To Become a King and a Magician 651-655

Title: The Highly Honorable Knights of the Round Table

Though Naoki knew what kind of person Lancelot was, hearing him say this still made Naoki unable to suppress a mental question mark.

A very charming woman?

Which part of her was charming?

Given Lancelot’s nature, Naoki felt it might be that aspect.

“Ahem, ahem, ahem!”

Noticing the slightly strange looks from the other three, Lancelot quickly coughed, glanced at Artoria washing dishes nearby—who wasn’t looking their way—and hurriedly explained, “Don’t misunderstand, I didn’t mean anything else. I was merely making what I believe is the most appropriate evaluation as a knight.”

“…”

It would’ve been better if he hadn’t explained. His explanation only made it seem more problematic.

Sipping his tea to calm himself, Naoki waved his hand. “Sir Lancelot, please continue. We’re listening. If your female counterpart from the parallel world is so charming… in what ways?”

“Hmm… first of all, her strength.”

Lancelot propped his chin and said.

“Even though she has the Holy Grail, when she first fought me, she didn’t use it. She fought me in a normal state, yet I still felt a bit pressured. Her reason for fighting felt stronger than mine—that’s how it seemed.”

“I could feel the weight of her sword was different.”

For a warrior, many things might not be explainable with words, but through the clash of weapons or fists, one could more or less sense it.

What their opponent was carrying, what they had experienced, the emotions they fought with—one could feel these in battle.

Lancelot sensed this when fighting his female counterpart from the parallel world.

Her sword was heavy, so heavy that he could feel she was carrying an incredibly important mission.

“A difference in resolve?” Gawain said with a serious expression. “My other self was the same, Sir Tristan?”

“Somewhat similar. Our fighting styles differ. Compared to your clashing swords, our battle couldn’t accurately sense the opponent’s heart.”

Tristan plucked the strings of his harp.

“But from the sound of her attacks, there was a faint hint of sorrow.”

Strong resolve and a sorrowful tone.

Why did the Knights of the Round Table from the parallel world have such a disposition in battle?

“Anything else?” Naoki pressed. “Any other points worth noting?”

“Hmm… her clothing.”

As he said this, Lancelot’s expression was somewhat awkward. “The armor she wore… I don’t know if the fashion in the parallel world differs from ours or for some other reason—as you can see, the lower part of our armor is fully equipped.”

“Indeed.”

There was no need to mention Lancelot and Gawain; even Tristan, as an archer, had his lower body covered in armor, providing excellent protection.

“But my opponent was wearing a skirt.”

“Huh?”

A skirt?

Naoki thought for a moment, then used Imaginary Manifestation to conjure several modern skirt styles he knew on the dining table. “Was the skirt like these?”

“There’s some resemblance… By the way, Lord Natsukawa, are these skirts products of the current era?”

“Yeah, for example, this one is typically worn by JKs, meaning teenage girls. This one with thin fabric is called a nightgown, which can more or less enhance marital relations.”

“Oh, oh, oh~~~ The developments of this era are so diverse?”

Listening to Naoki’s professional explanation, Lancelot and the others sighed in admiration. In their era, there were no skirts so varied. They had to praise the talent of the designers who created these skirts.

After evaluating them for a bit, Naoki dispelled his Imaginary Manifestation and subtly gestured toward Artoria and Gray, who were almost done washing dishes.

The three Knights of the Round Table understood his meaning, exchanged glances to confirm, and naturally steered the conversation back to serious matters.

“Back to the topic. As I mentioned, my parallel world self didn’t seem concerned about protection. It must be confidence in her fighting skills or some unknown protection on her body. You should be more cautious when facing her.”

“Yes, I understand that too.” Gawain nodded in agreement. “My other self was in a similar situation, and because she moved with rather large motions, my eyes didn’t know where to look during the fight. It was very distracting.”

Naoki was actually a bit curious about the details of this “swaying.”

