I, Guinevere, am going to crush you, you curry stick, today!

A slender tentacle emerged from the flesh and plunged deep into the half-dragon boy's neck. When it was pulled out, a jet of blood gushed out, staining the flesh crimson. Right in the center of the flesh, a slit slowly opened, revealing a huge eyeball.

"Hehe, hehe—"

A strange sound, a mixture of crying and laughter, echoed, and the originally silvery-white moonlight gradually turned crimson...

……

Guinevere felt a buzzing in her head, as if she had been hit hard by a giant iron hammer. Countless images seemed to flash through her mind, but she couldn't see them clearly. They were all gone in an instant, leaving only an indescribable pain behind.

But the pain vanished without a trace in the next moment.

"you……"

Elaine's voice came from behind her, a single word, but with an extremely complex tone. She could roughly guess the reason, so she didn't turn around, but took a step forward and entered the room where only the filthy old man was.

The old man used his hands to support himself against the wall and slowly stood up.

He seemed to want to speak, but after opening his mouth several times, only gurgling sounds came from his throat, as if he were being choked and unable to make a sound. His red eyes, devoid of pupils and whites, resembling gelatinous material, were now churning, but compared to when he first looked at them, there seemed to be something more indescribable within them.

"Ho..."

Guinevere loosened the strand of hair that was wrapped around her fingertips.

Swish!

A pair of jet-black wings suddenly unfurled behind her, blocking the view of the two people outside the door. The girl looked down at her hands and feet, now transformed into dragon claws, and couldn't help but twitch her lips: "Just as I expected—"

She looked up at the old man who had stood up against the wall, and exhaled:

"You are a monster from a nightmare too."

……

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Chapter 100 Sincerity

"Squeak—" The illusory sound echoed as the iron gate slowly closed, once again isolating the old and eerie figure.

As Guinevere left the room, Elaine, holding the Ring of Solomon, waited until the massive door closed completely and the once-dim magic circle brightened again before turning around to look at the blonde girl, her eyes, hidden in the mist, filled with complex emotions.

"You...this is..."

The other person was much more direct: "Dragon horns, dragon claws, dragon wings... what exactly are you?!"

Fisher stepped forward, standing between her and Elaine, his scepter held horizontally, his expression wary, as if he might strike at any moment. Guinevere, however, merely shrugged: "Didn't I just say that I might know the truth about the curse upon His Majesty the Fisherman King? And this is the truth—"

She raised her left hand, looking at her forearm covered in black scales, her five fingers, now transformed into claws, coming together and then separating. A bitter smile appeared on her face: "Without realizing it, I'm almost getting used to this strange posture. It's just a pity that the monster girl attribute isn't popular yet, otherwise, trying to debut as an idol wouldn't be bad..."

These last few sentences were spoken to himself, in a very soft voice. Fisher couldn't help but ask, "What?"

She smiled and said, "No, nothing at all. Your Highness, I understand your wariness and vigilance at this moment, but at the same time, I hope you can also understand my sincerity."

“Sincerity?” Fisher frowned slightly.

Then Elaine spoke up for her, saying, "If this 'distinguished guest' were truly hostile, she wouldn't have revealed this half-human, half-demon form to us. Doing so would only increase our wariness of her, offering absolutely no benefit—"

“And in that brief moment between opening and closing the door, even if I wanted to do something to His Majesty the Fisherman King, or have some conspiracy or underhanded tactics, it shouldn’t escape Princess Elaine’s notice,” Guinevere continued. “Therefore, this is sincerity, not hostility.”

The mist rippled slightly: "With all these repeated compliments, aren't you overestimating me?"

"Could it be that Princess Elaine doesn't even have this much confidence? I've heard that the Fisherman King's darling is a magician whom even Merlin admires and admits he's inferior to."

"Heh... Did you hear this self-deprecating assessment from Merlin?" Elaine chuckled, but when she spoke again, it seemed to carry a hint of self-mockery: "Then you probably don't know why she admitted defeat back then, and why I hate Merlin so much."

