Simulator in Type-moon, Starting with becoming Morgan husband!

Chapter 68. Elite Knight Order

[Artoria takes your hand and leads you back to the castle.]

[Along the way, quite a few people cast surprised glances in your direction.]

[Of course, you know they have no idea about Artoria's true identity.]

[In their eyes, you and Artoria appear like a young man infatuated with the Prince of Camelot.]

[Artoria brings you to the door of her room.]

[She stops, turns to look at you.]

"Sir Ian, may I ask you to close your eyes for a moment?"

Although Artoria deliberately changed into an outfit emphasizing masculine traits, just the thought of the pure form beneath the attire makes it hard to focus on the heroic demeanor she intends to project. Instead, all that's left is the shyness of a young girl.

Ian nods.

"No problem."

Following Artoria's request, Ian closes his eyes.

Then, he feels something push against his back—it's Artoria guiding him forward.

The sound of a door opening reaches his ears.

Ian senses he's been led into a room.

Clack.

The door shuts.

A cheerful voice calls out.

"Sir Ian, you can open your eyes now!"

With a hint of curiosity, Ian slowly opens his eyes—and freezes.

In front of him is a room strikingly similar in layout to Morgan.

If there's any difference, it's perhaps in the orientation of the room and the somewhat plain atmosphere lacking the lively traces of someone actively living here, unlike Ian's actual quarters. 

Even so, it's surprising enough.

"Artoria, what's the meaning of this..."

"Wait! Please let me explain!"

The girl waves her hands hurriedly.

"I didn't mean to deliberately copy that room. I just thought this kind of décor suits me well."

"But—"

Ian looks around the room's arrangement.

"This is way too similar."

"Ummm..."

Artoria lowers her head, seeming a bit embarrassed.

"It's mainly because I thought this way, Sir Ian, you might like it more—then you might stay here a bit longer."

"..."

Hearing this, Ian feels as if an imaginary arrow pierces his heart.

The purest feelings of a young girl—this is precisely what Artoria should embody.

"Is that so?"

Ian chuckles and pats Artoria's head.

"Then I must say, the effect isn't quite ideal... At least, I feel a little strange right now."

"Ehh?!"

Hearing that, Artoria instantly becomes flustered.

"Then I'll change it right away!"

"No need." Ian stops her. "It's not like it's unbearable."

"But Artoria, you didn't call me here just to show me this, did you?"

"..."

Artoria lowered her head, looking slightly disheartened.

"Sir Ian, it seems like you don't want to stay with me very much..."

"It's not that I don't want to be with you."

Ian lifted Artoria's chin, making her meet his gaze.

"But you have more important things to take care of."

"Artoria, Camelot needs urgent change right now."

[Artoria understood your meaning.]

[Unlike the pressure Merlin puts on her, your words felt like encouragement to her ears.]

[She nodded and pulled you to sit on the bed.]

[You realized she truly had something important to discuss with you.]

"Sir Ian."

Artoria drew the sword from the stone.

"In fact, I have an idea. I'm not sure if it's reasonable."

Sensing Artoria's seriousness, Ian's demeanor shifted accordingly.

"Then go ahead and share your idea."

"It's—"

The young woman gripped the sacred sword that symbolized the throne.

"There are too many knights in Camelot. If we judge them all equally in battle, I believe it will definitely affect the direction of sound decisions."

Ian wasn't foolish; he quickly grasped the implication behind Artoria's words.

"Artoria, are you suggesting a ranking system among the knights?"

"Of course not a ranking system," Artoria quickly shook her head.

"Those willing to fight for this kingdom are all equals."

"But—"

Her gaze sharpened.

"In war, some sacrifices are unavoidable."

"To secure the final victory, we must make decisions."

"..."

Ian took a deep breath.

The young girl standing before him had almost made him forget the transformation Artoria underwent after drawing the sword from the stone.

Cold, ruthless, yet undeniably effective.

This was the driving force that propelled Camelot forward.

It was the chain a king must bear.

From a certain perspective, this approach aligned with Artoria previous belief in "seeking the most suitable solution from all possible options."

Still, a ruthless method was a method nonetheless—and that resonated with her personal philosophy.

However, Ian always felt that such an approach would eventually backfire on Artoria.

Yet—

That wasn't something he could interfere with.

At this point, the priority was resolving the immediate issue.

"I understand. What you're saying does make sense."

"But Artoria, how do you plan to proceed?"

"I want to form a special order of knights," Artoria said. "That way, we can consolidate Camelot most elite warriors."

[This is a very reasonable idea.]

[You realize that although Artoria is a young girl, she does not lack the knowledge required of a king.]

[She has many independent thoughts.]

[You sense that while Artoria is offering you the intense affections of youth, she is also actively shouldering the heavy burden of responsibility.]

[It seems she also carries a steadfast resolve for the throne.]

"Umu… it truly is a good idea."

"But—"

Ian gave a somewhat awkward but polite smile.

"Artoria, why are you asking me about this?"

"Because I find Sir Ian's opinions very important," Artoria answered frankly.

"That's why I want to know your thoughts."

"And—"

"The knights you acknowledge, those worthy of bearing this responsibility."

"..."

[You realize that Artoria's feelings for you seem to be extending into other matters.]

[She's beginning to consult you on various issues.]

[You're unsure if this is a good opportunity.]

[But someone as shameless as you certainly won't miss any potential chance.]

"Then Artoria, could you give me some time to prepare?" Ian replied.

"I think I need to sort through these issues to give you a reasonable answer."

