Kay raised an eyebrow and caught the meaning.
"Guinevere?"
"That's right." Arkhan smiled. "Using Guinevere as a bridge to connect Lily and Morgan. Don't you think this plan is quite possible?"
Guinevere, though always seemed nervous when Morgan got mentioned, clearly had spent a considerable amount of time with her. Furthermore, Guinevere relationship with Artoria wasn't as strained, making her an ideal mediator.
That was why Arkhan had brought Guinevere back to meet Artoria—his own bizarre enjoyment of seeing the spectacle was just an added bonus.
'Yeah... maybe that's possible.'
Kay thought like that as he looked at Arkhan with a complex expression on his face.
He couldn't help but feel that Arkhan was truly an abnormal individual, someone unlike anyone else around them.
Both his father and Merlin had no faith in the idea of reconciling with Morgan, especially given her possession of the 'Power of the Island'. Their relationship was as volatile as it could be.
But Arkhan saw things differently, even dreaming that Artoria and Morgan could set aside their grievances and work together.
Was it naive? Yet, looking at Arkhan's face, all Kay could sense was unwavering confidence.
'No matter how difficult something is, you'll only know if you can succeed if you try. If you don't even have the courage to attempt it, what's the difference between you and a coward?'
Kay recalled Arkhan's words.
'So that's why you came up with this far-fetched idea of using Guinevere as a bridge to mend the relationship between Morgan and Lily. Because you haven't given up, you won't overlook any possible solution to the problem.'
Suddenly, Kay remembered the stories his father used to tell him when he was a child about heroes—those who never despaired no matter the circumstances and always managed to conquer incredible challenges, turning the impossible into reality.
Although it sounded surprising when spoken aloud, in Kay's eyes, Arkhan was someone akin to a 'Hero'.
===
When Arkhan returned to the room and saw Artoria sitting next to Guinevere, chatting and laughing, a look of astonishment crossed his eyes.
'I've only been gone for a short while, and these two seem to have developed such a close relationship?'
Arkhan was well aware of Guinevere's timid nature. She was as fragile as a hamster, tears welling up at the slightest touch.
But looking at her now, with the way she was interacting with Artoria, it was clear that she had completely let her guard down.
Truly worthy of being called 'husband and wife'.
Arkhan returned to his seat, and Guinevere not only no longer seemed afraid of him, but she even flashed him a small smile.
"Done talking?"
"Eh? Oh... yep, we're done. It was just a minor issue."
Arkhan blinked in slight confusion and gave Artoria a curious look. 'What had she said to Guinevere? It feels like Guinevere has become a different person.'
Artoria didn't meet Arkhan's gaze; she just continued to lower her head to eat her bread.
Of course, she couldn't tell Arkhan that she had been earnestly explaining to Guinevere that he wasn't some perverted mage who enjoyed imprisoning women in the basement.
Kay also returned to his seat, no longer showing as much hostility towards Guinevere as he had earlier.
The atmosphere at the table suddenly became harmonious.
However, Arkhan suddenly remembered something peculiar.
"By the way, Lily, why did you come back so late?"
He had taken a longer route, and Guinevere had delayed him for quite some time. Artoria should have returned without him if she hadn't found him at the blacksmith. So why had she arrived later than him?
"Because I ran into a scumbag on the way!" Artoria's eyes showed a rare hint of anger.
She proceeded to recount her recent experience to everyone.
"That's outrageous! How can there be people like that? Someone kindly takes him in, and he sets his sights on their treasures!"
Surprisingly, the first to speak up was not Kay but Guinevere. She clenched her small fists tightly, her face filled with indignation.
This made Artoria feel relieved. She turned to Guinevere seriously and said, "Guinevere, maybe you should consider becoming a knight like me. With your sense of justice, you'll surely earn the respect of many."
"Ehh?" Guinevere blinked, shrunk back, and instantly reverted to her timid self. "I-I don't want to be a knight. I'm afraid of pain and don't want to fight."
"Lily, you did the right thing. Leaving scum like that in the world is an insult to knights!" Kay expressed strong support for Lily's actions.
Artoria hesitated for a moment and said, "...But I didn't kill him."
"You didn't kill him?" Kay was bewildered.
Artoria nodded, "After all, he's a knight. He was temporarily blinded by greed. I want to give him another chance, so I left him with some injuries."
"You..." Kay was at a loss for words. It seemed unnecessary to give a second chance to a scoundrel who would harm a pregnant woman and steal from her.
Arkhan furrowed his brow, and his expression suddenly became serious.
"Lily, what did you do with the woman?"
"I sent her back home."
"And the blood jar?"
"I returned it. It was something she left for her child after all." Artoria answered honestly.
Arkhan's face turned incredibly grim.
"This is bad!"
Arkhan immediately stood up and ran outside, blood splattering from his fingertips as he quickly wrote complex runes in the air. Powerful and large blue wings appeared on his back, carrying him into the distant sky.
Artoria, Guinevere, and Kay followed him outside and saw Arkhan's figure quickly disappearing into the distant horizon.
"What's wrong with him?" Guinevere asked in confusion.
Artoria didn't say anything. Her natural instincts were telling her that she had possibly...
Committed a grave mistake.
===
Using the elemental wings constructed with Primordial Rune, Arkhan arrived at Tintagel's main street in just five minutes.
As he looked down at the bustling crowd below and the towering buildings, he drew another rune.
[Rune - Search]
The pregnant peasant woman Artoria had mentioned was someone he had seen before. She was a very strong woman who hadn't crumbled even in the face of her husband's death. She had vowed to carry on with her husband's wishes, raising her child to become a respected and powerful knight.
Anyone who had left an impression on him, the rune would find their trace.
The rune trembled slightly and suddenly turned into a straight, thin line, stretching into the distance.
'Found you!'
Arkhan's wings instantly quivered, and he followed the direction of the thin line.
One minute later, he finally reached his destination.
In the courtyard, several men dressed as knights stood in a circle, brutally beating the cowering peasant woman on the ground.
A glint of cold, sharp murderous intent flashed in Arkhan's eyes as he descended like a meteor.