Bone-rattling sparring sessions with Merlin, cooking lessons where I used modern knowledge to transform Britain’s appallingly meager ingredients into something edible, and studies in both the knowledge a king required and magecraft.
It was a schedule so packed that it was hard to believe it belonged to a mere four-year-old, yet none of it was painful to me.
If anything, every night before bed, I found myself looking forward to what dish I could make to delight Artoria tomorrow, or how I might finally land a hit on Merlin’s infuriating staff.
And in the midst of my grueling daily life, there was always one uninvited guest who slipped in like a bit of comic relief: my familiar, troublesome foster brother.
"Haah... Seriously, Father must think people are blacksmith’s bellows. My muscles are screaming. Screaming!"
Stretched out flat on a wooden bench beside the spot where I was diligently chopping firewood was Ector’s son, Kay.
"You ran away again? What are you going to do if Ector catches you?"
"Ran away? It was a tactical retreat. Just smelling molten iron makes my nose feel numb. How can you train every day and still be so full of energy? You really are a monster."
Kay pouted, but eagerly gulped down the chilled honey water I offered him.
One day, he would bear the title of Knight of the Round Table, but for now, he was only an immature boy who hated his strict father’s training and forge work more than death itself.
"Brother! Kay! Um, Ector is coming this way..."
Artoria, who had been folding laundry inside the cottage, pointed through the window and spoke cautiously.
At her words, all color drained from Kay’s face.
"What!? Already? Damn it, Arthur! I was never here!"
Just as Kay hurriedly tried to crawl beneath the bench to hide—
"Kaaaaay!"
A lion’s roar thundered through the yard, loud enough to send every bird in the forest flying.
Moving with an agility unbelievable for a retired Black Knight, Ector crossed the yard in an instant and seized the back of Kay’s neck just as he had half-slid under the bench.
"Aaaagh! F-Father! I was only taking a short break!"
"The only thing taking a break is that scattered mind of yours! Get back to the forge at once and start working the bellows again!"
"Save meee! Arthur! Artoria...!"
With the back of his neck caught in Ector’s pot-lid-sized hand, Kay was dragged toward the forge, his feet scraping across the ground.
Unable to hold it in at the pitiful yet familiar sight, like some well-rehearsed comedy routine, Artoria and I burst into muffled laughter.
He might have been a retired knight, but as a veteran warrior, Ector showed no sign of frailty whatsoever. Poor Kay.
"I never get tired of watching that."
"Neither do I. Kay really can’t stand up to Ector at all."
Wiping the tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, Artoria beamed.
That clear, innocent smile. My little sister, who had been destined to wither away among the hateful knights and the Britons who seemed to rebel at every opportunity, was now smiling like an ordinary country girl.
"Artoria, shall we head out too? It’s past feeding time."
"Oh, right! Llamrei must be hungry!"
At my words, Artoria’s eyes sparkled as she picked up a basket.
Inside were several sugar cubes, fresh carrots, and beautifully arranged apples.
We headed for the small stable behind the cottage.
Prrr...
The moment we opened the stable door, a little black filly with a glossy white mane greeted us with an eager snort.
Llamrei.
Ordinarily, that was the name of the legendary steed Artoria would one day ride after becoming king.
But here, it belonged to a very small black mare Merlin had brought from somewhere and given to us as a gift.
Well, Artoria’s beloved horse was Dun Stallion, not Llamrei, to begin with.
"There, there, our pretty Llamrei. Were you hungry?"
I carefully reached out and stroked her white mane.
Llamrei possessed an intelligence far beyond that of an ordinary horse.
Apparently pleased by my touch, she gently closed her eyes and rubbed her face against my palm.
"Llamrei, here. Have an apple."
When Artoria took out a plump, red apple from the basket and offered it to her, Llamrei swished her tail and took a deliciously crisp bite.
The adorable sight kept a smile on Artoria’s face.
As I carefully brushed the straw from Llamrei’s coat, I spoke.
"The weather’s nice. Shall we go for a walk for the first time in a while?"
"Really? How exciting! I want to see the sea, Brother!"
"All right. Let’s go toward the Tintagel cliffs."
Though she was still a young filly, Llamrei’s back was strong enough to carry both of us twins with room to spare.
I hopped onto Llamrei’s back first, then reached down and pulled Artoria up to sit in front of me.
"All right, hold on tight. We’re off!"
Neigh!
At my signal, Llamrei lightly kicked off from the ground and set out.
We rode through the dense woods atop a hill overlooking the sea, the lively clop-clop of hooves ringing over the dirt road.
The cool breeze against our cheeks gradually began to carry the salty scent of the sea.
Before long, our view opened wide, and a breathtakingly majestic sight unfolded before us.
"Woooow...!"
An exclamation escaped Artoria’s lips.
We had arrived at a high cliff on the outskirts of Tintagel village, overlooking the sea in its entirety.
The intensely blue ocean stretched out without end, while white waves shattered against sheer rock faces, composing a grand symphony of nature.
The sky was clear and cloudless, dyed such a vivid blue that it was impossible to tell where the sea ended and the heavens began.
A narrow path ran along the cliff, its green grass spread like a carpet.
I gently pulled on Llamrei’s reins and slowed her pace.
"Beautiful, isn’t it?"
"Yes... It’s truly beautiful. I feel as if my whole heart has opened up!"
Leaning back against my chest, Artoria spread both arms wide to embrace the refreshing sea breeze.
Her flowing golden hair fluttered in the wind, gleaming like gold beneath the sunlight. I quietly wrapped my arms around her small back and took in the serene, peaceful vista before us.
Apparently taken with the air here as well, Llamrei buried her head in the lush grass and began grazing at leisure.
With scenery like this, why do they have to keep fighting and killing one another?
This land, which still bore traces of Rome, was rotting under foreign invasions and internal strife for no other reason than that Mystery lingered here.
Vortigern brought in foreign peoples, while the Saxons constantly eyed the fertility of this land.
It was scenery Artoria would one day have to defend through dozens of bloody battles after becoming king.
But...
"Brother, look over there! There are birds flying over the sea!"
"Hm? Ah, you’re right. They must be seagulls."
"What do you think it feels like to fly around so freely? Catching and eating delicious fish every day... Hehe."
My little sister’s adorable observation inevitably ended with food, and a gentle smile curved across my lips.
That’s right. I would grow stronger to protect that smile.
I would never allow the tragedy where Artoria sat upon a merciless throne and ground herself away for its sake.
You only need to stand behind me, smiling brightly as you do now, eating all the delicious things you want and living in peace.
"Artoria."
"Yes, Brother?"
Artoria turned from the sea and looked up at me, blinking her round emerald eyes.
"One day, I’ll take you across that sea too. We won’t stay only on this little island of Britain. We’ll drink the finest wine from Rome and go eat delicious meat in Ireland. I’ll make sure you eat the most delicious things in the world every single day."
At my abrupt declaration, Artoria wore a blank expression for a moment. Then, her face bloomed into a radiant smile, and she nodded vigorously.
"Yes! That’s a promise, right? I’m going to eat an awful lot, so you have to buy it all for me!"
"Hahaha! Don’t worry. I’ll scrape together enough money to keep even you stuffed to bursting for the rest of your life."
Our laughter mingled with the crisp crash of the waves and scattered over the cliff.
Llamrei turned to look at us and gave a soft whinny, as though she too wished to join our promise.
The endless blue sea of Tintagel.
Amid scenery beautiful enough to fill my heart to bursting, feeling the warmth of my beloved little sister and favorite character, I once more hardened my resolve to become the king who would swallow the coming age of war.
So that this peaceful daily life could become the eternal future of us siblings.
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