Chapter 93. Mordred
Being the person most frequently exposed to Morgan in the simulated memories, Ian was deeply familiar with the sensations she evoked.
What had just traveled across the "thread" was undoubtedly "information" from Morgan.
But——
To claim it was entirely Morgan herself would be inaccurate.
A more precise description would be "something closely connected to her, but not her in essence."
Only one final step remained to pull the "thread" toward him.
Before doing so——
He needed to confirm one thing.
Ian glanced at Mashu beside him.
The memories conveyed by the simulation felt exceptionally vivid—there was no doubt about that.
However, that didn't necessarily mean they corresponded to the world Chaldea currently occupied.
Therefore, before taking the final action, he needed to verify as thoroughly as possible.
"Mashu."
While maintaining the current state, Ian addressed the girl next to him:
"What happened at the conclusion of King Arthur's story?"
"Huh?"
Although surprised by Ian's sudden question, Mashu answered earnestly:
"Um… according to what I've learned, she was supposed to have passed away by the lake where she once received the Holy Sword."
"After her death, her grave was moved to——"
"..."
Ian's gaze wavered slightly—the details Mashu had just mentioned matched perfectly with the memories from the simulation.
To be even more cautious, he asked another question.
"Then——"
"Was it Morgan who moved her grave to the royal cemetery?"
"Yes, that's correct." Mashu nodded. "Indeed, it was Morgan, who inherited the throne from King Arthur, who ordered the grave moved to the royal cemetery."
"But before that, it was said that the two had deep conflicts over certain matters."
"I don't know what force might have resolved that conflict…"
"Cough, cough."
Ian cleared his throat a couple of times.
This topic shouldn't continue.
"By the way, Mashu, why do you know so much about this? Normally, just knowing the basics would be enough!"
"Well…"
Mashu looked slightly embarrassed but still explained:
"Actually, I was also one of the Master candidates."
"So, I studied these things, though it seems a bit excessive now."
"..."
Seeing Mashu lower her head, Ian hesitated for a moment before reaching out to pat her head.
"Mashu, you mustn't lack confidence like that."
"Didn't you say that those who make it to Chaldea are all outstanding individuals carefully selected?"
"Then——"
"Doesn't that mean you can't be any less capable, right?"
"Huh?"
Hearing Ian's words, Mashu's eyes sparkled with a hint of gratitude, but they quickly dimmed with melancholy.
"But I'm…"
"You're what?" Ian couldn't help but press her.
"No, it's nothing!"
Mashu shook her head fervently.
"Senpai, I'll work on being more confident!"
"..."
Even though he was certain Mashu was hiding something, Ian wasn't the type to force someone to answer questions they didn't want to.
He nodded.
"Alright, I understand."
"But Mashu, if there's ever something troubling you, even if I can't guarantee I can help, I'll always be here to listen."
"Yes…" Mashu nodded slightly, her cheeks tinged with red.
"Thank you, Senpai."
After comforting Mashu, Ian refocused his attention on the pillar of light before him.
Having confirmed that the history of the world Chaldea occupied was indeed connected to the simulation, he realized the "anomaly" before him might not be as simple as it seemed.
Something related to Morgan, yet not Morgan herself.
What was truly awaiting him?
Despite his unease, Ian knew he couldn't just stand still and wait.
Ian once again reached out to the pillar of light where Artoria Pendragon (Saber) resided.
This time, he didn't avoid the sensation as he had before.
"Whatever it is, appear before me!"
Ian resolved internally as he focused on the pillar of light.
He watched as it slowly shifted, changing almost completely into a new color before stabilizing.
Witnessing this transformation, Mashu couldn't hide her astonishment.
But before she could say anything, Ian anticipated her reaction and gently placed a hand over her mouth.
"It's alright——"
"Mashu, don't be afraid."
"..."
This time, Mashu didn't hesitate and nodded immediately.
This saved Ian quite a bit of effort.
He released her and continued interacting with the now-transformed pillar of light, applying the same intent he had when summoning Artoria Pendragon (Saber).
To be honest, Ian initially expected the process to be incredibly chaotic, but it turned out to be far simpler than he had imagined.
It felt like pulling back something that had once been a part of him.
Ian faintly sensed something.
But no matter what it was——
The first step was to summon it to the "battlefield"!
The now-altered light particles swirled violently like a vortex, gradually coalescing into a humanoid form on the "battlefield."
Both Ian and Mashu immediately realized this figure was definitely not one of the three "Servants" summoned earlier.
"Senpai… maybe we should stop?!"
"I feel like this is really dangerous!"
Mashu's plea did nothing to shake Ian's determination.
Instead, he began to reassure her.
"Mashu, shouldn't we face new experiences without fear?"
"Maybe this time, this is the opportunity to upgrade the simulation combat system."
"But——"
Mashu tried to argue further, but in that moment, Ian pulled her into his arms with one arm.
"No buts."
He gazed at her with a determined look.
"Mashu, don't argue with me, okay?"
"..."
Flustered by this unfamiliar closeness, Mashu could only nod bashfully.
"Good."
Ian turned his focus back to the figure taking shape.
