Mordred changed into lighter clothes in the manor, then skillfully nestled into Arthur's arm, reaching out to wrap her arms around his waist. She drew warmth and reassurance from that gesture as she continued asking:
"But..."
"Because of desire." Arthur said cheerfully, "That aunt of mine... your mother as well, wants this country. She wants Britannia to become hers. So..."
As always, the feel of his younger sister's trained, perky peach pressed against his thigh made Arthur smile more happily than usual. And as always, when speaking with Mordred, he liked to guide her into thinking for herself, training his cute little sister's logical reasoning.
"So..."
Unlike the brightly smiling Arthur, Mordred's expression became somewhat solemn and pained.
Like her brothers and sisters, she had been sent by Morgan to the Knights of the Round Table with the intention of harming King Arthur. In other words, she had been an assassin. It was simply that, like her siblings, she had ultimately betrayed Morgan le Fay.
That alone showed what a failure Britannia's enchantress was as a mother. Her children had practically formed a group to betray her.
"She'll come looking for Brother and try to harm you..."
"Yes." Arthur nodded with a smile. "Because compared to Father King, I'm now a greater threat to her rule over Britannia. Heh heh heh."
Mordred: "..."
"Little Mo, are you worried about me?"
Looking at his somewhat downcast sister, Arthur smiled. "Don't worry. I'm fairly confident I can handle that woman."
"But..."
"Oh, are you worried about your mother?" Arthur continued, reassuring her, "Don't worry. I won't really do anything to her. After all, she's my aunt too."
Arthur's promise dispelled more than half of Mordred's worries.
The remaining small portion vanished completely in his sweet kiss.
When Artorius looked at her with tender eyes, the conditioned reflex caused by the Pavlovian effect made Mordred swiftly enter a state of readiness for battle.
Artorius felt the warmth of his adorable little sister in his arms with both hands, then lowered his head.
"Mm—"
Even though it had happened many times before, this still made Mordred excited.
"Brother." She murmured as she hooked her arms around Arthur's neck.
Outside, she always appeared strong and unruly. Yet before Artorius, she was as weak as a little lamb. Body and soul alike had been completely captured and utterly controlled by him.
After landing in Britannia, Artorius did not immediately head north to Camelot as some had expected. Instead, he stayed at a manor near Lundenia, living a blissful life of companionship with Little Mo. During the day, they sparred with swords together; at night, they continued sparring with swords. Life was endlessly joyful. Little Mo forgot everything else. What Britannia? What father and mother? What Morgan le Fay? Who was that? Was Mordred even familiar with her?
That pleasant life lasted four and a half days. Then, just as Arthur had expected, it happened.
That evening, while Arthur and Mordred enjoyed a candlelit dinner, just before Arthur was about to tell his little sister a heavily altered fairy tale, he sensed a fluctuation of "Ether."
Clearly, Mordred, who sat across from him, had not noticed it. Either she was not sensitive enough, or too much of her attention was focused on Arthur.
So it was not until Arthur snapped his fingers and added another place setting at the side of the table that she reacted, realizing that her mother, Morgan le Fay, had arrived.
Author's Note: ... It's updated, la la la! Third update today! Please send monthly tickets, blades, recommendation tickets—anything! Want Chapter 30? Mom's Morgan.jpg
"..."
She was a beautiful mature woman in a black gown and black veil. Through the translucent veil, one could see a face eighty percent similar to Mordred's.
If Little Mo grew into a mature woman, she would probably look like this, right?
"No, that still wouldn't work. I can't really imagine Mordred with the body and age of a mature woman." Arthur's imagination was slightly lacking in that regard, which proved that he was still a good boy.
In appearance, Aunt Morgan was more seductive than Mordred, and her figure was even more alluring. Curves in all the right places, far better than Little Mo's girlish body. Arthur silently gave her an approving nod.
"Morgan le Fay."
"Artorius."
Come to think of it, this was Arthur's first meeting with his aunt. The two raised their glasses to each other. Their smiling faces seemed to hold no hostility, allowing Mordred beside them to breathe a sigh of relief.
Just moments ago, when she sensed her mother's arrival, she had nearly drawn her sword and stabbed her.
—Her mother, of course. Who else?
However, after raising his glass, Arthur directly set it back down.
"Did you drug the wine?"
Morgan's voice did not disappoint her figure and beautiful face. It was a sexy, slightly husky, seductive voice. It easily made one wonder what sort of song she would sing if she were thrown onto a bed and thoroughly ravished.
"Of course not."
Arthur nearly laughed at her attempt to turn the accusation around. "It was you, Aunt Morgan." Arthur leaned forward slightly, looking somewhat sinister beneath the candlelight. "You're the one who put a potion in it, aren't you?"
"..."
"..."
The two stared at each other for a while, then laughed happily in unison. There was genuine pleasure in their laughter, rather than false smiles.
That only made Mordred feel stranger. Her vigilance did not lessen; instead, it grew even stronger.
"So, you were here just waiting for me to come?" Morgan asked Arthur. After receiving an affirmative reply, the beautiful woman leaned back, making the full curves of her body stand out even more. Her gaze toward Arthur held confusion and seduction. Earlier, she had seen astonishment, desire, and a craving to conquer in his eyes.
