82 Chapter 81: Stopping King Arthur but... UwU
(AN: For simplification, I'll use the Lostbelt 6 map. Also, in the original storyline, Morgan was depicted as an alter ego of Vivian, which doesn't quite add up. To address this, in this volume, Morgan and Vivian will be distinct entities, with their connection explained as the story unfolds.)
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(Titus's (Lot's) POV)
After taking on the role of Morgan's advisor, I shared a bit about myself, convincing her that I was, in fact, her husband, King Lot of Orkney. I explained that my seemingly goofy demeanor was just a façade to reveal others' true personalities. Initially skeptical, Morgan eventually came around to believe me.
Currently, I found myself on the way to Edinburgh, where Uther Pendragon and Merlin were expected to be. Halting my horse near the castle, I turned to my wife. "You doing alright, Morgan?" I inquired, effortlessly helping her down from the horse.
"...I am fine, Milord," Morgan replied, adjusting her dress. Her face, veiled and unreadable, at least showed a basic level of respect for me.
"Regardless, stand firm, and don't waver, no matter how much your father yells or disrespects you. I'll protect you."
"I see. Thank you, Milord," she monotoned.
Instructing my soldiers to wait, I proceeded towards Uther's chamber.
"Welcome, King Lot of Orkney! What is this about sudden visit?!"
A large man, towering like me, greeted me with open arms. Resembling Rayleigh from One Piece with white hair and beard, he wore a crown, despite Edinburg being smaller than my territory.
He showed great humility toward me but barely acknowledged his own daughter. On the side, Merlin smiled and waved, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Uther invited me for drinks, but I declined, stating I was here for an urgent mission. I gestured for Morgan to step forward.
"Father, I'll be taking the sword to claim this land from Vortigern," Morgan declared.
Stepping forward, I elaborated on our purpose. First, to declare Morgan as his heir and provide her with support. The second reason was the crucial one.
"Your majesty, you must abandon your pursuit of another heir. I know you're already planning to conceive with Lady Igraine."
As much as I despised it, the birth of Artoria Pendragon would pose a threat to Morgan's rule, and I couldn't allow it.
"WHAT?!" Uther and Merlin exclaimed, horror evident on their faces at how I knew.
"Lord Uther, this individual is different, so..." Merlin stepped forward to console Uther, but Uther erupted with fury.
"How dare you! How dare a contemptible rat from a neighboring territory come to sabotage my plans?!" Uther's booming voice dominated the room, causing even Merlin and Morgan to step back in response to his overwhelming presence.
"And what in the world did you say? Morgan will rule this country, a woman?! She is nothing but weak, a coward of a disgraceful lineage! Despicable filth!" Uther continued his tirade, unleashing a string of insults directed at Morgan.
Initially resolute, Morgan began to tremble under the weight of her father's harsh words, despite her initial resolve.
No matter her titles as a talented magician, a witch, or the woman who overthrew Arthur, in this moment, she was simply a young girl in need of the support she truly deserved.
"It's okay." I offered a reassuring smile, gently patting Morgan's back, eliciting a faint smile from her. Then, fixing a steely gaze on Uther, I took a deep breath and let out a thunderous roar, "THAT'S ENOUGH, UTHER!!!"
!!!!
The force of my shout caused Uther, Merlin, and even Morgan to recoil. Uther and Merlin stood in disbelief as my sheer presence shattered Uther's kingly dominance.
"I will bear any insult, but you will not utter a single disrespectful word about my wife. Fairy or human, Morgan Pendragon is my wife, and I won't hesitate to wield my blade against anyone who dares to cross this line!"
"Milord..." Morgan murmured, but I remained focused.
"How dare you! How dare you?!" Uther gritted his teeth and charged at me with his sword.
"Milord! Watch out!" Morgan's warning fell upon me, but I stood my ground.
As Uther swung his sword downward, aiming to cleave me in two, I intercepted the blade with my spear just before it reached my head.
"Uther, be cautious! That's a divine artifact!" Merlin's warning was swift, recognizing my weapon. However, I had already deflected Uther's strike and followed through with a swift kick to his abdomen. The force sent the towering man hurtling backward until he crashed against his throne.
Blink. Blink.
Merlin and Morgan could only watch in awe as I effortlessly dealt with the self-proclaimed strongest king of Britain like a valley ball.
"M-Merlin, why do you look like a clown? Attack him...!" Uther issued the order while sprawled upside down on the throne.
Merlin nodded and began casting a spell. In response, I swiftly conjured a distortion rune, recalling the guidance from the future Merlin. As anticipated, another silhouette materialized next to the present Merlin.
Without hesitation, I sprinted towards the silhouette, raised my leg high, and...
CRACK!
The sound of a nutcracker echoed, reaching Morgan, Uther still lying on the throne, and, finally, the shocked Merlin. He stared at me, then at my leg nestled between his legs, and back at me before emitting a surprised squeal, "HMM!"
"Ah, sorry?" I apologized, feeling a bit remorseful for half-incubus Merlin writhing on the ground. "Anyway, I'm warning you. Don't bring another heir into this world. Morgan shall be the sole ruler."
"That's... impossible because..." Merlin struggled and pointed in the distance.
When I turned around, I was rendered speechless. There stood a short girl, approximately 2 years old, with blond hair and a firm ahoge, complemented by emerald green eyes. A mirror image of Morgan, the only difference being her hair color and those captivating blue eyes. Without a doubt, she was Artoria Pendragon.
