Chapter 166: The Traces of Fairies

The Traces of Fairies

"What's going on here?" Morgan mused aloud.

"Are there ghosts in this town?" Gawain asked, her curiosity piqued. She seemed excited rather than frightened. "If there are ghosts, I want to catch one! Maybe it'll be like Nie Xiaoqian from the stories Dad told."

Lott sighed internally. His daughter's fascination with ghost stories showed just how misguided their family education had been. It was moments like this that made him realize how inappropriate some of his tales were for a child.

"Gawain," he began, attempting to steer her thoughts, "you have to believe in science. We live in a rational world—"

"Are you sure about that, Dad?" she interrupted, a grin spreading across her face.

"Fine, let's just get the news." Lott decided against debating the nature of reality in this world. After all, science seemed more like a fantasy here than magic.

As they walked through the town, Gawain suggested, "Should we wait until night and sneak around to gather information?"

"Do we need to go to such lengths?" Lott lightly tapped her on the head. "We can just ask someone directly. Let's find a hotel and speak to the owner."

They soon arrived at an inn, where Lott approached the innkeeper. "Hello, I'm a wandering knight from Orkney. Do you have a room available for my wife and daughter?"

"Of course," the innkeeper replied, glancing at Morgan and Gawain. "How old are you?"

"Thirty-six," Lott fibbed, trying to appear older. After all, claiming to be under twenty while having a daughter as old as Gawain would raise eyebrows.

"Wow, you look young!" the innkeeper remarked, choosing not to pry into Morgan's age.

Thanks to Morgan's subtle magic, they appeared unremarkable, with Lott looking like just another handsome knight. After settling in, Lott turned to the innkeeper again. "Do you serve wine?"

"Yes, we do," came the eager response.

"I'd like your finest bottle," Lott said, a grin forming. "And two more glasses."

The innkeeper, puzzled but delighted by the prospect of business, fetched the drinks.

After a few toasts, they quickly warmed to each other. Lott, seizing the moment, asked, "What's the situation in your town? I heard it was devastated by the attack. How did you rebuild so quickly?"

"Rebuild? Ha! Our officials can't keep up with the repairs. We're in a remote area, and they have bigger problems." The innkeeper's face grew serious. "But I'm not saying anything bad about King Lott. Things are better now than during King Uther's reign."

"Got it," Lott chuckled, pleased to hear that. "So, who helped with the reconstruction?"

"No one. After the attacks, a few fairy-like beings showed up…" The innkeeper leaned in, lowering his voice. "They call themselves goblins."

"Wait, you mean to say your town was rebuilt by fairies?" Lott raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Exactly! They're from the Wind Clan and Earth Clan. Those Earth Clan folks know their construction." The innkeeper spoke with awe, but Lott felt disdain for the shallow praise of such beings.

"Fairies? They're not much of a threat," Lott thought, recalling his encounters with them. "But they can be quite charming. How does their allure compare to Morgan's?"

"Those fairies helped us rebuild overnight after everything was destroyed," the innkeeper continued, blissfully ignorant of Lott's internal monologue.

After a few more drinks, Lott decided he'd heard enough. He excused himself, climbed upstairs, and shared everything he learned with Morgan and Gawain.

Morgan frowned. "You said these fairies are helping us rebuild? But aren't they the same ones who aided Vortigern in his attack?"

"It doesn't make sense from a logical standpoint," Lott agreed. "But what are their motives?"

Morgan contemplated, her expression growing serious. "We should be cautious. They don't want to challenge our rule again."

Determined to gather more information, Lott suggested, "Let's capture a few fairies and ask them directly. If they're indeed helping us, we should have no trouble finding some."

"Agreed," Morgan nodded, her resolve clear.

Gawain, overhearing the plan, bounced with enthusiasm. "I'm ready for a fight!"

Morgan rolled her eyes, exasperated. "You're a princess of Camelot. Can't you act like one?"

Lott exchanged a knowing glance with Morgan, silently agreeing that their daughter's rough demeanour was more a product of their unorthodox upbringing than anything else.