The finest guest room in Landcouc Castle, allotted to Kay and his party.
As the night deepened, the room swelled with dense mana and the sound of hot, labored breaths.
"Haa… ♡ Brother, I didn’t realize eel soup would be this potent… ugh!"
On the bed, Artoria X clung to Kay’s broad back, panting heavily. The usual carefree air of the bounty hunter was nowhere to be seen; her blue eyes were completely unfocused, drunk on heat.
"I told you I hate it when things are too light. Brace yourself—I’m going to punish you with something dense and heavy."
Kay gripped Artoria X’s firm, sweat-beaded buttocks, offering a teasing jab.
Though Artoria X appeared small and light at first glance, her lower body—honed by constant training and battle—was ample enough to completely fill Kay’s large hand.
"O-oh, Brother… ♡! You’re so obsessed with my backside, aaah!"
With every movement of Kay’s hips, Artoria X’s words trailed off into sweet moans.
Beside her, Artoria X Alter had thrown off her glasses. Blushing deeply, she bit Kay’s shoulder, urging him on.
"That’s unfair, X. Brother, the weight I've accumulated in my own hips from all those sweets… it means nothing unless you love me too♡"
"You two are a real handful. Fine, if that’s what you want, I’ll keep this up all night."
Kay’s strong hand now wrapped around Artoria X Alter’s soft, voluptuous curves.
While the two sisters weren't particularly large-chested, the lines of their hips and buttocks possessed an overwhelming allure that surpassed any fairy or noble lady.
"Haa… Brother. I want to bear your child. A child truly mixed with your blood…!"
Artoria X whispered, her eyes glistening with tears as she pleaded.
"That’s right. I too… want you to father a child who looks just like you, Brother♡"
Artoria X Alter also cast aside her usual indifference, pouring out blind affection.
"Alright. I'll love all three of you until your bones shatter."
With beast-like stamina, Kay indulged the two sisters’ intense demands throughout the night.
If not for Landcouc Castle’s thick stone walls, the sounds of that bestial, violent love might have rattled the entire fortress.
The next morning.
With a refreshed expression, Kay emerged from the room. Accompanied by Artoria X and Artoria X Alter—both of whom could barely walk, their legs trembling—the party gathered their things and headed out through the castle gate.
In front of the gate, Laodin, the widow of the Black Rose, waited for them with a curious glint in her eyes.
"Sir Kay. Although you refused my offer… I cannot help but acknowledge your overwhelming might. Please, accept this."
Laodin had her retainer present an ornate jeweled box. Inside, two rings gleamed.
"One is a Ring of Immortality that prevents the wearer from being cut by any weapon, and the other is a Ring of Invisibility that renders the body transparent."
"…Yesterday you were talking about killing us, and now you’re offering bribes? What’s the angle?"
When Kay asked suspiciously, Laodin covered her mouth with her fan and gave a bitter smile.
"Though you are the foe who caused my husband’s death, you are also the strongest man in these woods. Should a great calamity ever befall the forest of Brocéliande… I hope you will come to protect us, in accordance with the value of these rings."
So she's basically eyeing me as the new bodyguard for her domain.
Kay saw right through Laodin’s scheme, but he had no reason to refuse such cheat-tier items.
"Fine, I get it. If I have the time, I'll come help. I'll put these to good use."
There was no compulsion like a Geass—it was merely a verbal agreement. A promise based on Kay’s own conscience. Of course, Kay intended to help as long as nothing more important came up.
He felt a degree of responsibility since he had a hand in Esclados's death, and as the leader of the group, he felt accountable for the situation caused by Clarice’s overzealous behavior.
With the rings in hand, Kay’s party left Laodin’s castle behind and set off toward the north of the forest, heading for the Valley of Despair where Maduan was said to be hiding.
After hours of marching, the party arrived at the entrance of a barren valley where the forest’s energy twisted ominously.
A thick, gloomy purple mist hung heavy over the area. A boulder the size of a house blocked the path, but to their surprise, the rock was a living, breathing giant.
"……!!"
Clarice and Sagremore recoiled in shock and drew their weapons.
Moss grew all over its body, and tangled leaves and branches served as hair—a grotesque sight, reminiscent of a forest troll from a fairy tale.
"Lower your weapons, humans. I do not wish to fight."
The giant spoke in a raspy, slow voice.
"I am the Wild Giant. This is the Valley of Despair. Those who enter are trapped in an eternal labyrinth of sorrow and never return. If you wish to live, turn back."
"I cannot! My wife is inside!"
As Clarice shouted without a hint of hesitation, Sagremore raised his sword in agreement.
"A knight does not turn his back out of fear! Stand aside, giant!"
Seeing their blind determination, the giant let out a deep sigh and shifted its massive, rock-like body to the side.
"Foolish humans. The choice is yours. Do not regret it."
With those final words, the giant seemed to dissolve, melting away into the dense mist.
"He looks just like a Pataphim. What a shame—I really wanted to touch his feet."
Artoria X Alter and Fou looked at Kay with completely deadpan expressions.
"That giant… seems to be a hybrid of fairy and giant. The forests of Britain are truly full of strange creatures."
Artoria X remarked, sounding genuinely impressed that Britain still held so many marvels. It was fitting for an island that served as the final outpost of the Age of Gods, where the last mysteries lingered.
