"What do you mean, I'm Proto-Arthur?"
According to Mery's explanation, the situation was actually quite simple.
This planet consisted of many different "planes" or timelines. The primary one was the "Pan-Human History," which was heavily protected by the planet's will to ensure the safe continuation of human civilization. Throughout the long corridor of history, butterflies were constantly flapping their wings. Most of these ripples didn't affect the overall course of history, and the "Root"—the force protecting the planet and human civilization—wouldn't bother sending out agents to clean up such trivialities.
However, on very rare occasions, a tiny event could cause a major historical turning point to shift, completely altering the future.
"For example, if Qin Shi Huang actually found the elixir of immortality after unifying the six kingdoms."
"Or if Nazi Germany won World War II."
"Or perhaps if the Emperor Lucius defeated you, successfully restoring the Roman Empire. It could even be a timeline where you weren't born according to history, leading to Morgan becoming the 'Holy Sword Wielder' instead."
"If these 'planes' can be salvaged, the Root sends Executors to handle them. If they truly can't be restored, the Root won't struggle. After all, the history of this planet and human civilization is vast. The number of planes formed by the overlapping of countless 'times' and 'spaces' is staggering; losing a few won't hurt, as long as the main history remains unaffected."
"Artoria Lily comes from a world where the Roman Emperor merged with the Sixth Beast. Though the Heroic Spirits of that world fought back valiantly, they were eventually all devoured by the Emperor. In the end, that entire plane was consumed."
"I discovered that world just as it was ending and secretly brought Artoria back. Although she's your sister in name, she actually shares no blood relation with you at all."
Arthur felt a complicated mix of emotions upon hearing this.
The fact that Artoria, whom he had always treated as his biological sister, wasn't related to him was secondary. Their bond didn't need blood to sustain it. However, the sheer volume of information Mery had just dumped on him was overwhelming.
He thought he was playing through a standard high-fantasy scenario.
He figured that as long as he cleared this world, his enemies would just be Vortigern, fairies, giants, Rome, or perhaps some ancient gods returning for a "mystery revival" only to be farmed by him for experience points.
And now you're telling me we've already moved on to jumping between "time" and "space," and there might be threats coming from the heavens in the future?
What's next? Are you going to tell me this is a Deus Ex Machina situation where the gods are actually mechanical constructs?
Snapping back to reality, Arthur noticed Artoria staring at him with eyes that seemed to sparkle. He reached out and gave her head a light, exasperated flick.
"Don't even think about it. Even without blood ties, I'm still your brother."
"Heh... hehehe."
Artoria covered her head, not arguing. She just stood there, giggling foolishly to herself.
Hmph!
Before, when we were related, you used that blood connection as an excuse to keep me at a distance while I had to watch those wicked women try to seduce you. Now that we aren't related, Brother, you have no grounds to control me!
I'll do whatever I want!!!
She's a lost cause.
Watching the grinning Artoria, Arthur felt a headache coming on. Having raised her for over ten years, no one knew better than he did what was going on in that head of theirs.
But as the reprimand reached his lips, he looked at his sister. Over the past few days, she had grown increasingly beautiful, nearly rivaling the likes of Guinevere and Mery. Arthur truly didn't know what to say.
Was he completely uninterested in Artoria sexually?
Arthur could claim that, but even with his foster sister, he occasionally had... certain thoughts. Regarding Artoria, however, he truly hadn't entertained such ideas before.
But looking at it from another angle—could he accept Artoria marrying some other guy in the future?
He would definitely slaughter any bastard who dared to trick his sister!
So...
"Where's the spear?!"
Seeing Mery giggling nearby, Arthur reached out and pinched her cheeks again.
Regardless of the situation, it was always Mery's fault! He might as well vent his frustrations on her.
"Ow?! Why?! I didn't do anything wrong!"
"Stop talking. Where's the spear?"
"Little Arthur is so mean!"
Ultimately, Mery succumbed to Arthur's "tyranny." Rubbing her face, she led a frustrated Arthur and a giddily following Artoria deeper into Avalon. Before long, they arrived in front of a towering white spire that seemed to stretch infinitely into the sky.
"Rhongomyniad. The Storm Anchor that fastens the stars. Its true form is a tower that pins the texture of the world in place—a 'Pillar of Light' that maintains the world's surface. And, of course, it's the spear I've prepared for you!"
"Because its form is so different from a normal spear, I warned you both not to practice spearplay casually. I didn't want you developing bad habits that would make Rhongomyniad difficult to handle once you finally held it!"