After listening to the information from Lancelot and Gawain, Naoki roughly understood the situation of the Lancelot and Gawain on Arthur’s side. While their combat strength without the Holy Grail might be comparable, in the more crucial aspect of mentality, they seemed slightly superior?

“Sir Tristan?” Gawain asked. “Your other self—any points worth noting in combat?”

“None.”

Tristan answered very firmly.

“Sadly, my other self has no differences aside from her gender and wielding the Holy Grail.”

“Is that so? That’s good news then. If we meet at the gates of the White Dragon Nation tomorrow, our chances of winning should increase slightly.”

(Preparing Magecraft to forcibly calm the mind should suffice.)

Naoki thought as much.

At that moment, Artoria, having finished washing dishes, approached. “Master, are you heading to the castle tomorrow?”

“Yeah, there’s no doubt it’s the strangest place in this Singularity. If I don’t go there, nothing will be resolved—that’s what I think.”

“If so, then I’ll go with you.” Artoria said. “Outside the walls of the White Dragon Nation are stationed Sir Gawain, Sir Lancelot, and Sir Tristan from the other world, plus Mordred… If Master goes alone, it might be too difficult.”

“It’s fine. They can’t fly. If I can’t beat them, I’ll just fly away.”

Not being able to fly was indeed a significant disadvantage for many Servants. While there were ways to counter aerial attacks, there was still a certain gap compared to Servants who could move freely in the air.

Artoria fell silent for a moment. “Even so, I still have to go. I think it’s necessary for me to personally deal with Mordred’s issue. Please understand, Master.”

Why Mordred was standing on that side was something that needed to be clarified.

“I understand. Then let’s go together.”

-

Title: The Other Side with a Different Style

At the same time.

Outside the walls of the White Dragon Nation, at a camp at its base.

Riding a horse, a gallant woman clad in silver armor and a war skirt, with a longsword at her waist, stopped beside a tent. She lifted the tent’s flap and entered.

Upon seeing her, a voice spoke up.

“You’re back, Lancelot? Didn’t His Majesty order you to hunt down the intruders?”

Following the voice, the woman called Lancelot looked at a blonde female knight sitting by the bed.

Lancelot shook her head. “I didn’t manage to catch them. Plus, it’s already dark, so I didn’t pursue further. I’ll continue the chase tomorrow morning when it’s light. By the way, why are you here, Gawain? What about the camp you’re handling?”

“There won’t be any problems there, you know that, Lancelot. I’m here just to follow the Palace Witch’s advice, to keep an eye on your work.”

The Palace Witch’s advice?

“That witch, huh…”

“Witch is a very fitting term. Though she claims to be Merlin, she clearly isn’t.” Gawain said, crossing her arms over her chest and lifting her prominent features, making Lancelot want to smack her. “Disguising herself as Merlin with Magecraft, and being able to spend every moment with His Majesty… It’s quite enviable.”

For them, the Knights of the Round Table here, this was a reunion with their King after a long separation. Though not long after the reunion, that change occurred, causing them to feel sorrow again before the joy of the reunion could last too long, at least being able to see their beloved King Arthur was already the best outcome.

But the witch claiming to be Merlin forcibly kept them outside. Though they knew the reason, Gawain couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.

Lancelot felt the same.

“Even so, it’s true that only that witch can help His Majesty. The fact that His Majesty’s condition has remained stable until now is all thanks to her hard work—we can’t deny that. I just don’t know how long this situation can last. Has the frequency of the dragon calamities increased recently?”

“There have been thirty-two occurrences this month, surpassing last month.” Gawain said. “If this continues, we won’t be able to handle it fully with just our strength. Sir Tristan even got lightly injured yesterday while dealing with a dragon calamity. The intensity of the calamities is gradually increasing too.”

“When it rains, it pours…” Lancelot sighed softly. “By the way, how’s Mordred doing?”

