Dracae River

And that's where things stand in Britain! Get it now!?

You mean you traveled across all of Britain in only two days!? And in that tiny body, no less!?

It was tight enough to make the end-of-year rush feel like a leisure trip! I hope you get that, too!

Nope, sorry, I don't get it at all! It just feels like I've been subjected to a slideshow of somebody else's vacation!

You've gotta fill us in on at least a few specifics!

All I got from that slideshow was "Peaceful," "Peaceful," "Dangerous," "Peaceful," "Gobsmacked"!

(Zzz...)

Heeey! Wake uuup!

Sorry about that. I always lose a bit of intelligence when I switch to my recon form.

Long story short, nothing major is happening in Gloucester or Salisbury...

In Camelot, rumor has it that the queen has begun preparing some kind of massive spell...

The calamity pool is apparently going to tear through Norwich in a few days...

And in Sheffield, the stronghold up north...

Well, I didn't learn much of anything there, since there was no one there anymore.

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All I can say there is that the time is now right.

You and Da Vinci are serious about saving Britain now.

And for the first time, Altria has companions she knows she can depend on. Not to mention Muramasa's extra muscle.

Honestly, I wish we still had at least a little more firepower to work with, but this is probably the best we can hope for.

After all, there really isn't any time to spare. If you're going to go to Norwich, it's now or never.

Is that really it? Are you sure there isn't another reason?

I noticed you didn't seem like yourself when you were telling us about Sheffield.

Who, me? Don't be silly. Of course I was myself.

The idea that, if we're lucky, we might just gain a powerful new ally from Sheffield never even crossed my mind.

Besides, I said we were just taking a short break here, right?

It's not a good idea to stay in one place for too long right now. You guys have a lot of eyes on you, after all.

I mean, it would be nice to have a proper base, but my forest isn't cut out for that.

If an enemy were to invade us here, we wouldn't even last a day. Now, Sheff

Whoops, sorry. That just slipped out.

Anyway, the most important thing we need now is more allies, which is why I'm saying Norwich should be our next stop.

You get it, right, Fujimaru? I heard that declaration she made, too.

You know as well as I do that what Altria needs to be a good Child of Prophecy now is confidence, and

Exactly! If she's going to save all of Britain, the best way to get started is by saving a city!

...Uh, I mean, that's definitely important too, but, you know...

...Help me out here, Da Vinci?

She needs major accomplishments, like saving a city.

Altria's not the kind of knight who fights all on her own, so if she's ultimately going to be a leader of faeries, she needs a sterling reputation more than pure skill.

？！

Now I gotcha. If she can get rid of a calamity that even Queen Morgan's given up on, that'll change the Child of Prophecy from rumor to reality.

Nobody'll doubt she's the real deal after that.

I mean, that's true, but... Nnn... I'm not sure if I'm powerful enough to get rid of this calamity pool just yet...

Ah, sure you are! Long as you've still got the kinda spirit you showed at the auction house, you can do anything!

Worst case, it'll be a learning experience! Don't worry! If you end up falling to pieces over it, I'll pick 'em up for you!

Besides, isn't being reckless kinda your thing!? You know what I'm talking about, right, Fujimaru!?

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What do you mean!? I always play things safe!

That's right! She does! Yaaaaaah!

Altria is like a big fuzzy bear who's got it all! Bravery, spirit, speed... The works!

I just know, I'm sooo sure, that she'll find a way to save Norwich, too!

So let's get going right now! Come on! Norwich, calamity city, awaits us!

Together, I know we can all save Britain!

...Who're you?

Oh, yes, hello! Nice to meet you!

I'm Gareth, a vagrant with plans to become Altria's attendant!

Ooh, thanks. It's real nice of you guys to feed me like this. (Munch, munch, munch)

Man, all the fruit you've been giving me the last two days has been so yummy! This forest is great!

I'm sorry, but can we get back on track? It sounds like

That's right! I've been following you guys since you left Gloucester!

Well, since you left the auction house, specifically! The way you handled Tristan was amazing!

Every faerie's scared to death of her, but you totally shut her down verbally AND magecraftily!

"I haven't been eating nothing but vegetables every day for sixteen years for nothing!" "Start over with a parlor trick class for babies!"

Ahh, just remembering those classic lines makes me want to improve my own vocabulary...

Anyway, that was when I knew without a doubt that you were the master I was meant to serve!