"Are there many Pillars of Light?" Arthur asked abruptly.
The smile on Mery's face froze instantly.
"So, there's only one?" Arthur's hand reached for Mery's face again. "Then why did you tell both of us not to practice?"
"Waaaah!!! Stop it! Little Arthur, if you keep pulling my face, I'm going to get really angry! Waaaah! I was wrong! Don't!"
"How do we get the spear?"
"Just go inside! Just go inside! Stop pulling!"
Arthur ignored Mery's tearful pleas for mercy and turned to Artoria. "Lily, you go in."
"Eh?!"
Artoria blinked in surprise, then shook her head like a rattle. "No, Brother, you should be the one to take it!"
"Don't argue. I already have the Sword in the Stone. Besides, haven't you always wanted to get stronger?"
Artoria opened her mouth, unable to find a retort.
She truly did want to become stronger.
She had been weaker than her brother from the start, and lately, his strength had skyrocketed. Now, even if he fought her with one hand tied behind his back, she wouldn't be his match. This massive gap left her feeling deeply frustrated.
She clearly wanted to be able to help him!
But, if the prerequisite for becoming strong enough to help him was taking something that belonged to him...
"No!"
Artoria shook her head, her eyes full of resolve.
"I won't!"
"Sigh, Arthur, let go of me! I'll talk to Lily!" Mery hurried to say.
Only then did Arthur release his grip. Mery rubbed her cheeks, feeling like she had just escaped a death sentence. She leaned toward Artoria and whispered in a voice so low Arthur could only barely catch it.
"Lily... you wouldn't want some powerful, wicked woman to come along and try to take your brother from you, only for you to be too weak to stop her? You'd have to just stand there and watch as they steal him away..."
Arthur: "?"
Is that really how you're going to convince her?
As it turned out, Arthur watched as Artoria's pupils shrank. Her expression shifted from hesitation to sheer fury. She looked up at him.
"Then... Brother, I'm going in?"
Actually, maybe you shouldn't.
"Go ahead."
Watching Artoria's resolute silhouette as she marched into the white tower, Arthur felt an inexplicable sense of exhaustion.
Where did my sister go—the one who only cared about saving the country?
While he was happy that Artoria was no longer obsessed with the burden of saving the nation and its people, he didn't necessarily want her new primary interest to be him.
"Heehee, Little Arthur, don't play the innocent here. Don't you think Lily is beautiful?"
As Arthur stared at the closed doors of the white tower, feeling melancholy, Mery's soft body pressed against his back once more. She wrapped her arms around his waist, standing on her tiptoes to blow warm air into his ear.
"Let me tell you a secret... once Lily grows up, her chest is going to be super, super big!"
"How big?"
The words escaped Arthur's mouth before he could stop them. He immediately wanted to slap himself.
What the hell am I saying?!
"So big that even two hands won't be able to hold them!"
Despite his mind screaming that she was his sister—and that even without blood ties, she was still his sister—Arthur couldn't help but picture Artoria in his mind as Mery described her.
Tall, slender waist, long legs, a shapely figure, long hair... and "two hands can't hold them"...
"Alright, let's stop thinking about Lily for now. Let's go get the spear that belongs to you~"
"There's another one?"
"Of course. Since I prepared one for Lily, how could I not have one for you? After all, Lily's world had a Rhongomyniad as well."
Arthur felt his heart stir.
Even if given a thousand more chances, he would have still given Rhongomyniad to Artoria, but giving it away did leave a bit of a lingering regret. After all, according to Mery's description, that spear was incredibly powerful.
An anchor of the planet!
That sounded far more impressive than a "Selection Sword" for some minor King of Knights on a dinky island smaller than modern-day Japan. But then, Arthur realized something was off.
"Is there something wrong with that spear?"
If the two spears were identical, Mery wouldn't have needed to give them out separately. She knew Arthur would yield to Artoria, so no "entertainment" would have come from it.
"Yes. Because of that world-devouring Roman Emperor, the 'God' within that Holy Lance was awakened early..."
"There's a god inside it?" Arthur immediately looked toward the closed door.
"Relax. As long as she doesn't wield the Holy Lance for hundreds or thousands of years, there won't be any issues. And if you and Lily manage to live that long, you probably won't be afraid of it anyway, right?"
Mery's smile remained as she explained, continuing to breathe warmly against Arthur's ear. "Actually, calling it a 'god' isn't quite accurate. More accurately, one becomes 'Godified' due to the influence of the Holy Lance's divinity. Of course, this process is very slow. It certainly won't happen within a few years or even decades."
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