Chapter 144: C144
Shirou spent three days at Caerleon Castle, making the most of his time there. He gave speeches to raise awareness about himself and his cause, and also visited the camps of various kingdoms to interact with their leading knights and soldiers.
The leading knights did not detect anything amiss and found Shirou to be an enthusiastic and friendly individual. Lamorak, in particular, felt that Shirou was genuine and very likable. In fact, at times he had to encourage him to compete in the arena.
Shirou was initially happy to agree. However, in the end, he was persuaded by Artoria to step back. Taking his place in the arena, she battled Lamorak, defeating him quite soundly.
Obviously, Lamorak, who was once known as one of the three great lions of Britain alongside Lancelot and Tristan, was no longer a match for the rapidly growing Artoria.
Artoria's possession of the red dragon heart, abundant magical energy, and superior physical attributes, such as strength and agility, contributed to her overpowering Lamorak. However, it should also be noted that she consulted with Merlin on swordsmanship, which further enhanced her skills in combat.
It would not be an overstatement to say that she is truly the Sword Saint of Britain. In just three days, her swordsmanship had improved significantly, and her skills had surpassed those of renowned knights such as Lamorak.
The atmosphere was generally harmonious, but it was unclear why Tristan seemed displeased with Shirou's presence. Whenever he visited to exchange musical skills, Tristan would abruptly turn and run away as if he had seen a ghost.
Tristan would even play his violin in the forest at night, drawing fairies to come and listen to his music. However, whenever Shirou appeared, Tristan would immediately flee, moving as fast as the fairies themselves, and almost as swiftly as Merlin!
Shirou was utterly perplexed by Tristan's behavior. Nonetheless, there was something else that was troubling him at the moment.
"There are more soldiers coming to Caerleon Castle."
He sat by the window of the inn, observing the soldiers wandering the streets below, and his gaze narrowed slightly.
"Isn't this to be expected? The day of your coronation as king is drawing near, and it's a significant event in history. With the threat of Vortigern, the northern kings cannot attend the coronation ceremony personally. However, they should at least send envoys to participate; otherwise, it would be considered disrespectful."
Shirou heard a soft male voice in his ear and turned his head to see Merlin sitting on a chair wearing a silver dress resembling a flower, nibbling on an apple. Fou was sleeping soundly on his shoulder.
Shirou made a disgusted expression and asked, "When did you come to my room again?"
"Just now," Merlin said.
"You need to stop coming into my room for no reason, Merlin. Why don't you go out and flirt with some random woman or something?"
Merlin pointed to his dress with a pouty expression and said, "Can you imagine me going out and meeting people in this dress?"
Shirou chuckled, glancing at Merlin's outfit. "I think you secretly enjoy it, Merlin. Besides, you're the one who customized the clothes yourself. Remember when you introduced yourself to the Archbishop as Merlin's apprentice magus? You were so excited, but ended up being looked down upon... tsk tsk tsk. I'll never forget that priceless look on your face."
Merlin slumped on the table, appearing even more disheartened.
Shirou couldn't help but laugh at Merlin's dejected appearance. Nowadays, Merlin had no time to flirt outside as he was preoccupied with teaching Artoria swordsmanship. Furthermore, he was being forced by Kay to wear women's clothing, causing him to look quite forlorn. Just two days ago, he had been unfairly judged and looked down upon by the Archbishop, which had left Merlin with a comical expression on his face. Shirou had to stifle a laugh at the memory.
"Fuu~!" Fou took a quick glance at Shirou and Merlin before rolling over and falling asleep on the table.
Shirou couldn't help but feel emotional as he gazed at Fou. Perhaps it was fate that brought Fou into Merlin's life. Despite initially imitating Shirou, she ended up becoming Merlin's familiar. Shirou had asked Fou about the reason for her decision, and she had replied with an expectant expression, "He promised to show me the most beautiful thing in the world! Even better than grilled meat!"
He sighed, realizing that poor Fou had fallen for one of Merlin's tricks.
"I don't have time to waste on you. I have important matters to attend to," said Shirou as he donned his armor and draped his white cloak over his shoulders. He strode toward the door but paused to address Merlin. "Oh, and Merlin, before you go, please remember to wipe down the chairs you sat on with a cloth."
Merlin looked up at him and asked, "Why?"
"I find it a bit disgusting," replied Shirou before turning to leave.
Merlin was left speechless and collapsed onto the table and sighed.
Suddenly, he raised his head and muttered, "I think I forgot to remind him of something..."
...
Shirou strode out of the inn and greeted the civilians and soldiers who passed by with a friendly smile. As he reached a large square, he noticed a crowd of people gathered there, all shouting his name.
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, he climbed onto the stage. Instead of delivering a speech, he chose to impart his wisdom to the people.
Merely using passionate and enthusiastic language without substance can quickly wear out the audience. Therefore, Shirou would occasionally share some modern wisdom to gain prestige.
Although he didn't possess an extensive range of wisdom to impart, he did have one simple yet essential skill that he had mastered: arithmetic. During his speeches, he taught the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, all within the range of 1 to 100.
Multiplication and division proved challenging for many people, and they struggled to grasp the concepts. Nevertheless, the audience found his teachings to be profound wisdom, eagerly studying and shouting out the name of "Arthur," while expressing their gratitude to him for sharing his knowledge.
