Bonus Chapter!---The young, inexperienced sorceress had completely fallen behind in the political power struggles.
Kaelar smirked but said nothing. He'd known for a long time that Morgan was never suited to be a ruler.
Though Artoria was still young, her political acumen was already well-honed. She split her portion of the cake, handing pieces to Gawain and Agravain. "Elder Sister," she said firmly, "I have no intention of competing for anything, but what is mine, I will not relinquish to anyone."
Whether it be the throne, or...
Gawain and Agravain were taken aback. They were well aware of their mother's domineering nature and ambition—how the Fairy Queen, destined to be the ruler of the island, bore enmity toward anyone who dared challenge her right to rule.
Yet here was Artoria, an adversary to their mother, bestowing favor upon them...
Even though both knew it was a blatant attempt to win them over, they couldn't help but be moved. Noble knights, of all people, found it hard to ignore such gestures of honor.
Agravain, the more stoic and rule-abiding of the two, gave Artoria a formal and impeccable bow, his voice still cold but noticeably softer. "Thank you for your generosity, noble Lady."
As Artoria was currently only a squire, not yet knighted, he used the title befitting a prince.
Gawain hesitated for a moment before following suit, offering his thanks to Artoria.
Morgan, however, seemed utterly indifferent. Though the two were technically her "children," they were creations, not true offspring. Due to the arrogance of their creator, Morgan had never seen Gawain and Agravain as independent beings.
Artoria had directly confronted Morgan's challenge, displaying a clear example of authoritative dominance. By sharing her portion with the children of her adversary, she embodied the kingly virtue of benevolence. She had grasped the essence of what Kaelar had taught her.
The first birthday celebration on the island of Britain, held for a Celtic figure, had become an arena for a bloodless confrontation between three individuals with the potential for kingship. By their different actions, the strength of their regal auras had been revealed.
After that day, dividing cake became synonymous with the fair distribution of interests. The one who could allocate resources to satisfy all classes was given the title of "Prime Minister."
"Ar... your name is Artoria, correct?"
After the cake-cutting, Uther seemed to have finally gotten a read on Kaelar's intentions. He relaxed slightly and spoke to Artoria. "I am... Uther, King of Camelot."
Merlin pulled Artoria aside, saying, "Arthur, my disciple, surely you recognize this man, don't you?"
"Yes, my biological father," Artoria responded, her expression indifferent. "If King Uther's reason for coming here is to try and bond with me... then don't bother. How much genuine familial love can a political animal like you possess? I doubt even you can discern that clearly."
"So, please—get to the point."
Uther did not lose his temper. After all, it was their first meeting, and he never expected a warm family reunion. Besides, he'd long since grown immune to defiance from daughters. Artoria's rebellion seemed almost mild compared to Morgan's.
As Artoria and Uther stepped aside to have their conversation, Kaelar showed no interest in eavesdropping. Morgan, on the other hand, seemed entirely too pleased with herself. How could she have been so naïve when she was still learning magic? Her political skills were nothing compared to Artoria, who had spent over a decade under Kaelar's guidance.
But that was to be expected. Uther had never intended to raise Morgan as a ruler; she was always destined to be the Fairy Queen, not a human king.
"Morgan, you don't seem to care much about your two precious sons..." Kaelar leaned casually against the wall, nodding toward Gawain and Agravain. "You send them on a mission to subvert Artoria's rule, yet let her win their favor so easily?"
"I'd suggest going back to crafting homunculi, Morgan. You might be brilliant at creating heroes, but you're hopeless when it comes to the ugly game of politics."
Morgan had never considered Gawain and Agravain as fully autonomous individuals. To her, they were merely her finest creations—important, but creations nonetheless.
The finest creation was still a creation.
And if they were merely creations, they could always be remade.
"What? How... how do you know..." Morgan stammered, a look of disbelief crossing her face. "You actually know they're artificial, created through my magical arts?"
"Huh?" Kaelar looked just as puzzled. He scratched his head. "Isn't that common knowledge? You gathered the blood of famous Celtic warriors and used magic to create a series of remarkable children."
"...No, only you know that."
Morgan's gaze became intense, and she whispered, "Kael, I won't ask how you know, but aside from you, no one else is aware. Not Merlin, not Uther... even Gawain and the others believe those children are my offspring with prominent Celtic lords."
"I've never revealed that my children were born of magic. No one knows how advanced my life-crafting sorcery truly is. That's why, when those great lords fell in battle, I was able to legitimately claim their lands in the names of their 'children.'"
Uther had never granted Morgan any territory. The lands she currently ruled were the result of decades of effort, all inherited under the guise of her children's names.
Celtic traditions valued lineage and kinship. Only those with blood ties could inherit land, regardless of legitimacy. As a mother, taking over her child's inheritance was entirely reasonable.
"Wow!" Kaelar fell silent for a moment, then said, "You haven't secretly stolen my blood, have you? I don't want to wake up one day and find out I have a child and a widow I've never met trying to claim my lands."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Morgan snapped, feeling a tangle of emotions she couldn't quite articulate. In the end, she could only retort defensively, "Who could possibly kill you?"
Even if she were to have children, Morgan would never create them with just blood—it would turn them into tools, not children.
"That explains it..." Morgan's face grew serious, her voice dropping to a murmur. "No wonder you never seemed to care. You've known everything all along, haven't you, Kaelar?"
"What are you mumbling about?" Kaelar asked. "Can you speak up, oh wise sorceress?"
"It's nothing, just a silly thought." Morgan's expression returned to normal as she deftly changed the topic. "As for your concern that Gawain and the others might be swayed by my sister's kindness?"
Hands on her hips, Morgan looked completely confident. "My finest creations would never be bought by such trivial gestures! Kaelar, you're underestimating the loyalty of Morgan's creations!"
Saints be our witness!
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T/N: Oooh, Agravain and Gawain already knows Arthur is a girl. That's different from the Original Fate Lore right? Didn't Agravain get angry or such when he found out about the truth? My memory isn't good...
If there are any mistakes let me know!
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