Fate: The Forged Arthur Pendragon

"So, what should I do?"

At this moment, having stopped the deception and chosen to be frank with Merlin, a burden seemed to lift from Su Ya's heart. He no longer felt alone in this world.

Even though the woman before him still looked like a greedy miser ready to sell him for a good price, at least for now, they were somewhat on the same side.

And they faced a shared predicament: how to impersonate Arthur in front of Sir Ector, who had lived with Arthur Pendragon for over a decade, and convince this formidable man to escort them back to the seemingly safe Royal Capital.

"We need to make money, and not just a little. Do you understand, Su Ya? Working a regular job won't make you rich. That's the only truth this magician has learned in fifteen years!"

"We need to make big money!"

"First, you have to understand what's valuable!"

Su Ya's expression sharpened, and he listened intently. "For example?"

"Noble Phantasms!" Merlin stared at Su Ya, revealing a mischievous, alluring smile. She raised a finger and pointed at Ector, who was approaching with his knights.

"That yellow spear, if I'm not mistaken, is Sir Ector's family heirloom, a legendary Noble Phantasm. It's an essential item for a hero to become a legend, practically priceless in the market!"

"It's called Unending Glazed Fire, a powerful Noble Phantasm of at least B-rank."

"Not only do we need Ector to escort us to the capital, but we also need to get our hands on this spear."

"Most importantly—"

Thump, thump, thump...

Just then, the sound of horse hooves grew louder behind them.

Su Ya quickly covered Merlin's mouth.

Now that he understood what he needed to do next, whether it was to earn the money and status to become a professional or to overcome the immediate crisis, Su Ya had to steel himself.

He turned around, his face now adorned with the professional fake smile he'd perfected during his past life as a corporate drone, a smile that betrayed no hint of abnormality.

He didn't know why he had to rely on deception to open and maintain his situation after arriving in this otherworld, but—

Su Ya looked at his nominal 'foster father,' who was riding towards him, his eyes burning with fighting spirit!

Come on, Heroic Knight Ector!

Even though I've forgotten the process, I'm really sorry about that.

But...

I'm going to swindle the pants off you!

At this moment, the 'Ector' riding closer to the plains felt a pang of trepidation.

As 'Ector,' he naturally recognized his good second son, 'Arthur Pendragon.' His appearance matched the rumors: radiant golden hair like the sun, clear emerald green eyes, and a handsome face capable of easily captivating women.

Without a doubt, someone with such extraordinary looks and demeanor, who could even escape the massacre of a ten-thousand-strong Macedonian army, must be the kingdom's heir, King Uther's son, the future King of Britain, and...

Heroic Knight Ector's adopted son.

Only such a convoluted identity could match the king's nobility and the hardships a true King of the Entire Realm should endure.

But this was from the perspective of 'Ector.'

However—

The man approaching Su Ya was not Arthur Pendragon's foster father, nor was he a future Knight of the Round Table. He wasn't even Kay's biological father, nor was he the wealthy Briton.

In fact, he wasn't Heroic Knight Ector at all, but a master thief... an incorrigible swindler!

Months ago, he had been impersonating a prophet and swindling money on the streets.

Because he had thoroughly researched his targets beforehand, his 'predictions' were remarkably accurate. When King Uther learned of this, he promptly summoned him to the palace.

Just as he had fifteen years ago when he became infatuated with Igraine, the Duchess of Cornwall's wife, King Uther had now become infatuated with the stunning beauty of Alexia III, the new queen of Macedon, beyond Cornwall.

And just like fifteen years ago, King Uther was fiercely rejected by Alexia III, which ignited her fury. She immediately led her army to invade Britain.

King Uther, ignorant of the vast disparity between their forces, was enraged and made a harsh vow:

"I will capture you alive within 40 days and make you my queen!"

(PS: This is not fabricated. King Uther truly did this in Le Morte d'Arthur.)

True to his word, King Uther immediately led his army into battle, bringing along a new prophet, no less capable than Merlin, whom he had found after the Archmage's disappearance.

However, on the day of the battle, King Uther fell ill. Yet, he couldn't abandon his obsession with conquering the Queen. So, he asked the prophet, "What should I do?"

The prophet, experiencing a figurative heart attack, could only reply, "The King must not shy away from battle, but neither can his soldiers see him in a weakened state.

The King merely needs to sit in a litter draped with fine silk, allowing the soldiers to witness his valiant posture as he charges with the army."

The prophet then prepared for his escape.

Predictably, on the third day of the formal engagement, King Uther's head was hung on the war banner of Queen Alexia III, the Conqueror.

Heroic Knight Ector, who had guarded the royal litter, died in battle.

And Lucan—though that wasn't his name before, it was now—stole Ector's divine spear and, disguised as Ector, retreated.

Using Ector's prestigious name, he finally escaped to this spot, the edge of the Golden Curtain, and was almost back to the Royal Capital of Winchester.

But now,

Having barely seized the opportunity during the Macedonian army's chaos, and relying on his thief's keen eye to lead a group of clingy knights he couldn't shake off, he had escaped.

He had even used Sir Ector's renowned name to avoid fighting Seleucus head-on and being exposed and killed by employing three deferrals: deferring on terrain, on mounts, and on moves.

(PS: Because Lucan couldn't defeat Seleucus in any of these three aspects; the only attribute they shared was Agility, both D-.)

Sometimes, Lucan couldn't help but admire his own luck.

However, after Lucan had painstakingly tricked the dim-witted Seleucus away, he encountered 'his' foster son here—the son of King Uther, whom he had just caused to die.

Now, he was about to meet the new King who would soon inherit all of Britain!

But...

Why were fire burning in the boy's eyes? Why did he look so battle-ready, as if he couldn't wait to beat him down, then laugh maniacally and strip off his pants?

Had the boy discovered some flaw?

It was understandable, after all, Ector had been his foster father for over a decade. It wouldn't be difficult for him to notice subtle differences in habits.

But, kid, could you please stop staring at me like that!!!

At this moment, the closer he got, the more nervous Lucan became. His palm, clutching Unending Glazed Fire, was slick with sweat.

However, the knights behind him were watching, anticipating. Their eyes gleamed with excitement as they waited to witness the meeting between the King's foster father and the King himself, and to become the King's knights themselves instead of the Sir's.

Lucan didn't know if any of the knights behind him recognized Arthur Pendragon, but encountering the future new King of Britain, he had no choice but to inform them of this 'good news' to avoid any strange misunderstandings that might expose his identity later.

As a result, with such intense gazes from both front and back, Lucan could only brace himself. As his horse slowed even further, he faced the wind blowing from the distant horizon and revealed a professional fake smile, one that belonged to a top-tier swindler and showed no hint of abnormality.