NOVEL WEB Chapter 337: Sister, You've Changed
The day of arrival in Londinion quickly came to a close with a grand welcome celebration for Artoria.
When night fell, everyone headed to the areas arranged by the Round Table Army to rest. Although they were still surrounded by ruins, at least now, when they looked up, they could see the dazzling starry sky above... and this time, the ruins provided enough walls to give each person some visual privacy.
Thanks to this, Guinevere could play the simulator without being as cautious as before, afraid that Artoria and the others might find out. It was the perfect simulation spot.
—After all, at this point, it wasn't a matter of whether Guinevere wanted to join the simulation anymore. Everyone had already become loyal players. As soon as the time came, they'd log in without hesitation. The nights were already prime playtime for these players. If Guinevere didn't log in, the system would simply auto-play the entire game on his behalf... and of course, Guinevere didn't want to miss out on that.
Just as he logged in, a notification popped up on the system screen:
[All players are now online. The next round of reality simulation is about to begin.]
[Simulation No.1012 is starting...]
[...]
[After forming the Prophecy Team alongside the Child of Prophecy Artoria, the Fairy Knight Bavanzi, and the Fairy King of Wales Oberon, you embarked on your journey.]
[Thanks to Bavanzi's sudden breakthrough in her mastery of Water Mirror Magic, she successfully activated a remote mirror and transported you all directly from the outskirts of New Darlington to Londinion.]
[Upon arriving in Londinion, you encountered the fairy Gareth and welcomed her as a new team member. Soon after, you also met the leader of the Round Table Army, Percival.]
[During the welcome celebration, you challenged Percival to a sparring match. The two of you fought evenly, and under the influence of your 'High Spirits', your abilities improved further.]
"So, where are we going next?"
[The next day, you all gathered to discuss your next destination.]
"After all, the threat of Fairy Lancelot is no joke... and since we didn't exactly conceal our movements, it won't be long before news of the Child of Prophecy in Londinion spreads. We can't stay in one place too long."
[Oberon suggested that the group should frequently change locations to avoid being hunted by Fairy Lancelot.]
"Hmm... If we move too often, I might not be able to keep teleporting everyone."
Bavanzi wore a troubled expression:
"The Ring of Swiftness has a cooldown... I mean, my Water Mirror Magic can't just be used at any time. It'll need a few days to recharge before I can teleport everyone again."
"I see... I suppose that was expected. A powerful tool like that must have limitations." Oberon nodded, unfazed. "In that case, we'll have to travel on foot for now."
"Then how about heading to Salisbury to recruit Mr. Redra?" Gareth, the newest member, raised her hand shyly. "With Mr. Redra, our journey would go much smoother."
"Redra? Who's that?" Oberon asked.
"Yeah, never heard of them. Why recruit him?" Guinevere chimed in, playing along.
"Uh..." Gareth paused, then realized not everyone in the team had access to the simulator.
"Redra is a fairy steed under Aurora. If you ask Aurora for help, there's a good chance she'd assign Redra to us to aid our travels."
At that moment, Artoria quickly stepped in to cover:
"Since Miss Gareth is a fairy of the Mirror Clan, I'm guessing she foresaw Redra joining our team, right?"
"Oh, yes! That's it!" Gareth nodded quickly.
"Hmm... Interesting," Oberon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Alright, let's head to Salisbury then!"
[Though you disliked Aurora, considering Redra was a trustworthy ally, you agreed to the plan to visit Salisbury.]
[After a brief discussion, you all bid farewell to the Round Table Army and headed for Salisbury.]
[To avoid drawing attention, Artoria did not reveal her identity as the Child of Prophecy in Salisbury. Instead, she met Aurora through Oberon's introduction.]
[This time, Aurora verbally expressed her support but still refused to let Artoria ring Salisbury's Bone Bell. Once again, she insisted that Artoria first eliminate the threat in Norwich before granting access to the bell tower.]
[However, as you predicted, Aurora did send Redra to join your team as your carriage driver.]
[You accepted the outcome without surprise and decided to head to Gloucester next.]
