Fate: The Forged Arthur Pendragon

Riding through the last vestiges of the sunset, Su Ya, Merlin, and Lucan (disguised as 'Ector'), along with ninety-eight cavalrymen, swiftly traversed the plains of the Bern territories.

After three hours of travel, the group finally crossed the plains bordering the Macedonian army and arrived at an area filled with vast, abandoned farmlands.

Pushing through the untended fields, they at last reached their destination—

Sir Ector's Estate.

Indeed, 'Ector' and Merlin shared the same idea.

To the east, where the Conqueror King's army continuously advanced, the ports and roads leading north along the Golden Curtain were all sealed. No matter which way they turned, they encountered Macedonian troops like a surging tide.

According to a few well-informed cavalrymen in the squad, the Conqueror King's army was currently halted beyond Plymouth. The enemy seemed in no hurry to break through the Golden Curtain but was instead garrisoned behind the second fortress, continuously annihilating King Uther's scattered forces who hadn't managed to retreat behind the Golden Curtain.

"So, what exactly is the Golden Curtain?"

Upon arriving at the estate, after several scouting cavalrymen reported their findings to Su Ya, he quietly asked Merlin, whose face showed a hint of fatigue, in a room within a dilapidated, barely usable Norman-style castle.

"The Golden Curtain?" Merlin looked at Su Ya in surprise, thinking, How can this illiterate person not even know that? Even if he isn't the real King Arthur, as a stand-in, he shouldn't have been raised like an idiot by King Uther, right?

But after considering the strange rumors surrounding the royal family, she secretly nodded. It was indeed possible—

Arthur was the son of Igraine, the duchess Uther had seized. He strongly resembled his mother, so perhaps Su Ya, as a stand-in, was meant for, ahem ahem ahem...

Merlin's gaze at Su Ya became even stranger, but she still explained carefully:

"The Golden Curtain is the old Tintagel, the last bastion of the royal capital, Winchester."

"Fourteen years ago, after Macedon's territory bordered Britain, the new Duke of Cornwall proposed building one of three iron walls on the western side of the kingdom to guard against threats from the west."

"But as you can see, it's like it's made of paper..."

Su Ya was even more bewildered.

He could understand what she meant by "like it's made of paper." He could also understand why the Duke of Cornwall, whose territory was in the westernmost part of Britain, felt threatened and built a great wall. And it wasn't hard to imagine that the wall was built shoddily—a 'tofu-dreg project'—because someone found a way to embezzle public funds during its construction.

But,

Su Ya's eyes suddenly widened: "Fourteen years ago, Macedon and Britain's territories bordered each other? What's that? Why would continents border each other in reverse? Those two countries aren't even in the same place, are they?"

As far as Su Ya knew, the Macedonian Empire stretched from Greece and Egypt in the west to India in the east. But no matter what, Macedon was always to the east and Britain to the west.

Based on the information he had, why was Britain now to the east and Macedon to the west?

"Is that strange?" Merlin looked at Su Ya in confusion.

"Why are you so surprised, like those mad scholars who first learned about the continental shift over a decade ago? This world has magic, understand? Not merely sorcery, but magic, so anything is possible."

"Fifteen years ago, in the year 283 of the Magic Calendar, seven kings from different eras and their kingdoms were summoned by King Solomon from the Divine Throne of God. Seven continents encircled the Holy City of Jerusalem. In return, on the day the Jerusalem God-Bestowing Tower was completed, King Solomon would reveal the Root of Magic and, in the present age where the Age of Gods had faded, lead the seven kings to ascend the divine throne, becoming Kings of Kings and gaining eternal life."

"God-Bestowing Tower?" Su Ya was even more baffled. "What's that?"

Merlin explained: "The God-Bestowing Tower is a type of magic workshop. I don't fully understand what it does, but since King Solomon needed the help of seven kingdoms to build it, it must be something incredibly valuable."

At this, Merlin chuckled, snapping her fingers. A small flame danced on her slender, fair fingertip as she showed off to Su Ya:

"Thanks to King Solomon's grand feat, Britain, which was already entering the Age of Mystery's twilight, has been extended. This is also good for us magicians; at least we can occasionally use some rudimentary magic."

