Gray's weapon and first friend—Add.
It's actually a seal placed on the shadow of the Holy Lance, and its name is derived from the final syllables of Rhongomyniad. At its core lies a replica of "Logos React," one of the Seven Great Weapons of the Atlas Institute.
However, the one who actually completed Add's construction was the witch Morgan le Fay. She used Kay, the knight least devoted to King Arthur among the Round Table, as the template for its personality.
Once Add's origin was explained, Olga Marie, Ritsuka, and Mash—who had been unaware until now—finally understood the reasoning behind this arrangement.
In truth, if that detail had been revealed from the start, everyone would've likely insisted Morgan accompany the mission.
But only Morgan herself understood—someone not of Proper Human History like her risked exposure the moment she interacted with the Atlas Institute. Worse, due to her ties to the fundamentals of Human Order, she could even end up classified as a threat.
It was better not to stir trouble. Sometimes, staying behind was the wiser choice.
"As for the second reason," Caren said, turning to Mash, "to this day, Mash still doesn't know the true name of the Servant who lends her power. If we can access the Atlas Institute's supercomputers and comb through all Boundary Record Belts in human history, we might find the answer."
Because she didn't know the true name, she couldn't unleash her full potential.
At that moment, Morgan felt Scáthach's gaze land on her.
Unlike earlier, when their looks had been sharp and confrontational, this time the Queen of the Land of Shadows looked genuinely surprised.
As if to say, "Why haven't you told her?"
Morgan, rarely caught off guard, felt awkward under Scáthach's silent question and turned her gaze aside.
The truth was simple. Like Da Vinci, Morgan had always disapproved of the experiments Chaldea had conducted.
Mash had been born in a test tube—created purely for combat. So pure, in fact, that she couldn't even leave Chaldea or withstand the outside air.
Morgan had always felt a deep sympathy for her.
Forced to carry a mission from the moment of her birth—Morgan understood that burden well. The only difference was, she had thousands of years to process and accept hers.
Mash, on the other hand, might have only two more years to live at most.
So even if Mash was willing to fight, Morgan had no intention of telling her the Heroic Spirit's true name. If it kept her from the front lines—or let her stay in the rear—then so be it.
"Yes! That's also what I want," Mash said with resolve. "Fighting through those Singularities made me realize how lacking I am. If I knew the true name, I could work harder—with senpai, with the Director, and with everyone else!"
"Mash..." Olga Marie looked at her with mixed emotions.
Once, she'd feared Mash because of Chaldea's inhumane methods.
But Mash had never resented it. And now, she could calmly express her desire to keep fighting alongside them.
"Those are solid reasons. Even if I racked my brain, I couldn't think of a better counterargument," Scáthach said warmly. "In that case, Morgan and I will take Caren and Marie and head for the Holy City—"
She paused and looked toward Nitocris. The Pharaoh, understanding instantly, grabbed the scepter by the edge of the bath and projected a map of the Singularity before them.
The Atlas Institute lay to the north of the Sun King's territory, while the Holy City was located to the west.
"But how are we supposed to regroup?" Morgan asked, staring at the two marked locations on the map.
Once they split up, the distance between the two teams would only grow, making a direct rendezvous incredibly difficult. There was no telling what could happen along the way.
She pointed to the vast area between the Atlas Institute and the Holy City. "Do you know what's in this region, Nitocris?"
"Most likely the native inhabitants of this Singularity," Nitocris replied. "After the Crusaders were wiped out, many of the locals who fought against them were also slain by the Lion King's forces. Now, aside from scattered refugees, only the mountain people remain—those who've taken to living in seclusion in the hills."
The Sun King had said that if Chaldea needed intelligence on the current state of the Singularity, he would provide as much as he could.
"The mountain people…" Scáthach murmured thoughtfully. "Hmm… That place is worth investigating."
"Indeed. So far, the only Servants we've encountered, apart from the Knights of the Round Table, are the Sun King and Lady Nitocris," Sakura said as she sat upright in the bath. "If we go by the patterns from the previous five Singularities, there should be other summoned, masterless Servants here as well."
"There should be," Nitocris agreed. "For example, the Crusaders were originally chosen by the King of Magecraft to take control of the Holy Grail. But they summoned the Sun King in an offensive manner, and so he wiped them out. In truth, before Jerusalem became Camelot, there was also a so-called pseudo-Crusader army led by someone claiming to be Richard the Lionheart. They clashed with the Lion King's forces over territorial claims, but in the end, the Lion King prevailed."
In other words, besides the destroyed pseudo-Crusaders, there were likely other Servants still active in this Singularity, hidden from view.
"So the reason the Sun King looks so exhausted… is it because he's been defending the throne from outside threats ever since wiping out the Crusaders?" Ritsuka asked.
On their way to the audience, they had seen the Sun King's head shift unnaturally twice—as if it had been severed and now hung by the neck, yet he remained alive, barely holding on.
"That's highly inappropriate! That's not something for you to question!" Nitocris chided sharply.
Ritsuka scratched her head and laughed, unaware that Nitocris was deflecting the topic entirely.
"It's a bit risky," Morgan admitted, "but before we're reunited with my husband, our mission in this Sixth Singularity should focus on exploration, not direct combat. So, following Caren's suggestion, we'll split into two teams." She looked at Scáthach. "If I go with you and we make ourselves visible, it should be enough to draw Camelot's attention."
Just then, Olga Marie raised her own proposal.
"I want to stay here."
"Huh?"
Her unexpected statement puzzled the group. Some assumed she was hesitating due to the harsh circumstances.
"I'm not trying to run away," she said quickly, her cheeks flushing. "This land belongs to the Age of Gods. During our downtime at Chaldea, I discussed a theory of Astromancy with Professor Shiomi and the Grand Master. It might actually be possible to realize it here, thanks to this unique environment."
Back then, Morgan had yet to reveal her true identity.
Then, Olga Marie bowed her head sincerely toward Nitocris.
"Please, Lady Nitocris. Could you ask the Sun King if I may borrow this land to prepare a Grand Magecraft?"
"…Before I do that, you'll need to explain the nature of the spell to me," Nitocris replied cautiously. "Only then will I decide whether it's appropriate to submit your request to the Sun King."
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake