I Love My Father

Arthur took a deep breath.

He had confirmed that there was no point in continuing to argue with his Father King. She was as stubborn as a rock and completely incapable of understanding people's hearts.

"I can provide those supplies."

Arthur said seriously, "No matter what, I am Camelot's crown prince—so, Father King, I am willing to provide Camelot with an additional batch of supplies—enough for the entire kingdom, as well as the army and their families."

After all, Camelot was merely one of Britannia's many kingdoms, with a population of only tens of thousands. For Arthur, who commanded the Germanic War Zone's population of several million, it was not much of a burden.

"..."

Before Artoria could respond, Arthur continued:

"Of course, these resources will not be given to you for free, Father King."

"My demand is the Knights of the Round Table."

"Of course, not all of the Knights of the Round Table. I only want the first twelve. Father King, you must order the twelve Seats of the Round Table to be placed under my command."

"What do you think, Father King? It's a good deal, isn't it?"

"..."

Artorius believed this was a win-win plan.

He would gain a scarce group of top-tier experts, while Artoria would gain the supplies needed to let Camelot's people live properly.

With this elite force, Arthur would have another trump card when facing challenges from the Germans and Romans. His chances of victory would become greater, and his plans would proceed more smoothly. Their Pendragon family would also gain supreme glory—

They would replace the Capet, replace the Hohenstaufen, replace the Plantagenet, replace the Rurik.

In the future, they would replace the Bourbon, the Habsburg, and the Romanov as well.

Even in a new age, after Napoleon, after two world wars, after the endless upheavals and chaos of the Inner World and Outer World, Artorius would use his wisdom and ability to ensure the Pendragon family's brilliance, continuity, and greatness.

Whether in the Outer World or the Inner World.

In the future, once all these resources and technologies had matured, Artorius would go even further and completely save "all humanity." He would free humanity from the Counter Force's control and grant them true salvation and freedom.

That would certainly include struggles against the Counter Force, battles, exchanges, and conflicts with extraterrestrial civilizations. It would also include other human organizations dragging them down.

But even so, Artorius would persist.

He would carve out the future, break free of Earth, and head into the universe. He would kill all that Star of the Chicken crap, all that Chicken U.O. crap, all those Outer Gods of the Chicken, until he completed the Human Universe plan. Then he could finally rest easy!

That was Artorius Pendragon's entire plan.

The Usurp Destiny Plan, which had currently surfaced, was grand indeed, but it was actually only one part of the Grand Plan.

—And this "one part" alone had already violated the Counter Force's taboos. So Arthur had not even told Little Mo about the plans that followed.

Because it was simply too dangerous. Every additional person who knew meant another measure of danger.

"Compared to Father King stupidly ramming her head into a wall until she was battered and bleeding, I still think strategy is necessary.

What was that saying from the great man?

Preserve the people and lose the land, and both people and land can be preserved. Preserve the land and lose the people, and both people and land will be lost.

So we must preserve our living strength.

We must ensure our own survival. After all, if we cannot even survive ourselves, then even if we establish the Human Universe and usher in a beautiful new era, we will not get to enjoy it.

Therefore, this deal with Father King, bringing the Knights of the Round Table under my control, is the first step toward a new world and the establishment of the Human Universe!

Such a great first step!

A small step for humanity, a giant step for the Pendragon family!

"Yes, just agree to it. It benefits us both, doesn't it, my dear Father King?"

Arthur looked happily and expectantly at his Father King.

Her expression struggled, then calmed. Then she looked seriously and resolutely at her beloved son, Artorius.

"Your terms are very good, my dear child," she said.

"I can tell that you truly want to help. That you truly want to contribute to Britannia."

"However, I refuse."

Those crystal-like eyes looked earnestly at Arthur as she said:

"Those things... you obtained them through plunder, exploitation, and oppression, didn't you?" she asked. "I know, Arthur. In your Germanic War Zone, you have always enforced harsh policies, destroying those who refuse to obey. Or forcing them to hand over grain and taxes to you. I cannot accept resources obtained that way."

Artorius: "..."

Europe's Dragon of Frost fell silent for several seconds.

"Father King."

He tried very hard to control his emotions, but he could not.

"I have managed my territory very well!"

He shouted:

"In my territory, everyone who works seriously and diligently can survive!

Everyone of value can live well! The army, soldiers, craftsmen, mages, scholars, and technical talents—they all receive excellent treatment!

Farmers and laborers can support their families through their own efforts. Women are organized into textile production, while children are organized into labor and study suited to their abilities!

Even those without value! The disabled, those who have lost their ability to work, the elderly—I have not abandoned them either! Under my care, they can all obtain the excessively luxurious 'survival' of this era!

What more do you want from me?! If I governed the Germans according to your idiotic idea of 'sharing hardship and happiness together,' the dissatisfied German lunatics would slaughter my entire family the next second, do you understand?!"

Artoria shook her head and looked at Artorius with helpless eyes, as though she were looking at a child who had gone astray.

Though Arthur's gaze toward her was much the same.

Author's Note:

Reader group: 103434270

The bounty is still ongoing. Current monthly votes: 253, blades: 272.

