Interlude

Ahem. Today is the forty-fifth day of our covert operation off Britain's coast.

I have called you all here for one reason and one reason alone.

The time has come for us to decide whether to leave this Lostbelt

Er, or Lostworld, according to our technical advisor's reportsand return to standard space...

...or, to muster everything we've got and send additional forces (myself and Meunière) to aid the field team's efforts.

But, heh, fortunately, we just received a new report from Tiphone with excellent news. Captain, if you would?

Got it. Restoring power to the Command Room.

Whoa! The lights are back on!? Then, does that mean

That's right, my boy! Mission complete! Morgan is officially out of the picture!

Fujimaru, Da Vinci, and Kyrielight really came through!

What's more, the faeries were so impressed with our accomplishments that they agreed to give us one of Camelot's Rhongomyniads!

Woohooo! I can't believe we're gonna get the real thing instead of just the spell!

Now the Border's finally gonna have a main cannon! We can't wait to be the gunners!

All right, but only four of you. You can draw lots later to decide who it'll be.

A Rhongomyniad main cannon, eh... Hehehe. And as the director, it'll be my duty to pull the final trigger...

Okay, Goredolf. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

That said, I can't stop grinning, either. I've always dreamed of having a huge cannon on the deck.

Yes, good point. At first I thought I'd like to build it into the bow, but on further consideration, that seems...extremely unsafe.

Much better to add it to the deck, since we can jettison it at a moment's notice.

But never mind that now.

According to the report, it will take them seven days to reach the shore from Camelot...

We'll wait here until then. After they arrive, we can leave.

That is why I had Captain turn the lights on in the Command Room.

Now that we no longer have to conserve as much power as possible in case of emergency, we can get by with only moderate energy conservation.

I know it's been a trying forty-five days for all of you, so now's your chance to recuperate while we prepare to install our Rhongomyniad!

...

Is something the matter, Administrative Advisor? Most people would consider this cause for celebration, you know.

While we're at it, I feel I should let you know something you don't seem to be aware of.

That face you're making right now?

You may as well be shouting, "It feels like this case has only just begun."

Thank you for the warning, Goredolf. Watson used to tell me much the same thing.

However, I'm afraid you're not quite correct. This is no mere feeling. I assure you, this case HAS only just begun.

Really? E-even though we defeated the Lostbelt's king?

We still have yet to answer so much as one truly essential question, Director.

How did this Lostbelt come into being? Why was Camelot built?

What purpose were the Bells of Pilgrimage originally meant to serve? What is the faerie of paradise's mission?

And what happened to the Great Calamities

The red calamity and black calamity that ended Britain during the first iteration of the Fae Era, before Morgan's involvement?

For that matter, who was it that originally attempted Britain's destruction?

If the unnatural lines of malice I've glimpsed in Da Vinci's reports are any indication...

...the true culpritno, the truth itself, still lies elsewhere.

Rest assured, I am all in favor of restoring the power and recuperating, but not for the purpose of returning home.

No, now we must remain all the more vigilant and prepare for the worst-case scenario.

From here on, this will be a battle to save the world, and Chaldea's aid will be essential.

？！

I know. But between the talks we had in Camelot about our next steps and the wagon ride here, it's already been three days.

So far, everything's been going smoothly. Wherever we've gone, faeries have come out to cheer for us.

Barghest is staying behind in Camelot to handle things with the upper-class faeries as Cnoc na Riabh's proxy.

Percival is staying behind as well, so he can secure the sacred lance affixed to the castle's entrance for us.

That'll take one more day to remove, then another three days to bring it back to the Storm Border stationed off the coast.

Although... I'm a little worried about him. He said he's doing fine, but...

Yeah. He seemed to be kind of...dragging.

Even when we insisted he get some rest, he said it was more important that he pay us back for what we'd done...

I mean, it's true we don't have a lot of time left to spare, so I can't deny that'll help us out, but still...

Oh, I know. After he brings us the sacred lance, we should give him a turn in one of the Border's recovery pods!

If a full course of cutting-edge medical technology doesn't perk him up, nothing will.

Besides, he could probably use it anyway, since it sounds like he's been working nonstop since he started the Round Table Army☆

Hey, that's not a bad idea. Think you could give Habetrot a spin in one of those recovery pod things, too?

