The middle-aged man was, of course, Sir Ector. There were no tearful scenes when the father reunited with his son (and daughter), just a quiet embrace. That was all.
Of course, a grand feast was still in order, not only to celebrate the duke's son returning safely, but also to welcome the prince of Britain.
After the feast, Sovell and his two companions joined Sir Ector in the courtyard behind the Lord's Mansion.
The three shared their experiences from the past two years and more with Sir Ector, who could not help marveling at their tales.
"All right, that's enough about us. Ector, it's your turn to explain."
A hint of accusation and anger entered Artoria's eyes. Ector had come under attack from foreign invaders without saying a word to them.
"Ah... so there's no getting out of this after all."
Ector shook his head helplessly, while Kay added from beside him:
"That's right, Dad. You need to explain yourself.
"Why would you rather abandon the Manor than send us a letter when foreign invaders attacked? Even contacting Merlin would have been quick enough."
Faced with their questions, Sir Ector gave an unexpected answer:
"Because there was no need."
"Huh?"
"Hmm... I think I understand what Sir Ector means."
Sovell hesitated. He had his suspicions, but whether to voice them outright was another matter.
"I'll explain it myself. Ahem."
Ector cleared his throat, then took a parchment scroll from the wooden cabinet and spread it across the long table.
It was a terrain map of Wales.
"You know the terrain around the Manor. Although the River Severn lies to the east, the land is too flat and open. It's easy to attack and hard to defend.
"If we insisted on holding our ground, we would suffer heavy losses among our