"There's still no sign of him… Did Merlin do something? Or was it caused by my actions?"
As far as I could recall, Bedivere showed up without fail around a week before this happened. However, he still hasn't appeared even after our King had built her sacred city.
'Merlin… Did he do something..?'
In this world, I cannot assume that I am the only one with a future vision. From the moment Solomon attempted to do something, I saw the same distortion piercing through my location.
It doesn't take much to understand that he could see through time just as I could. The degree on how he could do so is still unknown, however.
"Yawn… What a way to make my morning…"
I sat comfortably on one of the comfortable office chairs. I am currently inside the main control room. It is built for a number of people yet there's only me and Miku controlling the entire thing.
The irony, truly.
Though, this might change soon with their arrival. Most of the Round Table knights have the [Riding] skill.
'It's a long list…'
I thought of the list of things I need to accomplish today. That includes meeting with several other Heroic Spirits as well as attempting to raid Atlas' abandoned base.
I am aware that they hold seven superweapons, each capable of ending the world.
It is important to know that I am facing a Divine Construct. Rhongomyniad, the divine lance that serves as the 'anchor' between the material and spirit realm—the latter being more known as 'Reverse Side of the World'.
While I am not, in any way, planning to severely harm our king, I wanted to have more contingencies. If Bedivere doesn't show up within two days, I'll have to use up the remaining miracle as well as everything at my disposal. Even with all of that, victory is not completely certain.
"You're already here."
Lancelot got out of her spiritron form. She looked at me with her usual dignified looks. I could tell she is accustomed to making that face for a very long time.
"What are we doing today?" She asked.
"There's quite a lot. We will visit the great Persian hero, Arash. There's also the wandering monk Tang Xuanzang, Tawara Touta, and summoning another Pharaoh for Ozymandias…"
I told her the plans I made for today.
"Lastly, there's the Atlas Institute's research base."
I still haven't forgotten the Thought Partition and Thought Acceleration that I got from Tri-Hermes. I managed to copy the spell's underlying mechanics and studied it using several charges. It is notable that it took me a considerate amount of charges out of the thirty-five to learn the two of them at their current level.
I am glad I could decide to turn it on and off, though. If not, I might be having more idle thoughts than only these.
"Anyways, did you have any problems these past two days?"
"There's none."
…
Sometimes, I don't know how to continue a conversation with her.
Lancelot, in a way, is even harder to converse with than Bocchi. If the latter couldn't simply express herself, the former doesn't have any semblance of 'expression'. She's more like a loyal retainer who is silent until ordered.
"Not even the food? Or the temperature?"
"They are adequate enough."
"Alright… If you have any concerns, feel free to tell me. I'll try to help as best I could."
"...In that case, I have a question."
"Yes?"
"Why are you treating me like this? Wouldn't a Master-Servant relationship suffice?"
"...No."
This question finally came.
"I can see where you're coming from. I am also a knight whose loyalty is pledged to my King. However… I sought allies this time, not retainers. I said it before."
"What about Hatsune Miku?"
"Her..? Well, it's simply a dilemma. Since I am her creator, she wanted to call me as such. When I didn't like that, she tried by going with 'father', 'onii-san', and the likes. Goshujin-sama is the least embarrassing title out of them all."
"..."
Lancelot blanked out for a moment. Then, she (surprisingly) gave an understanding nod.
"If you were there… It's nothing."
Usually, I would stay out of it for her privacy, but not this time.
"Was it your world?" I asked. "Come to think of it, we haven't had much talk since I summoned you."
"...If that's what you prefer."
Much to my surprise, Lancelot took my offer.
"My world… It is different compared to the one you know. It is a different Britain with a different ruler."
I started to listen with great interest. This was the first time she took the initiative to tell her story. I am also genuinely curious regarding the parallel world Britain in which she came from.
"It is a land populated with faeries. Humans are… relatively scarce…"
From her words, Britain is the total opposite of what I know. It is populated by faeries—beings that are already extinct in my world.
They held various powers related to their 'true name' as well as their purpose. It coincides with the knowledge of spirits that I have from both my world and Gekai. It is also the main reason why Aiz has to chant her 'spirit name' in order to call out those winds.
The discussion also went into the ruling powers within Britain. It was headed by different faerie clans, with each city having a distinct city lord. As for the absolute ruler of them all…
"Say again..? Morgan? King Arthur's half-sister?"
"Un. It should be the biggest difference between the Britain you know about."
Really…
Morgan ruled Britain..?
I know about several myths where she is named as the ruler of 'Avalon', but it hasn't been stated that she ruled Camelot. That shows how crazy parallel worlds could be.
"How about King Arthur?"
"Her? She… She fought our ruler and won. But, I will have to remind you. Our Queen fell not because of that... Instead, it's betrayal. She was stabbed in the back by her other retainers."
"..."
I could sense hidden anger from her words. Being backstabbed is one of the worst ways to die as a ruler. It is reasonable how she defended her Queen vehemently.
"She is also the user of Rhongomyniad. It is turned into a powerful magecraft to stabilize Britain."
"Rhongomyniad as a form of magecraft..?" I muttered. "How amazing."
I fell silent for a while after that.
Tick.
The partitions inside my mind were opened up. It continued until it reached the eighth partition.
