15 The first day for the last time

Mordred and Subaru were the only one's left in the alley, shortly after meeting each other.

Mordred held his sword with both hands and pointed it downwards, dropping it and making Clarent strike the stone floor with its tip with a clang. With a crimson flash of light, his body became clad in heavy plate armor, giving him a fierce aura.

Holding his sword in front of him, Mordred announced: "I am Mordred Pendragon, the one and true heir of Arthur Pendragon."

A faint smile appeared on Mordred's lips as he looked at Subaru with suspicion. "Now then, I have one question for you, Natsuki Subaru - were you perhaps summoned here recently from another world?"

Subaru was completely casual in front of Mordred's act, before a surprised look emerged on his face. He seemed to ponder for a while, finally smiled and said, "Yeah! I was just summoned here."

Seeing that Subaru didn't continue, Mordred nodded, "I thought so."

"Sir Mordred, do you maybe know who summoned me?" Subaru asked curiously, his casual tone not matching the honorific that he used.

'It must be a cute girl that summoned me, very likely Merlin, otherwise it wouldn't fit the script,' Subaru thought to himself.

Mordred squinted his eyes and then sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't know why you're here. I only know my own reason for being summoned."

He didn't choose to blatantly lie, because a lie would surely be revealed later during conversations with Reinhard.

"Your reason? You were also summoned?" Subaru asked.

"I guess it isn't a secret for me," Mordred said. "Yes, I was summoned to this world not long before you."

"Gotcha, so you also aren't from this world," Subaru stated. "Then what kind of world are we in? What's the reason for your summoning, Mordred?"

Mordred dematerialized his armor and weapon, changing into casual clothes. He then said, "I'll tell you what I know. The nation that we came to lost its ruler to a mysterious disease not long ago, so things aren't the most stable here. There are all kinds of beasts living in the outside world and magecraft here is quite powerful, seeming to be at the level from the Age of Gods, but the world is peaceful for the most part. The culture is medieval. As for the reason for my own summoning, I believe that my mission is to participate in the Royal Selection that's currently taking place and become the ruler of this nation."

Subaru raised his eyebrows. All of it wasn't what he expected to hear. "Why do you think that?"

"I have many reasons to believe that, but I'm not obliged to explain everything to you," Mordred said calmly. "Anyway, what about you, Subaru? Do you have any clues regarding your summoning? You seem to me to be an ordinary human."

Subaru felt a sting when he was called an ordinary human, but he brushed it aside. He smiled and said, "I'm not sure why I was summoned here, but since I was summoned, I can't be so ordinary, right? Otherwise what would be the point?"

"I guess." Mordred shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

Subaru nodded as he sighed. 'I guess it's a leveling-type isekai and I have to awaken my powers, starting from nothing. But Mordred already started at a mid level, man, talk about unfair. I gotta level up quickly, but my potential is probably higher.'

"So what do you think we should do now?" Subaru asked.

"I suggest we go our own ways. You can explore the city on your own and find out more about your situation. As for me, I have something important that I need to do right now, so I can't accompany you. I'm sorry," Mordred said.

"Oh… Okay then, no problem. If you're busy then don't worry about it! I'll be fine," Subaru called out with a friendly smile.

'Mordred is surprisingly nice… Not what I imagined him to be after watching Destiny/Apocryphe,' Subaru thought, finding Mordred quite likable.

Mordred faintly smiled, placed a hand on Subaru's shoulder and said, "Anyway, from the look of things you seem to be in a tough spot. You have no idea why you're here and where you are. If you don't know what to do with yourself, you can hang around this spot later on and I'll find you to give you a hand."

"Oh." Subaru exclaimed and then smiled brightly. As an Isekai protagonist he wasn't very worried about his future at this moment, but he was still very thankful for Mordred's thoughtfulness. "Thanks man. So if there's anything then I'll wait around here."

"Yeah, but I'll advise you to not tell other people about where you came from unless you consider them trustworthy. Others might want to kidnap you to get your secrets. I guess it isn't every day that someone gets summoned from another world here," Mordred said with a smile.

"Yeah, makes sense! Then I'll be going for now, Mordred!" Subaru called out as he saluted, making a pose.

