Hearing Aslan's words—which could only be described as painfully earnest—Melusine instead blushed. Although she was already 4.6 billion years old, most of that time had been spent in slumber beneath the lake. From a certain perspective, her affection for direct and open speech was a reflection of her innocence.
Melusine turned her head aside, slightly embarrassed, yet her eyes were unwilling to part from the sight of Aslan before her.
She was a being born amidst decay, meant to sleep forever in the depths of mystery and finality. The fairy knight before her was not the same one from the Lostbelt of Great Britain.
The world of Type-Moon contained countless branches, and the presence of this girl in this particular world must be one of its unique miracles. As a fragment of Albion, the pinnacle of dragonkind, she had slumbered in the lake of this world...
What sort of fate could have brought two miraculous souls like them together?
The more Aslan believed in this miraculous bond between him and the girl before him, the more he cherished her. Besides, wasn't this girl a perfect bundle of everything a man could ever dream of—white hair, a legal loli, powerful, a fairy, a dragonkin, capable of accelerated synchronization, and even mecha-compatible?
She was without doubt one of the most beloved archetypes among men.
For any man to spend his life with such a being was already the greatest fortune. It wouldn't do to be too greedy, would it?
"Ah, by the way, the weapon I forged using your first shed scale and ores from the lake is finally finished."
In the Lostbelt, the girl before him had taken on the name and form of the Round Table Knight Lancelot from Proper Human History. As a knight, she even referred to herself in formal speech and wielded a weapon forged from her own outer hide—the Fairy Sword Arondight.
That sword, when all was said and done, was merely a lance version of the holy sword once wielded by the real Lancelot. Technically, it was nothing more than a high-quality weapon made from dragon materials. But with Morgan's craftsmanship, the replica was likely not far from the original. Still, a knockoff was a knockoff. Since the Melusine of this world was his dragon, she deserved a truly unique weapon!
Moreover, that sword had only used her outer hide. This time, he had sourced magical ore nurtured from the lake's concentrated mana along with the girl's own teeth—dragon fangs.
As a fragment of Albion, Melusine's dragon fangs shared lineage with the greatest of dragonkind. While the knight's sword he had forged might not surpass the [Unbreakable Lake Light], it could certainly rival it. And unlike the lance version, this sword was truly one-of-a-kind.
A pale-blue blade, pristine white edge, golden fairy script, and a shield that could be mounted directly on the arm connected to the sword's body—this knight's weapon was crafted based on his memory of the Fairy Knight Lancelot. Upon the shield, a pair of white dragon wings stretched symmetrically, encircling the image of a coiled white dragon at the center.
Unfortunately, he didn't yet have enough materials to forge a second sword.
But there would be more opportunities in the future. This age was full of famous blades. And as the final era of the Age of Gods in Britain, there were still Divine Beasts roaming about. He could likely harvest more materials from them. More importantly, if he remembered correctly, the Spear of Longinus was currently in Britain—and unclaimed!
Still, things had to be handled one at a time. He had already promised Melusine to modify her dragon body. For that, he would need to study some magic, in order to install mana cannons onto her body.
When Melusine saw the knight's sword that Aslan handed over, her face immediately lit up with interest—especially since it shared the same origin as her own power. It allowed her to become one with the weapon when wielded.
She equipped the shield and arm guard on her arm, then swung her arm forward. The blade shot out swiftly. A flash of blue and white light streaked through the air. The massive ancient tree beside them suddenly split with a clean gash, then collapsed with a thunderous crash, sending birds flying in every direction.
That one casual swing had produced such devastation. Even the forest fairies hiding nearby—who had originally only wanted to sneak a peek at Aslan's handsome looks—were startled. Could this truly be the power of a weapon forged by a human?
Melusine joyfully caressed the sword in her hand. Since taking on her current form, the damage from a punch was far less than when she was in her true dragon body. A swipe of her claw back then could split mountains. With this weapon, the gap between her and her original body was at least partially bridged. Though she could still transform into her true form now, once she did...
She would no longer be able to return to the appearance of a fairy who "wants to become like this." She would disappear in silence, unknown to all. The Albion of the Lostbelt would continue flying through the Sea of Nothingness—never stopping, never breathing. But that, too, was proof that in every human history, "a dragon that could not return to the stars" would always meet a tragic fate.
"This weapon is called [Aurora Dragon: Right Wing]. I'm glad you like it. Truly."
Melusine gently touched the blade of the treasured sword in her hand. Aurora meant northern lights—those beautiful skies held a special meaning for the girl before him.
No matter how hideous the form, no matter how destructive the way of living, the value of what she saw that day would never change. A miracle more dazzling than any memory from the past 4.6 billion years—capricious and brilliant. She had once seen it. The most beautiful thing in the world.
Even if this body collapses, even if this heart shatters, I will never stop yearning—
The radiant aurora, the shining face of the stars, an eternal and unchanging love.
In Aslan's eyes, was she truly that beautiful? Wings she could no longer spread, and yet… This wasn't just a weapon forged for her. This was proof of love!
Just like the stuffed animals exchanged between young couples, or the rings swapped at weddings, the collars worn around necks, the cuffs locked on wrists, the ropes tied around limbs… Wait, weren't those last few a little strange? But it didn't matter. Melusine's brain had temporarily frozen, her thoughts no longer functioning properly.
Unsure of how to respond, Melusine decided to change the subject.
"That thing… How's it coming along?"
Aslan instinctively touched his chest, where a portable storage space crafted from fairy script was located. Though not very large, it was enough to store that particular item.
"While the outer form is complete, without fully understanding contract magic, I can't say it's truly finished yet."