"So it did trigger a crossroads in the end."
Hearing the familiar electronic voice in his ear and sensing that the flow of time around him had slowed to a near-standstill, Souya let out a soft breath.
He knew Vortigern's purpose in coming to see him couldn't possibly be just to chat, reveal the secret of the Age of Gods, and then brush his hands and leave.
Despite all the talk, Vortigern's ultimate goal was still to persuade Souya to join him and fight against the Red Dragon.
Although this old man, the so-called Light-Devouring White Dragon, spoke with disdain and belittlement toward Artoria, declaring that even if fate dictated his defeat, he would fight to the bitter end...
Seeing all the outstanding knights of Britain join the opposing faction, this Vile King—who had dedicated everything to Britain, burning his own life to fight against the very people he wanted to save—must actually really wish for a like-minded person to accompany him.
And the 'Lion of Britain', Lamorak—a renowned knight chosen by the old era just like him—was undoubtedly the best candidate he could try to win over.
After all, whether out of a selfish desire to survive or an attachment to the people and things he lived among, Souya had no moral or logical reason to refuse.
But unfortunately, the above scenario was predicated on Souya being a normal Briton.
And Souya, precisely, was not normal. Furthermore, he wasn't even human to begin with.
Ever since his power awakened, Souya never forgot that his true form was a Water Fairy. And the person who truly allowed him to embark on the path of a knight, or rather, a Heroic Spirit, was Morgan.
A person must not forget their roots, and they must understand what they truly want.
This life of Souya's was given by Morgan. Her blood flowed in his veins. Therefore, he, as a person, was Morgan's property.
Although he cared greatly about Vortigern's words and understood that choosing to join him was theoretically the most suitable choice...
To Souya, Morgan was not a multiple-choice question; she was the only answer.
"Select Choice 1. Proceed with the simulation."
Without hesitation, Souya made his choice.
[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.]
Don't forget, the essence of 'Simulation' is risk-free exploration of a branching path to obtain its rewards and bonds.
Since Souya's final choice would be to uphold his oath and serve Morgan, this 'Simulation' would definitely be a choice between the White Dragon faction and the Red Dragon faction.
On Artoria's side, Souya still had the 'Karmic Bond' status, and he also felt his story with them wouldn't end so early.
Meanwhile, the Vortigern option was theoretically the optimal choice, the most advantageous option for Souya from a personal standpoint. Naturally, the 'Simulation' had to be used on this option.
Moreover, Souya wanted to know what impact his joining would have on Vortigern, who was originally destined to lose to King Arthur.
Perhaps he could glean some information from it.
And so...
[Selection complete. Simulation begins:]
[Out of consideration for your own life and agreement with Vortigern's words, you chose to accept the Vile King's invitation and joined his army.]
[You followed the Vile King back to his stronghold. Under his instruction, the news that the 'Lion of Britain', the Knight of Radiance, Lamorak, had betrayed Britain and joined the Vile King was broadcast to the world.]
[People were confused and doubtful. They believed that Lamorak, a knight renowned for his noble character, would never associate with the calamitous White Dragon.]
[But soon, your figure appeared on the front lines. Only this time, you joined as an enemy of Britain.]
[You killed a Celtic soldier.]
[You killed several Celtic soldiers.]
[You killed many Celtic soldiers.]
[With your addition, the Vile King's army, which was already stronger than the Celtic forces, became even more unstoppable. This time, the people finally understood you had defected.]
[You received the curses and spittle of countless people. Those who once took pride in having fought against you now publicly claimed they regretted not killing you back then.]
[You lost the title of Knight of Radiance. The skill 'Lion of Britain (B+)' has transformed into → 'The White Dragon's Hyena (A)'.]
[The White Dragon's Hyena (A): As the former pride of Britain, now a sinner who betrayed it, your infamy is even more widely known than before. Affinity changes to Affinity (Evil). You gain a specific special attack modifier against Britain.]