Gawain gave a wry smile and spread her hands. “As usual. Honestly, when I learned she was Mordred from this human history, I was a bit worried. After all, the Mordred we knew was…”

“But surprisingly, the Mordred here is very easy to get along with. She must have matured, or perhaps she got what she wanted. She’s a ‘perfect’ version of our Mordred. I really don’t know what she’s been through.”

The rebellious knight of the Round Table, Mordred. For Lancelot, Gawain, and Tristan, it was hard to say they had positive feelings toward her initially.

Dissatisfied with His Majesty’s rule, constantly defying His Majesty, often opposing His Majesty, and ultimately even rebelling—with such impressions, it would be strange if they had positive feelings toward Mordred.

Yet, the Mordred here turned out to be remarkably mature. Though she still had a slight childish streak, her actions were highly dependable.

Thanks to that, the pressure on Lancelot and the others was significantly reduced. Otherwise, just the three of them trying to handle the dragon calamities across the entire Singularity, even with the blessing of the Holy Grail, would have been too difficult.

Mordred at least alleviated the pressure from one direction.

“Even so, the pressure is increasing day by day. Not just for us—I think His Majesty feels it too.”

Gawain looked toward the city walls.

“Lancelot, what do you think about what His Majesty said earlier? About [her] from this world?”

“I don’t know.” Lancelot shook her head. “Besides, it’s too early to think about this issue. No clear anomalies have appeared yet, and everything that’s happened is still within our ability to handle. Don’t overthink it, Gawain.”

Don’t overthink?

Gawain gripped her arm, as if mocking herself. “Maybe. Maybe I am overthinking. Thinking that I might have to witness His Majesty’s departure again, my feelings are a bit—”

“Gawain…”

Muttering, Lancelot spread her arms and hugged Gawain. “Relax, Gawain.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Inside the White Dragon Nation.

The throne room.

Looking at Arthur sitting on the throne with his eyes open, as if frozen in place, Merry sighed softly. “He’s entered this state again… It’s gradually getting deeper. If this continues, it’ll happen soon.”

“But honestly, to maintain this state for half a year and actually wait for that child’s arrival—I don’t even know if this is the result of strong resolve. It’s far beyond what resolve alone could achieve.”

As someone who had been standing here all this time, Merry had seen with her own eyes that Arthur hadn’t closed his eyes once during this period.

Not sleeping for over half a year was less about strong resolve and more like obsession.

“But your resolve is futile. Though you’ve delayed the time until now, it’s only postponing the destruction. In fact, because that child has arrived, this [world] will collapse faster than you expected.”

Leaving the throne room, Merry stepped onto the main street outside. She looked up at the clear night sky, raised her hand, and gently snapped her fingers. Her entire body vanished like mist, and in the next moment, within the mist, a mature woman with white hair in a black dress silently appeared.

If anyone connected to the Round Table were here, they would surely recognize her.

King Arthur’s sister, Mordred’s mother—Morgan.

“What a beautiful night sky. Though it’s fake, I never said the fake can’t be better than the real thing. But soon, this night sky will vanish too… After destroying the stars, I wonder if that child can achieve the feat of destroying the sky this time.”

“What do you think?”

As if asking someone, Morgan stretched both hands toward the sky, where a massive black shadow faintly appeared, as if responding to her question.

Of course, Morgan knew that black shadow was merely an illusion. Its true body was now completely isolated from the outside world.

With a wry smile, Morgan reverted to her Merry guise and turned to re-enter the throne room.

(Come quickly, my dear King Arthur, my dear Holy Sword wielder.)

(This is an enemy only you can resolve.)

-

Title: I Want to Join Jeanne Alter!

The next day, at noon.

On the mountain road encircling the White Dragon Nation.

*DONG!*

With one hand pressing the head of a two-legged winged dragon against the mountain wall and then crushing it with a kick, Naoki swept his gaze over the cratered battlefield. With a casual snap of his fingers, he instantly leveled the surrounding area again.

“That should do it. These dragon calamities really come wave after wave.”

“This is already the sixth wave this morning alone. Hopefully, there’s no trouble at the base.” Artoria said with a slightly worried expression.

