In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

Fernand smiled gently and greeted Belsac in return, then looked curiously at Rowe.

"This is my guest, also an assistant I invited to investigate the ley line problem. He is a magician from the Clock Tower."

Bersak then devised a suitable identity for Rowe.

"Oh, so you're the magician from the Clock Tower? Oh, you're quite young."

Upon hearing this, Fernand nodded, then looked thoughtfully at Rowe. Although his gaze unconsciously shifted slightly, he politely inquired, "Hello, young magician from the Clock Tower. My name is Fernand Croz, and this lady beside me is my assistant and nun, Irmia. May I ask your name, young man? And which department of magician are you from?"

Looking at the shrewd and cunning fat man in front of him, Luo Wei knew that this guy was trying to test something.

However, he didn't point it out directly, nor did he seem to care too much. Instead, he answered with a name that surprised everyone: "Merlin."

“Nice to meet you, Priest Fernand. My name is Merlin. You can just call me by that name.”

Merlin?

This answer clearly startled the fat priest in front of him.

He looked suspiciously at Luo Wei in front of him, then at the old gravedigger beside him, clearly wanting to ask for some help.

However, Belsak understood much more about Rowe's answer.

After all, this village is no ordinary village; its biggest secret is naturally King Arthur.

The meaning behind Loewe calling himself Merlin is quite clear.

As the legendary mentor of King Arthur, Merlin would only come for King Arthur. This title, while not a direct answer, subtly revealed to the two their purpose for being there.

The portly priest before him was surprised by this answer as well. As an agent priest dispatched by the Holy Church, he knew some of the village's hidden secrets and was staying there to monitor and supervise. He was well aware of the worship of King Arthur by everyone in the village.

What if Merlin came for Arthur?

So why was Belsak so calm? The magical energy of the ley lines beneath this mountain range had indeed been affected by unknown factors recently. Just tonight, he had vaguely sensed a disturbance in the magical energy of the ley lines near the cemetery, but since it was forbidden territory for the tomb keepers, he, as an outsider, couldn't investigate. And now, shortly after the disturbance, Belsak appeared with a stranger bearing the clearly alias "Merlin." He certainly wouldn't believe there wasn't a special connection between them.

In other words...

Has this village truly undergone some tremendous changes? Is it really the return of their so-called king? Or have some other changes occurred that they don't understand?

This is troublesome...

The fat priest shook his head, then jokingly replied, "Merlin... what a legendary name. To be honest, when I heard that name, I thought the Flower Magician had really returned."

"You're joking. It's just a coincidence. After all, Merlin and Arthur have long since become legends and will never return to this land, will they?"

In response to the fat priest's probing, Luo Wei smiled and replied.

"You're right. After all, the Flower Magician is just a legend. He was a figure from 1,500 years ago, and he might have died long ago."

'Hmm, if that nightmare really dies, it'll be better for everyone...'

Luo Wei merely made a joke at his words while inwardly criticizing them.

After entering the village and seeing the statue of the Virgin Mary, Belsac had completed the necessary rituals for Rowe. Just as he was about to leave, Rowe bluntly asked the priest about the statue's origins and other secrets. While this direct question surprised the fat priest, seeing that Belsac remained silent, he answered Rowe's questions earnestly.

"I don't know. It might be due to the village's long-standing customs. That's why this statue of the Virgin Mary is somewhat different from what we usually see. I only know that everyone who enters this village must come here to pay their respects according to the rules. What's wrong? Is Mr. Merlin concerned about this?"

Luo Wei nodded slightly. "Well, after all, this is a very rare type. Also, this statue looks very similar to one of my old friends... well, it really does look very similar, which is why I'm curious."

"I see. But this is something that has been passed down in the village since ancient times. Even if you asked me, I would know nothing about the details. I'm afraid only the builder of this statue would know its origin and meaning."

Fernand shook his head, then looked at the old gravedigger again. "Well, it's getting late. Now that we've shown the guests the statue of Our Lady, the ceremony can proceed as planned. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now. Mr. Belsac, you'll be in charge of entertaining this guest."

"I see."

Upon hearing this, the old tomb keeper nodded expressionlessly.

Then, under the meaningful gaze of the fat priest, Belsac knelt down and began to pray to the statue of the Virgin Mary. However, because of his tall stature, his prayer process was more like a knight's oath.

Rowe, following Puritan custom, made the sign of the cross before the statue of the Virgin Mary. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Rowe felt as if the statue of the Virgin Mary on the wall was constantly watching him. Those eyes were fixed on him, as if she had truly come to life.

After the worship ceremony, the two left together.

However, before leaving, Fernand gave Loewe a pointed reminder.

“Mr. Merlin, although this village is not large, it has many secrets and taboos. Please do not offend it lightly. If you need any help, you can come here to find me at any time.”

After speaking, the portly priest left with his assistant. This time, however, they didn't return to their room to rest; instead, they headed straight out of the village without any attempt at concealment. This made Belsak's eyes darken.

He could roughly guess what Fernand was going to do.

His open departure from the village was both a warning and a plea for help; he was warning himself and Rowe not to escalate the situation. This place remained under the Church's surveillance. If the situation got out of control, they would send more people to handle it.

'He really is a smart guy.'

Even Lovi couldn't help but look at the fat priest Fernand with new respect after realizing his intentions.

The reason he didn't attack directly was because he noticed Belsac's injury and the other party's attitude. He didn't want to make a move openly, nor was he confident he could take down Rowe, but he also realized that the situation here had changed, so he decisively went out to seek help.

These agents from the Holy Church were indeed no ordinary people.

……

After meeting the priest and completing the prayers for entering the village, Rowe followed Belsac out of the church through the back door.

