Chapter 8: A Plan in the Works

The two made their way through the halls of Castle Avalon in relative silence.

Lohan took note of the maids that he occasionally passed by. He recognized most of them. How could he not? After all, they were Pyglet's NPCs.

Unlike with a regular castle, the maids that worked in Avalon did not wear matching uniforms. Instead, each uniform was different, designed in such a way to reflect the person hidden underneath the clothing.

So far, nobody made a move to talk to him, a fact that he was inwardly grateful for.

Lohan arrived at a flight of stairs. Castle Avalon's throne room was located on the third floor. To get to their destination, the duo had to go all the way down to the ground floor.

Although he was normally proud of the castle that he had personally designed, right now, he felt nothing but regret. Lohan cursed his foolish self for making this place so damn complex. Who needed a hundred bedrooms? Why were there so many dead-ends everywhere? What was up with all the corners?

Castle Avalon was more akin to a labyrinth than an actual castle. Was he out of his mind when he first built this place?

If he hadn't been so familiar with the castle's layout, then he would have surely gotten lost by now. The duo had been walking for over ten minutes, yet they were still quite a ways away from reaching their destination.

He briefly considered installing teleportation platforms throughout the castle.

Actually, can't I just teleport there myself?

Lohan realized this fact too late. He had already invested frankly too much time making his way there on foot. Teleporting now would be an admission of defeat. It was a bit embarrassing, especially with a witness nearby. The last thing he wanted was for Artoria to think him weak-willed, or even worse, an idiot.

In the end, he could do nothing but suck it up and continue walking.

Just as they reached the ground floor, a voice from nearby stopped him dead on his tracks.

"Master, where are you going?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin. The voice, while unmistakably feminine, was a bit too taciturn for his liking. It was the same type of voice that a mother would use while admonishing her child.

Lohan turned around, only to see a beautiful silver-haired woman dressed in a navy-blue maid uniform. Her lips were adorned with ruby red lipstick. Her eyes were a dusty grey that reminded him of starlight. She was full-figured, and while her conservative outfit worked hard to keep her modest, it could not fully hide the ample size of her bust.

She was not smiling, although he didn't expect her to. Her character archetype was the kind to rarely show signs of open affection. Basically, anti-PDA.

"Ah, Grayfia…"

Once he realized who she was, Lohan's shoulders unconsciously tensed. Like Artoria, she was another powerful NPC. He had to tread carefully. The last thing he wanted was any unnecessary trouble, especially if said trouble led to bodily harm.

Grayfia Lucifuge was a character from the series High School DxD.

Known as the "Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation", she was a strong character from an even stronger universe. She had a rather strict personality, but that was not to say that she was entirely heartless. In fact, the devil maid had a bit of a soft spot for her loved ones.

Also, she was weak to alcohol.

As one might expect, Grayfia was a level 100 NPC. She also happened to be the designated head maid of Castle Avalon. The silver-haired beauty was at about the same level of strength as Artoria and her position in the guild wasn't that far behind either. Speaking of which…

Lohan realized for the first time that he was currently sandwiched between two very dangerous women. A cold sweat ran down his back. The situation was delicate, made more so by the looks the two were exchanging. Did they have some sort of grudge with each other or something? Why was Grayfia glaring at Artoria like that? And Artoria, why are you glaring back!?

Still, despite the stressful situation he suddenly found himself in, Lohan managed to maintain a calm facade.

He opened his mouth to speak, but a certain blond-haired king of knights beat him to it.

"Grayfia, move aside. Master and I have something important to do." Her voice was cold, far colder than anything he had ever heard before.

"Something important? I do not recall anything like that in Master's schedule for the day." Grayfia responded in an equally chilling tone.

I have a schedule? Lohan really wanted to ask about that, but it pretty apparent that now wasn't exactly the best time for questions.

"Of course you wouldn't know," Artoria replied back with a smug smile on her lips. "Master saw no need to inform you."

Grayfia's eyes narrowed. "As the head maid of Castle Avalon, I serve as Master's closest and most prominent aide. It is my duty to see to his every need and keep track of his every action. You are impeding my job."

"Master does not need a babysitter, especially not one like you."

"Do not demean my position with such an inane title." She took a step forward, her face inching closer to Artoria's as sparks crackled within her eyes. "Maybe you should do a better job as Avalon's Overseer? At the rate things are going, it won't take long before this Layer devolves into chaos."

"I am managing Avalon just fine," Artoria responded back with equal fervor. The tension in the air was practically palpable. "It was Master who assigned me the position and I do not plan to disappoint him anytime soon."

