Fate/Britain Lostbelt : Hero of Justice

The voice from afar broke the awkward atmosphere between them. After exchanging a glance, Shirou and Morgan tacitly agreed to pretend nothing had happened and turned to face the approaching fairy.

The figure had a humanoid body, but a horse-like face. Its whole form was green, clad in armor, and it wielded a sharp battle axe—clearly a warrior not to be trifled with.

"I am Portunes, the Guardian Knight of the Mirror Clan. You two… one's a fairy, the other a human—why have you appeared here at such a time?"

Maintaining a cautious distance, the fairy who introduced himself as Portunes questioned them sharply. Judging from his tone—wary and irritated—it seemed the Mirror Clan was currently facing some trouble, and was not keen on unexpected visitors.

If they gave the wrong answer now, Portunes might just bring his axe down without hesitation.

Given that both Shirou and Morgan were still recovering, avoiding a fight was the best option. After exchanging another look of mutual understanding, Shirou stepped back and let Morgan, as a fellow fairy, handle the conversation.

—Thanks to the magical energy transfer earlier, Morgan's clarity of mind had mostly returned, and her knowledge of the history and customs of the Fairy Kingdom made her well-suited to diplomacy.

"Greetings, Portunes of the Mirror Clan. My name is Aesc. I come from Orkney, located just north of the Lake District," Morgan spoke with elegant composure. Her calm and courteous tone successfully dispelled Portunes' hostility.

"Orkney… So you're from the Rain Clan?" Portunes pressed further.

"Yes," Morgan nodded. "My companion and I left Orkney to travel across Britain. However, shortly after our departure, we encountered a horde of Moss."

"Hmm. That explanation is reasonable, and you do not carry the stench of wicked fairies… I believe your story, Aesc of the Rain Clan."

Portunes retracted his axe—negotiation successful.

He then pointed south with his right hand.

"Head into town and rest. Our clan leader is a kind fairy. Once she hears of your situation, she will surely arrange a place for you to stay."

"Thank you for the suggestion. However, I'd like to ask—what's happening in the Lake District?" Morgan inquired. "There were so many Moss in the area. Has something happened to the Mirror Clan?"

"I can't answer that. If you really want to know, you'll have to ask our clan leader," Portunes replied coldly before walking away, quickly disappearing from view.

The green fairy had appeared suddenly and vanished just as fast, leaving Shirou and Morgan unsure what to do next.

Of course, part of that uncertainty had other underlying causes.

"…He wasn't lying. Shirou, let's head in the direction he pointed. One of our goals was to meet the Mirror Clan's chieftain, Ainsel."

After several seconds of silence, Morgan broke the odd tension.

"Yeah, let's follow his directions," Shirou responded. His voice was slightly distracted, and his gaze would occasionally drift toward Morgan's face—only to quickly look away. "Say, um…"

"—I'm really sorry about earlier!"

Morgan interrupted before he could speak further, bowing and apologizing in a loud, hurried tone. Her cheeks were visibly red.

"I don't even know what came over me… When you were supplying mana to me, I felt like there were… other voices in my head."

"Other voices?"

"…Let's just leave it at that. What happened earlier was a mistake, so don't take it to heart," Morgan said, turning away so Shirou could only see the back of her head. "Come on, let's get to the Mirror Clan's town and rest up."

Her voice had regained its usual energy as she began walking quickly ahead, leaving Shirou no chance to question further.

Perhaps because she still felt embarrassed, this time she didn't link arms with Shirou again.

—Even a fairy of paradise needs time to cool off when dealing with her own emotions.

And the same held true for Shirou Emiya, a human. His cheeks were still flushed, and he certainly needed some quiet time to forget the feel of Morgan's soft lips.

Emotions require time to settle.

...

They walked in silence, focusing solely on reaching their destination, and their pace was oddly fast.

In about ten minutes, they reached the town Portunes had indicated—a beautiful settlement built around a network of lakes and streams, brimming with idyllic pastoral charm.

Within the town, they saw several fairies who resembled Portunes in appearance—armored, axe-wielding warriors.

"They're knights, just like Portunes. Guardians of the Mirror Clan, and incredibly strong," Morgan explained. "But these knights don't hold a candle to Portunes in terms of magical energy. If I'm not mistaken, he's their captain. While he hunts Moss outside, the others remain here to protect the clan."

As she explained, the knights noticed them and approached.

Once again, Morgan handled negotiations, repeating the same explanation she'd given Portunes. After she mentioned his name, the knights accepted their presence.

Whether it was Morgan's negotiation skills or the inherent honesty of the Mirror Clan, the exchange went smoothly.

Morgan then expressed her desire to meet Ainsel, the chieftain of the Mirror Clan—but this time, the knights looked troubled.

"We're sorry, Aesc of the Rain Clan. Our chieftain has left town on urgent business and won't return until at least tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, huh? That's fine. Could you arrange an inn for us to stay the night?"

That request wasn't difficult for the knights. Soon, Shirou and Morgan were shown to a two-story building that served as both tavern and inn.

A stout, bearded fairy managed the establishment.

"In Britain, the concept of an inn was created by humans. Fairies simply copied the idea," Morgan explained. "Of course, unlike humans who open inns to attract customers and survive, fairy innkeepers do it just because they find it interesting."

She then used her negotiation skills once more to secure two rooms on the second floor.

The third negotiation was even smoother than the previous ones. In fact, the innkeeper even offered a few more rooms for free, which Morgan politely declined.

"Phew~ Shirou, let's rest for now. I'll come to your room tonight so we can discuss our next plan."