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Chapter Four: King's Men
"Hello, William."
A bald, pale man looked at him with kindness.
"My name is William... but I don't remember anything."
The bald man glanced at the boy, whose eyes showed nothing but confusion, and said gently:
"That's right. Your name is William. Because of an accident, you lost your consciousness and can't remember anything about your life."
"You don't know either?"
"My name is Merlin. No… we don't know either. The only thing I can tell you is that nobody knows."
"Then how do you know my name is William?"
Merlin pulled a small new notebook from his pocket and handed it to William. With a tone of helplessness, and as if blaming William's bad luck, he said:
"It seems you wanted to use this notebook to record your memories. But before you could start… well, you didn't make it."
William, frustrated and a little angry, took the notebook and opened the first page. There was something scribbled messily in his own handwriting. Though it was hard to read, it was clear enough—it was his own name. He looked at Merlin, who had a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips, as if suppressing a laugh.
Closing the notebook with a melancholy expression, William looked at Merlin expectantly. With a cautious voice he said:
"I can't understand it. Can you teach me?"
Merlin didn't want to reject William's request so quickly. After a moment of thought, he replied kindly:
"I have my own responsibilities and I can't personally help you. But…"—he looked at William, who was about to lose hope—"…if you join us, we can teach you everything you need."
William felt a mix of emotions—disappointment, hope, and confusion all at once. He couldn't understand what this bald man named Merlin was really talking about. Merlin asked him to rest for a few days, promising to come back, and then left.
William stood up from the bed and walked to the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. In the reflection, he saw a face both familiar and unfamiliar. He touched his face with his hand and whispered:
"Who am I?"
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his head. He collapsed back onto the bed in agony and soon drifted into sleep.
"William! William!"
"What are you thinking about?"
William opened his eyes and saw Merlin, staring at him with curiosity. He waved his hand, meaning "nothing," and listened.
"We are a secret organization," Merlin explained. "We deal with hidden threats that endanger the United Kingdom, the Royal Family, and other important figures. You'll understand more in time. For now… it's true—you've joined our organization."
William blinked. "What organization?"
Merlin smiled faintly.
"The King's Men. Marked with the letter K."