No matter what, to really have Lucan call Morgan—this sort of "little girl"—his elder sister, that was absolutely impossible.
Even though he actually did not lack experiences of being "pressed" underneath—Putting aside someone like Attila.In the past, there had been Kyouko, Noko, Jeanne.Even Anna, it had happened before.
But still, he would never, ever be anyone's "slave"!
"Just how did you manage to do that—!?" After a moment of silence, Morgan took a deep breath and finally could not help but speak.
He said: "By what I 'saw' and what I 'thought of.'"
Although he was untrained in martial skill, the godlike, ultra-high speed of thought granted by the Mind of God was enough for Lucan to make advance predictions and reactions to all the changes upon the battlefield.
Morgan only let out a cold hum.
"But weren't you still pressed down by me? Just because I was trapped by you—it doesn't mean you've won!"
"And yet, aren't you also trapped by yourself?" she said.
Lucan answered: "—But the truth is, you still haven't managed to break through my defense at all!"
Saying this even made Lucan himself somewhat dazed, dazed as though the one pressing down on him was not the golden-haired maiden named Morgan, but rather that other honey-colored, athletic, beautiful girl's figure.
But the situation at hand was indeed such: Lucan, with himself as the cage, had imprisoned Morgan, yet he was also pressed down by Morgan. Although Morgan could not break through his True Ether barrier, it was a deadlock.
Unless he were to actively operate the True Ether—But that might injure others.
Leaving aside that he was here as a guest, and would still have to deal with King Uther in the future—wounding his daughter would inevitably bring countless unnecessary troubles. Even just considering himself, Lucan had no desire to do such a thing.
If it were an enemy, he would not show mercy. But since this was not the case, that was a different matter altogether.
Fortunately, Morgan was not truly the kind of unreasonable person.
It was just that her nature was proud, her red lips slightly parted, and it was very difficult for her to say the words "I lost."
"All in all, you should get up first." Seeing this, Lucan moved slightly and spoke thus.
Morgan le Fay, though not yet fully grown, was already a graceful maiden of fifteen or sixteen. At this moment, her warm breath brushed across Lucan's ear, her heaving chest pressed tightly against his with her quickened breaths.
The slender long skirt revealed her graceful waist and hip curves, almost entirely sunk into the boy's abdomen. The soft skin of her inner thigh transmitted an astonishing sensation through the fabric.
Her hair carried its unique refreshing fragrance, mixed with the slight sweat of fierce exertion, and in the closeness of their pressed-together skin, it gave rise to a burning heat.
So really—As for being pinned down, who was at the disadvantage, Lucan truly could not say.
To some degree, he was also deliberately not pushing her away.
In that time, hearing Lucan's words, Morgan paused, then her pretty face flushed red, as if realizing how improper their posture was at the moment. Yet, looking at Lucan's still not-fully-grown, finely carved, exquisite, handsome face, she clenched her teeth. Not only did she not pull away, but she pressed down even harder:
"No. We must make things clear here and now!"
If she did not say it now—It would be even harder to say it later.
Morgan absolutely did not want to be someone who went back on her word.
But… she hesitated, wanted to speak, then stopped, opened her mouth several times and fell silent again.
Lucan thought to himself: this is really "stubborn"!And also really "generous."
No matter what, though she was unwilling to admit it, Morgan at least had self-awareness. She understood that the boy before her truly did surpass her in the art of magecraft.
Unless… she used those means she did not wish others to know of—the greater Authorities of island-dominion, to unearth the "Mysteries" hidden deep within Britain. Only then could she possibly match him!
So at this moment, she had indeed lost.
Therefore…
"How about we just call it a draw—each in our own way? You call me elder brother, I'll call you younger sister, how about it?"
What kind of "each in our own way" was that!?
Morgan gnashed her teeth, but she knew Lucan was giving her a step down.
One could only say, Lucan still, as always, liked to tease maidens.That full measure of "bad taste" was probably something he could never change.
"You…"
Morgan opened her mouth, about to continue speaking—
But then, a voice abruptly came from the side.
A startled sound:
"I was wondering why there was suddenly such a commotion outside. So it was you two—hm?"
"Apologies, I saw nothing at all!"
The silver-haired young man, smiling, turned at once at the edge of the park without hesitation and left.
"Merlin, stop right there!"
And in response, Morgan's explosion.
As well as that day, the unprecedented upheaval of magical energy in the city of Camelot.
...
