Londinium

So.

Now that we've put some distance between us and Camelot to avoid any possible trouble with royal soldiers who just "didn't know" about the queen's orders not to harm us...

...we've moved along the northern border...

..and come across a chocolate field that's truly a sight to behold!

？！

Candyyy!

No way! How the hell does this work!? I have to take a closer look!

What are you two doing!? That field doesn't belong to you! You should be ashamed of yourselves, trampling someone else's field with your dirty shoes!

If you're gonna go around tasting this stuff, you need to do so from one of the edges!

Whoooa! A whole field of the deluxe premium chocolate bars Lady Aurora once gave me a tiny piece of!

This can't compare to a carrot, but it may well be the sweetest thing I've ever tasted!

Now don't you start too, you idiot!

？！

Mmm, it's so good! It's so sweet!

It's a little messy, but it's still just soooooo yummy!

Hehehe. I'm glad to see you're all enjoying yourselves.

How can you be so relaxed about this, Oberon? We still need to keep an eye out for any signs of pursu

What is it, Gareth? Aren't you going to jump in there with them?

Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh...!

Everyone, please, settle down! You can't eat that chocolate!

...? (Too much chocolate in their mouths to speak coherently.)

Oh no. I knew it!

These are Cnoc na Riabh's chocolate fields! I've heard about them! They're made with paralysis agent, charm, and calories out the wazoo!

Any faerie who tastes this chocolate becomes a hopeless chocoholic...

And they then have to do whatever Cnoc na Riabh says for the rest of their lives! (*According to Gareth's own research)

??? (No idea what Gareth is talking about.)

!

...Crap. (Casually wipes mouth with fingers) Did those mors just pop up out of the field!?

They must have been lying in wait to ensnare any faeries that succumbed to chocolate paralysis...

First, faeries eat the chocolate, then the mors eat the faeries... What a perfectly devious predatory tactic.

And I'm afraid none of the others will be of any help, now that their veins are full of chocolate poison!

Come on, Muramasa! This one's all up to us!

G-got it. Good luck, Gareth!

Muramasa? Why did you just take a step back? And what's that you're holding behind you?

Sorry. It was right there in arm's reach, so I just couldn't help myself.

Some wise elder you turned out to be!

H-huh? Does this mean none of you are paralyzed?

Sorry, Gareth, but no, we're totally fine. I don't think this chocolate is poisoned at all...

That's right. Incidentally, when people refer to chocoholics...

...they're talking about people who just really love chocolate, or who'll go all the way north just to have some.

I'm pretty sure it's not actually a medical condition.

Oh wow, you're right! Thish ISH really good!

It's sweet, and crunchy, and easy to eat, and it doesn't even make me thirsty! I feel so much more alert now, too!

Hahahaha. Still, it is a rare luxury good, and these fields really do belong to Cnoc na Riabh.

So if you keep sampling the chocolate without permission, well... See for yourselves.

Aw crap. There's a huge army headed this way! But, hang on... The hell are they wearing?

Weee wooo weee wooo weee wooo!

Damn, they've got us surrounded! These numbers... This honeybee-like magical energy pressure... It's

That's far enough, you shameless tourists!

You've got a lot of nerve, eating your fill of MY chocolate.

Or is this your way of applying to be my slaves down to my great-great-grand-successor!?

？！

That's right, now throw yourselves at my feet and beg forgiveness.

I don't care what backwater town you faeries hail from. One look at this beauty should tell you all you need to know about who you're dealing with.

Now, on that note...

I, Queen Cnoc na Riabh, pass judgment on these foul chocolate thieves!

That's one count of stealing of government property... One count of smuggling valuable cultural property... One count of dining and dashing... And one count of lèse-majesté!

For these four crimes, I sentence you all to spend the next hundred years packaging chocolate for retail...

...after which, you'll live out the rest of your days in Edinburgh while receiving a comfortable pension to match the contributions of your labor!

I knew it!

？！

...What?

I first met her in Gloucester, about five years ago.

She was like a storm in a bottle, and she was the first faerie I got to know outside of my village.

Heh. Not that it's any surprise...

But for a born ruler, there's nothing better than kicking all your would-be rivals to the ground.

The first princess pageant in a hundred years, and I'm the clear winner...

Now, go out there and tell everyone in Britain that Cnoc na Riabh is the new queen of the northern faeries!

Man, I didn't even make it past the preliminaries, let alone get a chance to go on stage...

But that's okay. I'm only here because everyone in the village insisted I come, anyway...

Plus, I can't think of anything more idiotic than a princess pageant...

Besides, all I really wanted was to see what things were like outside the village for once...

...(Sigh). I feel like an idiot.

What am I even doing out here? I should be back home helping with the harvest.

But no, I just HAD to come here to help my political campaign, and to show everyone that Mab's successor means business.

I swear, when are the elders going to stop treating me like a greenhorn, anyway?

Not to mention the judges' criteria for "beauty" is just laughable.

Don't they know real beauty comes from living a life you can be proud of, not what other people think of your looks?

Contestants like us are the ones who decide what's beautiful, not the peanut gallery.

Oh, hello. Aren't you the girl from Tintagel I saw in the prelims?

Ah.

Uh, n-no, I think you have the wrong faerie. I'm just here waiting tables part-time, so...

Why didn't you come to the main event!? I thought it was going to come down to you and me!

I would have enjoyed beating a worthy opponent rather than demolishing the competition.

But you were nowhere to be seen! What, did you leave early 'cause the whole thing was so stupid!?

Stupid? Um, well, I guess I did feel pretty stupid...

Why you...! You think I don't get what's going on here!?

I can tell you're thinking, "Look at the simple little girl who's jumping for joy over a stupid trophy! She has no idea I lost the battle but won the war!"

Well, I don't like it! I won't stand for it! You and I are going to compete again, right now!

What's your best subject? Horseback riding? Dancing? Music? Combat? Chess?

Whatever it is, that's going to be our REAL final battle! And we're not going to stop until I'm good and satisfied!

Oh, but we need to do something about that horribly tacky outfit first.

Mac! Dim! Tear this girl's clothes up for me, will you?

I'll let you wear one of my dresses instead. After that, we're going back onstage!

Together, you and I are going to show those idiots in the crowd...

...what it REALLY means to shine like a beautiful princess!

Huh? Wait. What're you

Hey! Knock it off, you pink-haired, honey-brained nouveau riche girl, before I knock your block off!

I'm sorry... I had no idea you'd actually been eliminated in the preliminaries.

I mean, my instincts have never been wrong before, you know? And the moment I saw you, I felt SPARKS all up and down my spine. Sparks!

I thought, there's something different about this faerie. I seriously got the impression you could turn the world on its head.

Huh? R-really? Is that how I actually seemed to you, Cnoc na Riabh?

Haha, I guess it's true what they say about great talents blooming late! Believe it or not, I'm actually the Child of

But I was wrong. You're so unimpressive that I must have looped from zero right back around to hero.

Oh, is that so!? Guess that means you'd better quit bragging about your instincts from now on, huh!?

You're right. From now on, I'll make sure to observe faeries carefully, and not just rely on my intuition.

Anyway, what's your village like, Altria?

You said it's on the western tip of southern Britain? My city's up on the northern tip, so I can't even imagine how different it must be.

Do you get ash rain there? What color's the forest? Can you fish there? Are there any cute faeries you've got your eye on?

Oh, and what was that exploding lamp you threw at me, earlier?

...So yeah, I spent two...maybe three days in Gloucester with her a few years ago...

But as you can see, she never listens to anything anyone has to say, so she didn't make a great impression...

That goes for you too, Altria!

You look meek enough, but you always talk way tougher than you look! Good to see you haven't changed!

Well this is a surprise. I had no idea Altria had a friend she was on arguing terms with.

And Cnoc na Riabh, of all faeries? I can't even imagine getting into a scuffle with her, can you?

Definitely not. I'm all tongue-tied just from seeing her!

Cnoc na Riabh...member of the King Clan, and queen of the north. Her magical energy covers this entire camp even as we speak.

She's one of the most notable faeries in all of Britain. Her combat abilities may not compare to the Tam Lin...

...but when it comes to otherworldly common sense and the sheer size of her fae domain, I don't think there's anyone in Faerie Britain who can match her.

？！

But look! Altria's not backing down!

No matter how snide Cnoc na Riabh gets with her, she gives twice as good as she gets!

Yup. Those two are a perfect match for each other.

Altria looks meek but is actually a huge pain in the neck, and Cnoc na Riabh makes a loud first impression, but she's actually very earnest.

They're like two halves of a puzzle box. They may constantly be at odds, but in the end, they fit together perfectly.

Quiet, you! When did I say any of you could talk!?

You do know you're all still under arrest for chocolate larceny, right?

？！

...

...Hey, Altria. Come here a second.

What is it? You're not usually one for secrets. Do you want me to keep quiet about all the mischief you got up to in Gloucester or something?

...Of course not. Besides, I didn't get into any mischief. No, I wanted to ask you about that guy who just talked back to me.

Is he human? Is he your attendant? Did your dream finally come true?

O-oh, no, he's my ally. He's a mage who came here from the outside world.

We're pretending he's my attendant to make things easier, but if anything, he's the one who's been helping me out.

...I see. So he's just a bodyguard, huh.

What's his name? I can't tell since he's not wearing a collar or anything. Come on, tell me. Please?

"Please?" ...Are you really Cnoc na Riabh? Did you eat something you shouldn't have? Maybe too much chocolate?

Gh... (Come on, Cnoc na Riabh! Don't let her get to you...)

Oh no, I've just been feeling much kinder and gentler lately. So, what's his name? How long have you known him?

Well, his name's Fujimaru, and I've known him for about twenty days now...

I see. So you're still more than friends, less than lovers. Not that it would matter if you were dating, of course.

Huh?

...Are you human? What makes you think you can speak so bluntly to me, hm?

It's not like that, Cnoc na Riabh. Her name's Fujimaru.

She's a mage who came here from the outside world, and my trusted ally.

Oh, right. I guess the prophecy did say something about a foreign traveler, huh? What a joke.

Still...I do like girls with backbone.

In fact, now that I look closer, I can see you're covered with bruises, but you're still no worse for wear. In fact, you practically radiate inspiration.

Tell you what, Fujimaru, if you ever need a place to stay, you can come to my castle.

You're too good to waste away as a slave for the southern faeries. Hell, maybe you can even help me get over my distaste for humans.

But I digress. All that aside...

Some Child of Prophecy you turned out to be, Altria. What even is this ragtag band? Are you trying, like, at all?

I can't believe you still don't have even a single squad to your name.

I guess you're still the one faerie my intuition just doesn't work on.

When I heard that the Child of Prophecy who saved Norwich was named Altria, I thought you'd finally gotten your act together...

But it looks like I was wrong about you again. You're as pathetic now as you were back then.

I guess a bunch of third-rate losers are the best a pathetic low-class faerie like yourself can attract.

...Take that back, Cnoc na Riabh.

Don't you dare make fun of my friends.

They're all much more accomplished, wiser, braver, cuter, and grandpa-ish than I am.

And if nothing else, they're way stronger than those soldiers you've got waiting on you.

Is that so? All right, then. Prove it.

