In the end, Alvin still gladly accepted Morgan le Fay's proposal.
Bringing the transmigrators faction and Britain's faction together in one place… while it certainly made things convenient for a potential massacre, since he was the one who'd made the suggestion, he chose to trust Morgan.
Of course, how many nobles or transmigrator leaders would actually dare to come to the royal palace… that depended entirely on their own courage.
As he walked out of the mage workshop, Alvin couldn't help but recall what Morgan had just said.
To be honest, he wasn't some pure and upright gentleman.
When Morgan had mentioned the so-called "sister combo," he had definitely been a little tempted.
Just imagine it, Morgan and Artoria, two absolute beauties, who stood at the pinnacle of any beauty list, who've always hated each other, lying on the same bed… just the thought of it was enough to stir anyone's heart.
But making them reconcile?
That was far, far too difficult. Saving the Human Order might actually be easier than that.
"I wonder how things are going on Lily's side..." Alvin's eyes grew heavy with thought, and he let out a soft sigh.
"All I can do now is take things one step at a time."
With those thoughts swirling in his mind, he strolled leisurely through the vast royal palace.
Since returning, Alvin hadn't really had the chance to relax.
Today was a rare moment of peace and leisure.
Because not everyone actually knew what the "White Dragon" looked like, even walking around without a mask, no one along the way recognized Alvin's identity.
Camelot's royal palace was vast.
It had been built back in the days of the late King Uther, and Artoria had made no renovations since then, so most of the palace still bore the marks of its original design.
The ancient buildings within the palace—Alvin had only ever seen them in CG cutscenes of games before.
So seeing the real thing now, it was only natural he'd be a bit curious.
Unknowingly, he had already passed through one garden after another, and up ahead, he could faintly see a man-made lake.
Small trees and flowers had been planted around the lake.
Just as Alvin was about to approach, he suddenly noticed a crowd gathering by the shore.
They seemed to be watching something.
And within that crowd, Alvin spotted a very familiar gray-robed figure.
Gray…?
What is she doing here?
A flicker of curiosity passed through Alvin's mind, and he walked toward the lake.
Whether it was the weather or something else, as he approached the lake, a misty gray fog began to swirl around the area.
At the center of the lake, a towering, radiant spire pierced through the clouds, standing quietly beneath the vast sky.
Though the fog made it hard to see clearly, the moment Alvin got close, he immediately sensed an incredibly familiar aura.
"...The Holy Lance?!" Alvin's voice trembled with shock.
According to Nasuverse lore, King Arthur had wielded three weapons in her lifetime:
The Sword in the Stone, the Holy Sword… and the radiant spire before him that anchored the skin of the world to the planet.
That spire had another name—The Holy Lance, Rhongomyniad.
Merlin had once described the human world and the fae world as a layer of skin draped over the planet.
The Holy Lance was the stitching.
If the lance was ever undone, the "skin"—the surface world—would peel away from the Earth itself.
Additionally, whenever Artoria wielded the Holy Lance, her body would revert to match her true age.
Put simply, with the lance in hand, Artoria became a king who possessed a human heart.
If he remembered correctly, the Holy Lance was the weapon Merlin had gifted to Artoria after she lost the Lady of the Lake's sword.
...Why was the Holy Lance here?
That thought had barely settled in Alvin's mind when he noticed something else, everyone trying to approach the Radiant Spire was being gently pushed back, as if the tower itself was rejecting them with invisible force.
"According to the timeline, the Holy Lance shouldn't even belong to Lily yet... Are they trying to obtain its recognition?" Alvin silently speculated.
But from the looks of it, the Holy Lance didn't seem interested in anyone who approached—
"Look! The Radiant Tower is reacting!"
A sudden exclamation came from the lakeside crowd.
Alvin instinctively looked up, and was stunned to see a soft, gentle light beginning to glow faintly from the Radiant Spire that pierced the heavens.
A girl was approaching it… and the Holy Lance wasn't repelling her!
...Gray!
Alvin's mind stirred.
This girl's origins had always been shrouded in mystery… Not only did she share the exact same face as Morgan and King Arthur, but even her magic circuits were tied to the Age of Gods.
Could that be why the Holy Lance hadn't rejected her?
That aside, Gray's luck really was something else… Alvin couldn't help but silently marvel.
After all, every transmigrator who had arrived in Britain this time had been seeking their so-called "opportunities."
Holy relics, potion materials from the Age of Gods, ancient magecraft passed down through divine eras… yet even if you gathered all those together, their rarity still paled in comparison to the Holy Lance.
And now, Gray had become the first person to enter the Radiant Tower.