Naoki smiled. “There are three Knights of the Round Table there. These minor dragon calamities shouldn’t be able to overpower them. If anything… our situation here is the one that’s a bit bigger.”

*BOOM!*

As soon as he spoke, a rumbling sound came from not far ahead. Blazing flames spread and erupted from within the mountain.

“Here they come again.”

Sighing helplessly, Naoki pulled Artoria along and immediately used Displacement Magecraft to teleport to the source of the sound. Seeing the figure standing in a sea of flames, Naoki sighed again. “Can’t you keep it a bit quieter… Aren’t you afraid of causing a landslide and getting buried to death, Jeanne Alter?”

“Huh?”

Jeanne Alter standing in the sea of flames, turned around, sneering at Naoki. “Either way, a guy like you wouldn’t just stand by and watch, right? Or are you a cold-blooded jerk who’d let this kid get crushed to death?”

“I’ve told you…”

Taking three steps in two, Naoki raised his hand and swiftly chopped Jeanne Alter’s head. She immediately clutched her head and crouched in pain.

“What was that for!”

“Just a little lesson. You said you wanted to come out for some fresh air, and since you were itching for a fight after seeing us, I let Gray bring you out. Don’t act recklessly the moment you’re out. Are you some elementary school kid overly excited on a spring field trip? No, even elementary schoolers are more obedient than you.”

“Huh?!”

Hearing that she wasn’t even better than an elementary schooler, Jeanne Alter’s face soured. “Who’re you calling—Ugh~~~ Fine, fine, I get it, I’ll calm down.”

She only got halfway through her sentence. Hearing an unclear threat from Gray within her, Jeanne Alter, not wanting to be sent back like this, could only swallow the rest of her words and stow her weapon with an unhappy expression.

Scratching his head helplessly, Naoki said, “If you’re itching for a fight, there’ll be plenty of chances to go all out later. For now, hold it in—here, have some ice cream to cool off.”

“You’re really treating me like a kid who needs to be placated?” Jeanne Alter sneered, but her hands honestly took the ice cream. “Where’d you pull this thing from?”

“Imaginary Manifestation—Lia, want some? Or would you rather have a drink? We’ve been walking for about an hour; you must be thirsty, right?”

Seeing the drinks appearing one by one beside Naoki, Artoria gave a wry smile. “Just give me a bottle of mineral water—Master’s ability is as versatile as ever.”

“Not really.”

Tossing a bottle of mineral water to Artoria while simultaneously repairing the terrain damaged by Jeanne Alter’s power, Naoki looked ahead—the White Dragon Nation was close, just past the plain at the mountain’s base.

It had been an hour since they set out. Though Naoki had initially suggested using Displacement Magecraft to get there directly, Artoria, considering that the dragon calamity might attack the base, proposed walking instead, clearing out the dragon calamities along the way.

If the dragon calamities were eradicated, they wouldn’t reappear in the same area for a short while—about half a day. This was also to reduce the pressure on the base.

After finishing the ice cream and its cone, Jeanne Alter licked the crumbs from the corner of her mouth. “How much longer until we get there? At this distance, we could just fly, right?”

“If you don’t mind me holding your waist, I’ve got no problem with it—there’s a bit left on the corner of your mouth.” Naoki said, reaching out to wipe some ice cream from Jeanne Alter’s mouth and licking it himself.

(This guy really doesn’t care at all!)

The overly direct action made Jeanne Alter’s cheeks flush slightly again. She had little resistance to such straightforward gestures, and within her, Gray also showed signs of embarrassment.

Perhaps the flushed face was partly influenced by Gray.

“Hmph~~~ I’m surprised you care about physical contact like this. Doesn’t the Knight King mind?”

“Oh, I don’t mind. I’ve experienced it a few times before.” Artoria said without blushing or her heart racing. “And being held by the waist is nothing compared to fusing with Master.”

Fusion?

What kind of fusion?

