Chapter 129: The Lady of the Lake's Revelation

Spring in the Duchy of Carcassonne was a time of blooming flowers, bright sunshine, and bursting vitality.

Located at the southernmost part of Britannia, Carcassonne bordered the Saint Loren Forest (also known as Athel Loren) to the east and the southern kingdom of Estalia to the southeast. To the north, it shared borders with the Duchy of Winfort.

The Duke of Carcassonne was Hubald de Carcassonne. However, the duke had recently begun preparations for his Grail Quest, leaving all major affairs in the hands of his advisor—a beautiful Lake Prophetess.

Possibly the most sacred place in the entire kingdom, the Cathedral of the Lady of the Lake was situated within this duchy. The eighty-meter-tall statue of the Lady of the Lake was visible from afar, providing a stunning visual impact to all who approached.

She was the guardian deity of the nation.

Staying in a guest room within Carcassonne Castle, Lain gazed towards the distant Cathedral of the Lady of the Lake, sighing at the length of his journey.

The trip from Britannia's capital, Corona, to Carcassonne took nearly ten days—a distance that, in Lain's previous life in the Celestial Empire, might have taken only a few hours. Yet, in this world, such distances required considerable time. Suriya had arranged the fastest route for them: sailing from Corona's port, circling around the Duchy of Lyonnesse, heading south to the Duchy of Bordelaux, and then traveling by land to Carcassonne.

It meant that Lain had done little but travel since entering Britannia, a fact that stirred some restlessness within him.

It was now late March, a busy time of year for the fields, though the serfs' enthusiasm for their labor seemed lacking.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Lain turned back to his room, where only Olycar, the dark elf, was present. Today, she wore a snow-white dress with droplet and blossom motifs and a sky-blue wool coat, her slender legs wrapped in white stockings, sitting quietly inside.

The dark elf had slowly adapted to her role, with nowhere else to go and under threat, she quietly served as Lain's maid without issue.

Lain, who had promised not to harm her, kept his word. At most, they shared embraces for protection, spending nights in the same room, with Lain treating her like a fragrant, oversized pillow.

"Olycar? What's your homeland like?" Lain asked, standing by the window and looking out.

"Cold, barren, and withering," Olycar responded in Elvish. "Naggaroth rarely sees sunlight. Our ancestors left us only the cold and the kill. There's little land for farming; we must constantly wage war."

Lain nodded, his research having revealed similar information.

Then came a knock on the door. A beautiful Lake Prophetess stood outside, "Lord Lain, the ceremony is ready, and Lady Morgiana awaits."

"Alright!" Lain opened the door to find the Prophetess, her hair styled into an inverted triangle and dressed in a floor-length gown, beautiful... save for the odd hairstyle, which Lain found strange compared to the long, flowing hair he preferred.

These Prophetesses were key members of the Order of the Lady, the church of the Lady of the Lake. They wielded powerful magic, serving as formidable mages in wartime, advisors to knightly lords in peacetime, or devout servants of the Lady. They were free, beyond the control of nobility, but usually responsive to requests for assistance.

However, Lain's status was different. As a Grail Knight and the chosen champion of the Lady of the Lake, he commanded a certain authority and respect from these holy women.

...

Beside the radiant Lake of the Lady on a sunny day, over two hundred Grail Knights gathered for a ceremony to officially welcome Lain, the "Great Hammer" from Nordland, as one of the Lady's Grail Knights.

In the solemn atmosphere, Lain approached the lake alone, where the beautiful Lake Fairy Witch Morgiana awaited him. Her voice was ethereal, her beauty making the surrounding floral splendor pale in comparison.

Holding a golden chalice, Morgiana stood in a tightly laced white lace gown, her bare feet and dazzling floral crown adding to her radiant appearance. "A glorious day, as another great knight joins our ranks," she announced.

"His name is Lain Macado."

"His deeds need no further mention, for they are known to all."

"Now, let us bestow upon him glory!"

Morgiana addressed the assembly of Grail Knights.

Thunderous applause and cheers filled the cathedral, each Grail Knight welcoming Lain with sincere blessings. Their genuine enthusiasm made Lain somewhat ashamed.

There was no jealousy, no exclusion; they genuinely rejoiced for him, a foreigner, a young man welcomed into their noble cause against evil. In the Lady's name, they celebrated the strengthening of justice in the world, the dispersal of darkness.

This is the Grail Knight, the reason Britannia has stood for centuries in this dark age, the last bastion against evil. As long as they fulfill their duty in the Lady's name, there is hope for humanity.