And of course, I've been observing your exploits after Gloucester, too!

You didn't hesitate to help faeries in need, no matter how shady they seemed.

I don't know of any other faerie in all of Britain who can trust others like you have.

I don't know much about Ainsel's prophecy, or what the rumors say...

But I do know you're destined to save Britain!

So please, Altria. Please, let me come with you on your pilgrimage.

I know I'm just a low-class faerie who's been flitting from city to city up till now, but I'm certain I can be of use to you!

I-I, um... Gosh, I don't know. What do you guys think?

I mean, I'm not really anything special, so being someone's lord? I don't know...

Huh? I do!? Okay, Altria! Deep breaths! Deep breaths!

(Yup. She's one of Proper Human History's Knights of the Round Table, Gareth of the Beautiful Hands.)

(But let's just keep that to ourselves for now. I mean, just look at how happy Altria is!)

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...Let me ask you something. Why do you want to be Altria's attendant?

You said you're not interested in either Ainsel's prophecy or the rumors, right?

So if you don't believe in the Child of Prophecy, why devote yourself to her?

Well...

...To be honest, I really have just been a vagrant up until now. I don't even know what kind of faerie I am.

I'm not part of the Wind clan, or the Earth clan, or the Fang clan. I'm not especially good at anything.

But the one thing I've always had is a purpose.

This time, I want to keep everyone safe. This time, I want to be able to put up a real fight.

...And I want to help all the people I see suffering everywhere I go. That's always been my purpose.

But, I'm not very strong. All I can really do is bite my tongue and grit my teeth.

So far, I've only managed to get by using my iron weapon to destroy mors.

Then, one day, I saw one of the queen's Tam Lin from a distance, and I immediately thought:

I want to be a knight like that, too.

I want to be a knight who can keep everyone safe. I want to serve a king I can truly respect.

But soon after, I heard that Queen Morgan was actually a bad king, and the only job of the Tam Lin was killing mors...

And I thought my dream could never come true in Britain as it stands now.

But then!

I heard that a faerie who could save all of Britain would be up for auction, so even though I didn't have much hope, I snuck in to see for myself...

Then, I had my fateful encounter with Altria there, and my dream of becoming a knight finally came true!

Uh, well, it hasn't come true just yet... But it feels like it may as well have, so...

Um, anyway, that's my reason!

Now do you understand why I want to serve her!?

Oh yes, I get it. Looks like we'll just have to let you come along, then.

I thought Morgan might have sent you here to spy on us, but no spy would ever be so awkward.

And since it looks like both Altria and Fujimaru are in favor of you joining us, I have no objections.

Besides, we can always use more fighters on our side. Glad to have you, Gareth.

Oh, by the way: You said you didn't know what kind of faerie you were? Well, now you do.

Since you're Altria's very first retainer, that makes you Gareth the Squire.

Nice combo, Gareth! That was great!

Thanks, Altria! I was afraid we might get wiped out back there, but we won no problem!

Well, they do seem to be about the same age and all. You're not jealous, are you, Fujimaru?

I got a real bad feeling about this... Let's just hope this ain't the start of somethin'.

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I don't think I've ever seen that faerie here before. Maybe she's a stray who marked this area as her territory.

Anyways, that was great stuff, guys.

Fujimaru, Da Vinci, Altria, why don't you three go back to the carriage?

Gareth, Muramasa, would you two mind continuing to escort Redra Bit?

I'm worried that beasts and bandits will think he's easy pickings if he looks like he's out on his own.

No problem! I've always been a fast runner!

That's fair, Da Vinci escorting him'll only attract more attention. Better to have someone more intimidating out there.

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About another two days or so. Assuming we don't run into any trouble along the way, of course.

Oh, and by trouble, I don't mean the kind of wild faerie attack we just dealt with. That stuff's just life out here.

No, what I'm most concerned about is running into some of the queen's soldiers. That's why I've been having us go at a more relaxed pace.

A horse-drawn carriage tear-assing through town is bound to draw unwanted attention, you know?

The last thing we need is to be pulled over and have our "cargo" inspected.

Does that mean there are wanted posters of the Child of Prophecythat is, Altria now?

No, Altria's fine. They'll think she's just another faerie from the sticks.

The problem is Fujimaru.

In general, it's against the law to take civilian humans outside city limits.

So if some soldiers start questioning us about who he is and which clan he belongs to, we'll only be able to play dumb for so long.

