Is this a bad end?

Meanwhile, on the other side.

As Merlin's illusion dissolved, the group found themselves deposited onto a stretch of soft grass.

In the distance, the towering spires of a white palace gleamed under the moonlight.

Reines steadied herself, scanning their surroundings before murmuring, "Where... are we?"

"Camelot's royal palace."

Gawain, who was standing by, slowly stood up, leaning on his sword. After answering, he quickly performed a standard knight's salute in Merlin's direction.

"We owe you our thanks this time, Merlin."

The white-robed mage, ever the picture of careless charm, merely grinned. "No need for gratitude. Besides, you've never particularly liked me, have you?"

"...I wouldn't say that," Gawain muttered awkwardly.

To Camelot, Merlin was the guiding hand behind the king, the architect of its golden age.

But to the Round Table, he had always been something far more dangerous, a manipulative incubus who played with hearts like toys.

And above all... he had played a part in Alvin's death.

Being saved by him now left Gawain with a tangled mess of emotions.

"Lord Merlin," Reines interjected suddenly, "didn't you say that you were returning to the palace earlier? Why were you there...?"

"Ah, well, I happened to spot Lady Morgan on my way back just now.

Call it intuition, but I thought it best to follow."

Merlin said this with a smile as if telling them that they should be thankful. "Lucky for you my curiosity won out, or you and your brother would be her guests by now."

"Also, between 'Lord Merlin' and 'Big Brother Merlin,' I'd much prefer the latter~"

'...He's nothing like the Merlin from the legends.'

Reines exhaled. "Regardless, thank you. Truly."

"How dull."

Merlin shrugged helplessly. "What are you planning to do next? Still thinking of going to meet King Arthur?"

Reines hesitated slightly, then finally nodded firmly. "If possible, I would like to meet her."

Even though it might not change King Arthur's current attitude toward the transmigrators, in Reines' eyes, even slightly softening her impression of them would be good.

"Then let Gawain and the others take you back to the palace later," Merlin said, but, Gawain frowned and said in a low voice,

"Merlin, you should know that even I can't influence the king's decisions."

King Arthur had never been friendly toward transmigrators.

So, even if he brought Reines to see her now, the king most likely wouldn't grant an audience.

Merlin however, didn't care about it and smiled. "Of course, you can't influence the king's decision, but someone out there can persuade her."

There was a deeper meaning in his words.

A slight shift in Agravain's expression revealed he had thought of someone.

In the current Camelot Empire, the only person whose words the king would truly listen to was probably Alvin.

As he absentmindedly pondered these thoughts, Agravain suddenly let out a cry of alarm.

He stood up abruptly and quickly felt around on his body.

"What's going on… How could it be gone?!"

There was a faint panic in his tone.

"Agravain, calm down first. What do you mean it's gone?* Gawain asked in surprise.

It was the first time he had seen the Iron Knight Agravain show such an expression.

Agravain's face turned ashen, and he muttered, "The dragon scale is gone…"

Hearing this, Gawain's gaze sharpened slightly.

Alvin's Mystic Code from when he was alive, is it lost?

Dragon… Reines silently repeated the word in her mind, her eyes flickering.

Since arriving in the Camelot Empire, she had already heard far too many stories about the "Magic Dragon."

It seemed that everything that had happened since the founding of the Camelot Empire had been inextricably linked to that white dragon.

The people of the empire were terrified of the dragon, but these Knights of the Round Table… including Merlin, seemed to harbor very complicated feelings toward it.

Merlin subconsciously looked up, stunned as he stared at Agravain. "Don't tell me… Morgan stole it just now?!"

After he said that, Agravain carefully recalled the details of the battle.

Then, his face instantly turned deathly pale as he muttered under his breath, "It's over…"

…

It was early summer. Silvery moonlight spilled over the white city walls of Camelot.

Deep within the palace—

"Achoo!"

Alvin, who was sitting under a towering tree, let out a thunderous sneeze.

"Is someone cursing me or something?"

Alvin couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

It had been nearly seven hours since he returned to the royal palace.

During those seven hours, aside from earlier when he handed over his magical attire to Agravain, Alvin had been resting in the garden outside the bedchamber the entire time.

He was also taking the opportunity to sort through the information he had gathered so far.

At first, Artoria was a little uneasy, worried that Alvin might suddenly disappear again.

Because of that, even while handling state affairs, she would return to the bedchamber thrice a day, and would only feel at ease when she saw Alvin again.

If Alvin hadn't earnestly advised her not to let his presence interfere with her political duties, perhaps they might've unlocked a special CG for "daytime declaration ( )" by now.

Temporarily putting those thoughts aside, Alvin began to look through the documents at hand.

