บท 16: My Brother, Mordred

As a homunculus, Mordred's actual age is still that of a child.

As a child, Mordred's emotions are easily stirred.

Just like now.

'I am needed by someone!'

'I am acknowledged by someone!'

'Artorius has invited me to do such great things!'

'He wants me to be his companion!'

Just thinking about it filled Mordred with excitement and joy.

She could hardly contain her excitement and could only express her attitude through continuous nodding.

"I feel like we get along well."

Watching Mordred like this, Artorius continued happily, "We will be great friends... No, we are already great friends, right, Mordred?"

"Yes! Yes! we are great friends!"

The following conversation was cheerful and filled with care between friends. Usually, it was Artorius showing concern toward Mordred. For example:

"How have you been lately?"

"How do you feel? Is there anything you need help with?"

"The weather up north is so cold, I've prepared a cloak for you. Why don't you try it on? Ah, it fits you well and matches you, Mordred."

"So, how was your life before? Can you tell me about it? Oh, sorry, I made it difficult for you. Let's change the topic then."

Just like that, Artorius's care, friendship, and value made Mordred feel extremely excited and happy.

However, amidst the excitement and happiness, Mordred also felt uneasy.

The more she intimated with him, the higher her level of unease. It wasn't until over two hours later when Artorius said, "It was getting late, I apologize for taking up so much of your time. But chatting with you, Mordred, was delightful."

At that moment, Mordred finally realized why she felt this way.

Since they were such good friends, there shouldn't have been any secrets or reservations between them. But she was still wearing her helmet. She couldn't even reveal her own origins to Artorius.

In this way, she could never truly become Artorius's close friend, stand by his side, or respond to his friendship and love.

"Artorius!"

Thus, as Artorius stood up, preparing to leave, Mordred called out to him.

"Do you need something else, Mordred?"

Although Artorius already had an idea of what Mordred wanted to do, he maintained a perplexed expression on the surface.

"In fact, there were some things I needed to tell you, and that's..."

After hesitating for a moment, Mordred slowly took off her helmet, revealing a face that was almost identical to Artoria's, albeit with a more youthful demeanor.

"..."

Artorius shows a slightly surprised expression.

"Mordred? You are..."

He sits back down, astonished, gazing at the girl's stunning appearance.

"The truth is, I am... King Arthur's 'son'."

Mordred blushed and whispered softly. Then, she stammered a bit as she revealed her true identity.

Of course, what she said was not entirely accurate but rather a recounting of what her mother, Morgan, had told her.

Certainly, Artorius wasn't concerned about the truth of the matter about 'Son'. On the contrary, he cared more about Mordred herself, the powerful and obedient pawn.

"I see, so it turns out... you're the 'son' of the King and Morgan le Fay..." Artorius muttered expressionlessly, making Mordred feel nervous.

Having impulsively confessed her true lineage earlier, Mordred now regretted it a little.

What if Artorius disliked her because of her identity?

She watched as Artorius turned around, approached her with an emotionless expression, and her heart raced.

Just as she was about to apologize after closing her eyes, Artorius happily grabbed her hand. And then, as if that wasn't enough, he embraced her directly.

"So, Mordred, you're my dear 'brother'..."

Mordred: "..."

The situation was completely different from what she had anticipated.

"That's great... really great! I always thought our father only had me as his child, but now I have a little brother. Hahaha..." Artorius spoke these words and playfully leaned over to kiss Mordred on the cheek.

The joy and tenderness quickly eased her tension, causing Mordred to reveal a somewhat silly smile when embraced by Artorius. The gentle girl embraced him as well.

'I've been acknowledged.'

'I've been accepted.'

'I have a family.'

'I am Artorius Pendragon's brother.'

These intense emotions made her body warm, and following Artorius's lead, she kissed his cheek in return.

But, this was different.

Not just one kiss, but a continuous stream of kisses. It seemed like she wanted to express just how much she liked Artorius in this way.

Originally, it wasn't a big deal.

After all, in that era and country, considering the customs and societal norms of the time, kissing wasn't unusual. As they were still considered family, even if Artorius stayed in Mordred's tent that night and they slept together, it was entirely normal, right?

"Unfortunately, we didn't recognize each other earlier, did we? I hope that more intimacy can make up for this regret and partially make up for the lost time." Artorius said earnestly while looking into her eyes, causing Mordred to be completely devoted to him.

"Umu! Umu!" Mordred nodded continuously, willing to do anything Artorius asked of her.

"Rest assured, from now on, your big brother will be by your side. You won't be alone anymore." Artorius gently reassured her before Mordred fell asleep.

Mordred, a girl whose true age was still that of an underage Loli, slept comfortably and without worry for the first time...

After a while, in the middle of the night, Artorius disappeared.

"Gareth! I really need you! Can you help me, my dear sister!" In Gareth's tent, Artorius held his cousin's hand, causing her to blush.

And so, that night, a girl who couldn't resist the heat any longer ended up having another person in her bed.

Of course, nothing lewd happened.