Crazy Britain:They’re All Raising Me

Percival had always been upright and principled, a man of noble character. As his older sister and master, Melusine had always been proud of him.

But today, she couldn't feel proud at all.

After repeatedly trying to convince Percival of her innocence and that everything had been a misunderstanding, yet achieving nothing, Melusine felt as if her obstinate little brother might drive her to faint from sheer frustration. She even felt an urge to discipline him again, right on the spot.

In the end, she gave up and turned to leave... not because she had started reflecting on her own mistakes, but because she knew that even beating him wouldn't change his mind—he'd still stubbornly side with outsiders.

As she left Londinium, Melusine gazed at the sky, her thoughts a tangled mess.

Had she failed as a teacher? Why was it that her dearest younger brother refused to trust her at all, choosing instead to believe the words of an outsider?

...Dragons really couldn't understand humans.

With a long sigh, Melusine pondered her next move.

If Percival truly wouldn't reveal Yser's whereabouts, where should she go to find him?

After some deliberation, she decided to try her luck in Gloucester.

Judging by the timing, the auction in Gloucester should be starting soon. If she attended, there was a good chance she might run into Yser...

And even if she didn't, she hadn't yet had the chance to secure the legendary blade, Commander of Fate, which was to appear at the auction. If she could acquire the sword that once belonged to him and later gift it back, surely Yser would be happy?

With that thought, she wasted no time. Shooting into the sky, she transformed into a streaking meteor and flew straight toward Gloucester.

....................................

\[Upon arriving in Gloucester, your party immediately made contact with the local lord, Muirenn.]

\[As usual, Muirenn demanded that you oppose Woodworth and cause him trouble. Once you agreed to her terms, she gladly allowed you to ring the Bell of Gloucester and even sponsored you with a large amount of Mor Pounds.]

\[Before you departed, Muirenn invited you to attend the upcoming auction in Gloucester.]

\[After a brief discussion, you all agreed that it would be worthwhile to attend.]

"No worries! My Swift—uh, I mean, my Water Mirror spell is ready to go!" Bavanzi declared, thumping her chest. "If anything shady happens at the auction, I can get us out of there in a flash!"

\[After seeing the auction catalog and spotting the "Commander of Fate," you became even more convinced that attending was the right choice.]

\[That evening, under Muirenn's arrangements, you were seated in a VIP room at the auction venue.]

\[The auction began as scheduled and progressed smoothly. It wasn't long before your target item—the Commander of Fate—was brought to the stage.]

"Twenty million Mor Pounds!"

With an overwhelming aura that silenced the entire room, Artoria called out her bid.

"Huh? Twenty million Mor Pounds? Who's the sucker?! The starting bid was only five hundred thousand. I thought five million would've been a win!"

Hearing the bid, Muirenn was momentarily stunned. But she quickly realized that the voice came from the very VIP room she had just arranged.

"Wait a sec, where did Oberon and his debt-collecting crew get twenty million? Aren't they using the funds I just gave them?! This is how they spend it?!"

Muirenn's eye twitched slightly.

"So money comes easy and now it's worth nothing to you people, huh?"

But after thinking it over, she shook her head and let it go.

"Whatever... They blow money at my auction, it still ends up back in my pocket. Let's just pretend I never gave them that much."

Just then, another bid came from a different room:

"Thirty million Mor Pounds!"

"Huh?" Muirenn was perplexed. "Did I misjudge this item? Is it really worth that much?"

Meanwhile, Gwynevere and the others exchanged glances, looking troubled.

"Judging by that voice, it's probably Lancelot... Should we run?" Gwynevere asked.

"We can!" Bavanzi nodded quickly. "My Water Mirror is ready. Where should I open the portal to?"

"No, hold on—"

To their surprise, Artoria raised her hand and vetoed the idea.

"Kids don't cry every day, and mages don't run forever! Even bullying has its limits!"

Clenching her fists and grinding her teeth, Artoria growled:

"That bastard Lancelot has gone too far! I've had enough! This time, I'm gonna beat her up!"

With that, Artoria grabbed the speaking tube in the VIP room and shouted:

"Lancelot! You dumb dragon! Enough is enough! What, do you think I'm made of clay? Stop raising the bid and come fight me! Winner takes the sword!"

"Uh?"

Gwynevere stood frozen as Artoria charged ahead.

"Wait, but I'm not even sure I can beat her?"