“Elena…”

Fisher seemed to want to stop her, but stopped after only starting. Elaine looked back and said, "Thirty years ago, the person who told Father that he needed to obtain the Trident of Poseidon to defeat the monster was Merlin. And after the tragedy, the person who helped Father split the Trident of Poseidon into three pieces and used the Ring of Solomon and the Pearl of the Illusion to build this prison of the dead was also her."

"Thirty years ago..."

Recalling the female magician's appearance, she seemed to be only twenty-four or twenty-five years old, but according to Elaine, she had looked like this for over thirty years. Considering that the female magician was not purely human, but a hybrid of human and succubus, it wasn't surprising that she was actually older. What concerned Guinevere more was Merlin's role in this matter.

For some reason, she always felt that Merlin seemed to pay special attention to matters related to the Seven Nightmares—this was probably due to his half-dream demon status, which naturally led people to associate him with the monsters lurking in the "nightmares."

It's possible that Merlin's long-planned scheme regarding Terena's matter led her to this idea. However, there was no evidence beforehand, and even the Cornish incident could be attributed to a mere coincidence, since Terena's scheme would also involve Artoria, which is why Merlin intervened.

Given her world-renowned ability to predict the future and plan accordingly, while it is amazing, it is not actually that hard for people to accept.

But if Elaine's words are true—and she doesn't need to deceive herself on this matter—it means that Merlin knew of the Nightmare Monster's existence as early as thirty years ago, and even had a secret encounter with it.

What is out in the open is that a brave warrior defeated a ferocious beast that threatened the world, and from then on, he achieved fame and became a great hero admired by everyone.

But the truth behind it.

But it was a time of sacrifice, bloodshed, and a long, seemingly endless period of darkness.

Of course, perhaps it's not all Merlin's fault, and perhaps she didn't expect things to turn out this way. But as a victim who has lost her entire life because of this, who has the right to blame Elaine?

“I see, that’s why you reacted that way during the day.” Guinevere nodded in understanding. Elaine seemed to smile: “The Pearl of the Illusionary Sea is magical, but it’s not perfect. For example… my preferences and personality are influenced by the host to some extent. Please don’t take it to heart if I offended you in any way before.”

“Of course.” If it were her, she probably would have reacted even more intensely… Thinking to herself, Guinevere added, “But I need to point out that although Lily is Merlin’s student, she is an impeccable child in every way.”

"I can see it. Over the years, I've met countless people, but almost none have eyes as clear as hers. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, that child named Lily will undoubtedly have a bright and limitless future—ah, it's not good to talk behind someone's back, but praising someone behind their back also feels a bit off. Let's get back to the main topic."

Elaine paused for a moment,

“Your current half-human, half-dragon form is somehow connected to the monster that drove your father mad. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have changed until the door opened and you met that monster…” Calling her father a monster seemed to make her uncomfortable, and her misty eyes visibly rippled: “…”

"Your Highness is wise."

Guinevere originally wanted to praise her for her discerning eyes, but remembering that the other person had lost her sight, and although she didn't know what state the soul body she had formed with the help of the Pearl of the Illusion was in, she changed her words to avoid upsetting the other person's feelings.

Whether Elaine noticed this subtle change in address or not, the mist rippled and the hoarse voice continued, "So, what exactly is that thing?"

Finally getting to the point.

Guinevere thought to herself, glancing back and forth between the brother and sister. Fisher hadn't spoken since earlier, whether he couldn't find an opportunity to speak or he was simply used to handing over the reins to Elaine in such situations, he was just standing silently to the side like a guard for his sister, his slightly reddened eyes looking over.

For a fleeting moment, Guinevere, upon seeing those eyes, inexplicably thought of a black crow perched on a branch.

She shook her head, dismissing the inexplicable association, and looked up at the old man: "Have you two heard of the 'Seven Nightmare Children'?"

……

The story that she had heard from Royal was now being told to the two of them almost verbatim by Guinevere.

To Guinevere's surprise, even Elaine, a magician, had never heard of the Nightmare Monster. She had assumed that this was common knowledge among magicians, but now she couldn't help but wonder if it was actually a secret known to very few.

Looking back, Royal learned about this from Grettor.

