Fragment/6

...So that's everything I know about the Isle of Britain, the land of the Fae.

Does that help...?

Aesc? Is there something wrong with her?

Don't be rude, Totorot.

She isn't lying. She's telling us about the distant future.

...So, in the future, this place is called Faerie Britain... A queen named Morgan unifies all the clans...

And there's a figure known as the Child of Prophecy, as well as invaders from Proper Human History.

...

Oh, I'm sorry. "Invaders" is too strong a word.

Forgive me. I'm still...processing everything you've told me.

No, it's okay. I can't blame you for thinking of us that way...

Anyway, does this mean you believe me about coming here from the future, Aesc?

It's...a lot to take in, but I can mostly tell you're being honest about it all.

Part of me doesn't want to believe it, especially regarding the Child of Prophecy. You said she's the savior reborn? The next faerie destined to save Britain?

If there's such a person in the future, that means...well, it means I'm going to fail.

Yeah! And there's no way Aesc's gonna fail this time!

She's gonna bring peace to Britain, you'll see! This Mirror clan faerie doesn't know what she's talking about!

You're right, Totorot. I do have to make sure I succeed this time. You'll help me, won't you?

You bet I will! I'm always happy to help girls who're doing their best!

You said your name's Mash, right? You've got bad luck, showing up when you did!

If you want my help, you're going to have to wait until I've finished making Aesc happy!

That's fine. Thank you, HabeI mean, Totorot. I know I can count on you.

...

Mash, if you don't have anywhere else to go, you can stay with us...

But if you do, I'd like you to promise me one thing.

If you want to return to your own time, you shouldn't say anything else about the future.

Oh, right... Is that because intervening in the past could end up changing the future?

Nnn... Something like that.

I doubt anything you say or do here will have any effect on the Era of the High Queen...

But there could be faeries here in the Fae Era, where the Tree of Emptiness is still intact, whose destinies could end up warped.

Huh? So, nothing I do here will have any effect on the Era of the High Queen? What do you mean by tha

Hold it, Mash. That's getting into the future again, right?

Oh... R-right! Of course! I shouldn't even be talking about the Era of the High Queen anymore, should I!?

That's right. I'm saying this more to protect your destiny than ours.

When you go back to your own time, you can't bring back any knowledge that would create a paradox.

The larger the paradox, the larger the resulting gaps in your memory will be.

You don't want to lose your precious memories, right?

So it's better if you avoid discussions of the future as much as possible.

That being said...

I really have to question this High Queen Morgan's judgment in handling calamities by sending them back to the past.

If you hadn't defeated the calamity of Norwich in the future...

Then we would have found that, um, giant hand thing you told us about on that beach instead of you, right?

Talk about a close call. If it had been that thing we encountered, we might have lost the knight of Londinium who finally just appeared.

In that sense, you've helped us out more than I can possibly say, Mash.

Thanks to you and this Fujimaru person saving us from that battle...

...our own battle should go much more smoothly.

Um... That's a battle you're fighting as the savior of Britain, right?

Is that the battle from year 4000 of the Fae Era, or the War of Summer from Fae Era 2000?

What year is it right now?

Huh? The War of Summer happened in Fae Era 10,000.

The only war that took place in the year 2000 was the Yard Dispute between the Earth and Wind clans, back when Britain was a lot smaller than it is now.

Oh, wait. I think I understand. Those year numbers must be backwards.

In the time Mash is from, they probably count the Fae Era years backwards starting from the first year of the Era of the High Queen.

It may keep things simpler if we just talk about past events in terms of how many years ago they happened.

The War of Summer took place sixteen-hundred years ago, which would make it Fae Era 2000 from your perspective, Mash.

It was a massive invasion perpetrated by Ireland, the Isle of Shadows.

It was the second attempt by the northern faeries to invade Britain. They were led by Queen Mab, who worked her human army like slaves.

That was a really close call, wasn't it, Totorot?

It sure was! They almost killed every clan in Britain!

I don't know what we would've done if it hadn't been for you and the Black Knight! Right, Black Knight!?

