Morgan walked through Orario's streets, ignoring the looks here and there from men and sometimes women that were captivated by both her and her knight's beauty. She walked with stride as she made her way to her destination, the medical ward of Babel.
She inwardly scoffed at the name, knowing that history will find some twisted way to repeat itself. Even she knew the legend of the Tower of Babel in Pan-Human History and that this place was a ticking timebomb with the numerous curses below. It reminded her of Cernunnos but worse. The Enshrined God was dead so time-travel could give the right people the edge they need with the knowledge they've gained to defeat the reanimated God. The Goddess chained below was still alive with her soul intact so any attempt of paradoxical attacks would fail spectacularly.
This place was akin to her former Lostbelt, and it disgusted her that her 'daughter' would endure the same dance and song as 'savior' for these ungrateful races. But this world wasn't so bad, the fairies here weren't the unrepentant sinners of the Lostbelt she lived in. They cared and genuinely adored her and were remotely harmless albeit a habit of minor pranks. Her beloved Britain had flourished wonderfully in this world compared to the one doomed to destruction.
If anything, this world was more hopeful than hers in chances of preventing it from ceasing to be. She needed a bit more time to figure out Hakuno's strengths and see what she lacked…once she finished recovering properly. But there was going to be one obstacle to deal with…her son-in-law Gilgamesh.
Seriously, what was her other self thinking of having the Heroic Spirit marry Hakuno?! Sure, he's a powerful Heroic Spirit with the power to back it up. But did he really have to be so egoistic? She can't even think straight while listening to the man who's in love with his own voice speaking without pause for crying out loud!
She had standards compared to her Pan-Human self, who clearly had a few screws loose if she's making such reckless decisions like this. If anything, she'd have Hakuno marry a more decent man than the king in that ridiculously tacky golden armor. What was with all that gold? No, seriously. Morgan felt blind if she looked at the man for too long and deaf if she kept hearing his boasts and laughter.
Hakuno, how do you live with this?
If anything, the Lostbelt Queen felt a surge of respect for Hakuno being able to handle this Heroic Spirit without losing her sanity. A real saint in the making right there.
She and her knight asked for directions, proceeding to make their way towards Hakuno's room while noticing a petite girl with large breasts heading in the same direction as them. It was Hestia, Hakuno's goddess and surrogate mother. Morgan didn't know how to feel about it.
Given that her other self under the guise of Elise Kishinami was now dead, Hakuno probably had that longing for a mother again and found one in Hestia, which the goddess had taken quite dutifully and happily. Still…Morgan couldn't help but feel a bit sad in that department. It made her think of her own death and leaving Baobhan Sith alone in her final moments when those fairies fell for Aurora's deception and Spriggan's coup.
Part of her could understand the concern for one's daughter with her Pan-Human self. Herself with Baobhan Sith, and her Pan-Human self with Hakuno.
"So, what brings you here?" Hestia asked, snapping Morgan out of her thoughts as she looked at the goddess. The gods of this world could tell lies easily like fairies did, which will be a hassle to deal with. Truths will come to light, but not now.
"I'm here to see family." She answered, ignoring the surprised looked of her knight while Hestia nodded her head knowingly.
"That is good. Not many adventurers have family visit them. From what I learned, most adventurers in Orario were the orphans on the streets unless they were travelers seeking thrills, fame and adventure." Hestia explained while Morgan frowned at that. There were a few things here that reminded her of the Olympus Lostbelt her (former) Master, Beryl had described.
Gods not caring for their own creations to the point there were still the weak, sick and poor. Even Morgan herself ensured every one of her subjects had a role and purpose in her kingdom. Her trip through frequent spots Hakuno went through her daily routine when she's not dungeon exploring.
She saw the poor and weak, and Hakuno's potions in the hands of those in need. Hearths burning brightly and there were sparks of hope in their eyes. Some were gathering flowers and making crude bouquets for her daughter as she slept.
She truly inherited Morgan's caring nature when she still went by the name Vivian and Tonelico in the past. But giving these people hope is just plain cruel with the fact that this city was a ticking timebomb in the final years before this world's equivalent to the Great Calamity was close to exploding.
But she promised to help Hakuno, her 'daughter' in any way she can…Even if it meant dealing with some unpleasant things in the long run.
They followed the goddess, who assumed they were looking for the relative in question in the same hallway only to feel unnerved when the three stopped at Hakuno's door.
"You may enter goddess, and my mother-in-law." Came the voice of Gilgamesh from the other side of the door. Hearing that made Hestia freeze momentarily and turned around one would assume she'd get whiplash from it as she gapped and pointed at Morgan in shock.
"You're Hakuno's birth mother?!" Hestia exclaimed in shock while her eyes examined the Fairy Queen's appearance while Morgan was amused by this reaction from a petite goddess like her. Her own looks and charm compared to Hakuno's plainness was a hilarity every time if this keeps happening.
