The Millennium Castle — it existed prior to 1200 A.D., a unique Marble phantasm formed through "Fantasy Materialization.
Within this space, Arcueid held supreme authority.
Countless vampire beings resided here as well.
At this moment, Alvin was walking silently alongside Arcueid through the corridors of the Millennium Castle. Neither of them spoke; only the echo of footsteps filled the air between them.
Alvin glanced toward the woman walking ahead.
There were no elaborate accessories on her.
Her long, golden hair flowed down like cascading silk, and her gown, white embroidered with golden threads, was elegant and noble.
If one could ignore her temptingly voluptuous figure, she could easily inspire reverence as a "Princess of the Moon."
'Exactly like the CG from the game... Alvin sighed inwardly.'
'Only difference is, her chest seems even... bouncier than I remember.'
"You're calmer than I expected," Arcueid finally spoke, her voice cool and distant as she continued walking.
"Aren't you worried for your safety?"
The Millennium Castle, after all, was a reality that could erode the real world.
Anyone entering would be stripped of external protections, even Morgan's 'Island Lord' blessing would fail here.
Naturally, Alvin's unique buff, Witch's Affection EX, was also nullified.
However, Alvin chuckled and shook his head. "If I were truly afraid, I wouldn't have followed you here."
Hearing his words, Arcueid curled her lips, glanced at the boy coldly, and said. "Is that so? You sure didn't seem eager to greet me back in Britain."
"Not the talkative type?"
Alvin: "…"
Well, she was definitely still salty about earlier…
To be fair, if it weren't for Mordred's sudden betrayal, Alvin honestly wouldn't have greeted Arcueid first either.
No because he hated her or anything..after all, he was the white moonlight in someone's heart, he could only respond to the true affection with true affection.
As for the reasons....well, for one, Morgan and Artoria were watching him like hawks.
And more importantly... he had to figure out how the hell to explain why he was even in Britain.
After all, he'd spent years flirting with Arcueid in the Millennium Castle, and was practically one step away from making it official before his so-called death.
It would have been fine if Alvin really died of illness, but faking his death and showing up alive in Britain, then marrying Artoria?
Although it wasn't his original intention...and many more, but,
Yeah.
From Arcueid's perspective, he looked like a certified scumbag.
"Your illness is gone?" Arcueid asked suddenly, halting her steps and turning to look at him.
"Yeah… White Dragon genes regenerate fast. Thanks to that, I'm more or less fully healed now,"
Alvin replied.
He wasn't lying.
In the present world, even in the Fuyuki City, his body had always been frail, but ever since inheriting the White Dragon's power, his physique had been constantly evolving.
By now, his body was tougher than some synthetic weapons.
"Why are you in Britain?" Alvin asked.
Arcueid's crimson eyes flickered with a strange gleam before she replied in her usual cool and lazy tone:
"Not long ago, Gaia gave the Star Sword to Britain's White Dragon. My original goal was to kill him."
She paused, then added,
"But it seems I stumbled onto something much more interesting."
Alvin nodded, unsurprised. "So Gaia wasn't bluffing after all..."
Pulling that sword meant aligning with Gaia and becoming a target for alien entities.
After all, the Star Sword was a conceptual weapon capable of threatening even Ultimate Ones (UO).
What he hadn't expected was that the first to come for him would be Arcueid.
"Gaia isn't fully trustworthy," Arcueid said with a cold snort.
"It's good enough if you believe half of what it says, but if you trust everything it says, you'll end up sold off without even realizing it."
Alvin narrowed his eyes and spoke. "You're referring to the whole 'history correction' thing, right?"
He knew that in the official Type-Moon timeline, Vortigern dies, and the White Dragon lineage ends.
Yet in this divergence, he had inherited Vortigern's power, became a more advanced White Dragon, married Artoria, and had... some complicated relationship with Morgan..well, a passionate affair with her.
"Mythical beings are naturally anomalies. Even if you don't defy history, once you're no longer useful, the Counter Force will uou as a thorn in their side."
"I know this all too well, after all, I'm an anomaly myself," Arcueid said plainly.
"So that's why you want to become Earth's next UO, to replace Gaia and Alaya?"
Arcueid gave him a sidelong glance. "It's not just about avoiding correction."
