My Mother, King Arthur

She walked over to Artoria, holding a plate of her favorite meat:

"Have a little something."

The roasted meat gave off a fragrant aroma. Beyond the scent of meat, there was the smell of spices. It was a delicacy Artoria had never tasted before.

She swallowed.

She swallowed hard.

"No, I can't."

Even so, even though Artoria desperately wanted to eat it, even wanting to gnaw on the plate holding the meat, she still couldn't.

"This is a matter of principle! I will not eat these things!"

She declared this righteously.

And so, until the very end, the atmosphere of the entire banquet remained rather strange.

"What a foolish sister."

At the same time, Morgan le Fay, who was happily enjoying a strawberry cake, thought to herself.

After witnessing all of Artoria's actions, she couldn't help but feel a sense of resentment: "Did I really lose to this kind of idiot?" And then, immediately after.

"This little brat, after a few days apart, has become even more delicious."

Turning her head to look at Arthur, she couldn't help but think with delight. At the same time, she elegantly used her knife and fork to cut the small dessert in front of her, made from honey, cream, a soft cake base, and strawberries, into small pieces and brought them to her mouth.

"Mmm~"

She then let out a sound of satisfaction, as if she had already enjoyed Artorius as she wished.

Author's Notes:

Updated, la la la.

Gareth's black hair on both sides looks like drooping dog ears.

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Chapter 67: To Each According to His Toil

Mom's dark.jpg

The banquet ended unpleasantly.

Arthur's guards were settled in the barracks of Camelot. The knights each had rooms to rest in, with no need for worry.

Once everything was arranged, Artoria, who had been impatient, pulled Arthur and headed to her study at top speed.

"Is everything alright, Your Majesty and Arthur..."

Seeing this scene, Queen Guinevere felt a deep sense of unease.

It wasn't just her; many Camelot soldiers, officials, and a few of the remaining Knights of the Round Table felt the same.

In addition to unease, they also felt guilt and regret.

Because during the recent banquet, King Arthur had suppressed her desires and desperately eaten black bread, while they, more or less, couldn't resist and had eaten the delicious delicacies brought by the Prince.

This made them feel like they had betrayed their King.

When Queen Guinevere went to persuade with the roasted meat, everyone was watching, their hearts filled with complex emotions.

—If King Arthur had accepted the roasted meat, they could have eaten their fill without any guilt. To be honest, they had suffered with King Arthur for many years.

Ever since King Arthur ascended the throne and launched the counterattack against the Anglo-Saxons, they had been eating this kind of black bread. And they were still eating it now.

Occasionally, there would be some jerky, vegetables, or fish, which were considered a meager addition to their meals. That was during wartime, when there was at least some hunting on the march.

The situation had become even worse in the last two years. Seeing the declining productivity of Britannia's land, King Arthur led by example, urging everyone to economize. They ate only two meals a day, each consisting of hard black bread magically produced.

Many people were finding it difficult to endure such a simple and austere life.

If everyone lived this way, it would be bearable. But everyone knew that the soldiers and knights who went to Europe to follow the Prince had good treatment. As long as they worked hard and had ability, even those from impoverished backgrounds without any status could rise above others.

With such a contrast, continuing to live a frugal life and staying in Britannia was enough to demonstrate their loyalty to King Arthur.

However, occasionally, just occasionally, indulging once in a while and eating some good food wouldn't hurt, right?

So they paid attention to Artoria. When they saw Artoria refuse the Queen's persuasion, they felt helpless on one hand, and a little happy on the other.

The King was still the same upright and incorruptible King. She did not bow to temptation or compromise.

But the King was perhaps too upright and incorruptible.

In just the time it took for one meal, the state of mind of many people remaining in Camelot underwent a subtle change.

Some people admired King Arthur even more, strengthening their resolve to persevere with King Arthur.

More people felt dejected, disappointed, and even felt disgust and hatred.

They subconsciously felt that what they had done was not right. Therefore, they felt disgusted with King Arthur, who did not respond to their emotions. They even felt a desire to leave her and defect to Arthur.

"You just don't understand people, you don't understand people at all."

Artoria was unaware of this.

"What exactly is going on? Why would you do this?"

She was still righteously questioning Arthur. Trying to shame him:

"The people can't even get enough to eat, and yet we're holding a grand feast. What kind of sense does that make?!"

Things were not as Artoria had imagined.

Arthur wasn't pretending to be obedient. Instead, he chose to confront his Father King directly:

"Because it's a day worth celebrating."

His tone was light: "The soldiers have been eating black bread for so long. What's wrong with letting them have something good occasionally?"

