[You have arrived in Gloucester.]
"Now that we're in Gloucester, I should tell you a little about the local rules," Oberon said from one side of the carriage, pointing toward the distant city.
"This area is the territory of Myrion, the leader of the Wing Clan. Here, any form of combat is strictly prohibited."
"Currently, there is no conflict with any clan here, nor has it fully aligned with Queen Morgan."
"Myrion considers this an independent autonomous region. In fact, she declared this long ago, stating that Gloucester only has diplomatic relations with Morgan's Faerie Kingdom."
"And even when Queen Morgan was still around, she simply turned a blind eye to it…"
Oberon paused for a moment, then glanced at Artoria. "Do you feel something different about the air here, Artoria?"
Artoria sensed something subtle in the atmosphere and nodded slowly. "Hmm, the magical density in the air does seem different... Are you suggesting that the world's laws here might differ from those around us?"
"Yes, exactly," Oberon said with a slight grin. "This area is now under the influence of Yaling, or rather, the domain of Yaling Bai Zhong—Myrion's domain. You might not feel it much right now, but the closer we get to Gloucester, the stronger the sensation will be."
"And Yaling refers to those faeries born within the Sea of Stars, creatures that came into existence with the world itself. They are the purest of faeries, often called the 'Great Father' or 'Great Mother.' They are transcendent beings, somewhat akin to the spirit divisions of Earth's souls."
"In terms of power, their authority is comparable to that of gods, though they don't enact laws for humanity."
"Yaling faeries usually possess a unique ability to alter the world according to their own truth or faerie essence. This ability is their faerie domain, a mysterious power that only they control."
"The six original faeries who created the Six Great Clans were all Yaling faeries. Most faeries in Faerie Britannia today are their descendants, created through the power of Yaling, and are referred to as 'Children of the Forest' or 'Children of Stone.'"
"Compared to the Yaling faeries, these descendants barely retain a fraction of their power, but some faeries have inherited a deeper connection to the Yaling bloodline. These faeries are called 'Yaling Bai Zhong' or 'Returning Yaling,' and they are very troublesome to deal with."
"Ah, so that's what Yaling Bai Zhong means?" Guinevere thought back to when he had faced Woodworth during the Endless Trial. He suddenly understood.
"Hmm? You've heard of Yaling Bai Zhong before?" Oberon was a bit surprised.
"Uh, I heard about it in a tavern once. Woodworth, the leader of the Fang Clan, is apparently one of them," Guinevere scratched his head, making up a lie.
"Well, it's not often that people know about such secrets. You're quite lucky." Oberon rubbed his chin. "Since you know about it, let me share a bit more insider information with you."
"Woodworth, as the leader of the Fang Clan, has a very different lifestyle from the traditional bloodthirsty and warlike ways of his clan."
"He even wears a suit and runs a vegetarian canteen in Oxford, forbidding the Fang Clan in Oxford from eating raw food or meat. He uses various rituals to keep the clan in check, and he doesn't participate in any combat. Many faeries in Britannia think of him as weak."
"But in truth, he was once famous for his strength in his youth. It was him who single-handedly suppressed the Great Calamity a thousand years ago. When it comes to power, he nearly matched the Yaling ancestor of the Fang Clan. He was disgustingly strong."
At these words, Oberon's tone became notably harsher.
"Holy shit."
Guinevere wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow.
He had experienced the power of the Great Calamity just last week, and the devastation was world-ending. The giant black dog created from Bargest alone had ravaged Faerie Britannia. After it crossed the sea, nearly all the faeries in Britannia were wiped out.
Now to hear that Woodworth had once single-handedly suppressed the Great Calamity?
No wonder he's called "Wood the Mighty," Guinevere thought. Even if he had to die, he'd never want to fight that guy again.
"Alright, let's get back to the main point—let's talk about Myrion."
Oberon lightly clapped his hands, redirecting the conversation:
"Myrion has ruled over Gloucester for hundreds of years. Based on her bad temper, she has created a troublesome faerie domain here, governed by a rule known as 'Denial of Strength.'"
"I heard there used to be a rule in Gloucester where strengths could be reversed. But now, it's the 'Zeroing' rule—when anyone enters Gloucester, their strength is forcibly reset to zero. If we were to use a game analogy, it's like everyone entering would be forced down to level 1."
"But the more someone tries to create rules, the more likely they'll build a loophole to break them. Myrion herself probably isn't bound by this rule, so remember—no one in Gloucester can oppose Myrion."
[After Oberon shared information about Yaling Bai Zhong and Myrion, you quickly entered Gloucester.]
[Redra Bit, a faerie from the Fang Clan, said she preferred to stay outside Gloucester and wait for you.]
[Oberon mentioned that the auction will be held in the evening, and you have free time before then.]
[Artoria stares at you with a neutral expression, and you feel like she's waiting for you to invite her on a date.]
"…"
In the real world, as Guinevere climbed back onto the bed, he saw this message, and his hand trembled as he reached to tap the screen.
Though he wanted to deceive himself, Artoria's reaction made it hard to continue doing so.
Maybe... maybe Artoria really is in an online relationship with him.
It felt too surreal.
Suddenly discovering that the heroine he had been cultivating in the game was actually a real person, just like in the game, was a shock to anyone.
As his mind was in turmoil, unsure of how to continue his relationship with Artoria, another message popped up on his screen.
[After entering Gloucester, while shopping with Artoria, you overheard an explosive piece of news.]
[The Lord of Manchester, the faerie knight Galahad, suddenly went on a rampage and started massacring the faeries in Manchester.]
[According to a few passing wandering merchants, Galahad, after killing all the faeries in Manchester, transformed into a giant magical dog standing tens of meters tall.]
"Thud."
Guinevere once again fell off the bed, landing with a heavy thud on the floor.