Was someone drowning?

Merlin dispelled Avalon's barrier, and the two returned to the real world.

It was already night. After parting ways with Merlin, Sovell flew toward the Bristol Channel.

Meanwhile, Merlin stared in dismay at the ring of fallen trees around the battlefield and the human-shaped hole in the cliff over there.

He could hardly leave this mess alone. He might as well patch it up for Gaia.

Merlin summoned his staff back, then filled the cracks in the earth and cliff with countless petals, restoring them to their original state.

Petals also lifted the fallen trees and set them back on their stumps. Within moments, they were fine, sturdy trees again.

"Mm, a pleasure to behold."

Meanwhile, Sovell was looking down at the land from the sky, searching for Artoria and Kay's camp.

"Li-a! Li-a!"

The boy called the girl's name from the sky, but no one answered.

That made sense. Even if anyone was around at this hour, they would be asleep, so naturally no one would respond.

Besides, sound grew fainter with distance, making the chances of anyone hearing him even smaller.

Left with no choice, the boy activated his Dragon Eyes. With their night vision, he could see who occupied each camp even in the darkness.

Five adult men and a half-grown kid? Probably out hunting for adventure.

Thirty adult men... an invaders' military camp!

I'll mark the location and come collect their bodies tomorrow.

One man and one woman. That girl has... Barghest beside her!

Found them!

Sovell flew toward Artoria and Kay's camp.

Although he slowed down at the last moment and landed steadily, the gust he stirred up still woke Barghest.

"Grr-woof! Woof?"

Startled awake, Barghest instinctively let out a growl of warning and threat.

But a moment later, a familiar scent drifted into the puppy's nostrils, and her tone abruptly changed.

"Come here, let me give you a hug."

After a battle that had nearly killed him, Sovell's tense mind finally relaxed, leaving him in an especially cheerful mood.

"Woof~"

Seeing her master open his arms, Barghest naturally could not resist the "temptation" and leaped into the boy's embrace.

The sound of the boy and puppy playing woke Artoria, who had been sleeping nearby. Seeing the person she cared about return safely filled the girl with joy.

She wrapped her arms around the boy from behind and whispered:

"Sovell, you're back."

Even through a layer of solid armor, Sovell could feel the softness of the girl behind him.

He took her hands in his and replied:

"Yes, Lia. I'm back."

The two returned to the tent and fell asleep nestled together. The rest of the night passed quietly.

Though when Knight Kay got up early the next morning and saw someone holding his little sister in his arms, he was so startled that he nearly drew his sword and brought it down on him.

Fortunately, Barghest, who was standing guard nearby, rammed Kay over in time, sparing Sovell a sword strike.

After dealing with the invaders' camp Sovell had discovered the previous day, the three continued south, once again setting out for Cornwall.

After two full days and nights of travel, the three returned to the Gomeria region.

"Cornwall isn't far ahead. There should be a suitable harbor there."

"I hear King Mark of Cornwall has a nephew with exceptional fighting skills, known as the 'son of sorrow.' I'd love to meet him if I get the chance."

Cornwall was a peninsula originally ruled by Duke Gorlois. Later, certain irreconcilable differences between him and King Uther led to war.

Naturally, the story ended in Uther's victory. Gorlois died on the battlefield, and King Uther occupied Cornwall, taking Gorlois's wife Igraine and daughter Morgan.

Those two were none other than Igraine, the current queen of Britain.

And Morgan le Fay, the current princess and queen of Orkney.

It was worth mentioning that Princess Morgan's true name was not actually Morgan le Fay.

It was Morgan Pendragon.

Her biological father-or perhaps not-Duke Gorlois had no surname.

Or rather, in fifth-century Britain, aside from royals such as Artoria and Sovell, people with surnames were exceedingly rare.

Britain's surname system would probably not become fully established for another seven or eight hundred years.

Thus, after Igraine remarried King Uther, she and her daughter Morgan naturally received the royal surname Pendragon.

The "le Fay" in Morgan le Fay, as others commonly called her, was actually French that had come from across the ocean.

It meant fairy or elf.

In other words, they were calling her "Morgan the fairy," or "Princess Morgan, as beautiful as an elf," praising both her mysterious powers and her beauty.

Back to the matter at hand.

After occupying Cornwall, King Uther did not keep it for himself. Instead, he granted it to his general Mark, the present King Mark of Cornwall.

King Mark's sister was named Blanchefleur. She married King Rivalen of France and bore him a son.

But Rivalen died young, and grief for her late husband left Blanchefleur in poor health. She died in childbirth.

Before she died, she named her child Tristan, a name associated with sorrow in French.

"The wind really is damp near the sea."

Knight Kay stretched his stiff limbs as he spoke.

"Well, it is the seaside. You certainly don't get scenery like this at Saynor Manor."

The blonde girl beside him sighed in wonder. She walked to the shore, crouched down, and scooped up some seawater, admiring the glittering droplets falling from her fingertips.

"Lia, just look. Don't try tasting it. Seawater isn't only salty, it's also... bitter."

Sovell warned the girl at the shore, but when he saw her tightly furrowed brow and the tip of her tongue sticking out, he knew he had spoken too late.

Catching Sovell's amused look, Artoria flew into a flustered rage, scooped up a handful of seawater, and charged at him.

Sovell could not dodge in time. Apart from what she accidentally spilled, the entire handful of seawater splashed onto his face.

Looking at the girl standing smugly with her hands on her hips, Sovell smiled helplessly and lightly snapped his fingers.

A blue-green breeze swept the water and grime from both of them, and their hair gleamed in the sunlight.

The three continued along the coast toward the city of Cornwall amid laughter.

Suddenly, a series of splashes came from the sea, and Kay looked that way.

Two hands were flailing wildly above the surface, churning up chaotic sprays of water. Clearly, someone was drowning and struggling desperately.

"Sovell, Magecraft, quick!"

"Wait, wait, I'm working on it... What's going on? Why is it so far off target?!"

Watching Sovell's repeated failures and Artoria's anxious expression, Kay decided to use the simplest, most direct method:

"There's no time! Sovell, give me a Water-Repelling Wind Shield Pearl. I'm going in to save them!"