[Under the reign of the Two Kings, Britain entered an unprecedented golden age.]
[Abundant resources, formidable strength, and wise governance—the kingdom's rise was so swift that its fame, along with the legend of its Two Kings, reached the ears of nations across the sea.]
[However, when a land becomes too prosperous and alluring, it attracts not only admirers and envoys but also enemies from beyond the waves.]
[Unlike the previous wave of scattered and barbaric Anglo-Saxons, this time the wolves came from an equally powerful empire.]
[Rome.]
[A nation that proclaimed itself the radiant center of the world, the origin of all gods, and uttered words as confident and arrogant as "All Roads Lead to Rome."]
[Leading them was the renowned Roman Sword Emperor—Lucius Tiberius.]
[It was rumored that he possessed the strength of a giant and wielded the Emperor's Sword known as Florent. His command included not only valiant Roman soldiers but also mages, magical beasts, individuals with unique abilities, and even curse-users from the East.]
[Upon hearing of the miracles occurring on the small island of Britain, the arrogant Lucius resolved to witness and conquer these so-called glorious Two Kings for himself.]
[Under his decree, the iron legions of Rome marched on Britain.]
[The war progressed with some success. Although Britain's forces were small, their elite quality inflicted heavy losses on his generals. Nevertheless, he eventually broke through the first line of defense at the channel and invaded Britain.]
[Considering the legends surrounding the Two Kings, Lucius decided, after some thought, to first attack King Arthur, whose reputation and deeds seemed the more formidable of the two.]
[After all, he was the Sword Emperor, he was Rome. An emperor must first crush the strongest foe underfoot before deigning to deal with the weaker ones.]
[As expected, when the Roman army focused its war effort on Londinium, the capital of King Arthur's kingdom, they met with fierce resistance.]
[Their sorcerers were assassinated, their beasts were slaughtered, and even the few giant war-beasts Lucius had raised were slain by the Knights of the Round Table. Lucius was forced to admit that this "King of Knights" and her retinue possessed considerable skill.]
[So, he set aside the customary arrogance of a Roman Emperor and took to the battlefield himself, magic sword in hand.]
[Facing a Sword Emperor who stood on equal footing with them and held the advantage of a magic sword, even Lancelot—who had inherited the title of the strongest knight and was bolstered by 'Knight of Owner'—was slightly outmatched. Though he could not be defeated, victory was also beyond his grasp.]
[In this situation, to boost the morale of his army, which had grown sluggish from the stalled advance, and to display his own imperial might, Lucius shamelessly proclaimed himself the "King Arthur of Rome," declaring that Arthur could never be the "Sword Emperor of Britain."]
[He even issued a formal challenge to Artoria, whom he had yet to meet, inviting her to a knightly duel and styling himself the 'King's Nemesis'.]
[Upon hearing this title, Artoria, who had initially intended to ignore him, suddenly decided to deal with this noisy pest before finishing her other business.]
[After all, that title belonged only to Lamorak.]
"Have you made up your mind?"
Standing on the shore of the Holy Lake, Morgan looked at Artoria, who still appeared as a young girl, and fell silent. Her eyes were downcast, as if lost in thought.
"You don't have to be so fixated on that old vow. Both the Holy Sword Excalibur and its scabbard, Avalon, have long since accepted you as their master. Even if the world wishes to reclaim them, it would depend on your will."
In Morgan's hand was a longsword sheathed in a blue-and-gold scabbard.
That's right. Before going to face the Roman Sword Emperor Lucius, Artoria had decided to fulfill the prophecy she had once made: when the wars within Britain were concluded, she would return the sword and scabbard to the Lady of the Lake—that is, to Morgan.
It had to be understood that no matter how arrogant or boastful Lucius was, he held in his hand the magic sword Florent, known as the Emperor's Sword. This sword's purpose was just as its name implied: any weapon that clashed with it, if not of the same Holy Sword-class, would inevitably be broken. This was the reason Lancelot, Gawain, and the others had been defeated by him, for they no longer possessed their sacred swords.
If Artoria were to return her Holy Sword now, Morgan felt she would likely be at a disadvantage without a sufficiently strong and familiar weapon.
After all, who could know why this so-called Roman Sword Emperor would choose to attack Britain at the height of its power? To demand tribute not during the weak reign of the old king Uther, but during the glorious rule of the Two Kings—it was hard not to suspect he was a pawn pushed forward by the Will of the World to test Britain.
