C121

Sir Ector frowned and turned to Kay. "Is it true that Guinevere pulled out the sword from the stone, and Artoria wishes to honor him as her king?"

Kay confirmed with a nod. "Yes, that's true."

Sir Ector rose from his seat with a solemn expression and slapped the armrest. "Nonsense!"

Kay furrowed his brow in response to Sir Ector's outburst and attempted to clarify the situation. "Actually, he's just serving as a proxy king for now. The throne will be returned to Artoria later,"

"Can the throne be passed around like that? And what does Merlin think about this arrangement?"

Kay appeared helpless and responded, "Merlin was the one who suggested this proposal."

Sir Ector's expression revealed his confusion. After a moment of silence, he asked, "What does Merlin want to accomplish with this arrangement?"

Kay shrugged and showed a look of helplessness. "What that white rat wants to accomplish, how would I know,"

Sir Ector began to pace back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back. "This is going to be a problem... This is going to be a problem... If this arrangement is exposed, the kingdom will face grave trouble." he muttered anxiously.

Trying to ease his father's concern, Kay chimed in. "Actually, it's not as big of a deal as it may seem. Merlin intends to have Guinevere use the name Arthur and keep his true identity a secret. Besides, only you and I are aware of Arthur's real identity. No one else knows."

Sir Ector expressed his doubt. "But will Guinevere agree to use the name Arthur? You know that name represents one's honor. Why would he..." Before he could finish his sentence, Kay interjected, "He has agreed to it, and is very willing to do so."

Sir Ector was once again taken aback by this news. After a moment of silence, he couldn't help but ask, "Why would Guinevere agree to this?"

Kay answered honestly, "He made a deal with Merlin. As someone from Avalon, Guinevere has no way to return home. Merlin promised him that if he assumed the name of Arthur and led Britain to defeat Vortigern, he would show him the way back to Avalon."

Sir Ector raised a valid point. "But Merlin has never been to Avalon. How could he possibly know how to guide Guinevere back?"

Kay shook his head and replied, "I don't know. I'm not that white rat." His tone carried a hint of ridicule towards Merlin.

Sir Ector frowned and continued to pace back and forth. After a moment, he looked directly at Kay and asked calmly, "And what about you? What is your opinion on this matter?"

Kay furrowed his brow in thought and then responded with a contradictory answer. "For me, it's both accepting and unacceptable, both relieved and conflicted... It's this kind of contradictory emotion," he explained.

Sir Ector fell silent and sank back into his chair, tapping his index finger on the armrest.

"Tap, tap."

After a heavy sigh, he muttered, "What a troublesome autumn! Vortigern just gained control of Rhongomyniad not long ago, and now the Sword in the Stone has created this mess..." Sir Ector's voice gradually grew quieter as he spoke.

Kay raised an eyebrow. "Huh, Rhongo... what?"

Sir Ector shook his head and dismissed Kay's inquiry. "No, it's nothing, Since Merlin is behind this, he must have a plan. By the way, what is Artoria doing now?"

Kay replied nonchalantly, "Wearing a female outfit."

"What?!" Sir Ector was stunned.

...

In Sir Ector's estate, Shirou circled around Artoria, causing her distress and shyness.

"Please...don't look at me like that. It's making me very uncomfortable, my king."

Shirou came to a sudden halt, his eyes locking onto Artoria's figure. She stood before him, draped in a pristine white gown that flowed effortlessly around her lithe form.

Like a lily in full bloom, she emanated an air of purity and grace. Her hands were adorned with soft white gloves, adding a touch of elegance to her already angelic presence.

As Shirou gazed upon her, he couldn't help but notice the way her golden locks cascaded down her back in waves, tied up into a sweet bow with a sleek black ribbon. Artoria's delicate features were framed by a loose strand of hair, adding to her effortless beauty.

For a moment, their eyes locked, and Shirou felt his heart skip a beat. As he continued to study her, he noticed the once-serious expression on her face give way to a shy blush, adding a touch of warmth to her already captivating persona.

Artoria exuded a radiant beauty that was akin to that of a lily in full bloom. In that moment, she could be called Artoria Lily!

However, Shirou wasn't paying attention to this. Instead, his focus was on the black stockings on her slender legs, which were visible under the white dress. The fact that stockings existed in this era was novel and intriguing to him.

"Artie, where did you get those stockings?" Shirou asked.

Artoria's voice quivered, "Y-You're not suggesting I take off my stockings, are you? Please don't give me such a command. I want to keep some of my masculine traits, my king! I'm already feeling very uncomfortable!"

"Masculine traits?" he repeated, suddenly remembering that stockings were originally worn by men. He was surprised to see them being worn in this era, given that they were created in the 16th century. As expected of Nasuverse.

Upon seeing Artoria burying herself in shame, he quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask you to take off your stockings."

"N-No, you shouldn't apologize. I'm the one who should be apologizing," she said, feeling ashamed and embarrassed. "As a knight, I should have been able to carry out the king's command, especially when it's for the sake of the knights... I'm just too incompetent as your knight. I'm still an immature apprentice."

Just as Shirou was about to say something, Merlin, who was standing nearby, chuckled and said, "That's right, Lily. There's still so much for you to learn as a knight, and the road ahead is long."

"L-Lily? Merlin, please don't call me that. It's embarrassing,"

Merlin smiled and said, "But the king has already commanded you to return to your female body, hasn't he?"

"I..." Artoria's head drooped down as she looked a little downcast.

Having been raised as a male for fifteen years, she didn't know what emotions she was experiencing after being asked by Shirou to return to her female persona. However, the discomfort she felt was real.

Observing Artoria's low mood, Shirou didn't try to console her. Instead, he pulled Merlin by the shoulder and dragged him to a corner, whispering, "Merlin, let me ask you one last time. You're not playing me, are you?"

"Why do you always think I'm playing you?" Merlin asked in confusion. "Am I the type of person to do that?"

"Because you don't come across as a trustworthy person."

Merlin: "..."

"Ah, come on! Everyone else believes me. Why don't you believe me?" Merlin asked, looking puzzled.

Shirou thought to himself, 'Because I know you're a scammer, just like those on the internet!'

"You have to trust me! After defeating Vortigern, you will definitely find a way to go back," Merlin said with a serious expression.

"You'd better not have lied to me, or I might lose my temper and become consumed by rage," Shirou replied with equal seriousness. "I haven't lost my temper yet, so I don't even know what I'll do when I do. You better brace yourself for the consequences."

"Stop worrying about that and focus on defeating Vortigern."

"I don't need to think about that at all," Shirou replied. "As long as it's standing in my way to get back home, whether it's a white dragon or a god, I'll do whatever it takes to kill it."

Merlin broke out in a cold sweat and forced a laugh. "Wow... you have great spirit."

"Guinevere!" Kay suddenly burst in, looking flustered.

Shirou turned his head and looked at him, surprised. "What's wrong, Kay? You look flustered."

"My dad told me to keep an eye on you and not let you go out,"

"Why?" he frowned, feeling puzzled.

"The knights have surrounded this place!" Kay said helplessly, his expression grim.

"What are they trying to achieve by surrounding this place?"

Artoria interjected before Kay could answer. "Those knights are probably displeased with my king for pulling the sword."

Shirou turned his head and looked at Artoria in surprise.

She asked in confusion, "W-What's wrong, my king? Did I say something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong. It's just a bit strange to hear that from you,"

"Why is that?" her slender eyebrows furrowed, somewhat displeased. "My king, even though I may be foolish and only an inexperienced apprentice knight, I'm not stupid. People can harbor malicious intentions, including knights who seek glory. You pulling the sword out of the stone disrupted their plans for ruling, so it's only natural that they would hold a grudge against you. You have to be careful."

---The insult to the knights ends here!

Shirou's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the memory of Saber's reprimand during the Fourth Holy Grail War. As he looked at Artoria, who was now warning him to beware of the knights, he couldn't help but feel a sharp contrast between the two.

He couldn't help but wonder what had turned the clumsy but not foolish girl in front of him into the King of Knights who pursued glory.

But he knew that now was not the time to dwell on it. He turned to the group and said, "Let's go! We'll go out and see what those knights are up to!"

...

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