Wales (I)

Rest up while you can. Now that we're out of Gloucester, enemies are gonna be back to their old strength.

If you're not careful, you might run into a damn squirrel who's as strong as a Servant.

Hmm. Well, we're taking the scenic route instead of the main road so as not to stand out...

So at this pace, I'd say we'll get there tonight, as long as we don't run into any trouble☆

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...

Is something wrong, Altria? You've been weirdly quiet for a while now.

...I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to make Fujimaru nervous, but...

I've been getting a really bad feeling, like someone's been watching us all this time...

I also get the feeling the carriage is going to flip over in about five seconds...

Hahaha, don't be silly. I'm Redra Bit, the most elegant Wind(-like) fae horse around.

I would never let a carriage I was drawing tip over, especially with passengers insiWhat the snooort!?

What is it!? Are we under attack!? Everyone, get out of the carriage!

Hang on. We ain't under attack. The carriage just ran over somethin', is all.

What happened, red horse!? Are the roads that bad out here!?

No, it's just... I'm sorry. I was just writing a poem while gazing up at the sky...

...and I didn't notice the large number of faeries collapsed on the road until it was too late!

This is incredible! It's awful! It's incrawful! There are one, two, three... Six of them blocking our way!

Ngh... We're alive... We're still alive... Please, heeheehee, help us...

Our cargo just, uh, began acting up...and attacked us out of nowhere... Heigh-ho...

We're not hurt too badly... In fact, we probably look completely fine...

But the cargo took one of us away...down past that hill, to that isolated cave no one would ever see unless they were looking for it...

Please, you've gotta save him... You nice suckersI mean, people wouldn't turn your backs on a faerie in need, right?

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That hill over there!? Got it!

Come on, everyone! We need to hurry, before it's too late!

Wait, seriously? Ugh, there's a fine line between being nice and being gullible, you know!

Y'know, I'm actually kinda impressed she's managed to survive this long...

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No problem. Good luck over there!

Heigh-hooo! I don't know what I would've done if you guys hadn't come along!

That's the last time I go shopping in Gloucester! I should've known that bargain set was too good to be true!

You mean...he actually was in trouble...?

I guess so...

Now I feel bad for not giving those faeries a fair shake, no matter how suspect they seemed at first...

Are you all right? There aren't any other faeries who were taken away, are there?

Nope, it's just the seven of us! No eighth faerie around here!

I gotta say though, you guys sure are strong. And by you guys, I mean the redhead.

You, on the other hand, were crazy out there in a whole different sense of the word, lady.

You were throwing out so many explosions I thought you were gonna blow me up along with our escort.

Next time, you oughta take a page from the young miss's playbook.

She threw a bunch of stuff at the cargo too, but she never hit me once.

Going wild's all well and good, but you've gotta be aware of your surroundings too. Especially when there's a hostage involved.

Anyone else would be siccing a lawyer on you right about now, you know?

I-I know... You're right...

I'm doing my best to overcome my clumsiness, so I hope you can be patient while I work to improve...

You bet! I'm rooting for you, lady! At least you've got guts, and that counts for a lot!

So, uh, if you're feeling all right now, would you mind if we got going?

Oh, no, it's okay. No need to thank us. (It seems like it'd be way more trouble than it's worth!)

You sure? Now that I made you help us out, I thought I'd take it easy by sticking with you guys the rest of the way...

But, all right. Besides, we've gotta head home and report to the boss that we're done taking out the trash.

Ugh, and here I thought we could rely on those escorts we bought.

Thank goodness you guys came along to help us out. Thanks, gullible-looking lady.

You were taking out the trash? You mean, to Camelot's pit?

I thought soldiers were supposed to be escorts for that, since mors tend to show up near the pit.

We would've gone with soldiers, but they say they don't have time for escort missions these days.

That's why we got escorts from a beautiful lady in Gloucester instead. She said we could have them cheap since she couldn't get the fine-tuning right.

So she sold them junk she knew was worthless, huh... That fox woman sure is a piece of work.