"Mashu, let's witness together what this is, shall we?"
With the man's confidence and the girl's apprehension, the emerging light finally coalesced into a fixed form.
Based on the logic Mashu had mentioned earlier, this seemed to be the process of a "Heroic Spirit" transforming into a "Servant."
This meant that this would be the fourth "Servant" to appear, manifesting in a way unlike the previous three.
Who could it possibly be?
Ian realized he wasn't just unafraid—he was excited.
After all, he wasn't exactly a virtuous person.
If he could truly summon a new "Heroic Spirit," it would align perfectly with his original goals.
In Ian's field of vision, only the silhouette of light remained.
He had to find out exactly what this was.
But——
Ian didn't expect the course of events to deviate entirely from his predictions.
The shimmering particles of light slowly dispersed.
The first thing Ian noticed was long, silver-gray hair tied in a high ponytail.
The hairstyle bore an uncanny resemblance to Artoria's.
Next were the deep blue eyes—a shade that seemed to contain an entire ocean. Ian could never forget the feeling of gazing into those eyes, something he had only experienced when facing Morgan.
As for the face, it bore many similarities to Morgan's.
No, it was more like Morgan's face, stripped of the traces of time.
However, there was a distinct bravery in her eyes that was reminiscent of Artoria.
Who was this person?
Ian's mind began racing.
He sifted through all the memories he had to find the answer to this question.
A name slowly surfaced in his thoughts.
Mordred.
The final offspring between himself and Morgan.
"So that's why the silver hair and blue eyes look like this."
Thinking along those lines——
It perfectly aligned with the concept of being "related to Morgan, but not entirely Morgan."
"..."
Ian was momentarily at a loss for words.
But his amazement was far from over.
Before his eyes, Mordred's silver hair quickly lost its original color, replaced by a brilliant golden hue, as if newly painted.
Her blue eyes also began to shift, gradually transforming into a lush green reminiscent of an endless forest.
Ian froze in place.
With these changes, the Mordred before him now seemed like the perfect fusion of Artoria and Morgan's appearances.
Why was this happening?
Was it normal for a "Heroic Spirit" to undergo such distinct changes when becoming a "Servant"?
That couldn't be possible, could it?!
These beings were supposed to cling to their historical identities.
Wait——
"Servant"?
A sudden realization hit Ian.
In the simulation system, the initial "Servants" included three individuals:
Artoria Pendragon (Saber)
Arash (Archer)
Cu Chulainn (Lancer)
Aside from Artoria, the other two had no significant connection to Mordred.
This meant that it was only through Artoria Pendragon (Saber) that Ian had established a link to Mordred.
But in the process, "she" must have inevitably influenced Mordred as well.
Which was why——
Mordred had manifested in this altered form.
"..."
After piecing everything together, Ian didn't know how to react to this conclusion.
Part of him even wished his thoughts were wrong——but looking at the current situation, his theory seemed to explain everything perfectly.
"Sen-Senpai..."
Mashu, who had witnessed the entire event, was utterly bewildered.
"It looks like a new 'Servant' has appeared!"
"Then——"
Ian forced himself to calm down.
"Mashu, is there any issue with the simulation system?"
At this question, Mashu quickly checked.
"Huh?" Mashu sounded surprised.
"There's no error at all."
"What about the name display?" Ian pressed further.
"Is there an issue with that part?"
"It still shows as Artoria Pendragon (Saber)," Mashu replied.
"... Any parts not recorded in the system data wouldn't be recognized by it."
Ian muttered to himself before giving Mashu another command.
"Alright, Mashu, can I trouble you to have Cu Chulainn (Lancer) maintain a defensive stance?"
"Oh, of course!"
At the same time, Cu Chulainn (Lancer) lowered his deep crimson spear horizontally, adopting a defensive posture.
Ian prepared to take the next step.
Because Mordred had appeared here, instead of wasting time researching why she had come, it was better to test her actual capabilities.
Fortunately——
If Cu Chulainn (Lancer) possessed "Battle Continuation," then he was the ideal "target dummy."
However, unlike Servant Artoria, Ian had no knowledge of Mordred's abilities.
After all, he had almost no interaction with her.
Not to mention, even within the simulation system, her displayed name was still Artoria Pendragon (Saber).
If not for the memories from the simulation, he might still not have realized who she was.
So——
He could only issue a simple command: "Attack."
Luckily——
Even though all data besides her name was blank, Mordred seemed to be integrated into the simulation system in the same way as the initial three Servants.
She still strictly followed Ian's commands.
Mordred conjured a silver longsword.
It was a blade bearing some resemblance to Excaliburn: Sword of Promised Victory.
But the material was entirely different —— her sword was silver, while Excaliburn was gold.
This was at least a decent clue.
At the very least, Ian now knew Mordred shared the same class as Artoria: Saber.
As for swordsmanship——
Ian could clearly sense that her style was learned from Gawain.
Because both emphasized a strong, ferocious offensive style, as if smashing everything aside.
However, in the simulations, even though Gawain had fully mastered Ian's swordsmanship, he was still often defeated by this very style.
The reason being that this offensive style had a critical weakness.
Hmm… It matched what he remembered from the simulation.
However——
Just as Ian intended to gather more information about Mordred, Mashu suddenly pulled his hand.
"Senpai."
"What's the matter?"
"The simulation battle time is almost over."
"Huh?"
Ian had almost forgotten —— when he and Mashu arrived here, there had been only an hour left before the simulation closed.
"Mashu, can't we extend it just a little longer?"
Mashu shook her head.
"No, Senpai."
"If we do that, someone will immediately come to check what's going on."
"Damn it…"
Ian took a deep breath.
"Then, Mashu, will anyone discover this anomaly later?"
"Probably not… Since according to the records, the simulation system hasn't been used for over a month."
"If Senpai is still interested, we can come back tomorrow."
"Umu… That's the only option."
Ian failed to notice one thing.
As he turned to leave with Mashu, Mordred, in the light symbolizing the "end of the simulation battle," quietly glanced at him.
...
Mordred (Saber)
Name: Mordred
Class: Saber
Alignments: Neutral • Good
Stats
Strength: A
Endurance: B
Agility: B
Mana: A
Luck: E
Noble Phantasm: B
Class Skills
Magic Resistance: A
Negates spells ranked A or below. Even high-level magecraft or rituals of equivalent rank struggle to inflict damage.
However, this skill is not innate but a magical blessing bestowed by her mother, Morgan. It represents the highest level of blessing within Morgan's abilities.
Since it does not belong inherently to Mordred, it can be entirely nullified when faced with magecraft or Noble Phantasms capable of dispelling blessings.
Item Construction: EX
The ability to craft magical items of various levels.
This is not typically a skill associated with the Saber class. However, due to prolonged exposure to such knowledge from her mother, Morgan, Mordred retained this memory and ability upon becoming a "Heroic Spirit."
Despite Morgan being a supreme magus, Mordred dislikes meticulous work when crafting magical items. As a result, her creations are wildly inconsistent in effectiveness, often with unpredictable consequences.
Notably, Mordred caused 32 large-scale fires in Camelot within a single year.
Personal Skills
Moments by the Lake: B
The moments spent living with her foster mother, Artoria Pendragon, by the Holy Lake granted Mordred an unspoken blessing.
This slightly improves her Luck stat.
However, the blessing gradually faded after she left the Holy Lake and returned to Camelot.
Mad Sword Technique: A
A swordsmanship technique Mordred learned from her elder brother, Gawain.
This is said to be a unique skill taught only to Morgan's descendants.
However, Mordred disliked its rigid nature and infused her own interpretation—focusing on extreme speed during attacks.
This adjustment makes Mordred's fighting style explosively powerful and uniquely forceful.
Gawain, as her mentor, found himself at a loss over this alteration:
"Why did it turn out like this… This isn't what I taught you!"
Last Knight of the Round Table: A
A knight summoned to the Round Table under Morgan's special privilege.
Although her combat style wasn't widely appreciated, Mordred surprisingly earned the affection of many members.
Gawain and Bedivere, in particular, were fond of her.
However, they might have been more satisfied if Mordred behaved more ladylike in her daily life.
"Why does a Knight of the Round Table enjoy bird hunting?" — Bedivere.
Noble Phantasms
My Mother, The King of Camelot!
Rank: A
Type: Barrier
Range: 1 Target
A Noble Phantasm born from Mordred's identity, exuding a noble aura that unconsciously compels reverence from anyone who witnesses it.
However, Mordred detests this Noble Phantasm.
"I'm not the King of Camelot, my mother is! If you want to show respect, do what you're supposed to!"
When the True Name is invoked, Mordred's magic resistance dramatically increases, but at the same time, she becomes more reckless, often falling into danger without realizing it.
If other Camelot-related Noble Phantasms are activated, this one resonates with them, enhancing their destruction resistance.
Clarent – The Brilliant King's Sword
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Army
A silver sword once stored in King Arthur's armory, symbolizing the right to inherit the throne.
It was handed to Mordred by Morgan, signifying her acknowledgment.
The sword's value is equal to Excalibur.
In battle, Clarent enhances the "King's Strength." However, Mordred has no desire for the throne and only seeks her mother's recognition.
Upon receiving the sword, Mordred achieved that desire, rendering Clarent ineffective in boosting her power under normal circumstances.
"It doesn't even compare to the sword that gorilla gave me." — Mordred.
When the True Name is invoked, Mordred uses Clarent to unleash a massive slash similar to Excalibur.
Instead of converting mana into light and accelerating it like Excalibur, Mordred solidifies mana into a dense form and slashes with brute force, believing it makes her look "cooler."
Where Is My Father?
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Unit
A Noble Phantasm activated upon Mordred's summoning, reflecting the question that has haunted her.
If her Master answers correctly, Mordred will fight wholeheartedly. If the answer is unsatisfactory, Mordred will doubt the Master's capability.
Only when Ian is the Master can the True Name be invoked.
When Ian acknowledges, "Yes, you are my daughter," the Noble Phantasm self-destructs.
In this state, Mordred's Luck stat increases dramatically.