"Then I find your efforts inadequate. Your presence near him is unneeded and quite frankly, it is detrimental to the sanctity of the guild."

"Detrimental?" Artoria tilted her head in confusion.

"Master has no need for a pervert like you by his side."

Artoria bristled at the comment. "I-I am no pervert!"

"Really?" Grayfia stared at her with half-lidded eyes. Her gaze moved down to Artoria's chest. "Your exposed flesh says otherwise."

"It's a combat uniform!" Despite her words, Artoria subconsciously covered herself. "And it was Lady Pyglet who gifted me this outfit!"

She scoffed. "Please do not lay blame on the venerable creator for your sick perversions, you hussy."

"H-hussy!? That's it, I've had it up to here with your—"

"Grayfia, we were just on our way to the courtyard." Lohan decided now was the time to step in. Fortunately, the situation had yet to escalate to anything physical. That was the absolute worst scenario. The castle probably wouldn't survive a battle between two level 100 powerhouses.

With his interjection, the fire that was practically emanating from both women slowly died down. After a short pause, Grayfia turned towards him. She ignored the still fuming Artoria and stared at him with a look that could only be described as 'soft'.

It was a bit difficult to tell at first. While her outer expression remained largely the same, there was something else mixed in there too that made it different from before. It took him a while to figure out what, but it was in her eyes. They softened in a way that was unmistakable. Those were the type of eyes that you reserved for one person and one person only.

And they were directed at him.

Unfortunately, that gentleness did not last long. In less time it took to blink, her eyes reverted back to the same steely glare from before.

"What are you planning to do there?" Her question seemed a bit too interrogatory, but Lohan did not hold it against her. Grayfia was just like that. Besides, he was still caught up in that look from before. A part of him wanted to see it again.

"Um, there was something I wanted to do with Artoria." Lohan shook his head and answered as calmly as he could manage.

"And you did not see it fit to inform me beforehand?" The silver-haired devil scowled at him.

Lohan did not want to admit it, but being on the receiving end of such tangible fury was quite scary. Fortunately, he was able to maintain his poker face, if only slightly so.

"Well, it was a bit of a last-minute kind of thing…" He sheepishly responded as he scratched the back of his head.

His words did little to placate her. In fact, her scowl only seemed to worsen.

The two maintained eye contact for what felt like an eternity. Due to the height different, Grayfia had to look up at him, but that did not make the situation any less harrowing. Lohan was tempted to break it off several times, but something told him to keep going, that stopping now would only lead to more troubles in the future. He decided to listen to that little voice inside his head.

Eventually, Grayfia was the first to break. She shook her head and breathed out a resigned sigh.

"Very well. I do not like it, but I will let the matter slide. Next time though, please inform me whenever you wish to do something outside of your schedule. We can't have the guild leader suddenly go missing like what happened today. It's bad for morale."

Instead of verbally replying, Lohan simply nodded his head, inwardly sighing to himself in relief. He had somehow avoided the ire of a level 100 NPC. The homunculus was immensely grateful for whatever lucky star he had been born under. Things could have ended up a whole lot worse had the situation been any different.

Before he could start celebrating though, the silver-haired maid suddenly said something completely unexpected.

"Then, let's go." She even tugged on his sleeve for emphasis.

Lohan widened his eyes in surprise.

"Excuse me?" It wasn't him who responded this time, but rather, it was Artoria.

Grayfia shot her a wither look before she turned back to face him.

"I shall accompany you to the courtyard. As the head maid of Castle Avalon, it is my duty to stay by your side."

The King of Knights frowned. "Your presence is unneeded. Begone, devil."

"I wasn't asking for your opinion."

"You…"

"Actually, Artoria's right." Lohan once again interjected before the situation could get any worse. He let out an awkward cough. "You don't need to accompany us."

Grayfia narrowed her eyes and glared up at him. "I insist."

"No, seriously, that won't be necessary."

He was sweating again.

His plan hinged on Artoria being alone with him. Having another individual there would only be detrimental to everything he had planned out, especially if said individual was another level 100 powerhouse.

After a few seconds of tense silence, Grayfia's glare receded. In its place was a rather cute looking pout.

"But I need to—"

"Actually, I have something else for you to do." Lohan quickly followed up, hoping to divert her attention away from the current topic. "Would you mind prepping the dining hall? I'm planning to cook in a little while."