[Regarding your external infamy, you could not refute it, nor did you have the heart to, because it was an indisputable fact.]
[Even the Anglo-Saxons in Vortigern's army looked down on you with disdain. They equally despised you as a traitor, not to mention that this traitor had previously killed many of their own.]
[Just like that, you lost your former friends and the respect of the people. In exchange, you gained the increased trust and attention of the Vile King Vortigern.]
[Besides marching and fighting, your daily life consisted of discussing matters with Vortigern. The only person you could chat with was Britomart, who had accompanied you to the White Dragon's faction.]
[You could sense she disliked it here. Most of the people in the areas occupied by Vortigern had fled. Even those who remained were merely old people and women. The towns had lost their bustle, and this lively girl had lost her energy.]
[But even so, she still chose to continue following you, rather than abandoning you for the more lively Red Dragon territory.]
[You were deeply moved by this, yet you had no way to repay her.]
[Later, the Vile King granted you some military authority. You obtained command of an army.]
[You took great care of this army. Although initially many people refused to submit to you due to your terrible reputation, under your iron fist and strategies, you successfully won them over.]
[You acquired the skill 'Charisma (B)'.]
[Charisma (B): The talent to command and lead armies, an extremely rare trait. Under your leadership, the army will become even more powerful.]
[Leading this army, you continuously launched surprise attacks on towns in various regions, clashing with King Arthur's army.]
[On one occasion, you encountered the Knight of the Sun Gawain—with whom you had fought before and had a misunderstanding—as well as two other Knights of the Round Table: Tristan and Agravain.]
[On the battlefield, Gawain angrily and disappointedly questioned why you were helping Vortigern commit atrocities.]
[You didn't answer his question. You simply stated, just as you had before, that communication between knights relies solely on the weapons in their hands.]
[During the fight, Gawain constantly tried to persuade you to turn back from your misguided path and return to Britain's faction. But through repeated clashes, he felt the unwavering resolve within your ever-changing assault. Thus, he said no more and focused entirely on swinging his sword.]
[However, under the relentless assault of your Noble Phantasm, 'Myriad Flowing Spirits: Unpredictable Waves', he gradually fell into a disadvantage.]
[At this point, Tristan, the Knight of Sorrow—who was once hailed as one of the Four Great Knights alongside you—intervened.]
[As a powerhouse among the Knights of the Round Table renowned for his archery, Tristan didn't adhere to the constraints of chivalry to let you and Gawain have a one-on-one duel between men. Instead, wielding his demonic bow, he harassed you from afar.]
[You were pinned down by Gawain and couldn't advance. Furthermore, Tristan's arrows carried a demonic sound that induced severe headaches. As a result, the situation reversed, and this time you fell into a disadvantage.]
[It was also at this moment that you realized the reason you were affected by the demonic sound was that you had lost certain things.]
[It was the protection Morgan had bestowed upon you.]
[You lost the skill 'Night Walk Protection (B)'.]
[Because your betrayal became known to Morgan, your skill 'Protection of the Lake (A)' has transformed into → 'The Witch's Hatred (B)'.]
[The Witch's Hatred (B): Your betrayal has finally been known by Morgan. She is furious that you broke your former oath and resents that you, like everyone else, viewed her merely as a target for deception. Consequently, the blood within your body has turned into a curse. Your mental fortitude has decreased, and your physical attributes have been weakened.]
[You acquired the status 'Nightmare'.]
[Nightmare: The resentment of the Witch Morgan le Fay envelops you. Because your connection with her is too deep, you will be subjected to Morgan's nightmare invasions at any time every night.]
[Due to a sudden lapse in concentration, you failed to dodge in time and were slashed on the chest by Gawain's holy sword, leaving a wound. You had no choice but to temporarily retreat.]
[You suffered the first defeat of your life.]
[But at this moment, you had no time to worry about this. Because that very night, you met Morgan in a dream.]