In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

Chapter Five: The Land of Fantasy - Avalon

Avalon, the legendary land of elves, a paradise leading to bliss.

The legend of it has been passed down through countless people over the years, but the truth remains unknown.

Some say it is the origin of all life, and the oldest fairy in the world came from there; some say it is the final resting place, where noble souls will gain eternal life; others say Avalon does not actually exist, and it is all just people's imagination.

"These statements are partly true and partly false. First, we need to clarify that Avalon does exist, but it does not exist in this world."

Strolling along the secluded, winding paths, Anan shared with the others what he knew about Avalon.

"Avalon is a fantasy world independent of the rest of the world, where there is no concept of time and space. That is to say, you may see it at any time and in any place, or you may never see it. Fortunately, however, due to some special reasons, it remains in present-day Britain."

"The creator of Avalon is Vivian, the first fairy in the world. She is an ancient being who has been active on earth since the Age of Gods, and even now, she is still the leader of the nine fairy queens who are responsible for guarding Avalon. When you meet her, remember to be respectful. Also, never mention anything about your height or age in front of her. You must remember this."

"Avalon is the kingdom of fairies and goblins. Although the fairies in the legends are mostly beautiful and kind, there are actually some fairies with rather wicked hearts. When you get there, no matter who hands you anything, don't take it unless you want to stay there forever."

"Teacher, have you ever been to Avalon?" Artoria couldn't help but ask.

Judging from Yanan's confident and eloquent manner, he seemed to regard Avalon as his own backyard.

“No, I’ve never been to Avalon,” Yanan shook his head. “Someone just told me about Avalon.”

“And…” He glanced behind him almost imperceptibly, “there are people here who know Avalon better than I do.”

Merlin looked up at the sky, as if to say, "I know nothing."

“But if even you, teacher, don’t know where Avalon is,” Kai scratched his head, looking troubled, “how are we supposed to get there?”

"Aren't we on our way to Avalon right now?"

Everyone except Merlin was startled and instinctively looked around.

The road they were walking on was originally flanked by empty fields, but at some point it had turned into lush trees with ancient, gnarled branches that stretched straight toward the sky, like towering giants.

A wisp of mist appeared from nowhere, casting a hazy hue over everything around it. Even with Artoria's keen eyesight, she couldn't see anything more than ten meters away.

Quiet, eerie, and peaceful, it was as if only a few of them remained in the entire world, and the end of the road was their final destination.

Kai and Artoria tensed up instantly, and Guinevere was so frightened that she clung to Anahn's arm.

"Huh? This place seems interesting..." Nidhogg, who hadn't spoken for days, exclaimed in surprise, "Hmm, it feels somewhat familiar..."

A brilliant light rose from Anahn's hand, dispelling the surrounding mist.

"Keep up with me, don't fall behind. If you get lost here, even I don't know where you'll be thrown—maybe even the Vortigern Palace."

Artoria and Kai immediately surrounded Anahn, keeping a distance of less than one meter, while Merlin walked slowly behind, looking completely unperturbed.

With complex, pale green runes shimmering in his dark pupils, Anan walked forward on this seemingly endless road.

Hehe~~ Haha~~ Hehe~~

A strange and ethereal laugh suddenly came from all directions. Kai and Artoria stopped in their tracks, drew their weapons, and looked around warily.

Guinevere, already on edge, trembled violently, clutching Yanan's arm like a drowning person grasping at a straw, her voice trembling with fear:

"What...what is that...?"

"Kuku~ Hiss~ Haha~"

As if pleased with Guinevere's reaction, the strange voice drew ever closer.

A chilling wind blew past her from behind, and Guinevere froze, feeling as if something was licking her neck from behind!

Anan's gaze turned cold. He drew the sword from his chest and poured his magic into it. A massive beam of magic instantly shot out and struck a branch of a large tree not far away.

"My God!"

With a scream, a small figure tumbled down from the dense bushes in a panic. Then, with a loud bang, the branch she had been on was instantly blasted into dust by the magic beam.

"That scared me to death..."

Before she could even catch her breath, a magnificent sword was pressed against her neck, terrifying her so much that she dared not move.

"This is... a fairy?"

Artoria and the others gazed curiously at the mysterious creature. Its wings were as thin as gauze, its face was exquisitely beautiful, and its ears were like those of an elf. It was undoubtedly the image of a fairy from legend.

"Hey! What kind of looks are those! I am Alice, the noble and pure fairy!" The fairy felt a surge of embarrassment and anger. She felt like a monkey trapped in a cage being watched. "And you, put down your sword right now! This is Avalon. If you piss me off, I'll make sure you never get out!"

"Oh, it's Alice." Merlin appeared out of nowhere, smiling at the fairy. "It's been a long time. I'm so happy to see you still as mischievous and adorable as ever."

"Merlin... Merlin!"

Alice, who had been so arrogant, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Like a cat seeing a tiger, her lips trembled as she stammered, "You... why are you back again...?"

"There's nothing I can do. Actually, I didn't want to come back either, but my king insisted on coming, so I had no choice." Merlin sighed. "By the way, you really scared my companions just now. Shouldn't you apologize?"

A gentle smile appeared on his handsome face: "I remember I taught you before, didn't I? A good child is one who can admit their mistakes and correct them."

"Why does it feel so unreal coming from you?" Kai glanced at him sideways.

Alice immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Guinevere:

"I'm sorry, I was wrong!"

