Chapter 65: Fairy Kingdom -2-

After the welcome greetings concluded and before moving to the magnificent banquet hall.

Queen Gloriana invited Kay and his party alone to the inner sanctum of the palace.

On an emerald terrace bathed in soft sunlight, crystal tables crafted by the artisans of the earth clan were laid out with subtly fragrant tea and delicacies of mysterious hues.

"Before the formal feast begins, I wished to speak with you. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

Gloriana poured the tea herself and offered it to them. Britomart sat with a hint of tension, her posture perfectly poised, while Caster maintained a strangely confident smile even in the presence of the Fairy Kingdom’s queen.

The Servants—Tamamo, Medusa, and Jeanne d’Arc Alter—likewise savored their tea in their own ways, their eyes fixed on the queen.

At the center of it all was Kay, sniffing the aroma of his teacup and crossing his legs with effortless ease.

"A private conversation, huh? Sounds good. I actually had a few things I was curious about on the way here. Besides Caster and Morgan le Fay, I’ve only ever met a couple of fairies, so this is my first time seeing so many different clans living together."

At Kay’s candid words, Gloriana smiled warmly.

"Britomart told me that you were curious about Lady Vivian and the Caster by your side."

The queen’s gaze turned toward Caster. In those eyes shone the insight of a ruler and a deep compassion that seemed to pierce through the veil of a distant, mystical world.

"Indeed, the two of them are fundamentally different from us in every way."

"That much?"

At Caster’s question, Gloriana nodded with a somewhat regretful expression.

"Both of them belong to the House Pendragon. The Pendragon bloodline is the most special lineage in all of Britain. Generation after generation, they are born as the rightful masters of this land."

"Masters?"

Kay rubbed his chin, thinking deeply, as if recalling something he had once heard from Scáthach.

"Yes. Of course, the name 'Pendragon' itself hasn't been used as a surname for very long. Originally, surnames didn't exist in Britain; it was more of an epithet. The predecessor of King Uther, the former king, bore the name Pendragon, and from that point, the title was established. In the distant past, from the dawn of human history, the Pendragon clan was born in Britain. They have continued to this day, though they changed their names over time."

"Is being the master of the island really that special?"

Jeanne d’Arc Alter, a woman of the Middle Ages, asked as if she couldn't quite grasp the concept. Gloriana simply smiled and answered.

"Yes. The Pendragon clan is born with an inherently extraordinary power—the very Mystery of Britain itself. Because of this, they are born as the strongest humans in Britain. That is the Mystery that symbolizes the master of the land. Why do you think Vortigern, the will of the island's destruction, emerged from the House Pendragon? It is because that bloodline is so unique."

"Then what about my sisters...?"

"…It would be inaccurate to say they are exactly the same. Crucially, the Artoria sisters did not inherit the Mystery of Britain. Originally, Britain was destined for ruin, and that Mystery should have ended with King Uther. However…"

"It didn't end,"

Caster interjected, taking a sip of her tea as if she were already well aware of the situation.

"It should have, but an exceptionally remarkable being was born: Morgan le Fay. A goddess who was born into the House Pendragon as a fairy. And, as fate would have it, her very mission was…"

"Her mission was that?"

"Mission? What's that?"

While Medusa seemed to understand, she answered Kay's question, as she was familiar with nymphs—divine spirits similar to fairies.

"A mission is the reason for living and the purpose of existence that a fairy possesses from birth. For example, if a fairy does not reproduce but has a mission to drink water, then they must drink water. If they fail to fulfill it, the fairy gradually loses their mind, becomes wicked, and eventually transforms into an evil spirit or meets their death. In the worst case, a successor cannot even be born."

"Huh… that's way too important. Wait, does that mean…?"

"Exactly, brother. The reason Morgan is so obsessed with the throne is that it is her mission: to become the master of Britain, to become King. But tragically, the world rejects it. Britain is fated to perish, and therefore Morgan must never become King—that is what Merlin told her."

At Caster’s words, Gloriana nodded sadly.

"It is truly cruel. The Counter Force—the fate of the world—cast a curse upon her. Vivian was once a pure, benevolent, and beautiful fairy of the lake. She was special because she was a Pendragon, but she was also a wonderful person who was recognized as the leader of the Rain Clan and lived in harmony with countless fairies. However, the moment King Uther designated a successor…"

"More accurately, the moment she became Merlin's disciple."