I'll see for myself who's stronger: your allies, or my soldiers.

If you guys win, I'll pardon you for your chocolate theft and you'll all be free to go.

But...

Hm? But what?

If my soldiers win, I'm taking Fujimaru for myself.

...Huh? Are you serious, Cnoc na Riabh? Don't tell me Fujimaru's your type!?

I-it's not like that. I was going to need a mage for my war with Morgan, anyway!

Now, less talking, more fighting, Altria!

Let's see which one of us is better-suited to be Britain's savior!

...Hmph. Well, that's okay. My predecessor said there'd be at least three chances.

If love were easy to find, it wouldn't be so precious.

Yeah, they might've looked awfully familiar, but I'm pretty sure we were only seeing things. Let's just move on.

？！

There, you see!? Fujimaru and his team won! I told you they were amazing!

Now, let us go free! Queens are supposed to keep their promises, right!?

Of course. Believe me, I don't have time to be messing around with you, either.

I was in the middle of running military exercises when you decided to steal my chocolate.

Also, my enemy is Queen Morgan, not the Child of Prophecy. I have nothing to say to a low-class faerie who still hasn't made a name for herself. Go wherever you like for all I care.

Oh? Does this mean the King Clan doesn't see the Child of Prophecy as competition?

I'd think it would be to your advantage to capture us rather than let us go free.

...

Of course I see you as competition. I'm the only king fit to rule Britain.

As far as I'm concerned, both Morgan and the Child of Prophecy are obstacles to my rule.

That said, I can't take Morgan's army lightly. If I'm going to win, I need to make use of everything I can.

Either Morgan will jump at my provocation and leave her castle to face me, or I'll attack her castle myself once all my preparations are complete.

Either way, I'll need to keep the other clans in check in the meantime, which is why I want the Child of Prophecy to keep stirring things up.

Get it? The more you scurry around making trouble, the more Morgan will have to divert forces from me to focus on you.

I don't really expect you to ring all the Bells of Pilgrimage, but could you manage maybe...two of them?

If you can manage that, I'll take care of the rest.

I'll take control of Camelot, send Morgan packing, and banish every human from this island!

As a descendant of the northern faeries, and the daughter of the great Mab, I'll be the one to restore Britain to the way it was always meant to be!

...Still, I'm also very generous, so I'm willing to make a few exceptions.

If the humans are willing to change their ways, I could set up an autonomous zone for them to live in.

As proof, I grant you permission to speak freely, Fujimaru.

Is there anything you want to ask me? Go ahead. Just this once, I'll give you an honest answer.

？！

(Hearts? Is that a figure of speech for something?)

I see... So you're just dying to know more about me, huh? Well, I can't blame you. I AM something special, after all.

As a human, you might have trouble believing this, but what you're seeing around me is all the magical energy I can't keep bottled up inside.

As a King Clan faerie, I usually try not to show others my hopes and dreams, at least not until I assume the throne...

But I just can't stop my feelingspassion?from spilling out everywhere I go.

That's not the kind of thing most faeries would brag about, you know.

No chance. I may be willing to tolerate humans. But team up with them? Absolutely not.

As far as I'm concerned, the human Round Table Army is even more of a disgrace than Morgan's soldiers.

If they ever dared show themselves before me, I'd mow them down without a second thought.

？！

Excuse me, Lady Cnoc na Riabh, but we've received a request from Edinburgh.

What is it? Mab chances like this don't come along every day, you know. If this is about military exercises, it can wait until

I'm sorry, milady, but this is about mors disease. If I may...

(Whispering) ...not enough transcription subjects...number of Sheffield refugees...

...Tell them we'll make a list right away. I'll make the selections myself.

Looks like our little chat is over. You guys are free. Go wherever you like.

Oh, but I will just say one last thing.

Try to conduct yourself with at least some dignity, Altria. Nobody'll follow a king who can't even look the part.

Well, a little trip southbound through the chocolate fields brought us back to southern Britain.

Gloucester's not too far from here. How about stopping by?

You've never been to Gloucester before, right, Habbycat?

No, but it's Murian's city, right? I have a pretty clear idea of what it'd be like.

It could be fun, but I also doubt it's got any cute brides for me, so I'm good with whatever Fujimaru decides.

I see. That's too bad...

No, I don't think that would be a good idea. Going back to Norwich now would be dangerous.

Spriggan will definitely be up to...something, even with the Count there.

？！

I agree. The best thing we can do now is lay low and plan our next move.

If we're going to decide on something as important as whether we fight the queen or run from her, we'll need someplace safe to consider our plan.

Gloucester's definitely out. I don't know about Murian, but I wouldn't trust Koyanskaya as far as I could throw her.

What about the Welsh forest? That's Oberon's territory, after all.

Salisbury could be another good option. How about it? We could tell Lady Aurora everything that's happened so far.

？！

Good question...

Well, I definitely wouldn't recommend my forest. It'd make for lousy secret headquarters.

And I don't think Salisbury or Norwich are safe, either.

We shouldn't put too much credence in the queen's promise to leave us alone.

If Beryl were to lead Morgan's army against us, Aurora wouldn't be able to stop him.

Looks like Cnoc na Riabh was right. We need our own military strength.

Maybe we should go back to the Storm Border? Besides, it'd be fun to show it off to Altria and Gareth.

We don't have to go through the Nameless Woods, either. We can take a detour around it to reach the coast.

Plus, we could also stop by Altria's hometown, Tintagel, on the way.

No, let's save that for a last resort. We're not running for our lives yet, after all.

If it's military strength we need, we've got exactly one option.

In fact, I'd say the safest place for the Child of Prophecy right now isn't a faerie city at all.

