Gray had always lived in a village deep in the Welsh mountains. Until she met Lord El-Melloi II, she had never left the village, but libraries and traveling merchants came by regularly, so it was not entirely cut off from the world.
After her face changed into that of King Arthur, the villagers regarded her with awe, making her upbringing extremely lonely.
Gray had possessed a certain aptitude from birth. During those years, she lived an ordinary yet warm life with her parents.
One day around 1994, Gray's muscles and bones suddenly began to change. Not only her face, but even her body gradually became identical to Artoria's. From then on, the villagers, including her parents, worshipped, revered, and distanced themselves from Gray as a "divine child."
As for why this happened, rumor had it that a clan associated with Morgan le Fay had spent a thousand years planning a ritual to resurrect King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon.
The ritual required King Arthur's body, mind, and soul to be united as one. Thus, the clan had bred descendants modeled after King Arthur, intending for them to become substitutes for King Arthur's body. After countless failures over the centuries, Gray was born.
If I could summon Morgan again, I had to ask exactly which clan had been so relentlessly persistent.
This year happened to be 1994. If Gray had not started changing yet, it should be easy to bring her out.
If she had already transformed into Artoria's appearance, it would be troublesome. As a divine child, she could not be taken away easily. It would be even worse if Bersac Blackmore identified her as the next gravekeeper.
I had no idea how Waver had managed to take her away back then.
After arriving at the village in the Welsh mountains, I asked whether any divine child had appeared. After asking around, no one knew anything, so Gray had not begun changing yet.
I began searching for Gray's mother, Magdalena. She should have been a woman around twenty-four years old. Her family was not wealthy, but they lived quite happily.
The original plan was to find Gray's family, tell them that I valued Gray's aptitude and wanted to take her as my disciple, then solve the matter with a little money. I did not know whether it would work.
After spending half a day, I finally confirmed the address. The house was not large from afar, but it had a small yard, where a little girl in a gray coat was playing.
As I approached, she had to be Gray. Although she did not resemble Artoria, there were still a few traces of likeness.
I stepped forward and pretended to ask, "Excuse me, is this Magdalena's home?"
Hearing me, the young Gray turned to look at me, then ran back inside. "Mom, someone is looking for you!"
A young woman came out and asked, "What can I do for you?"
"Hello, ma'am. I am a Caster from the Far East. I would like to take your daughter as my disciple. Would you be willing?"
My blunt words left Magdalena stunned.
"You want to take my daughter as your disciple? But you do not look very old yourself."
Damn it, I forgot I do not look like a teacher either. I then said, "I may not be old, but I am already the head of my clan. In the Far East, we are among the very best."
Before long, a man came out. He should have been Gray's father. He asked, "Why do you want to take Gray as your disciple?"
I said, "I spent a great deal of money to have people from the Clock Tower divine it. If you want a reason, it is because I believe in it."
"Rest assured, I will not simply take away your precious daughter and leave nothing behind." As I spoke, I took out an envelope and handed it over.
The man accepted the envelope. After opening it, his eyes went wide. He looked at me, at the envelope, then at Gray.
After a long while, he finally said, "What do you mean by this? I am afraid I do not understand."
Unhurriedly, I replied, "This is a small token from me as her teacher."
"I will take Gray back to my clan in the Far East. She will not be able to return for some time. This token is so that the two of you may live better. I believe that is Gray's wish as well."
The man held the envelope in silence for a long time. Magdalena took it from him, glanced inside, and was equally shocked. A full ten million dollars—this money could buy their entire family's lives.
Give me more expressions like that. I love seeing them.
"Are you two willing to let Gray leave with me? I trust you will make a wise choice."
The man said, "Please allow us to discuss it." I replied, "Of course. But I hope to have an answer immediately. I am in a hurry."
What I lacked most was time. Who knew when Gray would transform? If her face changed the very next instant, all my efforts would be wasted.
They would definitely be satisfied with the amount I offered. At the same time, I thought that I could use this money to take Gray as my disciple, or use it to take their lives and snatch Gray away.
Most importantly, with this money, they could live like nobles.
They came out soon enough. Seeing their welcoming smiles, I knew I had gambled correctly. Magdalena went to Gray's side and seemed to be giving her some instructions, while the man stepped forward and agreed to let me take Gray as my disciple.
I stated directly, "I will take Gray away now. If she has anything important, she can bring it. As for everything else, I will buy new things for her later."
Gray seemed unwilling to leave her father and mother, but the matter was settled now. The two of them persuaded Gray for a while, and she eventually agreed. When she left, she only brought a small pendant containing a photo of their family.
I left Wales as quickly as possible, and only then did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Little Gray was shy along the way and did not say a single word. I had been anxious while in Wales, but once we left Wales, I was no longer in such a hurry. I traveled at a leisurely pace while talking with her.
I told her frankly, "I brought you out for your own good. Before long, your fate will change. You will lose everything you have now—your parents, your friends—and people will want you to become someone you do not want to be."
Gray asked doubtfully, "Why?"
I said, "You will understand in a few days. I am doing this for your own good."
We soon flew back to London. Upon arriving at the Clock Tower, Gray saw so many people for the first time and shyly hid behind me without speaking.
Gray was gentle, simple, and kind. She was somewhat airheaded, introverted, and quiet, yet her inner thoughts were rich. She had a low opinion of herself.
In the beginning, she was rather negative and pessimistic, occasionally saying discouraging things. Yet she did not give up easily; she mostly shrank back because she was shy around strangers.
Because she had grown up in the countryside, she was not used to city life. She also had a habit of watching others from a slight distance.
However, her gentle nature gave her great patience, and she was unexpectedly likable. She would probably adapt anywhere after staying there for a little while.
I went to find Kenneth again to ask about a Mystic Code. Kenneth took out a small cube and tossed it to me. "This is the Volumen Hydrargyrum that suits you. Its overall performance is slightly inferior to my original one, but some defensive measures have been optimized. Use it without worry."
I thanked him and was about to pay, but Kenneth refused. "You have helped me so much. I have always wanted to repay you. Please accept this."
I did not stand on ceremony. After thanking him, I told him that I was returning to Japan and would visit him again when I had time, then left.