The infinite sword system has been mastered, and you say this is the dragon clan?

Chapter 478 I can’t tell the difference, I really can’t tell the difference!
Koyanskaya began her merciless mockery again:

"Oh dear! What did I tell you back then? I told you to go and clear your name with Queen Morgan as soon as possible, but you refused. Now you regret it and want to go back to see her with your wanted face on the poster. But if you ask me, you can't just go and see her whenever you want anymore."

"Hehe, right now, Charlotte is the one paying homage, while your treatment is called surrendering! It's called sending yourself to your death! And you just throw yourself away!"

"Times have changed. This humble monk is... this is assessing the situation. Even if something unexpected happens, there are paper shikigami substitutes to leave a way out for this humble monk's main body, understand? The matter of the alien god's apostle cannot be called 'sending away'!"

Ashiya Dōman stammered. Even though he was usually eloquent, he couldn't find any words to refute him right now, so he had to change the subject:

"On the contrary, Charlotte arrived earlier and is clearly a more suspicious candidate than this humble monk. The higher-ups of the Fairy Kingdom are truly ill. Why did they issue an arrest warrant for this humble monk while respectfully inviting her back to the palace?"

Then, looking at Koyanskaya, Ashiya Michimitsu asked with a suspicious expression, "Could it be... that you gave me false information?"

"Heh heh, baseless slander against my business reputation, here comes the lawyer's letter warning!" Koyanskaya's face darkened.

"Very well, then this humble monk will temporarily believe your integrity. In that case, there is only one reason why Charlotte, who was originally a hermit, was able to be exempted from the treatment of a suspected criminal."

Ashiya Dōman tossed down a stack of seemingly ordinary papers, scattering them into the soil, his figure vanishing as paper scraps. The last part of his sentence disappeared into the air: '—She betrayed us.'

"Humph."

Koyanskaya closed her folding fan, her gloomy expression vanishing, replaced by composure and shrewdness. She glanced around several times, but could no longer sense Ashiya Doman's presence. Her brows furrowed, and her beautiful eyes revealed deep thought.

'Was it a deliberate act of feigning weakness, letting me mock you, to distract me and prepare an escape route to avoid my pursuit?'

"Well, it doesn't matter. As a merchant, as long as it's within my business scope, I can provide intelligence services to any client who can afford it. It's only natural to make money from both sides, right? After all, no one will refuse business that comes to them."

She took out an exquisite, reflective pendant made of mercury, its precious mithril plating smooth and streamlined, very much in the style of Charlotte's Moon Essence Liquid design.

[Be careful, your former boss might find out you switched sides. Watch out, little prodigy.]

[P.S., this message is part of the free after-sales service.]

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The meeting room of Camelot Palace.

Charlotte followed two steps behind Melyuchina into the corridor, her small, quick steps carrying her closer. Ahead lay the meeting hall, supposedly reserved only for royal officials, fairy knights, and clan chiefs. Her heart pounded with anxiety, but seeing the composed demeanor of the fairy orchid ahead, she decided to make the best of it. There was no running away; she might as well come along.

She still thought the fairy knight who brought her was the one from the fairy kingdom, little did she know that it was Meiliuqina who had taken her place.

Meiliuqina wasn't exactly talkative, and by nature, she didn't like to waste time explaining things. She also had little interest in ordinary humans, which is why she didn't reveal her identity, leaving Charlotte still suspicious.

Melyuchina brought Charlotte back to Camelot, simply adhering to her linear thinking—she wanted to play her role in the fairy kingdom well and protect Charlotte; the rest was just a matter of passing on information.

Yes, it's bodyguard work again, just with a slight variation, but overall it's quite simple.

To play the role of the fairy knight well means to follow the queen's orders and protect Charlotte, which means to vouch for Charlotte and help her gain a higher status in the kingdom. A higher status will make her security work easier.

"..." Poor Charlotte was still worried. She wondered how much of her surrender conditions were accepted by the Fairy Kingdom's higher-ups. She hadn't even had time to thoroughly study the information on the Imaginary Tree that Charlotte had given her. What if it wasn't deemed to have much value...

"By the way, Lord Lancelot, could you give us a hint? Are Her Majesty the Queen and the others... satisfied with the information I provided?"

Mei Liuqina was stunned for a few seconds before she realized that Charlotte was calling her.

As for the information, it had already been sent to Chaldea in the other world. Morgan knew nothing about it. She brought Charlotte here purely to vouch for this guy and clear his name. With the guarantee of the kingdom's strongest knight, what other conditions did she need for surrender?
"Don't mention the documents later." Too lazy to explain, Mei Liuqina simply said this.