But by all logic, the Holy Lance should have been in Merlin's possession all this time… Did Merlin just throw it here?
Was he not afraid someone might take it?
Alvin's mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts, when suddenly a new wave of gasps and cries rang out beside him.
Instinctively, Alvin looked up.
Earlier, when Gray had entered the Radiant Tower, its radiance had dimmed.
But at some point, that brilliance had surged once again, shining brighter than ever.
Alvin's gaze flickered.
He knew something was off.
Down at the base of the Radiant Tower, another girl stood, gazing silently up.
She looked around fourteen or fifteen, dressed in a pure black gothic-style gown adorned with rose-colored embroidery.
Her golden hair danced softly in the breeze, setting off a pure and elegant face.
On her feet were open-toe low-heeled sandals.
Her presence was refined, noble, and distant, with emotionless eyes that felt devoid of worldly attachments.
She too was a transmigrator, but unlike others, she gave off the air of an ancient Western princess, the kind who looked down upon everyone with a gaze of pride and disdain.
Alvin's pupils contracted slightly.
As the bearer of the White Dragon's Core, his perception was incredibly sharp, and at this very moment, he could clearly sense an incredibly sweet, almost intoxicating aura of magic radiating from the girl.
Even in late-stage Age of Gods Britain, such rich and fragrant magical energy no longer existed.
…The Root.
This girl—she had touched the Root before!
The girl gently parted her cherry lips, mouthing something inaudible.
Then, she extended a pale, delicate hand and softly placed it upon the surface of the Holy Lance.
In that instant, a pure, sacred radiance wrapped around her silently… and in the very next moment, her figure vanished into thin air.
Alvin froze for a second.
Gone…?
No, it should be said that she had found the method to step into the Radiant Tower.
"No, I can't let her get close to Gray like that… I have to find a way in,"
Alvin's mind raced, his instincts screaming at him to act. Without hesitation, he kicked off the ground, his body blurring into motion as he shot toward the radiant spire of the Clock Tower.
At the same time, a familiar power surged within him.
——[Night Watcher EX]
…
The Tower of Radiance, as a weapon stitched onto the skin of the Earth, holds an indisputable position in the world of the Fate universe.
However, most people have only ever seen Rhongomyniad in its form as the Holy Lance, while very few have witnessed its appearance as a "tower."
Even with the magical Mystic Code named Add, this was Gray's first time inside the tower.
The silver-haired girl held a cage about the size of a birdcage in her hand, her eyes filled with wonder as she looked around the strange new environment.
"Kid, I can sense it—the 'core' of the Holy Lance is at the very top of the tower. Find the stairs and head up now... I have a way to help you unlock the Holy Lance's true form!"
The urgent voice of the mysterious creature called "Add" echoed from the prison lamp in her hand.
Not long ago, shortly after Gray had returned to Britain, Add had detected the presence of the Holy Lance's descent and thus guided her to its location.
The Mystic Code in Gray's hand could, once recognized by the Round Table, release its true form—the Holy Lance.
But this mystical tool was not actually complete. If Add was the "soul" of the Holy Lance, then the Tower of Radiance was its outer shell.
As long as they could reach the top, Add was confident he could help Gray fully master the Holy Lance.
Gray nodded lightly and continued forward. Soon, she reached the base of a massive staircase winding upward within the tower.
But just as she was about to step closer, a sudden chill crept across her back.
"Who's there?!"
Gray spun around.
And then, her eyes widened in surprise.
Standing before her was a girl.
She had her hands clasped behind her back and was smiling softly, not at Gray, but at the cage in her hand.
"The soul of the Holy Lance, huh? Seems like the real key to wielding the lance... is actually you?"
She actually saw through Add's true nature at a glance... Gray's heart tightened. Facing the unseen pressure emanating from the girl in front of her, she steadied herself and asked, "Who are you?"
"Oh, have I not introduced myself yet? How rude of me..."
The blonde girl lifted the hem of her skirt and gave an elegant curtsy.
"Manaka Sajyou… But if you prefer, you may simply call me Manaka."
"And if it's alright with you, could you hand that over to me?"
"Even though I've already seen the ending, if possible, I'd still like to resolve things in a gentler way."
Omniscience and omnipotence—this was the unique authority Manaka Sajyou had possessed ever since her connection to the Root.
To put it simply, she was born with a built-in walkthrough of life, complete with spoilers. From the moment she came into existence, she had already seen how her story would end.
It might sound like a blessing, but think about it: if you knew the ending of a movie before ever watching it… what would be the point?