“You two can fuse? That’s… uh, like robots combining?” Jeanne Alter racked her brain to express the little knowledge she had through Gray.

Robots?

Thinking of the armor designed specifically for Vortigern in the real world and the Holy Sword armor in the consciousness world, Artoria nodded. “Yes, you could say that.”

“Sounds super cool (very softly).”

“Huh? What’d you say?”

“I didn’t say anything!”

Seeing Jeanne Alter hurriedly deny it, Naoki, who had heard her whisper, actually wanted to say that if Jeanne Alter didn’t mind, he could fuse with her too—it was just a matter of Summoning Magecraft.

But considering that Gray, who shared her heart and body, might scold him, he ultimately held back.

And at that moment—

“Roar!!”

The sound of a dragon’s roar echoed in the sky once more, and in one corner of their view, several dragons swooped down at high speed from the other side of the mountain.

The seventh wave.

These dragon calamities were truly relentless. Hadn’t Jeanne Alter just burned this place clean? Why were they appearing again so quickly?

“Jeanne Alter, does your skill have no effect on them?”

“Huh? You mean Dragon Witch?” Jeanne Alter shook her head. “Not at all. These things aren’t even considered dragons. They just have the shape of dragons. How could I control them?”

“What a pity. I thought I could become a dragon knight.”

Sighing regretfully, Naoki raised his hand, Mana gathering at his fingertips. But before he could fire a Gandr to shoot down the dragons, a figure suddenly darted out from the mountain road ahead… No, leaped out! Jumping straight onto the backs of the dragons!

The sword in their hand gleamed with a light like a lake under the moon.

(That’s—)

Naoki and Artoria’s eyes trembled slightly.

*SWOOSH!*

The lake-like light slashed through, instantly annihilating all the dragons. Using the sliced dragon bodies as a springboard, the figure swiftly returned to the mountain road, turning to face the three.

“Are you three alright? I may have startled you, I truly… No, it seems I was overthinking.”

As her gaze swept over Artoria, the gallant female knight who was about to say “my apologies” immediately changed her tone. “Since it’s the King of this world, she surely wouldn’t be startled by this.”

“Sir Lancelot from the other world…”

-

Title: Overflowing Loyalty

Meeting this world’s King Arthur here was something unexpected for Lancelot.

It was also something that left her unsure of what expression to show.

After all, just a few days ago, the two had fought fiercely, and she had severely injured her counterpart from that side. Logically, they should be enemies, and her lord had ordered it so.

But in practice, they had no real reason to be enemies. Both were fighting the dragon calamity to protect ordinary people, doing their best to safeguard the residents within this Singularity.

If the current situation didn’t allow for any mistakes and required eliminating unstable factors, Lancelot felt she could sit down with Artoria and have a good chat.

With her hand on the hilt of her sword, Lancelot said in a cold voice, “For the King to appear here… the only thing I can think of is that you’re heading to war. Have you finally decided to become our enemies completely?”

“If my lord has that intention.”

Artoria also drew her Holy Sword.

Their differing stances left them unable to talk much, and neither revealed their respective issues. The information gap meant the two sides had no common ground to discuss.

However, there was one person who did.

“You’re Lancelot from Arthur’s side?”

Naoki’s voice suddenly interrupted. Then, he boldly stepped between the two tense figures, eyeing Lancelot up and down as if observing her.

Seeing Naoki’s sudden interruption, Lancelot’s breath hitched, and her eyes widened slightly without her realizing it.

She had noticed at first glance earlier, but it was a rushed look, and with Artoria present, her diverted attention made her not pay much mind to Naoki.

But now, looking directly at his face, Lancelot could barely hold her sword steady.

“Your Majesty…!?”

There was no mistaking it. Even if Lancelot lost her memories, she would instantly recognize this face the moment she saw it. It was the face of the King she loved most. Even with some minute differences, the man before her was 99.9% identical to the King.

The slight difference was only because the face of the man in front of her had a touch more youthful energy.

“No, you’re not His Majesty.”

