Chapter 93: Fairy's Prank -1-
The day of the duel with Acolón had finally arrived.
In the vast circular arena set up outside the walls of Camelot, countless nobles, soldiers, and the people of Logres had gathered, holding their breath in anticipation.
In the center of the arena, two knights faced each other.
One was the Black Knight Acolón, clad in jet-black armor and wielding the holy sword Excalibur, which radiated a dazzling golden light.
Opposite him stood Artoria, King of Britain, dressed in a simple blue tunic and light breastplate, wielding a crude sword that had merely been painted to look like the original.
“King of Britain!”
Acolón declared arrogantly, raising the holy sword high.
“For the great Lady of the Lake, whom I shall love eternally, and to become the true ruler of Britain, I shall strike off your head here today and offer my victory to her!”
“…….”
Artoria remained serene, unshaken by Acolón’s provocations. She gripped the hilt of her sword lightly and, just as Kay had taught her, relaxed her entire body and began to read the flow of the wind.
Her gaze was infinitely calm, devoid of any trace of insecurity or doubt.
“Begin!!”
With the judge's command, Acolón lunged forward with ferocious intensity. A massive discharge of golden magical energy erupted from Excalibur, sweeping across the arena like a storm.
“Heh, no need to even watch. This is a landslide victory for our Artoria.”
In the highest VIP viewing box,
Kay let out a small smirk, yawning leisurely with his arms crossed. In his eyes, Acolón was certainly a high-level knight, but that was where it ended. He hadn't yet fully mastered the holy sword, and his swordsmanship was typical of a textbook knight.
Just then, a woman exuding a faint magical aura approached Kay silently.
Her face was hidden beneath a deep hood, but the rich scent of roses and the chilling aura allowed Kay to identify her instantly.
“Oh, you're here? Done with your bath?”
Kay smiled slyly and scooted over to make room. The woman scoffed and naturally settled into the seat beside him.
“What an arrogant man. I came properly dressed today—no towels—so watch your mouth before I gouge your eyes out.”
At her appearance, Bagest, who had been standing behind Kay, immediately placed a hand on the hilt of her massive greatsword and growled.
“Vivian… what business do you have here? If you even attempt to harm my master, I will rip your throat out right here and now.”
“You've truly become a pet, haven't you, Black Dog?”
Morgan waved her hand dismissively.
“I simply sat here because a good seat was empty. Besides, your master carved a hideous tattoo onto my stomach, so I can't harm him even if I wanted to. Just relax and enjoy the show.”
“Grrr…!”
Bagest huffed in frustration and stepped back.
Kay rested his chin on his hand and looked down at the arena. “So, what exactly is your deal with this Acolón guy? Lovers? Or just a pawn?”
“He was a pitiable human child I happened to help back when I was the Lady of the Lake,” Morgan replied coldly.
“He fell into a blind, obsessive love with me and has remained loyal ever since, claiming he wishes to repay my kindness. He also has his own worldly desire to become the King of Britain, so it is a purely mutually beneficial relationship. There is no such thing as love.”
CLANG!!
A thunderous crash erupted from the arena.
Acolón swung the holy sword in a wide arc, attempting to shatter Artoria’s defense, but she was no longer there.
“What?!”
Instead of blocking the brute force of the slash, Artoria had slipped instantly into Acolón’s blind spot, sliding right into his chest.
“Hah!”
THWACK!
Rather than using her sword, she drove her conditioned elbow precisely into the underside of Acolón’s jaw.
It was the raw, practical combat of a warrior—something the old Artoria, bound by the rigid codes of chivalry, could never have imagined.
“Gah! The… the King of Knights is using brawling techniques…!”
As Acolón staggered back, Artoria didn't miss the opening. With an acrobatic burst of movement, she leaped high into the air.
Her body spun twice in mid-air, maximizing the centrifugal force. Then, condensing her falling weight and a massive burst of mana into a single point, her blade descended like a meteor upon Acolón’s guard.
KWA-BOOOOM!!!
“Aaaagh!!!”
Despite raising Excalibur as a shield, Acolón was sent flying dozens of meters by Artoria’s overwhelming technique and spirit, slamming violently into the arena wall.
He coughed up a torrent of blood and instantly lost consciousness.
“…Tch.”
Watching the absolute defeat, Morgan frowned and clicked her tongue in displeasure.
Kay shrugged. “See? I told you she’d win. A guy who just swings a sword like a machine can't possibly beat someone who's learned both cunning and ruthlessness. That greenhouse knight didn't stand a chance.”
Kay glanced at Morgan and asked seriously, “Hey. You have someone who’s blindly devoted to you like that—do you really have no intention of trying love just once?”
“Love?”
A deep sneer curled Morgan’s lips.
“I do not believe in such illusions.”
Her voice was thick with a resentment that felt a thousand years old.
“Long ago, I was thoroughly used and discarded by a dream demon. And King Lot of Orkney? That marriage was nothing more than a political and obligatory arrangement to expand power; there was no love there. True love is entirely unnecessary in this world.”
At that cold, lonely answer, Tamamo, who was sipping tea nearby, let her tails droop and murmured sympathetically.
“Oh my… even for a witch, you really are a pitiful woman. To live your life without knowing such a wonderful thing.”
“Pitiful? Ha! Me? To call a perfect ruler, who is not swayed by the fragile emotions of humans, pitiful? Even a passing dog would laugh at that.”
As Morgan bristled, Medusa, who had been standing quietly, pushed up her glasses and gently disagreed.
“Lady Witch, you are mistaken. Humanity is a species that could become infinitely strong precisely because of the true hearts and bonds known as love.”
