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Shirou felt disheartened as Merlin claimed there was no way to go back to his world. He suspected that Merlin might be hiding something from him. However, Shirou couldn't find any clues to return home from Merlin.

Adding to his distress, Kay tricked Shirou into doing the estate's accounts.

"I've completed the calculations. The balance for this month is 10,323 semis," Shirou declared, setting his pen down and meeting Kay's gaze.

Kay's jaw dropped in astonishment. "That was fast! It takes three days and three servants to complete the monthly balance of the estate."

"Don't you need to verify it?"

Kay shook his head, "No need. I believe in you."

He smiled, recalling the recruitment skills taught by his father, Ector. But Shirou was not as moved as Kay had expected and simply nodded. This made Kay feel frustrated, causing him to doubt the recruitment skills taught by his father.

Kay soon regained his self-motivation, telling himself that the harder it was to recruit someone, the more talented they were. He was determined to persevere for the sake of his younger sister.

Shirou watched as Kay transformed from feeling disheartened to becoming invigorated as if he had taken a stimulant. It left Shirou bewildered. He couldn't help but wonder when Kay became so eccentric.

Moreover, Kay's gaze was fixed on him, which made Shirou feel uncomfortable and creeped out. His body shuddered with goosebumps.

Finally, he decided it would be better to keep his distance from Kay for a while.

Little did Shirou know that as soon as he distanced himself from Kay, Kay cheerfully approached him. Despite his helpless protest, Kay refused to leave him alone.

"What's on your mind, Kay? Just spit it out."

Kay waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, nothing, nothing at all."

Shirou distanced himself even more, but Kay stuck to him like a piece of gum.

"What's going on?" he asked, feeling annoyed.

Kay rubbed his hands together eagerly and asked, "Guinevere, have you ever considered being an official?"

"No, I'm not interested," he replied bluntly.

"Why not?" Kay asked, puzzled. "As a domestic official, you could get close to the king, become a knight, and receive countless honors! You would have beautiful women vying for your attention, and the people would admire you as well!"

Shirou shook his head, "I'm just not interested,"

He couldn't envision himself living in a land that was plagued by chaos, with poor entertainment facilities and savage people. But most importantly, this place wasn't his home.

As Shirou left, Kay watched him go, his expression puzzled. He couldn't believe that someone could reject such a tempting offer. Money and women could be refused, but the admiration and glory of the people were things that any knight could not resist. Yet that guy had refused so decisively.

"No, this won't do! His way of thinking is problematic, and it needs to be corrected before I have a chance to recruit him," thought Kay. And with that, he followed Shirou once again.

During lunchtime, Shirou got his porridge and sat in a relatively secluded place to eat.

A moment later, Kay sat down with his porridge in front of Shirou and began talking about the glory of being a knight. But Shirou rolled his eyes and ignored him, focusing on his own meal instead.

It was then that Artoria finished her sword training and sat down with her food. After hesitating for a moment, she pushed a piece of bread in front of Shirou.

"What are you doing, Artoria?" Shirou was shocked.

Kay was stunned, his jaw practically hitting the floor. Artoria was notorious for guarding her food with more ferocity than a lion, yet she had just given Shirou a piece of her bread!

Artoria looked at Shirou with her serious blue eyes and said, "Guinevere, could you teach me what you spoke to Merlin about regarding the wisdom of a king yesterday?"

Kay was surprised, "What wisdom of the king?"

She then went on to explain what had happened in her dream last night to Kay.

Kay's gaze at Shirou suddenly became even brighter, making Shirou feel nauseous.

"Please tell me the wisdom of the king you discussed with Merlin yesterday!" she said.

Shirou hesitated for a moment before responding. "It's not exactly the wisdom of a king, it's more about recognizing and correcting one's mistakes."

"Recognizing and correcting one's mistakes?" she echoed.

He could only nod helplessly. To him, knowing and doing were inseparable, and theory and practice had to complement each other. He believed that investigation and inquiry were the keys to acquiring knowledge and that practical experience led to a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the world. By explaining his thoughts in this way, he hoped to convey the essence of his beliefs.

"It means that if a theoretical guideline leads to a mistake in practice, it needs to be corrected to align with the actual situation. Theory and practice must work together seamlessly in order to achieve the best possible outcome."

"I see... recognizing and correcting one's mistakes, recognizing and correcting one's mistakes," she repeated a few times, nodding seriously. "I got it!"

Lunch break was over, and Shirou needed to buy some seeds in town.

"Neigh, neigh, neigh~!" The sound of horses' hooves echoed in his ears as he walked. Shirou noticed that there were more knights in town than before.

It was no surprise; the day of selection was getting closer. These knights came to the town not only to swear loyalty to the new king but also to try to pull the sword from the stone and claim the throne for themselves!

Shirou had no interest in these matters, so he bought the seeds he needed and prepared to return to the estate.

"That knight, wait a minute," someone called out.

