Forbidden Transmutation—Doraemon!

Several hours earlier…

In a bright, tidy hall, the soft scrape of metal armor echoed as several Tooth Clan fairies carrying long halberds slowly walked past, their eyes casually surveying the room. Unseen by them, a subtle shift in the air betrayed faint whispers just beyond sight.

Those sounds drew the guards' attention. They tensed and stared toward the source—but saw nothing. After attributing it to fatigue-induced illusions, the guards relaxed and turned away. At that moment, the faint whispers resumed where their gaze had paused:

"Oberon, it's your fault—you spaced out just now," Gareth murmured, nudging his companion with his elbow.

His comrade retorted in protest: "Come on—you think I haven't been running between Lentinian, Gloucester, and Edinburgh last night coordinating our synchronized attacks? Even a mule needs rest, you know! Staying awake this long and still alert is already impressive!"

"Isn't pulling an all-nighter normal? Artoria and I stayed up making those magical garments all night—she made no mistakes!"

"I know Artoria was crafting the magic attire, but what were you doing, Gareth? Did she even need your help?"

"Me? Naturally, I was standing guard for Artoria…" Gareth's voice dropped. After a pause, he added, "…I genuinely kept watch for her all night!"

"Are you joking? We're staying in Myrienne's manor—what do you need to guard against? As if Myrienne's defenses are mere decor! And I returned three times; not once did I find you awake!"

"That was an accident! I stayed up all night but… I just couldn't resist sleep at that moment!"

"—Shh! Quiet! My head's aching—if you keep this up, we'll draw the guards! The Invisibility Cloak plus Stone Cap hides our forms, but can't muffle your voices!"

Annoyed, Artoria shot them an exasperated glance, then refocused on their path. All the allied main forces were busy elsewhere; only the three of them had infiltrated Oxford. If they were discovered in enemy territory, disaster would follow.

[Using "Homemade Magic Attire: Invisibility Cloak" and "Homemade Magic Attire: Stone Cap," you and your companions successfully bypassed the Tooth Clan guards and slipped into the Bell-Chiming Hall.]

[Powerful Tooth Clan fairies stood guard outside the Bell-Chiming Hall.]

[To avoid a fight that might alert other guards, you used "Homemade Magic Device: Timed Fool's Bomb."]

[After calculating the timing, you tossed the timed Fool's Bomb into the Bell-Chiming Hall.]

With a strange "boom," the guards instantly looked toward the explosion—and saw one of their fellows stagger in with a crooked nose, drooling, flailing limbs and cackling madly, as if bewitched.

"What are you doing?!"

"Let go! Don't rub snot on my fur!"

"Stay away! I'm not into men!"

While the bewitched guards clashed with their comrades, Artoria and her companions darted past and entered the hall.

[Affected by the Fool's Bomb, the Tooth Clan fairies at the door began acting foolishly; chaos erupted at the Bell-Chiming Hall entrance.]

Gareth watched the pandemonium and sighed in admiration: "No matter how many times I see it, I'm still amazed… Artoria's magical garments and devices are truly remarkable."

"Indeed…" Oberon nodded with a complex expression. "A genius-level concept, albeit abstract in every sense. I can't imagine how her former magic teacher would feel, seeing her craft these magical attire and devices to this degree…"

"Er… yes, I suppose so…" Artoria, unsure whether that was praise or sarcasm, averted her gaze.

At this moment, one of her personal skills appeared in her skill window:

Innate Skill: Forbidden Transmutation · A

This skill emerges from your personal legendary event "Killing Chocolate," elevated into lore.

You possess exceptionally outstanding device-crafting ability. Moreover, due to your innate talent in forbidden knowledge aligning perfectly with the principles of Forbidden Transmutation, any attire or device you create will be of higher grade.

Additionally, items you craft have a chance to gain extra new abilities at random, or even evolve into magical lifeforms with their own consciousness.

"Turning chocolate into a murderous monster—that's a terrifying talent in itself, isn't it?"

