Fate/Magus Path

86 Heroic Spirit

In the dream world.

"Merlin, is the item I asked for ready?"

After a month, Roy visited again.

"Oh? You're here to pick it up this quickly? Much sooner than I expected. Though it's still in the testing phase, it's indeed finished."

Inside the tall tower, Merlin sensed Roy's arrival and slowly opened his eyes.

"Testing phase?" Roy asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Yes, it's still in the testing phase. After all, crafting a mystic code capable of restraining the magical power within you is no small feat. I've been working on it for a while and only managed to come up with a prototype. Many of the steps were done with the help of outside experts, so I'm still not entirely sure what this item can truly do."

Merlin rummaged through his sleeve for a moment before pulling out a pale pendant.

"You outsourced it? Didn't you say it was a piece of cake?" Roy said, surprised.

"Hehe, I just didn't want to embarrass myself in front of you."

"When I actually got to work, I found it much harder than I expected." Merlin scratched his head, trying to play it off cutely.

"Alright, so who were these outside experts?"

"It was the Lady of the Lake in Avalon. Even Vivian chipped in a bit. I designed the concept, and she handled the forging."

"The Lady of the Lake?"

Hearing Merlin's words, an uneasy image flashed through Roy's mind.

Cautiously, he asked, "Are you sure there's nothing wrong with this item?"

"No, no, I've checked it at least a hundred times before you arrived. There's no trace of any tampering, no matter how closely I looked."

Merlin, of course, understood Roy's concerns, so he had already thoroughly examined the item.

In the entire world, there were few who surpassed him in magical expertise. Even Morgan le Fay couldn't leave any traces in a mystic code that he couldn't detect.

Merlin was about to thump his chest and guarantee it, but Roy responded quicker.

Roy put the pendant around his neck and said, "I trust you, my friend."

"Eh? You're not going to check it one more time?"

His decisiveness surprised Merlin.

"No need. I trust you."

Seeing Roy still standing firm, Merlin sighed softly and smiled, "Thank you for your trust, my friend."

In that moment, Merlin felt the faintest stir in his heart, which hadn't been touched in so long.

Aside from Artoria at the very beginning, no one had ever regarded him as a friend before. This feeling was nostalgic, like a return to the old days.

He looked over at Roy...

"Roy, can I ask a favor?" Merlin suddenly said.

"Huh? A favor? Of course." Roy answered calmly.

"Great, I knew you wouldn't refuse."

"As long as it doesn't go against my principles, I'll help you. After all, we're friends, Merlin."

"Then, I'm counting on you, my friend."

Merlin smiled brightly, then said, "Do you remember when I asked you during the Holy Grail War if you were interested in Artoria?"

Roy thought back and nodded, "I remember. I refused at the time, saying I couldn't afford to take care of her."