Bounty Settlement

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Chapter Six: The Elven Kingdom - Alfheim

Although we don't know exactly what Merlin did to this fairy named Alice, judging from her reaction, it was probably a rather unpleasant memory.

Alice waved her hand, and the surrounding mist suddenly dissipated. The road that had seemed to have no end was suddenly cut off by a lake, with a small boat moored on the shore.

"Get on this boat and you will reach Avalon."

She spoke with utmost obedience, showing no trace of her previous arrogant and domineering demeanor, becoming as docile as a castrated kitten.

"Aren't you coming with us? It's so rare to see you, and I have so much to tell you." Merlin smiled innocently.

Alice was startled and shook her head frantically, forcing a stiff smile: "No...no need, I still have to go on guard duty. We can talk about it later."

After saying that, she flapped her wings as if fleeing a famine and flew swiftly into the distance, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

"Sigh, it's just a few pranks, why are you so afraid of me? I'm clearly a kind-hearted and respected sage now." Merlin shook his head regretfully.

Yanan led everyone onto the small boat, where they had to squeeze in because the space was cramped.

Guinevere and Artoria clung tightly to Anahn on either side. Despite the obstruction of their clothes, the soft touches on their arms still made Anahn somewhat distracted.

It's okay, we're family, they're just my sisters...

He took a deep breath and used the power of Yu Duchen to suppress the beautiful thoughts in his heart.

But what he didn't notice was that Guinevere and Artoria, who had both lowered their heads slightly, had their pretty faces flushed slightly.

The calm, jelly-like lake surface suddenly rippled slightly. There was no wind at all, and no one was rowing, yet the small boat moved forward on its own.

As depicted in countless myths and legends, to reach that fantastical land that does not exist in reality, one must cross this tranquil lake.

A thin mist enveloped the surroundings, and everything was the same gray-white color. Due to the lack of reference points, no one knew whether they were moving fast or slow.

"Ok?"

Bored out of his mind, Kai glanced down and the ripples on the calm lake surface suddenly formed an incredibly vivid image.

That was him, clad in golden armor, wielding a gleaming holy sword, galloping across the battlefield. With a single swing of his sword, even an ancient and powerful dragon would be beheaded. His tall figure stood proudly on the battlefield, the dragon's corpse lying behind him, majestic and awe-inspiring.

His heart pounded, and a strange excitement rose from the depths of his heart like vines.

Artoria also saw a scene.

That was her as an adult, with a cool gaze and a majestic aura. She wore a crown symbolizing royal power on her head and held a scepter in her hand. She stood on the balcony of the palace, while tens of thousands of people filled every street and alley of Camelot, calling out her name together.

An indescribable surge of emotion welled up in her heart; this was exactly the scene she had dreamed of countless times.

The two couldn't help but reach out, as if trying to pull their ideal selves out of the water.

Don't do anything foolish.

A chuckled voice echoed in their ears, startling them so much that they withdrew their hands as if electrocuted.

Merlin still wore a smiling expression: "The lake here can reflect the posture you yearn for and desire most in your heart, but if you reach out because of it, you will be left here forever by this false fantasy."

Fear surged through them, and the two siblings hurriedly nodded.

Yanan remained calm and composed, not even bothering to glance at the truth since he already knew it.

“Oh…so that’s how it is. I was wondering why it felt so familiar.” Nidhogg’s voice echoed in Anahn’s mind. “So it’s Alfheim.”

Alfheim?

Anan raised an eyebrow slightly and asked in his mind, "You mean the Elven kingdom from Norse mythology?"

The legendary Norse kingdom was built on the branches of the World Tree and consisted of three layers and nine kingdoms: Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Midgard, Jotunheim, Watt Alheim, Heim, Niflheim, and Muspelheim.

These nine realms are inhabited by different races. For example, Asgard is the home of the Aesir, and Odin's golden palace is located there. The Vanir live in Vanaheim and are in charge of the birth and reproduction of all things in the world, as well as the sea and the wind. Legend has it that they know many mysterious spells that even Odin does not know.

Besides, the closest place to the settlements of these two great gods is the legendary elven kingdom of Alfheim.

"This isn't Alfheim, it's just a replica," Nidhogg said lazily. "Even so, it captures about seven-tenths of the spirit of the elven kingdom. Hmm, it seems the guy who designed this place knows Alfheim quite well. I wonder which old friend he is."

"I'm giving you a piece of advice: don't unleash my power later, or if that guy finds out, you won't be able to leave here."

After saying that, Nidhogg fell silent again.

Yanan's lips twitched slightly.

This was his first time in Avalon. Although he knew beforehand that it was created by the original elf Vivian, he had never heard that Avalon was actually a replica of the legendary elven kingdom of Alfheim.

Therefore, this first elf was probably closely related to the Norse gods of that time.

Nidhogg gnawed at the roots of the World Tree, bringing about Ragnarok. Now, he not only possesses Nidhogg's power but also harbors a remnant of the other's soul. If the first elf were to discover this, he would likely be in deep trouble.

Although he is already very powerful and even carries three Divine Keys, this is, after all, someone else's home turf that they have cultivated for countless years. If a real fight breaks out, the difficulty will be no less than facing Scáthach, who resides in the Land of Shadows.

Even if he himself can escape unscathed, Kai, Artoria, and Guinevere won't be so lucky.

We were so careless; we never expected something like this to happen.

Anan sighed inwardly, then placed more than ten sealing runes on his body. Still feeling it wasn't enough, he added three more primordial runes. Then, with the power of Jizo's Soul, he completely eroded the aura of Nidhogg on his body.