—A certain magic teacher once defeated by a student's submission

Truly, this skill—though, as that teacher said, abstract—proved extraordinarily useful. For example, Artoria and her friends had just infiltrated the Bell-Chiming Hall so smoothly thanks to attire and devices crafted by this skill:

Homemade Magic Attire: Invisibility Cloak

Rarity: ?

(Because this attire was crafted by the player using Innate Skill: Forbidden Transmutation · A, mixing in numerous "I think this should work" forbidden principles, the system cannot assess its rarity. Similarly for other homemade magical devices crafted by this skill.)

This cloak, created by a chance-inspired low-magic magician, automatically conceals the wearer's form when draped over the head.

Homemade Magic Attire: Stone Cap

Rarity: ?

This hat, made on a whim by a fortunate magician, greatly diminishes the wearer's presence, making them as easily overlooked as a roadside pebble.

Homemade Magic Device: Timed Fool's Bomb

Rarity: ?

A magical product born by accident from a magician lacking formal training: once the delay is set and the bomb thrown, after a while it detonates, unleashing the caster's chaotic forbidden knowledge in a wave of mental shock that causes those affected to act foolishly for some time.

Though these "explanations" sounded maddeningly arbitrary, their unexpected utility in special situations led Artoria to increasingly rely on this skill to invent new magical attire and devices.

[Riding the confusion, you successfully entered the Bell-Chiming Hall and rang the Prophecy Bell.]

[For ringing the second Pilgrimage Bell, your non-Luck attributes improved.]

[Strength C→B]

[Endurance C→C]

[Agility D→C]

[Magic Power D→C]

"Sigh, as the entry said: Endurance caps at C," Artoria sighed quietly upon seeing her attribute gains. This wasn't her first bell; her first was Gloucester's Bell-Chiming Hall. How she had allied with Myrienne goes back further, to the day of the "Norwich Calamity."

—That day, Artoria and her companions had investigated a string of kidnappings in Norwich, tracing culprits to Gawain. Negotiations failed and they fought—but were decisively defeated. Gawain was no longer the gentle comrade she once knew. At that moment, when he unleashed infernal fire that immolated both innocent civilians and valiant soldiers fighting the calamity, she realized he had changed irreversibly, treading a path she could never accept.

She had stood dumbfounded amid the wreckage, overwhelmed by helplessness: powerless to keep him close when he was gentle, and powerless now to stop his transformation. She felt there must be something she could do, but what? She fell into confusion.

Then she heard tumult in the distance: Myrienne's battered, retreating soldiers fleeing Norwich toward Edinburgh. Concern for her friend and desire to escape reality led her and her companions to slip among the retreating troops, leaving Norwich behind for Edinburgh.

What followed then unfolded almost inevitably. Upon Myrienne's awakening, Artoria—prompted by Gareth, Oberon, and Rhedra—went to see her friend. Even if they hadn't urged her, she would have gone out of loyalty, though reluctant because she foresaw the outcome.

[Sensing the threat of the Calamity Overlord "Gawain," Myrienne invites you to form an alliance to discuss resisting Newdarlington's forces.]

[Under your companions' watch, you agree to Myrienne's alliance.]

There was no reason to refuse: her comrades rallied around her because of her as the Prophecy Child; she could not decline.

Thus, almost as if compelled, she mechanically proceeded:

[After allying with Myrienne, Myrienne negotiates with the Round Table's true leader Oberon; North Fairies and the Round Table form an alliance.]

[Through Oberon's mediation, Myrienne contacts Gloucester's lord Myrienne and negotiates; upon hearing rumors of Woodworth's coming surrender to Newdarlington, Gloucester agrees to ally.]

[At Oberon's suggestion, they use Percival to contact his sister, Fairy Knight Lancelot, and succeed in negotiating a pact to jointly protect Britain and defeat the Calamity.]

[With the Pact to Defend Britain formed, leaders exchange views and unanimously conclude the priority must be to defeat Newdarlington's forces, especially its leader Fairy Knight Tristan and its true mastermind "Calamity Overlord" Gawain.]

And thus began their shared campaign…