Hm? You mean you don't know, human kid? I guess you must've just gotten out of a ranch recently, huh?

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Luckily, no mors showed up near the pit. Guess they're all gathered around Norwich now.

Man, sometimes I really worry what's gonna happen to Faerie Britain.

Between Gawain, the Fang clan's biggest troublemaker, and Tristan, the queen's pet psycho...

The only decent Tam Lin of the bunch is Lady Lancelot. Maybe I should make a break for the north...

Nah, what am I saying! I could never do that!

We're the seven merry brothers, Lady Aurora's faithful servants!

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho! It's back to work we go!

Thanks again for everything, you guys! You watch out for the mors, too, you hear!

(Agape)

...I see. I see...!

For the record, it's not my fault we didn't get there today.

It's all on Altria for dragging us into yet another rescue.

You do all understand that, right?

Also, do you naturally attract trouble, Fujimaru? Are you just unlucky like that?

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Eh, this did help me get my bearings in terms of using my blade and all.

Faerie Britain isn't like the other Lostbelts I've seen so far. I finally figured out how tough my blade needs to be.

Your magecraft ain't half bad either, Altria.

I got no idea why faeries here say your skills ain't worth much, but I do know they're a great fit for me.

My scabbard's feeling smoother than ever with you around. Glad you're on my side.

U-uh, thank you. Same here.

(I see... Unlike faerie soldiers, Muramasa doesn't just use his own magical energy to fight.)

(He also uses external enchantments as naturally as though they were part of his own body...)

True, Muramasa's fighting skills are definitely a cut above the rest.

You said he's an Alter Ego, right? Does that mean he's not a pure Servant?

Well, uh... Is it okay if we tell this story, Muramasa?

Sure, go ahead. Now's as good a time as any, Fujimaru.

'Sides, I don't need anyone coming to me later complaining about how I was secretly a bad guy all along, or how could I betray their trust, yadda yadda.

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So...he's a Servant mixture this Foreign God made?

And he's actually been fighting against Fujimaru and Chaldea up until now?

Basically. Especially in Olympus, when he pulled off something really crazy right at the end.

In fact, Muramasa, that reminds me. You were strong enough to cut Atlas's Spirit Origin in half...

...yet you failed to assassinate Queen Morgan, and some other faerie handed your ass to you.

Can you explain to me how that works? Because I don't get it.

Nothin' special to it. I'm just an Alter Ego who's optimized for killing gods.

And that's only 'cause the Foreign God imbued me with Divine Spirits who're good at that sort of thing.

Apparently, one of them's a blind god of war who was responsible for Ragnarök, the twilight of the gods.

The other's...well, kind of a wish fulfillment of mine. Don't ask.

My point is, I'm not exceptionally strong or anything. I just don't have to use magical energy to kill gods.

So Olympus was perfect for me, and Scandinavia... Well, Scandinavia would've been rough. You can figure out why.

Scáthach-Skadi, I think she was called?

If this Alter Ego version of me had met her, I might've flown into a genuine rage.

I know the blind god of war would've had words to say about her of all gods being fooled.

Anyway, there you have it.

I'm pretty useful when I'm up against Divine Spirits, or in worlds where Divine Spirits are calling the shots.

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...Now I see. I had a feeling this was the case, but you just helped me clarify it, Muramasa.

The land of the fae has no concept of religion. Which means

Yup. There are no gods in Britain.

Though I've no idea how this world ended up like that.

It's damned peculiar. The whole world is ruled by faeries, but there ain't a trace of gods, the greatest Mystics ever, anywhere.

Well, that only makes sense, don't you think? I mean, it's only humans who desire gods.

Faeries can do anything they want on their own, so they don't have to rely on a higher power for help.

So of course their society isn't going to think up gods.

Hmm... You know, that is a good point...

I'll have to write all this down later in my next message to Chaldea. I wonder what Holmes is gonna have to say about it...

I, um, don't know much about these god things either, so I can't speak to that...