So straight-up police interrogation... That's about the level of authoritarian crap I'd expect from Morgan.

Yup. Which is why we're taking it slow for now. If things get too hostile, we'll throw caution to the wind.

By the way, Altria, is this your first time going to Norwich?

Uh-huh! I've always wanted to go, though! A whole city of smiths sounds amazing!

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The Wind clan definitely does, but the Earth clan sees it as a precious resource.

It's iron WEAPONS all faeries hate.

They don't have much of an issue with the iron in buildings or daily necessities.

Well, your neighbors do tend to complain if you work with iron frequently, but that's just the sign of a good smith!

Hmm. It's a shame your first visit to Norwich will be while it's in such a state...

But the fact is, this is your first big opportunity to turn things around.

In fact, I'd say how you handle things in Norwich will set the tone for what happens to all of Britain.

Remember the prophecy?

"A city of iron. A sea of soot. When the calamity recedes, her pilgrimage begins."

That's definitely talking about Norwich. Most of the prophecy is pretty abstract...

...but that's a pretty clear statement of where to go and what to do there.

This is going to be a battle neither we nor Altria can afford to lose.

Indeed. Whether she's real or an imposter, the Child of Prophecy has to save Norwich.

But, on the other hand, it's also plausible that disaster won't befall Norwich until the Child of Prophecy goes there.

So I don't know that we really need to rush.

For all we know, this could be our last peaceful journey together. We might as well enjoy it.

Oh, right. This is your first time traveling east of Salisbury too, isn't it, Fujimaru?

We'll be passing by Oxford soon. Take a look while you can.

Woodwose, head of the Fang clan, is based here. It's also home to one of the bells the Child of Prophecy will have to ring.

So, we're not going to stop there?

No, we're not. While I'd love to show you guys all the restaurants there, we can't risk Woodwose finding us.

He wouldn't even be interested in our value, like Murian. He'd just try to kill us on the spot.

So there won't be any room for peaceful discussion there, huh. Does that mean we'll have to fight our way to Oxford's bell?

I'm afraid that'll be our only option, yes.

Now that the Tam Lin are the queen's chief players, Woodwose might not have the same power he once did, but the Fang clan is still Faerie Britain's primary military force.

So we won't be able to storm Oxford for some time to come.

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...Well, yes. If we're going to ring the bells, we won't have a choice.

Lords like Aurora and Murian who don't want to see their cities turned into war zones are the exception rather than the rule.

Besides, it's not like Oxford hasn't already seen more than its share of bloodshed.

Twelve hundred years ago, in year 800 of the Era of the High Queen, this area belonged to the Wing clan.

But then, the Fang clan came and took it by force, leaving not one Wing clan faerie alive.

？！

It's possible there may be other survivors out there somewhere...

But as far as I know, Murian is the last member of the Wing clan left.

Welcome back, Lord Woodwose. I'm sure you must be exhausted from your latest trip to Camelot.

Hmph, I'll say. That meeting was a complete waste of time. We didn't get so much as a single real answer.

There were more hangers-on than ever before, too. I swear, meeting with the high queen gets more tiresome every year.

But that's not the worst part. The worst part is the other clans!

Can you believe Spriggan and I were the only clan heads to attend in person!?

Cnoc na Riabh's a traitor! Murian's a coward! Ainsel refuses to come out of hiding! All they care about are themselves!

They don't give any thought to the future of this kingdom! Aurora and I are the only decent rulers this place has!

Indeed, sir. No one cares more about Faerie Britain than you.

I can only hope you and Her Majesty tie the knot as soon as possible.

Y-yes, good point. Faerie Britain does need a strong hand to rule it.

But then that damn Beryl Gut came along...!

After all my hard work, he just shows up out of nowhere and claims the high queen's hand for himself!

So what if he's a mage from a foreign land!? Where does a mere human get off stealing a march on my woman!?

L-Lord Woodwose...

Pardon me, Lord Oxford! I'm here with the report on the ranch's resource management!

...

(Oh, Manoi. Why did you have to come now? And after you finally earned a promotion to guard, too...)

U-um... I-is this a bad time, Lord Oxford? Should I come back later?

It's fine. Tell me.

Yes, sir! Of the sixty humans that were being kept at the western ranch, ten were assigned to Camelot, while the remaining fifty were

Assigned to us, hm... Fine. With fifty humans, we can relieve the soldiers suffering from mors disease of

Well, um... Not exactly, sir. The remaining fifty were all taken to Manchester, under Lady Gawain's supervision.