I got a little carried away writing this chapter and added an extra 400 words.

I Love My Father

Artorius was telling the truth.

Under his mobilization, the entire German Military District was operating at high speed. Everyone was driven onward and encouraged one another, desperately striving to survive and to "live better"—

Working hard, producing hard, and "killing and plundering hard"—killing and plundering those who "did not belong to the German Military District," those who "were not one of us."

This "attitude toward striving to live" and these "habits of life" perfectly suited "this era." Even over the next thousand years, this would remain Europe's "normal state." Even in the modern age, such things still existed and remained "normal," merely wrapped in layers upon layers of magnificent, highly deceptive disguises.

Artorius had done extremely well.

Both as a ruler and as a leader.

He rewarded and punished fairly, was generous and open-handed, led from the front in battle, and governed his territory wisely. To his own people, he was the best boss—the kind of boss for whom they could cry out on their deathbeds, "Big Brother, I'll follow you again in my next life!"

But to his enemies—

He was a demon, a natural disaster, a nightmare, the embodiment of terrifying destruction, the mad and ruthless Dragon of Frost of the German Black Forest—one side's hero was the other side's enemy. In this Little Ice Age, with everyone struggling to live, could that really be called wrong?

Those German tribes outside the German Military District treated Arthur's subjects in exactly the same way.

So did the Romans, the Slavs, and the nomads of the steppes.

Everyone was fucking used to this sort of thing!

That was the difference between Artorius and Artoria.

Artoria was an idealist, taught by King Uther and Merlin, endowed with the role of the "ideal king." She could not accept the practical pragmatism and utilitarianism of her beloved son. More importantly:

"Arthur, you said 'Camelot,' not 'Britannia,'" she told Arthur. "You cannot provide supplies sufficient to preserve Britannia, can you?"

Arthur: "..."

"Yes, I cannot either." He fell silent for a moment, then said to Artoria, "At least, I cannot provide them for free to those kings and lords."

Arthur did not say the second half of what he meant: he needed those people—the manpower, knights, and armies. If they wanted supplies, they had to offer something in exchange.

Then those manpower and armies would become part of the German Military District, fighting to the death for Arthur's ambitions and everyone's wishes, just like every other ambitious figure in this world.

There was a mistaken idea here.

King Arthur did not not care about the people starving to death. Rather, she believed the Holy Grail could save her country, restore the concentration of True Aether to its former level, and return Britannia to its better days.

If that was the case, then why make the people suffer, turn them into tools of war, turn them into cannon fodder? For temporary gains, they would lose lasting peace and happiness, perhaps even sacrifice their lives. They would leave their homeland and head for cold, war-torn Europe.

"But Father King, can you really find the Holy Grail? What if you cannot? Or what if you find it, but the Holy Grail is not as useful as you think?" Arthur asked unwillingly, only to see a happy smile appear on his Father King's face.

"Let me tell you some good news."

Artoria's expression brightened. "We already know the whereabouts of the Holy Grail.

Percival has sent word. The Holy Grail's location has been confirmed. Now, as long as a holy and pure knight goes there, the Holy Grail can be obtained.

Arthur, your plan has completely failed."

As she spoke, Artoria showed pure delight and a sense of relief. In her eyes, the long endurance, long suffering, and long troubles were about to end. Britannia was about to return to its better days.

But Artorius Pendragon, upon hearing this, felt as though he had fallen into an ice cellar.

The Holy Grail had been found.

No wonder Galahad had come to bid him farewell. So that was it.

—Then history would unfold exactly as it had originally!

In that case, Galahad would die.

And that was not even the worst outcome—the worst outcome was that Father King would obtain the Holy Grail—that would be the fucking Sixth Singularity, the Lion King ending!

"Arthur."

Seeing Arthur's stunned expression, Artoria's heart softened.

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck. "So, Arthur, you will not need to work so hard anymore.

From now on, you will not need to sacrifice yourself for the people, nor bear the weight of the nation.

I have arranged everything properly."

Father King gently embraced Arthur. "You will return to Britannia, return to my side, won't you, Arthur?"

She looked at him with eager anticipation. In response, Artorius gave her an equally gentle embrace.

Ah, ah, ah.

Yes, this was his Father King.

She gently carried everything upon herself. Even after being deceived, wrongly educated, and turned into a tool for saving her homeland, she still desperately kept going.

The only difference from the original history was probably himself. She had placed so many beautiful feelings upon him...

So this time, it was Artorius's turn to refuse.

"The Holy Grail plan is destined to fail."

He looked calmly at Artoria. "The Counter Force will not permit Pan-Human History to go wrong. Britannia is destined to perish. That is an 'inevitability' engraved into Pan-Human History. That half-incubus must have told you that."

"Arthur?"

"If my guess is correct, the Holy Grail is a trap." Arthur continued calmly. "A trap set by the Counter Force. Obtaining the Holy Grail will not lead to a good outcome."

"Arthur?!"

"So, Father King, forget about something like the Holy Grail and be realistic."

"Arthur—"

"—Answer my question first!"

Arthur interrupted her in a voice louder than Artoria's:

"If the Holy Grail is useless, what will you do, Father King?!"

"The Holy Grail..."