"You want me to join King Arthur's faction?"
Hearing this, Souya was instantly stunned.
He originally thought running into Gawain at this frontline tavern was just a coincidence, but he didn't expect the other party was actually looking for him.
And acting as a persuader representing the Red Dragon's faction, no less.
"Yes. The situation in Britain has reached a critical juncture. We hope to recruit more and stronger knights to join the ranks fighting against the Vile King."
Gawain had no intention of hiding it, frankly stating his purpose.
Beside them, Britomart, completely enveloped in a black cloak, was secretly observing this renowned Knight of the Sun, who could be considered the ideal type of all maidens in Britain.
These past few days, because of her unwillingness to interfere in human secular affairs, Britomart basically never participated in battles.
Her greatest joy normally was putting on her cloak and using the pocket money Souya gave her to wander around towns while he was out grinding reputation, then heading to taverns to listen to bards tell all sorts of stories.
And this knight named Gawain was one of the most frequently recounted protagonists in the bards' tales, second only to Lamorak.
The bards said he was a warrior blessed by saints, a good man possessing countless noble qualities, and also a Prince Charming obsessed over by thousands of maidens.
In fact, Gawain was indeed the origin of the term "Prince Charming".
However, Britomart held a different opinion on this.
After carefully examining Gawain, she curled her lip and withdrew her gaze somewhat disappointedly.
I thought he'd be so handsome, but he's not as good-looking as Lamorak...
Gawain looked somewhat confusedly at the figure wrapped in a black cloak beside Souya. He couldn't shake the feeling that this person seemed to dislike him?
How strange.
But Gawain was in no mood to consider other things right now. His top priority was securing Lamorak's recruitment.
"How about it, Lamorak? What are your thoughts?"
Gawain urged Souya, who had been silent for a long while.
"May I ask who sent you to find me?"
Souya wasn't in a hurry to answer Gawain's question; instead, he asked one of his own.
"Artoris, or Merlin?"
Gawain looked at Souya with some surprise, but ultimately nodded.
"It was Merlin. Although the King also greatly desires the addition of capable talents, she and Minister Kay have been busy handling military affairs and pre-war preparations lately, so Merlin is in charge of recruitment."
Hearing this, Souya raised an eyebrow. Merlin wanting him and Artoria wanting him were two different things, carrying entirely different meanings.
"The reason?"
"Merlin said that in his prophetic dreams, you will become a member of the Knights of the Round Table. Furthermore, you will join us in killing the Vile King and saving Britain."
Gawain answered very straightforwardly.
Hearing this, Souya couldn't help but frown.
According to the biography of the character 'Lamorak' that the System had educated him on.
He absolutely should join the Knights of the Round Table and become the Knight of the Lance holding the third seat.
But that was only the setting of the world before Souya transmigrated. In the Type-Moon setting, records of 'Lamorak' were incredibly scarce, almost making him a transparent figure.
Moreover, he had now become Lamorak. Or rather, it was because of the name Souya Lamorak that this character was able to step onto the stage of Type-Moon's Britain.
So, faced with this predetermined fate, should he choose to comply?
[Host, do you wish to perform a 'Simulation'?]
Hmm? The Trash System gathered enough energy?
And why did it change from passive simulation to active? Has it become this user-friendly?
Sensing the confusion in Souya's heart, the System silently provided the answer.
[You must understand, Host, that people grow, and I am no exception. As long as the path you walk is longer and your impact is more profound, the energy I can acquire will also increase.]
[From now on, please call me System 2.0.]
Alright, Trash System 2.0.
After retorting, Souya began to think. Should he take advantage of this choice to run a simulation?
Watching Souya lower his head in deep thought, Gawain didn't rush him. He just kept looking at him, silently preparing for what he had to do next.
After a long while, Souya finally raised his head.
He decided not to waste this precious simulation opportunity.
Regarding the Knights of the Round Table, he had his own plans. If he agreed now and followed Merlin's path, he really might not be able to control how the ending turned out.
Most importantly, he hadn't brought his reputation to Morgan yet. Naturally, he would choose to refuse such a thing.
Thus, Souya hesitated no longer and spoke.
"I apologize, but I have my own ideals and plans. I will participate in fighting Vortigern, but as for joining you, I'll have to pass."
"Is that so?"
Although slightly surprised that Souya would actually refuse, Gawain still didn't express any dissatisfaction.
After all, he believed that not everyone, like him, had received guidance from the Fairy of the Lake (not Morgan), had witnessed that King's earnestness and resilience, and believed that she could definitely lead Britain to a bright future.
