"Ah, that's right... I forgot to ask about the ships."
After leaving Morgan's room, Arthur lightly slapped his forehead as he suddenly realized he had forgotten to ask Morgan about that matter.
But after thinking it over, he decided to leave it for later. In any case, Morgan was still staying at the palace, so all he had to do was make sure she had no worries before bringing up the subject again.
After all, a project like that wouldn't be completed in just a day or two. His current priority was still finding the informant.
Arthur had just left the palace and was walking leisurely through the garden when he saw Guinevere being escorted by a maid. She was wearing a light pink dress that matched her pink low-heeled sandals. Her long platinum-blonde hair swayed gently in the breeze.
At first, Arthur had intended to go to the hall to see whether Guinevere had already arrived, but finding her there saved him another walk.
Guinevere seemed to sense his presence and raised her head. Her soft bangs revealed her beautiful emerald-green eyes, which lit up subtly when they met Arthur's. Even so, because of the maid beside her, she maintained an elegant and reserved posture.
"King Arthur." The maid gave a slight bow.
Arthur nodded.
"You may leave us alone. I need to speak with Princess Guinevere for a moment."
As soon as the maid left, Guinevere's formal demeanor almost completely disappeared. She walked over to Arthur with her hands behind her back and a gentle smile lighting up her face.
"The King of Britain wished to speak with me?"
Did he come because of the dance last night?
Or is there another reason?
Guinevere wondered silently.
"Are you getting used to life here?" Arthur asked, genuinely concerned.
Guinevere nodded.
"Even if I weren't used to it yet, I'd probably have to stay here anyway, wouldn't I? After all, I witnessed what happened last night. You're worried that I might reveal some information, aren't you?"
Arthur neither confirmed nor denied it. He simply gave a slight nod.
"I'm sorry. Once everything is over, I'll arrange for you to return safely."
"You feel guilty far too easily," Guinevere replied, observing the regretful expression on his face. "You don't need to worry. Actually, I don't really want to go back so soon."
She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at him.
"Everyone here has treated me very well, and Lady Artoria has told me many interesting stories."
"I'm glad to hear that." Arthur nodded.
"So, was there something important you wanted to discuss? Or was this just a chance encounter?" Guinevere asked with a smile.
"Your father sent an envoy to see you. At first, I was going to have someone come inform you, but since I ran into you on the way, I thought it would be better to tell you personally."
"An envoy from my father...?" Guinevere murmured thoughtfully. "It seems he still can't be completely at ease."
A moment later, she regained her usual smile.
"I'll speak with the messenger. Would you accompany me there? I still don't know the palace very well, and it would be inconvenient if I ended up getting lost."
"Of course. I was heading there myself." Arthur readily agreed.
After walking side by side for a while, the two arrived at the palace's great hall. There, a young messenger was waiting quietly, seated beside two Knights of the Round Table: Gawain and Agravain.
Even they couldn't help but steal a few glances at Guinevere as she entered. The platinum-blonde young woman already possessed extraordinary beauty, and it was easy to imagine that she would become even more stunning as the years passed.
"King Arthur."
As soon as they noticed his arrival, the three immediately knelt, paying their proper respects to the king.
Arthur responded with a slight nod.
"You may rise. I've brought Princess Guinevere. If King Oddgren entrusted you with any message, you may deliver it now."
The messenger hesitated for a moment before discreetly looking toward Gawain and Agravain.
Both immediately understood.
Gawain smiled.
"I have some official matters to attend to. Please excuse me."
After respectfully bowing to Arthur, he turned and left the hall.
Agravain also inclined his head slightly before leaving.
Even so, the messenger remained silent, casting another discreet glance toward Arthur.
Arthur immediately understood the reason for his hesitation. He was just about to excuse himself when Guinevere gently shook her head.
"You may say what you came to say. There are no outsiders here."
As she finished speaking, she tilted her head slightly toward Arthur and offered him a sweet, calm, and warm smile.
Guinevere understood perfectly that if she were left alone with the envoy, Arthur might worry that she would say something harmful to Britain. His staying there would dispel any doubts and prevent misunderstandings.
Upon seeing that gentle smile, Arthur immediately understood her intentions and sighed inwardly.
She's truly very intelligent.
Since Guinevere had already made her position clear, the messenger finally began delivering the words entrusted to him by King Oddgren.
In truth, there was no secret in the message. It was practically what Arthur had expected. The king was simply worried about his daughter's safety and had therefore sent an envoy to personally confirm her condition. Now that he could see Guinevere was well—and even seemed happier than before—the messenger finally felt relieved.
After all, present-day Britain was far more powerful than it had been during King Uther's era. Oddgren's kingdom, although larger than a mere tribe, was still part of British territory and would, sooner or later, fall under King Arthur's authority. It was only natural that King Oddgren feared his daughter might eventually be used as a political tool.
"King Arthur, if you'll excuse me."
The messenger bowed once again.
"Furthermore, there will be no need to trouble yourself by sending an escort for me."
Arthur nodded as he watched the man depart, lost in thought.
It seems that after those two tribes came under British control, the other kingdoms and tribes have begun to grow uneasy...
In truth, that was perfectly understandable.
If things continued at this pace, the remaining small kingdoms would eventually have only two choices: surrender or slowly await their own destruction. It was only natural for King Oddgren to worry about his daughter's future.
Even if Arthur personally assured them that he had no intention of destroying the remaining kingdoms and instead wished to build a relationship based on cooperation and mutual benefit, they would hardly believe him.
After all, even in a cooperative relationship, the true power would still remain in King Arthur's hands. The tribal kings did little more than watch Arthur defeat the foreign invaders. Even if they heard his promises with their own ears, they would remain uneasy.
After all, they had always remained passive observers, and it was only natural for them to assume that King Arthur would never fully trust them.
Although there was a formal alliance among everyone, Arthur rarely mobilized large numbers of soldiers from the tribes. In most campaigns, he relied almost exclusively on his own forces.
Arthur remained deep in thought for a few moments.
Then his eyes slowly lit up, as though an idea had just occurred to him.
In the end... the direction he'd followed from the very beginning had been wrong.
From the start, the objective shouldn't have been to gather the tribal kings' armies under his command to defeat the foreign invaders. The correct approach would have been to allow each kingdom to earn its own victories.
Let them earn their own military achievements while we conduct our own campaigns...
That's the right path.
Arthur's eyes lit up once more as another idea crossed his mind.
"What are you thinking about, my king?"
Guinevere blinked curiously as she noticed the smile slowly appearing on his face.
Arthur turned toward her. The princess's normally serene expression now showed nothing but curiosity, while her clear emerald-green eyes perfectly reflected his image.
"Is there any kind of merit reward system in this world?" Arthur asked.
"Merit?"
"I mean... rewards granted for military achievements."
As he spoke, Arthur glanced toward Artoria, who had quietly entered the hall at some point and was now standing beside them.
"Lily, notify everyone and prepare paper along with silver and gold materials for me."
Artoria slightly raised an eyebrow.
"What are you planning to do?"
"Create a system of honors... or, more precisely, medals."
Arthur paused briefly before concluding:
"Medals of Merit."
(End of Chapter)