The church in the northern part of Blackmore Village had a modest exterior, its walls covered with ivy. Inside, the chapel was simple and spacious—reminiscent of the one in Fuyuki—but its ceiling rose far higher.
The interior was spotless, adorned with refined yet humble furnishings, exuding a quiet sense of solemnity and reverence. Shiomi could easily picture the place packed on Sundays, villagers filling every seat as they listened to the portly priest deliver mass.
Bersac led them to the church, then left after reminding them to first offer a prayer to the Black Madonna statue at the front of the chapel—it was village custom.
The old gravedigger even demonstrated the process for them.
"I'll handle the prayer," Shiomi said, kneeling on one knee and clasping his hands before his chest.
"In that case, wouldn't it be better to pray to me directly?" Morgan said flatly. "Rather than a statue, praying to the actual Black Madonna should be more effective."
"Fair point," Shiomi chuckled.
Even so, Morgan didn't follow through on her own suggestion. She simply stood behind Shiomi, observing the church while waiting for him to finish praying.
There was nothing particularly unusual about this church—except for the statue of the Black Madonna, which was especially striking.
The key was in the face.
Statues and paintings of the Virgin Mary often vary slightly in different regions, but the face of this Black Madonna gave Morgan an uncanny chill.
Her brows, her eyes—every feature closely resembled her own. Or more accurately, the face of Morgan le Fay.
Though she still didn't know why the Holy Church was overseeing this place, Morgan had a faint suspicion about why Shiomi had brought her here.
This village might have deep ties to "Morgan."
As someone who resembled but was not quite the same person, she was left with a strange mix of emotions.
"I've changed my mind," Morgan said suddenly.
"You want to head back? I'll take you," Shiomi offered. "I need to finish up here for Lord El-Melloi II, so I'll leave the house in your hands—"
"I'm not going back," Morgan raised her hand, cutting him off. "While we're in this village, don't call me by my real name. Not even in private."
"Huh?"
"Just like when you introduce me to others—use a different name," Morgan insisted.
She hadn't altered her appearance to match the identity tied to that name, but here of all places, she didn't want to use her current one.
Names carry their own kind of mystery. Some even bring curses just by being spoken aloud.
In a village so deeply entwined with "Morgan," she couldn't help but tread more carefully than usual.
"I understand, Aesc." Shiomi looked at Morgan... Aesc nodded, accepting her request.
Gazing at the face of the Black Madonna, Aesc said, "It's a rare opportunity. I knew the situation here, but I never imagined I'd visit something tied to 'that side' in this form."
"If you don't find the trip boring, that's all I can ask." Shiomi stepped up to her and gently tugged the brim of her hood, tucking her face deep into the shadows.
At that moment, the half-closed chapel door creaked open. A girl, also cloaked and hooded, timidly stepped inside.
"Um... are you the guests Mr. Bersac mentioned?" She kept her head lowered, her voice soft and shy.
"That's us," Shiomi replied, turning to face her.
She gave a small nod and murmured, "Mr. Bersac has arranged a place for you to stay... Please follow me, if that's alright."
Without waiting for their answer, she turned and quietly left the chapel.
Startled by how wary this isolated village was of outsiders, Shiomi and Aesc exchanged a smile before he took her hand and followed the girl at a relaxed pace.
Perhaps realizing she was walking too fast, the girl slowed down, keeping just ahead of them. Even when she glanced back, the hood obscured her face entirely—even her mouth was hidden.
"...Um, Mr. Bersac asked me to pass on a message: if you intend to stay in the village, you must follow the rules." Her voice stayed tense and nervous, as if she were scared of something.
Maybe she was afraid of outsiders like Shiomi and Aesc.
"Please, go ahead," Aesc replied.
"F-First, visitors must pay their respects to the statue of the Holy Mother upon entering. You've already done that." The girl nodded again and nervously added, "Second, do not go out at night. Third, do not approach the cemetery alone. And lastly, even if you must go to the cemetery, never go alone—and definitely stay away from the swamp near it."
The first rule sounded like a local custom, but the rest... more like something out of a horror story.
Neither of them asked questions. They simply nodded in acknowledgment.
The lodging she mentioned turned out to be a hunting cabin just outside the village. There was no inn or guesthouse in the village itself—only that place was available.
As if pushing herself to get it over with, the girl led them to the wooden cabin, didn't sit or say much, just gave a quick bow and hurried off without another word.
Looking at the old bed and the musty, moldy-smelling blankets, Shiomi couldn't help but hesitate, wondering if it was really okay to let Aesc sleep in such conditions.
"Say, Aesc... maybe you should just shift to spirit form—" Shiomi tried to persuade her not to keep her physical form up.
Since their new contract, she hadn't once turned into spirit form. Shiomi understood she was intentionally avoiding it, trying to put aside the fact that she'd arrived as his Servant.
But when he put down his bag and turned to speak, he saw Aesc still staring at the girl's retreating figure.
"Something bothering you?" he asked, stopping mid-sentence.
Aesc shut the door, then pulled back her hood, revealing a face deep in thought.
"I'm not sure. Maybe it's this place's connection to 'her'... but just now, I felt that one's presence from that girl."
"That one?" Shiomi raised an eyebrow.
"No... maybe it's just my imagination." Aesc lifted her cloak and sat down on the old but clean wooden stool. "Still, I didn't expect to find someone here with a similar aura."
"From what I found, this village was founded as a gravekeeper's settlement because of her."
Shiomi shook his head slightly, then spoke a name he hadn't said in almost ten years:
"Artoria Pendragon..."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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