Chapter 362: Avalon (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 362: Avalon (2)
Avalon.
It was the name of the S-rank gate conquered by the first King Arthur and the knights who followed him.
For some reason, the name of a gate that should have vanished into the distant past was still occasionally mentioned on the internet.
Avalon hasn't disappeared; it must still exist somewhere in England.
I used to wonder why such a ridiculous rumor was circulating, but now that I was witnessing the truth with my own eyes, I understood.
Someone must have stumbled upon Avalon by chance and posted about it online.
Though I had no idea why the British government hadn't controlled the information.
Anyway, I stood near the gate's entrance and looked around.
Just as a peaceful landscape, so serene it was hard to believe it was a gate, stretched out before me…
Clip-clop, clip-clop—
A single carriage was approaching from the distance.
When the carriage finally stopped, a golem, not a coachman, stepped down and approached me.
“It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Kang Hyun-woo.”
A deep male voice flowed from the mouth of the golem with its cold, hard skin.
It seemed to be some kind of voice synthesis engine.
“I will escort you to the duke's mansion.”
At the golem's words, the female employee from the Magic Tower gave me a slight bow before heading back out of the gate.
Left alone, I climbed into the carriage.
“We will now depart. The journey should take about thirty minutes.”
Rumble—
The carriage began to move smoothly along a road neatly paved with stone.
The ride was so much better than I expected that I thought it might be nice to buy one before returning to Korea.
It was on a completely different level from the carriages I'd experienced in other worlds.
When traveling with Iris, we'd tried casting magic on carriages to reduce shock or installing devices like suspensions, but the Winchester family's carriage made all those efforts feel futile.
I sipped a drink provided in the carriage and gazed out the window.
A vast, blue sky, a beautiful meadow that looked like a painting, and a gentle breeze that was neither too hot nor too cold.
Who would ever think this place was inside a gate?
And an S-rank gate at that—one that had once driven the island of Britain to the brink of destruction.
Even seeing it with my own eyes, I found it hard to believe.
But unlike outside, where the sun had been setting, the sun here was still high in the sky.
Suddenly, I recalled the unique characteristic of gates: they have their own timeline, separate from Earth's.
Moreover, the magic density, several times thicker than outside, also lent weight to the theory that this was Avalon.
‘…Why on earth would they build a mansion in a place like this?’
Why didn't they close a gate that was already conquered?
Why is the entrance to Avalon in the basement of the Magic Tower?
And why invite me, a foreigner, to a place that is so obviously a British national secret?
Once the questions started, they kept coming, one after another.
‘…Is it because of the Duke of Rutland?’
No, what if there's simply no need to hide it?
After pondering for a while, I shook my head.
For now, nothing was certain.
They were all just inferences based on flimsy evidence.
So, rather than worrying based on assumptions, I decided to focus on more important information.
First was the matter of the Vermilion Bird's True Blood, which I'd heard about from Baronet Sheffield.
I recalled what had happened at the workshop.
—The Vermilion Bird's True Blood? How the hell do you know about that?
—…The Duke of Rutland told me.
Seeing Baronet Sheffield's wary reaction, as if guarding against a foreigner who casually spoke of national secrets, I quickly dropped the duke's name.
What's a grandson-in-law for, right?
—Tsk, why does that bastard go around talking about such things… As far as I know, the organs, bones, and hide were all used up long ago. But if it's the True Blood, there should still be a few drops left.
—Then, do you know where it is?
He took a drag from his cigar, drawing out the moment.
It wasn't so much an attempt to tease me as it was a reluctance to even speak of it.
—That bastard Rupert probably has it.
I can still vividly recall the look on Baronet Sheffield's face as he scowled while mentioning Duke Winchester's name.
At first, I thought he was just an old dwarf whose skill was inversely proportional to his personality, but my opinion changed slightly when I saw him casually refer to the two dukes, who were said to wield power rivaling the royal family.
Of course, that didn't mean they were friends.
If I had to describe it, it seemed more like a long-standing, bitter relationship.
“Hoo, of all the people, it had to be owned by the Winchester family…”
I reflexively touched my forehead.
As for the Blue Dragon's True Blood, I could just ask for it as a wedding gift when Shin Yuna becomes the family head. The rest, I might be able to find eventually if I kept looking.
But in the case of the Vermilion Bird's True Blood, where the ownership was clear, the story was a bit different.
Not only could it be used up at any moment, but it was also impossible to buy with money.
It was common sense that the Winchester family, arguably one of the wealthiest in Europe, wouldn't sell off the byproducts of an S-rank boss.
Even if they did sell it, the price would surely be more than I could afford.
Trillions would be a starting point, I bet.
Besides, even if I tried to ask Duke Winchester to sell it under different conditions, he would obviously offer it as an engagement gift for his granddaughter.
‘Should I just give up?’
But it was too much of a waste to give up on the Blessing of the Four Guardian Gods just like that.
It was, after all, the first Myth-rank blessing to ever appear.
But it wasn't like I had any brilliant ideas.
For now, my only option was to find a way before this party ended.
“…Is stealing it really the only way?”
I shook my head and let out a dry laugh.
I'd get caught before I got very far, obviously.
The silver lining was that even if I failed to obtain the Vermilion Bird's True Blood, attending this party wouldn't be a complete waste.
That was because of the information I'd gotten from Baek Arin.
I recalled the conversation I had with her in the back alley.
—Do you know who's coming to the party at the Winchester estate?
—What, is the Queen herself coming?
—No, and don't be surprised when you hear this. They say King Arthur himself is coming.
—…What?
I couldn't help but be surprised by Baek Arin's words.
Just as Richard, the head of the Greymont family I met before, inherited the title of Lancelot, the title of King Arthur is also passed down.