He originally expected her to protest some more, but to his pleasant surprise, Grayfia's face immediately perked up. Her eyes shined brightly like stars in the sky. It honestly caught him by surprise. It was as if someone had told her she had just won the lottery.

"The dining hall, is it? I assume you are talking about the one located on the ground floor? The one closest to the castle's main kitchen area?"

"Uh… yes?"

"Great. I will prep it posthaste. If you need anything else, do not hesitate to call me, Master. Until then, goodbye." She bowed to him before quickly turning around. Lohan watched her walk away, the sound of clicking heels echoing all throughout the hall.

Lohan was honestly quite confused by that last exchange.

He thought that the idea of her master cooking for himself would bother a maid of Grayfia's caliber. Wasn't that how it typically went for maids in a fantasy setting? Then again, she was also a devil. Maybe devils had different sensibilities?

It was then that he remembered something.

Back when the game was still running, Lohan often practiced his cooking skill in the castle kitchen. Although his [Prodigal House Husband] class made leveling up his domestic skills a whole lot easier, there was still quite a bit of grinding involved. As a result, he often ended up with a lot of excess food.

Yggdrasil's culinary system was the type where food expired if left out in the open for too long. Since he did not want all of his efforts to go to waste, he decided to give his cooked meals to the NPCs. Although they showed no outward reaction to his food, there was a certain sense of satisfaction in watching them eat.

More often than not, it was Grayfia who he gave the food to.

It wasn't like he personally went out of his way to look for the silver-haired devil. Due to her preprogrammed wandering patterns, Grayfia could often be found standing idly by in the kitchen. As the closest NPC available, he would usually just go to her whenever he wanted to get rid of his stockpile.

There was even that one time where he personally spoon-fed her.

Did she perhaps remember those days?

After a moment's pause, Lohan shrugged his shoulders. He would figure it out later. For now, there were things that needed to be done.

He led a quietly simmering Artoria to the castle courtyard.

After a while, the duo arrived at the courtyard.

It was a wide, open area located towards the back of the castle. Off in the distance, he could vaguely make out the myriad of steel weapons that blanketed the rest of the island like reeds in a field. It was a beautiful, if not melancholic sight.

The courtyard was one of the few places on the island that was not covered in rusted blades. Fortunately, it was just large enough for what Lohan had planned. If he wanted to find a better place, then he would need to leave the Fifth Layer, and that was not something he planned to do anytime soon.

Lohan turned back to stare at his companion.

Artoria stared at the courtyard with scrunched brows.

He did not know what was going through her mind, and that kind of worried him. Most of his plan for today hinged on her cooperation (albeit unknowingly).

While Lohan had confirmed that Artoria was very much alive, there were still plenty of questions left unanswered.

Where did her loyalties lie? Was she loyal to him or loyal to the guild? What would happen if she were to decide that he himself was detrimental to the guild's wellbeing?

In addition, who exactly was Artoria? Was she the Artoria that Pyglet created or the Artoria from the original Fate franchise? What of her personality? Was it based on the source material or on the stuff that Pyglet had written down in her character information panel?

Lohan needed information and this was his way of getting it.

He continued walking forward, signaling for Artoria to follow him. After a short walk, the duo found themselves standing in the middle of the open courtyard.

"Alright, this place should do nicely." Lohan murmured to himself as he inspected the surroundings. There was close to three hundred square meters of open space, perfect for a fight.

The young homunculus took secret pleasure in the wind brushing through his hair and the fresh air filling his lungs. It was a far cry from what his old world had to offer; the Earth was far too ravaged for such simple pleasures.

"Are you sure about this, Master?" Artoria was hesitant. While she held her weapon with a steady grip, she was reluctant to do anything else. After all, raising her hand against Lohan went against practically everything she believed in.

"Of course, I am." Lohan easily replied back. "Didn't I say it before? It's best to work up a sweat before we eat. The best way to do that is with a spar."

"Y-yes, you did say that, but I thought you meant something else…" She murmured underneath her breath.

"What else could I have been talking about?" He tilted his head to the side, genuinely confused.

"That's…" Her cheeks flushed a rosy pink.

Lohan stared at her with a slight frown. Was she hot or something? That shouldn't be right. Avalon had a fairly moderate climate. Even now, the wind brought a slight chill to his skin.

"Artoria?"

"N-nothing! Never mind! Forget I said anything!"

"Well, alright then." Lohan decided to drop the topic. Instead, he decided to focus on his plan. "Then, I take it you have no more arguments?"

She responded with a shake of her head.

