In another part of the castle, the person Merlin had bumped into rushed back to their private guest room.
If anyone had been in the room right then, they would have witnessed a startling transformation. The handsome young knight locked the door and then removed a crystal pendant from around his neck. Following this, the knight's features began to subtly change: the rugged, masculine lines softened, the Adam's apple slowly receded, and the eyelashes and eyes gradually became more feminine. Finally, the beautiful young man transformed into a stunning blonde, blue-eyed woman!
After regaining her true form, the woman—who had been cross-dressing as a man—gently rubbed her chest where Merlin had bumped her, her expression shifting between anger and confusion.
She certainly wasn't savoring the contact; nor was she planning to follow some soapy drama script where she must now marry Merlin because he touched a sensitive area. She was considering something else entirely: whether or not to just kill Merlin!
Her identity was top-secret. If she were discovered, all of her and Nimueh's plans would be at risk of exposure.
After a long internal debate, she ultimately chose not to act on her murderous impulse. They were at a crucial moment in the plan, and any unexpected error could lead to her exposure. The risk of being linked to Merlin's death was simply too great by comparison.
Yes, Merlin had just dodged a bullet!
Having made her decision, the woman, who was named Morgause, pulled a crystal from her satchel. Following a relatively simple ritual, a picture suddenly appeared within the previously ordinary-looking crystal. The image was of the sorceress Nimueh, whom Kay and the others had recently met!
"Morgause! You finally contacted me!" Nimueh said anxiously as her image materialized.
The woman, Morgause, answered Nimueh's inquiry with utmost respect: "Forgive me for causing concern. Camelot is currently crawling with knights, making contact with Talon's men difficult, but it's done. I just connected with them moments ago."
"What is the situation?" Nimueh's attention was immediately drawn to the news that Morgause had made contact with Talon's people.
"Not good. They seem to have other ideas and have been dragging their feet on the mission progress. I can tell they aren't being completely truthful with me!" Morgause was extremely displeased with Talon and his crew's duplicity. In Morgause's view, this was a despicable betrayal.
"Based on your assessment, what is their actual progress?" Nimueh, however, seemed uninterested in Talon's potential betrayal and focused intently on the mission status.
Though she found it strange that Nimueh was unconcerned about Talon's treachery, Morgause honestly relayed her judgment.
"I found one of Talon's subordinates and controlled him with magic. He told me that Talon's group is close to reaching the tomb, but King Uther's sudden decrease in enthusiasm for the crypt has led to a reduction in manpower. The excavation progress has been affected. At the current rate, it will take at least another ten days or so to open the tomb."
"Is that so? Ten days…" Nimueh offered no comment on the timeline but fell into deep thought, considering something unseen. After about ten seconds, Nimueh spoke to Morgause: "That's fine. Now that you have the status, you must leave Camelot immediately. It is not safe there anymore."
"What? Teacher, we aren't going to deal with Talon's group? They are close to succeeding. If I leave now, the contents of the tomb could easily be claimed by Talon alone. Please trust me, I can keep them under control." Morgause clearly did not want the treasures in the tomb to fall into the hands of Talon's crew, as they were their most vital tool for revenge against King Uther and Camelot. She was unwilling to let people like Talon gain control of them.
Nimueh couldn't help but smile slightly at Morgause's emotional reaction.
"It doesn't matter to us whose hands the contents of the tomb fall into. All we need is for someone to open it," Nimueh said slowly, waiting for Morgause to finish before replying.
"Teacher…" Nimueh's words were baffling to Morgause. This was the tomb of Cornelius Sigan, the most powerful sorcerer in history. It must contain countless riches and untold magical artifacts. These items would be incredibly useful to those, like them, dedicated to overthrowing King Uther and seeking vengeance.
"Morgause, remember who you are. You are the highborn heir to the Triple Goddess. You are a noble sorceress, not one of the common folk. Do not be confused by such shallow things." Nimueh's words sounded profound and quite arrogant. But in reality, the contents of that tomb could not be dismissed simply as "shallow."
Nimueh was powerful; in terms of magical ability, she was one of the best in the contemporary world. But compared to Cornelius Sigan, Nimueh wasn't fit to tie his shoes. Cornelius Sigan once ruled the world, and even kings trembled before him. Even the magnificent, massive city of Camelot was constructed under his spells. The wealth he accumulated was more than the treasuries of all current kingdoms combined.
In the face of so much wealth, not only Morgause—a mere sorceress—but even a descending goddess would be brought to her knees.
Sensing Morgause's confusion, Nimueh then spoke to her in an eerie tone: "The truly priceless thing in that tomb has never been the burial artifacts, but rather…"
Nimueh continued in an ancient, lost language that only an orthodox successor to the Old Religion's High Priestess, like Morgause, could understand. (Nimueh is also a High Priestess of the Old Religion; Gaius mentioned this in the episode with the Water Beast.)
As Nimueh spoke, Morgause's face shifted from confusion to shock, and then from shock to ecstasy.
"Now do you understand why I am unconcerned with those riches?"
"I understand!" Morgause was now extremely invigorated, almost eager to act. Her lifelong ambition was finally within reach.
"Since you understand, then return immediately. Until the tomb is opened, we cannot risk exposure." Nimueh again demanded that Morgause retreat from Camelot.
But this time, Morgause still refused.
"No, Teacher, I believe I need to stay here."
"Why?" The moment Nimueh asked, she immediately realized what Morgause intended. "You still plan to proceed with that scheme?"
Morgause nodded firmly. This scheme had been devised even before Morgause came to Camelot, but she hadn't had the chance to execute it yet.
"I believe my plan will not only not interfere with our grand objective but could also serve as a distraction at the critical moment. Therefore, I think it's necessary for me to stay."
"Absolutely not! Kay is in Camelot right now. He will not let your plan succeed—it's too dangerous!" Nimueh was already deeply wary of Camelot, as the city held more secrets than anyone realized, and more importantly, Kay was there.
Nimueh was significantly cautious of Kay. That man had always given Nimueh a very dangerous feeling. Even though he had never shown outright hostility toward her, that feeling persisted in Nimueh's mind. She didn't believe Morgause's plan could escape Kay's notice. After all, besides Gaius and King Uther, Kay was the person most fully aware of the events from all those years ago.
Morgause's brow furrowed when she heard Kay's name. Kay was indeed a very tough opponent, a fact Morgause understood clearly. But she was unwilling to give up her plan so easily.