"Sure. See you later." Mordred waved his hand.

"See you!" Subaru waved back as he turned to leave the alley.

Mordred faintly smiled as he watched Subaru leave with excitement. He understood that Subaru is quite petty and holds grudges easily, but he's also someone who greatly appreciates a stranger's kindness, especially in his hopeless situation, so Mordred didn't mind acting nicely to become Subaru's hope in this world.

After Subaru left the alley again, Mordred used Crimson Lightning to call in Reinhard and then stored his sword. Once he dealt with the three muggers and mugged them, Reinhard appeared just as expected.

"The muggers got mugged. How interesting," a smooth, gentle and mildly amused voice was heard as Rinhard walked into the alley with a mild smile. "I am Reinhard. May I know your name?"

"Reinhard van Astrea, the Sword Saint and the strongest person in this kingdom," Mordred said as he faintly smiled, looking straight at Reinhard.

Reinhard slightly raised his eyebrows, saying, "So you know me. These titles are a bit too much for me. I have to say that you also seem pretty strong, but I have never heard of you."

Mordred said, "My name is Mordred Pendragon."

"So it's Mordred," Reinhard said, smiling lightly. "As for why I'm here? Well, I sensed some magic that was unleashed around here, so I came to check what had happened."

"Then that must have been me. I released some mana into the air," Mordred said. A Reinhard bait that never fails.

"I see..." Reinhard said, still wearing an amicable expression. "May I ask where you come from, Mordred?"

Mordred hummed, before saying, "I've been here for a while and heard of your reputation, Reinhard, so I suppose I will just tell you the truth, even if it's quite absurd."

Reinhard raised his eyebrows at Mordred's words.

"I am not from this continent. I just came to this city today through some kind of teleportation magic," Mordred said honestly. "It was an accident and it was not my intention to come here."

"I see. So that's what happened," Reinhard said after a long while, his expression displaying clear surprise due to Mordred's truthful words. He asked gently and curiously, "Say, Mordred, now that you're here in Lugnica, can you tell me what your intentions are?"

"If you're asking if I'm here to cause trouble, then no," Mordred said and smiled. "In fact, I quite like it here so I would like to stay and explore."

"I see. If you don't plan to cause trouble, then you're welcome to stay." Reinhard smiled. "But I have to warn you about something. At this moment, there is martial law in Lugnica, so as a stranger it would be best that you register your presence or you might get in trouble. I am free today and I would be glad to help, I can show you around and also get you registered."

Mordred smiled. "That's kind of you, Reinhard. By the way, I have an acquaintance who is in a similar situation to me. Can you help him out too?"

Reinhard's expression was somewhat surprising. "In a similar situation? You mean that he was also teleported here?"

"It seems so," Mordred said, nodding.

"Alright! Then it isn't a problem. I'll help you both. Where can we find your acquaintance?" Reinhard asked.

"He should be in the area. We'll find him in a bit," Mordred said and then squatted down to pick up the money that the thugs left.

After already standing up, he glanced at Reinhard's sword and said, "By the way, sorry if I'm being impolite, Reinhard, but can you let me take a look at the sword at your hip? It seems to be nearly as powerful as Father's…"

Reinhard faintly smiled as he placed his hand at the hilt of his sword; being a sword enthusiast himself, he wasn't surprised by Mordred's question. "This sword? Unfortunately this sword can only be…"

Reinhard gently pulled at the hilt of the Dragon Sword to prove a point, but was shocked to find out that he was actually able to unsheath the Dragon Sword in Mordred's presence. After a long moment's lag, he collected himself and pulled out the whole blade, presenting it in front of himself to Mordred.

With his eyes at the blade that he himself rarely has a chance to observe, Reinhard coughed and said, "Its name is Dragon Sword Reid and it's an heirloom that my Astrea family passed down for 400 years. It's a blade that's wielded by each generation's Sword Saint, starting from the first. Legend says that this blade has drunk the blood of thousands of dragons in the past, hence its name the Dragon Sword. As for the sheath…" Reinhard sheathed the sword and presented the sheath, saying, "It's called the Dragon Claw, since these grooves here are said to have been caused by the claws of the Divine Dragon Volcanica."