But this sentence left Charlotte, who prided herself on her cleverness and intelligence, completely stunned—

What does "don't mention it" mean? Does it mean the Queen and the clan chief are unaware of the value of the Imaginary Tree data? Or do they have serious disagreements about how to handle the data?

Upon entering the conference hall, she found it quite busy. A scribe dressed in fairy armor was diligently writing in a small notebook, recording the content displayed on the light screen in the sky.

Morgan remained silent on the throne. Hundreds of elf officials discussed the matter in a disjointed manner, their voices echoing like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

Besides these, there were also regular attendees at the meetings: Spriggan, the chief of the Earth Clan, and Woodworth, the chief of the Fang Clan.

The fairy knight Gawain stood upright and meticulously by his side, like a statue.

The fairy knight Tristan, with her usual cheerful smile, watched with great interest as the prophetic child Caster, whom she had always disliked, struggled and fought within the light barrier. It seemed she had finally discovered a more interesting form of entertainment than torturing fairies.

It seems everyone has their own life. If Yao Lan hadn't led the way in, the other fairies wouldn't have noticed an ordinary human at all.

Charlotte's imagined scene of being subjected to a three-way trial and severe torture vanished instantly—it turned out she had taken herself too seriously. Perhaps the higher-ups didn't care about her at all, after all, the status of humans in the fairy kingdom was predictable.

As she stepped over the threshold, she turned her head and saw that the video was still playing on the screen—

"Who are you? And there are even Old Ones with shaved faces?" Yaga, carrying a hunting rifle, looked at the Chaldean group who had burst in through the blizzard with suspicion.

"We came from the outside world, didn't you know?" Mashu stepped forward. Beside her, Castor shivered in the cold wind, shaking off the snow. At the feet of the others lay several still-warm 'Demon Thrones' of magical beasts.

"What the hell? There are other human civilizations besides Russia?" Yaga gave him a look that said, 'What kind of idiots are you talking about?' Then, looking at the corpse of the giant serpentine monster, his expression changed and his face turned ashen.

"It's unbelievable! The Demon Throne is a monster that can destroy a town if we're not careful. You old species are really outrageous! You should have been extinct long ago..."

[Little Leonardo da Vinci jumped out and asked, "May I ask your name, and also some intelligence on Russia...?"]

"Huh!? Such a small old species suddenly appeared out of nowhere?"

"Because I'm a magician!"

"Magicians? You mean the group who collaborated with the Tsar to develop Yaga? Never mind, my name is Pazsi..."

'This is...the Lostbelt where Mai Shutoku lives?'

Charlotte gazed at the light screen and made her judgment. Before the Hidden Ones platform lost contact, the seven had communicated quite a bit and exchanged a lot of basic information, so she could immediately determine the general situation.

Then, she witnessed, through the light screen, Yaga, named Patsi, sharing the history of the Russian Lostbelt with the Chaldea people.

"An extreme cold spell killed the vast majority of humans? Their constitutions are incredibly fragile!"

Woodworth looked at it with disdain, "Even if the Yaga, after being modified and fused with magical beasts, gained extreme cold resistance, the price was that it needed to consume ten times the amount of calories, leading to resource scarcity and a survival-of-the-fittest mentality. What a waste of their appearance and physique, which resembled the warriors of the Fang Clan!"

"Haha, old man, are you forgetful?" Yao Cui interjected. "Who was that person who complained to Mother a few days ago about the insufficient number of human warriors in the clan? And who is that clan that loves the law of the jungle and openly attacks the weak Winged Clan?"

These two sentences are almost a direct naming of names.

"—I think the Fang Clan is not much different from the Yaga. Oh right, at least you have a big canteen in Oxford! Hehe, much more respectable than your distant relatives in the countryside, the Yaga. When are you going to invite them over and give them some financial support?"

"You brat! I think you're tired of living!" Woodworth instantly flew into a rage, but as expected, he was still stopped by Yao Gao.

Spriggan ignored the farce. Ever since the light show started, Yao Cui had been randomly provoking and teasing the people present from time to time. He just ignored it.

"Compared to these, everyone, the amount of information we just received was substantial. We urgently need to determine the authenticity of the content displayed on these screens—based on the available intelligence, the history of Yaga is completely different from the true history of humankind."

“A serious disagreement has arisen, much like the result of history taking a new path after a fork in the road hundreds of years ago, which they call Lostbelts. This approach is practically creating a new world.”

Yao Gaodu couldn't help but be astonished, "Does Lord Spriggan mean that these Lostbelts were created artificially?"