She said they needed to be reeducated...

She what!? So that insolent little thing confiscated MY humans without so much as a word to me!?

Aagh!

P-please, Lord Woodwose, calm yourself! It's not his fault! He was just giving you a report!

Silence! We shouldn't have to suffer for these pathetic creatures at all!

If it wasn't for the queen limiting their production, we could have as many humans as we need!

But sir, humans are emotional creatures. If we treated them like any other livestock, they'd stop being creative, and they wouldn't provide any more nourishment for us

Britain can't afford luxuries like that right now!

The mors are growing in number by the day! We need to bolster our armaments before they swallow the entire city!

Or what? Does the queen think the Tam Lin alone can keep the mors at bay forever!?

Has she completely forgotten how much wethe Fang clan has fought for her over the years!?

...

...Lord Woodwose...

(Exhale...)

Be calm... Be generous... Remember, you are a knight fit for the high queen...

I'm going out for dinner. Clear out the body before I return.

I'm told Aurora has brought some fine grape wine with her. It seems the Wind clan is just as desperate to survive as we are.

Yes, sir. So it would seem...

Poor Manoi. He was a really good cook, too... He always said he wanted to be of use to Lord Woodwose, even though he was human...

Why can't humans ever seem to understand that they'll just never be as good as faeries...?

We're definitely headin' toward a third of these damn things... Dammit, why's this gotta happen to me? I got no damned legends about defeating ghost cats...

This is our second day of travel after passing by Oxford, and the local animals are definitely more violent here.

I wonder if it's because we're near the pit.

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That's right. The pit is a giant hole in the very center of Britain.

And all those walls you see on the north side of the pit? That's Camelot...

The sinful city Queen Morgan rules.

So that's the pit... Mike told me about it. He said it's where "sinister things" are thrown away.

He said if a faerie loses their name, they quietly disappear from their city and wind up in the western woods...

But the truly unwanted things, or things that can't be destroyed, or won't go away, or are just plain in the way...

What we would basically call "nonburnable trash"... He said they're all tossed into this pit.

It sure looks pretty deep. I wonder how far down it goes. Do you have any idea, Muramasa?

Eh? That hole? I'd say about ten kilometers or so.

Good thing I didn't fall all the way to the bottom when Lancelot knocked me in there.

I was lucky enough to catch myself on the wall before I got too deep.

Huh, I'm surprised you know offhand how deep the Mariana Trench is, Fujimaru.

Have you been there or something?

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Please stop talking about the pit, everyone. It's bad luck for all of us, even me just for listening to you.

Everyone in Britain knows about the pit, and not to talk about it. It's just a bad idea.

Remember those faeries we met who were headed there to throw away some trash?

They were landfill pilgrims, criminals who have been sentenced to pit duty as part of their punishment.

Most faeries don't even want to talk about the pit, let alone look at it. Please keep that in mind from now on.

So, they're criminals AND pilgrims? Isn't that

I know. I thought there was something strange about it, too.

Why do they call it a pilgrimage? I mean, that word was made for the Child of Prophecy, right?

What I heard is, there are six relics that the first six faeries left behind when they died...

The bell towers in each city were made to enshrine these relics and let each clan honor their roots...

And Ainsel called the journey the Child of Prophecy would have to undertake to visit all those bell towers and rule over the clans a "pilgrimage."

Huh, you don't say. I could see that. I mean, there's no other reason I can think of for the concept of a pilgrimage to exist here.

So the word was coined just for the Child of Prophecy, huh. That makes a lot of sense.

Huh? You mean, the word "pilgrimage" is completely ordinary in your world, Fujimaru?

Yep. Hm... You don't really have anything like religion here, do you?

Okay, say there's a group of people who believe really strongly in a certain teaching, and formed a community centered on that belief where they all help one another.

For people like that, the place where the teaching they believe in originated is considered a holy land...

The trip people sometimes take to that holy land to pray is called a pilgrimage.

It's one of the simplest and most important rituals around, and it's something anyone in our world can do.

Really!? So you don't have to be chosen by a prophecy to go on a pilgrimage in your world!?

Nope. That's one of the better things about Proper Human History. Everybody's equal, and no one is special.

You can still make amends even if you do something bad, and even if you do good deeds, you can still be punished if you commit a crime.

