Crazy Britain:They’re All Raising Me

[Though you weren't sure why Nochnare invited you to ride with her, you prudently declined, using Aiken's sudden fainting as an excuse.]

[As you mounted Aiken's steed, you saw behind you that Nochnare had instead invited Murien to ride with her.]

[And so, you all set off for Edinburgh, with Artoria and the others following behind in Redra Beat's carriage.]

[On the journey, you began a bit of self-reflection.]

"Though adventuring freely is fun and could be my dream life, you can't eat adventures, right? In the end, people need stability. If I keep fighting like before, someday I might die in a ditch."

Swaying on horseback, Guinevere tried to convince himself that maybe being dragged off to Edinburgh to work in a chocolate factory wouldn't be so bad. After all, life is like strong force—if you can't resist it, you might as well enjoy it.

But then he reconsidered. How could he, with the power of endless trials, possibly die from something like that?

"Hmm..."

Maybe from another angle... After all, even if you can restart endlessly, death still hurts... Avoiding more fighting wouldn't be so bad.

After all, he wasn't the kind to boast about "fighting is fun" all the time. As a good youth from Zhonghua, Guinevere was a pacifist at heart.

And thinking positively...

If he ended up in a chocolate factory, couldn't he secretly sneak some long biscuits and make Pocky for himself? It's been ages since he had any.

At that thought, Guinevere's eyes suddenly lit up.

Right! He could secretly snack while working overtime in the chocolate factory!

[You gradually accepted the possibility of working at a chocolate factory until you grow old.]

[Though the distance between Manchester and Edinburgh wasn't short, with all of you riding on horseback, you reached the northern city in just half a day.]

As Guinevere remembered, when the towering gates opened and Nochnare led them inside, the bustling atmosphere hit them head-on.

"Attention, citizens of Edinburgh! Lady Nochnare has returned!"

"Long live Lady Nochnare!"

"Silence! Citizens, please do not block the roads. Return to your posts—only by working at your posts can you best support Lady Nochnare!"

[Though there was some excitement at Nochnare's return, the city quickly regained order, thanks to the guards' efforts, and resumed full-speed production.]

"To strengthen the northern plains' defenses, we need more efforts dedicated to Lady Nochnare!"

"The second Magic Void Factory is nearing completion. We are recruiting 500 new workers! Any fairy or human with craftsmanship experience can immediately become a team leader after passing a skill test!"

"The Magic Void Factory is Lady Nochnare's most important project, and you might even catch a glimpse of her there!"

"The second northern cavalry is being formed! Horse-type fairies are wanted, with preferential treatment!"

"The Beast Capture Squad is heading out to capture magical beasts for cavalry mounts. Anyone with wilderness survival or beast-handling experience, please come forward!"

"I've been in the north for ten years, surviving thanks to Lady Nochnare's acceptance! In gratitude, I'm selling my prized ration packs! Special discounts for the Beast Capture Squad—only 20 coins each!"

While some odd items mixed in, it matched Guinevere's impressions of Edinburgh from his previous visit. In the simulation with the Sword Saint, the city was much like this: couriers running through the streets, propaganda machines running at full speed, and all the fairies working hard, hustling and bustling. The city still ran like a giant machine, at full power.

But this time, Guinevere noticed something new—some buildings he hadn't seen before.

"What do you think of this city?"

Nochnare's voice came from behind. Guinevere instinctively turned and saw her striding proudly beside him, looking at the bustling streets with a proud expression.

"It's not as glorious as Gloucester, but my Edinburgh is great too, right?"

"Yeah," Guinevere nodded lightly, "Everyone's working hard for you."

"Ah..."

Though Guinevere simply stated a fact, Nochnare suddenly grew uneasy. She had heard similar things from some fairies before, followed by accusations of her dictatorship and forced labor. She couldn't gauge Guinevere's stance from his words. Was he thinking the same?

Nochnare became a little nervous.

Speaking of which, other envoys had said her city felt like everyone had been brainwashed, creating the vibe of an evil empire preparing for war... Was that how Guinevere felt too?

Realizing this, she quickly added, "Just to clarify, I didn't use any evil mind-control magic or anything, okay? They all did this voluntarily."

"Yeah, I know. Why are you bringing this up?" Guinevere looked at Nochnare, puzzled. "I can tell. These people are voluntarily working together for the same ideal. I think it's great."

Hearing his words, Nochnare paused for a moment, then suddenly raised her head and nodded firmly.

"…Yeah! I think the way my city is now is great too. As long as people are working hard for me, I'll shine like they want and lead the royal clan to glory!"

—Though she raised her head, it was only because she couldn't bear to look Guinevere in the eye any longer. It felt like if this continued, she would fall for him completely.

Guinevere didn't realize her thoughts, but sensing her mood brighten, he felt a sigh of relief.

Whew, guess my flattery hit the mark?

He thought to himself.

"By the way, can you tell me what that is?"

He pointed to the huge, jet-black factory emitting smoke that seemed to clash with the surroundings. He hadn't seen such a building last time.

"Oh, you noticed that?"

Looking at the distant factory with a high spirit, Nochnare said excitedly:

"After our last battle, when I saw the power of your Magic Void Rifle, I took it to heart and started trying to recreate it."

"In the last simulation, I recruited many blacksmiths from Norwich, and along with the local craftsmen in Edinburgh, we worked for a long time and finally reproduced the Magic Void Rifle."

"It's really amazing—just layering simple wind acceleration formations, and yet it produces such a strong effect. The principle was so simple that I didn't even think of it at first... I always thought it was some incredibly complex ritual."

"When you told me about humanity's creativity, I didn't get it, but after learning the principle of Magic Void One, I think I finally understand... Humanity can create such incredible things with something so simple. Same with cavalry—the combination of soldiers and fairy or magical beasts as mounts is just brilliant!"

Nochnare's expression grew even more excited as she looked at Guinevere, her eyes full of expectation:

"So, I'm really happy to have you on board. With you, this time you can show me how to create even more amazing things with more complex spells, right?"

But she was met with a completely confused face:

"Huh?"

"—"

Realization hit, and Nochnare's smile suddenly froze. Slowly, it faded away. She sighed, scratching her head awkwardly, and said with some embarrassment:

"Sorry, I forgot. You don't know anything about all that, right? I just went on talking about it all by myself. My bad."

"Uh... oh."

Guinevere opened his mouth, finally recovering from his shock at Nochnare's crazy productivity.

He hadn't expected that, while Artoria and Bavanzi were still arguing over him daily, Nochnare had quietly absorbed all his innovations and was quietly building her own power.

Her insight and pragmatism were so normal that Guinevere was taken aback... but little did he know, she mistook his reaction as proof he didn't have the simulator.

"Well, actually, I've been pondering something," Nochnare suddenly said. "Since we've got Magic Void One, I've been wondering how to expand into Magic Void Two. With you, I'm sure we can figure it out."

"Huh?!" Guinevere froze.

He had expected to be thrown straight into a factory. That wasn't surprising, but...

"It's not a chocolate factory?!"

"Of course not! Why would I waste someone like you in a chocolate factory?" Nochnare answered casually. "That'd be such a waste of talent."

And so, Guinevere's dream of sneaking Pocky was shattered, and he almost cried on the spot.

............................

Meanwhile, far from Guinevere and Nochnare, someone in a carriage suddenly jumped up:

"I've got it! A way to rescue Guinevere from Nochnare's evil clutches!"

"What is it?" Seeing Artoria's excited look, Bavanzi immediately asked.

"We'll fight magic with magic—poison with poison."

Artoria raised a finger seriously:

"We'll recreate that thing called a Palball and capture Guinevere with it, forcibly overriding Nochnare's control. How's that?!"