But you are still Fujimaru's enemy, right?

I'm glad you're here helping us now, but, um, are you really comfortable working alongside your enemy?

You don't have to worry about that, Altria. It's like I told you back in Gloucester.

Now that you've saved me, I'm gonna stick with you, Child of Prophecy. It's easier for me that way.

I ain't usually one to find fault with my own work, but at least this one's a job I can finally get behind.

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Are you freakin' kiddin' me!? Hell no! Damn thing's a pain in the ass!

Even now, I still have no idea what the hell the Foreign God even is!

She just summoned me without asking, mixed some Divine Spirits into me without asking, and forced a buncha work I never asked to be a part of on me.

I've always been a maker of weapons, so I know my hands weren't the cleanest to begin with...

But at least when I was alive, I could swear to the Buddha that I never went down the wrong path.

'Course, now that I've got some other things mixed in with me, I don't have a right or a wrong path anymore.

So if nothing else, I'm gonna make sure I do good work on any job I take on. It's the least I can do as Muramasa.

Yup. Least, I would be if I was still my original Heroic Spirit.

That ain't exactly the case now, but, I can still be fairly useful.

...Isn't that what I just said?

What're you grinning about? You're more mean-spirited than I would've guessed.

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I see. In that case, we'll be happy to work with you.

We could use all the help we can get now, especially from a Heroic Spirit we're already acquainted with.

Once again, even if it's only in this Lostbelt, I'm glad we're on the same side, Senji Muramasa.

Thanks. Since I'm setting the price for this job myself, I'll be helping out any way I can.

...Anyway, on a different note.

I don't really wanna ask this, but as much as I disliked the guy, he was still a colleague, so...

How did Limbo's final moments go?

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...I see.

All right! I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that and just go to bed!

...Is anyone awake? ...They're not, are they?

No, they're all sleeping soundly... I'll take that as a good sign.

...(Yawwwn). I'm pretty sleepy too, but I have to stand guard...

...No shady-looking things nearby, check... ...No mors nearby, check...

Don't you worry, everyone... I'll make sure...

...Altria...stays safe...

(...Zzzzzz...)

We're here! Welcome to my domain: the Autumn Woods of Wales!

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Thank you for the warm welcome, everyone. As you can see, I've brought guests with me today.

This is Fujimaru. He watches over things just like I do.

This is Da Vinci, the cutest genius you'll ever meet. This is Muramasa, who'll probably be kind enough to make us all sorts of useful things.

And this is Altria, the Child of Prophecy.

See? I told you the Child of Prophecy would be willing to come all the way to this isolated neck of the woods.

Now do you believe I was telling the truth?

A-aah! What do I do, Oberon!?

You don't have to do anything. They're just glad you're here.

Oh, but don't try to hug them, no matter how cute they are.

They're not used to being touched. Especially by outside faeries.

These faeries are straight out of a picture book. Now this is what I imagined a land of fairies would be like.

C'mon, faeries are faeries, right? I don't see anything special about

...Well, I guess they're a little different. I can't tell what it's saying, but...

What is it, little guy? You want a helmet that fits you?

Yeah, all right. Anything made for humans obviously won't fit you at all.

Hey, Oberon. Mind if I set up a workbench somewhere?

Be my guest. Oh, but just stick to leaves and twigs for your materials, if you don't mind.

They don't actually want to be soldiers. They just want to play pretend.

I got it, don't worry! I'm not gonna make anything real!

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They're welcoming all of you here.

None of the faeries who end up in these woods understand suspicion.

There are no imitations of human society here, but we can at least put you up in tents.

Why don't you all kick back and relax while I go see what's happening outside?

I'm counting on all of you to take care of our guests, okay?

Don't worry. These people are all nice. None of them are going to hurt you.

Okay, everyone, ta-ta for now!

I'll be back tonight, so make sure to save some dinner for me!

Huh? Hang on, Oberon. At least tell us how we can understand what they're say

...Aaand he's gone.

I mean, at least we can tell these faeries are being welcoming to us, but...

