As the cold morning fog of Britain began to lift.
Before the colossal gates of North Wales, a white steed that looked as though it might collapse at any moment arrived precariously, followed closely by a powered suit.
“Haa… haa… I’ve finally, finally arrived…!”
Lily, her pure white armored dress now a mess of mud and dust, slid from the saddle as if slipping.
Her legs nearly gave out, leaving her to slump to the ground, but her green eyes blazed with a frantic, desperate hope more intense than ever before.
The physical exhaustion of riding for days and nights without rest—she firmly believed that a single touch of her brother’s warmth, waiting somewhere beyond those walls, would wash all that pain away.
“Phew. My Alter Reactor’s calories are nearly bottoming out. If I don’t get some of Brother’s meat dishes right now, I feel like I’ll starve to death.”
Artoria X Alter also deactivated her ethereal form, staggering as she materialized. In her arms, a homunculus infant wrapped tightly in a thick swaddle whimpered, clearly hungry.
Ignoring the bewildered stares of the gatekeepers, the two used the "face of a Pendragon"—a perfect free pass—to rush breathlessly into the castle's inner ward.
Screeeech—!!
The massive doors of the inner reception room were thrown open with a crash.
“Brother!! Lily is here! Lily has arrived!!
Tears welling in her eyes, Lily screamed at the top of her lungs as she charged into the room. However, the scene that greeted her was a far cry from the tearful sibling reunion she had imagined.
“…Huh? Lily?”
“What the—it’s not even Artoria. How did the glasses girl manage to wander in here?”
Inside the reception room, Artoria Lancer was elegantly sipping tea, while Artoria Alter sat on the sofa, munching loudly on potato chips.
In one corner was Artoria X, looking pleased after a successful encounter with Kay, and by the window leaned Artoria Lancer Alter; she looked strangely relaxed, despite the lingering disappointment of not receiving Kay’s seed today.
Regardless, Lily scanned the room frantically. But neither her sense of smell nor her intuition could detect the scent of the gentle man she so craved anywhere in the vast chamber.
“…Wh-where is Brother? Merlin clearly said he was here, in North Wales…!”
Waaaaah!!
Before Lily could find Kay, the baby in Artoria X Alter’s arms erupted into a thunderous wail. At the sound, the three sisters simultaneously furrowed their brows and focused their attention.
“Wait. Artoria X Alter, what is that little lump of flesh in your arms? You didn’t go and get some random guy’s seed while you were out, did you?”
Artoria Alter wore a look of disgust, as if wondering if she had already caused some sort of accident. Artoria X Alter pushed up her glasses and replied in her characteristic detached tone.
“Ah, this? It is a pure-blood Pendragon homunculus, created by mixing the genetics of myself, all of you, and Sister Morgan. I stole it with the intention that we would all engage in communal childcare together with Brother.”
“……What? That crazy witch finally crossed the line.”
“Brother is going to faint when he sees this.”
Artoria Lancer and Artoria Lancer Alter were horrified by the revelation.
While the sisters were appalled by the child's origins, they found themselves strangely accepting of Artoria X Alter’s miraculous logic regarding communal childcare. After all, their gentle brother would never be able to turn away a discarded infant.
Perhaps that was why they began to look upon the baby with favor. For those of them whose origins made it difficult to conceive with Kay’s seed, this child was the key to acting like a true spouse to him.
Furthermore, if Kay treated the child as his own, whoever was recognized as the "real mother" by the baby could claim the position of the primary wife. Thus, they all stared at the infant with hidden ulterior motives.
“Th-that’s not what’s important right now!!”
Lily finally snapped, screaming in frustration.
“Brother! Where is Brother Kay?! Please, take me to his room this instant!”
At Lily’s desperate plea, an unnervingly heavy silence fell over the reception room.
Artoria Lancer quietly set down her teacup, Artoria Alter stopped chewing her chips, and Artoria X pouted.
“……You’re too late, Lily. And Artoria X Alter.”
Artoria Alter licked the grease from her fingers and delivered the cruelest truth in the world.
“Brother isn’t here. To be precise… just three hours ago, as soon as dawn broke, he left for the Fairy Kingdom—Cleopolis.”
