True Magician

Chapter 94

Emiya's residence.

A minute passed, two, three, but the scene didn't change. I was still sitting there, staring at Merlin while he stared at the sleeping Morgan.

I had to say, the look on Caster's face right now was very unfamiliar to me. It was as if his usual cheerful, irritable, and lazy nature didn't exist, and now before me stood someone truly mysterious and wise, giving me the impression that he knew all the secrets of the world. And while this was partly true, his character and behavior simply did not fit the usual characteristics of 'wise' and 'mysterious'.

On top of everything else, the slight enigmatic smile on his face felt... odd. I don't know how to describe it more accurately, but I'd call it... paternal? Something like that.

- "How many people do you think, Master, have seen Morgan Le Fay sleeping and still survived, if you don't count her cronies?" Merlin whispered suddenly.

- "If you want to put on a mysterious atmosphere, then just cut to the chase. What does your question have to do with Morgan sneaking into my bed?"

- "She's been sad during your absence. She's not used to hiding her true identity and intentions, but it's almost impossible to hide from my Clairvoyance." He leaned toward Morgan and gently ruffled her bangs, creating an enclosed field that kept sounds from reaching her ears.

Did you miss her? Her? No, it was possible, but only if she lacked a punching bag in the form of me. After all, I hadn't seen anyone else she'd done the same thing with as she'd done with me. But that's completely understandable, given that I'm her Master, and I'm also a True Magician.

- "Even if she's not the Morgan I know, she's still got her memories. The same ones in which I taught her magic, and in which I was one of her main enemies," Merlin continued, "And about my question? What do you know about her story?"

- "This version of Morgan, as I recall, was created by the planet as a fairy to save Britannia and create Excalibur, after Sefar had done her deeds. Morgan made several attempts to save the island, meaning both fairies and humans, but was repeatedly betrayed, causing her to have to start all over again while changing her alias. At one point, she decided to take over Britain and thus save it, albeit in her own way. In response to Morgan's AWOL actions, the planet created a new fairy, Artoria, to fulfill the mission first."

- "And what do you think of all this?" Merlin asked with interest in his eyes.

- "I have nothing against this Lost Belt, even considering its peculiarities, where test-tube-grown humans are used as cattle and fairy's rule, in fact, a world consisting of one single island and an endless ocean. It's natural selection after all," I said calmly and looked at Morgan's beautiful face, "And what Morgan has done is only respectable, at least from my point of view. She has cast aside the fate imposed on her by the world and chosen her own. I wish Solomon had done the same, but I don't think it would have made a difference. That's just the way he was, it seems to me."

I stopped talking at those words, forgetting why I'd remembered Morgan's story, and then looked at Merlin with an incomprehensible look.

- "Again, what does your question have to do with all of this?"

- "It is because of your point of view that Morgan has respect and trust for you, Master."

- "Trust? Does she? Are we talking about the same Morgan? You know, Berserker?" I don't get it, "What about respect? She terrorizes me, you know. Or don't you have eyes, hmm?"

- "What else would you call the ultimate show of trust if not what's going on here? Morgan has fallen asleep in your presence because she feels you won't hurt her, that she won't get stabbed in the back by you while she sleeps. And she knows that as long as she doesn't undermine your trust first, none of this will happen." Merlin shrugged.