Alvin smiled and nodded.
"Go ahead."
Morgan removed her veil, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty.
Her smile was elegant and sharp as she asked,
"Arcueid is the Moon's Ultimate One, the origin of True Ancestors, one of Gaia's trump cards... She was always in deep slumber. So when exactly did you meet her?"
Alvin was ready for this question, so as soon as she asked, he answered without any stutter.
"I spent some time in the Millennium Castle in the past,"
"To be honest, the reason I'm alive today is thanks to her. She gave me some of her power back then."
It was a reasonable explanation, after all, he had indeed been gone from Britain for years...and had been to Millennium City during those years..
Morgan's icy gaze studied him carefully.
After a moment, she nodded slightly.
"She must really like you, if she was willing to do that."
Then, with a trace of curiosity, she added,
"Are you planning to stay in the Millennium Castle from now on?"
Alvin shook his head, his expression wry. "Of course not. I already told you—I'll be staying in Britain until the Age of Gods ends."
Upon hearing this, Morgan nodded as if very satisfied.
After chatting for a while, Morgan suddenly asked,
"By the way... do you still have one of those Magic Dragon Scales?"
Dragon Scales? Alvin could have pulled out hundreds if he wanted to.
"What do you want with that?"
Morgan licked her lips ever so slightly, her smile laced with something playful.
"Just give me one. You'll see~"
Although he didn't quite understand what she was planning to do, but in the end, Alvin handed her a second Dragon Scale.
The scale's surface was engraved with swirling patterns... and faintly, a crimson moonlit mark shimmered upon it.
Morgan couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
If she remembered correctly... Alvin didn't have this mark in the past.
This was—
Arcueid's mark!
Clearly, this was a unique rune left behind when Arcueid had poured her power into Alvin.
If it weren't for the risk of Morgan flying into a rage, Alvin might have laughed out loud then and there.
Each evolution of the White Dragon Furnace had made him stronger, and now his furnace was nearly at its perfect stage, far beyond what Vortigern had ever achieved.
The only thing he didn't quite understand… was how this "Blood Moon" rune had actually formed.
Or perhaps… had Arcueid secretly done something when he wasn't looking?
"You should go find Lily. She should still be in the Hall of Kings."
At this moment, Morgan's calm voice pulled Alvin back to reality.
Hearing what she just said, he couldnt help but glance at her in surprise, but soon his expression softened with a faint smile.
If this had been the Morgan of the past, she would never have told him to go to Artoria.
It seemed like his previous bet with Morgan was quite effective, at least, it forced her to confront her feelings and accept them for what they were.
After spending a few moments of tenderness with Morgan and enjoying a brief moment, Alvin left the pavilion and made his way toward the Hall of Kings.
At the same time, Morgan watched his departing figure.
Only after he had completely disappeared from sight did the faintest trace of a smile curl on her lips.
Even though she had indeed accepted Artoria, and didn't plan to destroy her relationship with Alvin, Morgan was that much of a saint.
The reason why she asked Alvin to go find Artoria at this moment was not because she was generous or anything.
Once the countdown ended, when she returned to the real world, she would have all the time in the world to keep Alvin by her side… so why rush now?
Besides, if things went well, this little item in her hand might even allow her to summon his spirit form to her.
Morgan's gaze fell to the black dragon scale in her hand, and her smile deepened with quiet satisfaction.
…
...
Artoria had been sitting upon the throne for nearly three hours.
At first, her aide, Miss Ariel, had come to check on her—hoping to offer some words of comfort.
Though she didn't know all the details, there was one thing she was absolutely certain of: the King was in love.
And the one the King loved was none other than that young man from the banquet—the very same transmigrator, who had just married the King of the Moon.
Alvin.
Although she was not quite sure about the reason, having been with King Arthur for many years, the deputy thought she could guess what the king was thinking.
Because she had seen Alvin and the Moon King's wedding today, she was feeling restless. So, she sat alone in the Hall of Kings, handling state affairs in an attempt to distract herself.
Ariel stood at the entrance of the hall and glanced discreetly at the woman sitting on the throne. There was a faint trace of worry in her eyes.
It really seemed… that the King truly liked that boy.
"…Ariel, prepare some tea and pastries."
The voice of Artoria suddenly rang through the hall.
"Ah… yes!"
Ariel was stunned for a moment, but then she quickly reacted and her eyes lit up with joy.
After all, if the King could still eat, it meant her mood wasn't completely ruined. That was good news.
Of course, this assistant who was busy spinning her own assumptions had no idea that Artoria was not, in fact, thinking about Alvin just now.
In the past few days leading up to Alvin and Arcueid's wedding, Artoria had indeed been troubled.
After all, no woman could accept her husband marrying another...considering the fact that husband and wife were in love.
She had even considered going to Millennium City herself.
But now that the day had come and, according to the front-line reports, they were already married… there was no longer any point in going.
Besides… there was something else she was far more concerned about.
Not long ago, before Artoria's very eyes, a peculiar countdown had appeared.
A deep blue interface, displaying a number that continued to tick down.
She wasn't unfamiliar with this phenomenon. In fact, during this period of time, after interacting with several of the "transmigrators", she had heard them all mention this very countdown.
When the countdown reached zero, those transmigrators would return to their world.
So then… what did it mean that this same countdown had appeared before her?
If it was the same as the transmigrators, if she really would be transported to the "real world" once the countdown ended… would she meet Alvin there?
The thought alone brought the faintest trace of a smile to Artoria's lips, her flawless features softening with a quiet warmth.
Sunlight filtered through the windows of the Hall of Kings, spilling across her noble and serene figure, gilding her cold beauty with a sacred glow.
"Your Majesty, the tea and pastries you requested."
At this time, Ariel returned, carefully placing a cup of steaming tea and a plate of perfectly baked cookies onto the white jade table. The aroma of both filled the room.
"You may leave," Artoria said softly.
Ariel bowed respectfully before quietly withdrawing from the hall.
Artoria maintained her poised sitting posture, without moving.
"Now… the tea and pastries are ready. If you still refuse to come out, I'll drag you out myself."
Her cold, clear voice rang through the vast hall.
A little later, the young man's helpless sigh was heard from the hall: "Your perception is really scary, Lily."
Alvin silently appeared behind her, smiling wryly. "When did you figure out I was back?"
Artoria raised her gaze slightly, her tone calm and steady. "I received word from the wedding guests that you'd returned to the palace. I assumed you'd go see princess Morgan first… and judging by the timing, I was right."
Alvin: "…"
"Don't worry. I understand Morgan's personality. Going to her first was the right call."
Even so, it still makes me feel a little uncomfortable...
Although she said this, Artoria's lips pressed together slightly.
But then, her eyes shifted to the faintly glowing countdown in her vision, and her expression calmed once more.
"Come. Have some tea."
As Alvin sat down and sipped the warm tea, Artoria glanced at him thoughtfully and said.
"By the way, I want to ask you for something…"
Alvin, who was sipping his tea, was stunned by the sudden request.
He then laughed and said. "What is it? You don't need to be so formal with me…"
Altria stared at the boy quietly and said, "…A dragon scale."
Alvin: "?"
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Meanwhile, beneath a white birch tree on the outskirts of Britain—
At this moment, a girl in a pale-green pleated dress sat under the tree.
Her short golden hair swayed with the breeze, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering across her pure and delicate face.
Manaka Saijyou.
"..It looks like the Age of Gods is about to fade completely."
The girl gazed at the towering white walls in the distance, speaking softly to herself.
From the very first day she arrived in Britain, she had been waiting for the Age of Gods to end—or rather, waiting for the "White Dragon" to die.
Because only after the White Dragon died and became a Heroic Spirit would she have the chance to summon him in the present world.
However… the White Dragon was a mythical being. By definition, such an existence could not be summoned.
When she first learned this fact through her Omniscience ability, even the Root princess felt a rare sense of helplessness, not knowing what to do.
But soon after, she came up with an idea.
Alvin might be a White Dragon, but his body also carried the powers of a human, a divine spirit… and even a vampire.
Perhaps she couldn't summon him as a White Dragon or divine spirit.
But what about his human or vampire aspects?
As for the catalyst… she had been prepared for that from the very beginning.
Carefully, Manaka drew out a black dragon scale from her chest pocket.
With this in hand… wouldn't summoning Alvin be almost trivial?
As if she had thought of something interesting, an interesting smile quickly appeared on the girl's face.
"..Once I return this time, I think I'll give it a try…"
"..I can't wait to see the look on your face when you see me, Alvin~"
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P.S: The heck...Is there something wrong with this app? I've been trying to open it since yesterday and it kept showing error and error.. It's because of this that I couldn't upload yesterday.
Because of electricity issues due to this apocalyptic weather, I can't even start my PC and now this.