After traversing yet another complex graveyard, they arrived at a secluded wooden cabin, which was also Bersak's home.

Although the strange gaze made him still somewhat concerned about the black statue of the Virgin Mary in the church, and he wanted to take it down to see the truth, he was met with Belsak's firm refusal to allow him to do such a blasphemous thing. So in the end, after a cursory inspection of the wall, he could only put it down.

The final result was simply that the statue was quite old and did indeed contain techniques from the age of gods, but it was merely an ordinary ritual prop, containing no significant secrets. Perhaps it was because the fat priest already knew this that he so calmly left the object for Luo Wei to examine.

The secrets of this village are indeed piling up...

Luo Wei felt uneasy, as if someone was constantly watching him.

Finally, we arrived at a small wooden house.

No, it was more like a storage room than a wooden hut. But seeing the crooked wooden bed and a few pieces of furniture, Luo Wei was certain that the old man really did live here. Luo Wei didn't mind sitting on the dirty oak stool, then took the cup that the old man handed him, which clearly smelled of copper rust, and quietly poured the water on the ground.

Upon seeing Rovi's rude behavior, Belsac frowned but said nothing, choosing instead to get straight to the point.

He said with a complicated expression, "To be honest, I never expected Avalon to return to the gravedigger's village, especially in this way. After King Arthur lost it, we thought it would never come back. It seems that some things are indeed predestined."

"What do you mean...?"

"There are some things you know, so let me tell you slowly."

“Just recently, the spiritual veins of our cemetery and the ritual array beneath our feet underwent a certain magical change. At that time, it seemed that King Arthur resonated with Gray, but this change came to an abrupt end and has never happened again since. I thought it was just a coincidence, but seeing you and Avalon appear at this time, I realized that it seems to be the power of fate.”

"what do you mean?"

"Magician, aren't you looking for your friend? In that case, why don't you search here first? If you can't find him in the village, he's probably underground."

Then, Belsac continued unhurriedly, "I will also help you find your friends, and I also hope you can do me a favor."

"What kind of help?"

"Come with me to investigate the magic circle left by the witch beneath the village. I am not an expert in this kind of magic; at most, I am a gravedigger who understands the spiritual realm. Since this is the village's greatest secret, other magicians cannot enter, but you, who possess Avalon, can certainly."

Belsac nodded and then said, "So I would like to ask you to come with me to investigate what's wrong with the magic circle below? Because of that incident, the surrounding ley lines have become extremely abnormal recently, and many of the souls of the past are unable to find peace. If this continues, this land will inevitably have problems sooner or later."

"A magic circle left behind by a witch?... Wow, so there's such a secret beneath your village."

Rowe stroked his chin, then a thoughtful expression appeared on his face. "That's interesting. I promised you, if we can't find Rafe up there, he's probably down there. I'll go with you then."

"That's good."

Bersak nodded.

"By the way, remember to be careful of the church people on your way back. They're not very friendly to magicians, and they've probably set up an ambush for you outside. But don't worry too much, I'll find a way to get you out of there. It's getting late now, and I imagine you must be tired from your long journey. Rest here tonight. I still need to deal with the beasts that are getting increasingly agitated because of the ley lines, so please excuse me."

Wild beasts...

Recalling the time he went up the mountain, when those wild beasts, acting like they were on stimulants and clearly acting strangely aggressively, pounced on him as soon as they saw him, Luo Wei revealed a thoughtful expression.

Were those guys actually affected by the ley lines? And...

Upon hearing the specific time when Belsak mentioned the abnormality in the ley lines and magic array, Rowe seemed to have realized something as well.

Because that period coincided with the start of the Holy Grail War and the time when King Arthur was summoned, which means—

The anomaly here is very likely due to the influence of the Holy Grail War, right? Because the aura of King Arthur was sensed again, the magic circle that Belsak mentioned was activated ahead of schedule.

And because Artoria did not die this time, but chose to live, did this create a paradox in the resurrection ritual, thus triggering these chain reactions?

Rowe rubbed his forehead and began to ponder. For a moment, he felt as if he were getting closer to some concrete truth. And regarding the curse on these gravediggers, he seemed to have found a way to lift it.

However, further confirmation is still needed.

Who knows, he might gain even more unexpected benefits this time he goes back.

"What's wrong, Mr. Rowe?"

Seeing that Rowe was deep in thought, Belsac couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing much, just some things on my mind. But it still needs confirmation. Anyway... this might not be a bad thing for you; perhaps it's a rare opportunity, a chance to break free from constraints."

"You mean...?!"

Upon hearing Lowell's words, Belsac seemed to realize something, his eyes widening slightly. However, Lowell didn't explain further, simply extending his palm and then:

"Shh~ Some things are still uncertain, and saying them aloud might make them less likely to come true. In any case, Mr. Belsac, I hope you will take this matter seriously. After all, it is indeed a rare opportunity for you."

"..."

Looking at Rowe's speechless, riddle-like tone, just like any other magician, Belsack's expression was somewhat helpless.

He then nodded slightly and pleaded in a low voice, "Then, I'll leave everything to you."

"Just leave it to me. After all, in a sense, we should be in a relationship where our interests are aligned."

Luo Wei's attitude was sincere, and his eyes were bright and piercing, without any pretense.

Even so, Belsac had a bad feeling; he always felt that Rowe had some ulterior motive.

And that is indeed the case, if this matter could really be resolved as I had hoped.

Then he wouldn't just have kidnapped Grey; he could have kidnapped the entire village of the Gravekeepers. When that happened… this ley line, and the entire land filled with hidden treasures, would rightfully fall into his hands, and he could then freely begin his archaeological excavation at Morgan's grave.

The Witch's Workshop?

Look, I've plucked all your hair out!!

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