[You do not feel happy that Artoria has pulled out the Sword in the Stone, only worried.]
[However, to your surprise, Merlin's voice suddenly appears in your ear, declaring, "The Sword of Selection has been drawn. The King of Britain will inherit the throne in one year's time." ]
[The commotion from the nearby gathering of knights lets you know that you are not the only one who heard this voice.]
[And before the knights' footsteps can reach you, a sudden floral fragrance envelops you. By the time you come to your senses, you find that you and your sister have somehow returned home.]
[At the same time, a carefree voice chimes in.]
"Phew, that was a close one. I was almost caught by that crowd."
Inside the small cottage, Merlin casually poured himself a glass of water, downed it in one gulp, and wore an expression as if he'd just been brought back to life.
In contrast to his relaxed demeanor, however, Artoria frowned once she realized what had happened, her tone somewhat anxious.
"Merlin, what did you mean just now? Why one year from now? Weren't we supposed to..."
"Alright Lily, don't be so hasty. Even if we proceeded with the original plan and revealed your identity in front of everyone right now, do you think they would accept it? Those men all became knights through their own merit!"
Looking at Artoria, who was clutching the Sword in the Stone and still wanted to ask more questions, Merlin smiled. Inwardly, however, he sighed, lamenting that the girl was still far too young.
Even if one has the resolve, whether they have the ability to bear that resolve—and to what extent—is another matter entirely.
Now was not the time to reveal everything.
In comparison... Merlin's gaze shifted to the boy who had nearly drawn the Sword in the Stone.
"So you were there from the very beginning, Merlin?"
"That's right. You didn't notice, did you? When it comes to illusion magic, your big brother here is the best in the world, you know~!"
Merlin boasted, raising his eyebrows as if showing off.
To his surprise, Aozaki Rin didn't seem shocked at all. Instead, he let out a sigh of relief.
"I see. No wonder I felt like something was always there next to the stone dais. It's a good thing I didn't subconsciously draw my sword and swing at it..."
Hey, hey, hey, did this kid just say something incredibly dangerous?
Merlin's raised eyebrows twitched slightly. He was honestly surprised that his illusion had been seen through, but what surprised him even more was the fact that the boy had nearly pulled out the Sword in the Stone back at the selection site.
Aozaki Rin fell silent for a moment, opening his mouth as if to say something, but after a moment's hesitation, he changed his mind and turned to look at Artoria.
"Sister, have you truly decided to become the King of Britain?"
Aozaki Rin understood that Britain's current situation was not good.
Even though his family seemed to have been intentionally or unintentionally hiding the reality of the situation from him, he still knew that ever since the passing of the former king, Uther, foreign threats were stirring. The former king's brother, Vortigern, had allied with the Saxon tribes and was waiting for an opportunity to strike, while within the country, various lords had carved up the land and declared themselves kings.
All of Britain was fractured, as if torn apart by a typhoon.
Uniting them once more to fight against a common enemy would be no easy task.
Faced with the boy's question, Artoria hugged the Sword in the Stone tighter and nodded firmly.
"Mhm."
Although she was still very much a novice, both as a knight and as a king, she had indeed made the necessary resolve the moment she drew the sword.
"I understand. If this is your wish, Sister, then I will share this responsibility with you and protect you."
Like a promise, or perhaps an oath, the boy's unfocused eyes held a tangible and striking determination.
Artoria was taken aback, suddenly at a loss for words. "W-Wait, isn't that backward?" she said in a fluster. "Normally, shouldn't the older sister protect the younger brother?"
"But your swordsmanship isn't as good as mine."
This statement of depressing fact struck the girl, who had been quite moved just a moment before, like a bolt of lightning. The single strand of hair on her head drooped in response.
"Y-You have a point. Even though I've drawn the Sword of Selection, I still can't beat my own younger brother in swordsmanship. Maybe it would be better to switch to someone else now, Merlin..."
As she spoke, Artoria even subconsciously held the Sword in the Stone out in the boy's direction.
"Hey, don't you think it's a bit late for regrets now!? Besides, there's no rule that says only the strongest sword-wielder can be king!"
Merlin couldn't help but interject, feeling that the girl's temperament truly needed some tempering.
He cleared his throat, tapping his fingers on the table to draw their attention, and spoke solemnly.
"Alright, I know you're lacking a bit of confidence right now, Lily, but don't worry. What we're about to do is precisely to help you gain the confidence to bear the throne."
"You see, a worthy king cannot rely solely on knowledge from books; what's more important is to investigate everything firsthand. Over these past years, Lily, you have memorized all the knowledge I've taught you about how a king should act. But if you don't actually witness all of Britain for yourself, how can you possibly understand the weight of that position?"
"Therefore, starting the day after tomorrow, let's prepare for a journey. We will spend one year traveling the lands of Britain. I believe that after that, you will be completely different from how you are now, and you will have the confidence to inherit the throne."
Merlin smiled, then turned to the boy and added.
"Of course, we can bring En along for the ride."
"But En is only eleven years old, that's too dangerous..."
Artoria didn't object to Merlin's proposal for herself, but when it came to her adoptive brother, she frowned in opposition.
"But you can't beat him, can you?"
"Urk... While that may be true, still... a king doesn't need to be the strongest swordsman..." the girl retorted weakly, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
"It's alright, Sister, don't worry about me. Even if Merlin hadn't suggested it, I was planning to go with you anyway."
Aozaki Rin shook his head, signaling for her not to worry. In his view, letting his overly righteous sister and a seemingly unreliable, carefree magus embark on a journey alone was far too concerning.
"Well... alright, I understand."
Artoria nodded helplessly, forced to agree based on the facts.
"Then that's settled for now. We can discuss anything else the day after tomorrow. As for me, a little bit of trouble has come knocking, so I'll be taking my leave."
With that, Merlin's form dissolved into a shower of flower petals and vanished into the air.
And in the next second, a familiar, furious voice erupted as the cottage door was kicked open.
"Merlin, you bastard, get the hell out here!"
—The boy knew it was his adoptive brother, Kay.