Artoria’s Worries

System Note: After narrowly surviving an assassination attempt by Aurora's remnants, you were forced to assume your demon form. As the Chainsaw Man, you swiftly slew every last one of Aurora's loyalists present. Thanks to the terror you inspired, your attributes surged while in this demonic state. After sparing roughly ten percent of the fairies and all humans for retention, you unleashed a massacre in Solsberry: nearly all of Aurora's followers were wiped out, gates blocked, Molres released—over ninety percent of the fairy population perished. The citizens of Solsberry now fear you greatly; across Britannia, your fear rating is elevated. In demon form, your overall stats have risen by one rank.

That night, Oxford's Lord Woodworth summoned Guiliniweier, fury in his eyes, after reviewing the evidence Guiliniweier had provided.

"How… how is this possible? That woman was capable of such cruelty?!"

Woodworth's voice trembled with shock. "She told me she would care for the human children who weren't selected—but she slaughtered them all?!"

"Lord Woodworth," Guiliniweier replied calmly, "those records are genuine. In fact, they detail only what she did after I became her deputy."

Standing by Guiliniweier, Corral spoke up:

"Lord Woodworth, you know I would not betray my mistress for mere gain or fear. These testimonies… they are real."

Woodworth's face darkened as he read: atrocities beyond imagination. Yet faced with corroborating evidence from a trusted retainer, he had no choice but to relent:

"Unbelievable… If Aurora truly did this even before Her Majesty vanished, then she deserves death. I withdraw my condemnation of your conquest of Solsberry."

Guiliniweier's diplomatic ledger showed that after presenting Aurora's crimes to the other fairy lords, most reacted like Woodworth—shocked, doubtful at first, then tacitly approving his actions. Only Lords Bogart and Sprigen voiced objections, suspecting Guiliniweier's ambitions but lacking means to oppose him militarily.

Guiliniweier mused inwardly: "Let them condemn as they wish—so long as they can't defeat me. Once New Darrlington is fully developed, we shall deal with them in turn."

Yet as he prepared for grand designs, a soft voice drifted from the adjacent cell:

"Guiliniweier, are you asleep?"

Guiliniweier quickly shut off the viewing mirror and lay motionless, feigning sleep. Even though Artoria could not actually see the screen, he felt safer with it off—like a student caught with a forbidden device in bed.

Artoria called again, but received no answer. She sighed softly, staring at her own screen. Without Guiliniweier, her path in this simulation felt far more daunting.

System Summary:

You and Oberon traveled Britannia for months; Meridra Bitt and Gares joined Artoria's party, and you forged ties with the Round Table at Lunden.

Yet without Guiliniweier's guidance, Artoria found herself adrift, unsure how to fulfill her mission.

The auction in Gloucester proceeded as before, but in the final contest for the famed blade "Siming," Artoria hesitated. Facing Lancelot, even under enforced handicaps, she could not duel him. Ultimately, Gares volunteered—but was soundly beaten. Artoria comforted him, wishing Guiliniweier were there.

Subsequent appeals for aid from Myrrhienne failed: she offered only a condition—indirectly cause Lord Woodworth's death, and then permission to ring Solsberry's bell. Similar demands from other clan leaders were likewise impossible to fulfill.

As Gares lamented the lingering "Calamity of Norich," Artoria felt the weight of facing that looming threat without Guiliniweier's blazing sword to clear the path. She missed him, yet he had seemingly abandoned her: joining Bavanshi in New Darrlington without so much as a visit. A cold servant had told her bluntly: "Give up. He won't come see you. Being freed was already mercy; don't push your luck."

Furious, Artoria nonetheless felt helpless: the attendant lived with Guiliniweier daily, overseeing his meals and care. She lingered near New Darrlington's walls, hoping he might appear—but one day Oberon found her.

"Give it up," Oberon advised. "He's thriving under Bavanshi, managing half the realm. Even if he values friendship, he won't abandon everything to join you now."

Artoria fell silent. After a solitary vigil by the lord's castle, she journeyed on with Oberon.

That evening, she carved a simple sketch of "that wretch" in the camp dirt and jabbed it angrily with a stick. Gares peeked over:

"Artoria, Solsberry has a new lord now… your first love, perhaps? Shall we see if he'll let you ring the bell there?"

"W-what?! Don't say such things!" Artoria blushed furiously.

"Oberon said it…" Gares frowned.

"I never said he's your first love!" Oberon scolded.

"No one in their right mind would call him a first love!" Artoria retorted.

Oberon smirked: "At most, he was someone you secretly admired once."

"Oberon! Go to hell!" Artoria swung her staff; he ducked, pretending pain under the "Boar Princess" buff that now made her blow especially painful.

Gares pressed on:

"But truly, Artoria, won't you at least chance it? Aurora is dead—perhaps you can't now ring Solsberry's bell after lifting its curse?"

Her face darkened.

"Mind your words," Oberon chided. Meridra, lounging nearby, quipped: "Aurora's dead—why would I avenge her? I say pop the champagne."

"You once served Aurora?" Gares asked.

"One thing at a time," Meridra shrugged. "Her crimes are well-known. She deserved her fate."

Suddenly, Artoria's expression shifted as a notification appeared on her screen:

System Alert: The "Calamity Accumulation" in Norich has reached its limit. Next month, the Calamity will strike Norich. Players, prepare accordingly.

Artoria's face went pale:

"The Calamity in Norich… it's about to fall."

Without Guiliniweier's insight and support, Artoria felt the simulation's challenges tightening. The looming disaster in Norich threatened all Britannia; yet she lacked the strategy to avert it alone. As she gazed into the firelight, the weight of uncertainty pressed on her heart: could she ever find her way without the one who once led her through worthier trials? The night deepened, and her troubles only grew heavier.