It's true that basic arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division within the range of 1 to 100 are commonly taught to kindergarten children. As such, it may not seem particularly profound. However, during the era in which Shirou lived right now, and particularly in ancient Britain, such skills were considered the mark of a wise man.
As noon approached, he concluded his speech and dismissed the crowd. He made preparations to return to his lodgings for lunch.
During this era, people did not adhere to the concept of three meals a day, typically only consuming breakfast and dinner. However, he had grown accustomed to three daily meals due to his modern upbringing. During their year at the estate, Artoria would sometimes remark that Shirou had a greater appetite than she did, given his preference for eating more frequently.
As Shirou began to pack his belongings and prepare to depart, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"Arthur!"
Shirou turned around and saw Gawain approaching him in a luxurious carriage.
He stopped and smiled upon seeing Gawain approach. "Gawain, what brings you here?"
Gawain shook his head. "It's not that I have something to discuss with you, but—" he began, only to be interrupted by a gentle woman's voice from the carriage.
"You must be my younger brother, Arthur."
Shirou felt a shiver run down his spine and unconsciously raised his eyebrows, sensing a familiar scrutiny.
The gem-encrusted gold-edged curtains of the open carriage parted, revealing a hand with a white silk long sleeve that drew them aside. A pretty face that bore a striking resemblance to Artoria's emerged from behind the curtains.
The woman was dressed in a formal bright yellow gown, adorned with exquisite gemstones. Her golden hair cascaded down her delicate shoulders and chest, adding to her dignified and elegant appearance.
Morgan Le Fay!
Shirou hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you my sister, Morgan?"
"It appears that Merlin has already mentioned me to you, Arthur," replied Morgan, smiling slightly. She then drew back the curtains of the carriage and stepped out gracefully.
A handsome young man extended his arm to Morgan, and she draped her arm over his, pulling up the hem of her dress as she stepped out of the carriage. She smiled at the young man and said, "Thank you, Gaheris."
"Don't mention it, Mother," replied Gaheris, falling back.
Morgan's gaze swept over the people around her and landed on a young man with a gloomy face. She ordered, "Gaheris, Agravain, you can take the carriage aside for now. I want to have a good chat with my brother."
Gaheris looked at Agravain with some hesitation, but still smiled and nodded, "As you wish, Mother."
Agravain also nodded in agreement, and the two of them led the carriage away.
Morgan turned to Shirou and asked in a graceful manner, "Would you be so kind as to accompany your sister for a drink, my dear little brother?"
Shirou was surprised by Morgan's unexpected visit and wondered to himself, 'How could Merlin not warn me about this? Doesn't he fear that I'll accidentally expose our secret?'
Despite his inner turmoil, Shirou managed a smile and responded, "Certainly, sister. While I've only heard of you from Merlin and Ector, I've longed to meet you in person."
Morgan chuckled and covered her mouth as she teased, "If you had truly wanted to meet me, you wouldn't have avoided me in Tintagel, making it impossible for me to see you."
Shirou replied with a smile, "But didn't you worry about me and keep watching over me afterwards?"
The moment he saw Morgan, he had already realized that the scrutinizing gaze that had been watching him for the past two months was from her!
She smiled, "You are quite the sweet-talker, and I must say it's quite charming."
Shirou escorted Morgan to a nearby tavern. As they walked, he couldn't help but notice how much Morgan resembled Artoria in her adult form. She wore a bright yellow formal dress that accentuated her noble and elegant beauty.
Morgan's striking beauty was an extreme temptation for men, and as they walked, many passersby couldn't help but look at her as if they were under a Charm. However, Gawain stood behind Morgan in silence, his towering and muscular physique making people hesitant to gaze for too long.
At the tavern, Shirou ordered two drinks, one for himself and another for Morgan. As the glasses arrived, he lifted a glass of wine and offered it to Morgan, a sincere expression on his face. "My dear sister, I must apologize for avoiding you in Tintagel. Please forgive me. Allow me to raise this glass in a toast to you."
He took a sip from his glass and waited for Morgan's response.
Morgan chuckled lightly and replied, "You are such a sensible child."
Shirou placed his glass back down and gazed at Morgan. He wasn't sure of Morgan's intentions in visiting Caerleon Castle, but he was skilled in socializing, thanks to his modern upbringing.
As they sipped their drinks, he attempted to strengthen his relationship with her. He couldn't predict what she had in mind, but more importantly, he didn't know if she had uncovered his true identity as the proxy king recommended by Merlin.
He had hoped to glean some information from Morgan by toasting to her, but while she accepted his gesture, she did not offer any answers to his questions, instead smiling politely.
'She's a sly old fox!' He groaned inwardly, realizing that his tactics were not going to work. He decided to abandon his sneaky thoughts and simply enjoy the drinks and conversation with Morgan.
As they laughed and joked, time seemed to slip away second by second. Suddenly, Shirou's heart skipped a beat as he saw Artoria walking down the street, holding a loaf of bread.
Oh no!
Panic flooded his heart.
In the same moment, Artoria caught sight of him and called out, "My king!"
Morgan turned her head to follow his gaze and her alluring gaze fell upon Artoria, who bore a striking resemblance to her.
Morgan's face lit up with a faint smile as she gazed upon her. "Oh? Is this my little sister? You do look a lot like me," she remarked.
"But..." Morgan's attention then shifted to Shirou, and with a charming smile, she asked, "Why don't you look like me, my dear little brother, Arthur?"
Shirou was caught off guard by Morgan's sudden question and could feel his face flush with embarrassment.
...
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