After settling matters with Kay, the three left his room.
In the castle corridor, the flames of the wall candles flickered. Their footsteps stirred a faint breeze, and their overlapping shadows swayed across the walls.
Then the mage seemed to remember something and called out to the king, who was about to return to the Throne:
"Ah. I almost forgot, Arthur."
"What?"
"I have a lead on your new sword."
That afternoon, a carriage left Caerleon through its eastern gate and headed toward Cornwall.
The horse pulling it was called Lamrei, a pitch-black mare whose fame rivaled that of Hengrone (Dun Stallion).
Though her top speed when ridden fell short of Hengrone's, her pulling strength exceeded his.
"All right, Merlin, there's no one else around now. Tell us what you've found for Lia's new sword."
Sovell put the question to Merlin.
Even during these months of famine, Liens of North Wales had not kept quiet.
He had gathered his soldiers again and launched a war against the Eleven Rebel Lords in the North.
With every victory, he cut off the defeated lord's beard to adorn his cloak.
Sovell had reason to suspect that once all the Eleven Rebel Lords had fallen, Liens would turn his blade toward Caerleon again.
But the greatest problem here...
Certainly wasn't that Artoria had no beard.
It was the Caliburn in Artoria's hands, which barely held its shape thanks to the imitation Invisible Air he had wrapped around it.
After all its faithful service, the shattered sword could no longer withstand the many battles to come.
He couldn't help worrying about it.
"The 'Star Holy Sword.' Do you remember that term?"
Rather than answering directly, Merlin asked Sovell a question of his own.
Sovell replied:
"Of course I do.
The 'Star Holy Sword'-the ultimate