Gretel is one of the Nine Witches of Avalon, a figure on par with Vivian, Terenas, and others.

Thinking about it this way, she felt relieved. She selectively told the two about her group's experiences in Cornwall—most of what she concealed were secrets related to Royal, King Marco, and others, as well as the existence of Artoria, who was King Arthur. As for what happened between her and Terenas, why she was cursed with dragonification, etc., she told them everything in order to gain their trust, without hiding too much.

Part of the reason was that she felt that Elaine and Fisher must have investigated something before the Fisherman King went mad for thirty years, and they might have some other insights into the dragonification curse.

Although Merlin had confidently declared that activating the Tower of Radiance would eradicate the curse, Guinevere would have believed him wholeheartedly if Artoria had said it. However, with Merlin as the speaker, she had to think twice.

Of course, Guinevere didn't believe that Merlin would deliberately plot against her now.

But she believed that if necessary, the female magician would not mind—without any psychological burden—tricking her.

Unfortunately, Elaine and her brother knew nothing about this, leaving Guinevere's little wish unfulfilled.

"...You mean, Merlin actually sent you here to borrow the Trident of Poseidon, with the aim of activating the Tower of Radiance and then using its power to eliminate the curse within you?"

After Elaine finished speaking, Guinevere nodded quietly.

"Yes."

"Is it really that simple?"

“At least, that’s all I know. Of course, even a fool would know Merlin wouldn’t be so kind—” She casually “slandered” Merlin, and sure enough, the mist rippled again, as if Elaine had been amused. After a moment, the ripples subsided, and Elaine seemed to be pondering: “Merlin must have her reasons for opening the Tower of Radiance, but what could it be…”

"King Arthur."

Guinevere was about to speak when Fisher answered first.

Elaine looked up: "King Arthur... Yes, she's been busy with King Arthur's affairs lately, and opening the Tower of Radiance must be related to that young king... But the problem now is, is it true or false that the Tower of Radiance can eliminate the curse of nightmares? If it is true..."

If this is true.

The words reached the tip of his tongue, but seemed to be blocked by a powerful force, impossible to utter, not even daring to be thought of. It was as if even the slightest thought would shake his resolve, would change something that had remained unchanged until now…

"Whether it's true or false."

Guinevere touched the cold, hard horns on her head, the unfamiliar touch making her frown. "Your King and I are in the same boat now. If this news is false, I will also be unable to escape this half-human, half-dragon form, and will soon become a monster. If the Tower of Radiance can truly remove the curse on me, then its power should also be effective against the 'monster' possessing the Fisherman King."

"To put it another way, the worst-case scenario, as Princess Elaine just mentioned, is sacrificing herself to keep everything going as it is. But compared to maintaining the status quo, there's an opportunity for change, a possibility that allows for the best of both worlds—"

Before the red moonlit window, the young girl smiled slightly: "That is my sincerity."

……

P.S.: This is a chapter worth celebrating! I wrote this part smoothly, so I'll see if I can add something even better.

If 53 people leave comments on this chapter by 9 PM tomorrow, or if the daily recommendation vote reaches 450, then there will be a double update tomorrow. If both are achieved, then there will be a third update the day after tomorrow! The shovel is yours!

Chapter 101 The Halberd of Poseidon (Part 1)

The wind blew through the empty streets, and a fallen leaf swirled and flew forward. As night fell, both the permanent residents and the travelers had long since gone to bed, and only a few taverns in the alleys were still brightly lit and bustling with noise.

Turning left from the main road of town and rounding a few bends, the road gradually narrows, and the environment becomes increasingly filthy and squalid. This is the sunless side of the town, completely unrelated to "decent people." Those gathered here are mostly mercenaries or free adventurers—desperate criminals in the eyes of ordinary people. Almost every day, new corpses are carried out of the alleys—most of them with no known names—hastily wrapped in blankets and thrown outside the town to feed the wild animals. This is a common sight in the town.

The fact that he could run a tavern and inn in such a place, and that the shop remained intact and the people in it never lost an arm or a leg in more than ten years, is enough to prove that this innkeeper named Dreem was no ordinary person.