At its heart, that world settles disputes through dialogue. Not to say every dispute is resolved that way.

Still, today's matters can carry over to tomorrow, and tomorrow's matters are carried over to the day after.

Since no one there is eternal or volatile the way faeries here are, in the outside world, things are pretty much always changing.

Wow... That sounds like such a human way to run a kingdom!

I can't do much of anything on my own, so I love the idea of a world where people can just help each other.

Then again, that's true for most people in the land of the fae, so I guess it's not really fair to compare them!

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So what about you, Fujimaru?

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O-oh, I'm sorry. I guess that was kind of a strange way to ask, huh?

I was just trying to ask what you think of your own world...

...and how you feel about what it is you're doing now...

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Oh good.

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Well I'll be damned! I didn't think the land of the fae had bridges this gran

...And I guess they still don't.

Damn, what happened here? The whole thing's collapsed from the pillars up. Did they screw up the construction or something?

Faerie Britain went through its rainy season not too long ago...

So I'd guess it was a combination of flooding and mors attacks that did this.

Now what do we do? Norwich is just a ways past that hill on the other side of the River of Tears here, but...

Oh yes, it's much, much deeper than it looks. So deep it may as well be bottomless, depending on the person.

Of course not! Do you know why the ground exists in the first place!?

For the romance of it! Life's hardly worth living without romance! Even if I could fly, I'd still want to run along the ground! That's just the kind of horse I am!

Riiight... I, uh, really don't get it, but I guess I can tell you have strong feelings about it?

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So I guess this is as far as the carriage goes, huh? Thank you for your service, Redra!

Don't be ridiculous, dog ears! I've come too far as Fujimaru's loyal steed to turn back now.

I swore on the poem I've been writing along the way that I would stay by his side to this journey's end.

I'd sooner defeat you all and go home alone than let you leave me behind here!

That is how committed I am to this cause, snort.

The River of Tears...! Then, this must be the Dracae River!

What's a Dracae? I think I remember some faerie by that name in Proper Human History too, but I can't place it.

The Dracae are Nightcalls. Oh, right. Nightcalls are great faeries once known as the Holy Grail of water.

Their most notable characteristic is their ability to summon the treasure you want more than anything.

How's that saying go again? A picture's worth a thousand words? Take a look over there and see for yourselves.

Remember those faeries we saw gathered over by the foot of the bridge? It looks like they're here for the Dracae.

Huh? You won't be able to make it back if you go in the river? Only because you guys are weak!

Move aside, cowards! I'm going first! Dracae! Dracae! Can you hear my inner voice!?

I want a new silver axe to replace the one I lost!

It'd be a huge help if you could get one forAll right, there it is! I'm coming for you, Axie!

Th-there isn't much I want for myself...

But Lord Woodwose did order me to find a barrette that would suit Lady Aurora, so...

I-if you have a rainbow barrette that would look good onOh, crap, there's one floating this way now...

I guess I should go get it... But, every faerie that went in the Dracae River ended up

Oh crap, my hand just reached for it on its own... Aah! What just grabbed me!? On second thought, never mind!

I don't need it after all! I don't even want it for myself! Help! Somebody, helAaaaaah!

Excuse me, but would you all mind terribly if I left you here and went back home now?

Shut up, horse ears. Nobody was talking to you.

So, as you can see, the Dracae are very dangerous Nightcalls.

They lure people in with something they want, then drag them into the river to drown them when they reach for their treasure.

The Dracae are basically a scale that weighs your desires against your life. This bridge was probably built as a defense against them.

So it's too dangerous to go near the water here, huh.

That means we'll just have to hoof it.

I can carry Fujimaru and jump from the ruined bridge to the other side.

How about you two, Altria and Gareth? Think you can make the jump, too?

Don't be ridiculous, Muramasa. Do you have any idea how big that gap is

I can do it! I'd be happy to do it! I've always been a really strong jumper!

O-o-oh, sure, I can hop across those easy-peasy! I mean, I AM the Child of Prophecy!

Hmm. I could probably make the jump too, but I'm not sure it's a good idea.

Is it even possible to cross this river like that, Oberon?

Nope. The Dracae will definitely float treasure down the river while you jump across.

If you catch even a tiny glimpse of it, you won't be able to resist diving for it.

Oh... Right. Guess I should've known faerie Mystics wouldn't make it that easy.

See, Muramasa!? This is why you need to look before you leap! Literally, in this case!

