Crazy Britain:They’re All Raising Me

[Standing before you are more than a dozen fairies radiating formidable magical auras. Each of them possesses strength comparable to a Knight of the Queen. Among them, the grotesque, fish-headed fairy at the front emanates an aura so dreadful that even you can't help but feel a slight chill.]

[These fairies are all dressed in identical guard uniforms. You surmise that they are likely the wardens of Glasgow.]

[However, more pressing than that is what Gareth just mentioned—her identity as a member of the Clan of the Mirror.]

Clan of the Mirror? So Gareth is from the Clan of the Mirror... Right, that rings a bell.

Guinivere vaguely recalls that during one of the Sacred Sword simulations, Artoria had used Gareth—Clan Leader Einser of the Mirror Clan's corpse—to construct the Bell of Bones and complete the final pilgrimage.

But as for how the Mirror Clan was destroyed, Guinivere isn't sure. Back when he was still clouding around, he remembers hearing from lore experts in the group that the Mirror Clan was supposedly slaughtered by Fairy Lancelot for Aurora. Yet in this version of Fairy Britain he resides in, while Fairy Lancelot has no direct connection to Aurora, the Mirror Clan has still perished... Looking at it now, it seems these Glasgow wardens might be related?

That said, despite having gone through so many simulations and even having fought side by side with Gareth multiple times, she had never once disclosed this identity to them.

In previous simulations, she always claimed to be a low-ranking fairy without even a clan name.

Was it because she never trusted them enough in those runs? Or was it something else entirely?

Before Guinivere could dwell further, Oberon suddenly spoke up:

"Wait a second, that guy's Marool? He's still alive...?"

Upon getting a clear look at the grotesque fish-like head of the leading fairy, Oberon frowned deeply.

"You know him?" Guinivere asked.

"Of course I... don't. I've just heard the legends while gathering intelligence," Oberon quickly corrected himself.

"In Pan-Human history, Marool is a notoriously evil creature from Scottish folklore. It's said to resemble a giant fish, with a flame-like pattern on its back and many eyes on its head. It appears when phosphorescent light dances on the ocean's surface and is especially active during storms."

Then, glancing at the limb-bearing creature before them, Oberon continued:

"However, in the Fairy Kingdom, this thing supposedly has the miraculous ability to morph into a humanoid form, though even then, it's hideous as hell—as you can see."

"It used to be a well-known high-level fairy who committed countless atrocities. Then, during the great calamity a thousand years ago, it vanished. Everyone assumed it was swallowed by the disaster... But from the looks of it, it probably survived under King Mors, got caught, and was imprisoned in Glasgow. Now, released after serving its time, it's become a warden."

"I see," Guinivere frowned slightly. "That guy's not weak. We'll need to be careful—wait, Gareth?"

While Guinivere was still analyzing their opponents, Gareth, burning with rage at the sight of her old nemesis, had already charged forward with her lance raised and shield braced.

"You're courting death!"

Seeing her recklessly charge alone, the fairies on the opposite side felt insulted and immediately enraged. A muscular minotaur fairy leapt forward to block Gareth's path.

While not on the same level as Marool—whom even Oberon treated with caution—this minotaur fairy still radiated immense power. Guinivere's eyes twitched upon sensing it.

This city that has imprisoned every powerful fairy criminal from across Fairy Britain for two thousand years... even a random warden here is as strong as an average Heroic Spirit?

Though not quite as formidable as Diarmuid, the fairy Guinivere had faced during the mock battles, this minotaur was close enough—definitely centurion-level in Nocknere's army. And yet here, he was just an ordinary guard?

But Gareth's charge showed no hesitation whatsoever, even when faced with a fairy twice her size, covered in bulging muscles.

As the minotaur raised its massive arms—thicker than Gareth's waist—and swung down at her, Gareth leapt and smashed her shield directly into it.

When the titanic minotaur collided with the much smaller Gareth, it was the former who staggered back several steps.

Meanwhile, Gareth showed no signs of slowing. Upon landing, she lunged again, shield-slamming the minotaur's face to jerk its head upward, then thrust her lance straight at its gut.

