"Cough... cough-cough...!"
In the pit amid the ruins of shattered rocks and tiles, Tristan lay there, coughing violently. Every cough was accompanied by great mouthfuls of blood. It was obvious that he was already at the end of his strength.
And that was when Tristan saw her.
He saw Artoria〔Alter〕standing before him.
Looking at the king he had once sworn allegiance to, Tristan felt dazed in that instant.
Through the haze, Tristan saw that king on Artoria〔Alter〕.
The king who had not yet been reversed, and who had often worried over the country and its people.
As one of the Knights of the Round Table who had followed King Arthur, Tristan possessed martial skill said to be no less than that of Lancelot, the First Knight of the Round Table. In the end, he had chosen to leave because he could not understand King Arthur.
But who could know how much pain Tristan had suffered when he made that decision?
King Arthur had been an excellent king—just and honest, free of all the emotions and selfish desires humans possessed. She had constantly suppressed herself and fought, all so that Britain could become a true thousand-year kingdom and enjoy peace forever.
The sight of such a king had caused Tristan immense pain.
It was precisely because the king was just that he had suffered.
It was precisely because the king was honest that he had grieved.
For the sake of the country, for the sake of Britain, the king had endured far too much hardship and sorrow.
And Tristan, a being born without blessings, was different from the other knights. Seeing a tragedy no less miserable than his own origins, he no longer had the strength to bear the king's actions.
That was why Tristan had to leave.
For no other