Upon hearing Morgan's words, Arthur seemed to have countless questions arise in his mind.
Morgan, you promised to let me go home after I pulled the sword from the stone!
Why did it turn out like this?
"Make Lily your assistant, responsible for certain decisions," Morgan le Fay said slowly. "She was taught by that charlatan, and although Merlin usually doesn't seem reliable at all, he shouldn't have any trouble teaching Lily."
"Of course, I'll also help, such as serving me after you finish your work for the day—"
"That has nothing to do with helping, does it?" Arthur rubbed his forehead. "Morgan, you knew from the beginning that I wouldn't be able to leave easily after pulling the sword from the stone, didn't you?"
After pulling the sword from the stone and becoming king, Morgan would have to assume that responsibility. Even though she had said she would take care of everything personally, it would take time, and he would have to wait until Morgan reached a certain level of prestige.
Or perhaps there was the method she had considered before: marrying Morgan.
The second method is definitely not viable, so the best solution now is to drive out the Saxons first and then leave once Britain is stable.
Of course, even then, he could no longer stay in the Land of Shadows as long as before, and he would still need to return from time to time.
"I've been tricked…" Thinking this, Arthur slumped into his seat, his ahoge drooping lifelessly. "You lied to me."
Suddenly, his hair was gently stroked. Arthur looked up and saw Artoria touching his head. A rare and subtle smile appeared on her delicate and beautiful face.
"It's alright. You will certainly become a worthy king. I will guide you as your assistant."
Arthur looked at her and sighed.
Lily is fine now—she didn't pull the sword from the stone, so she'll age normally. But what about me?
It's not a problem if his face looks a bit youthful, but the main issue is… his height.
Although he was still much taller than Artoria, he was a man.
"In fact, you don't need to worry too much about growing." Morgan suddenly said, seemingly reading Arthur's thoughts.
I don't need to worry about growth?
Arthur looked confused.
"What are you talking about?"
Morgan formed a faint smile. "Are you sure you actually pulled the sword from the stone?"
Arthur was startled.
Now that I think about it… I didn't really pull the sword out of the stone; I broke it and tore it out instead.
"Then I'll still grow?!" Arthur looked at Morgan as if he had seen a glimmer of hope.
Morgan simply sighed. "At first, I intended to tease you a bit and not tell you, but this beautiful and kind lady couldn't bear to see you so upset, so I had no choice but to tell you the truth."
"However, I'm not entirely sure either. Let time prove whether you truly pulled the sword from the stone… But in any case, everyone acknowledges you, so—"
Morgan extended her hand at the end, saying, "Let's work together, King Arthur."
Arthur stared at Morgan, at her hand, and at the smile on her face.
This scene is very similar to the one Scáthach made when she first met him.
So, there's only one answer, right?
"Morgan, even if you say that so seriously, it doesn't change the fact that you tricked me and dragged me into this mess." Arthur sighed and extended his hand to shake hers.
"Isn't there a way to have the best of both worlds?" He looked at Morgan's smile, but his mind was elsewhere.
Is there a way to reach a situation where everyone wins?
A way for both me and Morgan to benefit—
Arthur suddenly seemed to have an idea and abruptly stood up. "I've got it!"
"What came to mind?" Artoria asked, standing beside him, already seemingly adapting to her role as assistant.
"Why don't we form an alliance with the Land of Shadows?" Arthur asked.
Morgan looked at Arthur, her eyes faintly gleaming before her charming smile returned. "Don't be hasty. Even if you want to form an alliance, you must first consolidate your position. Pulling the sword from the stone makes you the King, but now you need the approval of another group of people."
Not the people, nor the knights, but—
"The kings of the British tribes?" Arthur asked thoughtfully.
Britain at this time was not yet fully unified; the kings of the various tribes ruled their own territories, and that was why Morgan hoped to make those people work for him as soon as possible.
"In a few days, there will be a good opportunity…" Morgan paused, casting a glance at Artoria beside her. "If nothing unexpected happens, after that, when we invite those people, they will gladly come to us. In fact, even if we don't invite them, they will be eager to come."
"That will be your time to shine."
"You want me to increase my prestige?" Arthur asked.
Morgan nodded slightly. "For now, it's enough that they work for us. Once you lead them to drive out the Saxons, you will naturally gain the recognition of others."
"I thought you were going to say something like killing one or two tribal kings would intimidate the rest…" Arthur retorted.
"I don't like killing unless it's absolutely necessary," Morgan said seriously. "You should know that."
I don't know about that, Arthur thought. If I hadn't stopped them, those three Saxon leaders would probably already be dead. What nonsense about not liking to kill…
Morgan stared at Arthur for a moment, then suddenly laughed, reaching out to poke his cheek. "Since you became King, you've started losing respect, haven't you? Daring to provoke me like this now? It seems I'll have to teach you a lesson when we get back~"
"Don't do that—and don't poke my waist, it tickles…" Arthur twisted his body up and down trying to avoid Morgan's hand, but to no avail.
"Let's see if you dare disobey me again—that's what you get for talking nonsense!"
Morgan suddenly stopped what she was doing.
No—more precisely, a hand suddenly grabbed Morgan's wrist.
Morgan turned her head and was momentarily stunned when she saw Artoria.
"Sister, he is the King. Please do not make obscene gestures toward him in the hall," Artoria said seriously.
Has she already mastered the role of assistant so quickly?
Arthur couldn't help but admire her inwardly.
Lily is truly reliable.
After a brief moment of surprise, Morgan smiled. "So it's fine in the bedroom?" She extended another finger, tracing it across Arthur's lips before pressing it against her own. "Anything—"
"Please stop the teasing," Artoria said with a serious expression. "We need to focus on more important matters right now."
"And what happens after we return?" Morgan asked, showing great interest.
"..."
"Why aren't you saying anything? Lily, that's not like you. If you don't explain clearly, your older sister won't understand." Morgan's gaze shamelessly swept across Artoria's face, her eyes seemingly glowing with a sinister green light.
She liked Arthur very much, but she also quite liked Artoria. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone through so much effort to prevent her from pulling the sword from the stone.
If Morgan didn't fear Scáthach's wrath, she would have already acted against Arthur and "consummated" their relationship.
Artoria remained silent for a moment. "As the king's assistant, I will not interfere in his private life, as long as it does not affect his normal decisions."
"So generous?" Morgan sat down in the chair beside Arthur, leaned close to his ear, and whispered loudly enough for the girl standing in front of them to hear: "Then let's continue doing things that make people happy tonight—like making babies together~"
After finishing, she casually glanced at Artoria, whose face remained calm.
However, in the end, she was still only a fifteen-year-old girl, and no matter how composed she tried to appear, her ears were burning.
If this continues, Lily might really lose control and draw her sword to kill this witch…
Arthur had no choice but to interrupt Morgan's teasing. "Alright, that's enough, Morgan."
Not only Artoria, but Arthur himself also found that woman's intimate behavior somewhat difficult to handle. Not that he disliked it… he was just a little afraid of becoming addicted to it.
Arthur let out a sigh of relief when Morgan finally calmed down.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked at Artoria, who was still expressionless. "By the way, Lily, now that you no longer live for the title of King, you don't need to pretend to be a man anymore, right?"
Artoria shook her head. "It doesn't matter—"
Now, all she needed to do as the palace steward was fulfill her duties and take care of Arthur; everything else was irrelevant.
"It does matter," Arthur said. "From now on, when you speak to outsiders, you can properly introduce yourself as who you really are."
"From now on, you are Artoria Pendragon, the sister of Morgan le Fay," Arthur said.
Upon hearing Arthur's words, Morgan couldn't help but smile.
Even if Arthur hadn't brought it up, she had been prepared to speak up anyway—but perhaps it was more effective coming from him.
Artoria simply nodded and replied calmly, "If this is your order—"
"This is not an order."
Artoria paused, looking into Arthur's eyes.
From the moment she entered the hall until now, for the first time, a strange light appeared in those usually calm eyes. Those eyes reflected Arthur's sincere gaze—and his voice as he spoke again:
"This is simply a shared wish between me and Morgan. Nothing more."
---
(End of Chapter)