Under Bersac's guidance, Naoki arrived at a small village clinging to a steep cliff.
The population was probably just over a hundred, a village that could disappear at any moment, yet it had spent a long time in hiding and silence. Most of the buildings were made of bricks, and even a layperson could see their age. The few pedestrians wore clothes that could be considered modern, but the style was clearly outdated in Naoki's eyes.
However, considering the geographical location of the village, it was understandable. After all, in a place like this, cars couldn't enter at all, and it would appear relatively backward—that was unavoidable.
By the time the two arrived at the village, it was already completely dark. Of course, there were no streetlights in the village. They could only vaguely see the road through the light coming from the windows of the houses.
"A truly lifeless village." Naoki said to Bersac.
"Regardless, this is how it is here, but we've lived here for generations and are used to it. Let's go to the church first. We'll talk there. At night, we need to maintain silence outside."
'The rules of this place are a bit strange.' Naoki thought, quickly following Bersac.
This old man looked aged, but he walked very fast. When they were walking on the mountain trail earlier, Naoki could barely keep up with his pace.
The church Bersac mentioned was a building located at the northernmost end of the village. Its appearance was quite simple, and the scaly walls were covered with ivy.
After entering the church, the space inside was much larger than it appeared from the outside, likely because the ceiling was made very high.
The interior decoration wasn't luxurious, but both the long benches and the metal candle holders were clean and dust-free, clearly carefully maintained.
However, what caught the most attention was the statue standing at the depths of the church.
Unlike a typical church, what appeared before Naoki's eyes was a black Maria statue.
"A black Maria..."
Although she still held the baby who was the savior, the Maria statue stood tall and appeared full of majesty. Her sharp eyes gazed downward, making her seem more like a female general than a loving mother.
Normal Maria statues are white, but in some remote areas of Europe, this black Maria statue isn't unheard of. It's said to be due to the evolution of religion and differences in beliefs.
But—
"It's really similar."
Looking at the black Maria, Naoki couldn't help but speak in a low voice. Others might not see it clearly, but Naoki knew that the face of this Maria statue bore a resemblance of seven or eight points to someone he had met during the Holy Grail War a year ago—that person was Morgan le Fay.
'Hundreds of years ago, after the Battle of Camlann, Morgan le Fay once visited Blackmore Cemetery, handed the Golden Invasion Mystic Code to the villagers near the cemetery, and gave them the order to revive King Arthur, while arranging various artifacts to revive King Arthur inside and outside the village, being called the black Maria by the villagers...?'
Recalling the things related to Morgan le Fay and Blackmore Cemetery in his mind, and seeing the Maria statue that resembled Morgan's face before him, an idea emerged in Naoki's mind—
'Could it be that places with black Maria statues are actually the same as Blackmore Cemetery, with methods arranged by Morgan to revive King Arthur?'
What Morgan's attitude toward Arthur—Artoria—was like, Naoki didn't know, only that there must have been jealousy and hatred in it, as she was robbed of the position of King of Britain, but why did she start reviving Artoria after the Battle of Camlann?
"Are you interested in this Maria statue, Magus?"
Bersac's voice came from ahead.
Naoki nodded slightly: "After all, it's rare to see this type. Besides, one of my... um, old acquaintances, has a face similar to this Maria statue, so I'm a bit interested."
"I see... this is something that has been passed down in the village for generations, and I don't know the details. Perhaps the priest here would know, but he doesn't seem to be here."
"Let's talk about the request at my house, just behind the church, but before going to my house, could you pray to the Maria first? This is a village rule for now."
After speaking, Bersac himself knelt down first. Due to his robust build, his prayer looked more like a knight's oath.
Hearing his request, Naoki temporarily made the sign of the cross on his chest, but... perhaps it was an illusion, he always felt that the eyes of the black Maria statue were fixed on him. After praying, the two left through the back door of the church.
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Raising his head behind the church, one could see a swamp near the mountaintop. It was surrounded by layers of metal fences, and there were several stone monuments in the middle. It seemed to be a cemetery.
"Over here."
Bersac's voice drew Naoki's attention away from the cemetery, and he turned to see a dilapidated hut near the church.
However, it looked more like a larger shed than a house to live in, but judging from the necessary furniture inside, it seemed he really did live here.
On the dirty oak table, there were several brass cups filled with coffee. It's just that this coffee looked like muddy water, and its taste was almost the same as muddy water. Even a man like Naoki, who didn't mind drinking plain water for a month, couldn't help but frown when faced with this coffee.
However, seeing Bersac remain silent—
'Are you not going to speak unless I drink it?'
Gritting his teeth, as if drinking Chinese medicine, Naoki held his breath and took a small sip, then quickly swallowed it.
'Ugh, it really tastes like muddy water.' Naoki almost vomited from the unpleasant taste.
After seeing him take a sip, Bersac finally got to the point: "Let's start talking about the request. To be honest, I didn't expect the Clock Tower to actually send someone. Initially, I just tried it because it was suggested. Even if you hadn't come, I thought we could have handled it ourselves after some time."
"If possible, I wouldn't want to make a pointless trip."
"I thought so too. Then, since you've come, that means you also know the details of the request, right?"
"Investigating the anomalous Mana phenomenon near the cemetery—is that correct?"
Bersac nodded: "After all, we're just gravekeepers, and we only know things related to spirits. It's best to ask professionals for help with other aspects."
"You're too kind, I'm far from qualified to be called a professional, I'm just a novice." Naoki spread his hands, "But since I'm here, I'll handle your request, regardless of whether I can do it or not."
"That's good." Bersac nodded.
"But it's late now, you must be tired after traveling all the way here. How about resting tonight and starting the investigation tomorrow? There's a hunting lodge outside the village, you can stay there while you're here."
"Thank you for your help."