Indeed. I have no idea what these Welsh faeries are saying, either.

I also noticed Lord Oberon didn't bother to introduce me. That hurts, honestly.

I wonder why? Is he just absent-minded?

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They say they're going to feed us. And with chestnuts, no less!

That's amazing! Talk about a forbidden treat!

You can almost never find sweets in the south thanks to the restrictions, but here, we have a loophole!

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Oh yeah, Mike said that only upper-class faeries have access to confectioneries.

Apparently, the queen forbade processing fruits and such, so sugar is hard to come by here.

Lady Aurora once gave me a bite of some kind of dark-colored bar...

But honestly, I prefer carrots. They have much more natural sweetness.

Looks like the dining table's over that way.

I still can't tell what they're saying, but if they're going to treat us, who are we to say no?

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That meal was delicious!

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It sure was! Those were the most gorgeous grapes I've ever seen by far!

And not only that, these fruits even have Mystics in them.

That was a great way for Servants to recover magical energy!

Maybe I should take a few with us for the road... Or send some to Holmes as a souvenir...

(Chomp, chomp) (Eating pears in a single bite)

There's still an extra plate left out. Is that for Oberon? Should we leave it for him?

Huh? That's weird. Why'd they all run up trees and hide in hollows all of a sudden?

(Chomp) I see some black dogs over there, (chomp) so they're probably trying to hide.

Oh my gosh! Come on, we have to get rid of them! It's the least we can do to pay them back for this feast!

I was just (chomp) thinking the same thing.

The black dogs are terrifying, but these poor faeries have no way of fighting back.

Well, we're not going to let anything happen to them now that we're here.

Come on, everyone! Let's show these dogs they're no match for a hare!

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Wh-what was that incredibly powerful enemy doing mixed in with the black dogs?

Probably just some faerie they bit who went mad from the excruciating pain.

Yes. Faeries become mors when they lose their purpose and shinethat is, when their lives become meaningless...

And when they are infected with meaninglessness by touching other mors.

But faeries who become so focused on their purpose that they lose sight of themselves produce endless magical energy, to the point that they're no longer able to maintain their forms.

I guess you could say they're faeries gone bad.

That's what happened to those faeries in the Nameless Woods...

They were so happy to have a human that they couldn't keep their desires in check anymore, and ended up killing their own friends.

They're evil faeries that eat other faeries. Nobody's quite sure when they first showed up.

The black dogs are the only kind of faerie that eats other faeries. ...Well, with one exception, anyway.

A long time ago, the faerie-eaters were one of the great calamities that used to plague this land.

It's said the head of the Fang clan sealed them away...

But some also say they only did so at the cost of a curse that befell their entire clan.

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Well, if the faeries are happy, we must've done a good thing driving those creatures away.

All right, since it looks like we're going to be staying here for at least a few days, why don't we set up camp?

Especially since there's no point in worrying about what's going on outside now that we're here.

So let's just relax and recuperate while we wait for Oberon to get back.

You know, there's something I've been wondering about for a while now...

How do faerie families work?

I saw plenty of siblings in Salisbury, but I didn't see anyone who looked like parent and child.

Well, of course you didn't. Faeries come into existence independently of anyone else.

The only siblings we have are when multiple faeries with similar attributes decide to call each other that...

...or when they've all decided to stick together from the time they manifest, like the seven faeries we saw yesterday.

That's just how faeries live their lives.

Okay, then what about children?

They say Tam Lin Tristan is supposed to be Morgan's daughter, right? So how does that work?

Hahaha, Tristan, Morgan's daughter? Good one! No, that just means she's the queen's successor.

I guess in human terms, we'd say that Queen Morgan adopted Tristan.

The only "children" in the faerie world are the next versions of you born after you die.

Let's see... Okay, for example, let's say we have Spinner Faerie A here.

Spinner Faerie A lives for a hundred years, then goes to sleep having fulfilled their purpose.

But that doesn't mean the spinner profession, or that faerie's way of life, disappear from Britain.