"Good. We'll spar for a bit, work up a sweat, and then I'll go cook us something to eat. Sound good?"

Artoria nodded her head. "Very well then, Master."

The young homunculus inwardly grinned to himself. He absolutely loved it when a plan came together.

Lohan had picked sparring as his method of information extraction. The heat of battle made lips a hell of a lot looser. Plus, fighters were more likely to brush aside invasive questions rather than grow suspicious like they normally would in an ordinary situation.

Also, this was a good method to test his own strength.

From what he could tell, Lohan was not in his original body.

He had passed by a mirror on his way down to the courtyard. To his surprise, he had grey hair and white eyes. Lohan's current appearance was slightly younger than in real life. Right now, he looked to be somewhere between his late teens and early twenties. Also, he had none of the dark bags under his eyes that years of overwork had given him.

In short, he looked exactly like his game avatar. This realization gave him mixed feelings.

Lohan wasn't overly attached to his real body or anything. He had stopped exercising ever since he graduated high school. While he wasn't fat or anything, he was far from athletic.

In comparison, this new body felt both stronger and less restricting. It was as if someone had stitched a pair of wings to his back. He did not know if it was because of his newfound youth or because of the change in his race, but nonetheless, he found himself enjoying this strange feeling of freedom.

Still, it wasn't all fun and games.

The implication that he had lost his 'original body' still hung in the air. Lohan was far from happy. Even if it hadn't been the best, it had still been his. For him to lose it so suddenly…

He shook his head. It would do him no good to wallow in such depressing thoughts.

Fortunately, his original body and his in-game avatar were pretty similar to one another. In fact, his avatar was nothing more than a slightly younger version of his real body, except with different hair and eye color.

Lohan was immensely grateful for the fact that he did not have a hobby of roleplaying as one of Yggdrasil's more outlandish looking heteromorphic races. Could you imagine what would have happened had he picked something like a slime or a skeleton for his in-game avatar?

He was not quite ready to lose his fleshy manhood just yet.

More importantly, where did he stand in terms of strength? Did this body retain the same level of power from the game or was it purely cosmetic? Out of all the questions he needed answers to, this was probably the most important.

In either case, a spar was a good way to test his body's current capabilities.

Artoria's presence here served a similar purpose. More specifically, she was his safety-net for the worst-case scenario.

In this case, the worst-case scenario would be if Lohan's current body lacked any of his in-game strength and abilities. Without any power, Lohan would be weak and vulnerable. Any respect that the other NPCs might have towards him would vanish the moment they find out about his situation. The risks were far too high for his liking.

That was why Artoria was here. She was a hero; someone who wholeheartedly protected the weak. If he turned out to be weak, then she would undoubtedly protect him. He might end up losing his position as guild master, but it was a far better alternative than dying.

Of course, there were other 'heroic' NPCs within the guild, but Artoria was someone he felt comfortable trusting. Plus, she had a pretty high karmic alignment. That had to count for something, right?

It was fortunate that Artoria was the first NPC that he interacted with. If it had been some of the other NPCs with more disagreeable personalities…

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

That was also part of the reason why he couldn't have other NPCs observing the spar. The fewer witnesses around the better. It was already a big enough risk to have Artoria here. In fact, if it was just testing his abilities, then he could have done that in private, away from prying eyes. In the end though, he decided against it.

If he really was without strength, then Lohan knew he would be unable to hide it. At his core, he was a man who could not keep secrets. He might be able to last for a few weeks, but eventually, the truth would come out. It always did. Heck, considering his luck, keeping it a secret might even just blow up in his face.

Besides, Lohan was the type to charge at things headfirst. While he was not against planning out his actions, he was no schemer. It was why he solved most of his problems via the direct route.

It was part of the reason why he got along so well with someone as rumbunctious as Pyglet. For all their differences, they had shared quite a few things in common. Tackling problems head-on was one of those things.

Lohan shook his head. It was not the time to reminisce about his past. For now, he needed to get this fight (investigation) started.

The two stood in the middle of the clearing. They were separated from each other by a distance of approximately twenty meters.

"…"

"…"

For some reason, the duo just stood there, staring at each other. It was a bit awkward, so Lohan decided to fill the silence by doing some stretches.

"What are you doing, master?" Naturally, Artoria noticed. She watched as he attempted a standing toe touch.

"Limbering up," he answered with a grunt. "You should do it too, Artoria. It's a good way to prevent cramps and stuff."

"Um, alright…"

She reluctantly mimicked his movements.

This time, it was his turn to stare at her. After less than five seconds, he concluded one thing; she was very distracting.