In the end, Lucan still successfully managed to "escape." Morgan, in the end, still did not speak the words of admitting defeat, nor the proper title she should have uttered after losing—A cause for joy, a cause for sorrow.
"I really didn't see anything, truly, the both of you!"
The rear garden of Camelot's royal palace, after the battle, was as tranquil as ever. The fierce clash of magecraft had lasted only a brief instant, not long enough to cause physical destruction to the environment. Thus, once all Mysteries receded, nothing had changed. The only difference was the silver-haired, handsome youth being stared down with predatory eyes by Morgan, who looked ready to cry without tears—Camelot's foremost court magus, the "Magus of Flowers," Merlin.
He truly could swear to the heavens that he had not meant to witness such a scene. He had only just been attending the banquet, and when he saw that "Subotai" was missing, under King Uther's hint, he came out to look.
After all, this was their domain.
They could not allow any possible risks to come upon a guest from afar.
Even if the likelihood was extremely low… Though not spoken aloud, anyone could see where Lucan's group had come from, and among them, who the true "leader" was.
And not long after leaving the palace, sensing the intense magical and Mystical fluctuations, he had followed the trail—and happened to see that scene.
He saw Morgan pressing Lucan down to the ground.
He thought for certain she was about to knock him out…So he decisively, without hesitation, turned and left.
Yet he had not expected to be "caught"!
"...I can swear to the great Celtic gods, Lady Morgan, Lord Subotai."
"Spare me, you hypocritical fellow!" Morgan's face was full of disbelief. "I've never seen you truly believe in gods!"
"My devotion to the gods, heaven and earth can bear witness!" Merlin raised his hand.
Lucan interjected from the side: "Heaven and earth say, you're the one who's cheap."
"As for a dream-spawn, not a single word is trustworthy."
Common rumors held that the Magus of Flowers, Merlin, was not a pure human being, but a half-fairy magus bearing the blood of "Nightmare"—The above, was no mere rumor.
"Mhm."
At Lucan's words, Morgan nodded emphatically, as though she had not just been butting heads with him moments ago.
That, in the end, was only a sparring match.
Even though Morgan lost, it would not make her feel hostility toward Lucan.
On the contrary, because of further recognition of his ability, she drew a bit closer.
As expected—What looked like them butting heads was, in fact, just flirting, wasn't it?
Merlin helplessly scratched his head.
Lucan, however, only felt that this fellow had done it on purpose.
If he truly wished to run away, even Lucan had no confidence he could catch him.Much less Morgan, who was still in her maidenhood.
"I know a memory-loss technique. How about we just use it on this guy!" Lucan proposed.
"Memory-loss technique?" Morgan glanced at Lucan, and in the meeting of their eyes, it seemed she suddenly understood something: "Then let's try it!"
"What memory-loss technique?" Merlin, somewhat bewildered, suddenly saw Lucan raise his hand, with fine lightning gathering in his palm.
He spoke calmly: "The human brain has a specific block dedicated to storing memory.As long as I use a tiny dose of electrons to destroy it… it'll be over quickly, Lord Merlin."
"!?"
Wouldn't that just make him into an "idiot"!?
...
[Although you felt indifferent]
[Yet seeing Merlin deliberately lingering to watch the spectacle still left you quite displeased]
[It was always you watching others' show—since when was there a share of others watching yours?]
[But in the end, you still did not actually carry out "electrotherapy" upon Merlin]
[Because Merlin revealed his true purpose]
[He had come to seek you out]
[And at the same time, to deliberately lead you to this encounter with Morgan]
[According to him, King Uther was presently discussing with your father of this lifetime the matter of using marriage as a means to forge an even more solid pact]
[Your father did not accept, saying he would ask for your opinion][And King Uther placed his hopes in having you and Morgan spend time together, to cultivate feelings]
[Hearing Merlin's account, Morgan fell silent for a long while. You felt she must not have liked this much—yet she only glanced at you, then glanced again, and yet again—her face blushing, without answering]
[This is against the law]
[You could not help but mutter in your heart]
[But in truth, at your age, in this era, marriage and childbearing were entirely natural]
[Moreover, whether it would succeed or not was not yet settled]
[Your father of this lifetime understood your extraordinariness, and would never presumptuously decide for you]
[More than that, you were curious whether Merlin had once again "seen" something]
[If you recalled correctly, this half-Nightmare magus named Merlin possessed precisely that which could see through all vistas of the present world, and from it divine the future—the highest ranked "Eye" among the magi's Mystic Eyes known as "Clairvoyance"]