It's the city southeast of Oxford. We need to go to England's capital in Proper Human History.

The ruins of Londinium, where humans have set up their home base.

Now that Altria's gotten rid of Norwich's calamity, there's no reason for us to hesitate to knock on their door.

I think it's time Britain's destined savior paid the Round Table Army a visit.

Good job, everyone. I know it wasn't easy coming so far without stopping to sleep, but we're almost to Londinium now. Only two more hills to go.

But first, why don't we take a quick break? Besides, it's almost lunchtime.

I'm sure you'd rather have a relaxing meal outside instead of rocking back and forth in the carriage too, right, Fujimaru?

Don't worry about it. I could use a good stretch, too.

It's great that six of us can fit in the carriage now, but it's definitely a little cramped.

We left the main roads between cities during the night, so I'm sure we won't run into any of the queen's troops around here.

？！

So we're finally visiting Londinium... I wonder what the stories say about it.

Well, up until two thousand years ago, when it was still the Fae Era...

...it was the largest city in all of Britain.

It's said that five faerie clans coexisted there peacefully, and that they even chose a human for their lord.

Really? Then, does that mean Londinium used to be a human city!?

It sure does. But it was destroyed during an insurrection that took place at the end of the Fae Era.

It may have been the most heavily fortified city in Britain at the time, but I guess there wasn't much it could do against an attack from within.

I still haven't found out how it ended up in ruins after that, though.

After all, the queen decided to build a new castle, Camelot, instead of rebuilding Londinium.

Huh. Guess you don't know everything about everything after all, Oberon.

It was the faerie clans that reduced Londinium to rubble.

After Aesc ended the war between the various clans, she appointed a human knight as their new king...

The human boy who was leading the Round Table Army at the time.

A huge festival was held to celebrate the new king and his coming reign.

But then, during his coronation, a group of anti-faerie humans started a riot...

...and a number of the faeries living in Londinium were killed.

The clan heads were incensed, so they raided Londinium and put every soldier in the Round Table Army to death.

The knight who was supposed to be king fell in battle, and Aesc was executed after the clan heads held her responsible for the riot.

Grímr the Sage managed to give them the slip...

...and since no one could kill the Black Knight, they crushed his ears and threw him into the sea.

By that point, the Tam Lin had gotten fed up with the whole ridiculous ordeal, and decided to go over to Orkney, taking Aesc's coffin with them.

...

Aesc... That's the faerie who was once treated as Britain's savior, right?

From what I heard, her, the sage, the Black Knight, and the Tam Lin all saved Britain countless times.

So what was the Tam Lin's name?

Oh, Mike told me that back in Salisbury. Let's see, I'm pretty sure it was... Huh?

That's weird. I know I've heard it before, but I can't remember what it was...

Eh, don't worry about it.

My point is, Londinium has a lot of history as the home base of Britain's humans.

...So this new Round Table Army is holed up where the old one got wiped out?

I ain't the superstitious type, but don't you think that's just askin' for trouble?

Hehehe. You'll see why it's not a problem once we get to Londinium, Muramasa.

Frankly, if you ask me, both Morgan and the clan heads ought to have their heads examined.

I don't know why else they'd abandon Londinium, even after they destroyed it.

I'm surprised you know so much about Londinium, Habbycat. I mean, you don't know anything about Gloucester or Salisbury.

I know about Salisbury. That's the city with the big cathedral, right?

I've seen Aurora before, too. I just didn't pay her much attention. She's not my type.

I see... So, are you sure you're okay missing out on all the beautiful cities?

Sure, I'm sure. This isn't exactly a sightseeing tour.

Kinda curious why you're so considerate of me though. Fishing for a discount on your wedding dress or something?

Huh!? N-no, I'm not looking for a dress! I haven't even found a partner yet!

I mean, it's not that. It's just...just...

Just what?

It's nothing! I'm going to fetch some water! Be right back!

Hm?

(Huff... Huff...) That was close. I almost said something I shouldn't again...

Anyway...I'm kinda worried about Habbycat.

I can see Altria and Fujimaru's futures just fine...

But...I can't see anything for hers...

...Mors?

Crap, I have to kill it before it touches me! Yaaah!

Huh!? Th-that's weird. My lance has always worked before...

...Oh, right. That's only because Altria was helping me out with her magecraft.

But, now that it's just me...

...Ugh, this is so like me. I always get carried away like this, even though I'm weak.

So now, I'm going to die out here, unable to fight back, never having accomplished anything...

You were so close! If you'd just taken threeno, six steps back and gotten a running start, you could have definitely taken it out!

You're not the biggest faerie out there, so you'll need more than just the weight of a thrust to get through the mors's skin.

Make sure the foot you're bracing on faces forward instead of to the side, and try to let gravity do the hard work for you.

But I guess that'll be something to work on next time, which is all the more reason to stand back up now.

Uh... O-okay. Um, may I ask who you

Me? I came out here to fetch some water and saw you going into the forest.

I was going to warn you to be careful, since we tend to get mors out here

!

But I guess I was a little too late.

Luckily, there are only two of them. Do you think you can help me? I'd really appreciate it.

Y-yes, of course! I'm Gareth, by the way!

I'm Percival. Would you mind taking the mors on the right then, brave knight?

W-wait. Did he say Percival? Whaaa...!?

I won... I can't believe it. I actually beat a mors on my own...

That was great. Don't sell yourself short. You're already strong, and you'll only get stronger the more you train.

By the way... Gareth, right? I don't recall seeing you around here before.

You should know, there's going to be a big battle here soon. You'd probably be safer heading to Norwich or Manchester instead of staying here.

Unless...you came here looking to join Londinium's Round Table Army?

