Arthur and Merlin, if you ignored the wariness flickering in their eyes, looked like good friends, casually discussing and joking about various matters.
After a while, Arthur glanced at the towering pile of documents on the table before him, frowned, and grew a bit impatient.
"Merlin, let's get to your business first. As you can see, there's still plenty here demanding my attention." Arthur took the initiative to steer the conversation.
After all, to Camelot, he was still a stranger who had appeared out of nowhere.
Countless affairs, crises, and arrangements needed his grasp. During the decade-long vacancy of Camelot's throne, the nobles had handled most state affairs, while Merlin focused on resisting foreign enemies. And none of those nobles were eager to surrender their power easily.
Moreover, Arthur's prestige was still far from solid. The only deed by which he was remembered was drawing the Sword of the Chosen One — and that was all.
That alone served as proof.
You see, in the original tale, Artoria traveled through many lands with Merlin and Kay, building a great reputation before finally arriving in Camelot. By then, legends of her deeds spread across Britain, convincing many nobles to submit.
But Arthur, pressed by his limited lifespan, had rushed directly to Camelot.
Sure, Merlin had invited them to train, but traveling with two people hostile to him and one he barely trusted was a miracle in itself. It would have been miraculous if he reached Camelot alive!
In short, Arthur lacked fame, Merlin's full support, and any strong background. He had no choice but to control information with extraordinary means — whether useful or not, good or bad — to build momentum for himself. He had to draw more players into the game and deploy hidden strategies.
Since he wanted to complete [Mission: Drawing the Sword] quickly to solve his lifespan problem, the coronation was set for tomorrow.
In other words, Arthur had established basic control and deployment in just one month.
One month sounds long, but even if Arthur pushed himself hard, barely anything else could be done.
"If you came here just to attack me, save yourself the trouble. Go back."
"Do I look like such a boring person?" Merlin pointed to himself with feigned innocence.
"Very much so."
"Oh! So Arthur knows me well after all. Yes, I'm just that boring!" Merlin's face lit up with an exaggerated nod.
For him, "boring" wasn't an insult — it was the highest compliment.
"Merlin, has anyone ever told you that you have a face that asks for a beating?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, lifted his fist — then relaxed it.
"Yes, many. Just like you. But they can't actually hit me."
Damn! Nice guy, but no brains.
"That's enough. Merlin, if you're really free, go find Gawain and Morgan. Their dreams will fill your emptiness." Arthur coldly betrayed his two closest companions.
As everyone knows, the dumber a person is, the stranger their thoughts, dreams, and perspectives become.
While it's hard for ordinary people to understand, for a pleasure-seeker like Merlin, it should be quite attractive.
Merlin stared, dumbfounded at Arthur's heartless betrayal of his closest allies. Even if it was mockery, it was unmistakably cruel.
After a moment, Merlin came back to himself.
"Well, that does sound tempting. Okay, you've convinced me. Morgan is a little dumb, but it's hard for me to interfere with her dreams. But Gawain..."
His expression filled with excitement.
"Ahem! First, let's get down to business. Arthur, how about letting Knight Kay go? He won't be much help to you. If you're planning to use Kay against Artoria, it won't work. Though it'll sadden the boy, he will choose rightly for the country's sake. Besides, you already have Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain — Kay won't be much use."
"..." Arthur fell silent for a moment, feeling Merlin had turned him into a villain.
Besides, Merlin's point was just strange!
"Nonsense! You don't need to explain. I already know how 'right' your approach is. But never mind, it's a waste of time to argue that now. Besides, I have no intention of using Kay. He came to me by his own will."
That's right. Not only did Kay refuse to help Artoria, he voluntarily pledged allegiance to Arthur.
The reason was simple: as long as Arthur ruled, Kay would see the future he desired.
"You should be convincing Kay, not me." Arthur's mood darkened. "Okay, you've got the answer you wanted. Now you can go."
How can two grown men squeeze into one room and hide their private talks from others?
By the way, although Arthur was working here, this was indeed his dormitory.
The truth was, the castle in Camelot was too shabby. There wasn't even enough space for Arthur to work in peace.
"That's impossible! Kay treats Artoria like a real family member. How could he choose you?" Merlin obviously didn't believe it.
"Without human emotions, you won't understand. Okay, enough time wasted. Go ask Kay yourself."
"No, wait! Besides Kay, there's one more thing."
"...Tell me."
"Arthur, it's not too late to give up the throne and restore Artoria's status — if you do it now." Merlin's expression suddenly became serious.
Arthur was surprised.
In his mind, Merlin was a magician of the highest order, eternally calm and collected.
Not that it was a flaw, just a trait. As a top-tier magician, Merlin saw through the world's illusions. He had no real stake in the mortal world; even if he lingered, it was only out of mild interest.
Such a magician naturally dealt with everything with cool detachment — no matter when or where.
Arthur had always assumed Merlin was unaffected by serious emotion.
But now, the gravity in Merlin's expression was stronger and more urgent than any human's.
"Do you really think it's possible?" Arthur asked.
"Of course. Once I know the truth, I'll give up — just this once. For your sake, and for all of Britain."