possibly be a savior?"

The fairies living in Tintagel are divided into the "Queen's Faction" and the "Child of Prophecy Faction".

The girl's current predicament has put the "Queen faction" in an advantageous position, while the "Child of Prophecy faction" is at a disadvantage.

The "Queen's Faction" fairies came to her cell to mock her, while the "Child of Prophecy's Faction" fairies lamented the fact that their efforts had come to naught.

"... I don't want to do something as cruel as handing you over to Woodwose..."

"But everyone says there's nothing that can be done about counterfeit goods... No, but... is it really necessary to care about this...?"

The village chief still harbored a glimmer of hope.

"How could this happen... It was so close... It was so close..."

No, actually, it was never really possible... This village should have disappeared the year you drifted here...

Back then... you gave us hope... a small boat laden with treasure... but it's all gone now...

This way the village will... no, it's not too late now, as long as you explain to everyone that you're the real deal and receive the bonus...

The fairy who raised Artoria as her mother is one of the few people who truly cares about her.

"I'm sorry, Caster... I've tried my best... to persuade everyone..."

I'm heartbroken that things have turned out this way... You've been trying so hard all this time...

However, no fairy could save her.

Some fairies wanted to let her escape, so Artoria thought, "Oh well," and accepted it.

In short, the next step is crucial.

When Artoria was brought out of the cell and handed over to the execution squad, she had one and only chance to escape.

The girl kept a close eye on her physical condition so that she could run away at any moment.

She has been exercising regularly in order to embark on her "Journey of Pilgrimage".

It would be ridiculous to end a journey before it even begins.

"..."

When the girl heard the commotion outside, she thought the execution squad was about to arrive and prepared herself.

"Still alive, huh? Looks like those villagers weren't so stupid after all."

Hearing the familiar voice, Artoria's eyes widened.

"Grandpa Hector!? Wait... what happened to your injury!?"

The people who entered the cell were neither villagers nor members of the execution squad.

That was the Earth Clan had been taking care of him since he was 12 years old, living on a cape.

"Don't worry about it, we just beat up a few people... Enough talk, let's get out of here."

Wearing this is a hat that replaces the helmet; it can help cover the face to some extent.

Hector took out a brand-new helmet and handed it to the girl along with the confiscated "Staff of Selection".

That was a treasure that drifted to Tintagel with Artoria when she was still a baby.

Although nine years have passed, she still uses the cane as easily as if it were part of her body.

Hector urged, "Hurry up, there's no time. Woodwose's execution squad will be here soon—"

He led the girl out of the cell, instructing her on the direction to escape, before returning to the ground.

"Hmm... what's happening outside!?"

Although it was night, the crimson flames illuminated the sky.

The execution team arrived and set fire to the village.

The situation before her could only lead Artoria to this conclusion.

But the truth was even more foolish than the girl imagined.

"How could this happen... They said it was to reduce the population for winter..."

But to think it would turn into infighting... that's incredibly foolish, it's pathetic...

Hector gazed at the burning village and sighed.

The fairy settlement, which had lasted for hundreds of years, was reduced to ashes tonight.

"This can't go on... everyone!"

Artoria didn't think too much about it.

Just as the girl rushed towards the village square to save everyone--

"Don't go! It's too late! Get out of the village quickly, Artoria!"

What's the point of rescuing the villagers! They're planning to sell you out!?