章 119: C119
"Guinevere... Guinevere, what in the world is happening?" Kay gestured towards the sword in Shirou's hand, his speech faltering and his expression blank.
This situation was beyond odd.
Hadn't it been said that only her younger sister could extract the sword from the stone?
"I... I don't know! The sword just came out on its own! I didn't apply any force!" Shirou was equally perplexed.
How had he managed to extract Artoria's sword?
Sensing the power coursing through the sword, Shirou's inner black mud surged forward and swallowed the blessing whole, leaving nothing in its wake.
Shirou glanced around in alarm and swiftly reinserted the sword back into the stone.
"Guinevere... Guinevere, what is happening?" Kay repeated, his words once again stuttering.
"Please don't say anything, I didn't do anything, and you didn't see anything either," Shirou said seriously.
"But... but there were other people who saw it too," Kay stuttered, pointing to the crowd around them.
Shirou glanced around and realized that everyone, from the nearby knights fighting to the gathered spectators, was staring at him intently. His forehead broke out in a sweat as he nervously added, "Anyway, it's none of my business!"
"That's right... it's like that..." came a soft, complicated yet relieved voice drifting into Shirou's ear.
He turned his head to see Artoria walking slowly towards him, holding Kay's spear.
The sharp tip of the spear shone in the sunlight, causing Shirou to break into a sweat. He quickly waved his hands, anxiously saying, "Artoria, please listen to me..."
Artoria made a loud clanging sound as she plunged Kay's spear into a nearby stone and reached out to pull the sword from the stone. She carefully examined the sword, her blue eyes flashing with confusion and distress before firming into determination.
Kneeling before Shirou with the sword held at an angle, Artoria's pretty face was serious as she held the sword with both hands and said, "As a knight, I, Artoria, pledge my loyalty to you, my king!"
She felt lost about her ability to serve as a king. Was it truly right for her to have pulled the sword from the stone and become the chosen one? This sense of confusion only intensified after playing the game of kings with Shirou a few days ago. Despite using all that she had learned, she was defeated fair and square. The people scorned her, and she was taken captive and given to Shirou as a sign of surrender.
At that time, she was unsure of her ability to lead as a king.
Artoria accepted the responsibility, not out of personal desire, but because it felt like the right thing to do. The sounds of people's revelry and cheers, along with every ordinary day she had lived for the past fifteen years, were her motivation.
Therefore, when the correct answer appeared in front of her, she didn't hesitate to pledge her loyalty as a knight.
However, Shirou shook his head in horror and stepped back, "No - no no no no! You can't! I'll never get on that sinking ship!"
He was worried about being made king. Where would he get the experience to rule a country? Would the noble ministers, who knew the inside story, even accept him? It seemed impossible to him.
Moreover, ancient Britain was destined to perish!
But most importantly, Shirou wanted to go home.
As he saw more knights gathering around him with complex and angry looks on their faces, and the crowd staring intently. Without a word, he turned around and ran away.
It was true that Shirou had a heart full of enthusiasm and was willing to help others, sharing the flames he learned from Spartacus. However, this had a prerequisite - it had to be within his capacity.
Becoming a king was not something an ordinary person like him could handle. Kings had to deal with a multitude of responsibilities beyond just fighting, including reconciling domestic conflicts, delegating tasks, and having the ability to discern people's true intentions. The necessary skills and abilities were too complex and far exceeded his own capabilities.
Just like when he was caught up in the Fourth Holy Grail War, Shirou could feel his own insignificance and inadequacy. The mere thought of it brought a suffocating sense of oppression.
Most importantly, the sword rightfully belonged to Artoria. If Shirou were to pull it out, he would gain the sword, and as a king, he would be required to accept Artoria's pledge of loyalty.
So, isn't everything going to be in chaos?
Lostbelt? Singularity?
What's going to happen to the future?
Shirou's mind was in a state of confusion as he ran away under the puzzled gazes of the crowd.
He thought that as long as he ran away, everything would return to normal, right?
Artoria had also pulled the sword from the stone. She would be proclaimed as the king, and Kay would be her first knight of the Round Table. Following the path of destiny, she would become the King of Knight.
Shirou tried to clear his mind of distracting thoughts as he remembered the resolute and solemn words of the girl he met during the Fourth Holy Grail War in the warehouse battle. He shook his head, thinking that if he just left, everything would return to normal, right?
However, that was not the case.
In fact, after Shirou left, the situation spiraled out of control.
"Someone has pulled the sword out of the stone!"
"And there's a second person who has done it too."
"How should we count it?"
"Why did the first person run away? He was going to be crowned as king!"
"I don't know."
"Neither the first nor the second person is famous. Should we swear our loyalty to them? Will it tarnish our honor?"
"I don't know..."
The knights murmured among themselves while the people nearby whispered in hushed tones.
On Stone Mountain, Artoria held the sword from the stone, looking puzzled. She couldn't understand why Shirou wouldn't accept the sword, become the king, or accept her loyalty.
Beside her, Kay wore a complicated expression. Unexpectedly, Shirou had pulled out the sword, leaving Kay uncertain about how to handle the situation. He had intended for Shirou to be Artoria's knight, but now Artoria wanted to serve Shirou instead.
He didn't want Artoria to become the king and bear the fate of all Britain on her shoulders. Yet, when someone else pulled out the sword, he found that he couldn't accept it either.
Confusion reigned supreme in the crowd, and Morgan's brain was scrambled. She turned to Gawain, standing next to her, and asked with a perplexed expression, "Do I have a sister or a brother?"
Gawain looked equally bewildered. "I don't know."
Morgan narrowed her eyes, trying to piece together what was happening. According to Uther's "Ideal King" plan, only his descendants could pull the sword from the stone.
As she looked at Artoria, who held the sword, Morgan felt even more confused. "Wait a minute! Could it be that Merlin, that narcissistic guy, knew I was coming and is now trying to fool me?"
The Archbishop, who was presiding over the selection ceremony, couldn't help but approach Merlin and ask, "Is this also part of your plan, Merlin?"
Merlin looked at the Archbishop with a vacant expression, but then quickly changed to a mysterious smile, hiding his bewilderment. "Guess~!" he teased.
The Archbishop was not amused. "Stop fooling around and tell me the answer straightaway!" he demanded, showing some irritation.
Merlin feigned helplessness, sighing and shaking his head. "Oh dear, oh dear. Is this what happens when you get old and your temper becomes so short?"
The Archbishop's eye twitched, and his forehead creased. "Enough with the games,"
"Okay, okay. I won't tease you anymore," Merlin replied, raising his hands in surrender. "It's my illusion."
The Archbishop was surprised. "Illusion?"
Merlin nodded with a smile. "That's right. The first one was Arthur. I used it to conceal his true gender."
The Archbishop looked at Artoria with suspicion. "What about her? She looks eerily similar to Princess Morgan..."
"That's also part of the illusion."
"Why did you create this illusion?"
Merlin hesitated before answering. "Well...let's just say it was for the greater good."
"Regardless, you need to act quickly and calm everyone's fears. I have no intention of harming you," Merlin added, hoping to alleviate any concerns the Archbishop may have had.
"Fine," the Archbishop said as he walked away, muttering about how Merlin's illusions had become so good that he couldn't see through them anymore.
Merlin watched as the Archbishop left, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. "There are always hidden surprises beyond what meets the eye... that White Dragon is quite impressive. And now, things are starting to get really interesting!" He laughed with glee and disappeared like a phantom.
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