Merlin was rather taken aback, and his surprise stemmed entirely from Castorice—this girl who'd appeared out of nowhere.
If Ana's arrival had been expected, then Castorice's presence was completely unforeseen.
She carried an aura unlike anyone else in this world. She didn't belong to this era, yet she wasn't a Master from Chaldea either.
But if she wasn't a Master, how had she even come to this time?
What's more, from Castorice, he could sense something deeply unsettling. His intuition warned him that coming into contact with her might lead to something terribly dangerous...
It was the scent of death itself.
She seemed human, yet not quite; divine, yet not a god.
One had to remember—this was a Singularity. Even King Gilgamesh bore the distinct imprint of his age. But this girl carried no such mark of the times. Now that was intriguing.
She wasn't a native of this Singularity, nor was she with Chaldea...
"Forgive my boldness, miss, lovely as a butterfly—might you tell me who you are? You... don't seem to be anyone I recognize."
Merlin watched Castorice, a look of keen interest on his face.
"I am Castorice, a Chrysos Heir from the holy city of Okhema. My arrival in this world was purely accidental. You may think of me as a traveler."
"A Chrysos Heir from Okhema?"
Merlin fell into thought. It sounded like something out of myth, yet in all his knowledge, no legend spoke of a holy city called Okhema... And "Chrysos Heir"—that didn't sound like any ordinary being either.
Castorice didn't intend to hide her origins. After giving a brief account, Merlin didn't press further.
The world was vast, after all. It wasn't so strange for things to occur that even a candidate for Grand Caster couldn't comprehend.
So long as he could confirm that Castorice meant no harm to the people here and was, generally speaking, one of the good guys—that was enough.
As for the rest, there was no point in overthinking it. Right now, the priority was to unite every possible ally.
The exchange among the three of them didn't last long—about ten minutes or so—before they reached an understanding. They would travel together back to Uruk and contribute to the war effort.
Prompted by Merlin, Ana no longer hid her identity and openly revealed herself as Medusa, the youngest of the Gorgon sisters.
She had been summoned to this era alongside Gorgon, one of the three goddesses in the alliance.
Her arrival felt like fate. As a divine counterpart, she was the key to defeating Gorgon—though it seemed Ana still resisted this role, refusing to speak further on the matter.
Seeing this, Merlin didn't push. At least she was willing to return with them to Uruk—that was a good start.
People's minds could change. After witnessing the brilliance of humanity in this era, perhaps Ana's perspective would shift.
The original pair had now become a trio. With their combined strength, they soon made their way out of the forest. Ahead lay one of Uruk's city-states.
Though, in these times of rampant demonic beasts, it was uncertain whether anyone still survived in these cities.
Just as they emerged from the woods, Castorice looked up and spotted Ishtar speeding across the distant sky.
"Oh, it's Ishtar. Didn't expect to see her here."
Merlin watched the scene, raising an eyebrow.
"She seems to be searching for something. I actually ran into her earlier, too."
Castorice smiled meaningfully.
Since when did gods just wander around aimlessly all day? And Ishtar's hurried manner didn't look like casual strolling—flying while scanning the ground, like someone hunting for a lost purse...
"You met her? That goddess is famously capricious. She didn't give you any trouble, did she?"
Merlin looked at Castorice, surprised.
"No, she was quite kind—just a little tsundere. After I offered a tribute, she went on her way happily."
"Oh, that was a smart move. Though willful, that goddess isn't exactly the same as the Heavenly Goddess in the myths, for various reasons. If you've earned her favor, she might just show up unexpectedly when you need help later..."
Hearing this, Merlin nodded thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
But now that he thought about it, being able to bribe that goddess meant this Miss Castorice must have quite the fortune...
"I don't have many expenses myself. After a thousand years wandering the lands of Amphoreus, I've built up some savings—though not much, really."
Castorice said with a light laugh. That, however, surprised Merlin. A thousand years old?
Even Ana glanced over at that. She'd known Castorice wasn't ordinary, but beings who lived a thousand years—aside from those from the Age of Gods—were rare in later eras.
At their pace, they could have returned to Uruk quickly. But Castorice didn't suggest it. There were still several cities along the way, and she wanted to travel overland, checking for survivors as they went. If there were any, they could escort them safely to Uruk.
Soon, the three arrived at a city. But like the one Castorice had encountered earlier, this place was already deserted. Aside from ruins and the demonic beasts still tearing at human remains, there was no trace of life.
"Looks like we're too late. This city has fallen as well."
Giant holes scarred the city walls, a bleak sight. Those walls had been a crucial defense against the demonic beasts, until someone—or something—shattered them by force. Without the walls, the beasts had swept right in, unchecked.
Once the fortifications were gone, human flesh and blood were no match for endless hordes of monsters.
"No, there are still survivors."
Castorice shook her head and walked into the city.
As she entered, the demonic beasts inside immediately noticed. Foul drool dripped from their jaws as they lunged toward her.
Yet the moment they stepped within ten meters of her, they froze in place, as if falling into a deep slumber.
"Is that some kind of hypnosis?"
Ana stared in astonishment.
"No, I don't think so. It's pure instinct. They sense death, so their instincts tell them to stay still. How fascinating..."
Merlin watched, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. Slaying these beasts was something many Servants could do, but making them cower through presence alone...
That kind of power belonged to gods of death in mythology. Your average Servant couldn't accomplish something like this...
His intuition told him that this beautiful girl named Castorice might be the key to resolving this Singularity.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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