Camelot's royal capital.
A young man in a black robe walked through the bustling streets, his eyes wandering here and there.
It had to be said, while the depiction of Camelot in the simulation game had been quite detailed, seeing it in reality was far more immersive.
"Never thought I'd actually set foot in Camelot's royal capital one day…"
Soon, Alvin couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia.
Of course, nostalgia aside, he didn't forget his purpose.
He strode deeper into the city's streets, and before long, Alvin arrived at a relatively secluded spot, a narrow alley tucked away from the main thoroughfare.
Compared to the liveliness of the capital's streets, everything here seemed old, dim, and slightly run-down.
Discarded trash left by locals littered the area, faintly exuding a musty odor.
Unlike the historical tales Alvin knew, the Camelot Empire in his game wasn't particularly backward in terms of civilization.
While it couldn't compare to the modern era, it wasn't too shabby either.
Deep in this alley, an obscure little shop operated in secrecy.
As Alvin walked further in, memories of the game flashed through his mind.
Most normal shops were located in the more prominent streets of the capital, but this one wasn't just selling food or goods—what it truly dealt in was information.
Reaching this shop required navigating a maze of twisting alleys that could leave anyone disoriented.
In the past, every time he tried to find this place, he'd spend half the day just getting lost.
It had gotten to the point where he'd developed a deep resentment toward the shop's location,
After all, who in their right mind would hide a shop in such a godforsaken corner of the city?
Wasn't that just pure trolling?
Now that he was here..well
A dim, yellowish light flickered ahead, as if the outside world's liveliness had been completely cut off.
The only sound was his own footsteps echoing clearly in his ears.
Now that he'd actually been transported to Camelot, Alvin found that he didn't mind the shop's obscurity as much.
After all, this place was essentially an intelligence hub.
If there were no barriers to entry, if just anyone could waltz in and buy information, would this shop even still be standing today?
'I hope this place is still around…' Alvin silently prayed in his heart.
Given that the current timeline was several years ahead, who knew if Artoria, now fully in power, had ordered a crackdown on such underground intelligence operations?
Lost in these chaotic thoughts, Alvin found himself standing in front of the shop's entrance before he even realized it.
A man draped in a gray robe stood quietly inside the shop, slightly bowing his head as he spoke in a low voice:
"What do you require?"
'It's still here...' Hearing his words, Alvin let out a quiet sigh of relief.
In the game's storyline, even by the final act, he had never discovered the true identity of this man before him.
Yet, much of the crucial intelligence he had gathered back then, including the "weakness" of Vortigern" came come from this very shop.
"I want to know about the major events that have occurred in Camelot over the past few years.
Also... where exactly are the recent transmigrators in Camelot coming from?" Alvin cut straight to the point.
"Please wait a moment."
The gray-robed man turned and disappeared deeper into the shop.
Before long, he returned and placed a file on the counter.
Alvin couldn't help but study the man a little longer.
Though he wanted to get a clear look at his face, the other party, like himself, seemed to be using some method to conceal his presence.
So, keeping his composure, Alvin took the file and placed a pouch of coins on the counter before turning to leave.
Soon, he stepped out of the alley, intending to find a quiet spot to review the major events that had unfolded in Camelot over the years.
"Alvin...?"
But just as he exited the alley, a voice suddenly called out to him from behind.
The tone carried a trace of hesitation, as if the speaker wasn't entirely certain of his identity.
Hearing this, Alvin's footsteps froze abruptly and he slowly turned to look back into the alley.
In the corner of the alley, a golden-haired girl was cautiously peering in his direction, carefully surveying the surroundings as if wary of being spotted by patrolling knights.
The girl wore a coffee-colored top hat, her smooth golden hair cascading down, with blue eyes that gleamed like sapphires.
Her slender legs were clad in semi-transparent black stockings.
However, her face was deliberately concealed behind a veil, making it impossible to discern her features.
'Hmm, though I can't see her face, those stockings look strangely familiar...'
"Reines...?"
Alvin quickly recognized her and spoke with a surprised voice.
"What are you doing here?"
Reines, like Alvin, was a student at the Clock Tower.
Though they studied different disciplines, they were friends who could hold a decent conversation.
