"Wow, you finally showed up."
A woman wearing a snug maid outfit that accentuated her graceful figure, with bluish-purple hair braided into a charming wife-like style, spoke with surprise.
"I thought you'd keep hiding in your room."
Scathach said in a teasing tone.
She crossed her legs. The tight maid outfit, combined with her tall and captivating figure, already highlighted her curves, and this gesture further showcased her body to the fullest.
(Such a captivating woman.) Aslan praised inwardly.
"I did want to stay in my room, but the moment I remembered Shishou was waiting outside, I got fired up."
Aslan gazed at her, casually sitting in the main chair.
"No choice, I couldn't let Shishou wait any longer."
Aslan hadn't expected Scathach to arrive so quickly. He had only stepped out briefly to join Ouroboros and discuss Umbrella's business direction with Aishelia.
Yet when he returned, Scathach was already waiting here.
"Kurousagi, bring some tea. Don't let Shishou wait with nothing."
Aslan reminded. Kurousagi clearly hadn't recovered from Aslan calling Scathach his teacher.
Though Scathach was the Halloween Queen's maid, she was also her deputy.
If the Halloween Queen ruled the day, the night after sunset belonged to Scathach.
In a sense, Scathach's status was equal to the Halloween Queen's.
Back in Arcadia, only Canaria had been a disciple of the Halloween Queen.
Now, would No Name finally have another figure comparable to Canaria?
And calling her Shishou so familiarly, not Sensei—Kurousagi genuinely felt happy for Aslan.
"Alright."
Kurousagi hopped off to fetch a teapot and brew tea.
"Alright, Kurousagi's gone. Just say what you want to say."
Aslan leaned back lazily on the sofa, lifting his eyelids sluggishly and addressing Scathach.
He didn't think Scathach's swift arrival meant good news—more likely, it was a prank from the Halloween Queen seeking amusement.
Seeing Aslan like this, Scathach didn't mind much. She chuckled softly and said, "The Queen sent me to ask when you plan to take over as Avalon's leader."
"So soon?"
Aslan couldn't help but click his tongue. He hadn't even finished his business with Shiroyasha and No Name.
Once he went to Avalon, given Merlin's laziness, there were bound to be piles of unresolved matters.
When he got there, he'd surely be swamped.
"Whether it's soon or not depends on the Queen."
Scathach lifted her teacup, took a sip, and said. She wasn't in a rush—she was just following orders.
As for the Queen's thoughts? Who could guess them?
"That's true."
Aslan nodded in agreement, then clapped his hands.
"Leticia, call Lia in."
This was the only person Aslan brought from Type-Moon. After bringing her, he asked Leticia to help look after her.
Artoria now had some understanding of Little Garden's situation.
"Master? What's up?"
Artoria stood beside Aslan, asking in confusion, also addressing Scathach, the true Queen of the Land of Shadows.
This wasn't her first time meeting Scathach. When Scathach first arrived at No Name, she had questioned Artoria's identity as if checking a family registry.
However, out of caution, Artoria hadn't answered anything.
"Nothing much. I just wanted to ask if you're interested in taking my place as Avalon's leader and being my shadow."
Aslan glanced at Scathach. He was certain Scathach could see Artoria's origins.
Artoria came from a world where Britannia truly existed in human history.
As we know, Little Garden and human history have a reciprocal observation relationship. Little Garden observes human history to gain Spirit Status, merits, and Gifts.
Human history observes Little Garden to preview its future, guiding the direction of human history.
The history of Little Garden observed by human history forms myths within human history, also known as the history of gods.
But myths formed by human history observing Little Garden ultimately don't truly happen in human history.
Or rather, worlds with true mythological existence are only a tiny fraction of the millions of worlds observed by Little Garden.
Each time a world with true mythology is observed, it causes a profound impact on Little Garden, shaking the Spirit Status of countless gods and Buddhas.
The gods and Buddhas in Little Garden have a love-hate relationship with such worlds. They love them because mythological worlds can easily bring new possibilities to their Spirit Status.