Nnn... We could really use all the help we can get at this point...

Even so, I'm not sure Londinium is the best place for a lovely girl like yourself...

There are still lots of holes in the roofs we haven't gotten around to patching up yet... Not to mention the ghosts that haunt us at night...

U-um, excuse me! I'm sorry to interrupt, but...

Did you really say your name was Percival!?

Yup, that's me. Good name for a human, isn't it? I'm pretty fond of it mysel

Oh, oh! Please, let me introduce myself more properly! I'm Gareth, attendant to the Child of Prophecy!

And I'm happy to tell you she's making her way to Londinium right now!

(Gareth's really taking her time... Maybe I'm getting worked up over nothing, but...I can't help but worry...)

You know, I think I'll go fetch some water myself. We can cross the hills after I get back.

？！

It looks like Gareth's back. Huh, I wonder why she's jumping up and down all excited like that...

I see she has someone with her, too. Someone tall and pretty handsome...

! I recognize that oversized breastplate!

Heeey! Guuuys! You'll never believe thiiis!

Look who I met! It's Percival!

The leader of the Round Table Army, and the strongest human in Britain!

...

I'm sorry. I know this isn't the most proper introduction.

It's an honor to meet you, Child of Prophecy. And you, foreign mage.

I'm Percival, the Round Table Army's acting leader.

I know I'm dressed like a knight, but I'm really just an ignorant country boy.

I've never studied the ways of chivalry, so I hope you can forgive any inadvertent rudeness on my part.

Thank you. I'm glad to see you're in such high spirits.

You mean you don't know!? Percival is the only person in all of Faerie Britain...

...who rides into battle on the back of a faerie horse! He's the strongest, most spiritual human ever!

I can't think of a more touching sight than rider and horse in perfect sync, each trusting the other with their lives...

Just imagine, a rider and their horse sharing one mind and one body. It would be a miraculous dream come true.

Well, thank you. Kundry will be thrilled to hear that. I don't know what I'd do without her.

...Oh, sorry, I got a little off track. I...tend to do that whenever someone brings up my trusty partner. Anyway...

？！

I understand why you're here now.

You need a safe place to prepare for your confrontation with the queen's army, yes?

Then you're very welcome to stay with us in Londinium.

I'm afraid it still needs a lot of repairs, so it's not in the best shape to welcome the Child of Prophecy...

...but it's also one of the most heavily fortified places in Britain. And I promise my soldiers and I will keep you safe while you plan your next move.

The supply team is back with lumber! Let's get to work repairing those ramparts!

Send eighty percent to the outer walls, and twenty to the inner walls. Focus on patching up the kids' homes first!

The disguised merchants are heading out to Norwich this afternoon to buy supplies! If there's anything you need, add it to the list!

Don't be shy! We've got the Count backing us! Just go easy on the luxury goods!

Yah! Yah!

Remember, we can't match the Fang clan's speed! We need to fight smarter, not harder!

Take a beat before following up your spear strikes! Your opponents will dodge them easily if you thrust too soon!

Keep your spears pointed ahead of you as soon as you sense a shield coming! And don't forget to keep your sword on hand too, so you can also stab your opponent in their flank at the same time!

Don't bother with bows and arrows! You'll never hit anyone, and the enemy'll see you coming the moment you take aim!

We'll have ten archers firing volleys from the ramparts for defense. It should keep the enemy back, but if they actually hit someone, even better!

I only know how to sharpen blades, but I can still help! Look, mister, the tip of your spear's chipped.

You'll never beat the faeries' fangs with that! Why don't you stop by our smithy sometime!

Ain't exactly pristine, but it's sure lively. Everyone's running around keeping busy with something.

At a glance, it looks like they've got around three hundred combat-ready soldiers, give or take?

If you count the humans taking shelter here, that about doubles their numbers. They probably have the old and feeble ones doing needlework in the back.

This is great! I love it! It's not an army so much as a whole city in the middle of being rebuilt!

I'm gonna go look for brides!

I know what you mean. The walls and roads may be in terrible shape, but there's more life here than we've seen in any of the other cities.

Of course, this IS where London is located in Proper Human History. No wonder there's so much energy!

...

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Oh, sorry. It's nothing.

I was wondering why such a beautiful place was...

...Altria?

What were you thinking, Commander!? You can't just go jumping off the ramparts and running off into the woods like that!

You're the cornerstone of the Round Table Army! The hope of everyone in Londinium!

You can't just wander off because something caught your eye anymore!

...Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't notice you had people with you.

Are you all here to join the Round Table Army? If you come with me to Registration at the town square, we can

That won't be necessary, Maggare. These people aren't here to join us.

They're very important guests. Isn't that right, Oberon?

Yup. At least for now. Whether they end up joining the Round Table Army or not is ultimately up to Altria.

Oberon? Oh wow, it IS Oberon! When did you get here!?

Heeey, everyone! It's Oberon! That big jerk Oberon is baaack!

You're right! It's really him! It's Oberon the Coldhearted!

You just showed up out of nowhere again! Where the hell've you been all this time!?

You'd better be sticking around a while! You don't wanna make the kids cry again, do you!?

Every time you leave, it takes a little longer to cheer them all back up!

That goes for us ladies, too! Your sweet nothings always make us feel like princesses!

While we love those little moments of affection, you also need to take care of us afterwards! We still have lots of work to do, you know!

？！

Hey, it's not what you think, okay? I'm a very serious person here in Londinium, I swear.

Oh yeah, you're serious all right. Serious about putting on performances every chance you get.

Whenever you show up, the whole Round Table Army goes back to being ordinary citizens. It's the closest thing we have to festivals around here.

Don't get me wrong, it helps us keep smiling even when times are tough, but... Wait, hang on.

