Chapter 89: Sucker’s Meal - 2 -

A deep conference room inside Camelot’s inner keep.

Kay let out a groan, covering his face with both hands, while Artoria sat upon the throne, her head hanging low like a condemned criminal, tears dripping steadily from her eyes.

At her waist hung Excalibur—or rather, a crude iron fake painted to look exactly like it, looking utterly pitiful.

"Ha... I’m honestly at a loss for words."

Artoria Alter scoffed from where she leaned against the wall, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No matter how dim-witted you are, what kind of brainless stunt is leaving your sword on a rock mid-training? Did you just ditch the symbol of our nation like some random twig in the woods?"

"After all the meals my brother cooked for you, you still didn't put on any weight—clearly, the fat just settled in your brain instead. Your dignity as a king has hit rock bottom. I simply cannot believe this."

Artoria Lancer Alter also gave her a cold dressing-down, her eyes full of contempt.

"I never leave mine off my person except when I bathe! But yesterday it was so hot and I was sweating, so I just—just for a moment—set it on a rock! When I came back from getting water, I found that fake sword with a cunningly forged mana signature and an empty scabbard in its place!"

Artoria defended herself tearfully, choked up with sorrow.

"First, calm down. I’ll lend you one of my twin holy swords; wear this for now. The fake one sticks out like a sore thumb."

Artoria X drew one of her swords and handed it to Artoria as a consolation.

It was inferior to Excalibur, but since it looked identical on the outside, most people wouldn't notice the difference.

The air in the council room remained heavy.

"Who in the world could the culprit be? Brother, could this be Morgan's doing?"

Artoria X Alter, nibbling on a dango, cautiously ventured.

At that, Artoria Caster, snacking beside her, shook her head.

"I don't know. I didn’t sense even the slightest trace of that awful Nightmare whelp Merlin’s mana. However... I did pick up a very, very faint echo of Morgan’s presence from the fake scabbard left by the riverside."

"Morgan’s residue?"

Kay narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. But it definitely wasn’t her in person. It’s far more likely the work of someone backed by her, or a human agent bearing a magical tool she crafted. The mana was concealed incredibly deftly."

Bages, who considered himself Camelot’s head of security, crossed his hefty arms and added,

"Master. The fact that someone moved in and out of the castle—between the walls and the outer training grounds—without leaving a trace means the culprit is an absolute powerhouse specialized in stealth and assassination. This is no ordinary thief. Either that, or they used Morgan’s magecraft to hide their presence. I find it more believable that it was Morgan—a mage whose skills exceed even the most keen eyes—than some entity that is naturally imperceptible."

"Well, of course. A madman who’d steal the strongest, peerless holy sword isn’t going to be some ordinary thief."

Kay scratched his head.

Medusa, who had been listening quietly, pushed her glasses up and offered some pragmatic advice.

"Master, first and foremost, you must keep this a complete secret. If rumors spread that the King of Britain has lost the holy sword, not only the Vortigern faction but even the nobles who have just sworn allegiance will be shaken, potentially sparking a rebellion."

"Can’t we track it remotely, Tamamo?"

Tamamo’s tail drooped as she shook her head at Kay’s question.

"With just a residual echo, even my sorcery cannot pinpoint a precise location remotely. We have no choice but to investigate on foot. Still, since an echo was left, they might have left similar traces as they moved. We must follow those leads."

"Sigh..."

Artoria wiped her tears again and clung to Kay’s trouser leg.

"I’m so sorry, brother. This is such a crucial time... We need to stabilize the country and expand relations with the nobles, recruit a permanent cook for Camelot like you wanted, and even establish a dedicated order of knights for you... I, I’m just so stupid..."

Kay patted her head, telling her it was alright.

"But hey, there’s one person missing. Where is she?"

Jeanne d’Arc Alter asked when she noticed Lily’s absence.

"She went down to the Cornwall territory for diplomatic matters. It will probably take about a week."

Recently, Lily had acquired a small fief in Cornwall—Tintagel. Lily had become the lord of the place that was also their hometown.

"Normally, Alter would have received her own fief and gone independent by now, but she’s too lazy and just clings to us."

"Shut up. Brother’s cooking is the tastiest, so that's why I'm here."

Artoria Alter answered shamelessly. Normally, she should have been managing her own domain or conquering an enemy state to become a king like Artoria Lancer, but she simply camped out in the castle out of laziness.

Kay let out a deep sigh at his disorderly family, then stood up.

"It can’t be helped. Let’s put all other urgent matters aside and form a search party immediately. We'll keep it to a minimum and move covertly, scouring the riverbank first. Everyone, get ready to mobilize!"