Together, all the Grail Knights unsheathed their swords and recited a sacred oath with Lain:

"Sacred be it! My oath to defend!"

"Noble be it! My oath to admire!"

"Deceitful be it! My oath to oppose!"

"My wrath, unending! For the Lady! For Britannia!!!"

Divine light filled the cathedral, with Lain feeling the Lady's divine power converging and signaling him. He immediately connected his psychic supply.

"Next, Lord Lain Macado, the Grail Knight, is invited to meet the Lady alone," Morgiana announced, stepping aside with a smile.

The Lake Fairy Witch, the Lady's first chosen and spokesperson in the material world, changes with each reincarnation. The current Witch, recently reborn, always appears youthful.

Her attitude towards Lain was clear: if the Lady favors him, so does she; if the Lady disdains, so does she. Lain, favored by the Lady, received her warm welcome.

Ahead lay the Lake of the Lady.

As Lain, the Grail Knight and chosen champion of the Lady, approached the legendary sanctuary on horseback, the grand trees swayed in the breeze, whispering among the ruins of elven architecture. Britannia, once home to many elves, remained a hospitable land even before humanity's rise.

Fog perpetually shrouded the lake, regardless of season.

Dismounting a hundred meters from the lake, Lain followed the footsteps of the first Knight King, Arthur, towards the lake.

A life-sized statue of the Lady, holding a golden chalice, awaited silently by the lake, guarding the nation with her divine power for centuries.

"I offer my sword, my body, my heart to the Lady," Lain knelt at the lake's edge, speaking softly in the presence of the nation's supreme sacred ground.

"This is not to seek the Lady's assistance, nor to express my demands."

"Darkness encroaches upon this land, the future bleak."

"Yet we have courage, faith, and glory."

"Here, I, Lain Macado, swear by the Lady's champion, to fight evil, vanquish foes, and expel darkness from this world!"

"For chivalry and empire, for war and glory, now is the time!"

The statue glowed golden, and amidst the dazzling light, the Lady of the Lake's exquisite figure appeared.

"The Lady! The Lady has descended!"

"Praise the Lady!"

"For the Lady! For Britannia!"

The Grail Knights cried out, kneeling in reverence.

"You've finally arrived, my champion," the Lady smiled at Lain, blossoming like the spring flowers around her.

Not just metaphorically, but actual flowers bloomed with her smile, trees budded, and endless vitality swirled around Lain, with green life energy circling above the Lake of the Lady.

"My Lady," Lain reached out to the Lady of the Lake.

"My champion," she extended her hand towards Lain.

Closer, ever closer.

Until the Lady's soft fingertips touched Lain's fingers, and both the Lady and her chosen champion vanished into thin air.

"The Lady has words for her champion," Morgiana immediately received the Lady's instruction, signaling the ceremony's end.

The privilege of a private audience with the Lady was a high honor, yet expected for her champion. The Grail Knights discussed Lain's fortune before dispersing.

The Antray siblings gained a deeper understanding of Lain, a man favored by the Lady.

Lain felt compressed, as if squeezed through a narrow tube, enduring the discomfort until he landed.

"Where is this?" Rising, Lain found himself still by the Lake of the Lady, yet the scenery had changed to a desolate autumn, with dead trees and fallen leaves swirling, the once vibrant flower fields withered.

"This is my divine realm, my champion," the Lady approached from behind, her green eyes filled with Lain's reflection, her waist adorned with a colorful iris, smiling beautifully at Lain, "You're the first visitor in centuries. The last was Arthur."

"I am honored," Lain followed the Lady, embarking on a lakeside stroll.

"You've surprised me, Lain. I suspect I know your origin," the Lady smiled gently. "An outsider from another world, a descendant of a supreme being, correct?"

"Yes, my Lady," Lain acknowledged, seeing no need for secrecy.

The Lady appreciated Lain's honesty, praising his exemplary behavior on the Kholer Plains, a model of knightly virtue.

"Thank you, my Lady," Lain replied, following her through a leaf-strewn path to a white marble building, entering an elven-style home filled with exquisite furniture but devoid of life.

Crossing a grapevine-draped corridor, they reached a courtyard where the Lady sat in the main seat, gesturing Lain to join her. A large painting showed an elf battling four terrifying demons, each representing a different aspect of evil.

"It's time, Lain, my champion, to reveal a part of history... and the truth about the Aethyr," the Lady's expression grew serious.

"I'm ready to listen, my Lady," Lain nodded.

"Let's begin."

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