MTLNOVEL Chapter 207: He's Lying
The attire of the man who had arrived was not unfamiliar to Guinevere. A black tailcoat adorned with golden embroidery and insignias, medals of honor and nobility gleaming on his chest—majestic and resplendent, oozing authority and nobility. Guinevere had seen similar outfits worn by dukes and lords at banquets.
Judging from his appearance, the man looked to be in his forties. Time had carved some weariness into the corners of his eyes, but the ambition shining in his gaze made him seem far more youthful than his age.
"You're Prince Adonis?"
While examining the man, Guinevere asked calmly.
Although this figure didn't match the hulking iron-suit image of Babbage that lived in his memory, it also didn't resemble any other Servant he knew. But he reminded himself that the iron body Babbage was known for was actually a powered armor he created—his true form had always been that of a normal human.
Which meant, for now, it was still possible—however slim—that this man was indeed Babbage.
That thought made Guinevere even warier of Adonis.
"That's me. You must be a friend of Tyre's?"
While Guinevere observed him, Adonis was also studying Guinevere.
Though Guinevere released no aura, Adonis instinctively felt that this young man was not ordinary. His sharp gaze cut like a blade—just meeting his eyes brought a sting. Even though the killing intent wasn't aimed at him, it was enough to send a chill down his spine. He had the presence of an executioner—but with a noble bearing that only years of power could cultivate.
Compared to Guinevere's striking presence, the two young girls by his side were clearly commoners—not worth noticing.
"Still so composed in front of a prince—could it be you're a royal yourself?" Adonis asked.
"…Not at all. I'm just an ordinary civilian," Guinevere replied, raising a brow, his tone teasing. "What, are you planning to have me punished for insolence now, Your Highness?"
Hearing that, Artoria's expression twisted slightly.
"Hey, hold on. Are you here to pick a fight or to find Ella? Can you not provoke people as soon as you show up?" she hissed, grabbing his sleeve and tugging him back.
"I have a bad feeling about him," Guinevere whispered.
"Even if that's true, this is not the time to start a conflict," Artoria whispered back. "We need to fix what's happening to you first. Your safety is the priority."
Guinevere hesitated at her words, then coughed lightly and stepped back with a slight nod.
Seeing that, Artoria let out a sigh of relief and turned toward Adonis with a slightly awkward smile.
"Ah, I apologize. My friend here just has a sharp tongue. Please forgive his manners."
"…He certainly left quite an impression," Adonis said thoughtfully, glancing at Guinevere again. Then he chuckled. "But since you're Tyre's friend, I can overlook a bit of insolence."
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Uncle," Artoria nodded slightly.
"Uncle?" Ritsuka popped her head up in surprise.
"Prince Adonis is Queen Cassilda's older brother, which makes him Prince Tyre's uncle," Artoria explained quietly.
"Looks like your royal etiquette still needs brushing up, Tyre. Whispering behind your uncle's back isn't very princely behavior," Adonis remarked dryly. But before Artoria could flush deeper, he added gently, "Still, what matters most is that you've shaken off Naotaba's influence, come back to your senses, and returned to protect Yti."
"Nao—" Ritsuka began, but then glanced at Adonis and wisely decided to save her question for later.
Before she could speak again, Adonis had already anticipated their curiosity.
"Oh, you outsiders must not know Yti's current state. Naotaba was once Yti's high priest, but he worshiped a dark god. He orchestrated vile rituals to summon that god into our world, which ultimately brought about this cursed fog."
As he mentioned Naotaba, Adonis's face darkened.
"Those monsters, the nightmare incarnations… I suspect they were all brought here by him. But no matter. Once he is eliminated, things will return to normal. With your help, the chances of stopping him are much greater."
Guinevere raised an eyebrow.
"Hold on a second—we haven't agreed to help you kill Naotaba just yet. Shouldn't you at least tell us how you're so sure that he's behind the fog and the monsters? For all I know, you might just be using us to get rid of your enemies."
"Hey," Artoria reached out, meaning to hold him back—but then paused. She wanted answers too.
Thankfully, Adonis wasn't angered. He calmly answered:
"Because our officers raided several of his cult gatherings. We found tomes—vile, forbidden grimoires. Some detailed rituals for summoning monsters… and gods."
