Impossible.
Alexander instinctively wanted to utter the word, but his lips moved without sound. Instead, he kept his sharp gaze locked on Alice.
He didn't believe someone as shrewd as her would concoct something so absurd just to deceive him.
And so, he chose to listen further.
Seeing Alexander regain his composure so quickly, Alice, who had been hoping to relish his flustered reaction, felt a pang of disappointment.
"According to the visions obtained through Liliana Kranjčar's Spirit Vision, all signs point to one person."
"She bears many titles: the Lord of Camelot, the King of Knights, the Eternal King, and the Red Dragon of Britain."
Finally, Alice solemnly uttered her true name.
"Arthur Pendragon… King Arthur."
Alice could tell that Alexander was still skeptical, waiting for her explanation.
"We also considered the possibility that Liliana might have lied. After all, the goddess did save her once. While the goddess claimed it was merely repayment for a favor, from our perspective, the scale of gratitude was far from equal. It wasn't impossible that Liliana lied to repay the goddess for saving her life."
"That's why we questioned another miko… someone from Japan, whose Spirit Vision capabilities surpass even Liliana's."
"That miko, Yuri Mariya, also saw the same visions as Liliana—fields, crowns, bloodied battlefields, and peaceful rest. But she saw more beyond those."
"She described a golden chalice and a massive black sun in the sky."
Alice paused before continuing.
"Afterward, I brought texts related to Arthurian legends to the battlefield where the goddess had fought. Using those texts as a medium, I was able to initiate my own Spirit Vision."
Even though the battle had ended days ago and the residual magic was much weaker, Alice, being the most skilled witch in Europe, managed to overcome the difficulty with the aid of the Arthurian texts.
This confirmed one thing: one of the gods on that battlefield had a significant connection to the legends of King Arthur.
"The golden chalice… the Holy Grail?"
For the first time, Alexander's usually calm and logical voice betrayed a hint of unease.
The Holy Grail—traditionally the Christian relic said to have held the blood of Christ—was a recurring element in countless myths. In Arthurian lore, it was said that the Grail appeared above the Round Table, and its divine light inspired many knights to swear oaths to seek it, ignoring Arthur and Guinevere's pleas.
Ultimately, the Grail was found by Galahad, Lancelot's son, who became known as the Grail Knight. Galahad performed miracles with the Grail, helping countless people before renouncing worldly matters. He prayed for salvation, ascending to Heaven, while the Grail vanished.
Alice was well aware of the Grail's significance to Alexander.
His father, a researcher of the occult, had dedicated his life to finding the Holy Grail. This obsession drove Alexander's mother to abandon them, leaving Alexander to be raised by his father alone.
After his father's death, Alexander inherited his quest, tirelessly searching for the Grail across the globe.
The Grail was also the reason he had once clashed with Alice—though the relic they fought over turned out to be a forgery.
Since then, Alexander had discovered that the true Grail resided with Guinevere. For months, he had been tracking her, though her cunning allowed her to evade him each time.
"There are countless myths involving the Grail. Its mere association with this goddess doesn't prove anything," Alexander murmured, stroking his chin in thought. "And that black sun… it doesn't align with anything in Arthurian legends."
"The black sun…" Alice mused. "The first thing that comes to mind is Tezcatlipoca, the Aztec god of chaos who ruled the First Sun. Then there's Saturn from Roman mythology, sometimes called the 'Black Sun' by Akkadian astrologers…"
Alexander interrupted, "You're also leaving out two key issues."
Alice nodded knowingly.
"First, the true Arthur was a man. Yet this individual… while her physique is somewhat petite, there's no doubt she's a woman."
"And second, the most crucial point…"
Alexander's gaze sharpened.
"Arthur is a fictional figure. There shouldn't be a King Arthur in this world."
Over the years, Alexander had visited many places tied to Arthurian legend, including the mystical Fairy Realm controlled by Guinevere and Avalon, the supposed resting place of Arthur. His investigations had led him to suspect that Arthur was merely a fabrication, a myth created by Guinevere for some unknown purpose.
Alice leaned forward slightly.
"These points are valid. But the explanation I've arrived at is this: the Arthurian legend was modeled after a real deity—one who happens to be a goddess. In essence, her true nature belongs to another god, but her myth was twisted into the image of Arthur, giving her the godhood associated with him."
Alexander raised an eyebrow.
"So, the black sun, seemingly unrelated to Arthurian legend, might actually be an aspect of this goddess's true origin?"
"Precisely," Alice agreed. But then she hesitated. "However… I've been unable to find any records of a female deity linked to a black sun. Moreover, Arthur—clearly a [Steel] Deity—makes this even harder to reconcile. Female [Steel] Deities are exceedingly rare, with Amazons being the most notable example."
"For now, it's just a theory," Alice concluded. "We can investigate further by making contact with the goddess herself. As for her skill in magic… it's possible it stems from her prototype deity—or perhaps from Merlin, her mentor in the myth."
Both Alice and Alexander silently agreed on one thing: the goddess's dark and violent demeanor didn't align with the noble King of Knights. They attributed it to the madness that often afflicted Heretic Gods.
Then, Alexander seemed to recall something.
"I may have another clue linking her to Arthur."
"Oh?" Alice's eyes gleamed with curiosity as she leaned forward.
"Guinevere," Alexander said. "Before I was forced to retreat by that goddess, I caught a glimpse of Guinevere. That slippery woman is nearby."
Hearing this, Alice's expression turned grave.
"Arthur's queen…" she murmured. "If she's made an appearance, she might be the most definitive key to proving this connection."
---
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf