Morgan immediately fell silent, her expression complicated.
The idea certainly sounded promising, but whether it was the Child of the Red Dragon blessed by human faith or the Witch of Britain endowed with the Mystery of nature, the continuation of either bloodline was itself a product of chance and miracle.
In this world where the Age of Gods was steadily fading, the two of them were the lingering afterglow of the Isle of Britannia, dazzling, yet impossible to preserve forever.
What Morgan had attempted, however, was to combine the completely different bloodline traits within herself and Artoria into a single being.
The task had been impossibly difficult from the beginning. The fact that she had managed to create Mordred at all was already an incredible miracle.
As a result, the child had been born with severe defects that even Morgan, despite exhausting every method at her disposal, had been unable to eliminate.
After a brief silence, the Witch raised her eyes toward Mordred at the dining table, who was overflowing with curiosity and an insatiable desire to explore everything around her. Morgan's voice grew somber.
"An infant's body simply cannot withstand the power produced by the fusion of two bloodlines. Her [wear and tear] is progressing far faster than I anticipated..."
There was no denying Mordred's extraordinary talent. In barely half a month, the Ether reaction within her body had already grown comparable to that of the Fairy Knights born from calamities.
But the price was that Mordred's physical deterioration was advancing even faster than Artoria's emotional wear and tear.
In only half a month, Mordred's body had already gone through what would normally amount to five or six years of a child's growth.
During that time, Morgan had remained secluded in Orkney and subjected Mordred to an intensive education. Through lessons in dreams, instruction in reality, mental imprints, and every other method she could think of, Morgan had poured vast amounts of knowledge and skill into her.
Even so, she still could not keep pace with Mordred's aging.
At this rate, Mordred's body would probably collapse before the Lion King completed her transformation into a Divine Spirit. By the time an opportunity finally presented itself, the child would already have been dead and buried for a long time.
In other words, the plan to one day have Mordred replace the Lion King had never possessed any real chance of success. It had been doomed from the very beginning.
"How much time does she have left?"
"Less than a year..."
The brief exchange made the atmosphere even heavier.
Less than a year...
The Ancient Serpent looked toward the courtyard, where the little girl had puffed her cheeks out like a hamster and climbed onto a stool, still stubbornly competing against the King's Stomach. A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
Fate could be absurdly fickle.
The oppressive air around Morgan had also grown heavier by the day. Samael sighed again, his brow drawing together as he asked,
"So you brought Mordred back to Camelot because you intend to...?"
"I've given up. If it cannot be done, then there is no point in continuing."
Morgan's casual answer caught the Ancient Serpent off guard. He turned toward her in surprise.
"Then what about the child?"
"Something without value has no reason to remain in Orkney."
Morgan spoke quietly, then looked toward Mordred, who was arguing with several of the little fairies over seating. After a brief pause, she turned her face away.
"She was created to fulfill a purpose. Even if her end is already decided, she should at least be allowed to see what her life was meant for..."
Her faint words grew softer, until they were barely more than a breeze passing by his ear.
"This is the only mercy I can give her..."
Before Samael could ask anything more, Morgan had already left the kitchen. She walked up behind the two little troublemakers and looked down at them from above.
Mordred and Baobhan Sith, who had been bickering and looked ready to start clawing at each other, immediately stiffened and shuddered.
The Witch of Britain needed only to appear for her overwhelming presence to silence both prickly little troublemakers.
"Mordred, do you remember what you promised me?"
"I know, I know. I promise I'll go easy on these idiots..."
Mordred drooped her head and muttered irritably, her displeasure written all over her face.
Her dismissive tone immediately made the other childish girls bristle.
"If you're finished eating, go walk around nearby. We adults have some matters to discuss in private."
Not long afterward, once most of the food had been eaten, Morgan sent the children away so they could get more accustomed to one another, then sat quietly across from Artoria.
Samael, adept at reading the room, promptly cleared the table and replaced the meal with wine, tea, and refreshments. He and Kai then sat off to the side with an unspoken understanding, using casual conversation to ease some of the heaviness in the atmosphere.
"I want Mordred to join your Knights of the Round Table and take a seat at the Round Table."
After a moment of silence, Morgan frowned slightly and made her request in a flat tone. She was clearly trying to soften her words, but they still came out somewhat stiff.
It could not be helped.
Morgan had never been good at asking favors, especially from this particular younger sister. Whenever Artoria was involved, emotions she should not have felt always became difficult to control.
"Royal Sister, the Knights of the Round Table do not accept children this young. Besides, the war is already over..."
The King of Knights opposite her was hardly any better. Her face remained perfectly calm, and her tone was purely official.
Then Artoria noticed Kai frantically signaling her with his eyes.
After a brief pause, she added,
"However, she may return when she is older. If she can pass the assessment, I will allow her a seat at the Round Table."
"Do as you please..."
Morgan said nothing more. Since returning from Orkney, her expression had grown increasingly subdued, revealing almost none of what she felt.
"Don't worry. I'll record this properly. When the Order recruits again, if the child meets the requirements, I'll reserve a place for her to take the assessment."
Kai pulled out the notebook he carried with him and wrote the matter down. Wearing a broad smile, he made the promise explicit, turning what might otherwise have been a passing remark into a settled arrangement.
It was rare for the Witch of Britain to ask for anything, and since this request violated no principle of humanity, he saw no reason not to help.
With luck, it might even improve the relationship between the sisters.
His father, Sir Ector, had reminded him more than once to do the same.
As for any Knight who successfully entered the Round Table, once they were inside, the King's charisma would inevitably shape them into another devoted follower.
Based on past experience, it was practically a guaranteed profit.
"Thank you for your hospitality. We'll leave it here for today and come again another time."
Sensing something unusual in the atmosphere, Kai exchanged a few pleasantries without lingering. He tugged Artoria, who was still cutting into her pudding, to her feet and prepared to leave.
Naturally, the dessert was packed up to take with them.
By now, Samael had become somewhat immune to this shameless bastard eating his fill and then taking food home afterward. Without hiding the disgust on his face, he drove Kai, who was still trying to loot a few more portions, out of the courtyard.
However, the moment the five adults stepped outside, they discovered the five little ones they had released earlier sneaking down from the top of the wall.
Even more absurdly, only a short time had passed, yet four of them were already filthy. Mordred's and Baobhan Sith's clothes showed signs of having been torn, with several reddish stains clinging to the fabric.
The left side of Baobhan Sith's face was also visibly swollen and red.
Caught red-handed, the children stopped breathing for a moment.
Morgan, who only moments earlier had been talking to Artoria about Mordred, now stared at them with a distinctly unfriendly expression.
Under the suffocating pressure, the four culprits, Baobhan Sith, Barghest, Melusine, and Mordred, carefully climbed down from the wall and obediently lined up against the corner.
The four prisoners glanced at one another, then lowered their heads and kept their mouths shut. None dared to speak first.
"Mordred, did you get into another fight?"
Morgan's expression hardened. Her eyes turned cold as she fixed the troublesome child with a gaze filled with menace and pressure.
Mordred shrank back at first, but then seemed to remember something. She raised her head again and opened her mouth to defend herself.
"Mother, I only..."
"You only need to answer yes or no."
Morgan's icy gaze cut off her explanation with uncompromising force.
Mordred froze for a moment.
Then, under that crushing pressure, she lifted her head and met Morgan's sharp eyes. Her teeth bit down hard on her lower lip, while defiance and resentment surfaced across her angular features.
"You got into another fight. Yes or no?"
"Yes!"
At Morgan's repeated question, Mordred finally lowered her head with a gloomy expression and forced the word out from between clenched teeth before turning away.
"Good. Since you admit it, you're grounded starting today."
"Fine, ground me! Like I care about going out!"
The emotionless Witch passed judgment, and the rebellious Knight immediately fired back.
"Mother, actually..."
"Baobhan Sith, you do not need to speak until I ask you."
The fairies had grown used to Morgan's calm and gentle side. Faced with this version of her, they exchanged uneasy glances.
Baobhan Sith, one cheek still swollen, gritted her teeth and stepped forward. But before she could say anything, Morgan's quiet gaze intimidated her back into silence.
"None of you need to plead for me. I'm the one who did it. It's just a punishment. Whatever the consequences are, I'll take them myself!"
Mordred curled her lip and snorted defiantly, clearly fed up with Morgan's strict discipline.
The more stubbornly she resisted, the more thunder and fire seemed to gather in the Witch's eyes.
"Well, aren't you loyal. All right, tell me. Who gave Baobhan Sith that injury? And what happened to all of your clothes?"
The mother and daughter were staring each other down, sparks almost visibly colliding between them, when Samael, leaning casually against a tree, cut into the deadlock with a smile, his eyes full of curiosity.
Morgan, still angry, looked toward Samael as he intervened. She hesitated for a moment, then merely frowned and waited without saying anything further.
However, after witnessing their mother's temper flare, the girls all kept their mouths tightly shut.
"You did it, so why be afraid to admit it? A Knight should uphold honesty. Barghest, where did you all go just now, and what did you do? You tell me."
Samael quickly found a way to break through the silence, choosing Barghest, who was already visibly struggling not to blurt everything out.
As for why he did not ask Baobhan Sith, that was simple.
The girl had too much of a record.
Who knew how much embellishment she might add?
"The injury on Baobhan Sith's face came from a stone thrown by some children outside. That's why Mordred fought them..."
As Barghest explained, the entire story gradually came to light.
Earlier, after being left to entertain themselves, the three little ones had been hanging around the side courtyard. As usual, some were stepping on ants while others basked in the sun.
But the naturally restless Mordred did not last long before growing unbearably bored with what she considered the retirement lifestyle of old people.
She began urging the others to climb over the wall and explore outside together.
In the end, the three little fairies could not resist the temptation. Mordred had already climbed over the wall while still talking, and they hurried after her, finally escaping the courtyard they had long grown tired of and running outside to play.
Unfortunately, the fairies' obvious racial features stood out, and recently the rumors vilifying the Nameless Forest had been spreading everywhere.
Before long, a group of older neighborhood children cornered them in an alley.
When children's cruelty became pure and uncomplicated, it could be frightening.
Influenced by the gossip they constantly heard in the streets, those children began insulting Baobhan Sith and the others and throwing stones at them, all under the excuse of "punishing evil fairies."
The swelling on Baobhan Sith's cheek came from one of those stones striking her while she was completely unprepared.
According to Barghest's account, however, something else surprised both Samael and Morgan even more.
Baobhan Sith, who normally terrorized everyone at home, had silently endured the abuse.
All she wanted to do was pull the increasingly angry Barghest and Melusine through the crowd and run back home.
Her reasoning was simple.
They were fairies, so they could not fight outside. Otherwise, Mother and Samael would be put in a difficult position.
Samael looked at Baobhan Sith in genuine surprise.
The suddenly self-conscious little girl immediately stiffened her neck and snorted.
"It's none of your business! I just didn't want Mother to scold me!"
For some reason, the reaction was unexpectedly adorable.
A fairy who should have cared only about herself had actually learned to consider others, and had even restrained her own nature because of it.
That was almost unbelievable.
A trace of softness entered Samael's eyes before he turned toward Mordred with obvious interest.
"So now it's your turn. You're the main character here. Don't tell me you're too scared to tell us what happened next."
"Tch! What's there to be scared of?"
Provoked by his words, Mordred immediately lifted her head and spilled the rest of the story all at once.
What happened next was extremely Mordred.
The rebellious Knight, already infamous as a troublesome child, had no intention of tolerating those unlucky brats.
Without caring about the consequences, she charged forward and, in a matter of moments, beat the group of older children who towered several heads above her until they were rolling on the ground and howling.
The bloodstains and tears in her clothes were evidence left behind by that fight.
As Mordred recounted the scene, her expression became increasingly animated. She talked with her hands, clearly delighted by her role as the "main character."
"I remember Barghest saying those brats weren't targeting you. So why did you get involved?"
"Tch! Isn't upholding justice and protecting the weak exactly what a Knight is supposed to do?!"
Mordred gave Samael a contemptuous look and answered without hesitation.
Then, seemingly by accident, she glanced toward Morgan before turning her head away with a soft snort.
"Besides, I promised I'd protect them, so I'm going to keep my word! Those little brats were pathetic anyway. Picking a fight without my permission? They were asking to get beaten up!"
Protect... Baobhan Sith and the others...
Samael's gaze quietly shifted between Mordred and Morgan.
He studied the two of them carefully, and a look of understanding gradually appeared in his eyes.