They hate them because the impact of observing such worlds is too vast and far-reaching. After all, no one wants to suddenly have a husband, wife, or father in their Spirit Status or become a shadow of a god.
True mythology's impact on the Spirit Status of gods and Buddhas is comparable to the impact of an era's development.
It can even revive long-lost Pantheons, showing how valuable they are.
However, in Little Garden's historical records, worlds with true mythological existence are few. There are only a handful of observation records from the chaotic early period.
Now, even unobserved worlds are rare, let alone those with true mythology.
At least, the Halloween Queen had searched for so long in the field of observation but hadn't found a world with true mythology.
Now, seeing Artoria, Scathach was increasingly certain of one thing: Aslan truly possessed an unobserved world with mythological existence.
It might have been a guess before, but now it was confirmed.
This also explained where Aslan's Holy Sword came from. Was it a Gift naturally formed from a mythological world?
Even Scathach had to praise Aslan's luck.
His first observation found an apocalyptic world and the existence of a Last Trial of Mankind. He completed the salvation, surpassed the Last Trial, and earned enough merit to become Two-Digit.
His second observation found a mythological world with true mythology. Such worlds would tempt even Two-Digit entities. Once observed, they could bring new possibilities to their Spirit Status.
Especially for the Halloween Queen, whose Nordic, Canaanite, and Celtic Pantheon foundations were nearly destroyed due to Dystopia.
Only a sliver remained, almost entirely cutting off the Halloween Queen's chances of advancing further.
Even the Legend of King Arthur was created by the Halloween Queen at great cost, inviting countless poets to influence human history and attempt to rebuild the Celtic Pantheon's foundation.
As for the result… it failed, of course. Or rather, it almost succeeded.
Dystopia was both the cause of success and failure. Avalon did gather enough merit fighting Dystopia, but it was also defeated by Dystopia and immediately destroyed.
Otherwise, Avalon could have risen to become a Pantheon, serving as the new Celtic foundation.
But if there was a world with true mythology? The Halloween Queen wouldn't need to painstakingly gather Avalon's merits to elevate it to a Pantheon.
After all, as long as they were gods or Buddhas, they would be drawn to Little Garden and converge upon observation.
Those with the same name would be treated as avatars and merged with their original forms, bringing new possibilities to those forms. Gods not recorded in Little Garden or already dead would return.
This meant that as long as a Celtic Pantheon worldview existed in that world, observation would repair the Celtic Pantheon's foundation.
It wasn't impossible for the Halloween Queen to advance further.
All this depended on the fact that the world truly had mythology, unlike most worlds observed by Little Garden—ordinary, no-magic worlds with no anomalies.
According to statistics from the Heavenly Army and Thousand Eyes, the number of worlds observed by Little Garden exceeds hundreds of millions, not including parallel worlds within each.
Among so many worlds, anomalous worlds are one in a hundred million. High-magic worlds with mythology are even rarer.
Their numbers are minuscule. Almost every time such a world is observed, Little Garden gains at least one new Pantheon.
Or rather, aside from the Zoroastrian and Greek Pantheons, nearly all Pantheons came to Little Garden this way.
For example, the renowned Chinese Pantheon.
But those were issues from the dawn of time.
As for now, Scathach had no memory of any observed mythological worlds.
This seemed like an opportunity.
Scathach suddenly understood why the Halloween Queen was so eager to hand over the Principle of Creation.
The Halloween Queen wasn't losing anything.
Repairing a Pantheon's foundation, gaining the chance to advance further, and possibly even obtaining Another Cosmology—it couldn't compare to a Principle of Creation.
"The Avalon Knights in Little Garden? The Knights of the Round Table?"
Artoria hesitated for a moment, thought, then nodded.
"Master, I'm fine with it, but I'm just a substitute."
Artoria puffed out her cheeks, reminding Aslan that she didn't have abilities as strong as his.
She could only be his shadow.