At Caster’s biting remark, Gloriana let out a sigh.

"Yes. After becoming Merlin's disciple and suffering the pain of her first heartbreak due to his mischief… her mission was denied by her father, King Uther. Every time she claimed the throne, Uther and Merlin forcibly branded her a witch. Lady Vivian's current infamy is not solely the result of her own actions, but is largely due to the public perception they manufactured."

"And then they have the 'true successor' as the opposite of the witch. The reflected benefit must have been huge. Cunning bastards."

Kay understood why they had cast Morgan as the villain. By making the eldest daughter the antagonist, they ensured that the positive spotlight was monopolized by the younger successors.

An external villain in Vortigern and an internal villain in Morgan. A calculated move to make the protagonist shine.

"Sir Kay, Vivian was not always the person she is now. But she had no choice but to change. As she failed to fulfill her mission, she broke mentally. Furthermore, for those of us with Fairy Eyes, witnessing the negative hearts of humans every day is agony itself."

"So, basically, those two are just scumbags?"

"Ahaha… Those born with the Mystery of Britain are born with a different perspective than humans. They are born as ideal beings in order to exist as kings. However, King Uther was extreme even by those standards. Perhaps because he was the final king, he was born as something as non-human as Merlin. While he may have been an excellent king, as a human, he easily committed atrocities that would horrify even the gods. Thus, while his achievements are recognized, his conduct cannot be. The fairies hate King Uther. His essence was that of a monster."

"I guess Vortigern is getting a bit of a re-evaluation here… Glad he's dead."

"Yes. It is a relief that she never had to see that father's face."

Even from the perspective of the Fairy Queen, Uther's inhumanity was far too extreme—so much so that even his own daughter, Caster, was cursing him.

"In that regard, Lady Vivian is truly pitiful. In the past, she was the most wonderful fairy in Britain. Sir Kay, there is one favor I would like to ask of you."

"?"

"In the future, Lady Vivian will eventually approach you. If that happens, could you perhaps accept her?"

"You're leaving out so much context that I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You will understand when the time comes. To put it simply, you are the hope that can change the fate of Britain."

"You're praising me a bit too much…."

"No."

Gloriana shook her head firmly.

"The influence you have exerted on the history of Britain is greater than that of any divine spirit or hero. You taught happiness and love to those who were meant to be nothing more than 'tools' for the throne under Merlin's design. If it weren't for a kind and reliable vessel like you, the history of Britain might have long ago devolved into a horrific bloodbath."

The queen's praise was sincere.

At those words, the Servants wore gratified smiles, and Caster, blushing, leaned her head gently against Kay's arm.

"Well, you're making it sound so grand… I just wanted to live peacefully, making sure my sisters and lovers didn't go hungry and had warm meals to eat."

Kay's answer was blunt and humble. Gloriana burst into laughter at his unadorned sincerity.

"Fufu. Indeed, it is that very nonchalance that has set countless gears turning in the right direction. Very well, Sir Kay. It is an infinite honor to host someone like you in our Fairy Kingdom."

Gloriana rose gracefully from her seat.

"Now, let us end our private conversation here. My subordinates are informing me that the banquet preparations are complete. It is time to fill the hungry stomach of a hero. Please, enjoy the legendary cuisines of our Fairy Kingdom, Cleopolis, which have been passed down for hundreds of years."

Kay's eyes lit up. Legendary cuisine, the delicacies of the Fairy Kingdom preserved for centuries.

As a chef, Kay's heart was pounding. Guided by the queen, he swallowed hard and stepped toward the magnificent banquet hall.

The grand banquet hall of Cleopolis was a fantasy in itself.

Under crystal chandeliers glowing with mana, an oak table stretched out so far the end was invisible, laden with dozens, hundreds of extraordinary dishes.

"Whoa… the smell alone is insane."

Kay couldn't stop marveling as he scanned the table.

Rainbow-hued roasted meat of mythical beasts, fruit jellies as transparent as emeralds, a massive grilled fish sprinkled with gold dust, and nectar that seemed to hold the soft light of the stars.

The overwhelming visual and olfactory stimulation looked like the ultimate culmination of gastronomy, something Kay had never seen in either his past or present life.