"There are bound to be traps. Everyone, stick close and follow me."
At Kay’s command, the party finally stepped into the Valley of Despair.
Swoosh—
The moment they entered, a thick, chilling purple fog swallowed them whole, obliterating all visibility.
"Cough, cough! I can't see a thing!"
"King Clarice! This way! Don't let go of my hand...!"
The voices of Clarice and Sagremore echoed strangely through the mist before drifting far away.
Kay instinctively tried to disperse the fog, but the illusionary mist created by the fairy forest would not clear easily.
"X! Gareth! Et-chan!"
"I'm here, Brother!"
"Uncle, I'm right behind you."
Fortunately, his sisters, Gareth, Mordred, and Fou—who had been gripping the hem of his clothes—were safe. However, the presence of the ten soldiers, King Clarice, and Sagremore had completely evaporated into the fog.
"Damn it, those troublesome idiots finally did it. I told them not to split up."
Kay clicked his tongue. It was obvious they had been lured into another space by the illusion.
"We'll find them later. For now, we press straight ahead. The mastermind is bound to be at the end of this mist. Just keep moving."
As Kay led the way through the fog, the mist miraculously cleared, and their vision opened up.
However, the place they arrived at was neither a gloomy cave nor a monster's den.
It was a dazzlingly beautiful garden where flowers of all four seasons bloomed in an unreal profusion.
And in the center of that flower field stood a whimsical, mushroom-shaped house that looked like something out of a fairy tale.
"…They called this the Valley of Despair, but it's a fairy-tale village. Since when do people live in mushroom houses?"
Kay eyed the house suspiciously, tightened his grip on the Golden Axe, and cautiously knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
"Oh my, we have guests."
The door opened to reveal a girl wearing a large, wide-brimmed witch's hat and holding a staff.
Or rather, while she had the youthful face of a girl, she possessed the mature figure of a woman.
She welcomed Kay's party with a gentle smile. But the moment they saw her face, Kay and the sisters froze simultaneously.
Her face was uncannily, almost frighteningly similar to the Pendragon sisters.
"…You, who are you?"
Kay asked, instinctively sharpening his mana.
"I am a fairy who lives here alone, brewing tea. My name is Tonerico. You must be tired from your long journey. Please, come in."
Tonerico gently ignored Kay's wariness and guided the group into the cottage. The interior was filled with the fragrance of various herbs and flowers.
Artoria X and Artoria X Alter were surprised by the resemblance, but the mana and aura emanating from her were so peaceful and devoid of malice that they didn't feel any particular danger.
"…Listen, have you seen two loud men and ten soldiers who might have gotten lost? They're with us."
Kay asked bluntly as he sat down.
"I'm not sure. I rarely leave this cottage. But since this is the Valley of Despair… they are likely wandering, caught in a fairy's illusion. This place is an area of fairy obsession, even more intense than a standard fairy realm. It is a dangerous place where humans should not venture."
Tonerico smiled and slid a steaming cup of tea toward Kay.
"Please, have some tea first. It's a special blend that detoxifies the forest's miasma."
Kay stared at the cup. If the master of this forest was a fairy, she surely had some connection to Maduan.
However, Kay was a man who had developed an extreme resistance to toxins by eating venomous magical beasts in the Abyssal Realm. Ordinary poisons or illusion drugs wouldn't work on him.
"Sure. I'll drink it."
Kay heartily lifted the cup and drained the tea in one gulp.
Watching him, Tonerico's eyes flashed with a strange, cold glint from beneath the shadow of her hat.
After the first sip, Kay paused.
"Hmm. This scent is oddly familiar."
"Yes?"
"Do you have some kind of connection to Morgan?"
The scent was definitely similar to the fragrance of Morgan, the woman he had once dumped Gareth upon. Tonerico replied with a composed smile.
"Ah~ You mean Nimue. We were acquainted back when she was the King of the Rain Clan. Perhaps that is why?"
"It definitely feels similar. I've never actually met those Rain Clan fairies."
"Hehe. The Maduan you are searching for is also of the Rain Clan."
"…How do you know that?"
"Because I have the Mystic Eye. Was that impolite of me?"
"Ah… the Mystic Eye. I keep forgetting about that. Wait, does that mean that Bagest bitch has been reading my mind every single day?"
"Aunt Caster probably does the same thing,"
Gareth added matter-of-factly. Kay finally seemed to realize that his privacy was being completely violated by the fairies.
"Maduan is not an evil fairy. She is simply greedy—driven by love. And even if you were to fight, someone like Clarice would not be able to defeat her. She is, after all, a disciple of Nimue."
"A disciple of Morgan… interesting."
"Once you have finished your tea and purged the valley's toxins, I will help you find your companions."
Tonerico said this as she slowly rose from her seat.
"I shall go prepare for a moment. Please, make yourselves at home."
Tonerico glanced at Mordred, who was riding piggyback on Kay, before stepping into another room.
Kay continued to drink his tea in silence.
"…So that's Morgan?"
"Fou."
"That bitch… I finally found her."
Using animal speech to converse with Fou, Kay then looked at the girl on his back.
"Mordred. That woman just now is your mother."
"Au?"
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