Taking two steps back, Lancelot quickly calmed her racing heart, which was beating twice as fast in her chest. Gripping her sword, she shouted firmly, “Who are you? Why do you look so much like His Majesty!?”

“Hm? Arthur never told you about me?” Naoki frowned. “I’m Natsukawa Naoki, Arthur’s Master in the Holy Grail War twenty years ago. Ten years ago, I officially inherited the Holy Sword from him, and I currently serve as the third Holy Sword wielder.”

As he spoke, Naoki drew the Holy Sword and held it in place.

Seeing the Holy Sword appear, Lancelot froze on the spot.

A face could be faked with Magecraft, and information could be casually spoken, but the Holy Sword was something impossible to forge. As a knight who had witnessed its light countless times, Lancelot was certain that the sword in Naoki’s hand was undoubtedly the Holy Sword held by the King she revered.

“As for the resemblance, it’s mainly because I died once during the Holy Grail War twenty years ago. At that time, Arthur gave me his Spirit Origin to save me, so we lived in symbiosis for ten years. That’s why my face looks so similar to his due to his influence.”

“What—!?”

(Symbiosis with His Majesty for ten years?!)

(This means he was with His Majesty for ten years… I’m jealous!)

Lancelot felt an unusual emotion stirring in her heart.

“By the way, Merry… that is, the Merlin on your side, is now my fiancée. We plan to get married after this Human Order Incineration matter is over.”

*CLANG!*

Arondight fell to the ground.

As if suffering a severe mental shock, Lancelot clutched her head and staggered slightly. She steadied herself against the mountain beside her, then looked at Naoki with an expression of disbelief.

“You… you… you… you and that witch… that Magus… getting married?!”

“Yes.”

“No way… that Merlin… No, more importantly, she’s someone so similar to His Majesty…”

(A complicated feeling, or rather, not knowing how to feel.)

Seeing Lancelot cover her face, disbelief written across her expression and eyes, Naoki tilted his head. “Did I say something hard to understand? It shouldn’t be.”

“Honestly, Master, I think everything you said was a bombshell.” Artoria said with a wry smile. “My apologies, Sir Lancelot. Master sometimes speaks without thinking, causing trouble for you.”

“No, it’s fine… I’m actually okay.” Lancelot patted her chest. “But the shock and disbelief are real… Although I should doubt it at this point, the evidence is too strong. I can’t find a reason to doubt it.”

(A Holy Sword wielder succeeding His Majesty?)

“Ahem, ahem!”

Clearing her throat, Lancelot sheathed her sword and saluted Naoki. “I apologize for letting you see me lose control earlier, Sir Natsukawa. I am one of the Knights of the Round Table, Lancelot. Pleased to meet you.”

“Yeah, pleased to meet you… though not exactly.” Naoki smiled. “Merry sometimes talks about you all to me. When I used this Holy Sword, I also heard your voice. I was a bit surprised—your voice doesn’t quite match the person.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re much more mature than I imagined. You give off the vibe of a reliable older sister.”

A reliable older sister!

It was just a very ordinary comment, but… if the situation were simplified, this was His Majesty calling her that!

(When I get back, I can brag to Gawain and Tristan.)

“Ahem… You’re too kind. Perhaps because when the Holy Sword was sealed, it wasn’t the same period as the me now. After all, the me summoned now is at the peak of my strength when I was alive. I am indeed a bit older than back then.”

Though she felt delighted, Lancelot still managed to maintain her composure outwardly.

And at that moment—

[It seems you’ve met him, Sir Lancelot.]

A slightly playful voice suddenly sounded in Lancelot’s head.

(Merlin? Spying again with Magecraft?)

[No, no. I’m just using Magecraft to monitor this world in real-time to track the appearance of dragon calamities. Since I noticed you hadn’t moved for a while, I came to check. Turns out you’re talking with the mission target.]

(Mission target?)

[Yes, the man in front of you, Natsukawa Naoki. He’s the one I told you about yesterday, the one who directly infiltrated the throne room.]

