For a moment, the atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze to absolute zero.
Artoria, who standing off to the side, showed no change in expression from beginning to end.
Only a faint chill flickered within her beautiful eyes.
Alvin kept his face calm… though he looked steady on the surface, inside he was panicking like crazy.
Why?!
His heart felt like it was screaming.
He had considered the possibility that Artoria might notice Morgan's presence, but he never expected her to detect something so quickly.
To be fair, the White Dragon and the Red Dragon should have very similar sensory abilities.
The reason Alvin hadn't sensed Morgan earlier was partly because he wasn't on guard, and partly due to the potion Morgan took, and the magical barrier inside this royal bedchamber.
But Artoria was inside her own chamber, so naturally she wasn't affected by the barrier's concealment… which was probably why she immediately picked up Morgan's presence.
"Sister… there aren't any guards nearby right now, but if I call them in to search the room later… if they find you hiding under the bed, even you might feel embarrassed, don't you think?"
Just as Alvin was still frantically thinking about how to handle this, Artoria's voice echoed in the chamber again.
The air seemed to pause for a split second.
Then, a very soft sound reached their ears.
"You've improved quite a bit, Lily."
Along with that came a woman's clear, cold, melodious voice, with a faint trace of genuine admiration.
As the words fell, a slender figure silently materialized inside the room.
Morgan, smiling with narrowed eyes, looked over her younger sister.
Moments later, she chuckled and said,
"If this were before, you probably would still be completely unaware, right?"
In the past, when she and Alvin were indulging in their little taboo games, similar situations had happened before, and every time, Morgan easily dissolved the crisis and hid her presence flawlessly.
But this time was clearly different.
"Sister, sneaking into the royal bedchamber so late at night… is there something urgent? If someone in the palace saw you like this, it wouldn't look very good, would it?"
What surprised Alvin was that Artoria didn't get angry this time.
Her tone remained unnervingly calm and composed.
Her words actually gave Morgan an easy way out...if Morgan slipped away quietly now, tonight's incident could be treated as if nothing happened.
But obviously, if she were the kind of person to retreat that easily, she wouldn't be Morgan le Fay.
Even after being caught "red-handed" by her own sister, Morgan didn't show a hint of panic.
She simply walked to the window table, poured herself a glass of water, and took a sip.
She turned to Artoria and said softly, "I heard about what happened during your Round Table meeting today."
Artoria froze for a moment. Then, she whispered to herself, "So it was Mordred who told you?"
Mordred had been present during today's meeting.
If Morgan knew about it, the most likely source indeed had to be her.
In fact, Morgan's "children" weren't limited to Mordred.
Gareth was one of them too… but compared to Mordred, Gareth was practically an angel, so Artoria didn't even consider her as a suspect.
Seeing Morgan remain silent, Artoria's eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous sliver of coldness flashing within them.
Alvin observed her reaction clearly, and silently gave Mordred a thirty-second moment of silence in his heart.
"So? Sister coming to my chamber this late at night… is it about the Round Table meeting? You're not usually interested in the politics of Britain."
Artoria continued.
Morgan asked calmly, "Have you decided who will be sent to the border?"
Artoria frowned.
She had originally been about to scold Morgan for sneaking into her chamber in the middle of the night to steal her man, but those words froze halfway in her throat.
"Alvin?"
Morgan asked with a faint smile.
"Because he's the White Dragon, one of Britain's key forces… so you think sending him is the most reasonable choice?"
"I have never thought that. I didn't decide to send him to the border…"
Artoria almost blurted out her answer.
She knew very well how dangerous the border, or rather, Attila, truly was, especially if that being really was something from beyond the stars.
Even being the White Dragon didn't guarantee safety.
"I already guessed it. Ordering Alvin to go to such a dangerous place… that's not something you would do. After all, you're a very gentle king, completely unlike what outsiders say, that you 'don't understand people.'"
Morgan lazily examined her younger sister.
A few strands of her golden hair slipped from her forehead and brushed against her pale, delicate cheek.
Those emerald-green eyes reflected Artoria's figure.
"But for a king, being too gentle really isn't a good thing."
Her tone remained soft and casual as she continued, "Someone has to go to the border eventually. But after the Round Table meeting, you didn't assign anyone. And when Alvin hears that, he'll definitely volunteer himself."
"If this were the past, I'd probably say your indecision is going to get him killed someday."
Something about this atmosphere felt strangely wrong…
Alvin listened to the sisters talk and couldn't shake a subtle but very weird feeling.
In the old days, if Artoria caught Morgan secretly slipping into her bedchamber, she would've drawn Excalibur without saying a word.
But now… they were having a calm conversation?
In the same room?
Morgan's clear, cold eyes focused gently on her sister as she continued, "I told Alvin earlier, the border investigation can be handled by Mordred using my newest concealment potion."
"Or… I have another proposal."
Hearing her words, Artoria's expression shifted slightly.
She looked at her sister with genuine surprise, as if she never imagined Morgan would offer a suggestion on her own.