Human minds could not multitask and do multiple processes—that's something I verified. Even if we train ourselves to multitask, it doesn't equate to simultaneous work, but rather a swift change between two tasks.
The Thought Partition magic bypasses just that.
By creating partitions, their Alchemists are able to achieve true multitasking. The more their partitions, the greater the processes they could calculate.
In the eighth partition, I am able to do more than 1.6 million processes. These processes are equal to a "step", though. If it took one hundred fifty strikes to end a sword fight, that equates to a hundred a fifty processes.
My mind ran at such a fast speed that I completed a rough estimate of the Rhongomyniad Magecraft.
Everything could be summed up with one sentence:
'How crazy…'
That idea was probable. The amount of work put into it, however, is a crazy undertaking. Weaponizing Rhongomyniad is the same as weaponizing Reiji's Lapis Judaicus and turning it into magicka. It turns a Divine Construct into something with greater reusability.
There's also the fact that the sword has the ability to freeze everything including the end of time itself.
…
Wait a moment.
That… That gave me an idea.
Once I return to my world, I'll use my stored up charges. I haven't used a single charge since a year ago. It'd be wasted since I can't go beyond the time I stayed in this world—in this Singularity.
I have fourteen charges stored… I do hope it'd be enough for it.
"I owe you one."
"..?"
"I thought of an interesting concept just now."
"You mean… weaponizing a Divine Construct?"
For the first time, I saw Lancelot's expression turn into a surprised one.
"...You might really achieve it."
"We'll see later."
*****
"Ah…"
Once the bright light died down, it revealed the stature of a woman. Her 'ears' swayed as she looked around her current place. She looked for a while before stopping at a white-haired man.
She met the young man's gaze at this time.
"Are you…"
"Someone asked me to summon you." He said before gesturing at the throne not far away from them. When her sights reached it, she froze as she saw him.
"O-ozymandias-sama..?!"
"Hoh… Do not be shocked. I asked you to be summoned due to your competency."
"A-ah?!"
Ozymandias never chose anybody else except for the woman—another Pharaoh by the name of Nitocris.
Her feats are contrary to the norm. She didn't lead her people better than the others nor made excellent contributions. She was even designated as a puppet ruler of Egypt as the Sixth Dynasty's Pharaoh.
However, she did kill every single blasphemous person who spilled blood on the divine throne. She made these politicians die due to their grave disrespect to the gods of Egypt, as evident by the dirty tricks they used to crown her as a puppet ruler.
In Ozymandias' view, that is enough to warrant his acknowledgement. The courage to do such things despite being greatly disadvantaged is what a Pharaoh should be.
"I-I am flattered..!"
She swiftly went into her knees and kneeled.
'One more chance left…'
Nobu thought as he examined the grail replica.
'It's enough for a return trip. That's good.'
He planned for the remaining miracle to be his other trump card if both his plans regarding the Atlas Institute and Bedivere's gift failed.
'Hum..?'
Suddenly, he looked in a certain direction. His gaze pierced through the Egyptian temple and landed in the skies.
There, he saw a huge pillar of distortion. It is the familiar phenomena of twisting time itself.
"That should be the arrival of the Final Master."
"...You seem to know most about this world. You really haven't received the grail's knowledge in this regard?"
Ozymandias trusted Nobu just by how he spared his Divine Beasts. He saw that the latter's power could effectively deliver 'death' to its targets—no matter if they are Divine or not.
Despite not knowing him much, that remained as a basis for their cooperation.
"I know it through something else."
"I see."
The Pharaoh didn't inquire any further. The thing dwelling within Nobu is the biggest reason why he trusted him. It was extremely similar to the aura that his old friend gave off.
…
"That is a sign of His acknowledgement. I may not live to see the end, but that presence is all I need. It shows that He is with me."
…
"I have been meaning to ask a favor."
"What is it?"
"Can I enter the Institute's Base on your place?" Nobu asked him.
"That place? Certainly, but I won't have to remind you about its dangers, no?"
"No. I am fully aware of the dangers it possesses. I won't try anything further if it becomes extremely dangerous."
"Remember your words. Don't be swayed by greed."
Hearing Ozymandias' words, Nobu nodded. It is a factor he thought of a while ago. It is still good that someone reminded him as such.
"Then, I shall get going."
With a bow, Nobu disappeared from the temple.
*****
"Fu… It's already time."
"I will watch your back."
I heard Lancelot speak from behind. She maintained her spiritron form. She was also the only one to accompany me this time. The rest took the initiative to lessen my tasks and talked with the other Heroic Spirits in this world.
As for me, I am currently standing in front of a black steel gate. It has been buried by the sand for quite some time.
Recalling that servant's actions, I placed my palm on a touchpad and emitted a complex signature. I had to open three partitions to complete this simple task.
Fwoosh-!
The air decompressed inside as the gate was opened. It revealed a dimly lit hallway. It is built out of a strange black metal. Although, it turned into yellow bricks as I looked further.
'Just something that could help...'
I recalled the protected storage within this place. Its security and lockdown measures are extremely strict. I'll have to use my full power to deal with those measures.
"It's time to go…"
*****
A/N: For those who don't know, the 'servant' who opened Atlas' doors is Sherlock Holmes.