Hearing her words, Alvin's expression shifted slightly, as if recalling something.
If he remembered correctly, there was a side route in the simulation game where he and Arcueid once made a promise:
"If you ever feel like life is meaningless… then pick a goal. Try becoming the strongest being alive."
"You remember that promise?" Alvin asked without thinking.
Arcueid didn't respond. Her gaze remained fixed ahead.
"This planet is unlike any other. If you want to become the strongest, you must first kill the current strongest."
"Which is why I said earlier — you really are bold to follow me into the Millennium Castle."
If she were to slay the White Dragon and consume all his blood, Arcueid believed she wouldn't need to do anything else and she'd ascend directly to become a UO of two planets.
However, Alvin grinned as he said. "Like I said — if I were afraid, I wouldn't have come here."
He was very much willing to believe this white moonlight title in his heart.
"Is that so?"
Arcueid raised her eyebrows slightly, and her beautiful bright red eyes became extremely enchanting for a moment as she slowly approached Alvin.
As her cold, flawless face drew closer and closer, Alvin's heartbeat quickened.
Sure, he said he wasn't afraid, but this was her home turf.
Who wouldn't be nervous?
Although he knew she most likely wouldn't harm him, but their were many things that could be done without harming him.
After all, Artoria had already let him experience such ways.
Still, going with her was the best possible move.
If Arcueid and Britain really went to war, the bloodshed would be unimaginable.
This was his self-sacrifice for the greater good.
Then, a soft, wet sensation touched his neck.
Arcueid leaned in, her lips brushing against his skin. Like a cat, she gave a light, teasing lick.
Her breath was warm and fragrant, tickling his nerves as a jolt ran up Alvin's spine, making his hand tremble involuntarily.
And then, without warning, she bit down.
Feeling his blood being eagerly siphoned by the woman in front of him, Alvin's eye twitched violently.
No Sister… are you serious right now?"
I just gave you the whole heroic speech and everything… and you still go and bite me?!
Arcueid finally let go as she stared at Alvin's familiar face and at the conflicted look in his eyes, before her lips curled into a stunning smile.
"..Vampires have an innate craving for blood. After all, blood usually carries the densest concentration of mana."
"But you know, there's actually something in your body that's even richer than blood... Do you know what it is?"
Alvin was stunned for a moment. Then, as if something clicked in his mind, he looked at Arcueid in shock.
"That's right~"
Her voice carried a faintly teasing, seductive lilt.
"From the very beginning, I had no intention of just drinking your blood. After all, there's something far more precious than that."
She let out a soft hum and leaned closer, whispering sweetly into his ear, her breath fragrant and intoxicating:
"Hmph.. after the wedding, you'd better look forward to it~"
Did I just unlock some secret DLC of the Millennium Castle..?
Alvin stood frozen, paralyzed by the subtle fragrance lingering in his nostrils.
His entire body stiffened, and all he could think was a barrage of mental retorts.
Arcueid glanced toward the maid standing quietly at the edge of the palace.
"Escort him down to rest."
Although, Alvin was now by her side, but those two sisters from Britain wouldn't possibly let him stay in the Millennium Castle forever, right?
Once the corrective force from the Counter Force wore off, they'd almost certainly try to bring Alvin back to Britain.
She needed to prepare a few more layers of insurance...
After watching Alvin leave, Arcueid stood silently for a moment, then walked to a nearby table, lit a small lamp, and began writing a letter.
When the letter was complete, she summoned the maid she had once personally turned and handed it over.
"Deliver this to the royal palace in Britain."
The maid respectfully received the letter, but paused in surprise.
"..This is..?"
"A marriage proposal."
Arcueid smiled with narrowed eyes.
"I know both Artoria and Morgan agreed on the surface, but they each have their own thoughts. At the very least, they're not going to give him up so easily."
If she publicly married the White Dragon, tongues would wag, after all, everyone knew about the White Dragon's messy ties with Artoria.
That's why her official engagement wouldn't be with the White Dragon — but with Alvin.
Everyone in Britain knows the white dragon of the Night's Watch, but, very few people actually knew the White Dragon's real name.
But marrying someone named 'Alvin'.. and doing it publicly, in front of all the transmigrators and citizens of Britain..