The moment she heard Alvin speak, her eyes lit up with joy, the kind of delight one feels when meeting an old friend in a foreign land.
But she quickly snapped back to reality, immediately stepping forward and pulling Alvin deeper into the alley.
Reines scanned their surroundings with a guarded expression before lowering her voice. "It's not safe here. Let's talk somewhere else."
Alvin paused briefly, then nodded subtly.
"Alright..."
Though he agreed, he couldn't help but think—unless he activated the
"Night Watcher" authority, that person had likely detected their presence the moment they set foot in Camelot.
No... if he had to put it bluntly, that wasn't even a person to begin with.
It was a monster known as the "Incubus."
...
Camelot Royal Capital.
Deep within the palace.
Artoria gently massaged her temples and set aside the documents on her desk.
Then, she slowly lifted her gaze to the white-haired mage standing before her.
"It's rare to see you here today. Is there something you need... teacher?"
The man draped in a mage's robe, his white hair lazily cascading, sat on the edge of the desk and sighed helplessly.
"Lily, ever since his death, you've grown more and more wary of me."
"You could stand to trust me a little more... It really does hurt to see you so cold."
It was none other than Merlin..the court mage of Camelot and Artoria's "teacher."
Logically speaking, with Artoria's deeply sentimental nature, one would expect her to hold Merlin in high regard.
Yet, for some reason, when facing this white-haired mage now, she only responded with detached indifference:
"You came here because of the transmigrators, didn't you?"
Over the past while, numerous transmigrators had appeared in Camelot—some possessing bodies ("body transmigrators"), others possessing souls ("soul transmigrators").
It was no wonder even Merlin couldn't sit still.
While body transmigration was manageable, soul transmigration meant randomly seizing the bodies of the empire's citizens.
There was no telling if these soul-transmigrators had taken over the bodies of Camelot's nobility.
Merlin chuckled lightly.
"As expected, nothing escapes you, Lily."
"But it's not just about the transmigrators... I heard a girl who looks strikingly like you and Morgan arrived at the palace today. May I see her?"
Artoria glanced at Merlin briefly but eventually gave a faint "Mm" of acknowledgment.
For years, Artoria had harbored resentment toward Merlin, largely because his actions had played a role in Alvin's death.
After all, Merlin had been a witness to Alvin's assassination of the high nobility and even subtly encouraged his plans.
To Camelot's court mage, Alvin's death was inconsequential.
The only thing that mattered was ensuring Artoria became the true King Arthur.
It was only after learning the truth that Artoria, who had once revered Merlin, grew so distant.
Yet even so, in these extraordinary circumstances... Merlin's Clairvoyance still had its uses.
After all, his eyes were capable of observing the "present."
"Bring the girl named Gray here," Artoria instructed the maid at the door.
Seeing this, Merlin could only shrug helplessly and smile. "Lily, I know you're still angry with me, but death is often predestined."*
"There was nothing I could do about Alvin. His death... was fated."
After all, only with Alvin's death could the girl named "Artoria" be sealed away, allowing the true King Arthur, the ruler of Camelot—to emerge.
Merlin then grinned and added,
"As compensation, how about I help you scout out how many transmigrators are currently in the royal capital?"
When Artoria didn't respond, he simply chuckled and slowly raised his gaze as his deep, star-like violet eyes seemed to reflect the entirety of Camelot.
"One... two... three... six... ten..."
"Tsk, looks like it's not just people from the Clock Tower... There are transmigrators from other factions too?"
Clicking his tongue in amusement, Merlin lazily swept his Clairvoyance across the lives playing out in Camelot, treating it like a game.
Then, at some point, his gaze inadvertently flicked toward a certain alleyway, where he spotted a golden-haired girl.
"Oh? Judging by her outfit, she must be a 'body-transmigrator'?"
"From what I can see, the ratio of body-transmigrators to soul-transmigrators is about 1:10?"
"The person next to her also seems like a body-transmigrator. Probably her companion—"
Before he could finish, Merlin's voice abruptly cut off, as if he'd seen something impossible.
At first, he thought it was an illusion, so he narrowed his eyes and stared intently in that direction.
But after repeated confirmation, the ever-present, carefree smile on the white-haired mage's face gradually froze.
'Was that guy's ghost back from the dead...?'
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