Ch. 72 Caliburn

( Artoria Pov )

It's been 4 years since the bandit ambush, and we continued to work as squires and since we're not qualified to join the jousting matches we wanted to watch the matches and see the sword

And now me, Yuto, Merlin and Kay, were in front of the gate guards leading into the city.

Merlin:" And right here is my son, my apprentice, and their friend. "

Merlin was talking to the guards as he put a hand on Yuto's head, which made Yuto frown in annoyance.

Guard:" It's alright, Merlin. After all, you're the kings advisor. I'm sure you don't need any identification to enter."

Merlin:" Oh? I guess you're right."

After aging that Merlin looked at Yuto, which caused him to be more irritated.

As we passed the gates, Yuto slapped Merlins hands off of his head.

Yuto:" Do you really have to do that every time we enter a city?"

Merlin:"Isn't it the truth, though?"

Yuto:" Us both having white hair doesn't make us related."

Merlin:" Of course it does!!"

Kay:" Can we just go to the jousting match now."

Merlin:" Sigh, fine, you guys aren't fun."

Yuto:" Wait, you said jousting match?" Yuto looked towards Kay.

Kay:" Yeah, you didn't know? apparently, nobody was able to pull the sword. So they're having a jousting match instead."

Yuto:" Hmm, is that so? hey, Artoria wanna go to the sword and see if we could pull it out?"

I looked towards Yuto.

" I told you last night about wanting to go. You accepted, remember?"

Yuto:"Did I?"

Merlin:" Yup!"

Yuto:" You knew? what are you a stalker? Gross keep away from me, you degenerate."

Merlin:" Hey! I'm not a degenerate." He spoke with confidence but was ruined by what he spoke next.

Merlin:" I am a noble degenerate."

Yuto scoffed.

Yuto:" A degenerate none the less. Come on, let's go see the jousting match."

Merlin:" Oh! I got something to do. I'll see you guys around!"

Kay:" Where do you think he's going?"

Yuto:" Probably to peek in the woman's bathroom." Yuto shrugged.

I remembered the time Yuto and I found Merlin peeking at a women's bath, and we got caught, whichever caused us to run away from the guards.

As Merlim walked off, the three of us went to the jousting match. Kay was pretty interested in the matches, but Yuto seemed like he had something on his mind, so I asked.

" Is there something wrong, Yuto?"

Yuto:" Hmm? I was just thinking about that sword."

" Do you want to check it out?"

Yuto:" Hmmm. Eh, sure, why not."

Getting up, Yuto turned to Kay

Yuto:" Oi, we're going to check out the sword, you in?"

Kay:" Ssh, quite they're announcing the next match!"

Yuto:" Sure, sure, come on, Artoria, let's leave this loser behind."

Nodding, we both walked to the sword that was stuck on a rock.

Seeing the sword, I was ready to pull it without hesitation. But before I could, Merlin appeared before me.

Yuto:" And he strikes again." Ignoring Yuto in the background, I saw Merlin speak with a serious face.

Merlin:" Are you sure you want to pull out that sword? If you pull that sword, you will become king. Becoming king will no longer make you "human." You'll be fated to die in a miserable death.

Merlin showed me a vision. The first was being a normal girl, I saw Yuto as well, seeing the both of us in a small cottage with a small garden. We both looked happy. Away from the kingdom without worry.

The second option was becoming king, dying on the battlefield alone, but seeing the smile on everyone's face, I thought it would be worth it until I saw Yuto with an unknown woman in the same cottage we had in the first vision.

At that moment, I hated myself for hesitating, for almost losing my resolve, hating the fact that I knew I fell in love with Yuto. That it pains me to see him with someone else other than me.

Then I remembered that night in the knights dorm room. The third option. To go with Yuto to travel the world and take missions as well as help people along the way as we enjoyed each other's company, I could already imagine it.

Before I could get lost in those thoughts, Yuto spoke up. He walked in front of me, standing next to Merlin.

Yuto:" Whatever you choose, Artoria, just know I'll be with every step of the way." He smiled gently.

' Right as long as I have you, Yuto, I know everything would be fine, so please don't look at me like that.'

I could see the sadness mixed with pity in his eyes as I drew Caliburn.

Merlin:" Congratulations, you're now the rightful king to the throne, but remember, in exchange for this miracle, you'll lose the most important to you." He spoke before he left once again.

' Most important?' I thought as I looked at Yuto.

( Yuto Pov )

' So she pulled it out, huh? I was kinda hoping she wouldn't. Sigh, all I could do is support her from now on.'

' Merlin, the more you mess with Fate, the more it's going to bite you in the ass in the future. I thought as I used [EYES OF FATE]

[ Eyes of Fate]

( Description: Able to see fate strings that are connected to people and to objects)

I got this from the gacha. An example would be Merlin had a sting of fate connected to Artoria. And was wrapped in fate strings.

Another example would be a rock. If I moved it to the point, it broke from its string to a person who was about to kick it. He wouldn't win a lottery that day. But if I left it, he would kick it, and later that day would win the lottery.

I've already experimented with these eyes, and the only drawback is that I can't tell the strings I mess with are going to be good or bad, I only messed with them when I have no choice and rely on luck.

There were two strings that were attached to me. A string that stretched far to the point, I can't see the end of it. From the direction, it stretched from it Ireland.

The second one led me to a book I found hidden in a library underneath a city.

The book was about the land of shadows and how to get across. All I needed to do was wait until the land of shadow and the living world were to come close and weaken the barrier between them by making a hole in them.

This is where my space manipulation came in as I've trained it as much as I could. And my stat limit increased as well. But I knew it would go back down once I was finished with this world, and I had to reverse my aging back to 10 years old.

As I was thinking about all of this with Parallel Thoughts, I was speaking to Artoria.

" Congrats, Artoria. Let's send Sir Ector a letter of this news."

Walking away, I noticed Artoria wasn't moving.

" What's wrong, Artoria?"

Artoria:" Do you think I made the right choice?"

" Doubting now already?"

I walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder and looked down to her eyes I spoke.

" You're my friend Artoria, and no matter what happens in our journey, I'm sure we'll get through it together."

Artoria:" Friends, huh? I guess you're right, Yuto."

She smiled, and I smiled with her. We both walked back to get Kay since the jousting match was nothing but a moot point now, since Artoria pulled Caliburn.