To her surprise, even that full-force strike failed to penetrate deeply—barely piercing the surface muscle.

"Ha! Never heard of me, Dunstan the Bull? You know Fairy Knight Gawain? Took him three punches to knock me out! You think a tiny girl like you can take me down?!"

But Gareth responded to the taunt with a cold face, pushing her lance forward and saying:

"Dragon... Hang... Cannon!"

In the next instant, a surge of magical energy poured from her hands into the lance, flowing straight into the minotaur's body.

Its expression changed drastically—but it was too late. The energy exploded from within, overwhelming its natural defenses. It was blown clean in half, showering Gareth in blood.

"Guess one shot was enough."

Tossing that line at the minotaur's disbelieving corpse, Gareth once again raised her lance and dashed toward her next target.

"Damn! She's a gunlance player? That's brutal!"

Watching this unfold, Guinivere—who had been rushing to back her up—couldn't help exclaiming in awe.

Meanwhile, the Glasgow wardens who had initially moved to surround them all simultaneously took a step back after witnessing Gareth's swift takedown of the minotaur. Though each tried to subtly shift behind their comrades, their shared instincts led to a collective backward shuffle.

—All except for the fish-headed Marool standing at the front.

From the moment Gareth had accused them of wiping out the Clan of the Mirror and showed such seething hatred, Marool had been silently observing her, narrowing his eyes in contemplation.

Now, after she blasted the minotaur in two, Marool finally guessed her identity:

"Such powerful magical energy... From the Mirror Clan? You're... Einser?"

Gareth didn't respond—just gritted her teeth and charged at him again.

"Hmph. So you won't admit it... No matter. You're fool enough to seek revenge in this swamp—I'll just finish what was left undone all those years ago!"

As he spoke, a fiery rune appeared on Marool's back. His body rapidly expanded, tearing his humanoid form apart until he became a hideous monster over ten meters long, covered in giant, pulsating eyes.

As Gareth closed in, Marool let out a roar that shook the entire forest. The air visibly rippled as shockwaves burst outward, momentarily halting Gareth's advance.

Seizing the opportunity, Marool's monstrous form fired a beam from one of its eyes, transforming the once-solid battlefield into a muddy swamp.

Next, he swung his massive tail with surprising speed, swatting Gareth into the air. While she was airborne, another eye fired a gray beam straight at her.

But just before it hit, a shadow flashed—a shield flew in from the side and intercepted the beam, deflecting it back at a warden on the battlefield's edge, instantly turning him to stone.

Marool prepared to pursue, but at that moment, the same shield curved midair and slammed directly into the eye that had just fired, obliterating it.

His pursuit interrupted, Marool twisted his body and let out an ear-splitting scream.

Meanwhile, Gareth—still airborne—was caught mid-fall by Redra, who had rushed over just in time. Guinivere, retrieving his returning shield, landed beside them.

"Gareth, I don't know what went down between you and that thing, or why you hate him so much—but if you want to kill him, you'll have to work with us. He's not someone you can take on alone."

"Sorry... I lost my head back there."

Still clutching her aching head, Gareth stood and apologized, regaining her composure.

"Forget the apology. Tell us your strengths—that way, we can coordinate properly," Guinivere urged.

"Um..." Gareth scratched her head, then suddenly lit up. "Oh! Right! If it's about teamwork—I do have a support skill!"

"What?" Guinivere blinked in confusion.

Then Gareth stepped forward and raised her lance high:

"Guide us forward, Shining Azure Star!"

A glowing blue star appeared above her, casting a soft radiance. Under that light, both Guinivere and Oberon suddenly found themselves wielding new weapons formed of starlight.

[You have acquired the status effect: Blessed by the Azure Star.]

[You have temporarily gained the skill: Guiding Azure Star (Pseudo) · A]

[You will temporarily receive a hunter weapon suited to your compatibility, along with its corresponding skill.]

"What kind of weapon is this?" Oberon asked, eyeing the giant flute-like weapon in his hands.

"—Doesn't matter anymore. Suddenly, I feel like team coordination might not be that important after all."

Elsewhere, Guinivere looked at the longsword in his hands and broke into a shrimp-headed grin.