"Rituals?" Ritsuka's eyes narrowed. "Could we see those grimoires? If we can study the spells, we might find a way to disrupt the rituals and resolve… well, the fog in Yti."
"Of course," Adonis nodded. "But before that—you mentioned looking for Captain Ella of the Royal Guard. May I ask what you want from her?"
"Well…" Artoria took a moment to gather her thoughts.
"My friend was attacked by a nightmare incarnation. He's now slowly turning into a monster. If we want to reverse the process, we need Ella's help."
"That's odd. I wasn't aware Captain Ella had such abilities," Adonis frowned slightly.
"Uh…" Artoria forced a smile. "We found that information in Professor Victor's research notes…"
"Oh! Professor Victor Frankenstein!" Adonis's eyes lit up. "Yes, I met him once. Captain Ella is his daughter!"
"What? Really?" Artoria and the others were surprised. But realizing it helped their case, Artoria quickly added, "Yes, exactly! That's why his notes said Ella could help."
"I see," Adonis mused. "Do you know what became of the professor? He was a brilliant man. If he were still alive, he could greatly aid our efforts."
"Unfortunately… we arrived too late. He was killed by a nightmare incarnation. We did avenge him, but we could only recover his research journal."
Adonis's face fell with grief. He shook his head.
"That is truly a loss. Still, I imagine he left behind valuable findings. If the monsters targeted him, it likely means he uncovered something important. Do his notes mention anything significant?"
"Uh…" Artoria turned to Guinevere. "Did they?"
"...Yes, they did."
Guinevere had already skimmed the newest entries on the way to the police station. He nodded and answered:
"Right before the fog descended, an unidentified magus approached Professor Victor, inviting him to collaborate on an experiment—transplanting organs from various species into other hosts. Since Victor had experience stitching together corpses, he was a natural fit."
"And during this project, he obtained something called a 'Core.'"
"A core?" Adonis frowned.
"Yes." Guinevere nodded, studying Adonis's reaction closely. "A red, glowing sphere, covered in irregular pits."
"According to Victor's notes, the 'core' grants special abilities—such as forming a thin membrane over the host's body to shield them from air pressure and cold, allowing them to survive in a vacuum. It also emits a magnetic field..."
Adonis's pupils contracted slightly.
Guinevere took note of it and continued:
"Victor hadn't figured out the magnetic field's full effect yet, but the implantation was a success. And soon after… the fog appeared."
"At that point, the true identities of the researchers were revealed. They told Victor that their experiments were directly linked to the fog's arrival—and invited him to join their plan. He refused. Shortly afterward, assassins came. The nightmare incarnation that killed him was among them."
Guinevere paused for a moment, then locked eyes with Adonis and said:
"The researchers identified themselves only as Dr. P, Dr. B, and Dr. M. Victor only knew the name of one—Dr. B: Charles Babbage."
"Does that name mean anything to you, Your Highness?"
Guinevere was probing. Victor's notes never included Babbage's true identity—that was something Guinevere inferred using his meta-knowledge of the original timeline.
To his disappointment, Adonis showed no visible reaction. He simply furrowed his brow in confusion.
"I'm sorry, that name doesn't ring a bell. Do you have any other information?"
"Fine." Guinevere didn't press further. "During my fight with the nightmare incarnation, I also saw a 'core' embedded in its body. I suspect these cores may be related to how nightmare incarnations are created."
Adonis's expression suddenly shifted.
"Your Highness… your reaction to hearing about the core was quite intense," Guinevere said calmly. "It seems you know something about it?"
He had held back this information for just this moment—to gauge Adonis's reaction. And from what he saw, his suspicions were only growing stronger.
But Adonis quickly shook his head.
"I think you've misunderstood. I just recalled seeing something similar on Naotaba once. At the time, I thought it was just an ornament. But now it seems… he may have already been preparing for this."
"Oh?"
Guinevere stared into his eyes, searching for guilt—but found none.
He began to doubt himself.
That's when a notification flashed before his eyes:
[Player Artoria has requested to form a party and open the team communication channel.]
[Accept?]
Surprised, Guinevere selected yes.
Almost instantly, a message appeared:
[Artoria: Adonis is lying.]
[Artoria: I used my fairy eyes. I saw it.]