"She gets her looks from her father." Morgan explained the unspoken question while Hestia was gaping at her.
"She even has the same voice as Hakuno! If the tone is a bit different, one would hear the resemblance!" Hestia thought while Morgan entered the room as Gilgamesh sat on a golden throne across from Hakuno's bed, eyeing the sleeping girl without batting an eyelash.
Without a beat, Morgan was beside Hakuno, caressing her face gently as diagnostic spells ran from her fingers to see the damage Hakuno endured.
The damage to the stomach was healed although a scar will remain, her arms have been severed by explosions and a medical saw was used to even out torn flesh and bone so her body can be balanced. Magic circuits were partially damaged and…hm?
Morgan noticed an unusual magical signature inside of Hakuno, always changing and evolving. It was part of her soul as she tried to analyze it.
She couldn't.
It kept changing forms and properties to the point it might as well not be there at all. It baffled her and she felt Gilgamesh's smug amusement aimed at her back as the Fairy Queen refused to meet his gaze while Hestia was trembling from the heavy atmosphere.
This wasn't good. If Hestia doesn't find a way to break the ice, this could go on forever.
"Um…" Hestia began as she begged for a miracle to happen. "Have you taught Hakuno her magic?" she asked weakly. She watched as Morgan blinked and turned her icy blue eyes towards her and Hestia flinched at that.
"Not exactly." Morgan replied, recalling the memories of her Pan Human self's limited interactions with Hakuno when it came to magecraft. "I left a grimoire for her housing all the knowledge for her to use at her discretion." She answered Hestia who bopped a fist in her hand in understanding.
"Oh, that grimoire!" Hestia realized with a small fond smile. "Hakuno always loved reading that one. Every night she would reread some of the older pages with a curious expression before she tried out something new in the Dungeon." She regaled with a nostalgia before looking away with a wry smile. "She's always attracting attention to herself every time she casts a new spell. Especially that spell against that Horseman." She said quietly enough for Morgan to still hear it.
"Oh?" Morgan began, suddenly interested on which spell Hakuno had casted to gain that kind of reaction from Hestia. "What kind of spell did she use that garnered such attention?" she had to ask. She wondered how powerful her daughter had become in this world as she improved upon her magecraft and see how far she had come. She was not disappointed with the next two words that left the goddess' lips.
"Lordless Camelot."
Ah.
The embodiment of her anger and grudges against Artoria and Camelot (plus the fairies of the Lostbelt). It wasn't a spell, but a Noble Phantasm. As a fairy descendant, she inherited that power as well…Hakuno had been here roughly a quarter of a year and by then she already utilized such an attack? Consider Morgan impressed.
"'Tis a small shame that attack my Queen inflicted upon the foolish Horseman did not destroy him." Gilgamesh spoke up, arms crossed. "Since she's focused on protecting her Familia, she limited her strength, so they don't get caught in the crossfires of that attack. But it did push the being back as it was forced to retreat to recuperate."
"I see, as expected of Her Majesties' child, to wield such incredible power at such an age." The blonde knight spoke up, looks of respect towards Hakuno now evident.
"I see, so Hakuno truly is royalty." Hestia confirmed as she recalled Hakuno's ring, the Regalia. The name alone was a dead giveaway that Hakuno was royalty, and with the aura of regality emitting from Morgan and he fact Hakuno is married to a king all but confirmed it. "I take it this visit is a secret?" Hestia asked.
"No, because I'm temporarily aiding the Hestia Familia in the upcoming War Game against Apollo." Morgan answered, getting a startled reaction from Hestia. "They insulted not just you, but my daughter…and indirectly me with their blasphemous insults." Morgan explained as the air grew cold as it literally dropped ten degrees in an instant to remind Hestia of Hakuno's own moments of tranquil anger. Like mother like daughter, it seemed.
*?*
"Heh…? This is the supposed 'City of Adventure'? To think something so medieval would house someone important as Senpai inside it. Doesn't look like much compared to what we've seen, right girls?" a girl in a black mantle, a teacher's pointer, purple hair, and an impressive bust asked her companions that had the same face as her, but with different eye colors and physical appearances to let them know they were not normal in any way.
"From what the rumors say, Hakuno is in a medical ward in a coma. Not to mention Gilgamesh is there as well." The one that said that wore a long black coat and long metallic legs that ended with sharp ends that could best be described as lethal if they saw it.
"…Senpai is hurt…Hurt…" the largest of them muttered, her eyes glossed over as she looked possessed.
"No! Protea, control yourself! If anything, she's still alive and would be happy to see us again, right?" Passionlip asked as she tried to calm down her fellow Alter Ego before Kingprotea could go on a rampage.
"Now, now! Let's go find Senpai and take her to a nice comfy zone away from this deathtrap and watch over her for eternity!" BB declared as back in her room despite being in a coma, Hakuno felt a shiver run up her spine.
Gods above and below help her. One of her old headaches had found her again.