Little Gray, Money Really Was Omnipotent

Gray had lived in a village in the mountains of Wales throughout the story. She had never left the village until she met Lord El-Melloi II, but libraries and traveling merchants visited regularly, so it was not completely cut off from the outside world.

After her face became that of King Arthur, she was revered by the villagers, and thus grew up in a profoundly lonely environment.

Gray had possessed a certain aptitude from birth. In 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 that point on, the villagers—including her parents—worshipped, revered, and distanced themselves from Gray as a "child of God."

As for why this happened, rumor had it that a clan connected to Morgan le Fay had spent a thousand years planning a ritual to resurrect King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon.

This ritual required King Arthur's body, mind, and soul to be united as one. Thus, the clan created descendants modeled after King Arthur, intending for them to become substitutes for King Arthur's body. After countless failures over thousands of years, Gray was born.

If I could summon Morgan again, I definitely had to ask which family had been so stubbornly persistent.

This year happened to be 1994. If Gray had not begun transforming yet, I should be able to take her away easily.

If she had already transformed into Artoria's appearance, it would be troublesome. As a child of God, she could not be taken away so easily. It would be even worse if Bersac Blackmore decided she was the next grave keeper.

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 child of God had appeared. After asking around, no one knew anything, which meant Gray had not begun changing yet.

I began looking 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.

My original plan was to find Gray's family, say that I valued Gray's aptitude and wanted to take her as my apprentice, then spend some money to settle the matter. I did not know whether it would work.

After half a day of searching, 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.

When I got closer, she had to be Gray. Though she did not look like Artoria yet, there was already some resemblance.

I stepped forward and pretended to ask, "Excuse me, is this Magdalena's home?"

Upon hearing me, young Gray turned to glance at me, then ran back inside, calling, "Mom, someone's looking for you!"

A young woman came out and asked, "What is it?"

"Hello, ma'am. I am a mage from the Far East. I would like to take your daughter as my apprentice. Would you be willing?"

My blunt approach left Magdalena stunned.

"You want to take my daughter as your apprentice? But you do not look very old yourself."

Damn, I had forgotten that I did not look like a teacher either. I then said, "Though I am not old, I am already the head of a family. In the Far East, my family is among the very best."

Before long, a man came out. He was probably Gray's father. He asked, "May I ask why you want to take Gray as your apprentice?"

I said, "I spent a great deal of money to have the people at the Clock Tower divine it. As for the reason, it is because I believe in it."

"Rest assured, I will not take your precious daughter away without leaving anything behind." As I spoke, I took out an envelope and handed it over.

The man took the envelope, opened it, and his eyes immediately went wide. He looked at me, then the envelope, then Gray.

After a long while, he finally said, "What do you mean by this? I am afraid I do not understand."

I replied unhurriedly, "This is a small token from me as Gray's teacher."

"I will take Gray back to my family in the Far East. She will not be able to return for some time. This token is meant to help the two of you live better. I believe that is Gray's wish as well."

The man held the envelope without speaking for a long time. Magdalena reached over, took it, and was equally shocked after one glance. It contained a full ten million U.S. dollars—enough money to buy their entire family's lives.

Give me more expressions like that. I loved 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, "Please do, 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 in the next instant, all my efforts would have been for nothing.

They would definitely be satisfied with the amount I offered. Besides, if I could use this money to take Gray as my apprentice, I could also use it to take their lives and seize Gray by force.

Most importantly, with this money, they would be able to live like nobles.

They came back out very quickly. Seeing the smiles on their faces, I knew I had gambled correctly. Magdalena walked over to Gray and seemed to be giving her some instructions, while the man stepped forward and agreed to let me take Gray as my apprentice.

I stated plainly, "I will take Gray away now. If she has anything important, she can bring it with her. As for everything else, I will buy her new things later."

Gray seemed reluctant to leave her father and mother, but the matter was already settled. After the two of them persuaded her for a while, Gray agreed. When she left, she brought only a small pendant containing a photograph of their family.

Only after leaving Wales as quickly as possible did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Little Gray was shy of strangers and did not say a single word along the way. I had been in a rush while we were in Wales, but once we left Wales, I was no longer in such a hurry. I traveled at a leisurely pace and talked with her.

I frankly told her, "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 everyone will want you to become someone you do not wish to be."

Gray asked doubtfully, "Why?"

I said, "You will know 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 that she shyly hid behind me without saying a word.

Gray was gentle, simple, and kind. She was somewhat absentminded, introverted, and quiet, but 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 afraid of strangers.

Because she had grown up in the countryside, she was not accustomed to city life. She also had a habit of watching others from a slight distance.

However, her gentle nature gave her strong endurance, and she was unexpectedly likable. She would probably adapt after staying in most places for only a short while.

I went to find Kenneth again to ask about a Mystic Code. Kenneth took out a small cube and tossed it to me, saying, "This is the Volumen Hydrargyrum suited to you. Its overall performance is slightly inferior to my original one, but I have optimized some defensive measures as well. Use it without worry."

I thanked him and intended to pay, but Kenneth refused. "You have helped me so much, and I have always wanted to repay you. Please accept this one."

I did not stand on ceremony. After thanking him, I told him that I was returning to Japan and would visit again when I had time, then left.