The next morning, at Camelot's east gate.
Merlin stared blankly at the two knights standing before him—one smiling brightly, the other glaring fiercely.
"I originally thought this trip would be just the king and me. If that were the case, I could have given my king a beautiful travel experience, like being accompanied by flowers." The great magician complained with deep resentment.
Just imagining having a brute and a merciless villain tagging along made Merlin's stomach churn.
Yes, it was going to be terrible.
"Hahaha, don't say that, Lord Merlin. It's my duty to protect the king's safety," Gawain said cheerfully. "To be relied on by the king—there's no greater honor. I helped Princess Artoria cause some trouble, and the king forgave me. It's wonderful."
Gawain felt guilty for what had happened before. Well, it was better to say that after Arthur declared, "Those who sacrifice everything for the country are the true knights!" Gawain had fully embraced that philosophy.
He'd apologized to Arthur, hoping to be forgiven.
Arthur didn't blame him. Instead, he spoke kindly and matter-of-factly: "You weren't confused by others' wills—you firmly believed your own judgment and upheld your justice. When did such a knight become a criminal? I believe my philosophy is right, but you're also right to follow your heart's justice. It's natural you can't accept the new ways immediately. So, Sir Gawain, hold your head high."
Serving such a generous, understanding king left little room for complaints.
But Kay's attitude was completely different.
"Do you think the king would allow a dangerous person like you around without precautions? Merlin, mark my words: if you try to harm the king, Gawain and I will cut off your hands immediately."
His serious, fierce expression was enough to make anyone shiver.
"Here we go again," Merlin sighed, brows relaxing. "You treat me like a criminal before I've even done anything."
Clearly, Merlin didn't take the threat seriously.
Even combined, Gawain and Kay were no match for Merlin in swordsmanship, magic, or strategy.
Alongside Arthur's three companions, many had gathered to see him off.
Artoria, Agravain, Morgan, and Lancelot were all present.
Morgan's eyes brimmed with tears, reluctant to let go, almost ready to burst as Arthur appeared. Lancelot stared coldly at Gawain and Kay, his eyes bloodshot with jealousy, looking quite fierce.
Arthur arrived hurriedly, cloaked in a hooded robe that covered most of his face.
He glanced at the crowd, clearly surprised.
"Eh? Why are you all here? Didn't I say this trip would last at most a month? There's no need to see me off."
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I went against your wishes, but I had to be sure. I can't feel at ease if Merlin stays with you," Gawain said seriously.
Clearly, he had a lot of work left undone.
Arthur shook his head and looked at Morgan.
The poor girl was already crying and mumbling incoherently. If Artoria hadn't held her back, Morgan would have thrown herself at Arthur.
Was such reluctance really necessary?
Eventually, Artoria, looking somewhat troubled, stepped forward.
"Sister Morgan stayed up late finishing today's work. No matter how much you persuade her, she insists on seeing you off." She paused, then added, "Besides, as a princess, I have plenty of free time. At least this way, seeing the king off makes the time pass faster."
Her embarrassed, unfamiliar expression also conveyed her dissatisfaction with her royal role.
Arthur chose to ignore her and looked away stiffly.
After brief greetings, he set off with the three companions.
He dared not delay any longer.
This morning had already been a major ordeal.
To keep him from leaving, Manaka had slipped drugs into his breakfast. If Arthur's body hadn't grown accustomed to potions, developing a strong resistance, Manaka might have locked him deep inside the castle, waiting for him to abandon any thought of leaving.
Horrifying.
Especially since Morgan's resemblance to Manaka made Arthur's knees weak.
"Oh, my king is really impatient. You're just like a child who couldn't sleep all night before an outing. So cute," Merlin said with a smile as he approached Arthur.
It was difficult to explain how Merlin kept up such energy and conversation.
Didn't anyone notice Arthur himself was already breathless?
Arthur looked back but said nothing.
He alone was exhausted and out of breath.
"My king, your breathing is irregular. With your condition, this shouldn't happen. Please steady your breath—it will help," Gawain suggested casually.
Arthur didn't argue.
Suddenly, Gawain sped up, his blood pumping.
"Sir Kay, I'll escort the king! Let's race to the next town! I must be first!"
"...Idiot, how can you protect the king if you rush ahead alone?" Kay raised an eyebrow, exasperated.
He struggled to manage Gawain's reckless behavior.
At least he was alone—he wasn't confident he could protect Arthur from Merlin.
"My king, how about we speed up and catch up to Gawain?"
"...You want to tire me to death, don't you?"
Arthur suddenly felt something was off about his knights—they didn't treat him like a human at all. Who runs a marathon at the pace of a 100-meter sprint?
Especially that beast Gawain, whose speed rivaled a sports car with the pedal to the floor!
"Let him go. Camelot's no longer visible. No need to rush." But as he spoke, Arthur froze.
He suddenly remembered—he hadn't been told the destination. Meanwhile, Gawain kept sprinting ahead.
"(British swear)! Kay, catch that gorilla! We're not headed for a big town!!!"
"Exactly—the end of this journey is truly the end of the world!" Merlin's eyes gleamed as he picked up Arthur and dashed a hundred meters.
"..."
Kay was left standing in stunned confusion.
After a long pause, he muttered grimly,
"Fuck!"