Chapter 202: No More Students: 1
I knew what I said would definitely give Artoria a lot to think about.
But I didn't think she'd lock herself in her room for nearly a whole week!
She didn't come out even for food. Her knights and Merlin were concerned and angry. Though, the anger was directed at me. Every time I walked around, I would get glares from people around.
Honestly? It wasn't so bad. Back in Uruk I was getting stares all the time when I first arrived. At least now they actually have a reason to glare at me other than my looks.
Then again, I'm not in my real body, so...
I just spent the past few days exploring the city. Since I'm stuck in Camelot, might as well get familiar with it for now. I have to admit, other than the - in my opinion at least - unnecessary repeat of using white as the main color of everything, the city was honestly rather pretty.
The buildings, while most are still incomplete, are still a sight to behold. The streets are clean. There was well maintained trees every now and then in front of houses or just at the sides of streets. And it was large enough for any kinds of merchant and store to be found.
"Zachary."
It's really different from Uruk which, now that I think about it, is probably the reason why I think all this white is unnecessary. Uruk's houses were only painted for important people like guard Captains or members of the council.
"Zachary."
Maybe I should be more open minded when it comes to agriculture. I mean, it's gonna be changing no matter what, so I should just accept that, at least as long as its nothing weird.
"Zachary!" Someone grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.
"Bedivere?" I looked at who was holding me and I was honestly surprised. Bedivere was one of the knights that especially avoided me, mainly because he preferred being at Artoria's side.
"Why were you not answering, Zachary?" Bedivere asked.
"Uh... because that's not my name," I replied, looking confused. "My name is Zack, not Zachary."
"Is it not a shorter, informal version of Zachary?" Bedivere asked.
I mean... technically he's not wrong, but that's still not my name. As far as I know, my name has always been Zack since I woke up in that forest.
Great, this is making me wonder where I got that name.
Shaking those thoughts away, I looked at Bedivere. "Anyway, do you need something?"
"His majesty wishes to speak with you," Bedivere replied.
Oh, so she finally came out. "Alright, lead the way," I shrugged my shoulders and just followed Bedivere.
We walked into the castle and headed for the throne room. Surprisingly, Gawain was waiting by the door alongside Kay. Bedivere walked aside and stood besides them.
"His majesty wants to see you in private," Bedivere explained why he was waiting by the door.
I just shrugged again and entered. I highly doubt this was a trap because there was no reason for one. Plus, Artoria is very reasonable despite her inhuman pretence.
When I got in, the whole place was a bit dark since most of the drapes were closed, letting in very little light. The air itself felt a bit gloomier than what it used to be.
Artoria was on her throne with Merlin close by. She looked... Well, not good. She had a bit of dark lines under her eyes and her lack of food was obvious.
Guess what I told her shook her more than I thought.
"You're here," she mumbled, weakly raising her head.
"I am, you look thin. Have you been eating anything at all?" I asked out of genuine concern.
Artoria didn't answer. She looked at me and took a deep breath. "I... Wish to be a good king. One my people can rely on. I love this land and the people, and you said that is why I cannot be perfect."
"Yes, and?" I asked, giving her a chance to continue.
Artoria looked upwards and shook her head. "I... Am not sure what to do anymore. I aspire to be the best king I can be but... I do not wish to stop loving my people. Even to be perfect, I cannot do that."
"And that's good," I said, placing my hands on my waist. "There's nothing wrong with a king loving their people. I've met the most arrogant king you'll ever see but he was still proud of his people all the same."
Artoria raised an eyebrow and looked like she was about to ask me about who I was talking about before she shook her head.
"Now, for the reason I called you here," she looked at me with pleading eyes. "Can you please... Teach me how to be a king that loves their people?"
"Nope!" I declined so quickly even Merlin blinked in surprise. Raising my hand in mock surrender, I shook my head. "Nu-uh. I do NOT take students anymore. Even if I knew how to teach you that, I have no desire to take your, or anyone for that matter, as a student."
Honestly, I know I'm being a bit paranoid but... What happened to Yang still hist me pretty hard.
Sure, Svend turned out great and was a good king, but I had nothing to do with the last part. I only taught Svend to fight and to not be much of a battle maniac.
Being a great king was something Svend did all on his own.
"Please, I ask of you to reconsider," Artoria's desperation was evident in her voice. "There is no one else for me to ask."
I opened my mouth to deny that before stopping and actually thinking about it.
Merlin was there but he didn't say anything. He was just observing. If I remember correctly, he was the one that told her being king means being inhuman, so he's probably quiet because he agrees with her.
Her knights, who were borderline blindly loyal, would never dare speak back to her, let alone lecture her. Maybe Kay because he grew up with her and trained her on knighthood, but the others wouldn't dare speak up.
God dammit, this job is becoming more of a headache than I thought.
"Alright, give me three days and I'll come up with something," I said crossing my arms and turning around. "But again! I'm not here to be your mentor, so don't expect much!"
"The fact you try alone is enough," Artoria gave me a weak smile.
"Yeah, yeah. Now go eat something. You're practically skin and bones."
Chapter 203: No More Students: 2
The three days were almost up and I got... Nothing.
I honestly don't have any idea what to do. I never really was interested in 'ruling' or anything like that, so how would I know what being a king means?
Heck, I practically threw the role of leadership on Baraka with the forest nomads.
"Man, I really should have asked for more than three days," I sighed as I sat in a table.
I was sitting in the room they gave me walking back and forth. That's pretty much all I've been doing other than taking walks to see Camelot. Honestly, I've just been trying to think.
Someone then knocked on the door of the room. I raised an eyebrow and spoke, "You can come in."
The door was opened and on the other side was Kay. He looked over his shoulder at the hallway, looked at both sides, and came in while closing the door behind him.
"Is there something you need?" I asked. Seeing him act in secrecy got me curious.
Kay looked at me for a few moments before he sighed and actually knelt down. "Thank you."
"... Uh, what?" Was the only response I can give.
"Me and Merlin have tried to very hard to warn Artoria of the path she has chosen. Even when she persisted, we assisted her the best we could. But, no matter what, Artoria's smile got weaker and weaker the more responsibility she shouldered, so thank you for stopping her from throwing away her emotions," Kay explained, still kneeling down.
"Okay... seriously, stand up, I'm not a Knight, king, or nobility. Kneeling down to me isn't really... meaningful much," I told him, placing my hands on my waist. "And, in all honesty, I really can't say I did it to help her. I just found her inhuman pretence annoying."
"That's still more than I ever did. As her brother, I should have done something," Kay insisted.
I sighed and shook my head. "Look, considering the fact you ARE her brother, you couldn't really say she's not perfect after she became king, can yo-" I stopped as an idea struck me. I gave Kay a firm glare. "You want to help Artoria?"
"Yes," Kay answered without a second thought.
"Then come with me," taking hold of hid arm, I pulled him up to his feet and walked out of the room. "Where's Merlin usually at?" I asked.
Kay blinked in surprise before pointing at the left hallway. "This leads directly to his tower."
Going in the direction he pointed at, I dragged Kay across the castle towards Merlin's tower. We walked up a flight of stairs, a really long one, and found Merlin at a table reading a tome.
"I know I don't have a door to knock but you can still say- wha- hey!" I cut Merlin off by walking up to him, picking him up, and throwing him over my shoulder.
"Now, Where's Artoria?" I asked Kay.
Kay, uncaring for Merlin over my shoulder though still looked confused, answered. "She's at the throne room listening to Sir Tristan's report. He just returned from-"
"Not important. Let's go," I grabbed his arm and dragged him out.
Walking through the castle, we headed straight for the throne room - while getting stares from guards because of Merlin but Kay waved them off - and opened the doors.
Tristan and five knights were all kneeling there and speaking to Artoria. Obviously, when we walked in, their attention turned to us, and they were all surprised my by carrying Merlin over my shoulder and dragging Kay with his arm.
"Arthur, we need to talk privately," I stated, walking by Tristan and the knights.
"Can this wait?" Artoria asked, looking both confused and uncomfortable.
"No," walking forward, I picked Artoria up and threw her over my other shoulder.
"Wha- hey!" Artoria cried out.
"Just so you know, I have nothing to do with this," I heard Merlin say.
"For once, I'm willing to believe you're innocent," Artoria replied.
"Sorry, everyone, important meeting about Excalibur's legacy and all that," I said to the stunned knights as I just walked out with both Artoria and Merlin over my shoulders and Kay following. "Where's your room? We need this to be private."
"There's a staircase that leads to my room at the end of the left hallway," Artoria answered.
Following her directions, I went towards Artoria's room with Kay behind me and opened a rather fancy looking pair of gates. The room inside, surprisingly, wasn't completely white and had a large blue bed with drapes and a carpet of the same colour.
Dropping Artoria on the bed and Merlin on his feet, I walked back to close and lock the door behind Kay. Pulling Baraka out, I turned its edge to metal and used it to write Runes on the door, insuring the room is sound proof.
"This better be good, Zack," Artoria actually sounded agitated.
"I found a way to help you. Is that important enough?" I asked with a deadpan look.
Does she really think I would do that for no reason?
Artoria's eyes widen and she jumped off the bed. "Y-You did? How!?"
"It depends on these two," I said, motioning to Merlin and Kay. "These two are the key to helping you stop this inhuman pretence and ruling as a great king."
Kay blinked in confusion and even Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and what do you need us to do then?"
"Just like that?" I asked, a bit surprised they just accepted the rule.
"But of course!" Merlin smiled. "What court Mage would I be if I don't help my king?"
"I would do anything to help Arthur," Kay added, firmly.
Impressed with their devotion, I nodded and motioned to Artoria. "Alright, I need you two... to insult her."
The whole room went silent. It was so quiet that I thought my Runes backfired and muted everyone inside for a moment.
"Eh... what?" Kay asked, finally breaking out of his shock.
"We need to imprint the idea that she's not perfect in her mind. So, you two, the people closest to her, need to remind her of her faults. It could be anything as long as its a flaw," I instructed.
Merlin and Kay looked at each other, completely unsure of my idea, which I honestly don't blame them. I literally told them to insult their king.
"Merlin... Kay...," Artoria spoke up, drawing their attention. Giving them a pleading look, Artoria took a deep breath and nodded. "Please, if this will help me be a better king without losing my compassion to my people, do it. I am not asking you as Arthur... but as Artoria."
Merlin and Kay's eyes widened. They stared at her for a few moments before looking at each other. Merlin was the one to nod towards Kay, assuring him to do it.
"Uhm," Kay began as he scratched the back of his head. "You... uh... never learned to swim?" He still sounded unsure.
"That's... true," to Artoria's credit, she did seem a bit embarrassed about that. "However, I have Vivian's blessing, so I never really needed to."
"Still, what kind of example does that leave for the people?" Merlin asked. I guess he was better at teasing people for their flaws than Kay. "Imagine if the people found out their king doesn't know how to swim. How will they be motivated to learn so themselves?"
"Good, keep it coming," I encouraged them.
"You can be rather rash," Kay said, sounding less hesitant. "I know those days are behind you, but in the past you would always charge without an actual plan. One time, you nearly forgot your sword form how rushed you were."
Artoria flinched, obviously not enjoying that memory. "I... Admit, I wasn't very patient in my youth."
"You've always been a glutton," Merlin said motioning to Artoria's stomach. "I know I gave you the heart of a dragon, but I still don't understand how you ended up with the appetite of one. We had to expand the kitchen's castle twice because we were having trouble feeding the soldiers AND you."
Artoria's cheeks turned to a pink color as she covered her stomach. "Y-You said those expansions were because of the sudden rise in the number of soldiers!"
"Well, we certainly can't say it's because our king eats to much to to their face, can we?" Merlin asked, leaning to his side.
"You were always too stubborn," Kay decided to join in again. "Every time we told you you weren't ready for something when we were travelling together, you would always throw a tantrum about how you'll never be ready if you don't take on challenges."
"In my defence, you were always a bit overprotective!" Artoria cried out in her defence, her 'perfect king' persona nowhere to be seen anymore.
"That doesn't mean I'll let you challenge a group of demonic boars just because you pulled out Caliburn, Artoria! You were still in training!" Kay's response caused her to flinch and take a step back.
They must have had a LOT of stuff bottled in because they kept ranting at Artoria and berating her behaviour and habits until after midnight.hapter 204: No More Students: 3
The next day after the little session with Artoria was definitely interesting.
Kay seemed to have cooled down after ranting for hours and decided to 'punish himself for speaking like that to his king' by spending the entire day in the training fields.
It's already noon and he was singing his sword in the field since he woke up.
Merlin acted as if nothing happened beyond being more quiet. I see him open his mouth to say something every now then while looking at me but he slowly closes it without saying a thing.
As for Artoria herself? She, surprisingly, went back to work, though decided to start her day with paperwork and not meeting anyone. The meeting with Tristan to finish his report was pushed to the noon.
She would flich every now and then, as if the memory of last night would suddenly pop in her head, but she would always shake her head and get back to work.
Speaking of the meeting with Tristan, it was finally happening and the Knight alongside the Captains that went with him on the mission.
"Sir Tristan, I apologise for the... sudden departure yesterday," Artoria started speaking, taking a glance at my direction.
Tristan though, didn't seem that bothered. "It's nothing, your majesty. As Excalibur's chosen wielder, you are always expected to be ready for another test t you right to hold the Sacred Sword."
"Right..." Artoria mumbled, knowing that last night had nothing to do with Excalibur's test of being worthy. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Tristan and, instead of returning to her emotionless facade, gave them a smile. "Regardless... I would like to still express my apologies. You had just returned from a mission and were giving your report when I left you as you were speaking. And so, I'm sorry, and well done on your mission, Sir Tristan."
Tristan's eyes, for once, were wide open. His jaw was hanging and he was looking at Artoria like she had actually grew a second head. The knights behind him were very much the same.
They stayed like that for a few moments before I finally decided to say something and wake them up. "Hey, buddy, you may wanna actually respond to your king."
That seemed to knock Tristan back into reality. He violently shook his head and, if possible, knelt even lower. "You grace me with your words, your majesty! Truly, you have nothing to apologise for!"
The knights behind him seem to share the same sentiment while also looking a bit... guilty? That's odd.
Oh, wait, wasn't one of the reasons Camelot fell because the knights left out of thinking Artoria didn't care for them? I guess they were already starting to have those thoughts.
Guess this made them rethink their view on their king.
The rest of the meeting went in a mostly professional manner. I sat mostly because Tristan and the knights were acting as if God graced them when Artoria smiles. After the meeting, I just left telling Artoria I've got work to do.
That was a lie. I just didn't want to spend the day looking at her do politics.
I went to one of the taverns to just sit down and wait for the day to be over. I don't need to eat, even in the puppet body since it uses the Yggdrasil's wood heart to stay healthy, but I can still do it as a form of pleasure.
The tavern was a nice place. Big with two floors, wooden tables and chairs everywhere and lamps on every wall. Though since the sun didn't set yet, the windows were just open to let in light.
I was sitting on one of tables near the window, enjoying a drink and looking out at the city. While it wasn't finished yet, Camelot was still a rather beautiful place during the day. I'm not a fan of all the white, but the light reflecting off it made the city seem kind of holy.
Someone came in and sat on the other side of the table. Looking at who joined me, I saw non other than the Mage of Flowers himself.
"Shouldn't you, as a court Mage, be at Artoria's side?" I asked, taking a sip from my drink.
"I placed an illusion in my place. No one will notice I'm gone for a while," Merlin replied before looking at the waitress. "Excuse me, can I get some ale? Thank you. The man in front of me is paying," he ordered, placing it on my tab without a care in the world. "And what about you? What's your excuse for letting Excalibur's wielder out of your sight?"
"There is no excuse. I just don't like politics," I answered bluntly.
"Hahaha! You don't mince words, do you!" Merlin laughed as the waitress brought in his drink. "Thank you," he took a sip from it and looked at me again. "I've been meaning to ask, what was exactly the purpose of last night?"
I guess there's no reason to not tell him, and I don't doubt he placed an illusion around us to hide what we talk about. "Artoria pretty much solidified the idea that she needs to be perfect on her mind. She needed to be reminded of her flaws. You and Kay know her the most in Camelot. As such, you two were the best choice to remind her that she, like everyone else, is flawed."
"I do apologise for that. I'm the one who told her that being king means not being human," Merlin actually sounded like he meant it.
"This actually reminds me," I started, giving him a serious look. "When you were preparing Artoria to be king... did you base your idea on Solomon?"
"My, you REALLY don't mince words, do you!" Merlin just smiled. "First, let me ask, were you referring to Sorcerer King Solomon yourself when you asked Artoria what she would do with endless power?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah. I didn't know Solomon, but I know OF him and am friends with people who personally knew him," I answered. "So, did you base your idea on him?"
Merlin's smile actually turned somewhat reminiscing and he looked down at his drink. "Sorcerer King Solomon... the Perfect King, born to be higher than humans. I don't think there's a single person in the world of Mage-craft that doesn't respect, revere, or at least fear his name. Even that witch Morgan Le Fay most likely avoids saying his name altogether," he mumbled before turning his gaze back at me. "To answer your question... I don't know. Maybe I did? Or maybe I was trying to convince Artoria to avoid such a path? I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to actually feeling emotions. But... I wish I hadn't. Because of what I said, Artoria began avoiding who sh me is, and trying to paint an image over herself for people to worship."
"You cared for her so much that you screwed up, huh?" I couldn't keep the sympathy out of my voice even if I tried. "I know how that feels."
"You do?" Merlin looked surprised.
"I... had a daughter once," it never gets easier to talk about this. "I cared for her so much that I didn't see what I was doing for her and messed up big time. It haunts me to this day."
"So that's why you helped Artoria despite insisting to not guide her, huh?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yup," I held my mug upwards. "To loving our daughters to the point of messing up."
Merlin looked at my mug for a few seconds. Hesitantly, he raised his own before finally clicking it with mine. "To loving our daughters to the point of messing up."
We both took a drink from our mugs and mine became empty. "Excuse me, another mug of apple juice!" I called out.
Merlin chocked on his drink and nearly did a spit-take. "A-Apple juice?!" He sounded like he was about to burst in laughter.
I just shrugged my shoulders. "Not really a fan of beer, ale, or booze."
Alcohol has no effect on the puppet body beyond making its reactions to my commands slower. So, I really don't experience being drunk. That makes Alcohol just another drink but with a bitter aftertaste and slight burn on the throat.
If there's no difference between alcohol and juice, then I'd obviously pick the tastier one.