Didn't you say the next time you came back, you'd bring the Child of Prophecy with you?

No way. Is that...?

(Oh crap.)

That's right. This is Altria, the savior of Norwich you've all heard so much about.

Her Staff of Selection was sent here from paradise, just like Percival's Spear of Selection.

She's the Child of Prophecy, the savior of Britain you've all been waiting for.

Huh, it really is like a festival. I guess we won't be able to talk to Altria for a while.

Seems like everyone in town's caught Child of Prophecy fever. Maybe we should help her out, Oberon?

I don't think she's too big on being fawned over like that.

Oh, I'm sure she isn't. Altria's always been keenly aware of the pressure that comes with faeries pinning their hopes on her.

At the same time, she's always been good at handling those very hopes.

What do you think, Fujimaru? Should we rescue her from that crowd?

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Oh? You look happy about this, Fujimaru. Is Altria really handling this differently than usual?

She sure is. Usually, she stutters and fumbles for words for guilt and lack of confidence, but not this time.

This is Londinium, a city that dreams of a proper future for Britain.

The people she's talking to now aren't just hoping she'll keep them safe because they're only worried about themselves.

She's seeing something much purer than that now.

In fact, I'd bet she's actually proud to be the Child of Prophecy for the first time in her life.

It's like her eyes have been clouded by everything she's seen all this time, and she's finally seeing clearly.

Oh, nothing. It's just a thought I had.

I am the Faerie King, after all, so I thought I'd try my hand at a little poetic figure of speech for once.

？！

I'm sorry everyone kept you so long. I hope it wasn't too much bother?

Oh, no, no bother at all. They were all incredibly nice.

You'll have to tell them I enjoyed my time immensely.

On another note...

Muramasa's the only one not here. Is he still talking to the townspeople?

Hey, sorry I'm late! Had to take care of somethin'.

Turns out they do have a smithy here, but it's a damn shambles.

They got a great furnace, but only one guy who knows how to tend it worth a damn.

You oughta come take a look-see, Altria. It's one helluva fixer-upper.

They've got a ton of quartz crystals too, so you can make all the glass stuff you want.

Whoa, really!? That sounds great! I'll definitely check it out!

...But not right now. Percival was just about to show us to the Round Table Army's war room.

As a member of the Child of Prophecy's entourage, you are not to go off on your own like that anymore. Got it?

The Child of Prophecy's entourage? When'd you turn into Miss High-and-Mighty? You haven't even rung one damn bell yet.

All that attention go to your head or something? ...Nah, that ain't it. ...It's Cnoc na Riabh, isn't it?

Hey, I get it. It must be rough, seeing your old frenemy living it up as a queen.

Then again, it's not like you two're working with the same kind of materials! It's a shame you're a little too lacking in ... (sex appeal) to be queen yourself!

I heard that, Muramasaaa!

...Hmm. Guess you're right. Sorry, Altria. Shouldn't've been runnin' my mouth like that.

Cnoc na Riabh's weird aura must've left a bigger impression on me than I realized...

Thank you, Fujimaru. My point exactly. But what was that "..." all about?

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Hahaha. It's wonderful to see you getting along so well. And I don't just mean the two of you. I mean everyone.

I was worried that the Child of Prophecy might be buckling under the weight of her incredible responsibilities...

But it looks like I was worried for nothing. We could learn a lot from your example.

...Not at all. I'm the one who's learned a lot from the people of Londinium.

I've been to plenty of different cities, and they all had various class differences and complaints about the queen...

Even so, one thing they all had in common was a wish for someone to save them from their situation.

But the people of this town are different. They're all so honest, and they don't depend on anyone else.

Now that I've talked to them myself...

...I see that there are faeries standing up for humans, and humans standing up for faeries.

They're not fighting just for themselves; they're standing up to the queen to make things better for everyone else.

And I think that's exactly what a true Knight of the Round Table should be.

People who don't stand above or below one another, but who all stand side by side to help one another.

I have no way of knowing what a true Knight of the Round Table is supposed to be like...

But it's true that the Round Table Army isn't a resistance run solely by or for humans.

We do want to change things for humans, but first we want to change all of Britain for the better.

We don't differentiate between humans and faeries. We're just people who share a dream for the future.

Even I'm no more than one of many such people Lord Oberon assembled.

？！

Oberon? You don't mean...

No wonder you were so weirdly popular!

That's right. Lord Oberon founded the Round Table Army.

He saved me when I had nowhere else to go, removed the curse on Londinium...

...and carefully, quietly traveled Britain in search of like-minded people.

AND he works himself to the bone to keep us funded, though I've also heard he's earned a reputation as a notorious debtor throughout Britain.

A lot of soldiers are under the impression that I'm the Round Table Army's leader...

...but I believe that role belongs to Lord Oberon.

Come on, cut that out. I've told you before, all I did was invest in this operation.

You're the Round Table Army's leader, Percival. You're the one who grew it to this size.

Haha, all right. If you insist, Lord Oberon.

Let's just say that I managed to find all these wonderful allies through one person's dedicated efforts, rather than good fortune.

Anyway, now that you're all more acclimated to Londinium, let me show you to our headquarters.

Unfortunately, it's the only place so far to be both well-guarded and have a proper roof. Sorry about that.

Hang on, Percival. What's this picture up on that wall?

Picture? ...Oh, that's a mural that was painted during the Fae Era. None of us really know much about it, though.

Is that...six faeries dancing around a large beast? It almost looks like they're holding a festival.

But I've never seen any beast like that in Britain before.

Looks like some kinda monster to me. Maybe a personification of the calamities.

Nnn, I don't know if I agree with that. The beast almost looks like it loves them.