"I see. It's definitely a great sword…" Mordred faintly said, secretly thinking, 'The Dragon Sword is just on completely another level from my Clarent, there's no comparison. It's something like an A++ weapon at the minimum, but very likely A+++ or even EX. It will take me a lot of time and effort just to raise Clarent's rank to B by becoming Lugnica's King, but I guess I have all the time in the world to upgrade my weapon in the future and find something with a level closer to Reinhard's Sword…'

"Mordred, you mentioned your father's sword, can you tell me more about it?" Reinhard asked curiously.

Mordred smiled and said, "As you wish, it isn't really a secret. My father wields a sword called Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory. It's a holy sword forged from the world's essence and mankind's crystalized wishes. It's an unrivaled sword that should be at a similar level as your Dragon Sword. If the world were to face a calamity it would unleash its full strength to help in protecting it. It was created thousands of years ago and was used to repel countless threats. It's usually guarded by extensions of the world, the Fairies, but was lended to my father by the Lady of the Lake who deemed him worthy of it."

"Is that so? That's fascinating…" Reinhard's face was full of interest and astonishment, as he spoke with sparkles shining in his eyes - he knew that Mordred spoke the truth and was shocked by it, being blissfully unaware that the latter was actually talking about a fictional world in his view.

During this time Mordred got a good grasp on how Reinhard's lie detecting Divine Protection works. If Mordred were to say, for example, that he caused a rebellion in his kingdom and killed his father - then it would be truthful, because he is the Mordred Pendragon Heroic Spirit that appears to have come from the Throne of Heroes after death. But on the other hand, if he said that he never caused a rebellion and didn't betray his father, then it would also be deemed truthful, because he doesn't have memories of him doing that and he believes in what he says.

At the same time, Mordred had already fully accepted the fact that he was now Mordred Pendragon, but at the same time he was not. After John and Mordred Pendragon Heroic Spirit became one, one could say that the current Mordred is a new being resulting from the two of them. From John's perspective it might be quite frightening, because his persona was in a way taken over and he was brainwashed to be another person, but the current Mordred didn't feel any pity, because he felt that he was himself.

Reinhard coughed and asked, "Your father sounds like an amazing man. May I ask who your father is?"

"My father… My father is the king of the nation that I hail from," Mordred said. My father is a woman.

Reinhard's eyes seem to widen. He said solemnly, "So you're royalty."

"Well, yeah, but it doesn't really matter here, right?" Mordred lightly said.

Reinhard's face turned serious as he said, "You're an esteemed guest of Lugnica, so of course it matters! Since you're the son of a king I cannot address you without honorifics anymore, Mordred-sama."

"Mordred-sama, forget it. I don't care about this kind of stuff." Mordred faintly smiled, waving his hand.

Reinhard's expression looked surprised due to Mordred's nonchalance and casual attitude, because he knew that Mordred was truthful. He said, "Even if you do not care about it, then I do. I would break my code as a knight if I didn't show you sufficient respect."

Mordred sighed and tirelessly repeated a line from the first loop, for over a 300th time: "Then at least don't worry about it when it's just the two of us."

"Hmm. I see. That I can accept," Reinhard nodded with a small smile.

Mordred nodded and then said, "By the way, this is my sword."

With a flash of crimson light a broadsword materialized in Mordred's stretched out arm.

Reinhard's eyes flashed with visible surprise. "How did you do it?"

Mordred rolled his eyes internally – he has personally seen such a reaction from Reinhard way too many times. He forced a smile, dematerialized and then resummoned Clarent again. "It's my special ability. I can summon and hide my magical weapon and armor at will, storing it in a special invisible subspace."

"I see… It's a very useful ability," Reinhard commented, his face full of surprise. It had to be said that in this world such an ability to summon a weapon could only be used with the highest level Yin teleportation magic, but Mordred summoned his sword out of nowhere with what seemed like no effort, so Reinhard couldn't help but be surprised. Maybe this skill wasn't very powerful, but it was certainly unique.