So right after Spinner Faerie A dies, Spinner Faerie B is born.

Faeries refer to this relationship as "predecessor" and "current generation."

I see. So then, does the current generation inherit anything from their predecessor?

Things like genes, lineage, records, names, or some other kind of property a human would pass on to their kids?

Not really. Like I said, faeries are born on their own, so they don't have any connections like that.

That goes for predecessors and current generation faeries, too.

Powerful faeries can hold on to their recordsmemories may be better herebut in general, the next generation is a completely blank slate.

However, since the current generation has the same role, their abilities and appearance do resemble their predecessor's to some extent.

That's how the spinner faerie knows they're a spinner faerie, no matter where or when they're born.

There are also times when a faerie who resembles the current generation is born while the current generation is still alive.

It's rare, but when it does happen, the new faeries are treated as the current generation's son or daughter.

This is also why faeries who use magecraft are sometimes referred to as "Morgan's daughters."

Here in Britain, Queen Morgan used to be the only one who used magecraft.

But now, we have Tristan, who was given magecraft and named her successor...

And Altria, who was born using it.

From the faeries' perspective, both are of the same type as the queen, hence, "Morgan's daughters."

...I see. So that's why that Tam Lin hates the Child of Prophecy so much.

Because the rumor is that she'ser, I'm, Queen Morgan's daughter...

Not exactly, Altria. It's not using magecraft that makes you Morgan's daughter.

It's that faeries who use magecraft can become Faerie Britain's king. At least, I think so.

That's the whole reason Morgan gave Tristan magecraft.

It's her way of saying "You will be the next king. Rule over Britain as you see fit."

I expect that was her way of trying to derail the prophecy to make sure the Child of Prophecy wouldn't take her throne.

But then, you and your natural magecraft show up, and now Morgan

Or rather, Tristan, is all, "What's the real one doing here!?"

That's probably why she went to pieces at the auction house; she couldn't handle the terror.

...Y-you think so? I didn't think I was scaring her that much...

I do, yes. Anyway, a confrontation with Tristan is pretty much inevitable.

But don't worry. Just relax and take it one step at a time.

The fact that you use magecraft proves you're the Child of Prophecy, and that you're destined to defeat the queen.

No matter how powerful Morgan may be, or how formidable the Tam Lin are...

As long as you're the Child of Prophecy, you'll be Britain's savior.

Just do what needs to be done, and the prophecy WILL be fulfilled.

We're just here to help you. As long as you're around, Britain can, and more importantly WILL, be saved.

...Even if some of us end up dropping out along the way.

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Too much on your mind to sleep?

Well, there's no need to stand. Here, have a seat.

I saw you when I was heading out to gather intel.

Mind if I sit next to you? Great, don't mind if I do then.

Say, here's an idea. Maybe you'd feel better if you told me your story so far?

I'm sure you have a lot to say about everything you've seen and done before you came here.

I see. So that's the journey youChaldea has been on.

Earth's future... Humanity's existence... Your survivor's guilt over the other Lostbelts you've been to...

No wonder you can't sleep. Especially given what you told me earlier.

You're feeling guilty about the Child of Prophecy.

Or maybe it's not guilt so much as alienation?

Altria is about to spill a lot of blood, but that has nothing to do with you.

That's been your role up till now, and you've kept fighting even when it was hard.

But you never had a choice, did you? Responsibility for it all rested entirely on your shoulders.

Not here, though. Here, you have to put it all on Altria's shoulders.

And now, you don't know what to do with these feelings.

You might even be feeling like a coward here...

...since you can't forget that you have no intention of saving Faerie Britain.

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You're more concerned about finding your lost companion. If something happened to Mash, you could never forgive yourself. Right?

Surprised I can tell all that? You're trying not to let it show, of course. But I can still see.

But look at it this way.

Let's say, hypothetically, Mash were to go out into town alone and die in an accident. Would that be your fault?

Is keeping her safe from all harm, all the time, your responsibility 24-7?

