Chapter 18: Scáthach's Aid
[After Merlin heard that you needed a suitable spear, he told you he'd inform you as soon as he had any news, and then the matter was left at that.]
Huh?
Seeing Merlin's reaction, Noah was visibly taken aback.
Inform me as soon as he has news...
Does this mean Merlin hasn't located the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad yet?
Something's off. No matter how he thought about it, it didn't seem right.
Because it was Merlin, Noah's first thought was—Merlin was lying.
After all, that old trickster was like that...
But then he recalled the incident with the curse last time, where he had wrongly accused Merlin, so he didn't jump to conclusions here. Instead, after taking a deep breath, he made an excuse for Merlin.
"Maybe he genuinely doesn't know right now, or perhaps Artoria discovered the Holy Lance on her own."
Even though Noah didn't believe his own excuse, he muttered it anyway and continued reading.
[Merlin knew of the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad.]
[Or rather, he knew the location of the 'Pillar of Light' that sustains the surface of the world, but it never occurred to him that the massive 'Pillar of Light' itself could be a weapon.]
[He had no idea how one could even obtain such a weapon.]
[So when Merlin heard your request, it didn't cross his mind at all. Instead, after some thought, he decided to seek out the fairies, with whom he had some conflicts, to see if they had any useful spears.]
Ah, this...
Noah had indeed wronged Merlin just now.
But he never expected the reason to be this.
However, if that's the case, then it's probably impossible to obtain the Holy Lance in this simulation.
Since Merlin doesn't think of it as a weapon, he naturally wouldn't take him there.
And if he only knows it as the 'Pillar of Light' sustaining the world's surface, even if Noah mentioned the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad, Merlin would likely just be confused.
Although he had only read this far, Noah sensed that in this simulation, the Holy Lance was probably out of reach. Ultimately, to defeat Vortigern, he would have to rely on the martial arts Scáthach had taught him...
Could martial arts alone defeat Vortigern?
The answer might be clear to his simulated self, but without having acquired those skills, he didn't know.
However, if Scáthach were willing to help when facing Vortigern, the chances of victory would be much higher.
[Merlin failed.]
[The fairies weren't unaware of where to find useful spears, but their relationship with Merlin had always been complicated. If Merlin already knew they had something, he could trick them into handing it over, but if he didn't know, there was nothing he could do.]
[Morgan learned of this and mocked Merlin harshly before setting out herself.]
[Morgan disappeared for several days. When she returned, she told you she had found a suitable spear, but you would need to accompany her alone to Hibernia (that is, Ireland).]
[You agreed.]
[Morgan took you to a forgotten temple in Hibernia.]
[Only after entering the temple did you realize it was the temple of the renowned god of light and the sun, Lugh Mac Ethlenn.]
So it was him...
Upon seeing the name Lugh Mac Ethlenn, Noah immediately recognized it.
This was the god of light and sun in Celtic mythology. However, Noah knew this name not because he was particularly knowledgeable about Celtic myths, but because this figure was the father of that blue spearman, Cú Chulainn. When he had previously studied the Type-Moon settings, he had looked into Cú Chulainn and thus learned this name.
But it was precisely because Noah still retained some knowledge of him that his eyes now lit up.
In this simulation, he excelled at wielding a sword in one hand and a spear in the other—a truly unique martial art. Without forging a matching spear and sword, finding a high compatibility would be quite difficult.
Yet this Lugh Mac Ethlenn happened to possess one of the sword and spear from the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann: the Retaliator, Fragarach, and the magic spear of 'piercing,' Brionac.
Even Noah, who had long known of this sun god, hadn't immediately thought of his famous spear and sword. The simulated version of himself clearly hadn't considered it either, but Morgan did!
Not only did Morgan think of it, she even found them!
At this thought, Noah's favorability toward Morgan, who would return to Camelot in a few days, rose even higher.
From these simulations, Noah had observed:
After Morgan truly inherited the power of the island and confirmed Britain's inevitable demise—though her exact stance on the matter remained unclear—she had been exceptionally diligent and devoted while serving as his aide.
In previous simulations, she was the first to lift his curse, the one who led him to Excalibur, the one who bridged connections with her sister when the Knights of the Round Table were short-handed, the one who stabilized the Twelve Kings when he lacked the ability to govern, and the one who secured the Lady of the Lake's alchemy for him upon discovering his talent in it. And now, she was the one who guided him to the temple of the sun god Lugh.
They were both aides, but she was far more capable than Merlin!
Though they weren't the Holy Lance or the Holy Sword, if he could obtain the spear and sword from the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and with Scáthach's assistance in the end, there might just be a chance to confront Vortigern head-on this time!
[You obtained the Retaliator, Fragarach, and the magic spear of 'piercing,' Brionac, from the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and returned to Camelot with Morgan.]
[Fragarach was far sharper than Excalibur, and the wounds it inflicted could not heal. When pointed at someone's throat, no one could lie. Moreover, once the sword acknowledged its master, it would fly to their hand or strike down enemies on its own, guided by the wielder's will.]
[The magic spear of 'piercing' could reach any enemy, no matter how distant, as long as the user could see them. It also shared Fragarach's trait of flying out autonomously to eliminate foes based on the user's intent.]
[After acquiring this spear and sword, you began to refine your martial arts further based on their characteristics.]
[Martial Arts Prodigy, activated.]
You quickly integrated the characteristics of this spear and sword into your martial arts, and after making comprehensive preparations using alchemy, accepted the allegiance of the Picts.
You became the King of Britain and Pictavia.
Vortigern led the Saxons in an attack.
The Saxons were no match for you, as you had prepared for all this in advance. You even established the Holy Knight Order, requiring only a few Knights of the Round Table to lead them in suppressing the Saxons. These barbarians stood no chance against your forces.
Vortigern could no longer remain passive. He transformed into a massive White Dragon and took the initiative to attack.
As the King of Britain and Pictavia, you stepped forward to engage the White Dragon in battle.
During the fight, Vortigern was taken aback, realizing that you had completely seen through his techniques. Even his spontaneous variations fell within your countermeasures, leaving him temporarily suppressed by you.
You sent Brionac and the 'Piercing' Magic Spear flying to engage the enemy while wielding Excalibur and Scáthach's unerring magic spear in combat with Vortigern. It was only then that the Knights of the Round Table finally witnessed their King fighting at full strength.
Though suppressed, Vortigern refused to accept defeat. He burrowed into the earth, assuming a colossal form akin to the incarnation of Britain, entwined with the land's leylines. The previously unhealable wound inflicted by Brionac miraculously closed at this moment.
In this state, despite your deep understanding of him, you could no longer inflict significant damage, nor could you prevent him from destroying Britain.
At that moment, a red light struck Vortigern, catching him off guard.
Scáthach had arrived.