didn't fully understand the conflict between Arthur, Merlin, and Morgana. Maybe it was a story too ancient to grasp in a short time.
I knew Morgana had appeared multiple times throughout this world's history, though not always under that name. It was all thanks to a technique—or magic—of reincarnation, or something similar. Even with our contract, I couldn't get much information out of her. It seemed that certain details were sealed by another magic, one that would trigger her death if she tried to reveal them. A protection mechanism she had created herself to ensure her secrets never fell into the wrong hands.
What was clear is that this reincarnation technique had been used by both Morgana and Merlin, ancient enemies… Merlin had even used it on King Arthur himself, though it didn't work the same way on him as it did on the other two.
Morgana, a perpetual reincarnator, knew she had lived many lives. However, the technique wasn't perfect: she didn't retain all her memories—only fragments. But those fragments were enough to make her an incredibly powerful witch.
The problem was that each reincarnation took longer than the last. Based on what she learned from me, her next reincarnation would take at least more than 500 years, and that seriously worried our hostess. In the past, she could reincarnate every hundred years or even less after death. But the future was growing dark for Morgana, Merlin, and even Arthur. Moreover, since I hadn't told her about any true fight to the death between the two mages, Morgana feared she would retain even fewer memories. Her hatred for Merlin would persist, yes, but she probably wouldn't remember why. That's why their future confrontations had become less brutal. Even in this current life, she didn't have the full story of the origin of her resentment.
Morgana had come up with her own theories about the cause. This reincarnation technique was undoubtedly extremely powerful, and precisely because of that, it came at an immense cost. If it were conventional magic, it would require an astronomical amount of energy… How many mages would need to be sacrificed to fuel a single reincarnation cycle? The first few times, Morgana had managed to activate it using "divine power." A power that had once been unknown to me, but that now seemed to be everywhere—though I hadn't perceived it until then.
But here was the problem: there were no gods left.
Morgana understood this thanks to the information I gave her. She had been using the residual power that the ancient gods had left behind to reincarnate. Without gods to replenish that energy, her sources were gradually running dry. Each reincarnation took longer, and with each one, she lost more memories. That was precisely why she hadn't realized the decline of her power and the deficiencies of her last reincarnations sooner.
Elise had her completely obsessed, and for good reason: that new divine being represented her ticket. Not only did Elise offer her the chance to become an absolute goddess capable of ruling over everything, but even if that failed, she could secure infinite lives until she achieved what she wanted. However, things weren't going as she had expected—thanks to me.
That's why, at one point, she asked me to intercede for her: to ask Elise, once she fully developed her divinity, to share part of her power with her. If she couldn't have it all, she at least wanted a constant source of divine magic—a living dispenser of resurrection and other abilities. Since discovering the true scarcity of her power, she no longer planned to use abilities that consumed it, like the ones she used in our battle, unless absolutely necessary. She couldn't afford to waste it.
When we touched on the topic of longevity, I asked her why she didn't do something like create horcruxes to become immortal and stop depending on her reincarnation technique. But she laughed in my face.
First, according to her own words, splitting the soul like with horcruxes is a decision that deserves death. Dividing the soul is never a good thing: it limits you, in most cases causes almost irreparable damage, and in the few cases where it doesn't, you still pay an enormous price. There are almost no cases where it truly works or benefits you.
Second, if one were truly seeking that kind of immortality, it would be much more effective to create a lich phylactery. Morgana didn't call it that, but from how she described it, I understood that's what she meant. Apparently, horcruxes are a cheap and simplified version of a true phylactery. Creating a real phylactery is extremely costly and complex—something only within reach of mages of Morgana or Merlin's current level, and even they wouldn't be guaranteed success. Horcruxes, in comparison, are easier and almost free, which makes them accessible—but also dangerously fragile (for people like her or of similar power). They work for some mages who reached a moderate limit, those who won't go very far (from her perspective). But for those with real power, they are a poor and dangerous choice, and the phylactery is the better option.
She also explained something unsettling: mortals are not meant to be immortal. They can aspire to a long life, yes, but beyond that, the problems begin. The only things that can truly be eternal are those touched by the divine or the transcendent. And so, each method of non-divine immortality carries its own curses: horcruxes corrupt the soul and are vulnerable; phylacteries turn you into undead, which is not immortality, but un-life; even the Philosopher's Stone—the known one, at least—only extends life, but doesn't stop aging.
There was one clarification about that last point: that only happens with an imperfect Philosopher's Stone, like the one Nicolas Flamel created. According to Morgana, there once existed a perfect Philosopher's Stone, capable of granting true immortality. But that happened in a very ancient time, when gods still walked the world. She herself has only fragments of information about that era.