No, of course not. That's not concern for a friend. That's more of a savior complex.

Mash is her own person. And people are responsible for their own lives and choices.

If you really respect her as an equal, then you should be trusting her, not worrying about her.

Piling more responsibility on your shoulders isn't going to help anyone. Especially if you're so weighed down you can't act quickly when you really need to.

...Still, based on what you've told me of your journey so far, it sounds like your heart doesn't have anywhere else left to go.

I'm pretty sure you used to be a lot lighter on your feet.

The kind of person who lived his life how he wanted. Am I wrong?

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Well, I can tell you what I don't mean. I don't mean just doing whatever's easiest.

I'd say living life how you like means finding what suits you... Finding what it is you want more than anything...

And fighting for it, as hard as you can, come what may.

That's how you were during the Incineration of Humanity. Not that I was there to witness it, obviously.

My point is, you and I are a lot alike. I'm guessing we both have the same role to play here in Britain.

We're bystanders. As much as we hate it, you are no more the protagonist of this story than I am.

Just like Oberon the Faerie King wasn't the protagonist of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

All we can do here is watch to see how things play out. Even in battle, we can't do anything more than offer support from the rear.

But that doesn't mean you need to beat yourself up.

At some point before this all ends, there WILL come a moment you have a crucial role to play.

A time when no one else is around, and you'll have a chance to change how everything unfolds.

Sounds great, doesn't it? So, for now, I suggest you swallow that worry, get some rest, and look forward to what's yet to come.

So what if you're just a bystander!? Even spectators have their pride, after all!

So bide your time, wait for your moment, and do something spectacular at the very end that not even the gods could have seen coming!

Just imagine how good it's gonna feel when you finally wipe the smirk off the smug face of fate itself!

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What's so strange about it? That's how I've lived my whole life!

...Fujimaru.

There aren't many people out there who can explain everything about themselves.

It's not like we're predictable tools that come with instruction manuals. We're living, analog creatures, fuzzy around the edges.

That said, everyone has at least one thing they like about themselves, right?

It's kind of embarrassing to say this out loud, but...

At least in this example, I don't think I'm a coward. And of course, you aren't, either.

Oh. Sorry about that, Blanca. I didn't realize I'd been talking so long.

Let's go look for intel in Manchester tonight. It's about time we started investigating up north.

All right, I'd better get going then. I'll see you tomorrow night. I don't want to be the only one left out of the dinner fun, after all.

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Hm?

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To defeat Morgan, of course. I might not be a fighter myself, but that IS why I was summoned here.

Hm? You're not talking about for humanity's sake or anything like that? ...Oh. Now I see.

Well, damn... This is kind of embarrassing, but I guess I can't dodge the question after the big speech I just gave.

...I'm looking for Titania.

Remember? Oberon's queen from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?

Titania, the Faerie Queen. The only one that ever loved obstinate Oberon.

I'm hoping to see her, if I can.

Though of course...I know that's impossible.

Titania's a fictional character. She doesn't exist in Proper Human History.

She can only ever exist within the confines of a story.

Ow, ow, ow, ow! Ugh! This was supposed to be a light practice bout, Muramasa!

Why are you taking it so seriously!? Are you a child or something!?

No, I'm an old man. It's my job to make sure youngsters like you get a proper education at the school of hard knocks.

That doesn't go for Fujimaru, though. He seems like he's had more than his share of hardship.

I gotta admit, Fujimaru, those quick combat summons of yours are really something.

Makes me think I'd be better off keeping you safe instead of mixing it up myself.

If you play your cards right, you might even be able to beat the Tam Lin.

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You bet. If you throw all the Servants and magical energy you've got at 'em, you can definitely take 'em!

You said one of them trounced you before? Then next time, it'll be your turn.

Just make sure you've got a good victory line locked and loaded! Something like "I ain't afraid of no Tam Lin!"

Hmph.

Your weapons are made of iron, right, Muramasa? Could you let me have some of the material?

Sorry, but I'm the only one who can work that. It's basically an advance I'm paying for with magical energy.