"Now, Sir Kay! Please, do not hesitate. This is a traditional dish of the Wind Clan, the Herb-Roasted Rainbow Stag!"

Britomart proudly carved a large piece of meat and placed it on Kay's plate. The exterior looked crispy and the interior moist, with rainbow-colored juices dripping from the cross-section.

"Damn… the visuals are crazy. Thanks for the food!!"

Filled with anticipation, Kay cut a large piece, popped it into his mouth, and chewed vigorously.

Crunch.

And in the next moment.

The smile of ecstasy vanished from Kay's face as if it had never existed.

"……?"

Kay felt his thought processes grind to a halt at the bizarre sensation lingering in his mouth.

He was chewing meat. The texture was definitely that of meat. But… the taste was not meat at all.

'…It's sweet. It's so sweet my tongue is melting. No, it's ONLY sweet! Where did the salt, the umami, and the spice go? It feels like I'm chewing on a lump of sugar shaped like meat?!'

Kay managed to swallow the meat and hurriedly turned his fork toward other dishes. The gold-dusted grilled fish, the emerald jelly, and a fantastical salad glistening with dew.

Crunch, gulp.

Chew… Ptooie!

"……."

Kay slowly lowered his fork onto the table.

His expression was as pale as a prisoner who had just received a death sentence, and his fists were trembling.

'How… how can this be? Can you even call this thing… can you even call this cooking?'

The truth about the Fairy Kingdom's cuisine, realized by a despairing Kay.

It was nothing more than extreme superficiality and a deluge of sugar.

The fairies' concept of taste was fundamentally different from that of humans. To them, cooking was not an act of survival to fill the stomach or obtain nutrition. Fairies were beings that could survive on mana alone.

Therefore, in the Fairy Kingdom, cooking was merely an art form that pursued visual beauty and extreme stimulation of the tongue.

The complex balance of gastronomy—the saltiness of salt, the richness of meat, the umami of a broth—was completely absent. It was no different from a giant piece of candy art shaped to look like food.

After all, it was a culture that had originated from humanity. Even the gods had seen such human culture and developed it in their own way. Everything began with humans.

"Um, brother? Why do you look like that? Is it not tasty…?"

Caster looked at Kay with worried eyes. The Servants had also tried a bite of the fairy food and were now setting down their forks with ambiguous expressions.

"Ugh, did they just soak a fish in sugar water?"

Jeanne d’Arc Alter complained openly.

"……Sir Britomart."

Kay asked, his head hanging low, his voice sounding as if it had crawled out of the depths of hell.

"Yes? Yes, Sir Kay! Is the meat to your liking?"

"……How have you been eating until now?"

"Ah, I've eaten only the food of the Fairy Kingdom since I was young. While traveling, I lived on preserved rations. When Sir Kay was cooking, I made do with preserved rations while I was reporting."

The sound of a string of reason snapping echoed in Kay's mind.

To a man who had researched cooking while eating tasteless demonic beast meat even in the Magic Realm, this banquet hall—which desecrated the natural flavor of ingredients and turned them into mere sugar lumps for the sake of appearance—was a site of absolute gastronomic sacrilege.

Clatter!!

Kay kicked back his chair and stood up. His eyes burned more fiercely than a warrior entering a battlefield.

"Sir Kay? Is something uncomfortable…?"

Queen Gloriana asked, bewildered.

"Your Majesty. And Sir Britomart. I sincerely thank you for your hospitality, but…."

Walking toward the massive kitchens of the Fairy Kingdom, he declared in a chilling, menacing voice:

"My pride simply cannot tolerate the sight of these sugar lumps being called 'cuisine.' I am seizing the kitchen for one day. I'll carve the true meaning of cooking into the tongues of these pampered fairies."

Chef Kay.

After the tyrant of Ireland, he had now declared a new holy war to purge the rotten taste ecology of the Fairy Kingdom.

As he left the hall for the kitchen, the fairies were all confused. Because Caster had placed a magical guard around Kay's mind, they couldn't use their Fairy Eyes to see his heart and had no idea what the problem was.

And there was one fairy who watched him intently.

"Hmph… so that man is the human the Queen welcomed. He looks quite strong."

The leader of the Black Dog and the King of the Fang Clan.

"He looks… tastier than I expected."

It was Bagest.

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