“I didn’t mean to exaggerate, but you also saw on the screen that the Russian Lostbelt has the same Imaginary Tree as the Fairy Kingdom, right?”

Spriggan pointed.

"Considering the alien god's earlier declaration that 'the Imaginary Tree is the anchor point for invading reality,' I can't help but wonder—is the history of our Fairy Kingdom, like that of Russia, a distorted human history developed after being interfered with by an alien god? And wouldn't our Fairy Kingdom also be an anomaly..."

"Nonsense! The history of the Fairy Kingdom is absolutely correct!" Woodworth immediately objected.
"How can our history be shaken by those who hide in the shadows and point fingers? I do not believe that there are any beings on this land who are beyond Her Majesty's control. As for the contents of these light screens in the Russian Lostbelt, I think their authenticity needs to be investigated."

Furthermore, to acknowledge that weak humanity is the true historical subject? What a joke!
"—No, this information is true," Charlotte said, stepping forward.

Her voice echoed in the hall, immediately surprising all the fairies.

"Huh? Fairy Knight Lancelot, the human you brought up?" What right does a human have to speak in this setting? Melyuchina tilted her head. "Yes, she's the one I brought. I heard Her Majesty the Queen needs information from the light screen, and she knows a lot about it."

Yao Cui narrowed his eyes. "Oh? This time you actually responded to Her Majesty's order so quickly? Was it arranged by that woman Aurora?"

"?" Mei Liuqina looked completely bewildered—although her expression was obscured by the mask she was wearing.

What the heck is Aurora? Why should she listen to that woman's arrangements?

This Aurora is just the patriarch of the Wind Clan, right? I heard she offended Queen Morgan before, and the queen was so angry that she forbade Aurora from setting foot in the capital of Camelot... If we side with Aurora, wouldn't that be the same as offending Morgan?
Even if it was a skill she had before she took over the account, Meliuchina had no intention of inheriting it. The past is the past, the present is the present, and besides, as the strongest fairy knight, how could she remain subservient to others for long…

“Let’s get back to the point,” Yao Gao stepped forward and said, “Human, how do you determine the authenticity of information?”

Charlotte remembered Melyuchina's instructions not to mention the information, and cautiously said, "Um... I used to be in the alien camp and know a lot—but I have now repented and turned to the light!"

"As for the authenticity of the light screen, it is of course real. The content on it basically matches the intelligence I have obtained, such as the existence of monster hunting grounds in the Russian Lostbelt for Yaga to hunt, the fact that the Russian capital Yaga Moscow has a spring-like climate all year round, and the Killing Hunters are also known as Ivan the Terrible's personal guard..."

She rattled off a long string of words at lightning speed because Koyanskaya had already messaged her saying that Ashiya Doman was in action and she needed to get it done quickly.

"Write it down! Compare it with the information on the light screen later."

After giving instructions to the clerk, Yao Gao added, "So, what's your relationship with that wanted alien apostle, Ashiya Dōman...?"

Charlotte said with a bitter face, "I betrayed the organization, and he wishes he could tear me apart alive."

Yao Gao nodded. "Don't worry, we will never tolerate such a wicked and malicious madman—"

"Report!" a fairy suddenly shouted from outside the door, "There's a strange man calling himself Ashiya Doman shouting his grievances, and the Queen's army can't stop him!"

Charlotte's heart skipped a beat. How could this happen so suddenly? You're like Cao Cao!

"?"

Yao Gao gave Charlotte a strange look, then looked back at the figure on the throne with the others, awaiting instructions.

"Your Majesty, shall we arrest—"

Morgan's lips, hidden beneath her veil, moved slightly. "Let him in first."

No one objected. With the Fairy Knight, Woodworth, and Queen Morgan present, this apostle, no matter how arrogant, was simply walking into a trap.

Then Ashiya Dōman was brought up with his hands tied, and when he caught a glimpse of Charlotte out of the corner of his eye, his eyes were filled with obvious indignation.

Yao Gao gestured to the guard to kick Ashiya Dōman, forcing him to kneel on the floor. "Arrogant apostle, do you know your crime?"

“What crime have I committed? Since I appeared in your country, my heart and actions have been as clear as a mirror, and everything I have said and done has been righteous.”

"You audacious madman!" Yao Gao felt that this person's aura was as treacherous and wicked as a snake, and his words were not very trustworthy.

But Ashiya Doman's words hit the nail on the head: "Right now, what you all care about most is the authenticity of the information from the light screen, right?"

"That's none of your concern, you wanted criminal. We already have another source of intelligence to corroborate its authenticity."

"Oh?" Ashiya Doman looked at Charlotte, a feeling of surprise welling up inside him.