I-I'm sorry... Muramasa reminds me so much of an old man I knew in my village, it just slipped out...

Guess we'll just have to make a detour around the river then. Can we go upstream to do that?

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Yeah, we can make it out of the Dracaes' domain if we head upstream.

We'll lose half a day or so, but that's better than, you know, dying.

Just don't look at the river. At all. If you see something you want in there, ignore it.

The Dracae are invincible in the river, but they also never leave it.

So as long as we keep our distance, they shouldn't be a problem.

Treasure drifting down the river, huh... Hey, Oberon.

Couldn't we cross the river here as long as we ignore anything that drifts down it?

No, we couldn't. The Dracae will just keep sending new treasures down the river as long as their magical energy lasts.

Ignoring the treasure is essentially a battle of wills with the Dracae, which isn't the best idea.

...Wait. Actually, that might work better.

Sure, there are things we want, but nothing we'd be willing to die for.

Besides, the thing we all want now more than anything is to save Norwich.

There's nothing the Dracae could offer us that could tempt us from that. So maybe we could

Hey! I see something coming down the river! It's...

A life-size Altria plushie!

Oh COME ON! Are we certain she's not a dog faerie?

A two-meter long carrot!?

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Yup! I'm seeing a Holy Grail floating along from upstream, too!

But so what!? At this point, another Holy Grail or two is nothing to us!

They'll have to do better than that to sway Fujimaru and his iron resol

A whole crate of Holy Grails!?

？！

Crap, I didn't think they'd be this good at reading our minds... Still, I'm Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance genius!

There's nothing they could show me that would tempt me away from

No way! A fossilized dinosaur!

How did you clowns destroy five Lostbelts?

No, it's not that they're weak. The Dracae are just that good at tempting us with what we want!

Don't you dare look at the river, Altria! I'm gonna go pull those dang fools out of the water before they all drown!

Don't worry 'bout me! I'm an imitation of myself, so there's nothin' I want.

Whoa, really, Muramasa!? There's nothing in the whole world you want!?

Don't look at me, you idiot! The river's this way!

...Ah.

I can't believe we lost five people in just one minute! What do you make of this, Muramasa!?

...That's what she wants?

You gotta be freakin' kidding me...

Hey, Oberon! Find a rope or something and toss it in the water!

What, you think I'm just going to find a rope lying arouAh, dammit. Now I looked at the river!

Yay! I wonder what I'll get!

What do you mean, "Sold out"!?

Well? You dolts have anything to say for yourselves 'fore I bash your damn heads in?

All together now...

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Ow!

You're not even pretending to be sorry! Soon as this Norwich business is over, you're all doing zazen for a day!

You can be very strict sometimes, huh, Muramasa...

By the way, do you know what "zazen" is, Fujimaru?

Really? That sounds like fun! Is it anything like one of those out-of-body experiences!?

Th-that, uh, sounds like a pretty unique way to meditate... Not, um, sure I'm ready for that... Haha...

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Aah! The treasures are all gone!

They must've been illusions all along! Damn you, Dracae!

Oh wow, you're right. My perfect Altria plushie is gone, too... All I have to show for my trouble is this lump on my head Muramasa gave me...

I figured as much. There's no way they could've had all those things you lot wanted so readily at hand.

They were just a bunch of counterfeits. No more substance to 'em than the bubbles in this water.

Wow, that was profound. I'm impressed.

O-oh, uh, thanks.

Anyway, let this be a lesson to you all. If something looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

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It looks like we're at the bottom of the river... I can't see the surface from here.

It's safe to say we're in the Dracaes' fae domain now.

So I'm afraid it won't be as easy as swimming our way up and out of here.

So we're gonna have to do something about these Dracae faeries before we can leave, huh.

Well, since they went to the trouble of draggin' us down here, I imagine it won't be long before they come to us.

So what kind of faeries are the Dracae, anyway? Humanoid? Fishy?

I've heard they're mermaids, but no faerie they've dragged in has ever returned to say for sure...

Oh, but I've also heard they prefer humans to faeries, and that they especially like to capture male humans and make them their lovers!

Apparently, they let humans go before they die, which is how the name "Dracae" spread in the first place.

Huh? So, they take lovers, then release 'em? Almost sounds like they're getting married.

Wait. Is that why Dracae lure people into the river? To find a husband?

That's right! They take arranged marriages to a whole new level!

