Imperial dungeon is ready for you

The moment Alvin opened the door, Reines was overcome with the despair of being stuck with a hopeless teammate.

The golden-haired girl stood frozen mid-motion, her expression petrified, her entire body locked in place.

"—Alvin!!"

Finally snapping out of it, she lunged forward to yank this absolute liability to safety.

But it was too late.

The white-haired mage at the doorway had already stepped inside with a smile.

However, contrary to Reines' expectations, he showed not the slightest hint of hostility upon seeing them.

Instead, he walked past them with utter nonchalance and took a seat at the small round table in the corner.

Then, glancing at the empty tabletop, he looked up with a cheerful grin.

"Miss Reines, would you mind preparing a cup of tea for me?"

Reines froze for a long moment, only snapping back to reality when the white-haired mage's voice sounded in her ears, confirming it wasn't a hallucination.

Gulp…

She swallowed unconsciously, nodded faintly, then walked out of the room in a daze.

Only after closing the door did she heavily pat her own cheeks.

Meow meow meow???

*What the hell…?*

*That was Merlin, right?*

*Why was the first thing out of the court mage's mouth an offer for tea…?*

'Shouldn't he have brought a whole squad of knights to arrest them?

...Granted, with Merlin's power, he wouldn't need knights to handle two Clock Tower students.

But still!

No matter how you looked at it, tea shouldn't have been the priority here!

Baffled, the girl descended the stairs step by step.

.

.

.

At the same time.

Inside the room.

"Should I call it sheer luck, or did you leave yourself a backdoor from the start, Alvin?"

In the cramped quarters, the white-robed Merlin looked at the young man in front of him with admiration, studying him carefully.

Merlin possessed Clairvoyance that allowed him to observe the present,and to some extent, even glimpse the future of others.

In fact, he had seen Alvin's fate clearly back then.

But…

Alvin coming back from the dead?

That was beyond the scope of his vision.

How was it even possible?

Even now, he couldn't make sense of it.

Alvin walked over and sat by the windowsill, speaking in an indifferent tone."I didn't leave any backdoor.

As for how I came back… I think you can guess a little."

Hearing this, Merlin paused, then scrutinized the boy again.

"Don't tell me… Alaya?"

Alvin smiled without answering.

Of course, he would not tell this guy, after all, they were not that close..

Not to mention, he himself didn't know it.

Merlin was sharp...well sharp enough that with just a few hints, he could piece together the rest of the story himself.

Then, hus lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"By the way, you lured me here on purpose, didn't you? Aren't you afraid I'll spread the news of your return?"

"You know better than anyone how many people in Camelot still want you dead."

Alvin shook his head. "If you really wanted to do that, you wouldn't be sitting here chatting with me right now."

Though Merlin was Camelot's court mage, most of the time, he was just playing games, so, strictly speaking, he was just a detached observer behind the scenes.

For this Incubus, as long as something was "interesting," that was enough.

After all, he had no human emotions to speak of.

"Well, out of everyone in Camelot, you're probably the only one who understands me best."

Merlin spread his hands and grinned. "As a reward for knowing me so well… I'll humor you. What do you want?"

"Camelot's been hunting transmigrators everywhere lately… What does Lily plan to do with them?" Alvin asked.

"Why not ask her yourself?"

Hearing this, Merlin raised an eyebrow.

Then, almost immediately, his expression shifted to one of amusement.

"Ah, but then again… she's probably still furious about what you did back then."

"Who knows what'll happen if she does see you?"

As he spoke, there was a hint of anticipation in his tone.

Alvin maintained his calm facade, but internally, he was sweating bullets.

After all, back when he was playing the game, he'd gone all-out with the "tragedy route" just to unlock the "Night Watcher of Camelot" special trait.

Who would have thought it would all become real?

If Lily found out he was back now…

Even Alvin had no idea what would happen.

But it definitely wouldn't be anything good.

Noticing Merlin's teasing gaze, Alvin waved his hand dismissively, feigning nonchalance.

"No need to worry about that. Just answer my question."

In the original storyline, Merlin had played a part in Alvin's death.

Logically, this should have been a confrontation between enemies.

But perhaps because Alvin had only experienced it as a game, or perhaps because he understood the true nature of this guy, he didn't harbor any real resentment toward the mage.

After all, getting angry at Merlin was pointless.

The creature simply couldn't comprehend human emotions.

His anger, his joy, even his smiles—they were all just imitations of human behavior.

"The transmigrators are currently held in an underground prison outside the palace. From what I know, the ratio of body-transmigrators to soul-transmigrators is about 1:10. As for the exact numbers... I didn't bother counting."

