Vortigern.
Oberon.
As these two names left Merry's mouth, everyone felt the air in the room change.
The atmosphere, which should have been joyful due to reuniting with old friends, suddenly fell silent.
"Oberon and Vortigern?"
Mordred and Gray chewed on the two names.
"The first one, forget it for now... The second one—the one in the Sixth Singularity?"
"Why did Sister Merry mention him here?"
The people in the room didn't understand why Merry said that. Because, when talking about Vortigern, he was a disaster that had been defeated in the Sixth Singularity in Proper Human History, and historically also defeated by Artoria, which should have been resolved.
Why was he brought up again here?
[This is just my guess, a conclusion reached after eliminating one wrong answer after another.]
[Gozen and Musashi probably don't know yet—beneath this island, lies a monster that will destroy this island, called the Cursed Worm. He is the same existence as the Demonic Dragon Vortigern in Proper Human History.]
[In this world, he has appeared twice to destroy Britain. The first was two thousand four hundred years ago, destroying all of Britain and twenty thousand killing machines. The second was King Mors who appeared in the Battle of Mors, a thousand years ago.]
[And under normal conditions, he should have appeared for the third time by now.]
[This is a part of the memories I read from Naoki's memories. He once came into contact with the Root and gained a lot of knowledge, some of which is related to this.]
Merry explained.
[To the west of Salisbury, the westernmost part of Britain, there is a forest called the Autumn Forest. It is where all the weak insect fairies gather. And under normal circumstances, the third manifestation of Vortigern, the man who uses the name Fairy King Oberon from Proper Human History, would be born there.]
This is what would normally happen without any interference.
[But now, this situation might have changed due to Naoki's interference. Oberon, who should have been the third manifestation, was not born. And his substitute, is—]
"Me."
Said Naoki Number Two.
"I see. That is indeed a very interesting conjecture. It's not strange to draw such conclusions from the memories you have to be analyzed and judged. Merry, you've always been very clever in this regard."
"But, you have no proof."
[True. I have no proof whatsoever to prove you are Vortigern, but to borrow the words of a famous detective—after all the impossible has been eliminated, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.]
Merry's words once again rendered Naoki Number Two speechless. But this time he didn't stay silent for long, and quickly returned to laughing: "That means, if I want to clear myself of suspicion, the best way is to say everything I'm still hiding, isn't it?"
[That depends on whether what you say is truly fact.]
"Then, I can guarantee, and swear on my soul—I am not Vortigern, nor am I Oberon. I am still me, the past manifestation of Natsukawa Naoki split from him."
Naoki Number Two said.
"There were indeed small lies in my words to you, and I also hid something, but all of that was a decision forced by the current situation. After all, we are all being watched now. If we truly want to defeat the original, there are some things he must not know."
"This, I'm sure you all understand, just as you also hid your purpose of seeking me from the original."
[In that case, at least tell us one thing. How did you slip away from under Naoki's nose? Your words just now were still a lie, weren't they?]
"Eh? Do I have to tell you?"
[Is this also something that shouldn't be said in order to defeat Naoki?]
"Hmm... Broadly speaking, yes. If you don't mind the difficulty of the battle later increasing, I don't mind telling you."
Gray and the others looked at each other, then nodded in unison.
"Just say it. Anyway, no matter how difficult it is, it no longer matters."
"Alright... Actually, it was just a small trick." Naoki Number Two explained. "I and the original can be considered the same person to a certain extent. Therefore, I can intervene with the surveillance Magecraft he possesses to a certain extent, and temporarily filter out surveillance on me. But that is limited only when the original isn't looking for me. If he deliberately looks for me, he will find me immediately."
This statement was the truth.
As someone who dealt with lies daily, and often talked nonsense, Merry could hear that at least in what he said just now, Naoki Number Two was not lying.
[Intervening with Magecraft under limited conditions, that can explain it.]
"Then, does this slightly reduce your suspicion of me?" Naoki Number Two asked with a smile. "This is all I can tell you right now. If I tell you more, the original truly won't be able to be defeated."
[I understand. For now, I will maintain a certain level of trust in you.]
"Us too."
Gray and the others said so.
At this moment, Tomoe and Musashi raised their hands.
"Excuse me... Sorry to interrupt right now, but can you explain what you've been talking about?"
"Hmm hmm hmm, Tomoe and I didn't understand anything you were talking about just now? Besides this Naoki, is there another Naoki? Are you going to fight against Naoki?"
[....]
"...."
Hearing Tomoe and Musashi's words, some people from Chaldea were slightly startled.
[Naoki Number Two, you haven't told them yet?]
"No, I haven't told them. Because lately I've been too busy training maids, plus you haven't arrived yet, telling them would be pointless. It's not like the three of us would just go back to fight, right? So I haven't told them."
[...]
Merry fell silent again for a moment, then said to Gray and Mordred.
[Gray, Mordred, please give that bastard whose brain is only filled with maids right now one punch. A very hard one, even better if he gets a concussion.]
"Eh? Why? Why am I suddenly getting punched?"
"Shut up and take the punch! You King Father Number Two bastard!"
"Big Brother Number Two, please don't move around randomly, I won't be able to aim properly later."
Under Naoki Number Two's terrified gaze, Mordred, carrying Clarent, and Gray, manifesting a large scythe, surrounded him from left and right.
Then—
*CRACK!*
*THUD!*