If you want to use them for yourself, I'd have to make something for you from scratch.

And that means we'd have to get some iron from a mine. I think it was Norwich that controls the iron supply around here, right?

I see... Then I guess I'll just have to track some down somewhere...

(And after I came up with a plan to defeat Gawain, too...)

Oh? Am I seein' a mean streak in those eyes, girlie? If you got somethin' devious in mind, I'm game to help.

No, thank you! Just keep laughing it up with Fujimaru and leave me alone, old-timer!

...

Looks like someone's going through her rebellious phase. Or maybe she's just...like that?

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No, I am not! I'm just being the Child of Prophecy!

If there's no getting around that, then I might as well start taking it seriously!

Start taking it seriously?

Come on, you've always taken it seriously. No one here's ever thought otherwise.

Ohh, I see. You're worried about what Oberon said about you having to confront that Tam Lin eventually.

I mean... That's definitely part of it, but...

...I just figured I can't just sit on the fence forever.

The whole idea of making a pilgrimage around Britain and ringing the bells still doesn't quite feel real to me...

...But the faeries we've met so far, including the ones in Gloucester, all had such high hopes for me.

And of course, my whole village of Tintagel believed in me enough to raise me and send me out on this pilgrimage in the first place.

I'm still worried I might not be able to live up to everyone's expectations...

But I thought, for the time being, I could at least try being proud of being the Child of Prophecy.

L-like they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? I mean, I still don't have any specific ventures in mind, but...

You know, girlie, for the life of me, I can't tell if you're full of spirit or a shrinking violet.

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Fujimaru?

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B-but what about Mash!?

I thought we were only traveling together until we found Mash.

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...

Good point, Fujimaru. We haven't made our position very clear, have we?

Finding Mash is definitely our top priority, but that doesn't mean we can just leave Britain to fend for itself.

So we want to keep traveling with you not just so we can find Mash, but so that we can help Britain, too.

Now that we've made friends here, we want to do everything we can to help them so we can go back to our own home with no regrets.

Does that about sum it up, Fujimaru?

？！

Sounds good to me! And I'm sure Gordy would give in eventually if he was here, too!

So...it's not just Muramasa anymore?

You're saying you and Da Vinci are going to join me on my pilgrimage too, Fujimaru?

Yup! And I'm sure Oberon would say the same thing. Don't worry, we expect to be generously compensated once we've all saved the day☆

So, how does that sound, future king? Of course, if you'd rather not have us hanging around, we can always go our separate ways.

N-no, not at all! This is great! I never dreamed I would ever have this kind of help!

I guess this is the Child of Prophecy's first proper alliance! Haha, now I'm kind of starting to feel like a king! Yay!

？！

'Course, none of this changes the fact that we still don't have any kind of plan.

It's great that you're feeling motivated about being the Child of Prophecy now and all, but what do we actually do about it?

Ghh! Way to bring me crashing back down to reality!

Couldn't you let me be happy, just for a LITTLE WHILE, Muramasa!? Ugh, that's your entire problem right there!

Well, as the resident old man here, I kind of have to be a party pooper, right?

I heard the whole thing, and I think I have an idea.

？！

It's a little earlier than I'd planned, but the time is clearly right.

I will tell you where the Child of Prophecy, and you, her companions, need to go nextthe crossroads of destiny where the Child of Prophecy's rumors shall become reality...

That's right! It's time for us to go save Norwich!

I can hear him, but I can't see him! Is that really you, Oberon!?

Huh? What do you mean, you can't see me? ...Oh, right. Of course.

Down here, everyone.

Phew. Flying long-distance sure takes a lot out of you, but there's no substitute for seeing things for yourself.

Oh, right. You guys haven't seen me like this before, have you?

I'm the stylish little speedster who races around Britain on a sphinx moth at Mach speed.

That's right. I'm Rider Oberon, sometimes known as Robin Goodfellow, and the pint-sized Faerie King.

H

How did you get so smaaall!?