Perhaps it was just an illusion, but Souya felt that upon hearing his refusal, Gawain's facial muscles relaxed slightly, no longer as tense, as if he had just completed a task.
Souya realized Gawain still had more to say, so he swallowed the farewell he had been about to utter.
Sure enough, Gawain parted his lips and spoke again.
"Since the task Merlin gave me—inviting you to join the Knights of the Round Table—is finished, I suppose I should ask about our personal matters now."
"Personal matters?"
Alarm bells rang loudly in Souya's mind. His hand instinctively reached for the silver-white cruciform sword at his waist.
That was the unreleased True Name mimicry form of the 'Penetrate Blaiddyd' that Britomart had essentially gifted him.
Does Gawain know about my relationship with Morgan? Does he know I'm his father's murderer?
Souya's thoughts raced, a look of wariness already appearing in his eyes.
But Gawain seemed oblivious to this. He continued speaking on his own, a hint of admiration actually present in his eyes.
"Eliminating rampaging bandits and nobles for the commoners without taking a reward, and even gifting the acquired wealth to them."
"Defeating the giant and the Questing Beast that endangered the region, protecting the local residents."
"Fighting against the Vile King's army while treating the enemy with respect and sincerity."
Souya looked somewhat bewilderedly at Gawain, who rattled off his deeds, unable to figure out what he was trying to do.
Seeing this, Britomart leaned in close to his ear and asked in confusion.
"Is this guy who looks like a blond gorilla also a bard?"
She had only heard those words from the mouths of bards.
Gawain didn't notice the strange looks Souya and Britomart were giving him at all.
After listing Souya's deeds in one breath and praising him, he finally looked at him.
"Such noble and glorious character, truly worthy of being my dear brother, Lamorak!"
?
Giant question marks popped up in Souya's and Britomart's tiny heads.
After a long while, Souya regained his senses and said with a toothache, "What are you talking about? I'm your brother?"
Hearing this, Britomart also snapped out of her bewilderment, putting on an expression of someone ready to enjoy some gossip.
"You probably haven't sensed it yet, but you carry the exact same aura as me. It's just that, perhaps due to some differing factors, it's not particularly obvious."
Hearing this, Souya froze.
His mind spun rapidly. Combining this with the information he knew about Gawain, he instantly understood what was going on.
"You mean the aura of the Queen... no, Morgan?"
Upon hearing this name, Gawain's smile faded slightly, and his eyes grew complex.
But he still nodded and answered.
"Yes. Even back when I first heard of your deeds, I felt you were very likely an artificial human created by Morgan, just like me and my siblings."
"And after joining my King's faction, I confirmed the truth of this news from Merlin. Only then did I volunteer to take this mission from Merlin and come looking for you."
Listening to Gawain's words, Souya understood the whole story.
As mentioned earlier, he absorbed a massive amount of Morgan's blood when he incarnated. This blood later merged with his life energy, creating the Lamorak of today.
And in the Type-Moon setting, Gawain and several other Knights of the Round Table were artificial lifeforms created by Morgan using Magecraft, combining her own blood with the blood of the British royal family.
Although the two were different, they shared similarities in approach. It was normal for Gawain to misunderstand.
It's just that I'm not your brother. Strictly speaking, based on my relationship with Morgan, I should be your stepfather...
Souya thought with a touch of wicked amusement.
Type-Moon Comedy: Acknowledging Your Dad, how about it...
Just as Souya was thinking about how to tell Gawain he had misunderstood, the latter's next sentence changed Souya's expression.
"Lamorak, I know this shameful aura and its origin bring you great pain. We feel the same way as you. But even though we share the blood of that slut, we cannot let that strip us of the morals and confidence we ought to have."
Gawain said earnestly, his tone filled with complex emotions like persuasion and resentment.
"Although our existence is proof of her obscenity, it has also made our siblings more united. You don't need to hide or feel inferior, Lamorak."
"We are your true family."
For some reason, perhaps because he became emotional when mentioning Morgan—the woman who abandoned him at birth, 'shamelessly' consorted with other men, and created more pitiful children like him—Gawain completely failed to notice that Souya's expression was growing colder and colder, a chill filling his eyes.
"Enough! Gawain."
Suddenly, Souya's icy voice interrupted Gawain's resentment-filled speech, startling the latter.
Gawain looked at Souya in bewilderment, only to unexpectedly find his eyes terrifyingly scary. There was absolutely no excitement or joy at seeing his 'older brother'.
Replacing it was disgust and anger, as if he had suffered a massive insult.
"Lamorak?"