“Lord Natsukawa, you infiltrated the throne room yesterday?”

“Hm? Yeah.” Naoki nodded honestly. “Since I was attacked by Magecraft in the air, I thought I’d return the favor. And I saw Arthur sitting on the throne like a puppet—”

*SSSSST!*

Before Naoki could finish, Lancelot suddenly gripped her sword and swung at him!

Arondight approached Naoki’s head at high speed, but just as it was about to touch him, the sword stopped in midair as if jammed, halting abruptly near Naoki’s face.

Snapping his fingers to push the sword away, Naoki frowned. “That was a sudden attack. Did I say something to offend you, Sir Lancelot?”

“His Majesty is not a puppet.”

Lancelot said in a low voice.

“Even though you’re the successor acknowledged by His Majesty, entrusted with his Spirit Origin and Holy Sword, I won’t allow you to call His Majesty a puppet.”

“Even if you say that, to me, his mental state clearly seems like that.”

Lancelot’s eyes widened slightly. “What did you say? No… His Majesty’s resolve is still there. What right do you have to call His Majesty a puppet?”

“Because I saw it with my own eyes. You said yourself I infiltrated the throne room yesterday, so it’s natural I saw Arthur.” Naoki said, pinching the sword with his fingers. “What’s actually going on with that guy? And what’s really happening in this Singularity?”

“That’s not something you need to know. We, the Knights of the Round Table, will handle everything—my apologies, I just received another dragon calamity report. I have to go now.”

After saying that, Lancelot leaped, and a horse suddenly appeared beneath her. Mounting it, she swiftly rode toward the White Dragon Nation at high speed!

(Puppet… Your Majesty, please don’t let anything happen! That witch… if something happens to His Majesty—)

-

Title: Embracing the Flying Girl

“What do you think?”

After watching Lancelot ride off on her horse, Naoki turned to Artoria and Jeanne Alter beside him.

Jeanne Alter frowned. “Think about what? What, are you asking me if that woman’s pretty? If she suits your taste? You’re still worried about that? Playboy.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Rubbing his forehead helplessly, Naoki looked at Artoria. “Lia, you must have sensed something, right? The issue over there is pretty significant.”

Artoria nodded. “Indeed. From her words, it’s clear that the King Arthur you know, in their perception, seems to still be in a normal state.”

“But in reality, when I saw Arthur, there was no light in his eyes and no emotion on his face. From Lancelot’s reaction, it’s obvious this isn’t a situation they’re aware of.” Naoki said, stroking his chin. “It seems the Merlin by Arthur’s side didn’t tell them the truth, and given their constant fighting against the dragon calamities outside, they don’t have time to enter the city and find out.”

As Naoki said.

Since the White Dragon Nation appeared, Lancelot and the others received two orders: one to stay outside the city to prevent unauthorized entry, and the other to fight the dragon calamities appearing in various places while protecting ordinary residents.

It was precisely because of these two orders that the Knights of the Round Table were in their current situation.

But because of this, Lancelot and the others had never entered the city, even when escorting ordinary residents inside. They only stood outside after opening the city gates, waiting for them to close, and never went in.

In fact, information within the city was completely isolated from them.

“It’s almost like the problem is written clearly on the surface.” Jeanne Alter said, frowning. “Are those knights stupid? With such an obviously problematic situation, don’t they ever think to go into the city and check?”

“It’s not that simple. From our perspective, there’s clearly an issue, but from their perspective, there’s no problem at all, because they haven’t seen Arthur directly like I have.”

Naoki spread his hands.

“Of course, there’s another possibility. Lancelot and the others know the situation but aren’t aware it’s reached this point. It’s like knowing the water will boil but thinking there’s still time, not realizing it’s already boiling.”

“Either way, there’s definitely something wrong with the White Dragon Nation, so our plan remains the same. We go straight into the city and figure out the whole situation. We’ve rested enough. Let’s move—walk or fly?”

