Moonlight like water, bright as frost. In a corner of the palace, a white-haired mage cloaked in a wizard's robe strolled leisurely under the moonlight, humming a tune.
"Hmmm! Hmmm! Hmmm! Heh! Heh! Heh! Hahah!"
It had been nearly half an hour since Merlin sent Artoria back to the palace.
At first Merlin was a bit anxious, just because he loafed around often did not mean he could stand by and watch his country collapse completely.
If he really didn't care about Britain, he would not have conspired with King Uther back then to make the "Red Dragon" Artoria inherit the throne.
He had been somewhat worried, but after noticing there had been no commotion at the banquet hall, Merlin relaxed in one go.
Just as Artoria herself said, even for Britain's sake she would not have any conflict with her elder sister at the banquet.
Likewise, Morgan would not disappoint Alvin's expectations.
In other words, this banquet was a "ceasefire zone." As long as the banquet wasn't over, nothing major would happen.
'It will just be a bit awkward for Alvin,' Merlin sighed inwardly.
He tried to put himself in Alvin's shoes. If he were the person involved, knowing that both Morgan and Artoria were at the banquet, he would probably want to run away.
But some things could not be avoided, and this matter had to be handled by Alvin in person—
"What have you been humming to yourself since a while ago?", At that moment, a hand pressed down on Merlin's shoulder from behind.
In an instant Merlin, like a startled cat, hairs on end, felt a chill crawl up his spine.
He snapped his head to look behind him.
Under the moonlight, a figure like a phantom silently appeared behind him.
It was Alvin, arriving late.
He had seen this sneaky, furtive Merlin when he left earlier, so he had secretly followed him to see what the white-haired mage was up to.
He found the other was just wandering around the palace, and at this point Alvin had had enough and proactively greeted Merlin.
Seeing the young man's face, Merlin finally let out a long breath.
"So it's you, Alvin."
"I told you already, don't keep sneaking up behind people like that. It's creepy…"
'And, really, it is frightening.'
With clairvoyant sight and great perception, Merlin's sensing ability needed no explanation.
However, if Alvin had already activated his special "Watchman" ability beforehand, unless Merlin had been on guard from the start, even he would not be able to sense Alvin's presence.
Alvin sized Merlin up and asked, "What have you been wandering around the palace for since just now?"
"And where's Lily?"
Last time Merlin brought Artoria into Avalon, he had made her quite angry.
Though he had not seen Artoria's expression recently, it wasn't hard to imagine she had given Merlin no warm welcome these past days.
And yet this white-haired mage still dared to sneak out… didn't he fear Lily would notice?
Merlin's eyes flickered, and a smile soon appeared on his face, "The King is still recuperating in Avalon."
Alvin questioned, "She doesn't know you left Avalon?"
"I'm not great at magic, but I have some skill in illusion. Sending a clone out to take a walk is no problem."
Merlin paused, then smiled and continued, "Besides, I don't trust Morgan le Fay much."
Alvin couldn't help but laugh softly, "She's not as malicious as you all imagine."
Merlin chuckled, "Maybe… but maybe only when it comes to you."
"In my view, there are two kinds of Morgan le Fay."
"One is Morgan with others, the other is Morgan with Alvin."
'I may be different, but you're kind of different too,' Merlin thought wryly. If Merlin's escape tactics weren't top-notch, Morgan would have already cut this white-haired mage down.
After some casual chat and confirming Merlin had no particular purpose, Alvin took his leave and headed for the banquet hall.
Watching the young man leave, Merlin's smile faded slightly as he mumbled, "Alvin, don't blame me, you brought this on yourself."
Originally, whenever the two sisters met, it was impossible for them to sit together and talk calmly.
But this banquet might be the chance to seat them at the same table. It might be the best opportunity to ease their relationship.
Whether that chance could be seized depended on Alvin himself.
Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Merlin's face.
Though the process was twisty, up to now everything was still within his plan.
Next, it was time to see Alvin perform.
But before that, he had to stop a rather tricky person first, he had to make sure nothing went wrong.
With that thought, Merlin raised his staff and waved it.
The night breeze passed; Merlin's figure turned into pink petals scattering on the wind.
———
In the next moment, the petals drifted along the night wind to a small path of the palace and quietly condensed.
Ahead on that little path was a girl on her way to the banquet.
Sajyou Manaka. The girl stopped and looked up, scrutinizing the man in front of her.
Sensing something, Sajyou Manaka narrowed her pretty eyes, "That mana… are you Merlin?"
Merlin showed a brilliant smile, "Indeed, I am Britain's court mage, Big Brother Merlin."
Sajyou Manaka glanced at him coldly and said, "I'm not interested in you. Step aside."