Despite gaining strength after acquiring the Six Realms Spear and the Vike Spear, and probably being able to teach Lancelot a lesson if she came charging in with another repeat of her seya-slashes, Gwynevere was still wary. System rewards were shared, and there was no telling what kind of dangerous gear Lancelot might've gotten.

But then, Artoria shook her head.

"No! When did I say you had to fight her? I'm the one who called her out, so I'll be the one to face her."

"...Huh?"

Gwynevere looked at her, momentarily unsure if he'd heard correctly.

"You're going to fight Lancelot? Can you win?"

"Hmph. Of course I will!"

With that declaration, Artoria leapt from the VIP room.

Elsewhere, in another VIP suite at the auction, Melusine was also feeling anxious.

Initially, she had come just to try her luck. When she bid against the others earlier, she hadn't thought much of it... but she never expected to run into the Chosen One's group here.

And if the Chosen One was here, then Yser must be as well.

At that thought, her heart started pounding wildly.

At last—finally, she would see Yser again. This time, she would seize the chance to reconcile and stand by his side once more...

Just imagining it was enough to make Melusine tremble with excitement.

So, what should she do now? Give up on the Commander of Fate and let Yser have it? Or stick to her plan, win the bid, and hand-deliver the sword to him?

While she was still pondering, she suddenly heard a shouting challenge from across the hall:

"Lancelot! You dumb dragon! Enough is enough! What, do you think I'm made of clay? Stop raising the bid and come fight me! Winner takes the sword!"

"D-Dumb dragon...?"

Hearing her name called out and insulted so publicly, Melusine froze—then became furious.

Unbelievable. If Yser had said that, she might've let it slide. But a mere Chosen One? A walking burden who held Yser back every step of the way? Who gave her the courage to name-call like that? Did she really think Melusine was some kind of pushover?

—But wait. This might actually be an opportunity.

Resisting the urge to shout back, Melusine thought: Although the Chosen One declared war on her, that girl had no real strength. If a direct fight was to happen, the only capable one in their group...

...was her dearest Yser.

What luck!

Suddenly rejuvenated, Melusine's irritation toward Artoria vanished instantly.

This was the perfect chance to reconcile with Yser. On the stage, with just the two of them, she could explain everything, clear all misunderstandings, and reunite with him.

With that thought, she happily jumped onto the dueling platform—only to be greeted by the sight of a scowling Artoria.

"What the... Why are you here? Where's Yser... I mean, Gwynevere?" Melusine asked, confused.

"Hmph. You dumb dragon, and you want to see Gwynevere?"

Artoria sneered as she pulled out a strange black-and-white device and strapped it to her abdomen. Two narrow bands extended from the sides, looping around her waist and locking into place, forming a bizarre-looking belt.

"To take care of you? Gwynevere's not needed. You think I'd give you another chance to hurt him?"

With a cold snort, she drew out two peculiar devices—white and gold, resembling oversized watches—and pressed their buttons.

Mechanical voices blared from the devices:

"—Saber!"

"—Grand Saber!"

Artoria slammed both devices onto her belt and twisted them. A wave of powerful magic surged outward. Gold discs rained from the sky, and a colossal palace rose behind her.

"—Sword of Promised Victory! Radiant Sword of the Sun! Spear of the Shining End! Shine on, my Grand Hall of Glory!"

The mechanical voices from her belt chanted praises of kingship as stone statues emerged from the ground behind her. Each statue had a different pose and attire, but they all shared one thing in common:

They all had Artoria's face.

"—Indomitable Flaming Sword of Victory! Invincible Golden Blade! True Round Gathering of the Oath Star! Hope-linking Sword of Aspiration!"

"S-So embarrassing..."

Glancing at the statues, Artoria's face turned crimson. The flashy effects and over-the-top chants made her want to dig a hole and disappear.

But oddly enough, beneath the embarrassment, she also felt a strange surge of... excitement?

"—Artoria TIME!"

As the final cheer echoed, the golden doors behind her statues rose into the air, shrinking and flying toward her, transforming into golden armor. Each plate bore the face of a different Artoria.

"What the heck is this..." Melusine was dumbfounded.

"Hmph! What do you know? It's—super, super cool, alright?!"

Swallowing her shame, Artoria stepped forward, pointed at Melusine, and barked:

"Lancelot! Come get your beating!"