However, unlike the other knights who inherited their titles with the royal family's approval, meeting the qualifications to succeed the Knight King (Pendragon) was extremely difficult.
That was because one had to be acknowledged by the holy sword, 'Excalibur,' which the first King Arthur was said to have received from the Lady of the Lake.
Opinions were divided online as to whether the holy sword was an Ego Sword with its own consciousness, but there was no denying that it was incredibly picky for a sword.
As proof, the position of King Arthur had been vacant quite often.
In fact, the current King Arthur was a successor who appeared a full fifty years after the previous one died.
However, even though it had been nearly three years since he was acknowledged by the holy sword, neither his face nor even his name had been revealed.
Some speculated that he was a fictional character created for political stability, but the British government flatly denied it.
But they didn't offer any excuses either.
They just kept repeating that the time was not yet right.
—Because of that, intelligence agencies from every country are watching the attendees with eagle eyes, but I don't think it'll be easy for them. With an archmage standing guard, do you think they'll find any openings?
For all of Baek Arin's boasting, it wasn't particularly useful information.
Still, it was interesting enough to give my cluttered mind a short break.
“I'd like to see the holy sword, too. I wonder if I'll get the chance.”
Amidst this mix of anticipation and concern, it wasn't long before I arrived at the Winchester estate.
*
—A noble's power comes from his family's mansion.
There is such an adage in Europe.
The moment I arrived at the Winchester estate, I understood why that saying came to be.
And I also understood why the two ducal families were said to wield power rivaling the royal family.
The word 'magnificent' wasn't enough to describe it.
The Winchester mansion, situated in the heart of Avalon, was like a work of art in itself.
Rather than being intimidating, it possessed an elegant and refined beauty.
Along the exquisitely carved paths, the gardens unfolded, filled with spring flowers arranged in perfect harmony.
I had only just entered, but the scenery alone made it clear that this was not a simple display of wealth, but the very essence of an aesthetic sense refined over long years.
It was comparable to Buckingham Palace, which I had seen before—no. In certain aspects, it was even more splendid and beautiful.
“Welcome to the Winchester estate. I am the head butler, Colin.”
As I entered the mansion, the elderly gentleman I had run into at the hotel lobby greeted me.
Behind him, other butlers and maids were lined up in an orderly fashion.
“We meet again.”
I focused magic into my eyes and looked at him.
Just as I'd thought, he was a mage.
A veteran with considerable combat experience, at that.
“My apologies for my rudeness back then.”
“Don't worry about it. Thanks to that, I was invited to this fine event.”
When I slowly waved my hand, he bowed his head without a word.
Afterward, a maid guided me to a room where a familiar, and frankly not very welcome, face was waiting for me.
“…Greetings to the head of the Winchester family.”
Duke Winchester greeted me with a warm expression, like a friendly neighborhood grandfather.
I didn't wonder why he was here.
After all, this was the old man's house.
“Yes, yes. It's even better to see you here. Don't worry about formalities, just have a seat. You, go and tell the child.”
“Yes, my lord.”
At his words, the maid bowed respectfully and left the room.
Left alone with Duke Winchester, I cautiously glanced at him before sitting down opposite him.
Honestly, it was a little awkward.
“You're tall, so the suit looks good on you. It's like seeing my younger self. Hoho.”
“It's thanks to the fine place you recommended, Your Grace.”
I just hadn't expected him to recommend a tailor that adds bulletproof and stab-proof functions to their suits.
Of course, for nobles' clothing, I suppose that's to be expected.
“Um, by the way, is the Duke of Rutland…?”
“Hm? Ah, that fellow has always been reluctant to show his face at these kinds of gatherings. He'd ignore an invitation from the Queen herself, so I imagine he won't be coming, just like always.”
“…What?”
Hearing that the Duke of Rutland wasn't here, I felt a sense of relief, but also a little surprise.
I wasn't particularly surprised that he'd ignore an invitation from the Queen; I already knew he was the type of person who would do that and more.
It was just that I found it unexpected that such a self-willed man would hide his marriage out of concern for the political fallout.
‘Well… if I had to guess, it was probably less a political calculation and more out of concern for Grandma Choi Young-ok.’
If public opinion turned sour, it would affect the Seongbuk Choi family.
Anyway, to think a man who looks like he could kill someone with a glare is such a romantic.
Just thinking about it for a moment almost made me let out a dry laugh.
Knock, knock—
Just as I was tilting my teacup to hide the twitching corners of my mouth, someone knocked on the door.
—My lord, I have brought the young lady.
“…The young lady?”
An inexplicable sense of dread washed over me at the maid's voice from beyond the door.
I glanced over at Duke Winchester, and his face was brimming with amusement.
‘…Don't tell me this old geezer…?’
In that moment, Baronet Sheffield's words came to mind.
—Those nobles are all a bunch of shady bastards.
“Yes, come in.”
Click!
The moment Duke Winchester gave his permission, the doors swung wide open.
Standing there, besides the maid, was a young girl I had never seen before.
She was so small she looked like she might have just turned ten.
The girl approached without any hesitation, her eyes fixed on me.
Despite her young age, she radiated an air of dignity.
“Glory to the wondrous magic.”
Rustle—
With her small fingertips, she carefully lifted the hem of her dress, spreading it slightly to the side in a graceful curve.
At the same time, with a polite smile on her cherry-like lips, she bowed her head respectfully.
Every single one of her movements combined the poise of a noble lady with the unique charm of a child.
“My name is Ophelia Penelope Winchester. It is an honor to greet you.”
The moment I saw the bright smile of the girl with her striking purple hair and golden eyes, I swallowed a heavy sigh.
I started to wonder if I'd come to a party or a police station.