She insists she's just sleepy, but I can tell she's been getting more depressed by the day since Morgan was defeated.

All she does is sleep and write in her diary, day in and day out.

Hell, even now she won't budge from her bed upstairs. I can only guess she's beyond exhausted.

...Altria, I gotta ask. Are you sure about this?

I get following Morgan's example by having the coronation at Salisbury's cathedral.

Then again...

...you said you were gonna let Cnoc na Riabh take the throne and go back to Tintagel.

And now it's all but a done deal that she's gonna be the next queen.

How could you just give up your claim to the throne after everything I did to help you get there?

Sure, it's great that the clans came to an agreement so quick since the Child of Prophecy suggested it...

But still...

？！

I know. But this is what's best for Britain's future.

The only reason I'm still here is because Oberon gave his life to save mine.

If it wasn't for him, my journey would've ended there.

...In the end, I never came close to reaching Morgan's level.

Maybe I'd feel differently if I'd been the one to defeat her...

But it was the rebel army that did that.

Percival led the Round Table Army, and it was Cnoc na Riabh who assembled the army of northern faeries.

Me? I just went straight for the glory, and you saw how that went!

But, honestly? I don't know the first thing about politics.

So letting Cnoc na Riabh be the next queen and retiring to an easy life in my hometown seems like a no-brainer!

I can almost hear everyone's cheers of, "Great job, Child of Prophecy!" right now!

...

Well gosh, you're in a good mood, aren't you, Child of Prophecy!? And why wouldn't you be? You really did it!

All thanks to Duhbinchi! Here you go! Six deluxe apple waters!

Thanks, Mike. You know, I just realized there aren't any other customers here. There a reason for that?

Oh, that? I reserved the whole place for you guys after Redra Bit told me you were coming!

If the other faeries found out the Child of Prophecy was coming here, the place would be packed to the rafters!

Especially since there are faeries here from all across Britain to see the next queen's coronation.

And I've got a feeling you don't much care for crowds, right, Altria?

So I thought you'd feel more comfortable if it was just you guys here. Heeheehee.

Well, you're not wrong! Thanks, Mike!

Okay, everyone, let's toast to our victory! All together now!

？！

Ahhh! That victory toast might be the best thing ever! Congratulations on a job well done, everyone!

Thanks, Altria. However it went down, now that Morgan's gone, we don't have to worry about Proper Human History being invaded.

And this Britain should remain safe and stable, at least until the Bleached Earth Phenomenon situation is resolved.

I don't know what'll happen after that. Maybe it'll stack on top of Proper Human History, or maybe it'll be expelled from the planet...

But if nothing else, we can be sure the faeries won't disappear. We're also thinking about using the Storm Border to help some of them migrate.

This does mean we'll be going our separate ways, but I know things will be fine with you and Cnoc na Riabh here.

And once Chaldea's handled its own problem, our leaders will come back to pay their respects.

Huh? You mean, you're leaving, Duhbinchi?

Yeah, after the coronation. Besides, I've got a ton of work waiting for me back at the Border.

But I have nothing planned for today! If there's anything you want to ask me about, now's your chance.

Oh, I know! I'll make a road map for the next few years of your pub's growth!

All you'll have to do is follow it, and this place'll become the best hotel this side of Camelot! You got the genius guarantee on that!

W-wow, really? That sounds amazing! I guess I'm gonna have lots of new goals then!

Heehee, I can't wait! Ahh, I can't wait!

？！

Oh, right. We had a short chat just before we left Camelot.

I've been entrusted with handling the aftermath here in Camelot.

Percival and Cnoc na Riabh's subordinates will be the ones making the decisions...

...but I should be more persuasive with the ambassadors and officials who have yet to get on board with the new administration.

As for Spriggan and Aurora, they've both agreed to support the Child of Prophecy's choice for the new queen.

I'm concerned that we still haven't heard from Murian, but I doubt that will be a major issue.

Understood. This may sound strange coming from me, but I'm glad you're here helping us.

There's no need to thank me. This is all I can do to be useful.

Though, I must ask...why do you look at me like that?