Shirou paused, turning his head in confusion to see a middle-aged knight with white hair calling out to him.

"Are you calling me?" Shirou asked, pointing to himself.

The middle-aged knight nodded with a smile.

Shirou walked over and said, "I'm sorry, I'm not a knight."

"Sir Ector is an excellent knight mentor. Since you came out of Sir Ector's estate, aren't you his apprentice?" The middle-aged knight smiled and then handed a bag of seeds to Shirou, saying, "You dropped this."

"Thank you, sir," Shirou responded, accepting the bag of seeds and expressing his gratitude. He then asked, "Do you happen to know Sir Ector?"

"We've had some dealings in the past," the middle-aged knight replied with a smile. "By the way, I saw your arithmetic the other day. It was very impressive. You won't find many people in all of Britain who is as proficient in arithmetic as you are."

Shirou gave an awkward smile and quickly replied, "Oh, it was really nothing!"

"You have such impressive skills and yet remain so modest. You would make a fine knight," the middle-aged knight praised. "Have you ever considered working as a steward?"

"No," Shirou shook his head without hesitation, wondering why so many people had been asking him if he wanted to be an official lately.

"That's a shame," the middle-aged knight looked regretful.

Just as Shirou was about to speak, a frown creased his features, his attention drawn elsewhere. He sensed that someone was watching him, a feeling that had grown familiar to him since his transmigration.

During the Fourth Holy Grail War, even before merging with the Saint Graph, he could sense Gilgamesh's gaze. And now, that same sensation returned.

The middle-aged knight seemed to have sensed it too, his face stiffening as he patted Shirou's shoulder. "Good knight. I have to go now. Oh, by the way, it's better to buy more seeds, plant enough crops, and store them. In the future, this land might not be able to grow any crops."

Shirou watched the knight depart, feeling lost and uncertain. As the prying gaze lingered on him, he shook his head and turned to leave.

Not far away, on the street, a woman frowned.

"Mother, what's wrong?" asked the handsome young man.

"I think I saw Vortigern," the woman replied.

"What? His army is still being held back by the northern kings! How dare he come here alone?" the young man exclaimed, his face contorted with anger.

"Maybe I was mistaken," the woman murmured, her voice tinged with uncertainty. She then turned her attention to the young man in front of her and said, "Gawain, you must pull the Sword in the Stone out!"

"Mother, that is something that is determined by fate, not by me," Gawain protested, a helpless expression crossing his face.

"You possess the radiance of the sun within you. You can do it!" Morgan le Fay insisted.

"I can only promise to do my best, Mother," Gawain said, his resolve firm.

Morgan le Fay nodded, her expression showing her satisfaction.

...

Once Shirou had turned in the bag of seeds to the warehouse, Kay approached him with a smile that he found disgusting. He couldn't help but feel exasperated by Kay's incessant chatter about the virtues of knights and the perks of being an official. This was the first time in a long while that he had experienced an urge to physically harm someone and turn them into a pig's head, a feeling that he had not experienced since his encounter with All the World's Evils.

Fortunately, Kay had run away before Shirou lost his temper and lashed out at him physically. However, Shirou had made up his mind that if Kay ever used that disgusting smile again and stared at him with those creepy eyes, he would let him have it with his shoes until his butt bloomed! It wasn't like Shirou didn't have a temper.

As night enveloped the land, Shirou settled onto his hard bed, preparing to drift off into sleep. However, just as he had succumbed to slumber, he was abruptly yanked into the familiar realm of dreams.

Unlike before, however, it wasn't Shirou who had requested entry into this world - Merlin had forcibly pulled him in without any warning.

Shirou had barely registered his surprise when Merlin and Artoria appeared before him, charging at him with fierce expression. He felt a lump form in his throat as he faced the intense expression on Merlin's face as if someone had destroyed his most prized masterpiece.

"What do you want, Merlin?" Shirou asked hesitantly.

"Stop wasting time! I lost yesterday, but being a king isn't just about talking! Today, I'm going to play with you for real!" Merlin declared with a scowl.

"Play...play what?" Shirou asked, puzzled.

Merlin lifted his staff, and in an instant, the entire dream world changed. Shirou found himself standing in a grand castle, adorned in gold and silver, with a crown on his head and many people kneeling in front of him.

Merlin's voice cut through the silence. "If I understand your beliefs correctly, you contend that action and thought are inextricably linked. I wish to test this belief through a game. Let us play as kings! Our game board shall be a map of Britain, divided by the River Trent. I shall take command of the north, while you handle the south. The terrain, population, and resources shall all reflect reality. Allow me to tell you, I am a seasoned statesman and military strategist. My reputation as a wise man is not merely for show. I shall craft a 'king' who embodies the true essence of the 'ideal king'."

Shirou let out a sigh. "Do we really need to do this?"

But before they could continue their conversation, a soldier burst into the court, interrupting them. "Your Majesty, we have an intruder!"

...

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