But Artoria seemed unconcerned by this. She simply shook her head and looked at her sister.
"It's alright, Morgan. I know what you want to say. That so-called Roman Sword Emperor is nothing but a clown. He thinks that my strength as a king is not as great as that of my First Knight, but he is unaware that my martial skill is far beyond what his limited perspective can comprehend. Besides..."
As she spoke, the girl seemed to think of something. Her gaze softened, and she slowly extended her hand towards Morgan.
Under Morgan's astonished and somewhat dazed gaze, a white-gold lance, like a storm given form, appeared in Artoria's hand.
Though its form was different, Morgan's vast knowledge and her familiarity with his aura allowed her to recognize the lance almost instantly.
The Holy Lance, Rhongomyniad.
The last weapon he had ever wielded.
"...You've gained that goddess's recognition as well?" Morgan's tone was complex.
After he had left them, both she and Artoria had clung to the items he had used, as if trying to grasp at anything he left behind. The two most important of these were his armor, Fortress Angela: Armor of Surging Waves, and the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad. The armor was taken by Morgan, but the Holy Lance, requiring the approval of the goddess Rhongomyniad, had remained beyond their control.
She never expected that after so long, his lance would finally recognize Artoria.
Artoria naturally sensed the change in Morgan's eyes and tone, but she didn't say much, only smiling at her again. There was no provocation or comparison in this smile, only pure warmth.
"You could say that. It just required giving up a few things and making a deal."
Artoria glossed over the question, and the two fell into silence again.
These sisters, one a dragon and one a fae, had been at odds since birth. It seemed their destinies were intertwined, as they both sought the same things, be it a king or a person. But now that he was long gone, it seemed everything could be forgiven.
Time flowed on. It wasn't until the sunlight pierced through the leaves of the lakeside trees and danced on the water beside them that they realized how much time had passed.
"I should go, Morgan," Artoria said, looking up at the sun. "This might be the last time we meet in a private capacity."
Morgan was slightly taken aback but quickly understood Artoria's meaning. She hesitated for a moment before finally grabbing her wrist.
"You know, Artoria, Merlin that nightmare said that Lamorak did not belong to our era. That means he very likely did not die, but returned to his own time after all this was over. As long as we can remain immortal and enter Avalon, it's highly possible—no, it's certain—that we will meet him again."
As she spoke, Morgan offered the sword and scabbard in her other hand to Artoria. Clearly, to achieve this, all Artoria needed to do was keep the scabbard, Avalon.
But the girl only looked at Avalon silently for a few moments, then gently pulled Morgan's hand away.
"Artoria..." Morgan was stunned.
But the girl just smiled faintly and spoke softly.
"There's no need, Morgan. Everyone's choice is different. It's true that your method has no flaws and might even be the best solution. But if I accepted Avalon and gained immortality, I would have already violated the last wish he left for me. That version of Artoria would no longer be 'human'. Even if I could truly see him then, with what identity and in what state of mind could I face and embrace him?"
"So," she continued, the smile on her lips widening. She looked towards the distant edge of the forest, as if she could see the future she desired there. "I will die as Artoria Pendragon, as a human. Then I will go to the Throne of Heroes, hoping that in the future, sometime later, I can meet him again, love him again, and continue our story. That is the happiness I want, Morgan."
With that, the girl did not linger. She walked into the distant sunlight, leaving Morgan standing by the lake, watching her disappearing back in a daze.
[King Arthur faced the Roman Sword Emperor.]
[Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands, and with the attention of various powers and nations, the duel, unilaterally dubbed a battle of the ages by the Roman side, came to an end almost instantly.]
[The news that King Arthur had killed the Roman Sword Emperor in a single blow spread like scattered doves to all nations, leaving everyone in utter shock.]
[So you, Lucius, made all that noise and acted so arrogantly, only to be killed in one hit?]
[It was even rumored that the very historical existence of the man named Lucius was erased by the shining Holy Lance wielded by the slender, girlish King.]
[A classic case of all bark and no bite.]
[As for this redhead who couldn't even withstand a single beam from Rhongomyniad, Artoria's evaluation was: "Uninteresting."]
[And he dared to call himself the King's Nemesis. He couldn't even compare to one of Lamorak's fingers—no, his toes.]
[With that, Lucius's Roman invasion force was completely driven out of Britain. The surrounding nations, awed by this event, developed a deep reverence for King Arthur, sending gifts to establish good diplomatic relations.]
