Melusine, Become my Noble Phantasm!

In Avalon, the eternal paradise, a tall tower stood amid blooming flowers. At its peak, a man in white magician's robes smiled quietly. Beneath his feet, blossoms bloomed and then faded away like fleeting dreams. On that beautiful face was a smile difficult to decipher.

The magician held a staff in one hand, while gently stroking a small creature in the other—a curious little beast that looked part fox, part Pomeranian. The creature's fur was soft, but its vigilant eyes never left the magician.

"Fufu~"

The magician patted the little beast's head, but his smile was tinged with insincerity. "Don't worry... After all, Aslan is a hedonist. He'll never tackle troublesome matters unless absolutely forced. In his words, he's old—saving the world should be left to the younger generation."

He spread his hands with a shrug, his expression pleading understanding: I do this for the good of all, so you should get it, right?

"To deal with someone like Aslan, I had no choice but to kick him out. But don't worry, this is only for special circumstances. I swear, Cathy Palug, I will never kick you out of this tower. As a refined magician, I naturally won't stoop to such vulgarity twice."

The little white-haired beast pursed its lips, uneasy. No matter how it looked at the magician, it couldn't shake a growing distrust.

Sensing the creature's suspicion, the magician smiled and shook his head dismissively, as if the worry meant nothing. "Alright, let's drop that for now. Aslan has safely reached the human world, and what happens next is beyond me. But when he returns... I better run and hide for a while."

He activated a device, turning on broadcasts from the human world while muttering about offending too many fairies and not knowing where to hide next.

Though his words sounded panicked, his expression was calm, as if being hunted was nothing new.

The little white beast glanced at him one last time, then reluctantly curled back into its nest, still a little wary that the magician might betray it one day.

Meanwhile, in the human world, Aslan comforted his dragon companion. How to put it? Merlin was truly cruel. This time, Melusine couldn't even keep her human form. Aslan slung the package diagonally over his shoulder and had Melusine sit inside. He then cloaked the entire bundle with magic to avoid drawing attention—no one should notice her presence now.

"Chiu!"

Melusine's voice, now altered by her form, was still cute as ever.

Aslan rubbed her head helplessly. It was rare to see Merlin show any new attitude, and on this count, Aslan grudgingly admitted the old mage had done an okay job—just okay.

Opening the package, he found all his weapons inside along with an extra ID card. He had no idea where Merlin had procured it. His name was the same, but… Pendragon? That surname was sure to pique curiosity. His identity? A student at the Clock Tower, in the Department of Archaeology, specializing in fairy scripts—a brilliant but reclusive researcher.

I see. I've been assigned to the Clock Tower staff. Good job… or maybe not.

Wasn't Merlin basically throwing me into the fire? That old bastard must've forgotten I used an ancient magic base—one from 1,500 years ago. Plus, I've mastered all the fairy languages and woven them into my daily life.

Isn't he worried I might accidentally spill some goblin words in casual conversation? If that happens, no one will just ask me to investigate mysterious happenings—they'll hunt me down and use me. Though I'm not scared.

On the other hand, the more talented I am, the more valuable I become to the magical world—and the more I get access to secrets no ordinary magician can see. I could ditch Merlin's identity, but then I'd be an unregistered mage with no official standing.

"Anyway, first stop: the city. I need to check the exact date, buy some modern clothes, and get a phone."

Though old, Aslan wasn't stuck in the past, refusing technology. Maybe magic wouldn't be replaced soon, but in ten or twenty years, who knows? How many magics will be eclipsed by technology? It might even spark a renaissance of literature and art—think of the Greek gods of machines…

Aslan shook his head, clearing his wandering thoughts. Old age made his mind stray easily. He picked up a forging hammer and etched a few fairy words into a nearby stone, crafting a small flying familiar to scout their location.

To avoid attention, he made the device look like a mechanical bird. Though his dragon could do the job, a high-tech toy was less conspicuous—and less likely to be shot down by some mischievous child.

Soon, Aslan received a report. They were in the mountains, inside the Great Britain Nature Reserve. It would take a while to reach the nearest town, but that wasn't a problem. Having spent so long in the Inner Sea of the Stars, he was hardly human anymore. A day or two without food or water was no concern.

As for being spotted leaving the forest dressed like this? A little suggestive magic would fix any issues.

Ah... Speaking of which, it's already 1994. The Holy Grail War... is almost here.

-End Chapter-

Visit the Patreon!!

Read 30 chapters ahead, more on the way!

[email protected]/TrashProspector