I could only nod, remembering the rewards for completing the first chapter of the main campaign. Among the most valuable was precisely an "imperfect Philosopher's Stone"… and also a "perfect Philosopher's Stone." So I was able to confirm for myself that different versions of that legendary relic really did exist.
Anyway, according to Morgana, reincarnation had always been her best method for remaining in this world. At least, until the problem of divine energy scarcity arose.
As conversations on these topics became more frequent—especially as the conflicts between Morgana and Merlin escalated—I began offering my own suggestions. I wanted to help her break that endless cycle of confrontations with Merlin and his protégé. And speaking of those two, Morgana told me something I hadn't expected: before all this continuous reincarnation business, Merlin and Arthur were, originally, father and son. And that's why Merlin always ends up as the advisor, tutor, or guide to the young king.
The reincarnation ability is based on the "Power of Fate," a force tied to skills like prophecy, clairvoyance, or karma. It's also the reason Morgana, Merlin, and Arthur are reborn again and again, always fighting to the death… only to repeat it all from the beginning. It's an infinite rebirth skill—impressive, yes—but with annoying flaws. One of them is a kind of curse: everything that happens in the first life before reincarnation leaves a mark on all the ones that follow.
Back to the topic, I proposed to Morgana a way to break the cycle: that she become my wife and come with me to the future. It was a simple solution in theory. If I could summon her to my territory, the cycle would break. She'd still be alive in an era where neither Merlin nor Arthur would exist yet. The bond would be broken by absence.
Of course, there was another option: allowing Elise to lend her divine power for one final reincarnation—this time free of the cycle, since it wouldn't use the same shared source with Merlin, and he wouldn't be able to reincarnate. But I rejected that idea. This was a side campaign, disconnected from the real world. It didn't make sense to waste Elise's divine power here, and besides, she didn't have enough to pull it off anyway.
So, somehow, my proposal won out… but carrying it out wasn't easy. To bring Morgana into the real world, I had two options: either completely win her heart (reaching 100% on the [Relationship] bar) or spend a large amount of Crystal Coins.
The first option was the better one. Not only would I have a loyal woman who wouldn't stab me in the back, it would also be free. But it was complicated. So far, the highest value I had ever reached with her was a miserable 14%, and that was when she thought I could help her gain Elise's divine power.
The second option wasn't easy either. The cost in Crystal Coins varies depending on the character's importance and power, and Morgana, being one of the most powerful figures in this campaign, ranked very high in both. The price would be enormous. I've seen what it costs to bring New and Tina from my Marauders campaign, and it seemed absurdly expensive. Of course, if I complete all levels of the campaign, I can reduce that cost by 90%, which already sounds much more reasonable.
Morgana, unsurprisingly, preferred I spend on her rather than "falling in love with me." But she agreed to try the first method. After all, she had nothing to lose, and if this was her last significant reincarnation, it was worth at least giving it a shot.
She put in effort. She really tried. She tried to see me in a good light, to consider me pleasant—even necessary. Forcing herself to love me. In return, the percentage went up… to 22%. Nothing more. This witch was truly tough. With other characters, even some not-so-nice ones, reaching 40% was a piece of cake. But Morgana… Morgana only trusted herself, and at worrying levels.
We tried many things to improve our relationship. We started sharing more information, ignored the pact we had without breaking it (I wouldn't take that risk), and I joined her fight against Merlin and Arthur, giving her my full support. We even started acting like a real couple: every greeting was a deep kiss, we exchanged compliments and flirted, there was constant groping, we slept in the same bed… and at night we rolled around enthusiastically. Each morning began with our best skills. All of this, of course, infuriated Elise, but there was no other choice.
And still… we barely made it to 45%.
As a last resort, I could use the [Blood Pact] to force her to love me and reach that 100%. But there were many problems. The cost would be astronomical, given how powerful Morgana is. Plus, I was only able to perform the previous pact after defeating her—something I wouldn't be able to do after making this one. And finally—and most importantly—Morgana would never accept it. She would never sign a pact that forced her to love or depend on another. Her distrust is exactly why that damn relationship bar never rises.
Definitely, Morgana Le Fay, as I know her now, is the hardest woman I've ever tried to win over. Not because she doesn't have a heart or feelings (though it might seem that way), but because I can't force her to love me. And yes, I admit it: I've forced some of my past relationships. But in the end, everything turned out fine, so it wasn't that bad… right?
But with Morgana… not even that is possible.And that… that really is frustrating.