"Oh, wow! That's cool!"

Su Ya watched this display, thinking, Now I'll never have to worry about my friends stealing my lighter again. His heart stirred, and he immediately sat up straight, pointing at the flame on Merlin's fingertip and asking earnestly:

"Can I learn that, Teacher Merlin?"

"Well, normally you couldn't, since I'm not a master magician yet, so I don't have an apprentice position for you."

"But—"

Hearing "but," Su Ya's spirits lifted. He knew there was a chance, so he shifted closer,

"But what?"

Merlin chuckled, spreading her palm: "That'll be 50 gold pounds."

"Please give me the money."

Su Ya blinked, then looked down at his own tattered refugee attire.

Forget money, he couldn't even stick his hands in his pockets to look cool, and his pants were so torn from several battles that his butt was almost showing!

The only thing on him that seemed valuable—

Su Ya looked at his waist. Merlin, following his gaze, also looked at the sword at his waist, a mischievous, impish grin appearing on her lips.

Then, she heard Su Ya ask somewhat awkwardly:

"Can this... be paid in kind?"

"This sword of yours, I think it's worth at least 50 wha—!?"

Merlin's casual valuation abruptly cut off as she stared at Su Ya in shock, her small face visibly reddening, turning red-hot.

"What did you say?"

"Pendragon's seed, quite rare, isn't it? I'll sell it to you for 1000 gold pounds. Alright, let's begin. I won't ask for responsibility. Just remember to give me 950 gold pounds later."

Su Ya was slapped three meters away by a sudden burst of magical power.

Merlin slowly walked closer, her face dark, her small hand already reaching for the broom leaning against the wall, wishing she could hit Su Ya eighty-one times.

"We know each other inside and out, yet you want to freeload?! And you want me to pay you back too!"

"What, do you really think you're—"

Just then,

Creak!

The wooden door of the small room was suddenly pushed open.

Merlin's voice cut off abruptly as she whirled around, alert, to face the doorway. Su Ya, spared from a beating, also let out a sigh of relief and looked over.

He saw,

A grim face peeking in, scanning the room.

Lucan surveyed the interior of the room with a serious expression. Seeing Su Ya huddled in the corner and Merlin approaching with a broom, he couldn't help but blink, then let out a forceful cough.

"Ahem... you young people, you need to exercise some restraint."

Hearing this, Merlin couldn't help but glance down at the stick in her hand, feeling a little awkward. She discreetly hid the broom behind her back, then turned to face the entering 'Ector' and asked with a smile:

"Sir, is there something you need?"

"Yes, it seems you might have some misunderstandings about me, and I, too, might have some misunderstandings about you—"

Having said this,

A distorted smile, utterly out of place on the grim, middle-aged knight's face, appeared.

On this otherwise ordinary night,

The chirping of cicadas filled the air outside the window, and the wind blowing into the Norman castle brought a slightly dry heat.

The three looked at each other. In this temporary alliance, heading towards an unknown tomorrow,

Su Ya looked at the expression on the man's face.

Strangely, he felt that the man's expression was exactly like Reiner and Bertholdt's in Attack on Titan when they found Eren on the wall and pointed at themselves, saying, "I'm Reiner, he's Bertholdt."

The next moment,

"Then let's speak frankly—"

Lucan, in their completely unsuspecting gazes, tore off the 'Ector' mask from his face, revealing a gentle face that exuded extreme trustworthiness, and said with a beaming smile:

"Just as I am not Ector, Miss Merlin, you seem to be merely a gardener of this estate. You are no royal steward nor a great mage at the King's side. In the capital, you seem to have amassed a huge gambling debt. Oh? What's with that expression? Are you perhaps recalling where you've seen me before?"

"And you—Su Ya Pendragon,"

Lucan looked at Su Ya, as if seeing something interesting, or perhaps a very promising junior, and exclaimed:

"My, my, how peculiar! Why do I smell the scent of my own kind on you~!"

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