In the end, Naoki and Aesc naturally did not throw Melusine back into the swamp. Because, if they did that, Melusine might immediately rampage due to her loneliness level peaking.
After all, she is just a child now. It's normal for her to speak recklessly. Naoki and Aesc, as two adults, were quite tolerant towards a child.
Even though this child is actually 4.6 billion years old.
After that, the three of them bid farewell to the fairies of the Mirror Clan and prepared to set off for the final destination of this journey—the Wing Clan.
Compared to the distance from Londinium to Albion the Dragon, which nearly traversed the entirety of Britain, the distance from the Lake District to Edinburgh, the Wing Clan's base, was much shorter.
In just a few brief minutes, Naoki and his two companions had arrived at the gates of Edinburgh.
"This is Edinburgh?"
Naoki stared at the large castle across the bridge—it looked more magnificent than in Pan-Human History.
However, time-wise, it was currently around year 400 of the Fairy Calendar, whereas under normal conditions, Edinburgh should only appear around year 400 of the future Queen's Calendar.
"Why did it appear over eight hundred years earlier?"
"I think it's because of the words I spoke at the end of the Summer War." Aesc said after thinking for a moment.
The Summer War—According to the prophecy given by the human shaman Cernunnos before being killed by the six fairies, it was foretold that the fairies would experience four wars: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
The Spring War occurred in year 6000 of the Fairy Calendar, when the southern fairies and northern fairies fought due to the expansion of the British continent.
Meanwhile, the Summer War occurred in year 2000 of the Fairy Calendar, sixteen hundred years ago. That war was triggered by Queen Mab, born from the prayers of the northern fairies who died in the Spring War. Mab, carrying the protection of Albion the Dragon, led her Wing Clan and nearly defeated all five great clans at the time.
However, in the end, due to Aesc's intervention and mediation, Queen Mab retreated—the apparent reason was that Queen Mab's human husband betrayed her at the end, causing Mab to be defeated by Aesc who exploited her weakness.
In reality....
"At that time, I defeated Mab with military force, and also happened to thoroughly mock Mab using the Pan-Human History knowledge Morgan brought for me."
"Mocked?"
"Mab had a human husband. At that time, I used this fact... Essentially, I belittled their relationship as worthless, stirred discord between them, and used verbal attacks to make Mab lose her will to fight."
"...."
"At that time, I saw Mab and her husband living in a simple house, so I mocked them that even though they were married, they didn't even have a proper house, and hadn't even exchanged wedding rings... This Edinburgh should be the marital home Mab built after that."
Look, so that makes sense.
"Eh? Wait, according to what Aesc said, Mab's husband... didn't die?"
"He didn't die at that time. But sixteen hundred years have passed since then. A human couldn't possibly live that long; he must have passed away."
(That means, at the end of the Summer War, Mab didn't experience the situation I knew. Instead, after retreating, she lived with her husband in the newly built Edinburgh until he died of natural causes?)
Compared to the impact of despair from seeing her husband die on the battlefield, this current outcome is much better. This is also one of the influences brought by Aesc after receiving Morgan's memories.
After all, the Morgan who performed this Rayshift was Morgan who lived in the modern era for twenty years, not an ordinary Servant.
"Married? Husband?"
Beside Naoki, Melusine, who was holding his hand, became curious after hearing their conversation. She tugged at Naoki's hand: "Naoki, what is married? What is husband?"
"Uh... that is... You know the concepts of lover and like, but don't know married and husband?"
"Yes, don't know."
"...."
That's true. Thinking about it, Melusine in her extreme condition could be considered a wild animal, and in the concept of wild animals, there shouldn't be the concept of marriage.
Mates are already the limit.
"Hmm... Marriage is a kind of ceremony. A ceremony where two people who love each other promise under the blessing of many people that they will always love each other and always be together. Meanwhile, husband is an upgraded version of lover. After the wedding ceremony, the lover becomes the husband. But this is only used to refer to the man; for the woman, it's called wife."
Naoki explained in the simplest way possible.
Hearing Naoki say that, Melusine's eyes immediately lit up!
"Married, husband... Such beautiful words. Can I also marry Naoki? Can Naoki become my husband, and I become Naoki's wife?"
"Uh, that—Aesc, can you stop looking at me with that gaze like I'm trash? I really haven't intended to do anything!"
"You misunderstood. I wasn't looking at you with that kind of gaze." Aesc turned her face away, "Besides, the Fairy Nation doesn't have any laws. You're free to marry anyone you want. Even if you marry a little girl who is actually 4.6 billion years old but physically only forty minutes old, it doesn't break any laws."
Naoki felt that the one breaking the law should be that little girl.
If she's 4.6 billion years old, marrying anyone would definitely break the law, right?
(Speaking of marriage... If it weren't for the things Shiki said to me at the end, and being brought to the Lostbelt, I should be married by now, right?)
Originally, Naoki planned to marry everyone after the Human Order Incineration ended. Under normal circumstances, he should have married everyone by now and started a very long honeymoon.
Doing the math, even just one month per person would already be over a year.
"Naoki? You don't want to marry me?"
Seeing Naoki fall silent, Melusine became a little anxious.
Naoki crouched down and patted her head: "It's not that. It's just that getting married now is too soon. Let's discuss it again after your body grows bigger."
"Grow bigger? How big?"
"Hmm... As big as Aesc—Why are you hitting me again, Aesc?"
Pulling back her fist, Aesc turned away annoyed: "I want to ask why you're using me as an example."
"Because you're the only one I can use as an example right now. And actually, your body type like that is my ideal type—Why are you hitting me again?"
"It's nothing."
After glancing at Naoki for a moment, Aesc walked ahead onto the bridge: "Let's go. Meet Mab. I have some matters I need to discuss with her."