Silence. A wordless quiet.
Souya's head was lowered, making it impossible to see his eyes or what he was thinking.
Meanwhile, Vortigern unhurriedly turned the roasting hare in his hands. His expression was incredibly relaxed and carefree, as if he was absolutely certain Souya wouldn't refuse this conversation.
And that was indeed the case.
In the end, Souya didn't refuse to converse with Vortigern.
He didn't know why Vortigern understood and cared so much about a suddenly appearing nobody like himself, but in this situation, it was clearly impossible for him not to talk even if he wanted to.
Besides, Souya was genuinely curious about Vortigern's words.
Thus, after asking Britomart to wait for him in the nearby woods, the Knight and the Vile King began their conversation.
"So, where do you want to start?"
Vortigern picked up the roasted hare, tore off a leg, and handed it to Souya.
Souya didn't have any reservations. He accepted it, said his thanks, and began eating.
"Let's start with how you discovered my relationship with Lady Morgan. I'm quite concerned about that."
Regarding his current relationship with Morgan, Souya felt the fewer people who knew, the better.
Merlin and Gawain being able to discover it was due to Clairvoyance and bloodline connection respectively, but Souya couldn't figure out how Vortigern could know.
Logically speaking, Souya believed Vortigern would at most discover the fairy aura on him, and the association should have been with Britomart, who was traveling with him, rather than directly naming Morgan.
This made Souya feel both surprised and a little nervous.
He could also use this question to gauge Vortigern's stance on Morgan and the newborn Camelot.
Hearing Souya's words, Vortigern looked up. The expression he directed at Souya carried an indescribable smile.
"It seems you really do care about my niece."
Souya rubbed his nose somewhat embarrassedly.
Vortigern, however, waved his hand dismissively.
"I won't ask too much about the romantic affairs of you young people. As for your question about how I discovered your relationship with Morgan, it's very simple. I 'saw' it."
"Saw it?"
Souya frowned slightly, not quite understanding Vortigern's words.
The story between him and Morgan was a secret belonging only to the two of them. How could Vortigern, an old man thousands of miles away from Camelot, have seen it?
But soon, Souya realized that Vortigern's 'seeing' wasn't literally seeing with his eyes.
Involuntarily, a bold idea popped into his mind.
After a moment's hesitation, Souya tentatively asked:
"Do you mean you have 'Clairvoyance'?"
"To be precise, it is the 'Eye of Destiny'."
Vortigern smilingly corrected Souya.
"But since you know of 'Clairvoyance', it makes it much easier for me to explain."
"Unlike that incubus Merlin's 'Clairvoyance', which relies on dreaming to see and integrate everything in the present and make prophecies, my 'Eye of Destiny', although capable of seeing a certain degree of the future, has great limitations."
"What I can see are basically fragmented images, revelations, and the threads of destiny connecting people to people, and events to events."
"So, you knew I had a relationship with Morgan because you saw the thread of destiny between us?"
Souya was deep in thought.
"Yes. And not just with Morgan."
Vortigern scrutinized Souya, an amber light flashing within his pale golden pupils.
"In my eyes, there are an exceptionally large number of threads upon you, connecting you to many people. With Merlin, with that fairy girl, with the Child of the Red Dragon, and even..."
"Even with me."
Souya's pupils shrank slightly, but he said nothing.
Vortigern simply smiled and moved past the topic.
"Alright, since I've answered your question, you should answer one of mine."
"Ask away. Though I don't think I possess any important information you'd want."
Souya acted very openly. Now that his most important secret was known by Vortigern, he had nothing else to hide.
Chuckling a few times, Vortigern pointed to himself, then pointed to the ground, and said:
"What kind of person do you think I am? And what do you make of my actions regarding this land?"
Hearing this, Souya froze for a moment. His brain instinctively began spinning rapidly, thinking of an answer that would satisfy Vortigern.
But the latter seemed to guess what Souya was thinking. The old man tapped the tree trunk and told Souya:
"No need to worry about anything. Just speak your truest thoughts."
"Hmm..."
Since Vortigern put it that way, Souya put away the flattering words he had prepared.
After giving it some serious thought, he finally spoke.
"Based on what I know, I cannot give an answer as to what kind of person you are."
"I know too little about you. The cruelty, despicability, and ferocity spread throughout the world don't seem to match the person sitting before me. So, I cannot give an answer to this question."
"But at the very least, you are not the bloodthirsty person the outside world rumors you to be."
"As for the next question..."
Souya paused. Although he felt it was a bit offensive, he slowly continued.
"I don't know what impact your actions will have on this land. But for the people living here, whether it's the White Dragon or the Red Dragon, as long as there is war, they are the ones who suffer the most."
In other words, as the initiator of the war, Vortigern was the biggest perpetrator.
"Hehe."
Hearing Souya's words, Vortigern chuckled lightly. Surprisingly, he didn't argue back or get angry; he was merely calm and composed.
"You are right, Lamorak. War can only bring casualties, and the ones who suffer the most will always be the people at the very bottom."
"But what if I told you that if I didn't start a war, this island, and all the people and life on it, would die and perish? Would you abandon everyone else who could survive for the sake of those who die in the war?"