Artoria and Jeanne Alter exchanged glances and said in unison:

“Might as well take the advantage, just fly.”

“Fly, Master. The situation might be a bit urgent.”

“Alright.”

Embracing Artoria and Jeanne Alter by their waists, a whirlwind appeared beneath Naoki’s feet, instantly lifting the three of them into the sky!

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

White Dragon Nation, in front of the city gates.

“What do you mean, Sir Lancelot?”

Guarding the city gates with her sword, Gawain stared at Lancelot, who had dismounted her horse and landed in front of her.

“You’re supposed to be handling the dragon calamity in your area. Why are you back at a time like this?”

“There are some things I want to confirm by entering the city.” Lancelot replied. “Please don’t stop me, Sir Gawain.”

Enter the city?

Gawain frowned. “His Majesty’s orders were for us to guard outside the city and fight the dragon calamities to protect the residents. Sir Lancelot, are you going to disobey His Majesty’s orders?”

“No, it’s not like that at all, it’s just… Sir Gawain, as we discussed last night, with the increasing intensity and frequency of the dragon calamities, there might be some issues with His Majesty—I want to confirm this. It’s a decision made out of concern for His Majesty.”

“You’re the one who told me not to overthink last night, haaah.”

Gawain sighed helplessly.

“Get off your horse first. This is in front of the city gates. Besides, you’re making me tired talking while looking up.”

“Alright.”

Leaping off her horse and patting it to make it disappear, Lancelot looked at Gawain. “I did say that last night, but just now, I got some information about His Majesty from… the intruder from yesterday.”

“The intruder?” Gawain frowned. “The two people Merlin told you to chase? You’re really trusting the one-sided testimony of two intruders? With just a few words, your faith in His Majesty is shaken?!”

“What if I told you the intruder is the third Holy Sword wielder acknowledged by His Majesty?”

“What?”

Gawain thought she might have misheard.

The third Holy Sword wielder?

And acknowledged by His Majesty?

Lancelot said with a serious expression, “I know Sir Gawain has doubts, and honestly, I did too. I didn’t want to believe the one-sided testimony of others, but the Holy Sword that person held was real. We’ve seen His Majesty wield the Holy Sword and release its light countless times, so I can confirm that it’s the same Holy Sword His Majesty held.”

“So, the Holy Sword wielder told you something might be wrong with His Majesty?”

“Besides them, no one else has entered the city. His Majesty’s safety is the most important thing right now. If something’s wrong with His Majesty—”

Even without finishing, Gawain knew what Lancelot meant. After all, it was something both of them understood well.

But His Majesty’s orders couldn’t be disobeyed…

“Hm? You two… are you arguing?”

At that moment, a slightly soft voice came from another camp. A red-haired girl in light silver armor approached the two with quick steps.

“Sir Tristan.” Lancelot identified the newcomer. “Did we disturb your rest? Our apologies.”

“No, my injuries healed long ago. With the Holy Grail, minor wounds are nothing.”

Tristan, who looked like a young girl, smiled. “Rather than that, I heard your conversation through the wind. Is Sir Lancelot planning to enter the city out of concern for His Majesty?”

“Indeed.”

“Then why not ask Merlin? She’s the protector always by His Majesty’s side. If she says it’s fine, then it must be fine.”

That witch?

“Tch…”

“Tch…”

Gawain and Lancelot both clicked their tongues. Seeing this, Tristan couldn’t help but smile wryly. “You two seem to have a bad relationship with Merlin. Though I’m the same—she’s monopolizing the spot by His Majesty’s side… I really want to break her arms and legs.”

“But even so, we have to admit that under her care, His Majesty’s condition has been stable. That much can be trusted, right?”

“Should we ask?” Gawain looked at Lancelot.

“Ask—”

After hesitating for a moment, Lancelot bit her lip and started to speak, but before she could finish, Gawain raised her hand to stop her, looking far ahead with her sword drawn. Following her gaze, Lancelot and Tristan simultaneously saw a golden meteor rapidly approaching them.