When I opened my eyes, I yawned, feeling my body healthier and stronger than before, and tried to loosen my stiffened limbs. My sword was leaning against the wall ahead.
With a groan, I got up from the floor. My eyes scanned the room to understand where I was. It was a clean and spacious room. Judging by the bed I had slept in, it was of very high quality.
My gaze shifted to the door as it opened, and Erika walked in. This time, her hair was left naturally loose, and she was wearing more relaxed clothes.
"Arthur, you're finally awake?" Erika asked me gently. I nodded in response to indicate I was fine. "My name is not Arthur, so why do you all still call me that?"
For a moment, a look of surprise appeared on Erika's face, but then her eyes lit up in understanding, as if she had realized something. "You must have lost your memory, I see."
Defeating Cerberus was unnatural, but claiming that I was King Arthur was extraordinary and unbelievable. I was just an ordinary man living in the modern world, going to work and barely making ends meet.
I didn't know how I ended up here, but right now, the only thing I could do was ask Merlin for help to return to my world. I wondered how much the world had changed in my absence.
Before long, Erika looked at me, then at the unique sword standing in a corner of the room. "You even wielded Excalibur. You are King Arthur. Don't deny it and face the truth."
I sighed and got out of bed, my eyes turning to the sword. Technically, it wasn't mine; it belonged to Vivian. Excalibur had been returned to Vivian before King Arthur died, so it was still hers.
Still, it would be nice to have such a beautiful sword.
"About the sword," Erika interrupted my thoughts. She went over to it, grasped it by the hilt, and then came to me, handing the sword over. "Grandmother Vivian said that the sword's owner is now you. You can take it."
Feeling grateful to Vivian, I eagerly accepted my new sword. The moment I held it, I felt a surge of emotions inside me—longing, anxiety, nostalgia. For a moment, it struck me as odd.
These weren't my emotions; they were feelings left in the body. Even if I wasn't spiritually King Arthur, I was King Arthur in body.
"Have I really reincarnated as King Arthur? In modern times, no less..."
My eyes widened in newfound realization. Merlin had been right. I was King Arthur, yet my soul was just an ordinary man. I began to feel genuinely conflicted.
It felt like I was deceiving them. I wasn't King Arthur. I was just someone who had reincarnated into his body.
Wait a minute—what happened to the original King Arthur's soul, then? Did he die? Damn it, I didn't know anything, and it was making me feel incredibly strange. I was going to act like a fake King Arthur without any knowledge, without familiar faces or friends.
"Come on, let's go. They're waiting for us downstairs."
As Erika guided me down, she seemed not to notice my thoughtful state. Good. The less they investigated me, the better. After all, Merlin was a man who knew King Arthur very well. If I made a mistake, he'd figure out that I was a fake King Arthur.
Finally, after descending, Erika brought me to a beautiful room where Merlin was lazily sprawled out, and Vivian was making an embroidered cover with sewing tools in hand.
"At last, you've arrived!" Merlin got up excitedly, while Vivian set aside her embroidery. I looked at Merlin, restraining myself from punching him in the face. "Merlin, do you know? I really want to beat you up."
Merlin laughed like a child and scratched his head. "You're not the only one who wants to beat me up. Right, Vivian?"
Vivian nodded vehemently, casting a mocking glance at Merlin. "Smashing that babyish face of yours would bring relief to everyone, Merlin."
As Merlin laughed harder, Erika sighed. "I think we should finally tell Arthur what's changed."
Merlin cleared his throat, then looked at me, his eyes glowing with excitement. "After all these years, we're together again, Arthur! I'm so excited!"
Even though I had no prior acquaintance with Merlin, a warmth bloomed in my heart that brought a smile to my lips. My mind might not know Merlin well, but this body had met and become friends with him.
"Yes, it's been a long time." I lied through my teeth. Although it made me feel guilty, if I told Merlin I wasn't really King Arthur, he might kill me to save his friend. Of course, that was just a low possibility.
My eyes landed on a map of Britain spread out on the table, and they widened. Was this really a map of Britain? Where was the United Kingdom? Where was Ireland?
When my eyes caught the date on the map, they widened again. 2034?! Had it been 10 years since my death?! But how could everything have changed so drastically so quickly?
"You look surprised? You're right to be," Vivian said calmly, noticing my focus on the map. I looked at her and nodded. "Britain has changed a lot, and not for the better."
"It would be better if only Britain had changed; the whole world has changed," Merlin lazily got up, walked over to the map, and introduced me to it.
"First of all, today's Britain; it's broken up and ravaged by war," Merlin said calmly. "Vortigern and his soldiers have seized all of England, including Wales. Morgana, on the other hand, rules the newly restored Orkney Kingdom in Scotland, alongside Lot."
"They're at each other's throats," Merlin said, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "After seven years of war, they entered a ceasefire."
