Fate: The Forged Arthur Pendragon

The Bern territories.

Across the sprawling plains, a cavalry detachment of ninety-eight riders slowly advanced, led by a grim-faced, middle-aged knight with short, grizzled hair.

Standing before them on the barren earth was Su Ya, filthy and ragged from head to toe.

He wore a brown linen tunic and shorts, a long sword at his waist, his body caked with a mixture of dirt and blood. His small face was grimy, and wounds covered various parts of his body. Despite his appearance, anyone who saw his noble features would instinctively think,

—This is a person of high birth.

Behind Su Ya stood a young magician girl, elegantly and nobly dressed, her entire being impossibly clean. Just by standing there, she inexplicably evoked the image of a prophet foretelling a king's ascension or the Lady of the Lake bestowing a sword upon a monarch.

And the one she served—

—Could only be a King!

At this moment,

Knight, King, Prophet!

The three most crucial components of a kingdom converged on this enemy-occupied territory!

The ninety-eight cavalrymen behind 'Ector'—Lucan—shifted their gaze between the three. They felt they were about to witness a historical moment, a ceremony of the highest knightly honor about to unfold before their eyes!

At this thought, the cavalrymen immediately straightened their backs, allowing the polished surfaces of their plate armor to reflect the lingering twilight. Then, with fervent and intense gazes, they watched the three who were about to meet.

But,

This sacred meeting under the twilight,

Was fake.

The three people about to meet,

Were fake.

Their individual identities—

Su Ya, who looked like a king and had a convincing face, was merely Arthur Pendragon's stand-in, an illiterate murderer who knew almost nothing about the current world and had killed multiple people.

Merlin, who looked like a prophet and had a convincing face, was merely a gardener from Sir Ector's estate, a gambling addict magician who attempted to rob a safe.

Lucan, who looked like a knight and wore someone else's face, was merely a roadside swindler King Uther had mistakenly recruited, a hidden criminal who had accidentally killed the king by spouting nonsense.

At this moment,

Su Ya stared intently at the approaching 'Ector,' wondering what to say to this cheap foster father he had never met.

Lucan stared intently at the approaching Su Ya, frantically replaying all of Ector's movements in his mind, trying not to give himself away. His expression grew increasingly strained, and his smile became stiffer.

Merlin, meanwhile, stared intently at the yellow spear in 'Ector's' hand, wondering how much it could sell for.

The three fakes met, each offering a stiff smile.

"Son—"

Lucan had just begun to greet him when Su Ya bluntly interrupted,

"Ector, why do you call me that?"

"Uh—"

Lucan's pupils contracted involuntarily. Damn it, why wouldn't I call my son 'son'? Should I call you 'father'?

Meanwhile, Su Ya's mind raced.

According to Le Morte d'Arthur, Arthur always called Ector "Father." However, given the strange style of this world—the existence of Noble Phantasms somewhat resembling the Fate series' Avalon, yet with a completely different future trajectory—in Avalon, Ector never allowed Artoria to call him father, always just "Ector."

Ultimately, Su Ya chose the latter. He also wasn't keen on calling just anyone "father," so he opted for the safest approach: a rhetorical question to test the waters.

Thrown back on the spot, Lucan raised an eyebrow slightly. Fortunately, Ector himself was a man of few words. At this moment, Lucan merely let out a sigh of relief and quietly tossed the ball back:

"Phew... I'm just relieved you're alright."

Now it was Su Ya's turn to feel awkward. He had no idea how to respond and could only nod stiffly,

"You too."

Lucan dismounted, walked over, and patted Su Ya's shoulder, praising him:

"You did well, drawing the attention of the allied cavalry and allowing us to break through successfully."

Hearing this, Su Ya was momentarily stunned. He glanced at Merlin, who met his gaze; a hint of surprise flickered in both their eyes.

As part of the routed army, Su Ya's previous act of crossing the main force at Merlin's suggestion seemed brave, but in reality, it was undoubtedly an act of betrayal to the army behind them, the behavior of a deserter.

However, the 'Ector' before him proactively helped him smooth over the situation. Moreover, Su Ya vaguely sensed that the other party's intentions went beyond that.

Nevertheless, Su Ya's face remained impassive as he shook his head and replied, following the other's lead:

"The enemy's reaction was too quick, Ector. If you hadn't arrived so swiftly, we would have been in danger. I should be thanking you."

Lucan nodded and, in front of the assembled cavalry behind him, said gravely:

"It was unavoidable. You needn't feel any pressure. None of us anticipated that the Conqueror King would be so powerful, conquering Exeter and Plymouth one after another. I expect that even the Golden Curtain will barely impede her march of conquest!"

"Soon, her army will break through the Golden Curtain and reach the capital!"

At this moment,

A cavalry captain behind Lucan, clad in plate armor, with a small mustache and an upright demeanor, rode forward, dismounted, and approached the trio. He suddenly spoke:

"Sir, is this the noble person you said you would save at all costs? But...begging your pardon, he is merely your second son."

"If that is the only reason, it will not convince the men."

"However, if the Sir believes that with your second son and this magician joining us, we can gather the strength to charge the Conqueror King's chariot and retrieve the King's remains, then we..."

The cavalry captain hesitated slightly, then said gravely:

"We are willing to fight!"

Hearing this, the expressions of the three meeting individuals simultaneously froze.

Su Ya's scalp tingled even more.

What? What nonsense are you spouting, you dog!

Why are your brains on the same wavelength as Merlin's crazy ideas?

Why would we charge the Conqueror King's chariot? Is there some special syrup there?

Each of you is practically dragging me back to my death at a hundred-meter sprint pace. Do I owe you money, pal?!

Merlin and Lucan were equally horrified by these words.

All their efforts had been focused on escaping, on reaching a safe place. Now that they had finally escaped, their soldiers were demanding they lead them to retrieve King Uther's remains.

Not to mention the formidable hero Seleucus guarding that place, even a single charge from the allied cavalry surrounding the King's banner would mean certain death for all of them!