[You and Arthur returned to the village.]
[Kay was pacing anxiously at the village entrance.]
[You knew his agitation came from losing track of you both.]
[But you decided to say nothing—sometimes, playing dumb is a kind of wisdom.]
[Arthur, however, was completely unaware that Kay had been following her.]
[In high spirits, she greeted him warmly.]
"Brother!"
Sitting in front of Rei, Arthur cheerfully waved.
"We're back!"
Seeing Arthur and Rei riding the same horse, Kay had half a mind to draw his sword.
"Arthur! What do you think you're doing?! Get down this instant!"
"You can't just casually share a horse with someone else!"
This time, before Arthur could respond, Rei spoke up first.
"Kay."
"I was simply helping Arthur get familiar with this horse."
"Get familiar with the horse?"
Kay immediately focused on the steed beneath them—he hadn't forgotten Rei's earlier promise.
Rei was well aware of this.
He nodded. "Yes, I plan to give this horse to Arthur."
Surprised, yet not entirely shocked.
Kay had assumed Rei's words were mere flattery, never expecting him to actually follow through.
"You're serious?" He asked, still doubtful. "You're really giving this horse to Arthur?"
"Brother!"
Arthur could no longer stay silent.
"What kind of reaction is that?! Sir Rei is really giving me this horse—he even let me name it!"
"Just because you named it doesn't mean anything!" Kay still looked unconvinced. "What if there's some hidden price?"
"City folk are full of tricks."
Seeing this, Rei didn't bother arguing.
He dismounted quietly and stepped up to Kay.
"Then from now on, I won't touch this horse again."
"Tomorrow morning, I'll be leaving this place—so you don't have to worry about any hidden costs."
Rei wasn't saying this just to appease Kay.
He truly knew it was time to leave.
Right now, Arthur was impossible to kill—the magic protecting her was simply too strong.
The right move was to return and report this to Morgan.
Moreover, with the frontlines in complete collapse, chaos was inevitable. He and Morgan needed to discuss their next move.
"..."
Kay was momentarily speechless.
Rei, smiling faintly, patted his shoulder as he walked past him.
And just as he passed, he murmured a single, heart-piercing sentence.
"Your sister was amazing."
"Eh?"
Just as Kay registered what Rei meant, Arthur, who had just dismounted, stood on tiptoe and knocked him lightly on the head.
"Brother! Seriously! Why were you doubting Sir Rei like that?!"
"He's a good person!"
"I...!" Kay was at a loss for words.
Hearing all this, Rei couldn't help but reveal a smug smile.
[The sun sets over Britain.]
[You decide to rest in the same place as the knights.]
[They never expected someone of your status to do so, and their surprise soon turned into gratitude.]
[You engage in conversation with them.]
[Through them, you gain a deeper understanding of the frontline situation.]
[They vividly describe the strength of Vortigern's forces and express deep regret that you and Morgan were not on the battlefield.]
[But only you know that even if you and Morgan had been there, the outcome would not have changed.]
[This was a war doomed to be lost, and you and Morgan were nothing more than deceivers whose trickery had been exposed.]
[However, you did not leave empty-handed.]
[At the very least, you further confirmed Vortigern's overwhelming strength.]
[Morning arrives.]
[You are the first to wake.]
It wasn't that Rei didn't want to sleep longer—he simply had far too much on his mind.
Ah, it had been a while since he had suffered from insomnia.
Rei stood up and quietly stepped outside, making sure not to wake the others.
What he didn't expect was to immediately see Arthur carrying a bucket of water—now dressed in thicker, sturdier clothing, giving him an even more masculine appearance.
"Sir Rei!"
Arthur, holding the bucket, looked surprised.
"You're already awake? Did I wake you up?"
"Not at all." Rei smiled lightly. "I just happened to wake up early."
"Was the sleeping area too uncomfortable? Is that why you're up so soon?"
"No need to overthink it, Arthur." Rei stopped Arthur from spiraling.
"I just naturally wake up early."
"Rather, why are you up this early?"
"W-well, to do my chores, of course!"
Arthur lifted the bucket in his hand.
"I always get up at this time to work."
"..."
Rei glanced at the remaining buckets beside the well.
"Let me help you."
[You are not a knight of noble birth, so you are quite familiar with farm work.]
[You efficiently help Arthur finish his tasks ahead of schedule.]
[The two of you take a break under a tree.]
"Sir Rei, here."
Arthur handed Rei a cup of water.
"Thanks." Rei took the cup.
"I didn't expect you to be good at this, Sir Rei..." Arthur couldn't help but marvel. "I thought someone like you wouldn't know how to do these kinds of things."
"But you were even better at it than me!"
"Arthur, I feel like you're underestimating me."
"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Arthur shook his head furiously. "Sir Rei, I didn't mean it that way."
"I know. I was just joking."
"I-is that so?"
Arthur's face turned slightly red as he sneaked a glance at Rei and muttered in a small voice.
"Um... Sir Rei, I changed my hair tie. Does it look nice?"
"..."
Rei looked at Arthur's hair and nodded.
"Yes. This is how it should have been. Using a scrap of cloth before was ridiculous."
"Y-yeah..."
Arthur touched his ponytail, looking flustered at the compliment.
But after a moment, as if remembering something, he spoke again, his voice even softer.
"Sir Rei, you'll be taking the wounded knights back soon, won't you?"
Rei nodded.
"Yes, that's right."
"Then… will we have a chance to meet again?" Arthur looked up, a hint of worry in those green eyes.
"Probably, but I can't say when."
"Then—"
Arthur extended a finger toward Rei.
"Sir Rei, could you come closer for a moment?"
"..."
Not knowing what Arthur intended, Rei still leaned in as requested.
Mua—
The girl's lips gently pressed against his battle-worn cheek, leaving behind a soft, warm imprint.
"Arthur, you—"
"I just wanted to try it! Sir Rei, please forget this along with what happened that day! A better version of me will do these things in the future!"
"Um… please be careful on your journey!"
After blurting this out, Arthur hastily covered her mouth and ran off.
Clang!—In her flustered retreat, she even knocked over a metal bucket.
Silence returned.
Only Rei remained, standing there, touching his cheek.