【49】To someone who truly recognizes you
Do you want... to end the war?
Of course I want it, I want it very much, or in other words, this is the wish of everyone living in the shadow of King Bei.
"What do you mean?"
After asking this question out of conditioned reflex, Kai immediately became alert. He put his hand back on the hilt of his sword and added: "You...who are you?"
Kai couldn't help but think of the origin of this man that Gawain had said jokingly: he was found not far from the battlefield. He only had blood stains on his body by accident. He was not injured. He was wearing strange and ridiculous clothes. He also asked some questions...
...asked some questions about "Who pulled out the sword in the stone", "Where is King Arthur"...wait...King Arthur? !
Thinking of this, Tony in front of Kai also said solemnly: "I can't tell you the rest... So let's put it this way, I come from the future."
"A future that is completely different from the history I know now."
Arturia saw another version of herself in her dream.
In the red-covered field, there were far more corpses everywhere than on the usual battlefield. And in this painful place shrouded in death, only one person seemed to be breathing a little faintly.
The blond knight's armor and face were covered with the blood of his enemies or his own blood everywhere. It seemed that even the dazzling golden hair was soaked with blood and dimmed. One of the knight's eyes narrowed slightly because of the blood soaking into it, and his green eyes were also stained with a little blood.
The knight struggled to pull out the long sword from the body of the enemy in front of him. The enemy was wearing heavy armor and died with the sword in his hand raised high. The knight breathed heavily again, pointing the sword tip down, holding the hilt of the sword with both hands, supporting himself and barely standing.
Artoria looked at the knight with blonde hair and blue eyes that turned almost blood-colored in silence. She moved her fingers slightly as if she wanted to help the knight up, but in the end she did nothing.
Because that knight actually had the exact same appearance as Artoria.
The difference must be told, probably because Artoria's face is obviously filled with hope, while the knight is full of despair.
The standing illusory figure looked at the knight who was standing precariously holding the sword. After a long while, he finally couldn't bear it and said: "I... was it you who pulled out the sword in the stone?"
Although she couldn't help asking, Artoria knew very well that the knight in front of her couldn't hear anything.
This is the dream demon that has haunted Artoria for many years.
"Ah...ah..." the knight cried desperately. "It's all because of me... It's all because of me..." She opened her hands and looked at her palms, where there was blood that could not be wiped clean.
"I simply...can't do all this." The knight buried his face in his hands. "I can't save Britain at all..."
"……No."
"I should never have pulled out the sword in the stone from the beginning."
As if all this was just the future that Artoria had been lucky enough to glimpse, the knight slowly blamed himself full of regret: "I want to save Britain, but I simply don't have enough strength or understanding of what the people of Britain really need. "
"In order to consolidate my power, I married Guinevere, but I didn't tell her my true gender until after our wedding. She had to bear all the accusations in pain for so many years."
"The knights took a fancy to my reputation and praised me. In order to support me, they came all the way to Camelot to help me and join my command... However, I have never understood what their real wish is."
"In order to resist the enemy, he shamelessly exploited the nobles and common people, causing them to complain and become angry..."
"But in the end...but in the end..." The knight laughed miserably, not knowing who he was laughing at. "But in the end...I am not a qualified king at all..."
"I am...the king without a heart..."
"If I am not the one who pulls out the sword from the stone, that person can definitely save Britain."
Arturia watched all this quietly.
Ever since she saw the sword in the stone, she has been having this dream.
At first she thought it was an illusion, but later she realized that this might be the shadow of the future she had glimpsed.
Although I don't know why that "future self" became the king, and was even able to defeat the humble king, in the end, this "self" was left guarding the corpse on the battlefield, regretting everything he had done.
Therefore, Artoria did not draw the sword in the stone.
She kept in mind what "she" said, "If I am not the one who pulls out the sword from the stone, that person can definitely save Britain.". Therefore, Artoria never even came close to the Sword in the Stone.
When fewer and fewer people tried to draw the sword, and gradually no one tried to draw the sword anymore, Arturia couldn't help but panic. Is it true that if you don't draw the sword, you won't be able to draw it? Is it true that there is no way to defeat King Bei without drawing out the sword?
She tried to reach out and touch the hilt of the Sword in the Stone, and the familiar red color from her dream overwhelmed her again.
Then, a man wearing a hood and holding a staff with white hair and purple eyes appeared next to him. He looked at Artoria with a smile and asked gently: "Artoria, don't you want to pull out the sword in the stone?"
Today, Artoria doesn't even understand why she didn't care about his real name that he easily called out, but told him honestly: "When I touched the hilt of the sword, I saw hell."
"That's your future." The man touched her head. "As long as you pull out the sword from the stone, you will definitely have that kind of future."
"What if I don't want to draw this sword?" The girl complained, glaring at the Sword in the Stone like a coquettish girl.
"Then just put it here." The man gave her advice with a smile. "Just pull it out if you don't want to...or, pull out the sword and hand it over to someone you think is more suitable?"
Arturia raised her head suddenly, and the purple eyes in front of her seemed to be filled with starlight that would never end.
"...Lea? Artoria?" Her body was shaken slightly, Artoria looked over with squinting eyes in confusion, and happened to meet the face of Gawain who was looking at her very closely and worriedly.
Arturia unceremoniously pushed the other person's face away with one hand and yawned lazily. Gawain didn't care about being treated so rudely, and still leaned forward anxiously: "Artoria, are you okay? You seem to be particularly sleepy recently. Are you under the spell of King Bei?"
Speaking of which... Artoria frowned slightly. She was indeed not feeling right recently. Rather than being lethargic, it was more a matter of magic replenishment caused by a lack of magic power...
But he didn’t use magic power?
Gawain watched Arturia fall asleep a little late thinking about it, and couldn't help but feel happy that she was still very reliable on the battlefield, except for the man in the shelter recently... Gawain felt unhappy when he thought about it. He got up, but he still maintained his elegant appearance and knocked Artoria on the forehead: "Artoria, what is your relationship with the man in the shelter? It's not the first time I've seen you secretly assist him on the battlefield. ”
Artoria turned her head with a guilty conscience. After waiting for a long time, she found that Gawain was still staring at her with a smile, so she could only sigh and said: "Gawain, the great magician Merlin said that only the one who pulls out the sword from the stone can defeat King Bei. Do you believe it at all?"
Gawain was stunned for a moment, feeling that Artoria didn't seem to suddenly think of this, so he became serious. He caressed the scabbard at his waist unconsciously. The blue hilt with golden patterns exposed gave the sword a sense of mystery.
"I don't believe it." Gawain said lightly. "I heard Kai say: 'We don't have time to dream with Merlin and Uther. Compared with the invisible evidence of the king, it is much more humane to judge by how many men, money, and power we have now. There is no need at all. A strong leader. If the interests of each other are consistent, it will be easier to cooperate and it will be easier to calculate anything. (Note 1)'. I think this is very correct."
"Unless the person recognized by the Sword in the Stone happens to be recognized by everyone." So saying, Gawain looked at Artoria with complicated eyes, with faint approval in his eyes, but Artoria Just in time to avoid Gawain's gaze. Gawain sighed and said: "When the prophecy first appeared, I once felt at ease. What will the future king look like, the king who pulled out the sword in the stone? He must have powerful power and can easily kill the devil. The neck of the dragon; he must have a kind and kind heart, and even the elves will respect him. Could he be me? With this hope, I came to the sword, but what was disappointing was that I did not draw it. Qualification to draw a sword."
Arturia's face became more and more ashamed, but she didn't realize how obvious this was.
Gawain paused for another long time, and then said: "Maybe the future king can be selfish and not so majestic. Maybe he will have to work hard to defeat the two-winged dragon... But as long as I recognize him, it doesn't matter."
"...But Arturia, he should not be a coward who doesn't trust himself and puts his hope in others."
Arturia's face turned pale.
Gawain stared at Artoria for a long time, and finally smiled and patted Artoria's shoulder gently: "Come on, knight." After saying this, he turned his head and walked out. "I just saw Kai rushing towards the shelter as soon as he entered the battlefield. If you're right... he was probably looking for the man you helped?"
Artoria was stunned for a moment, then rushed out and ran towards the shelter.