[Strangely, despite the journey, you saw no sign of Fairy Lancelot all the way from Salisbury to Gloucester.]
"What's going on? Why hasn't that dumb dragon shown up this time? Did she grow a conscience or something?" Bavanzi muttered.
"It's... unsettling," Artoria agreed. "She might be plotting something behind the scenes... Do you think she's gone to team up with Woodworth again?"
"It's a strong possibility..." Bavanzi nodded. "But you can't get near Woodworth with your identity as the Child of Prophecy, so we couldn't stop her even if we tried."
"True." Artoria nodded. She still remembered getting killed immediately the first time she tried to visit Woodworth in a simulation.
"But didn't Woodworth fight on your side in that simulation? Can't you use your identity as Morgan's heir to convince him to help us?" Artoria asked.
"No way. He's never taken me seriously," Bavanzi sighed. "Back then, it only worked because Guinevere defeated him first... but with our current strength, there's no way we could beat him."
They exchanged a glance, both letting out a helpless sigh.
"This feels really ominous..."
Not far away, listening to their conversation, Guinevere also felt anxious.
It was like playing a MOBA and knowing the enemy jungler was super fed. Getting chased was awful, but when that fed jungler vanished from the map? That was even worse.
If the enemy's missing, they're probably plotting something nasty, right? No way they just got lost in the jungle...
..............
"Achoo!"
Meanwhile, the very person they were worried about had just crawled out of a cave—covered in blood, exhausted.
"What's going on... Why can't I find any trace of Ywain and the others in the Vein Corridor? Did I mess up...? But the tracks clearly led this way!"
Still puzzled, Fairy Lancelot decided to ask around.
[After asking a passing fairy merchant, you learned that the Child of Prophecy had recently appeared in Londinion.]
"Huh?"
The news stunned her.
"How...? Why would they be in Londinion? Wait, does the Vein Corridor in New Darlington lead there too?"
Recalling the map of the Vein Corridor, Fairy Lancelot clutched her head in confusion.
Damn it, the Vein Corridor's terrain was way too complex. She had worked so hard to explore every path, but still missed their trail. Frustrating.
But now that Ywain and the others had exited the corridor, finding them should be easier, right?
"Anyway, if I know Ywain's in Londinion, then I'm heading straight there!"
[Even though you'd already been running at full speed for days through the Vein Corridor, unwilling to miss Ywain again, you took off at full speed toward Londinion.]
[Using your exceptional mobility, you quickly arrived in Londinion and immediately found Percival to ask about Ywain and the others.]
"You're looking for Mr. Guinevere and the others, sister? Unfortunately, they've already left Londinion."
Staring at his long-lost family, Percival sighed and replied.
"Really? Where did they go?" Melusine asked anxiously.
"That, I'm afraid I cannot tell you."
[To your surprise, Percival, who had always obeyed your every word, now firmly refused to answer.]
"Sister, you're planning to hunt down Guinevere and the others, aren't you? Mr. Oberon already warned me."
"I'm sorry. I can sense your urgency, but both Miss Artoria and Mr. Guinevere are good people. I can't let you harm them. So no—I won't tell you where they went."
"Huh?"
Melusine froze at his response, then realization dawned.
—The Child of Prophecy and that scumbag Fairy Tristan must've filled Percival's head with lies! Outrageous!
"No, wait, Percival, it's not like that! Please listen..."
[You desperately tried to explain, telling him that you didn't want to kill them—you wanted to join them, to protect them.]
"...That's the truth, Percival. Please understand. Things aren't what they seem. Don't listen to those two—they've always had it out for me."
But after a long silence, Percival finally sighed deeply:
"Sister, you've changed."
"I can't believe you'd make up such a long lie just to get close and kill Mr. Guinevere and the others."
"But you were wrong about one thing. The warning didn't come from Miss Artoria or Miss Bavanzi—it came from Miss Gareth. She's a trusted ally, and I believe her."
"So please leave, sister. I won't tell you where Miss Artoria and the others have gone."
Hearing Percival's words, Melusine stood frozen in place.