The first time Heber opened the Chronicle Simulator, her situation was extremely bad.
In the background story loaded in the early stages, Merlin's achievements were only two: attempting to pull out the Stone Sword first, and bullying the Village girl Altria every now and then.
The latter was the one who later truly pulled out the Stone Sword and became King of Albion, Arthur.
When Heber learned that her name in the Lostbelt was "Merlin," she quickly recognized her position and determined the specific method for completing her achievements.
She found Altria, who was digging potatoes in the field, apologized, and then, using a strategy of feigned retreat, tricked the cowlicked Village girl into pulling out the Stone Sword.
The rest of the story unfolded as Heber had predicted.
The girl Altria pulled out the Stone Sword, swept away the chaos of Albion, then defeated the Romans who sought to invade, and finally was crowned monarch in London under the name of Arthur.
"But, Arthur does not possess 'Avalon'; the Stone Sword can grant her kingship, but not eternal health…"
Heber calmly walked through the colonnade entwined with grapevines. Sunlight dappled through the green canopy, forming scattered patches of light on the ground, and the girl's feet stepped on them, as if walking in a river of light.
A servant rushed out from the side; he was startled when he saw Heber, and the bundle he was carrying fell out, hitting the ground.
It was a package of silver cutlery.
"Lord Merlin…" He knelt on the ground in panic.
"Has the situation become this serious?" Heber gestured for him to stand, "Tell me about it."
"Thank you for your leniency!" The servant hastily picked up the bundle, "In fact, I am the last batch of servants who haven't fled! 'Serious' is no longer enough to describe London… For half a year, news has been coming from outside the city."
He swallowed anxiously.
"—The Red Dragon Duke and the Lionheart King, they might not fight each other first, but instead concentrate their forces to capture London, forcing King Arthur off that iron throne. And another piece of news says that they have waited too long, and when the armies of the two Kings invade London, atrocities that no one wants to see will occur."
What other atrocities could there be? Naturally, a massacre of the city.
"The Round Table Knights stationed in various places have long since pledged allegiance to the two Kings. And it is said that two months ago, someone saw… Morgan le Fay outside the city."
The servant's voice gradually faltered, and he cast a fearful glance at Heber.
"According to legend, Morgan le Fay, who was imprisoned for betraying King Arthur, has escaped from London Tower. And Merlin, the Magus of the Court who has always served King Arthur, is nowhere to be found. Faced with such a grim situation, King Arthur herself remains completely out of contact… Perhaps she has long since died on the throne."
Heber calmly finished the servant's sentence.
"You all think this, don't you?"
The servant stammered, unable to utter a single word.
Although he kept his head down, there was not much shame on his face; it was clear that he had long lost his reverence for the so-called King Arthur.
Heber let the servant go; he was not the only one with such thoughts, and it was meaningless to criticize him at this point.
…
"So tired…"
This fatigue did not stem from her body, but from her spirit.
Heber sat on the stone bench in the colonnade, rubbing the soles of her feet.
She had spent an entire day finally grasping the situation she faced—after a long period of siege, there were not many soldiers loyal to King Arthur left in all of London, and as for the knights and various levels of nobility, they had long since defected to the two Kings.
Ultimately, it was because King Arthur was too old and had not inspected her lands for too long, and the Round Table Knights had long since taken over most of the monarch's functions. A long time was enough to corrupt loyalty.
Arthur prided herself on defeating war and bringing peace back to this land, but war would not disappear; instead, like smoldering embers, it was deeply rooted in her relatives and bloodline.
"Perhaps Arthur had already foreseen this scene, after all, Mordred also once incited a rebellion at Morgan's instigation… But she is truly old now, the fuel maintaining her life is scarce, only enough to sustain conscious thought."
"Heh, perhaps she can't even manage conscious thought… Morgan has long since fled and become the reliance of the two Kings' armies."
Heber looked at the moon obscured by clouds in the sky, her fingers playing with a strand of hair that fell from her temple, a slight curve on her lips.
She wasn't mocking anyone, but genuinely felt relieved.
This Lostbelt is finally going to be cleared.
Words visible only to Heber appeared one by one.
"The Red Dragon Duke and the Lionheart King have reached the city walls. They are walking their own paths, just as the sun travels its celestial chariot."
[As the Magus of the Court, the wise one who assisted Arthur in achieving her great work, you can support anyone to ascend the throne. This will complete the final step of your great work.]
"Morgan le Fay. The driving force behind her revenge against Arthur will not be love, but jealousy. The source of Albion's destruction will not be jealousy, but craving. The origin of all this will not be craving, but curiosity. The cause of today's end will certainly not be curiosity; in the end, it is still love."
[As the object of Morgan's hatred and admiration, you can choose to help her complete her revenge against Arthur, leading to Albion's destruction through war. You can also achieve the culmination of your great work through this action.]
Two options, two historical trajectories. The former probably aligns more with the development of real history, while the latter is wilder. Both can lead to the Lostbelt's conclusion.
Heber snapped her fingers.
"Table."
A dark green tabletop silently floated up, and a somewhat ethereal, translucent card glowed faintly.
This was Heber's "personal information" in this Lostbelt, which she could check at any time.
[Heber Stanton / Merlin Ambrosius]
[Path: Sage (Lostbelt exclusive). A Sage is a monarch's advisor, the kingdom's tower, a scrying mirror of wisdom.]
[Principle: Lamp (Lostbelt exclusive). Represents the principle of rationality, light, and ascent.]
[Rank: Twilight (Lostbelt exclusive). The third rank on the Path of Ascension, only one step away from apotheosis.]
[Ultimate Great Work: Avalon (Unfinished)]
Heber stretched out her hand and wiped away all the floating words.
Neither of these endings was what she wanted. Since she wouldn't truly die during the Lostbelt's Strategy (clearing), why not do it more thoroughly?
In the empty courtyard, the Magus of the Court could no longer suppress her laughter.
"I choose neither of these endings." The moment the words left her lips, Heber felt her heart pounding. "I will only walk my own true path."
Thus, with Heber's will, the floating words dispersed like ripples, and new text quickly appeared.
"King Arthur's flame has dimmed, her royal authority has waned, and her great work is on the verge of collapse. But there is still a turn of events; the Magus of the Court once promised her that everything would be fine, everything would be in order—"
[You will, with your own power, defeat the two Kings and Morgan le Fay.]
[This will allow Arthur's royal authority to once again rule all of Albion, thus signaling the end of this Lostbelt.]