I think so, too. You probably can't feel it 'cause you're a Proper Human History Heroic Spirit, Muramasa, but this beast is definitely depicted as very loving.

No British faerie would be afraid of this mural. If anything, I think it'd be seen as...grand.

Huh? Because I'm a Proper Human History Heroic Spirit?

...Grand, huh?

I can't tell how it feels to Gareth and Habetrot since I'm not a faerie myself...

...but this wouldn't happen to be a religious painting, would it, Percival?

A... "religious" painting? I'm sorry, I don't know what that word means.

All I know is that this mural originally belonged to the faeries of Orkneythe Rain clan.

It's said that a knight of Londinium brought it here from the ruins of Orkney...

...while Londinium was still being constructed.

Apparently, it depicts the creation of Britain, and in old faerie language, it's known as...

"The Abyssal Worm."

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？！

Is something wrong, Fujimaru? Did you see someone suspicious over there?

？！

Hey, Da Vinci. You said this was a religious painting, right? You mean you think it's a god?

...Yeah, it probably is.

The six faeries shown here are obviously stand-ins for the six clansprobably the original forefathers.

And whatever that big thing is, they're clearly worshiping it.

That has to mean this creature stands above the faeries, which would make it a god.

Hmm. But the thing is, there ARE no gods in Faerie Britain. Like I said, the great cathedral is only for show.

I've been to almost every city in Britain looking for information, and I've never seen another mural like that.

That's my point. This mural's been around since before Morgan's rule. Hell, it's been around since before Faerie Britain was even a thing.

Oh! So, it's depicting something from the Fae Era, before it became the Era of the High Queen!

Wait. Then, does that mean...Queen Morgan doesn't know about this mural?

Naw, she must. And, it's probably no accident that it was left out of the history books.

Once Morgan became queen, she wanted to be the only power the faeries believed in...

So she erased the concept of godhood from Britain by pretending it never existed. That way, it could never pose a threat to her rule.

...It may just be that this mural holds part of the answer as to what causes the calamities...

...and why there are no gods in Britain.

Too bad the only words on it are written in Old Faerian. I can't make heads or tails of it.

Can you read it, Oberon?

Here, look. This part here definitely looks like writing.

...I'm sorry, but no.

I can kind of read the modern faerie language now, but this is beyond me.

I'd guess the only people who can read this are in Camelot's administration.

I see. Well, that's too bad.

Gosh, I had no idea this picture was so important... I'm sorry I'm too uneducated to be of any help.

Still, if it's that important, I'll make arrangements to have it properly preserved right away, instead of leaving it exposed to the elements.

I'll also look for historians and have them dig around to see if there are any other notable artifacts.

If we're lucky, they might be able to turn up some other precious records.

Good idea. Once we take over Norwich, we should have a lot more personnel to work with.

Either way, we need to get to work on restoring Londinium, so the sooner we can put together a plan, the better.

？！

...I'm sorry, did you say "take over Norwich"?

Welcome to the war room.

We repurposed a room from the bell tower because it gives us a view of all of Londinium.

We've also repurposed the rooms on the floor right below as guest rooms, so I hope you'll find them to your liking.

？！

Are you serious about taking over Norwich?

I thought the Round Table Army's only enemy was the queen.

What reason could you have to attack anywhere apart from Camelot?

You're right. Normally, such a thing would be unthinkable for us. But we can't afford to ignore what's going on in Norwich.

Your valiant efforts did lead to the destruction of the calamity at Norwich...

...but the instant the Child of Prophecy left Camelot, Spriggan petitioned the queen for military aid.

He claims that the residents of Norwich now support the Child of Prophecy, and are now traitors to the crown.

He's using the Child of Prophecy as an excuse to massacre faeries and take back his land.

We only learned about this yesterday from a secret correspondence sent by someone calling himself "the Count."

The queen's forces will probably arrive at Norwich tonight. I doubt we have more than two days to spare.

We've already put out a call for our comrades across the land to come back to Londinium.

As soon as they're all here, we'll set out for Norwich.

Our goal is to occupy Norwich's gate and take control of the city before Spriggan can have his citizens massacred...

...even if they paint us as barbaric invaders for doing so.

I don't much like our chances at victory. Norwich's people aren't going to be happy to see us.

Most faeries just think of the Round Table Army as a gang of militant humans.

I doubt they'd see much difference between the Round Table Army and Spriggan, really.

...A gang of human militants...

...

But please, I don't want you all worrying about that. We're the ones who made this call.

This isn't your battle to fight. You're here to recover.

You'll be safe in Londinium. Not even the queen's magecraft can reach you here.

...

Fujimaru.

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...Yeah, I guess you're right. ...Oh man, this is gonna be rough...

All right, I understand. I've made up my mind, too.

Percival, you haven't once asked for my help...

...and neither did the people of Londinium. All you've done is encourage me and worry about me.

You haven't demanded I save you in return, or anything at all. You've only wished me luck.

So...I'm going to do my part, too.

I can't ring Norwich's bell by myself. I'm going to need your help.

So please, help me. Help me show everyone that the Round Table Army isn't some gang of militant humans...

...but comrades of the Child of Prophecy who are just as intent on saving Britain as she is.

It would be my genuine pleasure, Altria. ...Thank you.

I can't say if this battle of ours will ultimately be for good or for evil...

But I can swear upon this land that we will do our best to make you proud.

Allow me to fill you in on the makeup of the Round Table Army.

We have one company made up of about four hundred faeries and humans under my command that serves as our main military force.

We also have five platoons of about fifty soldiers each.

Two of the platoons are led by two faerie knights who were part of the queen's army: Auralia and Étoile.