"But—"

"—Ah, don't worry about it," Arthur said, a smile playing on his lips. "As a benefit for my return to Camelot, I've already distributed bread and salt to all the citizens of Camelot, every single person. Every household received smoked meat, and the men even got a cup of beer as a gift. Everyone was very happy."

"..."

Artoria looked at Arthur with some surprise, feeling that she no longer had the moral high ground. Of course, even so, she still believed Arthur had done something wrong:

"Even, even if that's the case, our banquet only needed to be like that..."

"No."

Artorius, without hesitation, rejected his Father King's words:

"Father King, do you think it's fair for everyone to eat the same food and suffer the same hardships? For the soldiers and knights, and for us to eat well, while the common people only get bread and beer? Is that fair?"

"Isn't it?"

"In my opinion, it's the exact opposite," Arthur said.

"Those who work more, get more. Those who don't work, get nothing. Blind egalitarianism is the true 'injustice.' It's tyranny to expect soldiers and knights, who are responsible for more important tasks, to have the same standard of living as ordinary citizens."

"How can that be?"

Arthur's words surprised and confused Artoria:

"But, even if... but these are extraordinary times."

She instinctively wanted to argue with Arthur. But after much thought, in the debate between "more work, more reward" and "egalitarianism," she probably wouldn't gain much advantage.

Although she insisted she was right.

However, what is right doesn't always win.

Even among the Knights of the Round Table, there were many who pursued material desires. Her demand for everyone to live frugally and use resources to aid the people had caused much discussion within the Knights of the Round Table.

Some couldn't stand it from the beginning.

Some couldn't stand it after persevering for a while.

The only ones who could consistently maintain a life of poverty and dedicate almost all their resources to the populace, besides herself, were probably Guinevere, her best friend.

"This matter... I'll let it go for now," Artoria said to Arthur, with some reluctance. "Arthur, I have many other things I want to discuss with you..."

"Yes, Father King. I also have many things I want to discuss with you."

The emotions between the Pendragon father and son had calmed down.

After all, they were family. Even if there were conflicts, they could be resolved... right?

However, it was not the case.

After the discussions on egalitarianism, sharing hardships, and more work more reward, Arthur began to propose to his Father King that Camelot's army's treatment should be improved no matter what—

"It's fine to deduct some from Camelot's officials. But the army must not be deducted from. This is the foundation of the Pendragon family, Father King."

Arthur's tone was earnest, and he truly meant well for Artoria, but her Father King looked foolish, seemingly unable to understand Arthur's meaning at all. Unable to understand the importance of bribing and appeasing the army.

"Isn't sharing honor with them enough?"

"But honor can't fill stomachs."

"Don't we have black bread?"

Author's Notes:

Updated, la la la.

Honor and material rewards. Grasp both, be firm on both.

The ideological conflict between the protagonist and his mother is not Arthur's fault. It's Merlin's. Artoria's theories were taught by Merlin. She's just a tool for salvation. So it's all Merlin's fault!

The bounty is still ongoing. Currently, both monthly votes and blades have surpassed 200. On Friday, there will be 7 updates!

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Ideological Differences and Great Ideals

"Alright, I admit everyone has worked hard," Artoria nodded, then reverted to her old tune: "But it'll be fine, as long as we find the Holy Grail..."

"If we keep going like this, our Pendragon dynasty will be finished before we even find the Holy Grail," Arthur sighed, shaking his head helplessly. He looked at his Father King with an expression akin to a head of state expecting a counterattack from a rival empire.

"Father King, do you know what's most important during these hard times?"

"The people," Artoria answered matter-of-factly.

"—Wrong. It's the army, the military might, the strength, Father King," Arthur said, almost heartbroken. "These are the most crucial elements for securing our Pendragon family's rule and Britannia's safety."

"..."

Hearing him speak, Artoria pondered for a moment and remained silent. Arthur, assuming she had taken his words to heart, continued, "Therefore, our top priority must be ensuring the army's loyalty—and to ensure their loyalty, we need to satisfy their needs and desires. At the very least, meet their basic requirements."

"By feeding them that kind of stuff every meal?" Artoria asked, resistant. She glared earnestly, as if she would turn on Arthur if he said yes.

"Of course not. Desires that are too easily satisfied will make people greedy. Fortunately, the standards Father King set are low enough, so we can improve things gradually.

To start, just giving them something better than Black Bread will suffice.

For example, adding some meat, hot soup, and vegetable rations. This will allow them to maintain their lives and live better than ordinary citizens. They'll even be able to barely support their families. That should be enough."

"We don't have nearly enough resources for that," Artoria refused Arthur without hesitation. "And even if we did, we should be helping the citizens first!"

"That won't be a problem."