"Umu." Artoria nodded.

"No problem, I'll wait for your opinion."

After speaking, the girl lifted her head and gently kissed the man on the cheek.

"Sir Ian, this is my thanks for troubling you."

"..."

[Feeling the warmth on your face, you left Artoria's room.]

[This scene was witnessed by a few maids.]

[Already quite reputable, you gained additional peculiar compliments—even men could be captivated by your charm.]

[However, you didn't care about any of that.]

[You only wanted to report to Morgan about Artoria's plan to form an elite knight order.]

"Princess, that's the gist of the situation."

Ian reported the details to Morgan.

"..."

Morgan remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:

"So, Ian, are you planning to stop this?"

"No." Ian shook his head. "If I were, I would have told her right then and there."

"Princess, I believe you would certainly have a better idea than me, which is why I came back to report."

Morgan's lips curled into a faint smile.

"Ho~, Ian, are you saying you understand me?"

Ian shook his head.

"Of course not."

"I only know that the princess will choose the path of greater value."

"Oh?"

Morgan crossed her arms over her chest, a playful look on her face.

"So, what do you think that more valuable path is?"

"If I don't say it, I'll be punished to kneel by the bed tonight."

This seemed like a rather harsh punishment.

However, Ian wasn't worried—he was confident in his answer.

"Princess, you are an intelligent person."

"Rather than expending energy to sabotage the formation of the knight order, I believe you would prefer to see this order serve you."

"And if we think along those lines—"

Ian looked directly at Morgan, his eyes filled with confidence.

"Then the choice of knights becomes clear."

"That would be Gawain and the others."

A slight smile passed across Morgan's face—this was a sign that Ian had answered correctly.

"Ian, it seems like you're really trying hard to avoid kneeling by the bed."

Ian smiled lightly.

"How could I miss the chance to sleep in the same bed as the princess?"

"Ian."

Morgan moved closer, wrapping her arms around Ian's waist.

"Do you only think about me?"

"Not at all."

Ian shook his head, his hands sliding along Morgan's slender waist before coming to rest behind her.

"Princess, in my mind, there's also Camelot, which you need most."

"You know how to say sweet things."

Morgan gazed at the man before her, her eyes full of allure.

"Before, I used to think that without me, you would be deceived by how many bad women."

"Now, looking back, without me, Camelot would probably be flooded by the tears of all those women you've deceived."

"But the princess wouldn't let me do that."

"That's right." Morgan smiled faintly, "You're mine and mine alone."

"Anyway, Ian, do you think the kids will follow our wishes?"

Ian nodded.

"I think they will."

"First, Gawain will definitely not refuse; there's no doubt about that."

"And if Gawain joins the knight order, his brother, Gaheris, will certainly not miss this opportunity. If both of them join, Gareth's personality will also make her follow suit."

"The important one is Agravain. The quiet one... I don't quite understand his thoughts."

Hearing this, Morgan smiled lightly.

"Well, Ian, maybe you don't need to worry."

"Agravain will join—besides, he's not a quiet person, he just knows that he shouldn't say nonsense."

"Princess, you seem to understand him very well."

"Hmm?" Morgan gently caressed Ian's waist.

"As their mother, shouldn't I understand them?"

"...That's true."

"But Ian." Morgan's smile faded from her lips. "Do you think if the kids rush in like this, the girl won't be suspicious?"

"Yes, Princess." Ian didn't deny this concern.

"Well, I'm planning to invite one more person."

"Who is it?"

"Artoria's older brother, Kay." Ian answered, "If we bring him into the knight order, there will be no suspicion."

"Have you already brought him in?"

"Yes."

"Ha."

Morgan moved a little closer, her fingers gently tracing the contours of Ian's cheek.

"It seems like you've been prepared for this for quite some time," she said softly.

"Yes, Princess," Ian replied.

"And what about 'here'?"

"Princess, you can try right now."

[You had an enjoyable day with Morgan.]

[You began preparing the list to send to Artoria.]

[To be honest, having the children join the knight order was quite remarkable.]

[Therefore, you decided to place Kay name at the top of the list.]

[Once the list was complete, you began contacting them.]

[Everything proceeded as you had anticipated.]

[Gawain accepted your and Morgan's arrangement, and Gaheris had a similar attitude.]

[Agravain didn't say a word, but nodded to show his agreement.]

[Gareth was as cheerful as ever, declaring that she would find a way to confront Artoria after joining.]

[Kay had the strangest attitude of all.]

[Although he quickly accepted your invitation, throughout the process, he looked at you with a strange expression.]

[You understood that it was likely due to Artoria's display at the castle gates.]

[However, you didn't care about his feelings.]

[As long as he could act as a shield and join the knight order, that was enough.]

[Everything was ready.]

[You realized it was time to submit this list, which contained your true intentions for Artoria.]

[With this, her knight order would become another pawn in your and Morgan's scheme.]

[You went to her room and handed over the list.]

"Here."

"That's about it."

Ian handed over the list he had prepared on parchment to Artoria.

She took the list, glanced over it for a moment, then nodded and replied,

"This list is good, but I'd like to make a few adjustments."

"Sir Ian, would that be okay?"

Ian felt a slight sense of unease, but still smiled and nodded.

"Of course."

"Umu umu..."

Artoria added a name to the parchment, which represented the list.

"Now it's perfect!"

"Um? Isn't this my name?"

"Yes." Artoria smiled brightly, like a flower.

"Sir Ian, I just wanted to add your name!"