Chapter 742: Final Battle and Departure

It was over.

The moment Gray unleashed the holy lance, which had existed since humans ruled the earth, the battle was decided without suspense.

Rhongomyniad, the holy lance once used by King Arthur, was the true form of Add hidden beneath the cloak.

It wasn't a Noble Phantasm, but like the scabbard called Avalon, it was a holy relic, a mystery passed down from ancient times.

The difference was that while the scabbard had been lost until it was excavated by the Einzbern family just before the Fourth Holy Grail War, the holy lance had always been kept by King Arthur's descendants.

After the King's death, these guardians had been researching how to produce a descendant capable of activating the holy lance. Gray was their most successful creation to date, the closest descendant to King Arthur himself. She ignited the radiance of the stars that split the sky and illuminated the night.

Shinji narrowed his eyes, silently gazing at the light that stretched from the planet to people's hearts. In his eyes were nostalgia, blessing, and a hint of unspoken anticipation.

"Artoria..."

"What on earth is that—!"

Luvia lost her composure more times than usual tonight.

"Is she not human?"

"No, Gray is human. Strictly speaking, she should be considered a hereditary carrier, related to this country's greatest king."

Hearing Shinji say this, Luvia immediately shut her mouth and stopped inquiring.

A hereditary carrier was from a family line that protected ancient inheritances, and this ancientness often implied great power. As for this country's greatest monarch, there was no need to elaborate. The price of probing into this secret might be to make an enemy of all of Britain. This was not something the Edelfelt family could afford. The important reason why the Edelfelt family had survived since the Renaissance and gradually prospered was that they knew their limits and never touched secrets they shouldn't.

Silently giving Luvia a high evaluation in his heart, Shinji stood up. After such an intense battle and unleashing the holy lance, Gray should be close to her limit, otherwise she would have returned by now.

"Well then, let's end this incident here. First, notify the Department of Policies, then— Hm? Still not dead? What a tough life."

At the edge of his vision, by the door leading to the courtyard, a battered figure appeared - Glannid Ashborn.

One of his arms had been shattered, his hair and ceremonial robes were burned beyond recognition, and his vocal cords had almost lost their original function.

More severely injured than him was the monster lying further away. Judging by her injuries, she had likely used her last strength to push her son's body away just before being directly hit by the holy lance's attack, saving his life but leaving herself unable to dodge. The right half of her body had been completely vaporized.

Although she was a creature created by magecraft, when injured by magical power far beyond her own, the outcome was the same as for ordinary beings. To still struggle in that condition could be called a miracle even in a world of mystery.

What made this miracle possible was—

"Mother!"

Glannid cried out.

The monster opened its mouth, letting out a final roar that made all the magus' hearts skip a beat. This dying strike would surely be even more terrifying in power.

However, unexpectedly, this time the sound wave didn't resonate with the entire Castle like before. Instead, it condensed into a line, aimed at the old man Orlocke on the royal platform.

"Ahhhh—"

With the final roar, the old magus known for his Papilio Magia: Butterfly Magecraft burst into blood all over his body. His breathing grew weaker and weaker until it finally ceased.

Glannid, who witnessed this scene firsthand, also lost his last ounce of strength and fainted.

This incident, held under the name of inheritance, came to an abrupt end on the fourth day of its opening.

Everyone knew that many secrets still lay hidden behind the incident.

What was the true identity of that beast?

Why did Glannid call it Mother?

Why did Geryon Ashborn, who had no children or heir, suddenly have a son?

Jiroubou Seigen Tokitou was also a registered magus at the Clock Tower with a clear background, so why did he become Geryon's son?

And so on. Of course, there was also the most crucial point - was the Ashborn family's secret technique still hidden in this castle?

However, the magus chose not to continue their investigation. Compared to puzzles and inheritance, life was more important. With their magic crests stopped and not knowing when they would recover, staying here was far too dangerous.

Although those two young people had defeated the enemy, their demonstrated strength in contrast to one's powerlessness was itself a threat. Who knew if they might turn against themselves? Even if they wouldn't, what about other magus?

So, after regaining some mobility, the magus successively left the castle. They came with high spirits but left in disappointment. However, before leaving, they did express their gratitude to Shinji and Gray. Some invited the two to visit their homes, while others offered gifts. After this battle, anyone who wasn't foolish could see the strength of these two. It never hurt to establish a good relationship.

Shinji and Gray didn't linger long either. After briefly comforting the servants, they set off on their way back to the Clock Tower. As for the aftermath and dealing with the criminals, that was best left to the professionals. They were only investigators.

In the end, only one guest invited by the Department of Policies remained. A person with an extremely low presence, overlooked by the magus. The departing magus didn't even know his name.

He was the assistant brought by Orlocke, a young man who looked about the same age as Gray. When Orlocke was killed by the beast, he wasn't present, and he hadn't appeared since.

It wasn't until Shinji and Gray left that he quietly came to the morgue in the castle's storage area under the cover of night. There lay the beast, half of its body vaporized by the holy lance.

The young man with the faint presence slowly crouched before the corpse. His slow movements carried a hint of twilight years that didn't match a young man, and so did his manner of speaking.

"Originally, such remnants of mystery should be destroyed, but they were preserved as evidence for the Department of Policies. However, isn't it strange that while it needs to be handed over to the Department of Policies, no one was left in charge of the handover? Unless— someone from the department has been here all along, right, Miss Hishiri Adashino?"

Behind the young man, shadows flickered. A woman with long, trailing hair and wearing a kimono emerged from the darkness.

"You're quite right, Mr. Assistant— no, Lord Orlocke. You are the real Orlocke Caesarmund."

Hearing these words, the corner of the young man's mouth turned up. Before that, he had maintained an expressionless, rigid appearance, even colder than Gray who wasn't good at expressing emotions, making people wonder if he was a doll.

"How did you recognize me?"

PS: Gray's situation is a bit different from Morgan copying Artoria's ahoge to create Mordred, but Shinji strongly suspects Morgan's involvement behind the scenes. Although many people are speculating that Gray's direct ancestor is Gawain, everyone seems to have forgotten that Morgan is Artoria's sister, and part fairy as well.