Chapter 15: The Knight of Sin
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[You take King Uther's scabbard, and he allows you to place the blade back into the scabbard he had lifted with his bare hands.]
[You have acquired the innate knight spirit; King Uther recognizes you, and you once again become a knight. You swear to King Uther that you will use everything you have to protect Morgan.]
[King Uther does not doubt your words.]
[He has witnessed your loyalty. Your willingness to sacrifice your life for Morgan makes him realize that you would never betray her.]
[After paying respects, you leave King Uther's presence.]
[Morgan is waiting for you outside. She is a little surprised when she sees you are not in chains.]
[As her most loyal knight, you do not hide anything from her.]
[You tell her King Uther's understanding of this war and what he thinks of her.]
"…"
Morgan bites her lower lip.
After a long while, she asks in a trembling voice, "Ian, is this true? Father...did he say that?"
Ian knows exactly how Morgan feels at this moment.
But as her most loyal knight, he cannot allow himself to lie to her.
"Yes, my lady, that is what the king says about you."
"…"
Morgan's beautiful face becomes distorted in an instant—anyone would have such an expression if their father said that.
Ian can see the reluctance in Morgan's heart.
But as a knight, he doesn't know what to do.
"Ian..." Morgan barely manages to control herself, "Do you think so now?"
"No."
Ian denies it without hesitation.
"My Lady, no matter what I hear, in my heart, you are still the most suitable king for Britain."
"…"
Morgan turns away.
"Ian, you are such a fool."
[In the next few days, Morgan does not summon you again.]
[At King Uther's suggestion, you, who were supposed to be a war criminal, are released and allowed to walk freely in the military camp like a knight.]
[This surprises the other knights, who begin to speculate on the reason why King Uther did this.]
[They conclude that as a minion of the White Dragon, you were intimidated by King Uther's dignity and willingly joined the British army.]
[This is undoubtedly good news—the King of Britain can even frighten the minions of the White Dragon. The outcome of the war seems clear.]
[But you, who know everything, understand that this war has completely gone in another direction since the moment it started.]
[When you think about the end, and that it may have nothing to do with Morgan, you find that you don't care about what happens next.]
[There are some sins that you know you must pay for.]
In the military camp, the knights are talking among themselves.
"Hey, do you know what that madman under Vortigern is doing?"
"I don't know... but it looks very wrong. I don't know why the king released such a person."
"Shh... stop talking so much."
As the knights discuss, Ian is carving words on a huge stone—those are the names of all the British knights he killed in the war.
Certainly, he is not as powerful as King Uther, who can remember all their names.
When Ian meets someone he only has vague memories of, he uses symbols as substitutes.
Ian knows this will not change anything, but as the culprit, he can't ignore it.
[Persistence often leads to respect.]
[Your act of carving names on the stone slab is gradually accepted by the knights, and they realize that you may be recording something.]
[The talent affinity: evil has been replaced with affinity: perseverance. Your persistence day after day has made the knights more or less accept you, and they begin to regard you as one of the British knights.]
[They ask if you need help, but you politely decline.]
[Mourning is a personal responsibility.]
[You don't want others to be tainted with this sin because of you.]
[During the day, you carve stone tablets, expressing your apologies to every innocent knight who died and begging them to vent their hatred for Morgan onto you.]
[At night, you follow King Uther's orders and stay in front of Morgan's tent without moving.]
[You understand all of Morgan's pain, so you never disturb her, but protect her in the most loyal way.]
[The minion of the White Dragon has been lost: you have shown such loyalty that no British knight will ever consider you to be a subordinate of Vortigern.]
[Rumors begin to spread in the military camp that you, once a minion of the White Dragon, have been completely defeated by the princess. You neither confirm nor deny this.]
[After all, you know that you have indeed fallen under Morgan's spell and become her most loyal knight.]
[King Uther's ultimatum is still issued.]
[As the princess, Morgan has been ordered by him in the most severe tone to withdraw from the front line and return to the royal court, and you will serve as Morgan's guard along the way.]
[This greatly surprises the knights—after all, Morgan is brave and skilled in battle.]
[But no one dares to question the king's order, as that would be a heinous crime.]
"Princess, please be careful."
Ian respectfully helps Morgan sit on the horse, and only after she is completely safe does he mount his own.
As the knights watch, the two leave the front line of the British battle.
Hooves rise and fall, leaving footprints on the road.
Ian, who knows Morgan's mood well, says nothing along the way.
He quietly paves the way for the princess he is loyal to.
They cross streams, cut through thorns, and spend day and night traveling.
The two pass through the woods, leaving footprints on the windblown grassland.
Afterwards, Ian, riding at the front, looks into the distance from the top of a hill.
He turns around and respectfully says to Morgan:
"My Lady, if we walk a little further, we will return to the capital."
"You will be in the safest possible protection there."
However, Morgan shows a hesitant expression at this time.
Ian notices this but says nothing.
He still remembers what Morgan said—the knight should only know what the princess allows him to know.
After a long silence, Morgan finally speaks.
She holds the reins and speaks in a slightly sad tone:
"Ian."
"Can we... not go back yet?"
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