Alvin frowned slightly, deep in thought.

"Why would so many transmigrators appear out of nowhere? And what does Lily plan to do with them?"

"No one knows how they got here yet. But one thing's certain..." Merlin's voice turned somber. "The soul-transmigrators are in deep trouble."

"Ever since your death, the King has been... sensitive about the concept of death."

Alvin raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you her guide? Can't you talk her out of it?"

"My words don't carry much weight anymore. After you died, she stopped trusting me entirely."

Merlin sighed, and spoke in a mournful tone.

"I watched her grow up. Seeing our relationship deteriorate like this... truly pains me."

Despite his words, his tone remained light, almost flippant, as if he were joking.

"If you came to me for help with the transmigrators, I'm afraid I can't do much... You'll have to talk to the King yourself."

Alvin's eyes narrowed.

"You're not going to stop me from seeing Lily this time?"

In the past, Merlin had always viewed Alvin as an obstacle—a stumbling block preventing Artoria's true ascension.

Though he never voiced it outright, Merlin had never wanted Alvin and Artoria to meet.

But now... had his perspective shifted after all these years?

"The King has grown. She can make her own judgments. It's not my place to interfere."

Merlin smiled. "Besides, deep down, what I want isn't so different from you."

True—though an emotionless Incubus, his original goal had been to guide Artoria to kingship.

Even if, the moment she pulled the sword from the stone, he'd already foreseen Camelot's eventual ruin.

"Though if you do go see her... brace yourself. The King now isn't the same innocent girl you once knew."

"If she finds out you're alive... *heh*."

Looking at the silent Alvin, Merlin said with a meaningful tone, "Rumor has it, there's a hidden basement in the King's chambers. She's never let anyone inside."

Alvin's eyelids twitched slightly, and he suddenly felt a chill on his back.

The combination of the words "palace" and "basement" does not seem like a beautiful scene no matter how you think about it...

...

The afternoon sunlight spilled across the streets of the royal capital.

The innkeeper seemed to have stepped out, leaving the shop door wide open and the interior empty.

Reines stood by the wooden counter, holding a delicate teapot as she absentmindedly poured hot water into a cup.

Her mind, however, was still replaying the events of earlier.

Even now, the girl felt a surreal, dreamlike daze.

After all, the legendary Court Mage of Britain sought them out on his own.

And from the looks of it, the Flower Mage didn't seem hostile toward them at all.

Could it really be as Alvin said—that they could use Merlin to communicate with King Arthur?

If Merlin intervened, there might actually be a chance... Sure, the King wasn't particularly fond of him, but he still held more sway than random "outsiders" like them.

'Maybe this could really work...'

The thought sent a thrill through the golden-haired girl, her fingers tightening unconsciously around the teapot handle.

When she'd first transmigrated to this world, although the girl remained calm on the surface, deep down in her heart she was feeling a little confused and even fearful.

After all, this was the Camelot of the Age of Gods.

Although she considered herself a genius, but even geniuses would struggle to make an impact in this era.

If they could truly persuade Merlin, or even meet the legendary King Arthur herself... The possibilities made her heart race with anticipation.

The aromatic steam of freshly brewed tea curled upward as Reines picked up the cup, turning to head upstairs.

But just then—

A shadow fell over her from behind.

Then, a crisp, melodious voice spoke.

"Fascinating Magic Circuits... and you've wrapped yourself in fluid mercury. You must be a 'body-transmigrator,' then?"

The instant she heard that voice, Reines' body stiffened.

It felt like prey caught in a predator's gaze.

In that instant, an indescribable sense of oppression washed over her, as if an innate bloodline suppression had triggered an instinctive tremor.

Her hair stood on end, like a cat with its fur bristling.

"Don't be nervous. I'm just out for a stroll. Capturing transmigrators is the knights' job."

The woman's voice remained calm, yet Reines felt no relief.

The pressure behind her was palpable, and she fought down a surge of primal fear as she slowly turned to look.

There stood a woman of noble and breathtaking beauty.

A heavy cloak draped over her regal figure, her golden hair elegantly tied back. Her saintly blue eyes shimmered under the sunlight like polished gems.

For the first ten seconds, Reines' expression flickered with confusion. Then, as realization dawned, her face gradually stiffened, until it froze completely.

The afternoon light cast dappled shadows, framing the first meeting between the golden-haired girl from the Clock Tower and the King of Camelot. The collision of eras painted a scene of surreal beauty.

And then—

Reines' heart stopped.

Her gaze locked onto the woman before her, lips parting slightly as she forced out a name in a strained whisper.

"...King Arthur?"