I'm a criminal and a traitor to the crown. I don't deserve to call myself a knight.

That's not true, Barghest. You're an exemplary knight.

Your loyalty to Morgan never wavered, even for a moment.

But you stood up to fight her in the name of protecting Britain. That must have been a very difficult choice.

You're not the first knight I've known who made a choice like that.

Which is why I'm so glad to see the rebel army welcome you with open arms.

You wield your sword for others' sake, not your own. You truly believe it's the duty of the strong to protect the weak.

So please, Lady Barghest... Please don't be so hard on yourself.

You were just as noble a knight as Boggart said you were.

...I see. So you were there with Boggart when he died.

...Tell me, what did you think of him? Was he a good lord?

He was a wonderful lord.

He did everything he could to help Sheffield and Norwich, up to his dying breath.

I may be a member of Chaldea...

But here in the land of the fae, I'd like to think of myself as a knight of Sheffield as well.

That's how much the people I met there meant to me.

I see... I'd expect no less from the old hardhead. He's always been surprisingly considerate.

He was also a huge womanizer. That's one thing Woodwose never had over him.

R-really!? I had no idea Boggart was so popular!

Oh yes. His plainspoken nature had a way of cutting straight to faeries' hearts, even if he didn't mean to.

How else would he have been married sixty-one times?

Good point... In retrospect, that does explain a number of things.

The same is true for you, Galahadah, right. You said your name was Mash, didn't you?

I will be undergoing a court martial once Camelot's affairs are in order...

...but after hearing your words, even a century in prison will pass easily.

Thank you, young knight of Proper Human History...honorable Knight of the true Round Table.

Were it possible, I would have loved to meet other Knights of the Round Table.

R-really? Like who?

G-good question...

Maybe...Sir Gawain? ...No, never mind. I know my emotions would get the better of me.

But I'd also love to meet Sir Palamedes, Sir Tristan...and Sir Kay, who was said to be the tallest of the knights.

Well, as a matter of fact, you've already met one of them. Senpai told me all about it.

Remember that knight who held you back at the ranch? That was Sir Tristan.

What!?

R-really? Tristan, the Child of Sadness? That Tristan?

That's right. Though I suppose he may not have made a strong impression...

Oh no, he did. I would never forget the sheer mastery of the bow he demonstrated. It's just that...

(Ahh, what have I done!? How could I ever hope to make amends!?)

You beat him in a fair and honorable duel, right? I'm sure there won't be any hard feelings on Tristan's part.

Although, I am curious. Why are you so attached to the Knights of the Round Table?

It seems like there's more to it than just the name Morgan Gifted you with.

...All right. You are a fellow woman and knight, so I suppose I don't mind sharing with you.

While it goes without saying that they're all very attractive...

I especially look up to them because of their stories.

Despite all the personal problems they faced, in the end, they always chose to stick together and protect their kingdom.

They were the very model for a strong and honorable knight fighting in defense of the weak.

I don't know what I would have done without their example to guide me. They made me want the same thing for Faerie Britain.

...Even though, ultimately, it was you and your companions who accomplished what I could not.

I'd like you to give the foreign mage a message for me.

Please, tell him thank you for supporting our worldno...for supporting the Child of Prophecy.

As knights go, I may be a disgrace, but I will never forget the debt I owe him.

If ever he should have need of my horn, all he need do is say the word.

？！

Yes. It's unfortunate that we first met her as an enemy...

I hope, from now on, we can help each other instead.

Ah, don't worry. Barghest may be readying herself for jail, but there's no way Cnoc na Riabh's gonna let her see the inside of a cell.

There ain't anyone else around who knows the faeries of Camelot as well as she does.

If Cnoc na Riabh's gonna rule effectively, she's gonna need a right hand she can trust.

You're heading out, Grímr?

Just a little errand I need to take care of. I'm gonna see how Cnoc na Riabh's doing.

The northern faeries have never been to Salisbury or the great cathedral before, right?

So I figure they could use all the help they can get, seeing how the coronation's tomorrow.

Oh, right. I forgot you have all the first Grímr's knowledge.

Well, thanks for helping that jerk out. This'll be her greatest opportunity to shine yet.

...There's no more here. ...Or here.

That's strange... I couldn't have already got them all, right?