"Why? Vortigern is known for his ambition," I said calmly. Even if I didn't know everything, I knew enough of the legends about Vortigern's desire for dominion. If Vortigern was anything like in the stories, he would likely invade Britain as quickly as possible.
"The reason is simple: he lost the war."
I raised an eyebrow at Merlin. Vortigern, symbol of the White Dragon, had lost to Morgana and Lot? The thought seemed absurd.
"No, no. He didn't lose to Morgana; it was someone else."
"Who?" I wondered who could crush Vortigern enough to force a ceasefire. This wasn't a simple feat. In Arthurian legend, Vortigern was one of the most formidable foes—nearly the greatest enemy of the Arthurian myth.
"The Queen of Shadows, Scathach."
"She nearly destroyed Vortigern; that coward had to flee." Vivian said, almost with hatred. She seemed to despise Vortigern.
"How strong is this woman called Scathach?" I asked with curiosity. This woman must be strong. Unlike me, currently struggling to fight a Cerberus, she defeated Vortigern like a fly.
"Even at your peak, defeating Scathach would be tough," Vivian said. "Tough but not impossible."
"I see," I responded, looking at the map. I noticed that many city names I knew from my old world had changed.
First, the region where Cadbury Castle was located had completely changed. Its name was changed back to Camelot, and it was almost as big as Liverpool.
Moreover, a city called Orkney seemed to be the new capital of Scotland. It was built in a more traditional manner, deeply embracing monarchy.
Merlin's finger pointed to London, now renamed Londinium. "Vortigern was severely wounded and has isolated himself for the past three years. We don't know what he's doing or planning."
Then he pointed to Orkney. "This is where Morgana and Lot reside. They've been pretty quiet lately, no signs from them."
"Why, is there a reason?" Merlin nodded gently, acknowledging my question. Then his scrutinizing eyes studied me. "They probably have a prophecy."
"My grandmother always told me that Morgana could see and interpret the future, even if only a little," Erika said calmly. Vivian nodded in agreement. "That's true, even if Morgana can't see the future clearly, she can still interpret what she sees."
A sardonic but malevolent smile appeared on Merlin's lips as his gaze turned to Orkney. "It seems Morgana has finally noticed the existence of the Knights of the Round Table."
"Does she know about my presence?"
"No," Merlin denied. "She still thinks you're in Avalon. What's caught her attention is the resurgence and full potential of the Knights of the Round Table, which must have really worried her."
"Because the re-emergence of the Knights of the Round Table signifies the return of the King!" Merlin raised his hands in excitement, a fanaticism on his face, while I scratched my head in embarrassment.
Vivian punched Merlin hard, despite his ability to dodge, he didn't. The punch hit him on the forehead, sending him flying into the wall and hitting his head hard.
I looked at Merlin, who was on the ground rubbing his head in pain. "Is he alright?"
Erika waved her hand nonchalantly, a look of familiarity on her face. "Don't worry, it's a common thing."
"Vivian, punching me in the face for the smallest things isn't good," Merlin groaned. He had a large bruise on his head, surprisingly, it healed quickly.
"Act your age, Merlin, you're almost 2000 years old."
"Being 2000 years old doesn't stop me from having fun, Vivian." Merlin sighed as he got up from the floor, then turned his eyes to me, and coughed. "Anyway, let's continue."
Then Merlin approached me and pointed to Dublin. "Cu Chulainn and Scathach live here. It's currently known as the safest city. While they have the lowest crime rate, they also have disadvantages like a low military count."
"What about the other European states? What's their situation?"
"Germany is divided in two, with Adolf Hitler leading East Germany once again, while the Kaisers, under Otto Von Bismarck, are in a civil war."
Adolf Hitler's resurrection? That must be a terrible feeling for the Jews.
Merlin continued, "With God's disappearance, he escaped from Hell. Truly, a whore who would do anything to survive."
"France is ruled by Charlemagne, and he's quite successful in that regard. The Balkans are under Alexander the Great's control, and all of Greece has reverted to the city-state system."
"Let's not forget Spain," Merlin said. "Led by V. Carlos, they're trying to invade the American Federation through war."
After pausing for a moment, Merlin's eyes narrowed as if he remembered something, then he continued.
"The greatest change, and the reason ordinary people have learned how to use Mana, is because that Beast escaped," Merlin's eyes gleamed with admiration and awe. "In just one day, he conquered all of Mongolia, in a week, China, and within a month, he defeated Attila, Timur, Oda Nobunaga, and Lu Bu."
I narrowed my eyes for a moment—how could this beast be so powerful? Defeating him seemed impossible. Vortigern seemed like a small threat in comparison.
A man who could achieve that in such a short time, how much stronger would he have become in ten years? Just thinking about it was exhausting.
"Anyway, there's no need to think about that for now," Merlin said casually. "What's important is that we're going to save Britain again."
As Merlin looked at me with hope, I could only sigh. "Alright, what's the plan?"
If I couldn't escape, I'd have to dive in and give it my best shot.