Gawain's consciousness returned a bit to normal. He frowned, his tone holding confusion and bewilderment.
But Souya had no intention of giving him a good look, speaking with an icy tone.
"Have you ever bothered to learn the truth of the matter? Relying solely on your own subjectivity to insult and resent the person who brought you into this world."
"Is the so-called Knight, as gentle and scorching as the sun, truly this kind of person?"
Gawain's expression turned somewhat ugly.
"Do these things even need confirming? If she wasn't promiscuous, how were we children born? If she had any sense of responsibility, why hasn't she been willing to even look at us all these years?"
"Furthermore."
At this point, Gawain's face turned even uglier, a trace of pain in his eyes.
"If she truly had a heart, why would she kill my father, seize the throne of Camelot for herself, and crown herself King?!"
"Lamorak, why are you defending her? Have you been put under her bewitching Magecraft?"
Listening to Gawain's words, Souya somewhat understood why Gawain—who in the original records still held resentment toward Morgan but didn't particularly hate her—had become like this today.
He figured it was because he had killed the King of Orkney, who raised Gawain and the others and was their only elder. Losing his beloved family caused the originally gentle Sun to turn somewhat dark when facing Morgan.
Speaking of which, this was Souya's fault.
But so what?
Souya desired to become a Saint, but Lamorak would not be a Saint.
In this history that had truly occurred, there were countless bad people. Why couldn't he be one of them?
Besides, was killing the King of Orkney truly entirely his fault?
It was the King of Orkney's greed that drove him to the royal capital, and it was his greed that brought about his and those knights' destruction.
And if Souya and Morgan hadn't fought back against him, they would have been the ones killed.
In this world, the hardest things to debate are good and evil.
Souya wasn't a perfect person. Even Saints weren't perfect before becoming Saints.
Not escaping, not regretting, recognizing one's own sins and responsibilities, and walking the path of a Saint to the end.
When that day came, the Lord's scales would naturally judge his good and evil.
This was Souya's path to becoming a Saint.
Thus, Souya chose not to continue arguing with Gawain. Instead, he pulled out a white handkerchief and threw it on the table in front of him.
"Let's duel, Sir Gawain. A knight's weapon will express what's in our hearts."
He was a knight now.
And a knight's honor stood with their lord's honor. When the lord was insulted, the knight should erase the insult with sword and blood.
Gawain frowned deeply, looking at Souya.
In his heart, he still considered Souya his brother, merely one who had been bewitched by Morgan.
And Gawain, who valued emotions, did not want to make an enemy of him.
But the other party hadn't just attacked him directly; he had issued a challenge with knightly etiquette. Morally and logically, he had no reason to refuse.
"Lamorak, you must think clearly. Although you are very strong, it is currently noon. This is my strongest state. With a three-fold enhancement, you are no match for me."
At the final moment, Gawain still couldn't help but warn him.
"No need to hold back, Sir Gawain."
Souya simply replied indifferently, simultaneously turning to look at Britomart.
The latter immediately understood his meaning. She quickly reached into Souya's clothes and transferred a brand onto his chest.
"Lamorak, be careful. I can feel the aura of a fairy's blessing on him too."
Britomart warned Souya somewhat solemnly.
She was talking about Gawain's innate skill, 'Numeral of the Saint (EX)'.
[Numeral of the Saint (EX): A special constitution possessed by Gawain. For three hours between 9 AM and noon, and three hours between 3 PM and sunset, his power is tripled. This also represents the sacred Celtic number '3'.]
"Don't worry, I'm confident. Besides, I'm in desperate need of a powerful battle."
Souya patted Britomart's small head, then turned his gaze to Gawain.
At this moment, the other party had already drawn his sword. It was a longsword with a silver-white body and blue accents, engraved with a sun pattern.
The Holy Sword with the same origin as King Arthur's 'Excalibur': 'Excalibur Galatine: The Reborn Sword of Victory'.
"Lamorak, if I win this duel, I want you to return with me to my King's chalk city. There, Merlin will help you dispel Morgan's bewitching Magecraft."
Gawain held the sword with both hands, his face serious.
"Then if you lose, I want you to publicly apologize to Morgan and acknowledge her as the heir to the Kingdom of Camelot."
Souya drew his cruciform demonic lance, his face expressionless.
Gawain froze upon hearing his demand, then somewhat gnashed his teeth and agreed.
"Fine!"
Then, surrounded by the onlookers who had been drawn in by the commotion, the two arrived at the clearing by the stream at the town entrance.
The next moment, after taking their stances, the two simultaneously charged at each other to kill.