Approaching Artoria, who looked at me with a blend of curiosity and silence, I had initially come here to prevent her birth. However, those big emerald eyes melted my resolve, and my paternal instincts kicked in. Lifting Artoria into my hands, I couldn't help but utter, "Artoria?"
"Hmm." Artoria nodded ever so slightly. At that very moment, my heart succumbed to her innocence.
"KAWAIIII!!! UwU~!" I couldn't resist showering her with hugs and kisses, leaving the other three in the room utterly dumbfounded. I mean, can you blame me? Little Artoria was an adorable bundle of pure cuteness, ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡.
After a delightful conversation with her, I proposed to Artoria, "Wanna come with uncle? I'll make delicious food."
"Food?! Hm! Hm!" Her eyes sparkled as she enthusiastically nodded.
"Then it's decided. I will be raising her," I declared, heading towards Morgan. Handing little Artoria to Morgan, I asked her to take Artoria outside. I wasn't concerned for Artoria since, at this point, Morgan wasn't that evil. With Artoria already in this world and my decision to adopt her, I hoped these sisters would build a strong bond.
"Now, let's have some men-to-men talk," I said, clenching my fist. My targets were the upside-down Uther and the unconscious Merlin.
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(3rd Person's POV)
Merlin observed from the window as the unusual pair, a literal Viking and a fairy, walked down together.
"Merlin, what's going on? I thought your plan was flawless. Why did that pig King Lot intervene and seem to know so much?" Uther's question resonated with the confusion they both shared. Their plan had been straightforward: Merlin would raise Artoria as Arthur Pendragon, claiming the kingdom. However, King Lot, previously dismissed, suddenly emerged, asserting Morgan as the rightful heir.
Even Merlin found himself puzzled. Uther had married Morgan off to King Lot in the hope of diverting her from leadership and the future throne. The prophecy seemed flawless, but now Merlin found himself in the dark.
"He is stronger than both of us, so there was nothing we could do," Merlin replied. Though he could have used his clairvoyance to unveil King Lot's true identity, he chose to withhold information from Uther.
As Merlin peered into the future, he noticed a new bright flame within King Lot's body. This light indicated whose fate the world would follow, and surprisingly, King Lot's flame burned even brighter than Artoria's. Morgan, on the other hand, possessed a dark flame, signifying her imminent demise. However, within Morgan, a new flame began to emerge, slowly replacing the darkness.
Merlin found it hard to believe that a new future was now possible. "Hmm, a new story beyond the same old king of the sword, eh? Interesting," Merlin mused, looking forward to how King Lot would raise a fairy destined for a fall.
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(Titus's (Lot's) POV)
Walking with Morgan by my side, the soft rays of the setting sun fell gently on our faces. In my arms, Artoria played silently with my beard, her childlike actions masking the fact that she rarely spoke. Yet, she remained undeniably the cutest, her small, soft body resting on my chest like a comfortable couch. I sensed that she was growing sleepy.
"Tha…" Morgan began to speak, "Thank you, Milord."
Glancing at her, I noticed a subtle pink hue on her cheeks. An interesting development, indeed. In her current state, free from her Villainous Witch phase, there was noticeable improvement.
Determined to mold her into a good ruler, I felt a sudden weight to my decision when Morgan raised a question. "But is this okay? I mean, adopting her."
I stopped in my tracks, realizing that adopting Artoria had been my decision, one that I hadn't even considered Morgan's feelings about. Turning around, I sighed, "Morgan, you are the king, so you should make the decision. I apologize for not taking your feelings into consideration. If you wish, we can abandon Artoria here. I assure you she won't pose any threat."
It was a tough decision because I genuinely wanted to raise Artoria. Even though she couldn't be a waifu anymore, she would be my beloved daughter. However, as the future king, I had to prioritize Morgan's wishes.
"Milord, what is your judgment for her?" Morgan inquired, "Will she become a threat?"
Looking at Artoria and patting her back, I contemplated. Artoria, or King Arthur, despite being a well-written female character, was a failure as a king. Though portrayed as the ideal ruler, she fell short as a human being.
Therefore, I wanted to give Artoria the life she truly desired. I didn't know what kind of life she would choose, but I was determined to provide her with unwavering support.
"She will be your greatest ally and friend," I assured Morgan, meeting her gaze. "Artoria is your sister and will support you more than anyone, even more than me. If you love her, she'll stand by your side forever."
Morgan smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Wanna take her?" I offered Artoria to Morgan, noticing her constant attention on the adorable bundle in my arms. Morgan shyly nodded, taking Artoria from me and placing her on a small but softer surface.
"Hm, hm~! She's really cute," Morgan chuckled, embracing her sister. "I'll love her forever."
Seeing the sisters bonding relieved me. In legends, they were portrayed as enemies, so witnessing this bond was a positive development.
However, Artoria had her own peculiar way of bonding.
PHUA!
Artoria suddenly vomited a white substance directly onto Morgan's face.
FART!
Followed by a big explosion, a dark substance erupted from Artoria's backside, splattering directly onto Morgan's hand and then...
PISS...
Lastly, some liquid sprayed out, staining Morgan's once-white dress, now turned orange.
"Sista... hmm..." Little Artoria smiled innocently and hugged Morgan before dozing off.
After literally exploding from everywhere, Artoria fell asleep, leaving Morgan Pendragon traumatized for the rest of her life.