"Tell me your answer, Knight Lamorak."
Souya's brows furrowed tightly. His brain rapidly absorbed and analyzed the meaning behind those words.
Involuntarily, he thought of what Vortigern had said earlier regarding the secret of the fading Age of Gods.
As if struck by inspiration, connecting the theme of Britain's fading Age of Gods, the meaning behind the White Dragon, and Vortigern's statement, Souya arrived at an answer so bold it was almost terrifying.
If the Age of Gods isn't prolonged, everyone—everyone in Britain—will die.
"How is that possible?!"
If not prolonging the Age of Gods meant everyone would die, then why didn't Uther cooperate with his brother Vortigern? Why did he instead create the Red Dragon to oppose Vortigern and fight for Britain?
Could the combined efforts of the White and Red Dragons, assisted by Merlin and Morgan, not solve this problem?
Or did Merlin get sand in his Clairvoyant eyes and fail to see this?
Instinctively, Souya felt Vortigern was lying. Yet, a throbbing deep within his heart told him Vortigern had no reason to deceive him with such words.
Vortigern's answer completely silenced Souya.
"Why is it not possible? And what makes you think that those of us born at the end of the Age of Gods aren't a part of it?"
Vortigern's tone was icy as he stated this almost tragic fact.
"What about Merlin and Uther? Did they not know about this?"
Souya couldn't help but ask.
"Hmph. My foolish brother naturally knew as well. Merlin knew even earlier than I did and informed him."
At the mention of them, Vortigern's calm expression turned cold, his tone full of disdain and disappointment.
"But they actually chose to accept it! Facing hundreds of thousands of people in Britain, they chose to go with the flow and leave it to the future!"
"Those are the lives of nearly hundreds of thousands of people, and they just gave up on them?"
Souya's tone was full of disbelief. He truly couldn't imagine King Uther and Merlin choosing to abandon so many lives—their own subjects, no less—simply because of a prophecy.
And a person like that was the King who ruled all of Britain?
"Of course. After all, both he and that incubus Merlin firmly believe in prophecies and destiny."
The corners of Vortigern's mouth curled up as he spoke with a mocking tone.
"But I am different. I don't believe in some bullshit destiny. Even though the ending seen by my 'Eye of Destiny' is no different from what Merlin saw, as long as I am still here and the ending hasn't arrived, I will definitely resist."
"Therefore, upon learning of this matter back then, I resolutely chose to become the White Dragon of Britain. Since my brother and Merlin were unwilling to protect Britain, to protect the hundreds of thousands of people about to be abandoned by the new era, I would do it myself."
"And what did they do?"
Vortigern sneered, his tone full of ridicule.
"To that end, they not only banished me from the royal court and drove me to the remote north, but they also created a so-called 'Perfect King', claiming they would defeat me and lead Britain to a glorious future."
"Little do they know, that so-called glorious future is built upon abandoning everything in the present, built upon the bones of the old era."
"Abandoning the present for the sake of a so-called future... I will never tolerate such an act of cowardice!"
"Lamorak, tell me. Between Uther and me, who is right and who is wrong?"
Souya remained silent, offering no reply.
Grasping the present versus looking toward the future—there is inherently no right or wrong in this choice.
But for the current Britain, the future and the present seemed to be a mutually exclusive multiple-choice question.
Choosing the future meant everyone would die the moment before the new era arrived. The time they should have had, the lives they should have lived, would end right there.
Choosing the present meant people wouldn't lose what they rightfully possessed and would welcome a peaceful life. But would a Britain that defied the rules of the world truly not face the world's reckoning and judgment?
Souya couldn't give a choice, but he was someone who had been chosen.
[Lingering Light of the Age of Gods (A): As the last fairy remaining in Age of Gods Britain, the mark of the Age of Gods is engraved in your body. The surviving lingering light of the Age of Gods will manifest within you. The quality and quantity of your magical energy, as well as your physical attributes, will reach the level of a hero from the Age of Gods. However, your life will also be tied to the survival of the Age of Gods.]
At this moment, Vortigern's voice rang out again, interrupting Souya's thoughts.
"Lamorak, at this point, you should understand the situation Britain is currently in."
"You and I are both remnants of the old era. We are firewood-bearers abandoned by the new era, forced to rise up against destiny."
"Join me. Seize the present with me, and let us protect the correct future."
[Ding! The Host has triggered the trajectory of destiny. The crossroads have been reached. Please make a choice as soon as possible, Host!]
[You learned the truth of the war and the secret of the fading Age of Gods from Vortigern. He has extended an invitation to you. You decide to:]
[Choice 1: Agree to join. For the sake of the current Britain, and for your own life, become the White Dragon's sharp claws, fighting for the present and yourself.]
[Choice 2: Refuse to join. For the future of Britain, trust the prophecy and Merlin. Leave Vortigern first, then join the Red Dragon's faction and become a Knight of the Round Table.]
[Choice 3: Refuse to join. Uphold your oath and publicly declare your allegiance to Morgan to the world. Fight for Morgan, whether in the present or the future.]