บท 67: Argument (I)

The banquet came to an unpleasant end.

Artorius's guards were settled in the military camp at Camelot. The knights each had their own rooms to rest, so there was no need to worry.

After everything was arranged, Artoria, who was eagerly waiting, hurriedly led her beloved son toward her study.

'My King... Artorius... hopefully everything is alright.'

Seeing this scene, Guinevere, as the queen, felt deeply uneasy.

She was not alone in feeling this way. Many of the Camelot soldiers, officials, and a few remaining Knights of the Round Table present also shared the same sentiments.

Apart from feeling uneasy, they also felt guilty and remorseful.

During the banquet just now, King Arthur suppressed 'his' desires and forced 'himself' to eat the black bread. However, they couldn't help but indulge themselves to some extent by partaking in the delicious delicacies brought by the prince.

This made them feel as though they had betrayed their king.

As Queen Guinevere went to persuade the King with the roasted meat, everyone watched, their hearts filled with complex emotions.

If the King accepted the roasted meat, they would be able to indulge in it without any sense of guilt—honestly, they had been enduring hardships alongside the King for many years.

Ever since the King took the throne and launched the counterattack against the Saxons, they had been eating black bread every day. And even now, they were still eating it.

Occasionally, there would be some dried meat, vegetables, or fish, which could barely be considered an additional meal, especially during wartime or when they were on the march, where they could at least do some hunting.

However, in recent years, the situation has worsened. Seeing the land in Britain deteriorate, the King set an example by leading everyone to tighten their belts. They only ate two meals a day, and each meal consisted of hard and magecraft-made black bread.

Such a frugal lifestyle was becoming unbearable for many.

If everyone had to endure this frugality, it would be manageable. However, everyone knew that the soldiers and knights who followed the prince to Europe were treated well. As long as they worked hard and had abilities, even a lowly commoner without any status could become someone important.

With such a stark contrast, continuing to endure a frugal life in Britain was already a sufficient demonstration of their loyalty to the King.

But occasionally, just occasionally, indulging once and enjoying something good to eat wouldn't be a problem, right?

That's why they were concerned about the King. When they saw 'him' refuse the Queen's persuasion, they felt helpless on one hand, but on the other hand, they were also a little pleased.

The King remained the same upright and honest king, not bowing down or compromising in the face of temptation.

However, the King's righteousness and honesty seemed to have gone too far.

In the span of just one meal, the mindset of many who remained at Camelot underwent subtle changes.

Some admired the King even more and reaffirmed their belief in continuing to stand by 'him'.

More people felt frustrated, disappointed, and even a sense of... disgust.

Subconsciously, they felt that what the King had done was not right. Therefore, they developed a disdain towards the King for not responding to their emotions. Some even had the desire to leave 'him' and join Artorius.

Oh, the complexities of human nature, they truly are hard to understand.

===

Artoria was completely unaware of this.

"What on earth is going on? Why would you do this?" Artoria sternly questioned Artorius, hoping to ignite a sense of shame within him. "The people can't even have a decent meal, and here we are feasting. What kind of message does that send?!"

Things didn't go as Artoria had imagined.

Artorius didn't pretend to be obedient. Instead, he chose to confront her head-on.

"Because it's a day worth celebrating..." Artorius replied in a relaxed tone. "The soldiers have been eating plain bread for so long, so what's wrong with giving them something better once in a while?"

"But..."

"Oh, don't worry," Artorius smirked. "As a benefit of my return to Camelot, I've distributed bread and salt to every person in Camelot, and every household has received smoked meat. The men even get a cup of beer as a gift. Everyone is quite pleased."

"..."

Artoria looked at Artorius in surprise, realizing that she didn't sound as righteous as she thought she did. However, even so, she still believed that he had done something wrong.

"Even if that's the case, our banquet should still be more modest..."

"No..." Artorius decisively rejected her words. "Does Father think it's fair for everyone to eat the same food and endure the same hardships? Does Father believe it's unjust that soldiers, knights, and even we enjoyed a lavish banquet earlier, while commoners were only given bread, salt, smoked meat, and beer?"

"Isn't it?"

"In my opinion, it's the opposite..." Artorius said. "Those who work harder should receive more. Blindly adhering to egalitarianism is the real 'unfairness.' Treating soldiers and knights, who bear heavier responsibilities, the same as commoners when it comes to food and clothing, that's tyranny."

"How is that possible?"

Artorius's words surprised and puzzled Artoria.

"But... but this is a time of great need."

She instinctively wanted to argue with Artorius, but after weighing the arguments of 'those who work harder should receive more' and 'egalitarianism', she realized she might not gain many advantages.

Although she firmly believed she was right.

But, like a certain auburn-haired boy had said—Just because you're correct doesn't mean you're right.

Even among the Knights of the Round Table, there were many who pursued material desires. When she asked everyone to tighten their belts and allocate resources to aid the people, there were heated debates within the Round Table.

Some couldn't bear it from the beginning.

Some couldn't bear it after persisting for a while.

Except for herself, perhaps only Guinevere, her closest friend, could maintain a life of austerity and give almost all resources to the people.

"Let's leave this matter aside for now..." Artoria reluctantly said to Artorius. "Artorius, there are many things I want to talk to you about."

"Yes, Father. I also have many things I want to discuss with you."

The tension between mother and son gradually subsided.

After all, they were family, and even if they had conflicts, they could be reconciled... or so they thought.

But that wasn't the case.

After the discussions of egalitarianism, sharing hardships, and rewarding hard work, Artorius began to propose to his mother that the treatment of Camelot's military should be improved, no matter what.

"It's okay for the officials of Camelot to skim off some benefits, but the military must not be deprived. This is the foundation of Camelot, Father."

Artorius earnestly pleaded, genuinely wanting what was best for his mother. However, she appeared clueless, unable to comprehend his intentions or the importance of bribing and buying off the military.

"Isn't sharing the honor with them enough?"

"But honor doesn't fill their stomachs."

"Don't they have black bread?"

"It's not enough..."

Artorius sighed tiredly.

===

Author's Note:

Honors and material rewards. We must strive for both.

The protagonist's conflict with his mother's beliefs didn't stem from Artoria herself but from Merlin. All of her mindsets were taught by Merlin. She is merely a tool for salvation. So, everything is Merlin's fault!