Guinevere, feeling his mind spin with confusion, clutched his head as he tried to piece things together.
Reflecting on everything, it had all been there before... Bargest had formed an alliance with Woodworth in the first simulation, then in the second simulation, she had driven him back, using the excuse that Woodworth had abandoned his comrades to escape.
Wait, wasn't that the exact same situation from the first simulation?
And when he met Bargest in the third simulation, she had offered him a place to stay as a favor. At the time, Guinevere had been puzzled about what favor she owed him, but there had been a noticeable pause in her response.
Now, he realized she was just repaying the favor for helping her escape Norwich in the first simulation!
He should've noticed this earlier. He should've seen it coming.
Guinevere slapped his face, trying to calm himself down.
This was bad. This was really bad.
At first, he thought this simulator was just a single-player game, and that alone was already tricky... but now it seemed things were even worse.
If Artoria and Bargest had simulators, could there be others?
What about Woodworth? Or the faerie Tristan?
This was a huge problem. He had made enemies with them, and if they came looking for revenge in real life...
Guinevere felt a rush of panic and the sudden urge to pack up and run.
No, calm down, Guinevere. Stay calm.
He slapped himself again to try and regain control.
Don't think the worst. Focus and think clearly.
Woodworth likely didn't have a simulator. After all, if he had one, why wouldn't he have wiped the floor with Guinevere after their first encounter?
But Tristan...
Guinevere shuddered.
If he remembered correctly, after crushing her forces in the previous simulation and beating her senseless, Tristan had sworn vengeance, saying she would kill him.
Though his memory was foggy, the reality of it all snapped him back. She had vowed to find him, over and over again, and tear him apart.
So, it seemed pretty obvious that she had a simulator too.
Now, Guinevere was frantically rummaging through his nightstand for some kind of medicine—though there was none that could help him here.
Only God could save him now... if such a being existed in Faerie Britannia.
He could only hope Tristan didn't know he was in Salisbury.
Wait, wasn't it in the last simulation where he fought Tristan outside Salisbury?
And he was wearing a Salisbury guard uniform at the time...
Guinevere shot up from the bed, realizing with a sinking feeling that he was in serious trouble.
It was time to pack up and get out of here!
After handing off the simulator to his automated system, Guinevere quickly began packing his belongings.
[You and Guinevere begin your date in Gloucester.]
[Guinevere is quite intrigued by the unique rules of Gloucester.]
"This is incredible, right? When I first arrived, I felt just like you," Artoria said, taking off her hat and walking ahead of Guinevere like a guide. Her hands were clasped behind her back, and she looked noticeably happier, her steps light and joyful, the little tuft of hair on her head bouncing as she moved.
"Things in the distance look huge, while things up close look tiny. Sometimes, pink rain falls, and there are lots of rainbows in the streets."
"Boys become girls, and girls become boys."
"In short, the trends here change in an instant. The last time I was here—"
At that moment, Artoria's gaze shifted to the side, her smile faltering, and her face turned slightly red.
"...I... I got zero points in the princess competition..."
She instantly regretted saying it and wanted to roll into the ground in embarrassment.
"Ahhh, why did I have to spill that embarrassing secret?!"
But seeing Guinevere suddenly fall silent made Artoria even more awkward. She nervously continued the conversation, trying to salvage it:
"...That time, a girl wearing some kind of insect silk scarf... took off my clothes... She said my outfit was too old-fashioned."
"—"
Guinevere, who had been packing his bags, froze when he heard this. He suddenly felt awkward, almost wanting to dig a hole to hide in.
Not only Artoria, but even he, the listener, was about to bury himself with his own embarrassment.
Noticing Guinevere's silence, Artoria decided to push through the awkwardness.
"...I wonder how she's doing now. If she's doing well, I'll be upset... If I see her again, I'll definitely take my revenge..."
"—No, forget it. It doesn't matter what she's up to now."
Unable to bear the awkwardness any longer, Guinevere took control of the situation.
"Anyway, she's just someone who doesn't know how to appreciate beauty. Why care about someone like that?"
"Your beauty, your charm, all the things that make you special, they're perfectly visible to those who appreciate you. If you ask me, you're the cutest faerie in all of Faerie Britannia, no contest! The judges didn't crown you the winner because they were blind!"
"W-What? That's way too exaggerated..." Artoria's face turned even redder as she looked away, feeling shy.
"No, it's not exaggerated at all! Stop acting so insecure. In my eyes, you're the cutest in the world! Now, hold your head high and remember that!"
Guinevere said seriously.
"Of course, that girl wearing the insect silk scarf was way out of line! She actually took your clothes off? What was her name? If I see her again, I'm definitely going to teach her a lesson!"
"Ah, that... maybe it's better to let it go... she was actually quite strong..." Artoria's expression suddenly turned a bit complicated, and she quickly tried to smooth things over.
But Guinevere was already beyond listening. The things that had been happening recently had been so overwhelming that he desperately needed to vent his frustrations:
"Hmph! I've made up my mind! Don't try to talk me out of it! Just tell me her name, and next time I see her, I'll give her a piece of my mind!"
What's there to be afraid of? She's just some random contestant in a beauty contest, right? She can't possibly have a simulator.
If she doesn't have one, then it'll be easy to deal with her, right?
"Ah... her name is...?"
"What's her name?"
"She's called Nockna Ray."
Upon hearing this, Guinevere lost his balance, fell out of the bed, and landed on the floor with a loud crash.