These were documents that Artoria had someone deliver to him not long ago.

The contents were a general overview of changes and developments in and around the palace over the past few years.

As King Arthur's future right hand, it was only natural that he be informed about the major events that had occurred during that time.

In fact, for Alvin, this was precisely what he needed most at the moment.

Because he had no idea what had happened in the Camelot Empire during the years since his death.

This file in his hands filled that gap perfectly.

"Have you found the people on the list?"

While quietly flipping through the documents, Alvin suddenly spoke up.

At some point, a figure had silently approached from behind.

"Your perception really hasn't changed at all from the past."

Agravain stepped behind the young man and slowly said, "Of the four people on the list, we've brought back two. One of them, a blonde girl, has been insisting on meeting King Arthur."

"Reines, huh?" Alvin asked.

Seeing Agravain nod slightly, Alvin didn't seem surprised and murmured, "She's probably hoping to help more transmigrators."

After pausing in thought for a moment, Alvin continued, "Let them rest at the palace for now. I'll find a chance to meet her later."

Agravain gave a soft "mm" in acknowledgment and added,

"As for the Aozaki sisters—Touko and Aoko—I haven't found any leads yet. I'll have the city searched thoroughly as soon as possible."

"No need to go that far. If they aren't found, it might just mean they never crossed over to this world in the first place," Alvin replied, shaking his head.

The list he had given Artoria was merely a precaution—a way to look out for familiar faces if they happened to appear. There was no need to force the matter.

Agravain gave a small nod.

After a bit more conversation, he suddenly hesitated and then said, "Also… today, I encountered 'Mother.'"

For a brief moment, Alvin's body stiffened involuntarily.

"Mother"… That single word struck a nerve, flooding his mind with memories—every moment, every glance, every whispered word shared with Morgan.

Innocent yet seductive, mature yet elegant, a bewitching temptress... In the woman known as Morgan le Fay, Alvin had always seen whatever aspect of her best suited his... preferences at the time.

He wasn't sure if it was some kind of special witchcraft or if Morgan was simply just that skilled… but she had always adapted effortlessly to whatever he desired most in the moment.

But now—

Morgan probably hated him to the core now.

After all, to unlock the [Night's Watch of Camelot] hidden route, Alvin had chosen the path of betrayal—the Bad End where he turned against her.

And Morgan, who had suffered betrayal time and again, hated traitors most of all.

Thinking about that dangerous, bewitching beauty, something occurred to Alvin, and he instinctively asked,

"Are you okay?"

You encountered Morgan… and still managed to come back in one piece?

"Gawain and I fought her. Had it not been for Merlin, you might not be seeing me today."

Even now, speaking of Morgan sent a ripple of unease through Agravain.

Without Merlin's intervention, the best outcome would have been him and Gawain buying time with their lives while Reines fled with Kayneth.

Alvin leaned back against the tree, exhaling as tension left his shoulders.

Seeing Agravain's conflicted expression, he offered a reassuring smile. "It's fine. You completed your mission and made it back—that's what matters."

"But... I lost the Dragon's Scale," Agravain murmured, voice thick with regret.

However, Alvin blinked, then waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, that's what you're worried about? Don't sweat it. It's just a mystic code."

The scale was rare, yes, but ultimately it was mass-producible, so, if he wanted, he could craft another right now.

Yet Agravain's guilt didn't get away at all, because....

As Alvin chuckled, patting his shoulder. "Seriously, it's not a big dea—"

"That mystic code... may now be in Morgan's possession," Agravain interjected quietly.

Alvin's smile froze.

.

.

.

At the same time...

When Morgan injected that magical energy into the dragon scales, an extremely soft light silently lit up from the dragon scales and soon enveloped her.

Her cold pupils trembled slightly, and the long-lost warmth brought by the light made her seem dazed for a moment.

'This feeling...I haven't experienced it in several years.'

The magical energy within this Mystic Code is clearly the White Dragon's power possessed by Alvin.

At this moment, the long-lost warmth, along with the radiance emanating from the Mystic Code, made it feel as though the boy was right beside her, warming the witch's icy heart.

As a result, the cold and beautiful witch couldn't help but slowly close her eyes.

The frost on her face faded slightly, replaced by a softness tinged with nostalgia for the past.

Then, at some point, as if sensing something faintly, Morgan instinctively opened her eyes, staring blankly at the white dragon scale in her hand.

The 'Dragon Scale' possessed by Alvin had been modified with Morgan's involvement back then, so she was all too familiar with its structure.

The scale in her hand was not the same one Alvin had once wielded.

Morgan narrowed her eyes slightly.

This seemed... to be a Mystic Code forged quite recently.

.

.

.