Just like the men she had met before.
He desired her. That meant she could use this man to accomplish her goals. For Morgan, that was familiar territory, the simplest thing in the world.
"What else would I be doing?"
"Mm~ Perhaps we should find somewhere else and discuss things properly?" Morgan's eyes flickered with provocative desire.
"Sure. No problem."
"Brother?!"
Mordred became anxious upon hearing Arthur say that. In her heart, her mother was an exceedingly terrifying existence. The thought of Arthur facing Morgan le Fay alone frightened her.
"Don't worry, Little Mo. It'll be fine." Arthur said as he held Mordred's hand.
"But—"
"Relax, relax..."
Under Arthur's soothing reassurance, Mordred calmed down again. She even showed a rather silly smile.
"Your brother isn't as useless as you think. Don't worry."
"Mm, mm."
Morgan watched coldly from the side. At the same time, the jealousy in her heart continued to rise.
She had never poured much maternal love into Mordred. In fact, seeing her face, which resembled a reflection of her own sister, often made her emotions surge, even provoking murderous intent.
Yet now, seeing Mordred receive Artorius's affection and watching the interaction between brother and sister, she still felt anger and dissatisfaction.
Mordred was clearly her daughter, clearly her possession. Yet she had been taken away. Bastard, bastard, every member of the Pendragon family was a bastard. This one, that one, all of them were bastards.
Without realizing it, she had cursed herself as well. The enchantress who brought nations to ruin gritted her teeth tightly. Only after Arthur had soothed Mordred and looked back at her did she give him a bewitching smile like a poppy.
The next second, Artorius and Morgan le Fay vanished, leaving Mordred alone where they had stood.
The girl who deeply loved her brother felt intense unease.
Although Arthur had said, "It'll definitely be fine," no one knew what would truly happen.
Before her brother returned, Mordred had no choice but to prepare for the worst.
"Please come back safely, Brother."
She prayed silently.
At the same time.
While Mordred silently prayed for Artorius.
Several hundred kilometers away, at Morgan le Fay's castle.
This heavily defended magical fortress easily opened its gates to Artorius.
The situation was utterly different from what Mordred imagined—indeed, it was the complete opposite.
Artorius and Morgan le Fay were having a most pleasant conversation.
The air was filled with the scent of exotic incense. Magical puppets served as musicians, playing smooth and elegant melodies.
Moonlight and starlight, greatly magnified by magical effects, shone into the castle's grand hall, making the entire chamber incomparably dazzling.
Amid this dreamlike ball, Artorius held Morgan le Fay by the waist and danced gracefully with her.
They gazed into each other's eyes, watching the desire within gradually heat up and become blazing. Morgan le Fay thus confirmed that this bishonen was nothing like his mother. He had none of her upright and honorable nature. On the contrary, he was a man with strong material desires.
For Artoria, clean water and enough Black Bread to maintain her strength for battle were enough. She could sleep in a stable and wear armor constantly.
But Artorius was fond of fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful women. He liked palaces and indulgence.
"You dance well."
"You too."
The ambiguous atmosphere gradually grew warmer. Though it was their first meeting, it felt as if they had met far too late.
Well, speaking of an aunt, she was Father King's elder sister. They were close relatives. So it was not impossible for them to share certain personality traits, right? That was perfectly normal, right?
"So, why did you specifically invite me here?"
Her voice remained as seductive as ever, and even her self-reference had become gentler. Yet that falsely gentle tone disappeared the moment Arthur spoke his next sentence, turning into bone-deep resentment and hatred.
"Do you want Britannia?"
Facing Morgan le Fay, the warlord leader of the German Army and Crown Prince of Camelot, Artorius asked in a casual tone.
It sounded as though he were asking Morgan whether she wanted a bone-in steak.
"If you cooperate with me, I'll consider giving Britannia to you."
As if joking, Arthur said this to her.
Author's Note: ... Today's first update. Unlike Artoria, who saw Britannia as everything, Arthur could sell Britannia if the price was right. Of course, that "price" would be extremely high. The next update will be at 9:30. Evil Dragon Prince and the Vengeful Enchantress
"Are you toying with me, son of King Arthur?"
The dance continued. Artorius still held Morgan's waist, their bodies pressed neither too tightly nor too loosely together. Yet Morgan's gaze had changed, adding danger to its seduction. It was as if, at the slightest disagreement, she would use every ounce of strength she had—her dark magic, her Noble Phantasm, her body, her nails, and her teeth—to kill the man before her.
"..."
Artorius somewhat understood why the other Knights of the Round Table always developed such "complicated" feelings whenever Morgan le Fay was mentioned.
That madness and hatred sent a chill rising from the marrow.
"Not at all."
However, Artorius ignored Morgan's hatred and madness. Like a tender lover, he spoke to her in a gentle voice:
"Because compared with what I desire, the mere British Isles would make this prince the one getting the better deal as payment."
"Oh...? Is that so?"
As if it had been an illusion, all the hatred and madness from moments ago vanished. Morgan le Fay returned to being the enchantress whose beauty could topple nations. "Your Father King probably wouldn't want you to do that."
Before you continue