"Yuanfang, what do you think?"
"My lord, I'm trying very hard not to think at all."
I'm screwed. Cang Ye felt well and truly screwed. He had thought he was just a bystander and witness in this sword ceremony. He had figured that even if his relationship with Artoria was a bit ambiguous, she would restrain herself in this situation, under the gazes of Merlin and Morgan.
Well, so much for that.
With that one sentence, the connection between them was thrown right in Morgan's face. Morgan was already displeased when Artoria had ignored her to greet him. At the time, he thought he could smooth it over with the excuse of mutual respect between rivals. But now, on such an important question, for Artoria to ask him instead of Merlin... Cang Ye knew that if he were in Morgan's shoes, he wouldn't believe their relationship was just a simple rivalry either.
And reality proved him right. The moment Artoria finished speaking, he felt two sharp gazes lock onto him.
Wait, two? Come on, it's one thing for Morgan to glare at me, but Merlin, why are you glaring at me too? My relationship with Artoria is purely platonic, I swear!
Even as a storm raged in his mind, faced with Morgan's death-glare and Artoria's expectant eyes, Cang Ye knew he couldn't delay any longer. Procrastinating was pointless. It was better to resolve this quickly before this little girl pulled any more stunts.
After a moment's thought, he steeled himself and, in the most tactful tone he could manage, answered the question. "I believe that in the choice between the sword and the sheath, you, Artorius, should choose carefully. You must understand the true meaning of what the sword and the sheath represent."
"The true meaning of the sword and the sheath?" Artoria adopted a thoughtful expression.
"Yes, that's right. Only by truly understanding what they represent and what you need right now can you make a choice that you won't regret." Under the pressure of Morgan's icy glare, Cang Ye quickly finished his explanation. "For example, the sword represents power, the strength and capital to defeat Vortigern. This may be limited, but it is what you need most right now. The sheath, on the other hand, represents protection, a symbol of your future resolve to protect the kingdom and its people. This is a choice with a broader perspective."
"Alright, Artorius, these are my thoughts, which I've shared with you as a rival and... a friend. The real choice still depends on you. Whether it's power or protection, that is your choice."
Having said his piece, Cang Ye's stance was clear. I'm just explaining this as a rival and friend. Whatever you choose is your business, it has nothing to do with me. But the help he had given was also obvious; he had laid out the meaning of the choice for her.
Morgan also understood that his repeated emphasis on the word 'rival' was a declaration of loyalty to her, and the expression on her face softened slightly. But only slightly.
As for Merlin, he gave Cang Ye a strange look. He hadn't expected this young Lamorak to have such a deep and clear understanding of the choice between the Holy Sword and its sheath. This gave him a new perspective on the knight who served by Morgan's side. But for now, he was more interested in seeing what Artoria would choose after understanding the implications.
After hearing Cang Ye's explanation, Artoria once again fell into deep thought. She stood by the lake, gazing at the intricate and lush patterns on the Sword of Promised Victory, which were less flashy but more complex than those on the Sword in the Stone. Her deep blue eyes were filled with endless contemplation. Even the ahoge on her head swayed in the wind, as if pondering the choice with its master.
Honestly, based on her current needs, choosing the sword was clearly the more suitable option. Only with the power of the Holy Sword could she defeat Vortigern, reclaim the throne of Britain from him, and become the perfect king her teacher and father hoped she would be. This was also her choice in the epics.
But just as she was about to say she would choose the sword, Artoria hesitated again. Was this choice truly what she wanted? Was this King Arthur's choice, or was it Artoria's choice?
Unexpectedly, Cang Ye's words surfaced in her mind.
"No one is born a king, and to be human is to be imperfect."
"Artorius, before you become a king, you should first be a person."
"Only by first becoming a true person can you later become a king who understands the human heart."
"Whether it's power or protection, that is your choice."
...
Slowly, Artoria's eyes began to shine. She seemed to understand something. She shouldn't be thinking from the perspective of a king, but from the perspective of a person, from the humanity of Artoria. So, as Artoria first and King Arthur second, what choice would she make?
"If the sword is power, the resolve to advance and forge a future, then the sheath is the will to protect the present, to protect everything I hold dear," she murmured softly. At that moment, the girl finally understood what she truly wanted, and what she had to do, what she had to choose.
"Regarding the choice between the sword and the sheath, I have my answer." Gripping the Holy Sword tightly, this time, Artoria could clearly feel a connection form between them. Both the sword and the sheath had accepted her.
Looking up again, there was no longer any confusion in the girl's eyes, only a fearless longing for the sea of stars. "The Sword and the Sheath... I'll take them both."
"Whether it is the present or the future, I will not abandon either. I will hold onto them firmly, in the name of Artoria." As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at Cang Ye, her eyes filled with gratitude and affection. She knew that this was a question he had brought to her and taught her.
Hearing the determination in the girl's young voice, Morgan and Merlin both fell silent. They had both thought she would ultimately choose the sword. They never expected her to choose neither, but both. Who taught her this? Can a person really have it both ways...?
As for the true culprit, Cang Ye, when he heard Artoria say she wanted both the present and the future, he couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions. Because of him, the Sword of Selection had been broken much earlier than in his simulations, and at this time, Artoria had not yet learned the truth about the end of the Age of Gods from Merlin. She didn't know that everything she was now protecting would, in the future, become the past when she earned the right to the future, forever left behind in the old era. Including the Lamorak she admired.
Artoria didn't know, but he did. The present and the future could not coexist for the Britain of today. To save one, the other had to be sacrificed. It wasn't Vortigern's fault, nor Merlin's or Uther's, and certainly not Artoria's. The only thing to blame was that the rules of this world could no longer accommodate the Britain of today.
So, upon hearing the girl's hope to grasp both the present and the future, Cang Ye felt an expression he wanted to be a smile but found he couldn't genuinely form, a twitching of his facial muscles that couldn't hide the profound sorrow within. It was like the smile of Agni from Fire Punch, who, after enduring countless hardships, was asked by someone he cared for in their dying moments to live on. A smile born from genuine feeling but utterly fake.
For the first time since his incarnation, Cang Ye felt the desire to do something more than just serve Morgan. Not for anyone in particular, but to do something for this land that had given birth to him and the people he cared for.
-------
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