Inside the carriage, Morgan watched Samael lift the curtain and sit down with a broad smile on his face. She pushed a cup of tea toward him and casually asked,
"What did you run off to do? You look awfully pleased with yourself."
"One good deed a day. Doing good makes me happy."
Samael winked playfully and answered with a smile before raising the cup and drinking contentedly.
The tea was still warm.
Morgan naturally had no idea what was really behind that answer, nor did she care enough to press him. Instead, she turned toward the scenery and fairy villages passing outside and sank into thought.
For some reason, her brow gradually furrowed.
Noticing his employer's concern, Samael's cheerful expression faded. He set down his cup and asked,
"What's wrong?"
"The Dark Round Table... the Fairy Knights..."
Morgan murmured the words, a grave look appearing in her eyes before she turned toward Samael.
"I was wondering whether Vortigern intends to repeat what he did with the Saxons. Perhaps he's secretly trying to gain control over the fairies and use them to overthrow Camelot. If the fairies really side with the North, leave the Nameless Forest, and try to replace humanity, then things will become troublesome..."
"So that's what you're worried about. I think you're overestimating the danger."
Samael laughed lightly.
Seeing that Morgan still looked uneasy, the Ancient Serpent began explaining what he knew about fairies.
"Using the fairies to overthrow Camelot would be extremely difficult. First, fairies are accustomed to staying within their own little circles and entertaining themselves. They rarely leave the Nameless Forest.
"Second, the six major clans are already riddled with conflicts among themselves. Forget Vortigern. Even the King of Knights, with all her extraordinary charisma, has ruled the South for years without ever managing to unite the fairies.
"So in the end, fairies are a scattered mess. They're very good at fighting among themselves and amusing themselves at each other's expense, but when it comes to uniting against an outside force, they simply can't hold together."
Morgan fell into thought.
A vague idea suddenly began taking shape in her mind, and before she realized it, the question had already left her lips.
"What if... someone used overwhelming authority to force them into becoming a single unified whole?"
Samael froze.
For a brief moment, he said nothing.
The strange silence, along with the inexplicable emotion in his gaze, made Morgan feel oddly uncomfortable.
She subconsciously cleared her throat.
"I mean, hypothetically..."
Samael came back to himself and gave Morgan a long look before speaking earnestly.
"As far as I know, the essence of fairies is [Purity]. Whether they act for good or evil, everything comes from emotion. That means neither law nor morality can truly restrain them.
"If someone used absolute authority to forcibly drag them up to the level of civilization, that nation would be more fragile than a sandcastle beneath the tide. Sooner or later, the fairies would lose patience and erupt.
"When that happens, either the fairies will unleash their nature in a frenzy and destroy themselves, or the ruler maintaining that order will suffer instead.
"Even if the one on the throne devotes everything to governing them and sincerely tries to save them, that ruler will receive neither gratitude nor understanding.
"That is how it would end."
For some reason, Morgan was deeply shaken by those words.
Seeing her wavering slightly, Samael's gaze grew distant and weathered as he began recounting some hidden history following the War of the Covenant.
"In truth, after the Divine Spirits withdrew, humans became the crown of creation, masters of the earth and stewards of the world, because they were the beings most similar to the gods. Their reason can often overcome their animal instincts.
"Dragonkind, Magical Beasts, nymphs... there are far too many species stronger than humans. But because of their various flaws, they were eliminated long ago as candidates to become the crown of creation.
"Fairies are the same. Even if they establish something they call civilization, it is destined to end without result."
After listening to him, Morgan unconsciously nodded.
The vague idea that had begun forming in her mind burst like a bubble and quietly disappeared.
"Indeed. With the nature fairies possess, they are neither suited nor capable of properly governing this world."
Hearing that, Samael knew Morgan had abandoned the idea.
The possibility of a Fae Round Table Realm arising through a different path had most likely been erased.
He quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Britannia was already chaotic enough.
If the six major fairy clans were dragged into the struggle as well, the mere thought gave him a headache.
More importantly, every last one of those fairies was a troublemaker who lived for amusement. Who knew what sort of disaster they might create?
Given what Samael knew about them, he would not have been surprised in the slightest if they somehow played around until they caused mass extinction or plunged the entire world into chaos.
It was best to strangle such an absurd outcome before it could ever take shape.
It would also keep Morgan from walking down a path of self-destruction.
All right.
That part was his own little selfish desire.
Samael shook his head and dismissed the stray thoughts.
Then he changed the subject, drawing his employer's attention back to the real issue awaiting them at the Great Cathedral.
How were they going to lure the Earth Clan Chief into their trap?
After repeated discussion and refinement, the two eventually settled on a plan.
Through this long conversation, Morgan also came to realize that the teammate she had recruited on short notice possessed an astonishing breadth of knowledge and wisdom, almost like a sage who had weathered countless ages.
While impressed, the Witch quietly glanced toward the man calmly sipping his tea and complained inwardly.
He's also remarkably good at setting people up...
Before long, the group relaxed again.
Their carriages passed through the dense white mist, and a magnificent fortress gradually appeared in the distance.
The Great Cathedral had arrived.
A short while later, two tightly sealed carriages entered the city and stopped in front of the Great Cathedral.
The moment the curtains were pulled aside, a tall, handsome man and woman stepped down while carrying an infant.
That familiar human presence spread through the area.
The entire crowd immediately erupted.
"Humans! They're humans!"
"They look even better than the ones at the last auction!"
"Nonsense! They're a thousand times better looking!"
Fairies from the Wind, Earth, Fang, Mirror, and other clans excitedly gathered around.
They crowded around the newly arrived "family of three," chattering incessantly. Their glittering gazes held curiosity, confusion, and, in some cases, naked ill intent.
Restlessness gradually spread through the crowd.
Quite a few fairies quietly edged closer, thoughts of snatching away the humans and claiming them for themselves beginning to surface.
"You noisy bunch of small fry! Shut up already! Keep staring and I'll gouge out those disgusting eyes of yours, throw them on the ground, and stomp every last one to pieces! Now get lost!"
From the other carriage, Baobhan Sith glared fiercely at the crowd.
A sinister, murderous aura swept through the surroundings, carrying a bone-deep chill.
The lower-tier fairies immediately shuddered under the intimidation. Their steps stopped, and they reluctantly backed away.
"They belong to us, meow. If you want humans, wait for the next auction and bid for your own."
Habetrot, displaying a surprising talent for acting, proudly explained the situation.
Then, brimming with novelty and excitement, she grabbed Samael and Morgan by the arms and led the three pieces of human "cargo" into the Great Cathedral ahead of everyone else.
Naturally, such blatant hogging immediately drew protests from Baobhan Sith and Freya.
The two little girls abandoned the carriage at once and hurried after them.
So that was it.
Just more humans being brought to the Great Cathedral for sale...
Only after the three fairies and their human cargo disappeared from sight did the surrounding fairies finally lose interest.
Realizing they could neither afford the humans nor afford to provoke their current owners, they muttered a few disgruntled complaints before reluctantly dispersing.