Having strong fists, extensive connections, or both.

But few people know that this dirty, dilapidated, and frowning little tavern was actually a "spy" planted by the local lord when Plymouth was just beginning to take shape, to monitor the actions of neighboring Cornwall.

Although the shop owner, Dreem, did not have the title of knight and had never received formal combat training, he was an orphan who had been rolling around in the mud at the bottom of society since childhood. As a result, he had developed an unsightly but practical fighting style, and it was no problem for him to take on three or five adult men with his bare hands.

After the initial few clashes, he firmly established himself in the alleyway with his fists.

However, the reason why he was chosen by Fisher and Elaine and entrusted with important tasks was due to another innate talent—Dream's eyes could clearly see the patterns on the wings of a flying insect hundreds of miles away when there was no obstruction.

This may be because one of the ancestors of the Dreems was not human, but rather a being similar to a nightmare demon or a kelpie. The offspring born from the intercourse between humans and fantasy species often possess abilities far superior to ordinary people. Even if not everyone is as powerful as Merlin, if you really want to trace back to the famous strongmen of this time, you can probably find some relevant clues within five or six generations.

This is actually quite normal.

Unlike the mainland, where the mythology has long since vanished, the mythology continues on this island. Not to mention anything else, just three hundred years ago, the "Hound of Kuran" was the child of the sun god and a human.

Even as the last glimmer of the Age of Gods was about to fade away, most of the people active on the scene still had various inhuman bloodlines flowing through their veins.

Therefore, Dreem never felt that he was anything special. It was Fisher and Elaine who pulled him up from the bottom and gave him a chance to change. From then on, he was loyal to the brother and sister, guarding the town day after day for ten years, keeping an eye on the movements in the distance. And it is still the same today.

The tavern always did better business at night than during the day. Apart from the girl who claimed to be a Scottish princess and her guards, no other customers came all morning. Dreem chased away a few drunkards, took the two to Princess Elaine's room, and then took a nap in his own room. When he woke up, it was already dusk, so he started to get busy opening the tavern again.

He had some understanding of Elaine's situation and would keep an eye out for suitable host partners for her. Of course, although Dreem himself didn't mind using coercive methods, because of Elaine's insistence, it had always been a completely voluntary transaction, essentially exchanging a period of freedom for a large sum of money, or a promise that could be fulfilled at any time.

The latter is especially important.

For most desperate outlaws living hand to mouth, nothing is more valuable than a lord's promise.

Because it can often be more intuitively understood as a "get-out-of-jail-free card".

But this time, the person is a little different.

……

As night fell, the once quiet tavern gradually filled with customers, but it was still relatively peaceful overall. He placed the wine and a plate of fried fish on the customer's table, then turned to look outside, wondering what the Scottish princess's purpose was, how their conversation was going, whether it was good or bad... He thought about these things idly, knowing that even if something did happen, there was probably nothing he could do to intervene. But with his hands idle, his mind inevitably became more active.

Just then, he heard footsteps coming from the direction of the stairs. Dreem looked up and was startled.

"Your Highness...Fire Crow, is that you?"

Descending the stairs was a woman in her thirties with a full head of red hair, a scar on her face, wearing a leather armor, and carrying a giant axe almost as tall as herself. She was the one who had signed the contract with Elaine and voluntarily lent her body.

At first, Dreem thought it was Elaine who had come out. Before he could even say "Your Highness," he noticed the change in her demeanor, paused for a moment, and then asked uncertainly.

The red-haired woman, known as Fire Raven, glanced at him: "Her Highness the Princess suddenly had something to attend to, so my mission has ended early. But the agreed-upon reward must be paid in full—"

"of course."

"That's good." Hearing this, she finally smiled and walked down step by step: "The same as always."

Dreem snapped his fingers and was about to turn and walk into the kitchen when a question flashed through his mind: What kind of message did that Guinevere bring that made Princess Elaine voluntarily terminate the contract early? As far as he knew, this was something that had never happened in more than twenty years...

Suddenly, the voice of "Fire Crow" came from behind: "Wait, your princess asked me to tell you something else."

"what?"

He turned around.