"Nice to meet you, Kay."
Soft and languid, with a loneliness like autumn leaves crumbling—that was the tone of his voice.
The man seated in the plush chair of the reception room had a gentle air, like a prince from a fairy tale.
He was Oberon, the Fairy King who rules the forests of Wales.
"The Fairy King of Wales...? I've never heard that name in North Wales."
Kay relaxed his guard slightly and took a seat across from him. He knew the name Oberon from his past-life knowledge, but he had never heard that the Fairy King lived in Wales.
"Ahaha, it's no wonder. I don't much care for being seen by humans. I am merely a humble Fairy King who spends his days in a deep forest, watching leaves fall and taking naps."
Oberon lifted his teacup and gave a good-natured smile.
"And as you know, the fairies of Wales are weak children. I am not particularly strong, either. So if we were to be noticed, fairy hunters might target us. Not all humans are good after all."
In the depths of his eyes, there was a sharp, deceptive glint, as if he could see right through everything in the world.
"But then, why did you ask to see me?"
"Let's just call it curiosity. This great stage called Britain is like a gear rolling inevitably toward the end named destruction. Yet one day, a single spice dropped from a demonic realm has been jamming those gears."
Oberon propped his chin on his hand and looked at Kay with interest.
"Just after you returned from the demonic realm, North Wales changed, and the tyrant of Ireland died. And now, even the Fairy Kingdom you've come to is flourishing. Your existence is a peculiar singularity that twists the fate of this island."
Queen Gloriana also sat in serious silence before speaking in agreement.
"Indeed, Sir Kay. Your presence is bringing a fresh wind to Britain. But… where there is strong light, the shadow grows deep. Take, for example, Merlin."
"And that girl Nimue as well. In that sense, even if we step in, we can't change anything. It would be the same for anyone but you."
"…What do you mean by that?"
Kay's eyes sharpened. Oberon shrugged lightly at the sight.
"Don't make such a frightening face. Right now in central Britain, the prophesied king, King Arthur, is founding a great unified nation called Logres and is on the brink of completing Camelot."
Oberon rose slowly from his chair and stood by the window where the wind blew in.
"On the surface, it looks truly glorious. But erecting grand walls won't fill a heart left empty. On the contrary, when one stands at the highest point, the despair beneath you grows even deeper."
The wind blew, fluttering Oberon's cloak.
"You are the adversary of the Nightmare and the witch. You are not the adversary of Botigan… but you are a greater key to deciding Britain's fate than the Pendragon children."
"…I'd rather not take on that role."
"Perhaps. You may refuse. But know that your sisters' fate rests in your hands. Even if Botigan holds back, the Nightmare and the witch will continue to prey on those girls as long as they live."
"...…."
"That's all the advice I have, Kay. The true battlefield you will face ahead might not be a lair of monsters but a cathedral that is meant to shine brightest. In the distant future, if you defeat Botigan, go to the sacred shrine beneath Londinium. There, deep underground, you will find a child who can stand against the Nightmare."
"Hey, why are you giving advice like this to someone you've just met?"
"Me? I like happy endings. Stories where hardships are overcome, where the heroes' efforts aren't belittled, and even if it's cheesy, everyone ends up smiling… I love a story where everyone is happy."
Leaving only those words, Oberon vanished like a mirage through the reception room window on the autumn wind. Kay couldn't shake the uneasy feeling.
"Ow! My eyes! I'm crying! What kind of toxic plant did you use here?!"
After the heavy conversation in the reception room ended, as Kay had promised, the strangest cooking class in the world was being held in the kitchens of the Emerald Palace.
Bavanshi, a vampire fairy wearing a tacky white apron over a gorgeous gothic dress, stood at the cutting board slicing onions, tears streaming like chicken droppings.
"Stop whining. You're chopping onions, not handling poisons. I told you to dice them to uniform thickness? If you mash them, all the juice will leak out and the flavor will turn dull."
Kay stood behind her with his arms crossed, grilling her with the presence of a devilish drill sergeant.
"Grrr…! Why do I have to cry over slicing this worthless plant! Why not just draw the blood and mix it? Doesn't that do?"
"The blood pudding you praised needs roasted onions, oats, and spices in perfect proportion to tame the metallic bite of blood. Cooking is the art of patience and harmony. If you just want to gulp down blood, go bite a mosquito."
"I'm not a mosquitooo!!"
Despite her protests, Bavanshi bit her lip and continued chopping as ordered.
When the prep was done, Kay taught her exactly how to mix boar's blood with diced onions, oats, milk, and honey in precise ratios.
