【46】You will still go down this road
When they reached a secluded corner, Artoria narrowed her eyes and looked at Tony, and said gently: "So, what do you want to say?"
Tony looked at Artoria blankly, pursed his lips and didn't know what to say. Why didn't he find out earlier? Whether she is wearing pale silver armor or a lily-like skirt, Artoria always treats others with a gentle appearance, and she will not be offended even if they doubt her. But even so, hidden beneath the tenderness is alienation. In fact, she looked at them no differently than those women and children. They were all looking at people who needed protection.
She can cover so much with her gentleness, but there is always a vague bloody chill in her body. As long as she keeps a straight face, I am afraid no one will dare to say anything.
She is King Arthur.
Tony looked at Artoria's indifferent expression and asked with difficulty: "...Don't you have any impression of me?"
Artoria looked at him inexplicably and said helplessly: "Although I can indeed feel that there is a contract between us, but... I have never met you."
She had never met Tony Stark... Hearing these words, Tony felt a strange sense of sadness.
But it was just an illusion, and now he had to bring back their King Arthur.
So first of all, we need to figure out where the history here deviates from the history we know.
Tony took a deep breath and said, "Didn't you...didn't you pull out the sword in the stone?"
Artoria was even more surprised than him: "How could I be qualified to pull out the Sword in the Stone?!"
"Don't you even try?" Tony felt speechless. Do you think you are not qualified to pull out the sword in the stone? If you are not qualified, who is? It’s okay if only you can do it! "At least give it a try! You are King Uther's child!"
Artoria took a few steps back in shock: "I am King Uther's child?!"
Why?
Tony's confused voice sounded longer and louder: "You... don't know that you are King Uther's child?"
All the different transformations in the fantasy world originate from this.
If he hadn't been the one to pull out the sword from the stone, would everything have been better? If I had never pulled out the sword from the stone, would I be able to live the life I wanted as an ordinary girl?
Even King Arthur once thought this way, and even asked his mentor Merlin with a wry smile, with the extremely ridiculous but amazing wish that if he got the Holy Grail, he could get it all over again and fundamentally change everything.
Merlin compassionately but cruelly told her the truth. The bloodline of the red dragon will only be hers. This was already destined before she was born. Even the union of King Uther and Igraine was just to give birth to her. And if she doesn't choose to pull out the sword in the stone, no one in this world can pull out the sword in the stone. Britain without the red dragon could not compete with King Bei, but even so, many knights stood up and fought with King Bei to protect the country.
What the illusion presented now was exactly what Artoria didn't want to see, but it was the possibility that was closest to her unfulfilled wish.
Precisely because King Uther died early and did not know that she was King Uther's child for various reasons, Artoria here believed that she was not qualified to pull out the sword in the stone, and she did not even try. Because of this, no one was able to pull out the Sword in the Stone. Knights from all over the world showed up to fight against King Bei but were defeated one after another. Similarly, although Arturia here grew up as a woman and could pursue her own happiness, for the sake of her country and her beloved Britain, she was willing to give up her identity as a woman and put on men's clothing to fight and protect Britain.
Arturia's character is destined to take the initiative to take on the responsibilities she can bear.
Although Tony failed to guess the complete truth, he vaguely guessed part of it, so the way he looked at Artoria was a little more complicated.
Even if you realize your wish and give yourself the opportunity to live as an ordinary woman, you will still follow the established path because you deeply love Britain.
"You are the destined red dragon, the only son of King Uther who can pull out the sword in the stone." Tony hesitated for a moment, then raised his eyes and looked directly at him.
Arturia stared at him in disbelief, her lips slightly parted, but no words escaped her lips. Tony looked at her, but felt something was wrong.
"How could..." Arturia muttered to herself absentmindedly, the mixed expressions on her face were so complex that it was impossible to distinguish them. She turned sideways, even leaving Tony behind rudely, and stumbled away.
Tony watched Artoria go away in silence, frowning and couldn't help but think deeply.
...Where is Merlin?
Tony once met Merlin in a dream where King Arthur pulled out the sword from the stone. Merlin came to Artoria, helped her strengthen her faith, and watched her pull out the sword in the stone... But why didn't Merlin appear here?
He thought of Artoria's strangely wavering and guilty feelings just now, and suddenly thought of another possibility.
Or...Merlin, has already found King Arthur?
Tony was thinking about it as he returned to the shelter. As soon as he entered, he saw the knight Gawain who had said he would not be his enemy.
Gawain seems to have just stepped off the battlefield, and his armor has not yet been completely removed. He was wearing dark black tights and a coat with a gray velvet waistcoat. Seeing Tony come back, he gave him a long and meaningful look, raised his lips and asked, "What's your name?"
He is different from Artoria. If Artoria is gentle and makes you feel no distance, Gawain is that you can feel his nobility even when he is smiling.
Tony, however, was not shy about his momentum and replied casually: "Stark, Tony Stark."
Gawain thought for a moment, then took out a pistol and handed it to Tony while asking curiously: "You...are not British, are you?"
"I'm not." Tony replied, turning the gun skillfully in a circle on his fingertips. This is a pistol that he uses very skillfully and has a deep memory. Then he turned to look at Gawain with a confused look on his face. "Why are you giving me this?"
"I didn't give this to you." Gawain looked at him with more complicated eyes, always feeling that he was dissatisfied. "This is what Artoria asked me to give you." After a pause, he still couldn't hold it back. "What did you say to Arturia? I have never seen him look so lost. He has never been like this."
Tony played with the pistol in his hand and remained silent.
