Chapter 412:

Chapter 412:

As soon as Arthur drew out the Fragment, I caught the change in Yu-hyun’s expression.

“So, you can see it too, huh? Then, you must also know what I intend to do.”

"......."

Yu-hyun hadn’t expected Arthur to possess a Fragment.

‘I was mistaken. The three intruders in the room back then didn’t have the Fragment. No, they weren’t intruders to begin with. The true owner of the Fragment was Arthur.’

I didn’t know how he obtained it, but one thing was certain—Arthur had learned the truth of the world through the Fragment and rebelled to stop it.

“Even so, a king... can a king act so recklessly? What about those who follow you?”

“Haha. You’re right; when a king behaves this way, his people and vassals feel uneasy. But... that’s exactly why I had to do this. The more I care for them, the firmer my resolve needed to be.”

“And how do you plan to break free from that curse in the first place?”

“I’m struggling not to meet the predetermined ending.”

The ‘predetermined ending’ Arthur spoke of referred to the myth they had followed in the past.

In Camelot of Britain, civil war erupts due to traitors and betrayers, and eventually, after a fierce battle, Camelot falls.

The body of the great King Arthur is moved to Avalon, accompanied by the hope that he would one day resurrect and lead Britain once more.

That’s the story.

“Those who become Divine Spirits cannot escape the stories they carry. Logos made it that way. The position revered by everyone as that of a great being... was nothing more than chains to bind him.”

“T-that’s impossible!”

Gareth shook his head, shouting as if he could no longer bear to listen.

He couldn’t understand what the king was trying to say. What was the curse, and who was this Logos?

“I don’t know who this Logos person is, but why would the king do such a thing...!”

“...Gareth, you!”

Yu-hyun grabbed Gareth’s shoulder with his hand.

“You... did you just say Logos?”

“Yu-hyun? What are you talking about all of a sudden? The king said Logos.”

“No... what I mean is...”

Yu-hyun was astonished that Gareth had ‘perceived’ the name Logos.

The source of the Fragments, Logos, the master of the Codex, was a being whose name couldn’t be recognized by anyone, no matter how many times it was spoken. Without knowledge of the Fragments, it was impossible to know Logos.

Yet Gareth was hearing the name Logos, spoken by Arthur, clearly.

“As I thought.”

Arthur smiled, as if he’d anticipated this outcome.

Yu-hyun and Arthur’s gazes met in midair.

“This is your doing, isn’t it? What exactly are you plotting?”

“I told you. I’m only trying to cast off this curse engraved on us. That’s all.”

Arthur spread his arms wide.

“What I want is freedom.”

“Freedom?”

“Yes. Freedom. The freedom to escape the bounds of the story and choose what we desire. To no longer be tied to the past and to enjoy, as we wish, the things we can and want to do, free from our tales...”

Arthur was determined to move forward for that freedom.

Casting aside his throne, he willingly took up the role of a traitor.

Rustling. The bushes moved, and soon, black-armored knights began to appear one by one.

Yu-hyun’s group tensed at the sudden arrival of the Black Knights, who were said to have attacked Camelot.

‘They’re all strong.’

Yu-hyun instantly assessed the level of the Black Knights.

They were all as strong as second-generation Divine Spirits, and especially two of them possessed an overwhelming strength at a different level.

A power on par with that he had encountered only recently with Hercules.

“Oh?”

Just as Yu-hyun recognized them, the others seemed to gauge his level as well, as a voice of admiration came from behind the helmets covering their faces.

“I never expected to meet someone who has mastered swift transformations in a place like this.”

“Is that true?”

“It is. Look there.”

“...You’re right.”

The two Black Knights removed their helmets.

The knight who spoke in a light tone was a muscular young man with blue hair, holding a red spear.

In contrast, the other knight, who spoke in a stiffer tone, was a slender man with white hair, holding a sword, and his features were so delicate and beautiful that it was hard to tell if he was male or female.

Yu-hyun sensed that these two knights were not ordinary beings. And as if to confirm his suspicions, Kei gasped in shock, recognizing them.

“Sir Cú Chulainn and Sir Fionn mac Cumhaill?!”

Prince Cú Chulainn of Ulster and the great hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Mythical heroes, and the mightiest warriors of the Great Army of Mabinogion.

