After handing the signed soul contract back to Elena, Wayland returned to his position.
Suddenly, his body gave a subtle tremor. The lingering chill that had settled in his chest since signing the contract vanished as if it had never been there.
['Hmph!'] Irigal's voice manifested in his consciousness, her tone full of self-important indignation. ['Trying to steal my business? How shameless!']
'...Irigal, I appreciate you removing the curse, but please, pick a better way to say it. I'm not a piece of merchandise. What do you mean by "stealing business"?'
['Well, then... let's just say that Master's soul has already been reserved by me. No one else is allowed to lay a hand on it.']
'Hey, what's with you and this system?'
'A few days ago, you were threatening to hijack my body after I died. Now you won't even let go of my soul? Are you a demon or something?'
'What do you even want with my soul?'
['I can't tell you that yet--it's a girl's secret,'] Irigal muttered. ['Mmm... you'll find out once you're dead.']
'???'
'What good is knowing if I'm already dead?'
Wayland felt as though he'd boarded a ship piloted by a pirate. This system was acting like a voracious 'Carry' from a MOBA game--it wanted all the loot, all the kills, and apparently, all of him.
Elena carefully inspected the text on the soul contract. Finding no issues, she placed it into her Imaginary Space.
"Now, let's get down to business."
Elena clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention back to her. Her expression was solemn as she began to speak. "Before we discuss Morgan le Fay, let's talk about the origins of the Clock Tower. This will be far more detailed--and perhaps more absurd--than anything you've heard in your General Fundamentals classes. But you must believe that these are the true events that shaped our history.
"In 960 BC, the King of Magecraft, Solomon, passed away. The magi of the Age of Gods believed that his death signaled the end of their era. Among them, Solomon's disciples argued that even if the Age of Gods was destined to fade, it should be preserved as a body of knowledge that understood the past. Thus, they founded the original Mage's Association. Put simply, it was an organization of magi gathered to study and preserve Mystery.
"However, in 20 AD, a certain genius magus of that era used the Ether remaining in the atmosphere to alter the form of magecraft, allowing the Age of Gods to persist until 500 AD--the 5th century--when it finally reached its true conclusion.
"The ultimate event of that era was King Arthur's defeat at the Battle of Camlann.
"The remnants of King Arthur's loyalists were the ones who built the Clock Tower on this very land. Since then, we have seen the rise of the Holy Church in the Middle Ages and a struggle with the Mage's Association that has lasted for thousands of years--and remains unresolved to this day.
"Returning to the 5th century: back then, the Mage's Association wasn't known by that name. It was called the Druids. That's right--the Druids of Celtic mythology, responsible for the preservation of culture, were the true predecessors of the Clock Tower."
Elena paused, a satisfied look on her face as she took in the expressions of shock from the crew.
To be honest, when she had first been promoted to the captain of the first team and gained access to these records, her reaction had been much the same.
It felt as though a second door to the world had been thrown open.
In the bridge, Wayland felt as though the roof had been ripped off his understanding of the world.
'The founders of the Clock Tower were actually Artoria's subordinates? I wonder which one...'
'If that's the case, does Gray technically have a claim to the leadership of the Clock Tower in some sense?'
As his thoughts drifted, Elena continued. "The reason I'm sharing the Clock Tower's history is so that you can better grasp the significance of Morgan le Fay.
"First, let's look at the bardic poem Pascal mentioned. Its author was Merlin. During the reign of King Uther, Merlin was exceptionally famous in Britain as the royal court's High Magus. He wrote that poem to celebrate the sixteenth birthday of his student, the princess of the Pendragon family--Morgan le Fay. But later, due to the events surrounding Arthur's ascent, Morgan and Merlin reached a permanent breaking point.
"After the invasion of the Usurper King Vortigern, Merlin took Arthur to a small, remote town.
"In 488 AD, under Merlin's guidance, Arthur pulled the Sword from the Stone and began the journey of kingship. That same year, Morgan le Fay raised an army from the city of Dundee, then known as the territory of the Picts, in an attempt to defeat Vortigern and reclaim the throne of Britain as her own.
"The Picts are the ancient inhabitants of what we now call Scotland, and Dundee is the city closest to this island. In other words, the ruins beneath our feet are undeniably connected to Morgan le Fay.
"But we shouldn't celebrate just yet. While a ruin belonging to Morgan is of immeasurable value, she was never a benevolent figure.
"In Celtic mythology, she is the Morrigan--the goddess of war who brings death. In Arthurian legend, she is the ruthless witch, the dark side of the Lady of the Lake, the princess and queen blessed by the isle of Britain... and the one who masterminded Arthur's ultimate downfall.
"The crow is her symbol. Wherever she passes, it is a harbinger of death."
As Elena finished, the bridge fell silent. The only sound was the rhythmic breathing of the crew.
"I trust you all have a deeper understanding of what we're facing now," Hishiri Adashino said, her voice cutting through the stillness.
She scanned the room, waiting for them to regain their composure. "The crows we encountered earlier were only the beginning--a taste of what's to come. I need every one of you to be exceptionally cautious. You must be prepared for the possibility of death, but you must not let that fear cloud your judgment.
"Lord Barthomeloi is already aware of the situation here. If we encounter an anomaly beyond our ability to handle, she will descend personally. If not for Wayland's intervention, I would have notified her the moment the swarm attack began. But we must also understand that the Lord values talent and courage above all else.
"Once this expedition is over, you will all have earned an experience that will carry immense weight--whether for your family's prestige or for your own advancement within the Association."
Hishiri knew exactly how to motivate them.
As magi, their ultimate goal was simple: to reach the Root.
But aside from a rare few, most were bound by the needs of their families and their own status.
Nearly every member of the team came from a distinguished magical lineage. They had come to the Clock Tower to sharpen their skills and to forge a reputation substantial enough to return home and inherit their family's mantle.
Wayland stood on the surface of the sea, clad in his specialized diving suit.
Beside him were eleven other operatives, all senior members of the Department of Policies' first four teams.
Unlike the previous broad-scale search, their objective this time was clear: they would focus their investigation on the white coral reef Wayland had discovered.
"Code-name 112, please confirm that your lifeline is secured."
Arisa Kano's voice crackled through the comms in his helmet.
"Confirmed."
Wayland reached back and tugged on the cable attached to the metal ring of his suit. He looked at the status display on his HUD. "Lifeline is functional."
"Good. Begin your descent."
"Copy that."
Wayland tilted forward and slipped beneath the waves.
The use of the lifelines had been a direct order from Hishiri Adashino.
According to her, the cables were made from a specialized material--flexible crystal fluorite infused with a trace of "Aurora Steel."
Aurora Steel was a legendary material said to be used in the armor of the Valkyries of Norse mythology.
It was both light and incredibly durable.
As a result, the beautiful cables, which shimmered with an ethereal, aurora-like radiance, were of staggering value. Hishiri would never have authorized their use if she hadn't been certain of the connection to Morgan le Fay.
"Seabed reached."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]