This was definitely not how Morgan le Fay acted in the past…
Alvin was also taken aback, unsure about what Morgan was planning.
But when he raised his head and saw Morgan's serious expression, he finally relaxed inside.
It really looked like she intended to help.
Realizing that, Alvin couldn't help feeling a quiet sense of satisfaction.
It wasn't for nothing that he kept trying to serve as a bridge between them…
Seems like it finally had some effect.
"What is it?" Artoria asked.
"Britain has been overflowing with unrest lately, hasn't it? Transmigrators from other worlds, Beasts… even beings from beyond the sky stirring restlessly. You must have a massive headache by now."
Artoria frowned silently.
A headache would be an understatement.
If the so-called "transmigrators" appearing in Britain were just ordinary magi, it might still be manageable.
But with Beasts in the mix… things changed entirely.
Seeing Artoria's reaction, Morgan's lips curled into a beautiful, mocking smile.
"Beasts, starborne foot soldiers… and besides the Round Table knights, your only other helper is a useless white-haired shut-in who hides in a tower all day. Lily… when Father left this kingdom to you, was he trying to get revenge on you?"
"If I were you, I'd abdicate immediately. It'd save you a lot of trouble."
Artoria's red lips moved slightly, her expression unreadable as she replied, "Even if I handed the throne to you now, you wouldn't want it."
"Naturally. Back then, my desire for the throne was just an obsession. Once I let go of it, I stopped caring."
Morgan's gaze softened, just a little as she spoke.
"I disliked you for a long time. More precisely, I hated this country, because it was something left behind by Father and Merlin. Even now, I still despise Britain."
"Maybe because I've been erasing my own presence for so long, both the Beast and the Planetary Vanguards subconsciously overlook me.
So the moment they descend onto Britain, all their attention goes straight to the Red Dragon and the White Dragon instead."
Artoria hesitated for a moment before saying, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"They overlook me because we have a grudge… and because they believe the strongest pillars of Britain are you and Alvin."
Morgan suddenly revealed a charming smile. "I don't intend to save Britain. Past or present, that hasn't changed. But for you and Alvin, I can lend a hand."
"Either Mordred takes the potion and investigates the border… or I go with Alvin to meet the King of the Huns myself."
"And while I'm at it, I can remind the enemies hiding in the shadows…"
Morgan lifted her gaze.
"Britain has more than just the Red Dragon and the White Dragon."
For a brief instant, Alvin felt goosebumps crawl over his skin.
Morgan was the witch who possessed the unique power of the 'Lady of the Island'…
In certain ways, she was even stronger than Artoria wielding the holy sword.
It was only because of the sisters' endless feuds and Morgan's long-standing negative reputation in history that people instinctively ignored her strength.
Sometimes Alvin wondered, if Morgan and King Arthur actually cooperated… what kind of era would Britain usher in?
He could never quite imagine it before.
But now… he was witnessing an impossible miracle unfolding before his eyes.
Artoria looked at the woman extending her hand toward her, hesitating again and again.
Her instincts were practically screaming at her to refuse.
Because in the past, she never believed she and Morgan were on the same path…
After all, Morgan's approaches were always too extreme, even insidious.
But then her gaze drifted to Alvin standing nearby.
He had spoken to her about Morgan before.
Artoria could somewhat understand this woman now…
Though Morgan was, in many ways, a "bad woman," she was never malicious toward Artoria or Alvin.
After a long silence, Artoria reached out and took Morgan's hand.
When Alvin saw this, he finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
What he didn't know was, he wasn't the only one relieved.
Morgan herself also exhaled softly.
Even with the authority of the Isle Sovereign, Morgan was nervous when she proposed cooperation.
After all, she had no idea whether her sister would reject her.
Now that Artoria accepted, Morgan's goal for coming here was accomplished.
She released her sister's hand, turned around, and silently headed toward the exit... however.
"Wait."
Artoria's voice suddenly echoed through the chamber.
Morgan paused slightly, then turned her head.
Her cold, beautiful eyes looking at her sister with a trace confusion.
"Is there something else?"
Artoria seemed to struggle for a moment before whispering,
"It's already late… If you don't want to return, you may stay here tonight to rest."
'You and Alvin were literally about to have sex not even half an hour ago…'
Morgan opened her mouth to comment about it, but then something snapped inside her mind, as if a wire had suddenly reconnected, and she realized something.
Her eyes instantly shifted toward her embarrassed sister, disbelief flickering within them.
Alvin was just as stunned, staring blankly at Artoria.
However, after speaking the unthinkable, the King of Britain had already turned her face away silently.
"Of course, if you prefer to return, that's also fine. I'm only giving you… an option."
Even phrased that way, the fact that such words came out of King Arthur's mouth was shocking enough.
While Alvin was still frozen, a line of tiny text suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[You have unlocked a new CG achievement: Signal of Reconciliation Between the Sisters of Britain, Part I (Your actions will influence the progress of this CG)]
Alvin: "…"
Why does this feel like the system is saying,
'Not only do I have to sleep with both of them…I have to rotate positions too?'