Arthur glared fiercely at Merlin but knew well enough that mere malice or a sharp gaze couldn't break the other's defenses. If it could, Merlin would have long since taken his own life—no normal person could bear being disliked by almost everyone.
"So what you're saying is that the mysteries in this village are beyond even your reach, the flower magician?"
"Are you kidding me?" Merlin replied with a smile. "Yes, Your Majesty, you are worthy of the crown—great that you understand so quickly."
His tone was mocking, but the truth was clear: in the face of absolute strength, humans pale compared to ghosts. That's why you had to believe him.
Arthur's eyes twitched as he tried to stay calm. "Then let me ask it another way: will the mystery here threaten me?"
"No, I have always stood by the king's side. How could I let you die here? Don't look at me like that—my fighting ability is surprisingly strong."
"Will the mystery hurt me?"
"Maybe. King Arthur is strong, yes, but only among mortals. If you underestimate your enemy, you'll get hurt—even with me by your side."
Merlin's expression said, I know everything, but I'm not telling.
Hearing that, Arthur breathed a sigh of relief.
If Merlin said he wouldn't die here, then there was no doubt.
All that remained was how to handle and solve the mystery completely.
But the problem was obvious—Merlin wasn't about to give up any information right now. The mystery itself was unknown—whether a creature, a phenomenon, or something else.
Only a dead Merlin was an excellent Merlin.
Suddenly, a dark resentment surged from Arthur.
"Oh dear, I seem to have done something to make my king hate me again," Merlin said with a heartless smile. "Um... Your Majesty, if possible, could you put aside your hostility towards me?"
"Are you instructing me how to act?!" Arthur snorted coldly, making it clear he wasn't interested in chatting.
The attitude was obvious: no room for negotiation.
Merlin honestly felt innocent. He didn't know why Arthur hated him so much.
As for the hostility, it was old news. Anyone could see Merlin wouldn't oppose Arthur again—even his slow-witted disciple knew that.
Personality? Impossible.
Arthur's circle included all sorts of people: sunny Gawain, the arrogant Kay who said one thing but meant another, gloomy Aggenwen, the dark and infatuated Morgan, and the pure Manaka.
By comparison, Merlin's frivolous, unreliable personality was well within Arthur's acceptable range.
So the only explanation was his identity.
That half-incubus identity—neither fully human nor fully alien—was the source of Arthur's disgust.
"Your Majesty, do you hate me because I'm an incubus? Even if I'm an incubus, I'm still half-human. I'm pretty friendly to humans. There's no need to hold prejudice against me just because I'm not fully human."
Arthur snorted coldly, refusing to respond.
Seeing this, Merlin's headache deepened.
"If you mean 'non-human,' there's someone else besides me, Your Majesty. You accepted her, so why reject me?" The moment these words left his mouth, a terrifying oppressive force descended on Merlin—a clear warning.
He'd known this would happen. This personality no longer invited innocence or purity. It was worse than he imagined.
He smiled bitterly. From today, he had one more enemy who truly wanted to kill him. But he was neither surprised nor afraid.
It was impossible to kill Merlin—even with his special powers.
"I look human, but in essence, I'm non-human. She is the exact opposite. Though technically human, no matter how you judge her, she's more non-human than I am."
"Who is she?" Arthur finally asked.
Merlin relaxed somewhat. At least Arthur was listening. Communication was good.
"Sajyou Manaka. Her identity is even more surprising than you think. She was born connected to the Root."
Arthur raised a brow.
"Ah, the Root—it's the cause and effect of everything, the energy transcending all rules. The origin of the world, the end of all knowledge. The ultimate that contains the beginning. That's what we call the Root."
"Hmm, I can at least think of some concepts," Arthur nodded, as an old fan of Type-Moon, he more or less understood the Root. Merlin's explanation only made it vague. Who truly understood such a thing? Could anyone really enter and exit the Root? Arthur didn't think so.
"That's good," Merlin continued. "If I really tried to explain the Root, I couldn't do it clearly. Sajyou Manaka, born with the Root's connection, is its loyal and beloved 'princess.' But that's not good for humans. Being connected to the Root means she can easily gain all knowledge and achieve everything."
"Oh? Omniscient and omnipotent? I see. I underestimated Manaka before. If I asked her to kill you, she could probably do it. After all, she's omniscient and omnipotent." Arthur nodded seriously, contemplating the feasibility.
Merlin's face turned blue.
Okay, maybe the problem isn't my identity.
Maybe what my king hates is... Merlin himself.
It made no sense!
But now he'd offended Manaka—and Merlin didn't want Arthur to fully trust her and plot to kill him together.
No way.
It didn't matter if he died or not, but to stir the curiosity of an incubus and then let him die without satisfaction? For an incubus, that was the cruelest, most tragic death imaginable.
So—
Little girl, don't blame me for being immoral. What I can't have, you can never get either!
"The past, present, and future. Knowing everything means nothing can surprise her. If that's her nature, then the Root acts like a barrier isolating her. She can see the world but cannot truly experience it. Do you understand that feeling?"
"Nothing stirs a wave in her heart. She won't react to anything. Cold and ruthless, like still water never changing, isolated from the group. But humans grow through lessons. Without that, even with endless knowledge, she's just a pure white cloth that leaves no trace. Can such a being still be called human?"
"To be precise, Sajyou Manaka's birth wasn't a 'birth' like humans conceive. It was a phenomenon—an impossible miracle and a factor threatening the world. Such a being theoretically shouldn't exist."
"That's why Manaka is more alien than Merlin."
"At least Merlin is like a mirror, reflecting changes from his environment. But the eternal Manaka is always meaningless."