"Sorry, but I can't let you go to the banquet right now," Merlin replied with a smile.
Though not good at understanding people, Merlin could vaguely sense problems from Sajyou Manaka's prior reactions toward Alvin.
Just having Morgan and Artoria was troublesome enough. Adding Sajyou Manaka to the mix.
"Sorry, but could you stay here for a while?", Merlin asked with a smile.
Sajyou Manaka didn't answer. Instead, surging mana flowed from the link to the "Root."
"Looks like sometimes people just can't communicate properly."
Merlin sighed softly, "In that case, consider it a little exercise."
As the words fell, the mana hidden beneath his feet surged.
———
A battle had just begun inside the palace, while at the banquet hall an invisible battle was only just starting.
Britain's royal court musicians had long since begun playing elegant classical music. Under the clinking of glasses, guests seemed to slowly forget the subtle atmosphere caused by King Arthur and Morgan le Fay's arrival.
Of course, only seeming.
From the start, many guests had been glancing, intentionally or not, toward a certain corner of the banquet.
Even those who did not know Britain's domestic affairs had, at least, heard about King Arthur and his sister among the transmigrators.
These two were fated to be at odds since birth. Not long ago they had even clashed at the palace gate.
Yet now the sisters sat under the same roof, toasting and chatting as if on good terms?
At least from outsiders' perspective it looked that way.
Spectators could watch from afar, but Mordred and Gareth, at the center of the storm, had much to consider.
Hearing Artoria's almost unmasked, near-declaration of war, Mordred and Gareth's hearts beat as if ready to burst.
'Is the King really planning to fight "Mother"?'
Almost the instant Artoria's words fell, the hearts of the two white-dragon-gene girls pounded fiercely, feeling their souls might float out in fright.
They knew Morgan le Fay's character better than anyone.
If you yielded to Morgan, she might hear you out. But if you tried to provoke her, with that witch's arrogant nature, she would crush you like an insect.
Mordred had thought her "mother" would become angry at Artoria's blatant provocation.
However, Morgan's expression did not change at all.
She only narrowed her lovely eyes, appraising the noble, beautiful Arthur before her, or rather, her sister.
"It looks like his return has really changed you a lot, Lily."
"If this were a few years ago, you definitely wouldn't have said something so emotional."
Yes, Artoria is a machine that doesn't understand people. That line originally came from an unnamed red-haired knight.
But it was true.
During the years Alvin was away, Artoria truly was a King who did not understand people. She seemed born for rules; anyone who broke the rules would be punished.
However, since Alvin's return, the "girl" slumbering inside Artoria's body had gradually been awakened by him.
So much so that earlier she actually said something expressing strong personal emotion.
'I want both Britain and Alvin.'
"It seems you really like lecturing others from a superior tone, Sister."
Artoria glanced coldly at Morgan and said calmly, "I was just stating a fact."
"We have been together for a long time. You are the latecomer—"
"I said feelings don't care about order."
Morgan cut in calmly, "And unlike you, when you're with him you always give him special posts to bind him to your side, I've never involved politics with him."
The implication was: 'You lack confidence in yourself and covet his excellent political talent; your relationship is not genuine.'
While the sisters chatted like it was small talk, more and more guests filled the hall. At some point, transmigrator magicians began inviting Britain's noble ladies to dance.
In just one banquet, the hall was full of couples. Even some Round Table knights accepted dance invitations from ladies out of gentlemanly etiquette.
Yet whenever a Round Table knight stepped into the dance, they kept glancing anxiously toward Artoria, uneasy and worried.
Artoria quietly watched the dancers in the ballroom, still holding half a glass of red wine.
"During my succession, relations among the nobility were tangled, and almost every policy I implemented faced various degrees of obstruction."
"I knew the path was dangerous, so, at first I did not intend to keep him by my side."
"But he told me then, since he had sworn to stay with me, if he ran away now wouldn't he become a deserter later?"
"So you made him your deputy and kept him in the palace political whirlpool," Morgan said coldly.
Artoria's exquisitely beautiful face suddenly brightened with a smile. She said lightly, "But I always protected him well, until someone took advantage of the situation and used her body to seduce him, hoping he would succumb to her charms."
"Sister, the one who truly doesn't understand people is you, right?"
"Do you really have feelings for him?"
Though her tone was calm, Artoria's holy blue eyes showed a hint of condescending scorn.
"In the end, by using your beauty to lure him, even if he initially had feelings, those feelings would probably have been ruined at the moment you were intimate."
That sentence was nearly saying outright, 'My relationship with Alvin is sincere; you just had a one-night thing and wanted his body. You're vile.'
The air suddenly stiffened.
Morgan le Fay's face remained expressionless.
Mordred instinctively held her breath. Her first reaction was, 'It's over!'
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