Bab 97: The Culprit
When everyone left the study, Arkhan sat back down and leaned against the chair.
"Now that everyone's gone, don't you plan to come out?"
After a moment of silence, a familiar voice responded.
"My~ my~ it seems my feeble little trick can't escape the watchful eyes of Your Majesty."
Pink flower petals fell from the void, and Merlin's figure materialized, wearing a carefree smile on his face.
"No amount of flattery can change my urge to punch you in the face." Arkhan responded nonchalantly.
"Ahem! Ahem! I think it's best not to do that. If a handsome face like mine gets injured, it would be a loss for the whole world."
"Whatever, I've heard from Kay that you knew in advance about my encounter with Altrouge and Nuada?" Arkhan inquired.
"Since it's the new king's first battle, it has to be grand and have some excitement. If it ended too easily, it would be rather dull, wouldn't it?"
Merlin answered with a shrug and then cleared his throat, mimicking the tone of a poet, as he recited:
"Upon yon firmament, kings of men and gods,
Did clash their swords, like thunder's wrath they strode.
Monsters from an ancient time, in ravenous might,
Obscured the sun with menacing, dire spite."
"Guided by a monarch's hand, mortals bold,
Raised swords with valor and faith untold.
Banished the malevolent, crimson moon,
Brought forth the light of victory's sweet boon."
Whether it was due to practice or natural talent, Merlin's recitation of that poetry had an unexpectedly dramatic effect, especially with his deliberately lowered tone and interspersed Old English phrases, creating an epic and heroic atmosphere.
"When it comes to knights who have returned from the brink of death, this battle, like a myth, is the true glory they deserve!" Merlin's expression turned serious as if he were a charismatic leader fighting for his cause.
Arkhan glanced at Merlin without expression.
"Do you think excuses like that will make me spare you?"
Merlin's expression instantly dropped, as if he were a conman who just realized he was trying to deceive a police officer.
"What do you want, Your Majesty? You're not really planning to hit me like before, are you?" Merlin sighed in resignation.
"Kay told me he intends to give you a good beating the next time he sees you, so I thought I'd give him the opportunity for the first round."
Arkhan's tone remained calm. He casually raised his hand, and Claiomh Solais and Airgetlam rose from the table, hovering in the air.
"This time, as compensation for your mistakes, put a few restraints on these two weapons for me."
Merlin's eyes shifted slightly, and he wore a knowing smile.
"It seems Your Majesty has no intention of using these weapons yourself."
"I don't need weapons like these." Arkhan shook his head. "I'll leave them to someone who needs them more."
While Claiomh Solais and Airgetlam were undoubtedly excellent weapons, with at least 'A+ Rank' Noble Phantasms, they held little appeal for him.
The Divine Key itself was the pinnacle of weaponry, rivaling even the likes of Excalibur as the Ultimate Divine Construct.
Currently, Arkhan had three Divine Keys on him, with more awaiting him in the future, making the acquisition of other weapons unnecessary.
The Caliburn was carried as a symbol of kingship, but in actual intense combat, he seldom had an opportunity to use it.
"Iyahaha~ Your Majesty, you're surprisingly generous to give away even these legendary weapons."
Merlin chuckled helplessly and extended his hand. Claiomh Solais and Airgetlam floated slowly to his side.
"But since it's Your Majesty's command, I'll obediently comply."
"There's one more thing." Arkhan fixed his gaze on Merlin. "Tell me, who is the culprit attempting to restore the Age of Gods?"
With those words, the study fell into an eerie silence.
After what seemed like an eternity, a smile suddenly appeared on Merlin's face.
"Actually, Your Majesty has known the answer to that question long ago, haven't you?"
Arkhan continued to watch Merlin, saying nothing.
"Alright, alright, I understand what you mean..." Merlin shook his head helplessly and pointed to his eyes. "Just as you suspected, I can't see the true identity of the one trying to restore the Age of Gods at present."
Upon hearing that, Arkhan fell silent for a moment, then he opened his mouth and uttered two words:
"Vortigern..."
Merlin smiled without saying a word.
Arkhan let out a slow breath, leaning back in his chair and massaging his forehead. A complex look appeared in his pitch-black eyes.
In fact, when he first realized that someone wanted to restore the Age of Gods, the first person who came to his mind was the Vile King, Vortigern.
Throughout all of Britain, perhaps no one desired the return of the Age of Gods more than this White Dragon, for he couldn't accept the inevitable demise of Britain's future.
But Uther had accepted it willingly, believing that the world's future should belong to humanity. This ideological conflict ultimately led to Vortigern's betrayal of Camelot.
As Merlin mentioned in the past, he couldn't see the North's situation starting from ten years ago. This implied that in Britain, the only person capable of evading Merlin's Clairvoyance was Vortigern.
And now, Merlin had admitted that he couldn't see the true identity of the individual trying to restore the Age of Gods, making it almost painfully clear that it was indeed Vortigern.
"Now I finally understand why those people have set their sights on Camelot..." Arkhan shook his head slightly. "So, Vortigern has been scheming for all these years, all for the restoration of the Age of Gods?"
"Without any surprises, that should be the case from the start, right?" Merlin said with a smile.
"But how did he do it?" Arkhan furrowed his brow. "Reviving the Phantasmal Species from the Age of Gods, resurrecting Nuada who is a god... how did he achieve all of this on his own? Even with Crimson Moon's help, it seems impossible."
Behind Vortigern, there was undoubtedly another hidden force assisting him in accomplishing all of this. If Arkhan couldn't figure out this hidden force, he might be at a big disadvantage in the future.
Arkhan stroked his chin, his eyes showing a thoughtful expression.
"It seems we need to find a way to make him reveal something."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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