Questions (III)

After pondering for a while, Arkhan asked another question.

"Since Tristan isn't the Tristan we know, Gawain probably isn't the Gawain we know either, right?"

To his question, Melusine nodded.

"Gawain's real name is Barghest, and she's also a fairy."

"Barghest..." Mash rubbed her chin in thought. "Isn't that the terrifying black dog from English folklore?"

Melusine nodded again.

Meanwhile, Ritsuka just sat expressionless on the side, keeping silent.

Both this Baobhan Sith and whatever Barghest were names she had never heard before. Unconsciously, she felt like she had built a thick barrier between herself and the others, feeling like an outsider.

Ritsuka silently lowered her head, tears streaming down her face, wishing she had read more historical books!

Luckily, Mash was understanding enough to explain.

"Barghest is a terrifying large black dog from Northern England, with huge claws and teeth, burning horns and eyes, and heavy chains hanging from its body. It can usually cloak itself, so people can't see its true form, only hear the clinking of the chains as it moves."

"That sounds terrifying..." Ritsuka shuddered at the thought.

Imagining a terrifying black dog standing next to her while she couldn't see it, only hearing the clinking of chains, would probably keep her up for several sleepless nights.

"Of course, Barghest is associated with death. It only appears when someone is about to die. If a prominent figure dies, it will roam the streets with all the other dogs in the area to mourn. If someone gets in its way, it will leave wounds that never heal with its claws." Mash recounted matter-of-factly.

"Wow, that's even scarier, a black dog mourning, huh... Just thinking about it gives me the chills... definitely prefer Fou, no doubt..."

Ritsuka muttered under her breath, though she wasn't sure if Fou should be classified under the category of 'dogs'.

"Actually, Barghest isn't as scary as you think..." Melusine paused for a second before continuing. "If you spend enough time with her, you'll find out she's actually quite easy to get along with. She is someone who has her own principles, and despite her powerful strength, she never bullies the weak. If there's anyone among us truly worthy of bearing the title of Knights of the Round Table, I think it's only her."

"Um..."

"Well..."

Mash and Ritsuka exchanged a peculiar glance, their faces involuntarily showing a hint of strangeness, while Arkhan's eyes also betrayed some confusion.

"Miss Melusine, I'm not doubting you, but I just want to know, do you really understand what Gawain has done?" Ritsuka couldn't help asking.

Among the refugees they encountered, almost everyone treated the names Tristan and Gawain as taboo, indicating how deeply these fairies, bearing the names of the Knights of the Round Table, had affected them.

Those who encountered Tristan barely escaped without having their feet cut off, and sometimes not even the chosen ones were spared.

Gawain's crimes were even worse than Tristan's. Wherever she passed, hardly anyone survived, leaving only endless corpses in her wake.

No matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem to match the description of Gawain that Melusine had just given.

Upon hearing Ritsuka's doubt, Melusine fell silent for a moment, letting out a soft sigh.

"I've heard some rumors about what Barghest did, but I don't think it was her own will."

"So, you mean she was influenced or controlled by something?" Mash asked cautiously.

Melusine shook her head slightly.

"It's not exactly influence or control, but rather, the Lion King's Gift has further stimulated her innate ferocity." 

"Gift?" Ritsuka and Mash both exclaimed in surprise.

"The Lion King has bestowed Gifts upon each Knight of the Round Table. Tristan received 'Domination', which allows her to create a double from body parts of her target, like hair or blood, and kill her target by killing the double, regardless of distance." Melusine explained calmly.

Hearing the explanation, a chill ran down the spines of Ritsuka and Mash.

They hadn't imagined that Tristan possessed such eerie and terrifying abilities. They instantly made up their minds that if they ever encountered her on the battlefield, they wouldn't give her the chance to get close!

"What about... Gawain—I mean Barghest?" Mash continued. "What Gift did she receive?"

"Fury." Melusine replied bluntly. "Barghest has a naturally hot-tempered and impulsive personality, which is an inherent trait of her bloodline. However, through long-term practice, she had managed to control this impulsiveness to a great extent."

At this point, she paused for a while before continuing her explanation.

"But when the Lion King bestowed the Gift of Fury upon her, she lost all control. Just the sight or scent of blood alone would make her lose her rationality, driving her into a frenzy, turning her into a creature solely driven by the urge to kill."

"I've tried to stop her several times, but to no avail. So, eventually, she chose to guard the Wailing Wall and stopped going out on missions."

"I see..." Ritsuka nodded. "It sounds like Barghest... has it pretty rough, huh..."

"It must be agonizing for her to remember the things she's done once she regains her senses..." Mash murmured quietly.

They weren't sympathizing with Barghest, considering the sins she had committed were undeniable and couldn't be washed away by any means.

They just felt a sense of pity.

If they were forced into doing things they didn't want to do, they would surely feel immense pain and regret too.

"Barghest told me she's prepared to die at any moment if the Lion King's plan succeeds. She'd die without regrets." Melusine stated flatly.

"Is she that loyal to the Lion King?" Arkhan raised an eyebrow.

Melusine shook her head.

"Her loyalty lies not with the Lion King but with her own clan. Merlin promised her that her people would also be welcomed into Camelot and provided with enough land to survive."

"Clan? Barghest has people of her own?" Ritsuka exclaimed.

"Yes, but not many left. The fading of the Age of Gods has dealt a heavy blow to all phantasmal species, so Barghest had to fight for this slim hope." Melusine explained.

Everyone fell silent, their expressions complex, unable to describe their feelings.

After a moment, Arkhan shook his head, his expression returning to normal as he shifted the topic away from Barghest.

"Since all the Knights of the Round Table have Gifts, Melusine, what about yours?"

"I don't have any Gift." Melusine shook her head.

"None?" Arkhan's eyes widened in surprise.

"My own strength is powerful enough, so I don't need any Gift."

Melusine said matter-of-factly, causing Ritsuka and Mash to twitch their mouths in unison.

After a moment of silence, Melusine added.

"Moreover... I can smell the scent of curses on those so-called Gifts."