Chapitre 284: C284
Merlin's days of deceiving people without any restraints were over.
Before him, a vast plain unfolded, adorned with an array of vibrant flowers bursting with life.
The view stretched far and wide, only interrupted by the distant forest. Even if one turned around and gazed at the entire expanse of the sky, all they would see was the evenly distributed blue canvas spanning the horizon.
No man-made structures such as fences, houses, city walls, or castles could be found here.
Kingdoms and nations were non-existent.
In the daytime, the air was filled with the warmth of spring and the vibrant ambiance of summer.
As night fell, a cool autumn breeze enveloped the island, accompanied by a sparkling winter sky full of stars.
The ground was adorned with blooming flowers and buzzing insects, while the forest teemed with lush greenery, flowing streams, and wild beasts. Near the water source, one can catch glimpses of fairies with ethereal beauty.
The paradises envisioned by humans were nothing but mere imitations of this mystical land.
This place was a deserted island, forever forbidden and untouched.
In myths and legends, it was hailed as the land of eternal spring, a miniature world.
Its name was Avalon, the legendary utopia.
It existed as a world untouched by the repetitive cycles of decline and destruction that plagued the planet's surface.
Though it coexisted with human history, it remained an entirely separate realm, devoid of any connection.
Within the garden, a humanoid figure could be seen. Cloaked in a robe woven from the finest fibers, its appearance was unassuming yet elegant.
The man was strolling through the sea of blossoms. His demeanor conveyed a sense of tranquility and assurance as he hummed a tune, careful not to harm the blooming flowers that blanketed the earth.
Without a doubt, the man was none other than Merlin, the advisor to the Eternal King, who willingly ventured into this mystical land.
Right from the beginning, Merlin possessed values that transcended human and non-human boundaries. He was a being who remained neutral, not swaying toward either side.
His engagements in the human realm were always an emulation of various personas, and he sustained himself by absorbing the emotions woven within human dreams.
Although there might be traces of human lineage in his blood, he never regarded himself as one of them.
That is, until he encountered the king.
The king, overflowing with passion, radiance, and a mesmerizing brilliance.
Despite the king's own existence being even more abnormal, he firmly identified himself as a human, radiating the brilliance of humanity.
Undoubtedly, those intense emotions captured his attention. He attempted to replicate the very essence of the king's personality.
Yet, he could only perceive it as an imitation. Within the core of the king's character lay something inherently unattainable through mere mimicry.
In the end, similar to the girl named Artoria, he discovered that his imitation fell short of true authenticity.
Perhaps the king's words ring true. Whether it pertains to humans, fairies, or phantasmal beings, every form of life is distinct and unique. There's no need to imitate others; one must simply embrace one's own true self.
It was perhaps for this very reason that he entertained the notion of "experiencing life as a human." And thus, he sought the help of the True Ancestor, requesting her to use her Mystic Eyes on him.
To be honest, the Mystic Eyes of the True Ancestor didn't prove very useful to him. After all, up until now, his personality and emotions had been nothing but imitation.
However, through those Mystic Eyes, he did catch glimpses of human emotions.
This revelation brought about hesitation when faced with a particular situation.
As a court magus, his duty dictated that he inform the king about this matter. Yet, driven by the girl's plea, he ultimately chose to conceal it.
It became a perplexing dilemma. In that moment, he realized that he had developed fatherly emotions for the girl he had nurtured since her youth.
And so, in collaboration with Agravain, he conspired to keep the existence of the child hidden.
Deep within his heart, he harbored a similar thought to Agravain's, believing that "the bloodline of Eternal King must surely possess the same brilliance and wisdom as the king himself."
Whether it was Agravain, the Knights of the Round Table, or even Merlin himself, they all held deep admiration for that extraordinary king.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this admiration that such a calamity happened.
With great dedication, Lily fiercely protected her child, shielding her from the harsh realities that should never have touched her tender soul. However, in the face of unavoidable circumstances, she was compelled to leave and confront the invading enemies, leaving her child behind.
Filled with an abundance of self-assurance, his clone joined Lily in the battle against external foes, unknowingly neglecting the safety of their rear.
Agravain imparted all the wisdom bequeathed by the king to this young child, who, at the mere age of five, possessed a pure worldview untainted by notions of right and wrong, lacking the capacity for decision-making.
Those who were aware of this child's existence held firm belief that she would possess remarkable wisdom.
Not because of anything else, but solely due to her bloodline.
Thus, the seeds of the kingdom's downfall were accidentally planted.
Yet, it was not the child herself or any individual who planted these seeds, but rather the collective admiration that penetrated everyone's hearts for the king.
Admiration stands as an emotion far removed from understanding and perceiving the truth.
The king once imparted these profound words to everyone, laden with meaning and foresight.
Perhaps the king had foreseen the depths of emotions harbored within everyone long before.
Sadly, no one truly understand the profound meaning behind his words.
Due to their collective admiration for the king, everyone firmly held the belief that his heirs would inherit his exceptional wisdom, even at the tender age of five.
And this admiration served as the catalyst for everything that followed.
Undeniably, the child displayed remarkable intelligence. From fragments of words recorded by the knights, she pieced together enough wisdom to forge her own set of values.
Her aspiration was to become a benevolent king, one who cherished and cared for her people.
If only things had remained that way.
However, she never received a normal education, and the only individual capable of guiding her had gradually succumbed to the consuming influence of the True Ether. She was pushed to the brink of suffocation, but her adopted son forcefully brought her back to the Inner Sea of the Planet.
Therefore, Agravain and Bedivere assumed control of the throne.
The king had emphasized that Bedivere and Agravain could not act alone; they had to work together.
However, due to the pressing urgency on the frontlines, Lily had no choice but to send Bedivere away, granting Agravain full authority over the child education.
Agravain's version of education essentially involved implanting the shadow of the king within the girl's mind.
He maintained a strict demeanor, often causing complaints from the girl. Nonetheless, she endured it all. Her moments of peace included playing and sharing her worries with her dear friends after her lessons, followed by greeting her hardworking uncle and aunt.
The girl willingly embraced her role as the Eternal King the Second. Perhaps, within her worldview, this was enough.
She aspired to become the king, bearing the weight of the future for everyone.
However, everything changed when she and Agravain stumbled upon a hidden secret.
Devoid of any sense of choice, unable to see the future... Fiery love led her down a treacherous path.
And thus, she launched a rebellion.
By the time Agravain wanted to stop it, it was already too late.
Unbeknownst to him, he had nurtured an individual even more formidable than the Fallen King, Vortigern.
She inherited the wisdom of the Eternal King, but not his benevolent will.
She was not as powerful as Vortigern, but she was even more terrifying.
Why?
Because she possessed wisdom.
And her first step was to overthrow Agravain and kill him, taking on all the sins herself. She then stirred unrest among the Knights of the Round Table, manipulating the situation to her advantage.
Through her cunning actions, she effectively suppressed any information flowing to her mother fighting against Attila on the frontlines, ensuring that she remained oblivious to the chaotic events unfolding within the kingdom. This King of Knight, wholeheartedly dedicated to her fight against Attila, believed the kingdom remained unshaken.
Unaware of the brewing storm within her own realm, Lily steadfastly pressed forward, step by step, marching towards the ultimate battle that awaited her.
Guinevere found Morgan in Avalon and reprimanded her harshly. However, by the time Morgan hastily departed from Avalon, it was already too late.
All that awaited her was a desolate wasteland and crumbling ruins.
Weighed down by guilt towards her sister, Morgan had no choice but to perform a ritual to resurrect her sister. Eventually, she vanished into a distant land, disappearing entirely from the land.
As for Lily, in her final moments, she heard the voice of 'Alaya' and entered into a pact with it, gaining an opportunity to save Camelot.
To this day, she tirelessly seeks a way to save her fallen kingdom in countless worlds, spanning both the past and the future. Because if she doesn't, she wouldn't have the courage to face the king.
...
Merlin strolled along the flower field until he reached the far end, where a gate crafted from rugged stones caught his attention. Its design bore a striking resemblance to the grand stone gates found on the island of Britain.
Beyond the gate, an unchanging wasteland stretched out before him, appearing no different than before.
A single inscription adorned the gate, its words etched deeply, "Only the innocent may pass."
"You played me like a fool, Guinevere," Merlin sighed and passed through the gate, not avoiding the path of flowers.
In an instant, the once desolate land underwent a breathtaking transformation.
Thick stones rose from the ground as if to encircle the visitor, effectively locking him in. Devoid of a ceiling, the towering walls extended infinitely into the distance, as if observing the visiting magus.
The structure resembled a stone tower, yet without a roof.
Merlin turned his head in the center of the stone tower, but the entrance he had just come through had disappeared. All that remained were the stone walls stretching infinitely towards the sky.
This boundary held the bitter truth of the fairy's actions, who had once supported the kingdom with unwavering dedication but ultimately became the catalyst for its downfall. It appeared that her aim was to ensure Merlin's eternal imprisonment within this tower, fueled by her deep-seated hatred towards him.
"I, indeed, still don't understand humans and fairies. Isn't a curse of this magnitude typically impossible to cast without sacrificing one's life? Truly terrifying. I don't remember ever doing something that warranted this terrible treatment."
[Only the innocent may pass.]
Despite recognizing the trap, the man still stepped into it, moved by the profound anguish in those words.
"'Have you not realized your mistake yet?' A fairy flew overhead, glaring fiercely at him from beyond the tower's confines.
"Your greatest mistake was concealing the truth from the king, deceiving him! Even if you wanted to keep it hidden, you should have at least told me! Why have I been kept in the dark until now! You have no right to face him, that much is certain, but why have you denied me the right to face him as well!"
Merlin lapsed into silence.
At this point, aside from Scathach, who was not involved in the matter, it appeared that nobody had the courage to face the king anymore.
And he could no longer deceive people without restraint. Because it would lead to this outcome, an outcome that was closely tied to him.
"You shall forever be imprisoned here, tormented by regret!" the fairy spoke with deep resentment before departing.
In the heart of the stone tower, Merlin sat silently, counting the passing days.
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. He had come to realize that he was something humanity should not have relied on.
However, he had initially intended to mess around with the king during his childhood, fifteen hundred years into the future. Yet now, he couldn't bring himself to show his face before the king.
No one possessed the courage to face the king anymore.
"Let Scathach go instead," Merlin sighed.
Scathach, who knows nothing, is the best candidate to complete the record of the king.
If history has a beginning and an end, perhaps that is why Scathach was chosen to be the king's mentor.
Because no one else possessed the courage to face the king.
However, that girl, Lily, continues to wander across infinite worlds, seeking solace as she journeys through the past and the future.
Perhaps she will encounter the king.
Perhaps she will not.
Until the moment she is called forth by the Holy Grail—
In the year 1993, on the eve of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
...
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone