Agravain's words still carried a certain amount of weight among the Knights of the Round Table.
Essentially, when the Lion King did not speak, his words held the authority of absolute commands.
Thus, Tristan withdrew his hostility and moved his fingers a few centimeters away from the harp strings.
Agravain stared expressionlessly at Tristan for a few seconds before turning back to the Lion King.
"My King, how shall we deal with these two? Annihilate them? Or expel them from the Holy City?"
The Lion King did not respond to Agravain's request.
"Xuanzang, since you wish to see, then I shall let you witness it—witness my love for humanity," the Lion King said, looking expressionlessly at Sanzang standing beside Daniel. "However, mind your words and actions within the Holy City. Once I discover any behavior detrimental to the Holy City, you will be judged as my enemy."
"Thank you for your understanding, Her Majesty, the Lion King," Sanzang responded with a beaming smile.
"Mordred, you shall be responsible for looking after Xuanzang and her companion's daily needs within the Holy City."
"Eh? Me! Does that mean I can stay in the Holy City at night too?" Mordred was stunned for a moment. After receiving a nod of approval from the Lion King, she turned excitedly to Sanzang and Daniel. "Then let's get along well from now on!"
After Mordred led Sanzang and Daniel out of the throne room with a boisterous laugh toward the quarters provided for them, Gawain's lips twitched a few times before he turned and knelt on one knee before the Lion King.
"My King, that youth following Master Xuanzang..."
"I know," the Lion King interrupted Gawain. "It is Gareth's spirit core, but that person is not Gareth; he does not bear my 'Blessing'."
"Most importantly, did Gareth not die by your hand, Sir Gawain?" The Lion King's eyes shifted slightly downward, questioning Gawain.
"...Yes." Gawain's voice was filled with an irrepressible bitterness.
It was the despair of having personally killed his sister, who had followed the Lion King alongside him and had even turned her blade against their other brothers for that cause.
"...Eh?" Tristan was stunned where he stood.
He truly hadn't noticed that Gareth's spirit core was within that youth.
"Sir Gawain, if Gareth... if that youth and Xuanzang were to become enemies of our King, I will rely on you once more when the time comes," Agravain reminded him coldly from the side.
Gawain snapped his head up to glare at Agravain, his teeth grinding audibly.
"Understood."
Agravain looked directly into Gawain's eyes, which were filled with hatred and rage, his face remaining entirely calm.
---
"Great! This is where you two will be staying!" Standing before the palace, Mordred pointed to a one-bedroom building by the road for Sanzang and Daniel, then shifted her arm slightly to point at another one-bedroom building nearby. "And I, naturally, live right next door!"
"Are you sure this is a place for the two of us?" Daniel asked, looking at Mordred with appreciation.
"Of course! I never lie!" Mordred replied, patting her breastplate. "There might not be bedding inside yet; I'll find someone to get some later. For now, go ahead and get familiar with your new home."
"Is no one living inside?" Sanzang asked Mordred.
"No one," Mordred replied without changing her expression. "Because very few people are permitted to enter the Holy City."
Daniel couldn't help but glance back at the palace behind them.
If nothing unexpected happened, those who had entered the Holy City were likely sleeping inside right now, prepared to become specimens.
In the following days, Daniel and Sanzang basically spent their time circling the Holy City when they had nothing else to do.
What puzzled Sanzang was that during these few days, she hadn't seen a single person permitted into the Holy City besides the Purification Knights.
"Little Daniel, where do you think the people who entered the Holy City before went?" During dinner, while Sanzang sought Daniel's advice, her eyes kept glancing at Mordred, who was gorging herself nearby.
Mordred had been tagging along with them these past few days. Although she brought the ingredients, she was also the one who ate the most.
Sanzang couldn't understand why she insisted on sharing meals with them here instead of eating with her colleagues in the palace.
Well, if Sanzang could see that table full of mashed potatoes, she might understand.
When Mordred heard Sanzang's question, her eating paused for a brief moment, but she said nothing, not even offering a glance.
This matter was a bit too horrifying; she couldn't say it directly.
She was afraid she'd have to go back to a life of eating mashed potatoes day and night.
"The Holy City is so large, and so few people are allowed in. It's inevitable that we might pass someone without seeing them," Daniel said, avoiding the question as much as possible.
"No, if that's the case, what's the point of us staying in the Holy City?" Seeing that neither of them would give her a straight answer, Sanzang's cheeks puffed out in dissatisfaction. "I want to see how the refugees are being settled, not be a tourist seeing the sights everywhere."
"Mordred, do you have any way for us to see those refugees who were admitted into the Holy City?" Sanzang turned to Mordred, choosing to be direct.
"Guh!" Mordred could only use the excuse of 'I'm choking' to escape being questioned.
Either way, she wouldn't give a direct answer.
Watching Mordred's retreating back, which almost looked like she was running away, Sanzang's face darkened.
"Little Daniel, she's gone now. You can answer me, right?"
"This question is really hard for me to answer," Daniel scratched his head, looking troubled. "While I know the ultimate fate of those admitted to the Holy City, it's hard to say what state they are in currently."
"Ultimate fate... what is their ultimate fate?" Sanzang was stunned, then stared at Daniel and pressed for an answer.
"To be displayed within the Holy City as the finest specimens of 'humanity's past existence'," Daniel replied.
"Specimens..." Sanzang gasped, her hands and feet feeling cold. "How could they do such a thing..."
"Because in their view, the Incineration of Humanity is an unsalvageable crisis, and those'specimens of the future' they preserve are the final radiance of mankind," Daniel answered. "As for whether their actions are right or wrong... you can judge for yourself later when we leave the Holy City to travel elsewhere."
Sanzang wasn't a hot-headed girl who would act purely on impulse and go berserk, so after hearing Daniel's suggestion, she said nothing and only nodded silently.