It was dull. So dull it could drive one mad.
That was precisely why the girl had appeared at the royal palace now.
To find Merlin… and then either kill him, or be killed by him.
Whichever outcome it was, Manaka Sajyou could accept it.
Though the the appearance of the Holy Lance and the fact she had already known she would obtain it, made things feel unbearably predictable… for a girl whose life was as pale and tasteless as white paper, this was at least a way to pass the time.
With that thought, Manaka looked toward the silver-haired girl in front of her and smiled.
"May I have the Mystic Code in your hand?"
In an instant, it was as if a sea of magical energy surged within the tower. The vast and boundless magic was overwhelming and terrifying.
It was so dreamlike, so absurdly immense, that Gray's face subtly changed.
They were both magi… so why was there such an astronomical difference in magical power?
"This is bad. Something's off about this girl's magic… Run!"
The Mystic Code in Gray's hand, Add—issued a low, urgent warning, clearly alarmed.
Even though it was just a Mystic Code, it could feel the sheer, terrifying pressure of the girl's magical power.
It was something Gray absolutely could not handle.
"So it looks like you're not planning to hand it over, are you?"
Seeing Gray take a half-step back, clearly intending to flee, Manaka Sajyou sighed softly. She didn't seem surprised.
Her omniscience had already told her, long before entering the tower, that she and this silver-haired girl would end up in combat.
Or rather—one-sided domination.
Manaka suddenly raised her eyes.
In that instant, the Radiant Tower trembled with a deep boom, and a sliver of magical pressure surged from Ayaka, slowly pressing down on Gray's body.
As she watched the girl gradually become paralyzed beneath the weight of her magic, Manaka's face bloomed with an enchanting smile.
"Let's bring this to an end."
She stepped forward, reaching toward Add in Gray's trembling hands.
Thump, thump!
However, at that very moment, Manaka Sajyou's heartbeat gave a faint, sudden jolt.
It felt as if something ancient and indescribable had just laid eyes on her as her body stiffened instinctively and she slowly turned to look behind her.
Then, the Root Princess's beautiful eyes widened as she saw the boy standing there, half-shrouded under a black hood, his face surprisingly handsome.
A pair of golden vertical pupils were calmly watching her.
Manaka Sajyou blinked and murmured in disbelief, "Besides me… a third person entered the Radiant Tower?"
"Why would you assume only you could enter the Radiant Tower… Root Princess?"
"Because…" Manaka Sajyou seemed about to say something, but forcefully swallowed her words.
Because in her supposedly perfect omniscience, there had been no prediction...none at all, that a third person would appear in the Radiant Tower.
Why…?
She stared at the boy in front of her, her face filled with shock.
Yet there was no fear or dread. Slowly, the surprise on the golden-haired girl's face began to morph into delight as her bright eyes fixated intensely on Alvin.
Omniscience and omnipotence… doesn't work on him?!
---
Avalon.
Merlin sat cross-legged on the grass, watching the Holy Lance's location through his Clairvoyance, and soon, an amused smile rose on his face.
"Sure enough, after her illusion was broken, she came straight for the royal palace."
Artoria sat silently nearby, eyes closed, her voice quiet
"A princess linked to the Root, huh?"
"Magicians' bodies may be fragile, but if we let her run loose… we may not be able to clean up the mess, Merlin."
"I know what I'm doing."
Merlin smiled cheerfully. "Whether it's Morgan or the Root Princess, they're both unbearably arrogant. Now that Morgan's in power, there's no way she'll allow such a massive threat to get near the palace, especially with Alvin there."
At the mention of Alvin, Artoria furrowed her brows slightly and slowly opened her eyes, gazing deeply at Merlin.
In the two days she had been in Avalon… it didn't take much imagination to guess what her elder sister had been doing with Alvin.
"…Lily, this is all for Britain's future. Besides, it's not like Alvin lost anything."
No, Alvin hadn't lost anything, but at this rate, she couldn't even imagine how many times that elder sister of hers would have cuckolded her.
Sensing the king's increasingly murderous glare, Merlin raised both hands in surrender and sighed helplessly, "Your Majesty, just watch quietly for now. Once everything's over, you can return to your throne."
To use Manaka Sajyou to trim Morgan's power, then to have Artoria reclaim the throne once the dust had settled… That had been the court magician's plan from the beginning.
Of course, before that, he might as well enjoy the sparks flying between the White Dragon and the Root Princess.
With that thought, Merlin's smile grew ever more pleased and expectant.
His voice was calm, yet brimming with mischief:
"Don't worry, Your Majesty… everything is going exactly as I planned."