Once that wedding became a reality, even those two wouldn't have much to say.
As the maid took the sealed envelope and disappeared into the night, Arcueid sat quietly on her throne, placing a hand gently over her full chest.
Inside her chest, she could still faintly feel the lingering trace of Alvin's mana.
Indeed.. even if you put aside the power of dragonkind or the divine..
Even his own magic is delicious in its own right.
Thinking back on their recent intimate encounter, a subtle ripple stirred in her otherwise calm heart.
Though she had already resolved to accept his presence this time, to even formally marry him, fulfilling a regret from the past…...the idea of keeping her distance from Alvin throughout the wedding preparations was like having ants crawling all over her body.
Now that she finally found him, now that she was here, she longed to taste every part of him, and not just his blood, but his affection, his emotions, and his body.
Maybe.. before the wedding... just a few stolen bites wouldn't hurt?
That thought crossed her mind.
Then, as if something wicked and amusing came to her, she slowly licked the tip of her finger, the corners of her lips curving into a faint, sultry smile.
And with that, she rose and walked out of the hall.
---
...
Camelot Royal Palace.
The Hall of Kings.
After returning to the palace, Artoria immediately convened a Round Table meeting. In attendance were Lancelot, Gawain, Agravain, Kay, Gareth, Bedivere, and Lamorak.
Aside from a few knights who were away on missions and Tristan, who was still recovering from his wounds, everyone else had gathered here.
Mordred, who had just returned to the palace, was promptly thrown into her chambers by Artoria, supposedly to rest and recover.
Whether or not there was a hint of personal revenge in that action was anyone's guess.
Though the number of attendees wasn't large, one had to remember that the Round Table was the core foundation of Britain.
These few individuals alone could determine the nation's future.
Even the King's sacred sword required the approval of over half the Round Table, which demonstrated how much influence they held over Britain.
Lancelot frowned and said,
"My King, do you truly believe what that 'Queen of the Moon' said?"
That business about the Counter Force eventually correcting the existence of the White Dragon... it all sounded too fantastical to him.
The Iron Knight, Agravain, looked grim as he turned to the white-haired mage.
"Merlin is here, isn't he? He should be able to tell whether what the Moon Queen said is true or false."
In this era, the Round Table's understanding of the Counter Force was still vague.
Naturally, they had no idea whether it could really "correct" someone like Alvin, as the Moon Queen claimed.
At once, all the knights turned toward the white-haired magician.
Merlin idly twirled his staff and said lazily,
"Even if you ask me, I don't really know. The Counter Force doesn't act on individuals —, unless that individual threatens its existence."
"As for whether Alvin poses such a threat.. only the two great Counter Forces themselves would know."
"But I imagine you all trust the King's judgment, yes?"
His words had that usual cryptic, 'those who know will understand' vibe.
"But now that you mention it, there is something I'm really curious about."
Merlin smiled as he turned to Artoria.
She sat upright, cloaked and crowned, her golden tiara gleaming above her composed, regal face.
She, too, was watching Merlin as the latter asked with a grin.
"Are you really willing to let him leave your side, my King?"
Artoria replied flatly,
"If it helps him, letting him temporarily leave the palace is not a problem."
That's what she said, but this entire situation was already part of Artoria's calculations.
She didn't know what kind of past Alvin and the Queen of the Moon had — love? hate? betrayal?
But all of Britain, and even the transmigrators, knew about the connection between the White Dragon and the Red Dragon.
In that case, what chance did some so-called 'celestial girlfriend' have against her?
Marry him?
You think people will accept your wedding?
Once Alvin's crisis was resolved, he would return to the palace, return to her side.
Still, to be safe... she would personally pay a visit to the Millennium Castle.
As she thought that, a faint smile flickered across her saintly blue eyes.
Just then, a palace attendant rushed into the hall and bowed.
"Your Majesty, a messenger claiming to be from the Millennium Castle seeks an audience."
Millennium Castle..?
They had just dealt with the Queen of the Moon — and now she was already making her next move?
Artoria instinctively furrowed her brow.
"What did she say?"
"She said the Queen of the Moon has sent a letter. The contents seem to concern.. someone named 'Alvin'."
For some reason, Artoria's heartbeat skipped but she quickly composed herself and gave the order:
"Let her in."