Puberty

Artorius wore a cheerful smile while admiring the transformation of the '15-year-old girl' into a mature beauty who was probably around 16 or 17 years old at the moment. At the same time, Artoria, driven by her subconscious desire for more alcohol, reached for the bottle herself before he could pour her another drink.

However, Artorius stopped her, saying, "Alright, Father, no more drinking."

He persuaded Artoria, who reluctantly listened. Even though she initially wanted to drink more, she eventually let go, appearing somewhat dejected.

"What's bothering you, Father?" asked Artorius.

"Umm... well..."

After hesitating for a moment, Artoria finally spoke.

Under the influence of alcohol, she had become a little bolder. Otherwise, she might have run away by now.

"My body has been feeling a bit strange lately."

She looked at Artorius and continued, "I've grown taller, and my chest and hips feel weird, very uncomfortable. It's like my body doesn't feel like mine anymore. But when I went for a check-up, both the doctors and mages said I was perfectly healthy, with no issues at all. It makes me feel uneasy..."

Artoria's tone conveyed her fear. Artorius knew that it was because she lacked sufficient knowledge about physiology or just didn't think about it at the moment.

"It seems like you're going through puberty." Artorius didn't hide the truth and directly shared his speculation with Artoria, making her even more anxious.

"So, you mean I'll grow to have a figure like Morgan's in the future?!"

"If everything goes well, I suppose that might happen." Artorius nodded.

"..."

Silence followed Artoria's question, and she seemed visibly disappointed.

"If that happens, I won't be able to stay by Artorius's side anymore."

She murmured with this logic in mind.

Artoria was currently known as Arthur Pendragon and was male.

If her body continued to maintain its appearance at fifteen, undeveloped, she would still resemble a beautiful youth. Dressed in male attire, one could hardly tell the difference between her as the world's second-most attractive youth after Artorius.

However, now that she lacked Excalibur and Avalon, she couldn't maintain this appearance.

Thus, her true gender would be revealed.

Despite Artorius having established significant prestige, for a newly formed country, this could be a considerable shock and potentially a trouble.

Artoria didn't want to hold Artorius back. Though she felt reluctant, she steeled herself and prepared to leave him to avoid causing any trouble.

'She's much better than Morgan; she really cares for people...'

Artorius understood her thought, letting out a sigh. Then, he found it amusing.

"Are you troubled because of this? Actually, there's no need to worry too much. This matter can be resolved." Artorius said with a smile.

"Can be resolved?! Is that true?!" Upon hearing Artorius say this, Artoria became instantly happy.

However, her joy didn't last long.

"Artorius, are you... going to give me Excalibur or Avalon back? No, you can't!" She thought of a possibility, "You are the Emperor of the Empire, Excalibur is the symbol of a ruler and Avalon is the key to your safety. They must not be given to anyone!"

She appeared serious and sincere, as if ready to firmly reject any suggestion from Artorius.

"That is one option." Artorius smiled, "But don't worry too much, Father. Let me explain the plan first."

"Alright..." Artoria calmed down and listened as Artorius laid out his plan. Afterward, she seemed both happy and puzzled, saying, "This... sounds like a good idea... but can it really work?"

"Of course." Artorius confidently replied, "This plan is feasible. But, it will require some effort on your part, Father."

"That's not a problem at all!" Artoria decisively spoke, "As long as I can continue to stay by your side, a little trouble is nothing!"

After hearing her say that, Artorius was silent for a few seconds, looking at Artoria seriously. He confirmed that she wasn't confessing her feelings or saying something with hidden meaning; she was merely expressing her honest opinion. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief, while also blaming Morgan in his mind.

That woman was clearly a lousy degenerate, always had a sharp tongue and said whatever she wanted. Even after being reprimanded, she never learned her lesson. Always saying nonsense to everything, making Artorius view everything with a biased eye.

So, the next day arrived.

At three in the morning, a refreshed Artorius was diligently working in his office.

With an infinite supply of magical energy, he no longer needed the inefficient method of resting to recover his spirit. He could work tirelessly and concentrate on multiple tasks at once. Using magecraft to manipulate his quill, he flawlessly reviewed more than twenty documents. He even managed to find a moment to indulge Morgan or Mordred under his desk, all while efficiently attending to official matters.

However, though he could manage this, the same couldn't be said for the imperial chancellor.

"Come in."

After Artorius called out, Agravain, who had been officially appointed as the imperial chancellor, entered. Just by looking at his ethereal appearance, one could tell how well his spirit was.

The Empire now controlled all of Gaul and the majority of Germania. Their military strength was already formidable enough, and it was time to focus on civil management.

Receiving those cities, managing the treasury, restoring production in rural areas and farmlands, settling the hundreds of thousands of Germanic peoples, constructing new villages and towns, developing fields, laying roads, and building bridges.

There were countless tasks.

While Artorius could simultaneously handle twenty documents, the specific executions and actions required someone to organize them.

Furthermore, Artorius intended to reform the government, transforming the originally crude and rudimentary Roman administrative system into a modern civil service government. He also wanted to promote new laws, new tax systems, advanced farming techniques, animal husbandry, fishing techniques, new engineering, blacksmithing, and water management facilities, all of which constituted a massive project.

The only civil officials among the Knights of the Round Table were Agravain and Bedivere. If they didn't take on these responsibilities, who else could?

Fortunately, the infinite magical energy had its benefits, not only extending Artorius's life but also prolonging the lives of his subordinates.

Agravain and Bedivere still had a long way to go; they wouldn't retire until they were at least 80 years old.

But that wasn't the topic of discussion now. It was something else entirely.

"..."

"King Arthur?! Why are you wearing Mordred's clothes and using women's belongings?!"

Agravain exclaimed when looked at Artoria beside Artorius, completely dumbfounded.

===

Author's Note:

Just in case anyone is wondering why Artoria wasn't surprised when Artorius looked calm and also knew her true gender, it's because when she revealed the origin and truth of his birth, she also disclosed her own.