Artoria Pendragon

Standing by Artorius's side, like a graceful and elegant young lady, was Artoria Pendragon.

She was currently dressed in a pristine white gown, adorned with a string of pearl necklaces, presenting herself with poise and beauty. The gown originally belonged to Mordred, and during a previous ball, she had danced twice with Artorius while resolutely turning down all other invitations.

But that was all in the past. Mordred much preferred more practical attire, like armor or simple, easy-to-move-in clothes. She even liked sporty shorts. So, after that ball, the gown had been left to gather dust.

One must admit that Agravain had an excellent memory. He remembered even the outfits Mordred had only worn once.

"Th-Th-This is..."

Seeing the former king dressed in such feminine attire, Agravain's mind descended into chaos and murmured, "A father and son... No wonder His Majesty doesn't want to marry. Is he interested in his own father... or interested in the same sex...? But, that..."

Not knowing what Agravain was murmuring, Artoria felt a bit shy and lowered her head.

Meanwhile, Artorius, who had clearly heard the murmurs, suddenly felt the urge to give Agravain a good beating. Despite this, he managed to control his urge and instead, smiled pleasantly as he casually introduced Artoria to Agravain.

"You've got it wrong, Sir Agravain. She is not my father."

"She? Not...?"

Agravain fell silent for a few seconds.

"Then... is she Mordred?" His expression was quite peculiar. "No, definitely not Mordred. Their auras are completely different."

Despite having been educated in various ways by his big brother for a long time, Mordred still lacked much femininity and remained a bit of a tomboyish fool. On the other hand, the girl standing by Artorius now exuded a gentle aura, much like a lily flower. There was no way Agravain could mistake her gender.

"Stop guessing." Artorius smiled. "This is Artoria Pendragon. She's a recent talent who came to join the empire."

"But..."

'She just looks too much like King Arthur.'

Agravain couldn't help but think that.

That appearance was practically identical to the former king's.

"It's Morgan."

Artorius's expression turned serious. "Artoria Pendragon is also Morgan's 'child', just like Mordred. She just hadn't met with us until recently."

"I see..." After learning that she was Morgan's, Agravain seemed to understand suddenly and didn't find it strange. On the contrary, it all made sense...

Watching this reaction, Artorius couldn't help but continue his thoughts, 'Why is Morgan so good at picking up people's hatred? This Pendragon family is so messed up.'

On the surface, Artorius maintained a calm demeanor. "Artoria Pendragon is a good kid, and I'm satisfied with her capabilities. Let her stay by my side from now on."

"...Yes."

Upon hearing Artorius's decision, Agravain hesitated to speak. He had a feeling that His Majesty had an unusual interest in women from the Pendragon. It was true for Morgan, it was true for Mordred, and it seemed to be the same for this newly emerged Artoria Pendragon.

"Now, let's discuss state affairs, Sir Agravain."

Next was the time to deal with official business.

Before breakfast, Agravain delved into a series of imperial issues and government affairs with Artorius.

With insights spanning thousands of years and a modern bureaucratic government that required a considerable number of competent officials, Agravain felt both fascinated and uneasy.

Even if the empire promoted education and knowledge, it would be challenging to quickly gather enough qualified talents.

Moreover, how could they ensure the loyalty, diligence, integrity, and efficiency of these officials in a short time?

All things were filled with uncertainty, and even Agravain found it incredibly challenging. Until Artorius spoke these words:

"Sir Agravain, just look at Artoria and you will find the answer..."

"..."

"Artoria, does she perhaps possess administrative talent? No, Your Majesty didn't mean that. Could it be..."

"Yes..." Artorius said, a smirk forming on his lips as he observed Agravain's surprised expression. "Concerning this matter, Lady Morgan might be able to be of assistance."

"Perhaps so, Your Majesty."

Artorius's meaning was clear—he wanted Morgan to provide the necessary technology to mass-produce exceptionally skilled, loyal, and diligent homunculus, forming an imperial bureaucratic system.

It was indeed a viable approach.

With this method, Artorius could realize his desires in the shortest possible time.

The only problem was one—not ethical or moral issues; Agravain couldn't care less about that. Despite being an artificial being himself, he instinctively disapproved of the concept of creating homunculus. However, his responsibility and loyalty to the empire outweighed any ethical concerns, allowing him to ignore such dilemmas.

His worry still resided with the old issue—Morgan le Fay herself.

"I'll talk to Morgan..." Artorius said. "And besides, there must be more than just Morgan who possesses this technology, don't you think so?"

"Indeed."

Agravain nodded. Envisioning the future, a magnificent Empire of British Romans, surpassing the long-gone Roman glory in its countless efficiencies, constructing a transcendent empire across the ages—he couldn't help but daydream. His gaze towards Artorius became even more fervent.

Every time he discussed matters with Artorius, hearing his various ingenious ideas, Agravain felt a fanatical and proud sense of—"Ah, this is the monarch I shall serve for life."

Their discussion continued until eight in the morning, after which they both appeared in the breakfast hall.

There, just like Agravain, the imperial officials who arrived one after another were astonished, flustered, and even mentally perplexed by Artoria's presence.

It wasn't until Artorius formally introduced Artoria and 'King Arthur' appeared that they finally realized. They seemed to have understood everything completely.

In this manner, Artoria quickly integrated herself into the imperial family. She established good relationships with the Knights of the Round Table, Emperor Artorius the First, and the former king, Arthur.

"You are like another daughter to me." 'Arthur' said to Artoria in a gentle tone.

Hearing these words from someone who resembled her so closely made Artoria feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Especially since she knew the true identity of this 'Arthur' was just a flesh puppet created by Artorius using his Third Magic. The 'another daughter' that 'Arthur' referred to was clearly Mordred.

Artoria felt uneasy about Artorius's twisted method of creating 'flesh puppets' through the Third Magic and referring to Mordred as her own daughter. Because of these thoughts, she even ate much less breakfast, barely finishing a few bowls.

Although Artorius whispered to her—"Don't show any flaws."

She couldn't help but sneak glances, acting suspiciously.

After all, she wasn't the kind of actor like Artorius. She couldn't seamlessly play two roles like a split personality, engaging in self-conversations.