This traitorous hidden one actually thought the light barrier was real? It seems our god didn't contact her separately to explain the situation in the real world?

Laughing, you don't even know what's going on outside. You betrayed us and ran away to provide intelligence, what a waste of your time?
You think you're worthy of competing with someone like me who has access to "official intelligence about the alien gods"?

With this in mind, Ashiya Dōman suddenly felt confident:
"Ah, what a coincidence! The information I provided is precisely intended to refute the authenticity of the light screen!"

"According to the revelation given to this humble monk by my god, those light screens are nothing but a theatrical trick to deceive your country! The imaginary tree on those light screens, and even the other scene layouts, are all fake props and lighting effects!"

"I assert that this is entirely a play staged and directed by Chaldea itself!"

It's fake?
The demon high priest and all the demons were stunned. You're from the same organization, yet your intelligence reports conflict?

Is one of them lying?

On one side is an ordinary human magician who is harmless and has turned away from darkness to light; on the other side is an alien apostle with a strange appearance, a mysterious aura, and a remarkable ability to cause trouble.

On one side, there's the one who surrendered voluntarily, with Yao Lan vouching for them; on the other side, there's the one who was wanted throughout the entire territory before they even showed up.

Which side should I send the letter to?
Oh dear, this is so hard to choose.jpg
Ashiya Doman sensed that the atmosphere was turning sour, and as he looked around, he noticed that the number of malicious glances directed at him was gradually increasing.

He inwardly cursed his misfortune and could only bow to Queen Morgan on her throne in an attempt to extricate himself from the predicament.

"...I imagine Her Majesty, with your country's pinnacle of magical skill, must have noticed something amiss, right? The 'inconsistency' in the light screen—"

However, Morgan's answer made Ashiya Dōman's expression freeze:
"...boring questions."

"So far, I have not found any fake elements in the light screen images. There are no signs of magic or other technical embellishment."

"Huh? This...this is impossible!"

Ashiya Doman's eyes widened, certain that the information he had received was correct. The alien god had repeatedly told him that the state of human reason burning over there was still intact, and this light screen was purely an act! But Morgan could not and had no need to deceive him!

What the hell went wrong?

"Pfft, hahaha!" Yao Cui watched the show from the sidelines. The interesting development of the situation and the monk's ugly behavior made her very happy. She couldn't help but laugh when she thought about it carefully.

This laugh also sparked cheers and laughter among the many demon officials.

The fairies' mockery gradually intensified, surrounding Ashiya Michiman completely. The disbelief on his face slowly faded, replaced by a resolute expression.
"Your Majesty, I have risked my life to come before you, and I have no intention of joking whatsoever! If you do not believe me, then let me see for myself. If you are worried that I will run away, you may send someone with me! One look will be enough to see that it is all a smokescreen by Chaldea!"

"boring!"

Morgan disliked Ashiya Dōman quite a bit. The images projected by the light screen were part of her investigative techniques. Questioning the light screen was tantamount to questioning her.

"Hehe, Mother, I think this is quite amusing. If he's not convinced, let him see!" Yao Cui sneered. "If he really is deceiving us, we'll slice him into thin slices of meat, piece by piece!"

"Fine, let you finish this farce. —'Mirror'!"

Morgan raised her wand. She could mark Castor and send it over, so she could do the same to a second one. But Ashiya Doman wasn't treated so well.

A thunderous roar shook the hall.

A stream of light, as blue as a mirror, crashed down, instantly engulfing the alien god's apostle.

……

The moment the blue light struck Ashiya Doman, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He felt as if his spirit base, which had been strengthened by the alien god, had been forcibly weakened... Was this a severance at the soul level?
No wonder she wasn't afraid to run away; that Morgan Queen's magic was simply beyond imagination...

His shikigami spirit base was originally intended to be destroyed afterward, but it was cut in half. I wonder if it can still die?

The cold wind howled against his face, and his weak body shivered before he came to his senses and brushed the snow off his body.

A towering, withered tree stands before me.

Is this the Imaginary Tree...?
He was so shocked that he immediately reached out and touched it.

My perception is correct; it is a completely real imaginary tree! Not an imaginary tree from a Lostbelt that has not yet arrived!
So what's being shown on the screen isn't fake?
Ashiya Dōman was truly dumbfounded this time.

The alien god clearly told himself it was fake, but there was clearly a real Imaginary Tree here!

But if this is a real imaginary tree, then it means that the alien god has already taken action in reality, so the alien god on his side is fake.

He can't tell them apart! He really can't tell them apart!
(End of this chapter)