[Among them, the governor of Gaul, who had once been on good terms with Lucius, feared being implicated and proactively sent an envoy to distance himself from Lucius, presenting a holy sword with the same significance as the former Sword of Selection.]
[Clarent: The Radiant and Brilliant Royal Sword.]
[This act by the governor of Gaul undoubtedly raised Britain's prestige even further.]
[And just as the nations secretly speculated whether King Arthur would take this opportunity to defeat the other of the Two Kings, the Queen of Camelot, and unify all of Britain, another piece of shocking news emerged from the island.]
[King Arthur announced her abdication, yielding the throne to Queen Morgan of Camelot. With this, Britain was completely unified, becoming the complete Kingdom of Camelot.]
[This news shocked everyone, including the people of Britain themselves.]
[Morgan's subjects rejoiced and cheered, praising the greatness and fame of their wise Queen.]
[Artoria's subjects and ministers expressed confusion and doubt, but surprisingly, no one reacted with excessive negativity or extreme behavior.]
[Because even while under the rule of the equally wise King Arthur, they had yearned for the series of policies and the miracle of 'happiness' brought about by the Queen of Camelot next door.]
[After all, the promise of a city that would 'Never Fall' held an extraordinary allure for the common people.]
[Some ministers who initially had reservations swallowed their words after witnessing the entire Round Table, under King Arthur's direction, pledge their loyalty to the new Queen, Morgan.]
[After completing the handover ceremony, Artoria completely shed her crown and cape. Taking Rhongomyniad, a white horse, and a young Mordred whom Morgan had entrusted to her care, she returned to the remote town in the county of Essex—the domain of Sir Ector, her homeland.]
[In the days that followed, Artoria and young Mordred grew up together. She told her stories, guided her in martial arts, and spoke of the expectations of a king—and, of course, the gentle lesson of first being human before becoming a king.]
[Just like him and her, that little water fairy and the small girl, long ago.]
[Occasionally, knights of the Round Table would visit them—Gawain, Lancelot, and others.]
[A few years later, Kay resigned from his duties as a Knight of the Round Table and a minister to Morgan. He returned here with a gentle girl with whom he had decided to spend the rest of his life, living together with Artoria.]
[Then, on a mild afternoon, Artoria passed away.]
[She departed peacefully and happily. Her grave was dug and chosen by Kay and the knights together, right by the small river behind the domain. The words engraved on the tombstone were inscribed by Morgan's own hand.]
['Here lies Artoria Pendragon, the great King Arthur of Britain.']
[Beneath it, the epitaph read: 'Awaiting our reunion.']
[After that, everything continued to develop. All of Britain strode towards a new future under Morgan's rule.]
[The name 'Unfallen' that the Queen had once promised was finally witnessed. The whole of Britain shone like a sun that never set, brilliant and dazzling. Even Rome, which had once dared to invade Britain, was stunned by this brilliance and did not dare set foot on its soil for centuries.]
[During this time, Morgan never stopped searching for a way to find that person.]
[She crossed borders, consulted fae and spirits, and even returned to the Star Observatory to question the blind nightmare.]
[But the spirits had no answers, and the nightmare merely stared silently with his grey eyes at the end of the sea of flowers. There seemed to be no solution.]
[But she believed. She believed they would meet again. She believed that loyal and foolish knight of flowing water would once again kneel before her, kiss her hand, and bring her the joys of a lover.]
[All that was needed was time. And she, Morgan le Fay, had never lacked for time.]
[Wait, and hope.]
[Since the king's vow had been fulfilled, her own desires should now shift from the throne to her lover.]
[So she thought.]
[A long, long time later, one day, Queen Morgan disappeared.]
[No one knew where she went, and no one blamed her, because the people of Britain knew their Queen had her own business to attend to.]
[They had all had a dream: under the setting sun, a clear knight had traded his own death for a future where they could all live happily, yet he left the two girls he loved, and who loved him, full of guilt.]
[And so, even when the Queen left them, even when Britain faced decline, even when the tides of the world once again submerged Britain and pulled everything back to its proper course, they never complained. There was only gratitude.]
[May their Two Kings be reunited with their knight in a future as bright as the morning star.]
[This was their prayer.]
[Path One: Britain, has been completed.]
[The vision of the path has been recorded. The Heroic Spirit's Saint Graph has been successfully inscribed.]
[The journey was arduous, Host. May you all be reunited in the end.]
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