When Reinhard's expression calmed down, Mordred looked at the sword he summoned and said, "About my sword. It's far inferior to yours in combat, but you might find it interesting. This sword's name is Clarent, the Radiant and Brilliant Royal Sword. It's the symbol of kingship and it amplifies the authority of a king. Unfortunately I never managed to become a king and I was suddenly summoned here, so I'm unable to access its true abilities."

Reinhard felt his throat dry up when he heard Mordred's truthful words. He had already inspected Mordred earlier and definitely felt a regal aura around him, so at this moment he couldn't help but want to immediately drag him to the registration office, tingling inside.

Mordred faintly smiled. "Reinhard, I have been in Lugnica for a bit and gathered some information, so I'm not completely clueless. I know about the Royal Selection."

At Mordred's words, Reinhard's heart thumped as he stared at Mordred with a halted breath - searching for the last two royal candidates was the highest priority mission of the kingdom for a while now, after all!

Mordred sighed and continued, "Becoming a great king is my inner desire that for certain reasons I wasn't able to realize. I believe that it might be fate that I was summoned here for the Royal Selection," Mordred said. He came to know that Reinhard liked to believe in things like fate.

Reinhard coughed.

"So you know about the Royal Selection, Mordred-sama," Reinhard said respectfully. His expression turned serious as he nodded and continued, "You are right. I also think that you might be the prophesied Knight candidate. That's why we need to quickly get you tested in the registration office."

Given that Mordred was very likely a Royal Candidate, Reinhard had inevitably returned to the honorifics. All this time, Mordred wasn't hiding his lineage, so Reinhard could easily detect it when he tried.

"I would like to go with you, Reinhard, but I have something important to do," Mordred said.

Reinhard raised his eyebrows.

Mordred's expression was serious as he looked into Reinhard's eyes with a faint smile. He said, "Say, Reinhard, if I were to find the last surviving member of the royal family who might also be the last missing female candidate for the throne, what would you do?"

Reinhard gently opened his mouth in surprise, but the surprised expression on his face quickly turned to a very serious one when he noticed Mordred's attitude which seemed as if he had an ace up his sleeve. "Mordred-sama, why are you asking? Do you actually have clues regarding that person?"

"Yes, I have strong clues. I believe that I can bring you this person," Mordred said, nodding.

Upon noticing Mordred's confidence, Reinhard's expression turned solemn. "Mordred-sama, the responsibility to find the missing children of the Royal Family has been entrusted to the Astrea family for 15 years now, but it is a duty that we have thought of as nothing but a dream all this time. Not only that, but finding the last two Royal Candidates is the highest priority mission for our kingdom. If you really can help me find that person and grant me the honor of completing these missions, then I will be greatly in your debt."

Mordred nodded and asked, "And what if I were also one of the candidates for the throne? Would you consider becoming my knight, Reinhard?"

Reinhard's eyes widened after he heard Mordred's question. After pondering for a while, he placed a hand on his heart and said, "I cannot promise you my allegiance, but if all of it is true and the last two candidates would be really found thanks to you, then I will seriously consider becoming your Knight if you're also a Royal Candidate, Mordred-sama."

Mordred smiled lightly and nodded; he didn't expect more than that. He said, "Alright then. You can observe me and make your decision based on that, Reinhard. I won't force you."

Reinhard nodded his head, looking relieved.

"For now, please take care of my acquaintance, show him around and maybe get him registered. In the meantime I will find the person I mentioned," Mordred said. He then placed a hand on Reinhard's shoulder in a friendly manner and added, "Just put your trust in me and await the result, Reinhard."

Reinhard was taken aback by Mordred's friendly attitude and charisma, seeing how he had closed the gap so quickly after they just met. Hearing Mordred's confident words and seeing his determined yet earnest expression, he couldn't help but be influenced by his mood and believe that Mordred could indeed accomplish anything he says, and wish to trust him.

What Reinhard didn't know thought is that from Mordred's perspective he knew Reinhard and sparred with him frequently for a whole year already, hence he could act very closely and comfortably in front of Reinhard without fear. The [Charisma C-] skill also played a part.

Reinhard staggered for a while, before he nodded. "Alright, then I'll take care of your acquaintance, Mordred-sama."

"Hn. His name is Subaru and he should be in the area." Mordred nodded with a faint smile.