Hmm. Sounds like they have a lot in common with Proper Human History's Dracae then.

You mean, there are Dracae in your world, too?

Yup, the legend is known all around Europe.

It says they transform themselves into gold rings or saucers, float themselves down rivers, and pull any man who tries to pick them up down into the depths.

But it's not so they can make the men their lovers. It's so that they can

I want it... I want it...my purpose...

Please... Please... Let me have...

I've been...looking...forever... But...I can't find...anywhere...in this world...

Aah... Aah... Aaaaaaaaah!!!

Here they come! Fight now, talk later!

Don't take 'em lightly, Fujimaru! From the looks of it, this is gonna be a long battle!

It's nowhere... Nowhere... Why...? Why...?

I don't know...what I want... I don't know... I don't know...

But...I dream of it... I dream...of my treasure...

I dream...of my love...

Of my...baby...

The Dracae has dispersed... But, um...

What's a "baby"? Do you know, Altria?

No, I've never heard of a baby before... Baby... Baby...

Me either! I wonder what it could be.

？！

...Aha. I thought that might be the case.

Fujimaru, let's talk about this later, just the two of us.

？！

Look, the flow of mana is returning to normal! The Dracae's fae domain must have been dispelled!

Hooray! ...Wait.

Blub blub! Blub blub bluuub!

Bluuub! Blub bluub!

I see. So you fought the Dracae at the bottom of the river, and you even won.

Then you almost drowned while you were chatting because you didn't realize the river had returned to normal...

...And you finally made it back here on foot after being washed ashore downstream. Does that about sum it up?

Oh well, I was just here keeping an eye on our stuff. It's no scales off my wings.

C'mon, don't pout, Oberon. I'm sorry I left you all alone.

Oh, you can put the rope away, too. I'm impressed you actually found one.

You can thank Blanca for that. She's the one who found it.

Oh, that's okay. It's my fault for falling behind in the first place.

I just wish I could've been a part of the shenanigans, since I'm one of Shakespeare's comedic characters and all.

No, that's okay. I'm not too fond of water... Thank goodness the Dracae were all sold out...

？！

Anyway, now that we don't have to worry about the Dracae anymore, we can cross the river no problem.

Redra Bit, head upstream until you find a bridge, then wait for us outside Norwich.

Don't worry. You stand out so much that we won't have any trouble finding you.

...I guess that is the only option, isn't it? I'm sorry I can't provide you with a pleasant carriage ride the rest of the way.

Okay, I promise I'll catch up to you all at Norwich in two daysone if I don't take any carrot breaks.

Take care until then, everyone. And please don't fall for another fae horse while I'm gone!

Okay, we should get across the river now, before the sun sets.

We can make camp on the other side and rest until morning. Don't worry, there's no need to rush anymore.

At this point, Norwich is so close we can almost taste it. We'll be right on time for our date with destiny, just as planned.

That was quite the fearsome foe, wasn't it? And this bread is really yummy.

I never used to think of eating as important before...

But I thought I'd try it for myself after seeing Altria enjoying food so much, and now I can't stop!

Now that you mention it, you do eat a lot for a Wind clan faerie, don't you, Altria?

Usually it's the Fang clan that live for food. Are you actually a Fang faerie?

No, I'm just a low-class faerie. I don't even belong to any of the six clans.

I only got in the habit of eating because the people of Tintagel village would always give me food.

Tintagel village!

Then, the rumors are true! You really did survive Woodwose's Child of Prophecy hunt!

Well, uh... I don't know if I'd say "survived" so much as "barely managed to escape thanks to Merlin's magecraft"...

I really didn't do anything all that spectacular... The whole thing's kind of become exaggerated as time goes on...

By the way, Gareth: Do you know why restaurants first became popular here in Britain?

C-come to think of it, no, I don't. Going into a restaurant was never an option for me, so...

They're not just places to eat. They're also a way for the Fang clan to keep their violent impulses in check.

Woodwose made a big speech once about how, now that the Fang clan served the queen as her army, their lack of manners was unbecoming.

So he said he would give them a proper education, and teach them to satiate their desires with meals.

At some point, that first restaurant he started blew up into a major chain...

And now, owning a restaurant is considered one of the hallmarks of success here in the land of the fae.

So, the reason Woodwose is so particular about etiquette and dressing like humans is

Yup. It's all to cover up his own violent nature.