For what felt like the umpteenth time, he once again confirmed the fact that Artoria's choice of clothing was a bit too revealing for most normal people to handle. Every twitch of her limbs and twist of her waist only revealed even more of her supple flesh. This was especially true whenever she stretched her arms up above her head. The way her chest jiggled like that was almost hypnotizing…

Maybe there was some truth to Grayfia's comment from earlier?

Lohan was quick to snap out of his little daze. He had something more important to do than ogle a heroic spirit.

Besides, if the number of servants that Pyglet had created was any indication, then he needed to get used to beautiful women fast, or else he wouldn't survive this guild, regardless of strength.

"Say…" Lohan's voice broke the silence. He was hesitant to ask this question, but he knew he needed answers. "Why do you call me master?"

Artoria tilted her head in confusion. "You are Lostalgia's guild master. Isn't it obvious to call you Master?"

Lohan inwardly cursed. He had half expected such a response. Still, it did not satisfy him.

"While that may be true, I doubt a simple position is enough to earn me such a title."

"You're right." To his surprise, Artoria conceded with a nod of her head. "It isn't just because you're Lostalgia's guild master. Master has done plenty of other things to warrant such a title."

"I have?"

"Of course. While Lady Pyglet may have created us, it was you who created Lostalgia. You were the one who molded the Five Layers with your own two hands. You were the one who took care of us. You were the one who brought order to an otherwise chaotic land." She paused, staring at him with round, earnest eyes. "Truthfully speaking, I do not know of anyone else who deserves the title of master more than you, Master."

"I see…" Lohan sank into contemplation. He had just confirmed that the NPCs had some understanding of his and Pyglet's roles within the guild; he was the one who created the guild base while Pyglet was the one who created the NPCs. In more mythical terms, he had built the world while she had created its inhabitants.

It would not surprise him if some of the NPCs viewed him as a literal god.

That thought disturbed him. So much so, that it prompted him to speak out.

"Have… have you ever thought about calling me by my name?"

Artoria's eyes widened. "I-I can't! I mean, not that I don't want to, but won't it… won't it be improper? As a former king, I am well informed of the decorum that is required within a king's court…"

Former king, is it?

Lohan silently mused to himself as he watched Artoria continue to flounder about with her explanation. Again, he confirmed something important: Artoria truly believed herself to be King Arthur. Now, the question was: why?

Was she truly King Arthur from another universe? To what extent was Pyglet responsible for the person known as Artoria Pendragon? Was it just her outer appearance or was everything else affected too? Were Artoria's personality and memories molded by the data within her character information panel?

At what point did the NPC named Artoria Pendragon end and the individual known as Artoria Pendragon begin?

A stray thought suddenly crossed his mind.

Does that mean she really does like to share?

"Master?"

Lohan snapped out of his reverie and looked back up at the former King of Knights. Ah, she was calling for him again. Better pay attention.

He let out an awkward cough. "I know about the proper decorum, but Lostalgia's more than just a guild, you know?"

"Yes, Lostalgia is comparable to a kingdom—"

"No, that's not what I meant." Lohan shook his head.

"Then what did you mean?" Artoria titled her head to the side.

"Family," Lohan responded with resolution. "Lostalgia is a family. That was the reason why Pyglet and I originally created this place: we wanted a family to call our own."

"Master and Lady Pyglet…" Artoria's voice was barely above a whisper. She lapsed into silence as she stared down at the patch of grass beneath her feet. After what felt like an eternity, she finally looked up at him. "T-then, can I call you L-Lohan?"

He smiled a simple smile. "Yeah, that works."

While he was truly happy at being called by his name, that did not stop him from analyzing their conversation.

So, she even knows my avatar's username… I kind of expected that. After all, I'm currently in the body of my in-game avatar. It would only make sense for her to know about my username.

Lohan was inwardly thankful that he had went with a somewhat regular username. Imagine if he had picked something stupid like PussySlayer69. He would have died of embarrassment.

After a few minutes, the duo finished their stretches. It was about time for the spar to start. Although he was eager to test himself, Lohan wanted to check his magic beforehand.

He hesitantly raised his arm and tried casting a tier 3 fireball spell.

To his pleasant surprise, a ball of fire the size of someone's head formed in his open palm. The ball continued to grow for a second or two before it abruptly shot forward. The fireball hit the ground a few seconds later, leaving behind a large patch of scorched earth.

