Fate/Magus Path

93 The Director

After meeting Artoria, the previously stubborn old gravekeeper had a significant change in attitude. Now, whenever asked a question, he would answer openly without hesitation.

Following that, Roy and Artoria accompanied him into the gravekeeper village, which had been sealed off for a thousand years.

...

From the number of houses, it could be deduced that the population was only around a hundred or so. It was a village that could vanish at any moment, yet it had lingered in slumber for an incredibly long time.

Most of the buildings were constructed from green stone bricks, likely at least a century old. The entire gravekeeper village maintained a strong ancient British architectural style.

Dark red brick-tiled houses dotted every corner of the village. As it was nighttime, most of the villagers had already gone to sleep, though not everyone.

"Oh, Lord Bersac. Who are these two people with you?"

A middle-aged male voice came from the shadows, followed by a rotund man in priestly robes who called out to the group.

In fact, describing him as rotund was an understatement; he was practically spherical, resembling a large human ball of fat. The contrast between his bulging figure and the red priestly robe he wore was striking.

The profession of a priest wasn't typically associated with a figure like his, but the oppressive aura he gave off suggested that he was far from harmless.

Behind the portly priest stood a young nun, barely out of her teenage years. From her appearance, she was probably around twenty, with sharp, intelligent brown eyes and a few strands of golden hair escaping from her headscarf. The light freckles on her face only added to her charm.

She was likely a disciple of the priest.

Encountering two church officials stationed in the village at such a late hour seemed suspicious to Roy.

So, the Holy Church was also interested in the secrets of the gravekeeper village?

"Good evening, Father Croze." Bersac called out his name.

"And a good evening to you as well, Mr. Bersac."

The old gravekeeper spoke, "These are my guests. May they enter?"

"Oh, of course. After all, you are the master of this place. As a guest here myself, I have no right to interfere with your decisions."

Father Croze cast a glance at the old gravekeeper, then studied Roy and Artoria.

When he saw Artoria's face, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but he said nothing, simply shaking his head with a smile.

He then bowed slightly, keeping his tone respectful as he asked, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I am Father Fernand Croze, and this is Sister Ilumia. How should I address you?"

Seeing this round yet shrewd priest, Roy was certain the man had already figured something out.

He raised his hand to stop Artoria from responding and said to him, "Merlin. You can call me Merlin. And this is my companion, Lily."

Merlin?

This response surprised both the old gravekeeper and the portly priest, given that this name carried particular weight in the village.

Upon hearing Roy announce his name, the priest's expression remained steady, showing no visible reaction.

After all, there wasn't a single person in England who hadn't heard of Merlin. Be it through children's storybooks or ancient tomes, this legendary name was well-known.