"Now, slowly stir this over the fire until it sets."
Bavanshi pouted but then, catching the scent of the pudding firming, her eyes began to sparkle. At last, her very first blood pudding came to completion.
"Try it."
Bavanshi carefully scooped a spoonful of the red pudding she'd made and put it in her mouth.
"…Huh?"
It didn't reach the ultimate flavor of yesterday's version made with Kay's blood, but the onions and herbs had perfectly masked the wild game stink, wrapping her tongue in a smooth, rich taste.
"It's good."
Her crimson eyes widened.
The small sense of accomplishment from creating something by refining the ingredients and controlling the heat warmed her heart—not the thrill of stealing another's life.
"Not bad, right? Cooking is about putting your heart in to feed others. Being a vampire fairy doesn't mean you must subsist only on blood. Sometimes, you should make it yourself and taste it."
Kay casually untied the strings of the apron atop her head.
Bavanshi stared blankly at Kay's large, rough fingers, then suddenly reddened and glared away.
"Hmph! I'm not grateful for this at all! It's just human tricks at best!"
She snatched her pudding plate and bolted out of the kitchen. Yet her pointed ears burned bright red.
That night—the final night in the Fairy Kingdom. Exhausted from the day's training and cooking class, Kay fell fast asleep in the spacious guest bed.
Creak.
The door opened very cautiously.
From the darkness, a massive yet thrilling silhouette approached the bed.
Bagest wore an audaciously sheer black negligee that outlined every curve of her body.
"Heh heh heh. My lord and master. The servants are fast asleep from fatigue, and this late hour is the perfect chance for a pet to firmly engrave the master's mark on the body!"
She swallowed and carefully pulled back the blanket covering Kay. Just as she was about to slip her massive body beside him,
"Oh my. Why does this horny stray dog slither into someone else's bed?"
"?!"
Within the blanket, Caster lay propped on her arms, hugging Kay's waist while offering herself as a pillow. She had already changed into a thin slip.
"Hmph. Do you think I'm a fool? That big-brained drooling hound was going to try to break in on my lord while he was defenseless. As if I would step aside so easily."
Caster nuzzled her face against Kay's chest and gave him a teasing smile.
"T-this arrogant countryside stick of a girl…! Tonight, I am the one to serve my lord! Step aside!"
Bagest, furious, climbed onto the bed and reached to grab Caster's collar.
Caster, unwilling to yield, gathered mana at her fingertips and formed a barrier.
"Aah?! Care to test that?!"
"Grrr! I'll eat you alive!!"
The two fairies grabbed each other by the hair on either side of Kay, their magic clashing as a catfight erupted.
Whack! Thud! Crash!!
The duvet flew and pillows tore in the chaos.
Right in the midst of that fierce melee, Kay frowned deeply and mumbled in his sleep.
"Ah, seriously. Shut up...."
The next morning.
"Shall I load your bags here, my lord?"
Bagest, dressed in civilian clothes, easily lifted Kay's enormous luggage in one hand and placed it on the ship's bow. Having contracted herself as Kay's retainer, it was natural for her to accompany him back to North Wales.
"Yes. Set it down carefully. There are spices inside."
On the ship's bow, Kay bid farewell to Queen Gloriana and Britomart, and, from a distance, to Bavanshi who had come to see him off.
"It was short, but thank you for everything, Your Majesty."
"We are the ones who should be thanking you, Sir Kay. We will never forget the sublime world of cuisine you introduced. Safe travels."
Britomart bowed with regret, and Bavanshi glowered at Kay with her arms crossed.
"Hmph, don't ever come back!"
She snapped sharply, but her gaze followed Kay's until the very end.
Just before the ship departed, Queen Gloriana approached Kay and whispered gravely in a tone similar to Oberon's.
"Sir Kay, when you return to North Wales, after making preparations, proceed straight to Logres without delay."
"Logres? That's where Artoria is, right?"
"Yes. The prophesied king is on the brink of collapse. As for details… you must hear them directly from the ladies waiting for you at North Wales Castle. I am not fully aware myself, I'm afraid."
'The ladies?'
Kay tilted his head in puzzlement, but the queen said no more.
Leaving Cleopolis behind, Kay finally turned the ship's bow toward North Wales, where his sisters—the core of the chaos, the Pendragon siblings—were clustered in a riotous multitude.
And in the reception hall of North Wales where he would arrive, Lily, rocking back and forth as if her mind lay in shards, and Artoria X holding a baby in her arms waited for him, their eyes blazing.