Ulster’s shining prince, Cú Chulainn, waved casually at Kei, who recognized him, while Fionn mac Cumhaill cast a cold, disdainful look at Cú Chulainn.

“Why are... why are you two here...?”

Even Kei, a high-ranking member of the Round Table, couldn’t treat them lightly as they were magnificent heroes.

When what one must do and what one desires align, the answer becomes clear.

"...Alright. Since it’s come to this, I’ll see it through to the end."

He had made his decision. There would be no more hesitation.

Seeing Gareth’s eyes gleam with determination, Arthur nodded with a satisfied expression.

"That’s the spirit, Gareth."

"My king, what would you have us do?"

"There’s no need to do anything. We’ve already completed all the preparations."

The tension in the air subsided as there would be no need to fight, allowing Yu-hyun to interact with Arthur more freely.

"Preparations?"

"Attacking Camelot."

"Is that all?"

"Of course not. Camelot was attacked and half-destroyed. I, who am its guardian, drew my sword against Camelot. My identity remains hidden, but it won’t be for long."

"So you’re hoping for attention."

"Exactly. Since an unprecedented crisis has erupted in Mabinogion, even those slow to act will be forced to move. The great stars will start to shift."

The great stars.

The beings affiliated with Mabinogion, the first-generation Divine Spirits, the key players of mythology.

Gods, fairies, knights of all kinds, mages, druids.

All eyes would now be on Camelot.

The stage was set.

"...Don’t tell me."

"Shh."

Before Yu-hyun could say anything, Arthur winked and gestured for silence. Seeing this, Yu-hyun hesitated, then shook his head and stepped back.

"So, this is your choice."

"Thanks for being considerate. Now, the stage is set. Let’s all get moving."

"Moving? To where?"

In response to Kei’s clueless question, Arthur answered cheerfully without a trace of irritation.

"Where else? To the stage we’ve set up—Camelot."

"Are you planning to fight again?"

"No. There’ll be no more fighting—at least, not among us."

"Among us...?"

"I’ve realized who the true enemy is, which is why I’ve prepared this stage—to knock that arrogant god down a peg, the one who thinks he controls everything in this world. So, you too must witness it."

"Arthur."

The lake split open in the center, and an old man appeared from within.

He looked exactly like Nimue had earlier, who had been moving with Yu-hyun’s group.

"Master...."

With a voice filled with complicated emotions, Nimue looked upon her master, Merlin.

Though she was originally a Lady of the Lake, she was also Merlin’s disciple. However, she had betrayed Merlin due to his unholy blood.

A half-dream demon. Within Merlin’s veins flowed the blood of a demon, which Nimue, as a Lady of the Lake, couldn’t forgive.

Thus, she betrayed him and sealed him away, taking on his appearance and acting as Merlin in his place.

"Nimue. Since you stand by Arthur, I suppose you’ve made your decision as well?"

"I...."

"There’s no need to feel sorry toward me. In the end, you, too, were merely a pawn in Logos’ schemes. As were we all."

Merlin’s gaze shifted to Yu-hyun.

At that moment, as Yu-hyun met those eyes that seemed to hold nothing, he felt as if he were being drawn into a profound world within them.

Merlin’s eyes weren’t empty. They were so deep that, even with countless things held within, nothing reached the surface.

"One who, with a human body, draws close to the truth of the world. While we can only resist, you may be able to...."

Though even Morgan couldn’t see Yu-hyun’s future, had Merlin caught a glimpse of something?

He seemed as if he wanted to say something to Yu-hyun but, in the end, left his sentence unfinished.

"Let’s move. Everyone, prepare."

Merlin spoke and raised his staff high into the sky. At that moment, a tremendous magical force began to pulse from his heart.

The ground trembled, and the sky quaked as an intense magic covered the entire lake.

Then, space twisted, and the surrounding scenery changed.

A silver castle, now half-ruined and devoid of its former splendor. At the peak of Camelot.

"It seems... they’ve already arrived."

Arthur looked up at the sky and muttered.

Everyone’s gaze turned upward.

Above Camelot, a massive structure cast a shadow over the castle, blocking out the sun.

The Shrine itself.

That immense mobile fortress was now hovering over Camelot.