“…What? The… the Fairy Kingdom? He left…?”
Lily’s eyes went dull. Artoria X Alter also froze, her eyes widening behind her glasses.
“What do you mean? Why, why today of all days?!”
At Artoria X Alter’s question, Artoria X let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh, it’s all because of Caster. I was planning to roll around with Brother until morning, but then Caster came along and…”
Artoria X began to mimic Caster’s bright, faux-innocent voice.
‘Oh my, Brother! What are you doing here? Sir Britomart invited us to the Fairy Kingdom as a reward for saving Ireland, remember? We have to leave before morning, or the mysterious ingredients of the Fairy Kingdom will spoil! Oh, and just ignore that beast in heat over there. Now, come along—let’s depart for the paradise of the fairies!’
“…And while saying that, she grabbed Brother’s arm—who had completely lost his mind at the mention of unknown ingredients—and just whisked him away!! Tamamo, Medusa, and Jeanne d’Arc Alter followed immediately, using the excuse that they were Servants!! Even though she said only Brother was invited! Caster just tagged along under the guise of being a fairy and a guide!!”
Through Artoria X’s tearful testimony, the full sequence of events became clear.
Caster, the fairy mage who appeared the most innocent of all, had waited for the perfect moment amidst the chaotic physical brawl to strike. By targeting Kay’s greatest weakness—mysterious culinary ingredients—she had successfully kidnapped (or rather, accompanied) him to the closed space of the Fairy Kingdom. The Servants were merely a bonus.
“Ah… aaah……”
Thud.
Lily’s knees hit the floor.
Five years of hellish waiting.
The guilt of deserting her own sister, Artoria.
She had endured all this sacrifice and pain, riding for days and nights, only for her brother to depart for an unknown world by a mere three-hour difference. And he had gone cradled in the arms of the most cunning fairy of all.
“U-WAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!”
The princess knight who wielded the great sword of selection, Lily, collapsed onto the floor and began to wail like a small child. Her mental state shattered into a million pieces.
“This can’t be… my food… Brother’s cooking… the calories…”
Artoria X Alter also slumped to the floor, her expression completely blank. The baby in her arms, oblivious to the tragedy, simply giggled.
Ultimately, the five Pendragon sisters left behind in North Wales had no choice but to hold a tea time of pure rage, cursing the conniving and triumphant Caster.
Meanwhile, completely unaware of the carnage in North Wales.
On the road to the only city and nation of fairies in Britain.
“Wow…! Now that we’ve passed the mist, the air smells like honey!”
Kay’s eyes sparkled as he took in the mystical scenery of the Fairy Kingdom.
His mind was already racing with happy circuits, imagining what kind of dishes he could create using first-time fairy herbs, the meat of phantasmal beasts, and mystical fruits.
“Hehe. Brother, do you like it that much?”
Just then, Caster subtly slid closer to Kay and clung tightly to his thick arm.
Behind her radiant smile was a surging sense of victory, knowing she had perfectly shaken off the sisters left behind in North Wales.
Caster rested her head on Kay’s shoulder and cheered inwardly.
“Hey, you brat. Aren’t you sticking to Master’s arm a bit too much, like a leech? That arm is my designated seat, you know?”
“Indeed. The other arm belongs to this Tamamo, so would the little fairy please step back?”
However, the joy of victory was short-lived.
Jeanne d’Arc Alter, Tamamo, and Medusa—who followed silently like a shadow behind Kay—all shot her murderous glares.
“Oh my, I’m the one who escorted Brother here, aren’t I? Why don’t you all just quietly enjoy the view?”
Caster didn’t back down an inch, countering with a playful, squinting smile.
“Ah~ I really want to get to the Fairy Kingdom market soon. I’ll be able to see Golden Apples and Fairy Tears spices in person, right? Britomart! How much longer until we arrive?!”
Kay completely ignored the psychological warfare happening behind him and spoke to Britomart, who was leading the way.
“Yes, Sir Kay! Once we pass that crystal waterfall over there, we will reach the glorious city where our Queen resides—Cleopolis!”
Beyond the massive, shimmering waterfall, the Fairy Kingdom—a paradise of fantasy and gastronomy untouched by human feet—finally revealed its grand and mysterious silhouette.
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