...True. Queen Mab was a very powerful faerie.

And it's not just because she had Albion's protection. She also had a primordial strength about her that the southern faeries simply don't possess.

Aesc managed to buy us some time, but if she'd really wanted to wipe out the clans, there was nothing we could have done to stop her.

But then, just as Mab was on the verge of victory, she proposed a truce out of nowhere.

She then went on to occupy the vacant throne left behind by the Rain clan in Orkney, and became the lord of the entire northern region.

I-I see. Thank you for filing me in.

...Um, by the way, may I ask who that is?

This is Sir Black Knight, my escort. He and I have known each other for a long time now, haven't we?

Indeed. Ever since you first became a public figure.

Aesc and I have fought side by side for over two thousand years now. I don't know how much more I can take, even with this undying body.

Succeed or fail, I really hope this is your last attempt to save Britain.

Don't worry! It's going to work this time! All we have to do is make sure the coronation goes smoothly!

...I guess that's true. If this doesn't work, then nothing will.

After ten thousand years of fighting, the clans have finally agreed to live peacefully under Britain's new king.

Though I still find it hard to believe that a human of all people succeeded at unifying the five clans.

Still, I suppose it makes sense, since faeries would never submit to another faerie's rule. If only we'd realized it sooner.

Wait. Hold on. Did you just say Britain has a king? And a human, no less?

That's right! Mab's still grumbling about it, though! Says she's a much better choice for Britain's king than some human!

Well, you know how proud Mab can be, Totorot. And that's not even mentioning what happened with the War of Summer.

But anyway, we're getting off track. Right now, Mash, we're in what you would call Fae Era 400.

Which I guess means this High Queen Morgan will appear four hundred years from now...

Nnn... I know I shouldn't think about it, but it's really hard not to...

I know Uther is human, so he only has ten more years left at most.

So does that mean his heirs will inherit the throne for a few generations until Morgan emerges to assume the throne in four hundred years?

Is that even possible...?

I guess you don't know either, huh, Aesc?

Still, at least it sounds like this new king is successful at keeping peace between the clans.

After all, in the Faerie Britain I know, there's almost no inter-clan warfare whatsoev

Ah. I'm sorry. There I go talking about the future again...

That one was fine, Mash. It's still within the margin of error. Anyway, there's still peace in the future, hm? That's good to hear.

Up until now, Britain has been plagued for millennia with endless turf wars between the clans...

To see that fighting end with our generation would be absolutely wonderful.

It's all thanks to us, Murian and the Wing clan, and Uther's coalition army giving the Earth, Wind, Fang, and Mirror clans what for!

Our only draw was with Mab of the King Clan!

But now that Mab's, uh, "merry-ing" Uther to unify their nations, the two of them together might just be invincible!

...Though I do feel just a little bad for Mab, since Uther so obviously loves you, Aesc.

Don't be silly, Totorot. Of course he doesn't.

Besides, once I see Uther take the crown and accept the Bone Bell from the clans, I'm going to go back to paradise.

I think Uther and Mab make a great couple, too! I'm sure the two of them ruling together will bring peace to Britain for the next four hundred years!

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still need to ensure the coronation in Londinium goes smoothly.

Why aren't you using the cathedral in Salisbury for that, Aesc? Isn't there far more history to be found there?

Londinium may be an invincible fortress, but it still smells of blood. It's bound to attract mors.

If you ask me, Salisbury is still the safer choice.

Maybe...but Salisbury is also closer to the pit. That place worries me more.

No one in Britain knows what's at the bottom of the pit.

No... The faeries of Britain fear it too much to even go near it.

I'm the only one who can investigate what's inside, but it's much too deep for me to do so alone...

If only there were someone brave and strong, with magical energy to match a faerie...

Someone who wasn't from Britain, but was still willing to help. Then I could go investigate it right...

...now.

A-Aesc? What is it?

Of course! We DO have someone like that now! Hooraaay!

Change of plans, everyone! We're going to the pit! Right now!

Mash and I are going to finally uncover the truth behind the greatest mystery in Britain!