He might act like a gentleman now that he's the head of the Fang clan, but at his core, he hasn't truly changed.

He's still a brutal and greedy faerie who gets his kicks from tormenting the weak. If that doesn't sum up the whole Fang clan, I don't know what does.

Still, now that the Tam Lin are the queen's most valued fighters, he's settled down into just being an old faerie who wields his authority like a club.

So, does that mean he's not all that strong?

That's right. At this point, he's just an old faerie. You all are definitely stronger, since you managed to defeat the Dracae.

So once you eventually get around to defeating Woodwose, you should take the chance to go to one of his restaurants.

I've only been a few times myself, but I can tell you their food is to die for. Especially the salads.

After all, even warriors need rewards to keep themselves motivated. So I hope that gives you guys something to look forward to as you help Altria out.

Good, Altria and Gareth are over by that other campfire talking with Oberon.

So, as you can probably guess, the reason I'm talking to you over here is because I'd rather they not hear what I'm about to say. Although...

What, is there a problem with me being here? I'm technically a Proper Human History Servant too, you know.

Oh, all right... Maybe it's better if you hear this too, Muramasa.

So, getting back to where we left off in our discussion of the Dracae from Proper Human History...

The reason they drag men into rivers in our world isn't because they want husbands. It's because they want a mate.

If they come across a woman instead, they make her serve as their child's wet nurse.

And that means

？！

Basically, yes. But the Dracae here in Faerie Britain can't have children...

...even though they dragged countless men down to their doom. Do you know why that is?

？！

Looks that way, but the problem goes even deeper.

We've seen that faeries here basically just imitate human society...

So we can assume that the two species' ways of life are fundamentally the same.

If faerie society doesn't have something, that'll be because it doesn't exist in human society, either.

And that means...humans in Faerie Britain have no natural means of reproduction.

There is no concept of childbirth here.

I had a feeling something was off when we learned that they only have predecessors and successors here, instead of parents and children, but now, I'm pretty certain.

Wait, wait, hold on. I get that faeries spring up on their own. They've always been like extensions of nature.

But how the hell are humans born if they can't reproduce on their own here? Don't tell me they just spring into existence on their own, too?

No. Here, humans are produced.

I don't know if it involves some kind of artificial insemination system, or if they're manufactured like homunculi...

But however they're made, they're produced, raised, and shipped out as individuals, with nothing in the way of parents or siblings.

I'm sure they still have things like marriagehusbands and wivesbut even if two humans get married, they'll never be able to produce their own descendants.

So that's what human life is like here in Faerie Britain, it seems.

It may seem cruel and inhumane to us, but for faeries who live here, like Altria and Gareth, it's just another ordinary fact of life they've probably never questioned.

At this point, I have no way of telling why things turned out that way here...

But I didn't want to tell you while Altria and Gareth were around in case it came as a shock to you and made things awkward around them.

So that's why I decided to keep this information just among us.

？！

...Okay, I think this should be enough.

Plus, I'd hate to wake them now that they're resting up for tomorrow.

Huh. What just flew out of Fujimaru's tent? Was that a bird?

Has he been raising one in secret all this time? ...Nah, that can't be it.

Oh, hi, Blanca. Sorry about that.

How are things in Norwich? Does it look like the calamity will start tomorrow?

...

Still no sign... Then we should be just in time.

Looks like there really is no changing Ainsel's prediction after all.

"On the other hand, it's also plausible that disaster won't befall Norwich until the Child of Prophecy goes there," huh.

Once Altria arrives, Norwich will be destroyed. I knew that, and I brought her here, anyway.

Altria will dispel the calamity, and live with the responsibility for Norwich's destruction.

...What a cowardly, devious guide I am. I can't even help them prepare for what they're about to go through.

...But, they have to get through this, or nothing will ever change.

After all, the prophecy is clear that the first bell to be rung in the pilgrimage is Norwich's.

Okay, thanks, Blanca. Why don't you rest up, too? You must be exhausted.

...

No, I'm not going to tell them it's impossible to save Norwich.

Fujimaru doesn't need that on his shoulders. Better I carry the extra baggage than burden him with it.

Don't worry about it too much, Blanca. This is all in line with the prophecy.

Besides, it looks like we still have a whole day until the calamity begins, right?

Both Fujimaru and Altria will need some positive memories before it all starts.

So tomorrow, they'll relax and enjoy everything Norwich has to offer. The next day, the fighting will commence.