In the end, Kay and all of the castle’s key members went out on field duty to search for Excalibur and Avalon.

As a result, the one left most disgruntled was Mordred, left alone in her room in the inner keep.

"Puu... Everyone went out and left me behind. I’m bored, I’m so boooored!"

Mordred, cheeks puffed out, tapped the scattered wooden block toys on the floor as she sulked.

Since everyone was busy with the search, Mordred’s care was temporarily left in the hands of the castle’s most trusted handmaidens.

Moreover, Tamamo and Artoria Caster had plastered the entire room with multiple layers of powerful protective wards and talismans, and had even placed them on Mordred’s clothing. There was absolutely no worry of an uninvited guest like Merlin trying any tricks or kidnapping her.

Because Mordred was recognized as Kay’s child, she was treated with utmost honor in the castle—on par with the House Pendragon.

She held the status of a Pendragon princess.

Of course, no one knew who her mother was. Since it was never made official, everyone just quietly assumed she was one of the Pendragon sisters.

Naturally, Artoria was excluded, since she presented as male.

However, most assumed it wasn’t Alter, Artoria Lancer Alter, or Artoria X Alter due to their hair colors... though some pointed out you couldn’t be sure, citing cases like Gawain or Gareth.

King Lot had black hair, and Morgan now had a different hair color from her children... but because Morgan had once been a true Pendragon with blonde hair, and nobody knew what the Alter variants looked like as children, people guessed she must have had blonde hair back then rather than platinum. That left Mordred with seven possible mother candidates.

Of course, the truth—that she was the child of both the king, Artoria, and Morgan, and that not a drop of Kay’s blood ran in her veins—was top secret.

It was fine that she was known as Morgan’s child because Gawain had managed the perception well... but her being a homunculus—and a pureblood Pendragon at that—would pose a huge problem.

For example, many might try to use her to build a new kingdom, or reject her as an impure being and call for her death.

Her fate as a traitor, a doomsday device designed to destroy Britain.

If Vortigern was merely the island’s will to ruin, then she was the actual mechanism of destruction.

Such was her fate.

She occupied the same role as Surtr in Britain, so any faction with astrologers or diviners would unconditionally reject Mordred and brand her a witch.

Therefore, her identity was kept so secret that even Mordred herself would not know for a long time.

"Fou! When’s Daddy coming home? There’s no one to play with me!"

Unaware of her own identity, Mordred grabbed Fou’s white fur—who was curled up half-asleep on the bed—and yanked.

"Fou..."

Fou, looking thoroughly annoyed, opened his eyes halfway and turned his head away.

"Tch! Even you’re ignoring me?! Fine, do that thing! The one you secretly showed me before when Dad wasn’t around! I want you to do that!"

Mordred whined, grabbing Fou’s front paw and pouting incessantly.

"Fouuu..."

Fou, fed up with Mordred’s persistent whining, flicked his tail irritably, sighed deeply, then lightly leapt off the bed.

And in the next moment—

Flash!

A soft yet intense aura of mystical radiance filled the room.

Fou’s body, once a small white tuft of fur, began to elongate and transform into a human shape amid the blinding pillar of mana.

"Woaaah...!"

Mordred’s eyes sparkled as she clapped her hands.

When the light cleared, there stood a peerless beauty with long, flowing hair.

She wore a mischievous yet enigmatic smile and a lavish, plush ensemble fit for a mage.

That appearance was astonishingly similar to Merlin’s.

"Sigh... Seriously."

Assuming human form, Fou brushed back her silvery hair and muttered in utter annoyance.

"Every time I take human form, I can’t stand why I end up with this face. I look exactly like that miserable, sneaky Nightmare bastard. It’s so damn irritating."

"Hee-hee! You’re so pretty! Show me your magic, please!"

Mordred, delighted, clung to the folds of her skirt.

"All right, all right, my little knight. This big sister will play with you. Artoria lost her sword and Kay’s having a hell of a time. Let’s just stay in our room and enjoy the flowers."

Fou grinned and used her mystical power to scatter mana from her fingertips.

Shimmer!

It wasn’t Nightmare magecraft, but an illusion woven from Fou’s own unique mystique.

In an instant, the drab stone chamber filled with hundreds of radiant, ethereal petals dancing through the air.

"Eeee! It’s so beautiful!!"

Mordred giggled and darted around the room trying to catch the illusory petals.

"This one really grows at an abnormal rate. Morgan definitely pulled some strings. I can’t even imagine how much Kay must worry."

In human form, Fou propped her chin on her hand and watched Mordred at play with a curious smile.

It was a bizarre bit of downtime for the creature looking after the baby homunculus, all while wearing the face of the Nightmare that tormented her.

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