Chapter 108: Merlin: Let's Conquer The Fairy Forest!
Noah took Merlin's words quite seriously.
But this wasn't solely because of Merlin—it was also due to White's final remark in their communication...
White must have had her reasons for urging him to pay more attention to Rome.
Previously, Noah hadn't understood those reasons, but now, after hearing Merlin's words, it seemed to click.
—Was it because of that fellow who had been bestowed the name Romulus by the Roman Pantheon?
Was this guy so formidable that even after White had witnessed Britain's strength, she still felt the need to caution him rather than merely advise caution...?
At this thought, Noah fell into contemplation.
Merlin had already been temporarily dismissed to rest after delivering his message, and Noah was now pondering Merlin's words alongside Mary.
"Mary, what do you think about this Romulus situation?"
Hearing Noah's question, Mary thought for a moment before responding.
"Well... just as I believe you are a distortion point on the main worldline, if this Romulus is also a distortion point, then it wouldn't be surprising."
"Moreover, the Lady of the Lake, Vivian, that Merlin mentioned... at least in our world, Vivian is a bit peculiar, but her prophecies are highly reliable."
"Add to that Merlin possessing Clairvoyance like mine—if he can't locate that Romulus, naturally, neither can I... So I think it might indeed be wise to maintain a certain level of reverence toward the unknown."
From White's warning to the news brought by Merlin, and now Mary's judgment.
After going through this process, Noah nodded solemnly.
Previously, he had been suppressing matters related to the Titans, but that event, in terms of timing, wasn't too far off now.
By next year, he would be able to begin the simulations for Volume Two.
With three simulations per day, Noah felt he would eventually find a way to deal with the Titans.
But this current matter was different.
For Noah, there were indeed more unknowns here, and he now somewhat suspected that among the completion conditions for Volume Two provided by the system, one was to fully experience the storyline of the Titan King, and another was to fully experience the storyline of a mysterious figure.
Perhaps because he hadn't encountered this mysterious figure before the system update, it had always been displayed as ???.
Could this guy be that Romulus?
If that were truly the case, then this might indeed feel like the emergence of a fated rival... Facing such a character, one really couldn't afford to take it lightly.
And Romulus...
If he remembered correctly, that founding emperor of Rome was a Grand Lancer!
A Grand Lancer capable of matching blows with Zeus the Almighty!
Someone bestowed with that name by the Pantheon... truly not to be underestimated.
Originally, Noah had recently loosened his grip somewhat on Britain's development.
On one hand, he planned to steadily advance development after beginning the Volume Two simulations next year; on the other hand, the source of pressure was still distant, so he had time.
But now... perhaps it was best to tighten the reins again.
The Enforcement Knights need to accelerate their transition to their complete form, the formation of the Knights of the Round Table must be scheduled soon, and he also needs to start discussing matters concerning the Fairy Knights with Morgan...
Thinking of this, Noah let out a long sigh.
Seeing that Noah had stopped his deep contemplation, Mary spoke up at this moment.
"What, starting to feel nervous?"
"A little bit, indeed."
Noah made no attempt to hide his feelings, but after admitting this, his previously solemn expression shifted, and he even smiled.
"But it's only a little. After all, he couldn't stay hidden forever—now we know of his existence. And since the prophecy of the Lady of the Lake could reveal his presence, perhaps we can also use her prophecy to draw him out from the shadows, right?"
Hearing Noah say this, Mary nodded in the form of Fou.
She wasn't surprised by Noah's reaction.
After all, through their interactions during this time, she had come to understand Noah quite well.
If at first she had no choice but to hide with Noah while investigating distortions and searching for Manaka Sajyou...
Then, through their time together, Mary had discovered many shining qualities in Noah.
Noah was different from the Arthur she knew.
Noah wasn't the kind of hero who remained optimistic and pushed forward at all times—in many ways, he was more like a normal person. He would get frustrated when facing difficult problems, feel fear and tension toward the unknown, and would do his utmost to prepare for the future...
Yet, despite all this, he never gave up.
And even when frustrated or tense, after acknowledging these emotions, he could still muster the courage to face them.
Previously, Mary had thought that someone like Arthur, who remained blissfully ignorant of certain things, was the epitome of a hero.
But now, she had gained a new understanding of the word "hero."
It was someone who understood fear, knew the consequences, yet still chose to face problems when they arose.
Being a hero wasn't the privilege of fools.
This was Mary's new understanding.
As for whether her recognition of Noah's shining qualities was influenced by the affection stemming from Manaka Sajyou... who could say for sure?
Evaluation is subjective and arbitrary, and so is love.
Such things are impossible to separate, no matter how you look at it.
Even for her.
So Mary didn't say anything more, silently watching as Noah handled his work while also scheduling all the necessary preparations.
Occasionally, she would offer Noah some advice.
Sometimes Noah would agree directly, other times he would ask her questions and discuss with her.
Even if she harbored these feelings within her heart, she wouldn't take the initiative like Morgan or Artoria.
Though she was now called Mary, she was still Merlin.
Rather than actively involving herself in things, she preferred to be an observer, at most participating slightly to enhance her sense of immersion as a spectator.
So, for her, this was enough.
—At least it's enough for now.
After handling some matters and making some preparations, Noah went to find Merlin and asked if Vivian could help locate this Romulus through prophecy.
Merlin did not deny this.
With Vivian's prophetic abilities, finding Romulus shouldn't be a problem—but that's only possible if Vivian remains in a normal state...
At this point, Merlin sighed.
"But now... it's not just Vivian. It's as if it's the prelude to an inevitable fate of destruction. The impact of that terrifying event that will occur in the future isn't limited to the future alone."
"When the previous king was still alive, I knew quite a few great prophets who could foresee the future—not like me, who merely speculates falsely about what's to come, but those who truly predict it."
"There were quite a few beings capable of such things."
"But these individuals are gradually fading away, as if the great trouble that will erupt in the future is already preemptively silencing these wise ones who could prevent it. Even those with exceptionally long lifespans are withering away, dying."
"It's already remarkable that Vivian has survived until now, but her condition has always been poor... This time, if she can manage one prophecy, that would be good enough. Looking at Vivian's state, this might very well be her last prophecy."
"If we could find someone suspected to be that Romulus now, then if Vivian could see them in person, she should still be able to recognize them—but unfortunately, we don't have such a candidate. Asking Vivian to activate her prophecy again is likely impossible."
"..."
Hearing Merlin's earlier words, even Mary silently agreed with Noah in her heart—although the Vivian in their world hadn't encountered such a situation, Merlin didn't seem to be lying now. So Noah was about to give up on asking Vivian to help find that Romulus.
But just then, Merlin added an "unless," and then he hesitated, as if stuck, and fell silent!
Merlin's face showed great hesitation, but Noah still pressed him.
"Unless what?"
Hearing Noah's question, Merlin sighed.
"If there were a large amount of life force, then Vivian's condition could be alleviated... To obtain a large amount of life force, you'd either have to sacrifice a great number of people—and with your level of Alchemy, you could naturally collect a vast amount of life force—or..."
Merlin naturally knew that Noah would never sacrifice a large number of people, so he then voiced the option he was truly hesitant about, the one Noah might actually choose...
"...you could send troops to attack the Fairy Forest. If the Fairy Forest is conquered, then a vast amount of life force would be available."