Good. Lohan nodded to himself. With this, he at least confirmed that he had access to his old magic spells. Skills and racial traits were still up in the air, but he had a good feeling about those. Now, all he needed was experience. How would his experience as a Yggdrasil game veteran translate to this new situation of his?

"What are you doing now, Ma— I mean, Lohan." A voice asked from across the courtyard.

Thankfully, Lohan had an answer prepared beforehand.

"I'm limbering up my magic. It's the same principle as with the stretches." He spoke in a no-nonsense manner.

"Is that so? I was not aware that magic users needed to do that before a battle." She spoke with nothing but trust and honesty, and for a brief moment, he felt bad about lying to her.

"Well, I don't know about other magic users, but my um, magic, is kind of attuned to my physical abilities. So, maybe it's exclusive to me or people like me?" He shrugged.

Technically, he was telling the truth. Lohan possessed a few classes such as Spellsword and Battlemage whose magical abilities and physical abilities were intrinsically linked together.

"How fascinating…" She murmured. "I will endeavor to keep this lesson to mind."

"Right, you do that…"

"Also, while I am still hesitant to raise my blade against you, it is still an honor to cross swords with Lostalgia's guild master. To not only see you in action with my own eyes but to also experience it with my own body… it truly is a privilege."

"W-well, if this works out, then we can always do it again," Lohan spoke offhandedly, although he was inwardly hoping that this would be a one-time thing only.

"Mn." She resolutely nodded her head. "I won't disappoint you, Lohan! I'll do my best and give it my all."

"G-great, that's just what I wanted…"

The young homunculus held back the grimace that was starting to form on his face.

"Then, shall we begin?" He asked as he entered what he thought was a decent combat stance.

"Yes, I am ready whenever you are."

She mimicked his actions and entered a stance of her own. She held her spear parallel to the ground, while her body slightly hunched forward. Artoria looked like a predator about to pounce their prey.

Since she was waiting for him to make the first move, Lohan was more than happy to oblige.

In order to test the waters, he decided to open the battle with a salvo of tier 1 mana arrows.

This was a mistake.

Unbothered by the spell's activation, Artoria suddenly lowered her center of gravity and lunged forward. The ground beneath her feet cratered. She did not even bother to dodge the attack as she beelined towards him. The few arrows that actually reached her dissipated upon contact with her skin.

Lohan barely had the time to widen his eyes before the blonde-haired knight was upon him.

The unprepared homunculus jumped backward, narrowly avoiding an attack that would have undoubtedly gouged out his insides.

Unfortunately, he was less prepared for her follow-up attack.

Lohan was still in midair when she reared her spear back and thrusted again. He tried to twist his body to dodge, but the weapon caught him on the side of his arm. Artoria suddenly twisted her grip, somehow snaking the spear into his guard, before she swung her weapon to the side, sending Lohan's body flying in the process.

He bounced along the grassy plain like a skipped stone. His vision distorted into a kaleidoscope of blue skies and grassy fields. After what felt like an eternity, the world came to an abrupt halt. More accurately, his body finally stopped moving.

He groggily lifted his head up, only to discover that he was currently lying within a meter-deep trench in the ground. It was no doubt a result of his sudden and entirely unwanted landing.

Lohan glanced over at his opponent. He immediately wished he hadn't.

Artoria's eyes were cold, while her expression was morphed into one of pure focus.

A Knight…

I'm fighting a real knight with nearly a lifetime's worth of experience on the battlefield.

The weight of her glare bore down on him, threatening to suffocate him.

Oh man, I really fucked up.

For the first time, he realized just how badly of a mistake he had made by challenging Briton's King of Knights.

Author's Note:

Thank you for the feedback last chapter. I actually really like receiving reviews, so please keep them coming.

About the issue regarding gender-bended characters: I won't gender-bend anyone. The male NPCs are already outnumbered as is, no need to poach their members.

On a somewhat related note, I recently saw a promo video for the Fate Grand Order arcade game. To my surprise, they added Proto-Merlin in the game. To those that don't know, Proto-Merlin is basically female-Merlin... Since she's a canon character, it technically doesn't count as gender-bending.

I hope I kept the NPCs somewhat in character. To be honest, making completely OOC characters is my biggest fear for this fic. While some out of character moments are to be expected, I hope it isn't too detracting from the story.

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NPCs Shown so far:

Artoria Pendragon (Fate Series)

Evangeline A.K. McDowell (Negima! Magister Negi Magi)

Grayfia Lucifuge (High School DxD)

Every time a new NPC makes an appearance, I will update this list at the end of the chapter.