The other three are led by human knights: Kenwood, Landon, and Calwas.

I'll introduce you to everyone later.

We have another five squads made up of like-minded comrades, but they're still in training.

Their instructor is Secretary Maggare, whom you all met earlier.

Londinium is also home to a large number of civilians, as you saw for yourselves.

They're the ones who handle construction, sewing, cooking, smithing, governance, and education.

It's a lot of work for only three hundred people, but they've all been doing a great job.

Next, I should tell you about the city's reconstruction timetable, and the amount of resources we'll need to procure each month in order to

Whoa, whoa, hold on, Percival. Why don't you just tell me all that nitty-gritty stuff later?

Right now, it's probably better if we just focus on the Norwich attack. I mean, see for yourself.

(Zzz...)

... (Doing her best to listen politely even though she's barely following along)

See? They hit their limits a while ago. You have to understand, it's only been the eight of us for a while now...

So you really need to ease them into discussions involving the best use of thousands of personnel, you know?

Y-you're right. I'm sorry.

I was just so touched by what Lady Altria said that I didn't realize I was running my mouth. I'm so embarrassed.

Oh no, that's okay! I get pretty rambly when I'm happy, too.

But, could you just call me "Altria," like you did before? I don't think I'm ready for "Lady" yet...

Of course, Altria. All right, let me try this again.

We plan on sending half of my company and three of our platoons to Norwich, so about four hundred soldiers in total.

In the meantime, the Count has gathered a group of anti-queenwell, anti-Spriggan, reallyMPs and residents in Norwich who are also willing to fight.

I'm told they number about four hundred as well.

So between ourselves and the Count's forces, we should have about eight hundred soldiers.

That's what we'll have to defeat the troops the queen sends from Camelot with.

...And to help you reach the belltower in Spriggan's castle.

Eight hundred, huh... Ain't much if you're hopin' to take control of both the city and Spriggan's castle.

Not to mention we'll be up against faeries, while half of our soldiers are human. You're not worried we might be outclassed?

...No, I'm not. The Round Table Army uses weapons and tactics that are optimized for fighting faeries.

I have complete faith in our ability to make up for the difference in power.

However, Spriggan's vault castle, as he calls it, will be too much for us to handle.

It's an impregnable iron tower that neither human nor faerie can possibly break through.

So I'd like to ask for your help in infiltrating it.

Fujimaru, Lord Oberon has told me about your magecraft.

He says that you're capable of summoning warriors in battle that can easily defeat an entire platoon.

We won't be able to break through the vault castle's gate by sheer force. Our only hope is for a small team to sneak inside and open it from within.

It will be a dangerous mission, but would you be willing to accept it?

Just don't bring up Merlin magecraft now, Fujimaru!

？！

Thank you, Fujimaru. With you and Altria helping, I think we have a real chance of victory.

The platoons we have out on patrol in the south right now will be back by evening. Once they arrive, we'll set out for Norwich.

Ideally, we should be able to arrive under cover of night and take control of the city before Spriggan can react.

I hope you don't mind that I'll be leading the charge once we arrive, Altria.

Not at all. This is your army. You should be giving the orders.

All right, I'll go plan our attack with this new development in mind.

The Count was kind enough to enclose a map with his letter. That should help us secure a route inside.

？！

I expect we'll be leaving in about three hours. Until then, take some time to relax.

Gotcha. I'm gonna go pay the textile workshop a visit, then.

That pile of unused cloth scraps was downright obscene!

I know the weavers must be busy, but you could make so many cute clothes for the children with all that!

So I'm gonna go help them out and prove just how dependable old Habbycat can be!

As for me, I consider myself your apprentice now, Percival!

So I'd love it if you could give me more lessons on how to improve my lance skills!

Of course. Though I'm afraid I can only spare the time until the strategy outline comes in.

I'm gonna go give the kids at the smithy some pointers.

Far as I can tell, this whole city's only got one decent blacksmith and a bunch of apprentices.

Hm, guess I better go put in some overtime since I can't help much with the battle.

Is there anything you'd like me to look into, Percival?

Yes. I'd like you to see what's happening in Oxford.

Woodwose is the most likely of all the clan heads to lose patience first.

So after Norwich, I'm guessing he'll be our next major threat.

I'm inclined to agree, yes.

I'll talk to Aurora as well, see if she can keep him occupied for us.

Aurora? But I thought she only has a self-defense force, not an army.

Armies are just one of the tools for fighting a war, Da Vinci.

You see, Woodwose has had kind of a thing for Aurora lately.

So if the woman he wants so much but hasn't given him the time of day suddenly wanted to see him...

Oh, don't worry. Aurora's a lot more...open-minded than you might think. She'll be genuinely happy to show Woodwose some affection.

...No, wait. As kind as she is, she might actually make Woodwose fall hard for her.

I'd better make her understand being TOO nice to him might lead him on a bit.

I'm not toying with anyone! If anything, I'm helping him!

Woodwose has never been lucky in love, so thanks to me, he'll finally get the date he's been dreaming of!

Gah, I haven't even met this Woodwose guy and I can't help but feel kind of sorry for him.

？！

All right, I'm gonna fly over to Salisbury. If all goes well, I'll see you guys again in Norwich!

Okay, I'm gonna go introduce myself to Secretary Maggare.

What are you going to do, Fujimaru, Altria?

I'm going to take Percival up on his kind offer and take a nap in the room below.

It looks like we have a long nighttime march ahead of us, so I need to rest up while I can.

Oh, yeah. Last I saw, the kids were packed so tightly around him in the town square, he could barely move.

I imagine he could use some help right about now.

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Okay then, everyone, please meet back here in three hours.

Our assault on Norwich begins at sunset.