The world of Type-Moon starts with saving Altria!

"Oh, not necessarily. If Morgan has any plans for you, this is likely to be the result."

He knew clearly that this wasn't a mockery from Merlin - this guy always spoke like that.

But Ian still felt as if his head was being pricked by needles and could not find peace.

Since the other party has such an attitude, the man no longer pursues politeness, but directly switches back to the way he used to speak.

"so what--?"

"Having revealed this, what on earth are you trying to say, Merlin?"

"Are you just trying to show me how smart and resourceful you are?"

"Hahaha."

Merlin burst into laughter. His unkempt appearance made him look nothing like a royal magician, but more like a lazy hoodlum who did nothing all day.

"You still make me feel better by talking like this."

"Ian Pendragon, of course I wouldn't come to you for something so frivolous—in fact, you just happened to want to find me, right?"

"..."

This wasn't the first time Merlin had spoken his inner thoughts like a prophecy, and Ian wasn't panicking at all at this moment.

Instead, a more direct inquiry was made.

"Well, that's true."

"I was planning to look for you, but I didn't expect you to show up at this time—but it's not a bad thing."

"After all, if this is the case..."

There was a glint of ruthlessness in Ian's eyes.

That was the moment when he finally found a reasonable opportunity to mock Merlin.

"I wouldn't have to go to one of those shabby taverns in town to find a magician who was drunk in broad daylight."

"Merlin, what do you think?"

Ian thought that his words would cause Merlin's dissatisfaction, and thus allow him to gain a advantage in the confrontation with this man.

But what the knight didn't expect was that the flower magician didn't seem to care at all about what he said, but just kept laughing as if he had encountered something funny.

"Hahaha."

"There's nothing wrong with that - getting drunk in broad daylight means I'm trusting this country, and this country is trusting me back."

"But now is not the time to discuss this..."

Merlin snapped his fingers.

The petals flickered at his fingertips as if in response, and then slowly gathered together to form a bottle of slightly golden wine after everything settled down.

"Since you think I'm an alcoholic—"

"Then I'll conduct the rest of the conversation like a drunkard."

"Ian Pendragon." Merlin pointed to the towering walls of Camelot. "How about we go up there and discuss what we need to discuss under the rising sun?"

"..."

This is an invitation to adventure.

[Because you know Merlin is definitely aware of your murderous intentions towards him.]

[If I go to a place like that with him, something unexpected might happen.]

【but--】

Even though you know that such a risk is real, you also know that you have no choice but to go with him.

[After all, you also want to know how Altria achieved that method of making Guinevere "marry" you with absolute certainty.]

“Okay, no problem.”

You responded to Merlin in this way.

You know it's an extremely risky move—but you have to do it.

Ten minutes later.

Ian and Merlin arrived at the walls of Camelot.

As the last defensive fortification of the entire kingdom, the walls of Camelot were very well built. Not only were they wide enough to accommodate archers to defend against the enemy, but they were also high enough to ensure the safety of the people above.

Ian even dared to assert that even if Artoria failed on the front line and Vortigern went deep into Camelot, the soldiers here would be able to counterattack with the help of these excellent fortifications.

but--

Ian knew Merlin wasn't here to talk about that.

Because he was standing in a rather delicate spot.

That is……

The place where Artoria almost fell.

"Look familiar, right?" Merlin, holding a bottle of wine, looked at the Knights of the Round Table looking at him, and spoke first as if there was something else hidden in his words.

"I know you must be familiar with this place."

Knowing that even if he denied it, Merlin wouldn't be able to shut up, Ian simply did the opposite and directly admitted the matter generously.

"Well, you're right."

"I saved Altria here once—though it might have been just a small accident."

"Do you really think this was an accident?"

Merlin asked suddenly.

"Ok?"

"If this isn't an accident, what is it?" Ian became nervous. "Could it be that you arranged this?"

The knight did not finish what he was saying.

That is, if this was really something arranged by Merlin, then he would definitely take action now.

If someone could do something like this at the cost of Altria's life, then the excuse of sacrificing for Britain couldn't be used as an excuse.

Even if it costs my own life, I must kill him here!

however--

Things didn't turn out as viciously as Ian had imagined.

Or should I say...

It's not as scary as I imagined.

Merlin just shook his head and casually denied Ian's statement.

"You seem to have misunderstood what I meant. What I meant to say wasn't that I had arranged all this long ago."

"I thought I had already said that when we met before."

"I might know something, but getting involved in arranging things is not something I like to do."

"So what exactly do you want to express?" Ian couldn't help himself.

"It's a very simple truth."

Merlin pulled out the cork in his hand, and then turned the bottle upside down in front of the knight.

In an instant, the clear and mellow wine poured out of the bottle, fell on the bluestone wall, and then spread along the cracks in it, like a mighty river vein.

"Open the bottle and pour out the wine, and you'll get the picture you see now."

"In fact, everything in this world is like this—cause comes first, then effect. That's why time keeps flowing forward, seemingly ruthless and capricious."

"Even now..."

Merlin held the empty bottle and looked at Ian, who seemed puzzled by his behavior.

"You came to me for your own reasons, didn't you?"

"Hmm... Let me guess, it's because of Altria, right?"

"..."

Ian's mind was not confused by Merlin's words. He quickly pointed out the strangeness in the magician's words.

"Aren't you talking nonsense?"

"If I'm looking for you, it must be because of Altria—isn't she the biggest connection between you and me?"

"It seems that you don't quite believe what I said."

Merlin raised his hand lightly, and the empty bottle in his hand disappeared.

"So--"

"If I say there is another person named Guinevere, will you believe what I say?"

"..."

[If the name Altria can still be considered as a connection between you and Merlin according to your logic, then it can be denied.]

【Then Guinevere is solid, unshakable evidence.】

[Because from the first day she arrived in Camelot, she was hidden by Kai in the most secretive way.]

【And after that, the people Guinevere came into contact with were either Kai and you, or Altria and you.】

[The only free moment was when you generously gave her all the gold coins you had.]

"But you know that's an absolutely impossible time—because anyone who has seen Merlin will never forget this extremely careless magician."

[This also means that Merlin learned the name "Guinevere" without any warning.]

You realize that Merlin isn't kidding you—he's trying to convey a message to you in his own way.

"How did you know..." Ian couldn't help but ask the flower magician in front of him.

"You probably haven't even seen Guinevere..."

"Hahaha." Merlin laughed.

"Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean you can't know—and it doesn't matter, does it? At least not at the moment."

"..."

Ian knew that Merlin was right, and naturally there was no way to deny him.

"Okay, that's not the point of the question - let me answer more of your questions."

"As for what you want to know, the way Altria 'married' Guinevere, that is indeed what I should do. You don't need to worry about it, and you don't need to do anything."

"By the way, Artoria probably understands this too—that's why she told you not to worry."

The Flower Magician responded so cleanly and clearly that Ian had no suspicion at all.

And Artoria's "plan" seemed too simple at this moment.

That would be to ask Merlin directly - he would definitely help anyway.

"Merlin, do you support Altria in doing this?"

"Support?" Merlin smiled, as if he had heard something extremely interesting.

"I don't support everything she does, nor do I oppose everything she does."

"What I'm looking forward to and hoping to see is just what the scene will be like after this is done."

"In fact, I think it's okay for me to sacrifice something to achieve this."

【You sensed something was wrong.】

[While you were planning various things, Merlin seemed to be planning a "future" that only he could understand.]

[That seemed to be an "ending" that would make him willingly pay a certain price.]

"Merlin, what do you want to do?"

Ian's hand stopped at the Excalibur Gallatin on his waist, as if he had entered a straightforward standby state.