Medusa’s eyes, once those of a goddess of the Age of Gods, drifted toward memories of the distant past.
“In the past, the Greek hero Perseus, who took my head when I was a monster, was merely an ordinary youth at first. However, he fell truly in love with a woman named Andromeda. To protect her from a hideous sea monster and a cruel former fiancé, he fought with his life on the line, evolving from a mere hero into a true warrior.”
“…….”
“And that is not all. Even the hunter Orion, known as a philanderer, loved the virgin goddess Artemis sincerely, and the goddess loved him enough to break divine law. Love is the most powerful force, one that created miracles and heroes even in the merciless Age of Gods in Greece.”
Despite Medusa’s solemn sermon, Morgan simply snorted and turned her head away.
“All pointless nonsense.”
A deep darkness settled in Morgan’s eyes.
“Look at my mother. What was the result of her loving Uther? She was utterly betrayed, her child was stolen, and she died in loneliness under the stigma of being called a witch. I am the same. Despite being his daughter, Uther used me as a stepping stone for the 'true' heirs, deceiving the people to brand me an evil witch so that I would be hated. Human love? Blood ties? Those are nothing but poisonous thorns stabbing me!”
Her desperate cry carried the raw, aching wounds of a girl who had been abandoned and unloved.
Then, Jeanne d’Arc Alter, who had been listening while leaning against the wall, let out a smirk and stepped forward.
“Sure. It’s your freedom to live your life hating the world and nursing your spite. But tell me… is life actually fun when you spend every night grinding your teeth and chewing on hatred alone?”
“What…?”
“Whether you seek revenge or conquer Britain, fine. But humans need a sanctuary to rest in, or some idiot who will silently listen to their whining, just to be able to breathe. Don't you agree?”
Jeanne Alter gave the back of Kay’s head a light flick as if using him as an example.
Bagest also puffed out her chest and added, “Witch. How long do you intend to live so twistedly, trapped in the resentments of the past? As a proud fairy, I find your stubbornness to be quite embarrassing and pitiful.”
“…Shut up!! What do you know that gives you the right to speak!!”
Morgan shouted irritably and bolted upright from her seat.
Below, Artoria had taken Excalibur from the unconscious Acolón’s hand and was holding the holy sword high, responding to the cheers of the crowd. The fairy’s covenant had been successfully broken, and the qualities of a king had been proven.
“Since my wager was lost, I shall take my leave for today.”
Morgan pulled her hood up and turned away coldly.
“Hey, Morgan.”
Kay’s low voice reached her from behind.
“I hope that one day, you’ll be saved from that wretched past.”
Morgan’s footsteps stopped abruptly.
“Of course, you’re a villain who bullies my sisters and you have a terrible temper… but you’re not fundamentally a rotten person. I actually quite like your tenacity—the way you stubbornly carve your own path even in the midst of despair.”
“…Are you pitying me? Disgusting.”
“It’s not pity. It’s an invitation,” Kay said with a chuckle.
“Next weekend is Mordred’s first birthday party. We aren't inviting the nobles; it'll just be a small gathering for the family to eat together… Since you're the mother, come if you want.”
“…….”
Without looking back or offering a word, Morgan vanished from the stands amidst a thick mist of magical energy.
“Sigh….”
Kay let out a deep sigh, staring at the empty space where she had been.
“Honestly, she’s like a hedgehog—prickly on the outside but soft on the inside. What a tragic person.”
“BROTHERRRRR!!!”
Just then, Artoria, having left the arena, came running toward Kay with a beaming face, drenched in sweat and waving the reclaimed Excalibur.
The shell of the king was gone, replaced by the face of a pure, bright, and lovely girl.
“Brother!! I won!! Did you see?!”
“Yeah, yeah, you did great.”
Kay roughly ruffled the hair of the Artoria who had leaped into his arms, muttering softly to himself.
“I wonder when the day will come when everyone in this damn Pendragon household can gather in one place and eat a meal with genuine smiles. We've got a long way to go, a very long way.”
Since the holy sword was back, he figured there would be a celebratory banquet tonight. But just as he was thinking that—
“Take this, Kay!!!!”
“Huh?”
Morgan, who he thought had left, suddenly reappeared holding a bucket and splashed water all over him. Before he could even react, Kay was soaked to the bone.
“Gah! Is this acid?!”
Thinking it might be something like bleach, Kay suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. He collapsed onto his backside.
“Ugh… what… what is this?”
Feeling a throbbing headache, he began to check his physical condition….
“What the—what is this?!”
The moment he looked at himself, he panicked.
“Hahaha! How is it, Kay?! How does it feel to be in such a humiliating state?!”
Morgan mocked him with laughter, while the women around them looked on in absolute shock.
“H-husband… your appearance….”
Kay. His appearance was….
He had become a child.
“Puhuhu! It’s water from the Fountain of Youth of Brocéliande Forest! Well?”
“Morgan, what on earth did you….”
Kay’s voice had also changed into that of a frail child. As he looked at Morgan in bewilderment, she flinched.
“L-looking at me with those eyes won't change anything! Despair at your own weakness! I shall personally witness your misery!”
For some reason, her face flushed red as she vanished once more into the mist. And there remained the shrunken Kay.
“…This is practically back to how I was when I first met the kids.”
Kay had reverted to the age he was when he first welcomed the Artorias. His body was soft and squishy, with not a single muscle to be found.
And then….
“Um, guys? Your stares are getting pretty intense.”
“Brother… would you… call me 'big sister'?”
That sight had set their hearts ablaze.
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