The forest where Morgan lived was some distance from Kaelar's castle. By the time he returned, night was beginning to fall, but he managed to make it back just in time for dinner.
Thank goodness. Any later, and he'd be in serious trouble...
Absolutely, definitely, he wouldn't have had any dinner left (seriously)!
Though Kaelar's family was known as a "house of knights," they were, in truth, a prestigious military noble family, a ruling lordship. His estate included a manor, lands, serfs, and a retinue of knights sworn to his household.
If Kaelar were content to be just a feudal lord, with his knowledge and modern mindset, he was confident he could become a greater ruler than Caesar or Charlemagne. He could even spread his lineage across Europe, becoming the continent's forefather.
But that kind of ambition wasn't what Kaelar sought. The mere thought of such a future struck him as painfully dull.
Such a shallow, lowly pursuit.
This was Britain, a land still holding onto the last remnants of the Age of Gods.
Here, the personal power of heroes was beyond human—alive, they often surpassed the strength of heroic spirits.
Kaelar was destined to be the Third Seat of the Round Table. Even though he was only in his early teens, he was already able to single-handedly defeat hundreds of knights with just the basic training of a knight. His heroic potential was beginning to show.
When Kaelar changed out of his travel clothes, the maids were already bringing the dinner to the table. Although there were only two young masters in the castle, the servants remained dutiful and respectful.
In ordinary circumstances, Sir Ector would never have left two children alone at Maple Ridge. He would have forsaken his duties to Uther and returned to teach Arthur and Kaelar himself.
But Kaelar's maturity and competence were undeniable—he was precocious, far from the innocence of a child. When conversing, people often forgot his age and treated him as a capable adult.
By the time he was five or six, Kaelar was already advising Duke Ector, using strategies to fend off the Saxon invaders and securing several years of prosperity for Maple Ridge.
Moreover, Ector and Kaelar's relationship was strained. They clashed ideologically, and their disagreements often escalated into heated arguments.
Yet, Ector acknowledged Kaelar's abilities, admitting that his son had exceeded his expectations.
Kaelar had cut down the long dining table into a smaller round one. Arthur, the little glutton, had already claimed her spot at the table, munching away on a large pork shank...
Good thing Kaelar had made it back in time. If he'd missed dinner, he might not have found anything left when he got home...
A golden tuft of hair on Arthur's small head, the unmistakable ahoge, proudly bobbed as she gnawed at her food—the mark of a true king (definitely)!
Arthur valued that little tuft immensely, forbidding anyone from touching it. No matter how much Kaelar begged, she wouldn't let him touch even a strand.
"Hmph!" Seeing Kaelar return, Arthur's young face scrunched up in a childish pout. She gave an exaggerated huff, the noise of her eating growing louder and completely lacking the elegance of nobility. Her expression clearly read: I'm upset. Come and make it better.
Kaelar was twelve now, while Arthur was only seven—still eight years away from becoming king.
When she turned fifteen, Uther would die, leaving behind the prophecy of the Sword in the Stone, calling the great Celtic lords to Camelot to witness the crowning of the destined king.
According to Uther's plans, Arthur was supposed to grow up in Sir Ector's home under harsh conditions. Meat would have been a luxury, and three meals a day would have been considered a blessing.
They called it "forging the will of a ruler."
But Kaelar had said, "No."
Hardship is just hardship. It doesn't build willpower or bring any profound insight. It's merely a sad experience.
Uther, if you think this nonsense is so important, why don't you try living like a serf? See if it tempers that kingly spirit of yours, the one that crumbled after Vortigern defeated you once?
Kaelar was stubborn and the local power at Maple Ridge. With Ector being Uther's confidant, if Kaelar didn't cooperate, Merlin and Uther's plan would fall apart. Uther had to compromise on Arthur's upbringing, allowing her to live with the basic comforts of a noble.
Merlin, however, had once invaded Kaelar's dreams, warning him that if a life of comfort dulled Arthur's edge or distanced her from the commoners of Britain, they would intervene.
Kaelar's response was simple: "Once suspicion arises, guilt is already established."
"If you can't judge with impartiality, I won't respect your decisions."
Surprisingly, Merlin laughed it off, claiming that she would judge Arthur from a neutral, third-person perspective, as someone merely watching over the king she had "carefully nurtured."
Maple Ridge was a wealthy land—rich enough to withstand Arthur's voracious appetite, which demanded a whole pig every few days. Even at such a young age, the future king's insatiable appetite was already legendary!
Once Arthur finished her meal, patting her flat little belly with satisfaction, Kaelar set aside his own cleanly gnawed pork bone and asked, "Lily, did you finish your lessons today?"
"I did, but there was no one to spar with for my sword training, so it doesn't count as complete."
Arthur's clear blue eyes fixed on him, her meaning clear: she was upset that he had gone out without telling her the details.
Kaelar decided to tease the little girl. "Oh, little Lily, you can fool me, but you can't fool yourself. If you lie to yourself, those meddling busybodies will use it as an excuse to make you live like a serf."
"No meat, just black bread—and even that, only a crumb every few days. You'd be stuck practicing useless drills for twenty hours a day, swinging a sword until you're numb, wasting your time and life. And even when you get a measly two or three hours of sleep, that old dream demon would fill your mind with lectures on what it means to be a king..."
Kaelar looked her straight in the eye. "Lily, do you want a life like that?"
I could endure the darkness, but only if I had never known the light.
Had Arthur grown up in such conditions from the start, she might have managed, but after experiencing a comfortable life under Kaelar's care, the thought of such torturous training was unbearable.
Arthur shivered visibly at Kaelar's words, her little ahoge trembling with fear. Yet she quickly sat up straight and declared, "I did finish my lessons. The basic sword drills are complete, but it's not my fault if I don't have a sparring partner!"