...Hello? Is anyone still there?

...Is anyone still alive?

...I'll ■■t you out if you are, okay? Just say something. Please?

...Lady Murian.

I don't think there's anyone left in that box. Perhaps it's time you moved on?

Who's there!?

Oh, Koyanskaya, it's you. When did you get here? Did you just get back?

Just give me a minute to wash my hands, okay? They feel so gross, for some reason. Weird, don't you think?

...

...

Take that! And that! And that!

You can't hide from me! Not in the woods! Not anywhere!

Die! Die! Die! I want to see you running in panic, wailing for someone to save you before I grind you to paste!

Ahaha. Ahahaha. Ahahahaha!

Ha

Are you freaking kidding me!? How is this supposed to be fun!?

It's gross! It's disgusting! How the hell can you faeries enjoy this!?

Answer me, you disgusting insects! You started this, right!?

Why did you do this!? Why are you begging for help now!?

If you know how awful it feels...

...then why didn't you spare the Wing clan when we begged you to!?

Who's there!?

Pardon my intrusion, Lady Murian. Did I startle you?

Oh, Koyanskaya. When did you get here? I haven't seen you around lately. Have you been in town long?

Oh, but never mind that. Listen, I've come up with the very best idea for revenge.

I'm going to use my "game board" to make an inescapable bug trap.

It'll take me hundreds of years to create an open world big enough to finish off the whole Fang clan...

But that's okay. I can wait. I'm the butterbur princess, the most patient of all the Wing clan faeries.

I swear I'll complete it, no matter how difficult it may be.

After all, just imagine how good it'll feel to take my revenge when it finally happens!

It's going to be the greatest moment of my life, and I'm going to devote everything I have to making it happen!

It's going to be great! What could go wrong!?

Oh, Lady Murian...

(Her poor mind... It just can't accept the dull reality...)

So, how were things in Camelot? Is Queen Morgan really gone?

Yes, she is. Morgan was put to death, and the rebel army now controls the city.

There's to be a coronation to mark the reign of the new queen tomorrow.

Once that happens, it's only a matter of time until the new law of the land reaches Gloucester as well.

And if the truth about what happened to the Fang clan ever comes to light...

I'm afraid it could put you in a precarious position, Lady Murian.

Huh? Something happened to the Fang clan?

Oh well, never mind that. Right now, we need to focus on Camelot.

I never thought Altria would relinquish her claim to the throne so easily.

I was hoping she and Cnoc na Riabh would end up taking each other down, but oh well.

Still, it's a good thing there's going to be a new queen soon. There's no time to waste before the Great Calamity shows up, after all.

Cnoc na Riabh is a direct descendant of Mab, so she should understand how important that throne is.

So I'll contact her soon and arrange an alliance between Camelot and Gloucester.

Once the threat of the Great Calamity has passed, then I'll find a way to overthrow her.

Right now, our priority is ensuring Britain's survival.

I can wait to invite our mutual enemy, Proper Human HistoryChaldea, to my garden until then.

Oh my. You're going to go to war with Chaldea, Lady Murian!?

And here I thought you didn't have any interest in them.

...I didn't at first.

But it's obvious now that Proper Human History is a threat to this land...

...and they're your enemies as well, right? So that makes them mine, too.

But first, Cnoc na Riabh.

I'm going to start by writing her a letter asking her to kick the Round Table Army out of Camelot as soon as she's officially the new queen.

There's no way I'm letting Chaldea have a sacred lance. They all belong to Faerie Britain.

Anyway, once I'm done writing it, would you deliver the letter for me?

I used to have Oberon handle this sort of thing, but I haven't been able to reach him lately.

Very well then. I'll be glad to attend the coronation on your behalf.

But if I may, Lady Murian, what are you going to do afterwards?

You really need to get out of this room, before it starts to affect your health.

Hm?

I have a lot of reading left to do. There is so much Morgan suppressed during her reign.

How did she stop the Great Calamity before? And for that matter, what IS the Great Calamity?

I just know the answer to those and other questions must be in the documents I took from Camelot.

And if that information is written down somewhere, I'm positive I can decipher it.

I'm going to find out the truth as sure as I'm the butterbur princess.