At the time of King Arthur's coronation in Rome, the final standing place of Lucius also welcomed a special guest, Aslan. The demonic sword, carved with vine-like patterns, was thrust into the earth, yet its master was nowhere to be seen. After a moment of thought, Aslan reached out, pulled the demonic sword from the ground, and placed it within his Mystic Code. After all believers in the Roman pantheon had vanished, this demonic sword would have no one left who could wield it. Rather than let it be slowly forgotten in the river of time, buried in dust, it was better for him to collect it. Perhaps one day, he could even find a new master for it.
Perhaps because King Arthur was at the height of her fame after just defeating Lucius, no one dared to approach the site of their final battle, especially not the residents and soldiers of Rome. At the same time, because the demonic sword was stuck here, the area was even guarded by knights from King Arthur's order. It took Aslan some effort to get here. Well, actually, it wasn't much effort at all, because the knight guarding the place was one of the very knights he had saved during the campaign against his "cheap old man."
Although Aslan no longer remembered the faces of these knights, they had more or less become his admirers. For these knights, Aslan's request to enter the battle ruins was a chance they finally had to repay his kindness. What's more, these knights also knew that the golden-haired young man before them had an inexplicable relationship with their King. Even if he took the Roman Emperor's demonic sword, their King wouldn't say much.
Of course, everyone had their own theories about the relationship between Aslan and their King, though none were particularly outrageous. But at least one point was certain: the young man before them was definitely related to their King. Why else would they look so much alike?
Aslan placed the flowers he held in the spot where the demonic sword had originally been stuck. He remained silent, but after a short while, he let out a soft laugh. "How should I put it? Now that you've fallen into an eternal slumber, you can finally go find 'Estée Lauder' in your dreams, right? After all, in reality, Estée Lauder is a man you could never have."
Aslan stood up and dusted off his clothes. "Farewell for now, Roman Sword Emperor."
This time, for his choice of transport back to Britain, Aslan didn't plan on riding Melusine or piloting his supreme masterpiece. Instead, he prepared to hitch a ride with Artoria—or more accurately, a ride on her ship. He would also see if there was a chance to just knock Artoria out and send her to Avalon. As for Mordred... he'd beat her up and toss her into Avalon too. He'd leave it to that damn incubus to sort out their mother-daughter relationship. In any case, Merlin's faulty education was part of the reason Artoria had reached this point, so it was about time he made up for it.
After putting away the demonic sword and briefly mourning and paying his respects to Lucius, Aslan greeted the soldiers guarding the area and prepared to have someone take him to see Artoria. By his count, it had been two or three years since they last saw each other after defeating his cheap old man. For these past two or three years, he had been wandering the continent, even writing a travelogue about a Holy Knight's journey, and at the same time, fulfilling his ultimate wish. Meanwhile, this cousin of his was walking towards the end of her legend.
"My King, there is a guest."
Bedivere and Kay, who had already retired from the Round Table to become a full-time civil official, turned their heads. There weren't many Round Table Knights still following Artoria. Gawain was in Great Britain due to serious injuries. Perhaps it was precisely because Gawain was there that Artoria felt at ease enough to launch an expedition against Rome. But no one had expected Mordred to be so bold.
When Artoria saw Aslan, an expression of pleasant surprise clearly showed on her face. At least in Artoria's own view, she and Aslan could be considered friends. Although Artoria had learned long ago from Merlin that Aslan had gone to the continent, she hadn't thought she would be lucky enough to meet him during this expedition. After all, the continent was so vast, and Merlin had also said that Aslan was pursuing his own ambition.
"Aslan? Have you already fulfilled your wish?"
Aslan gave Artoria a small wave, composing the emotions in his heart. "My wish has been achieved. I'll show it to you if I get the chance."
Artoria nodded. Just like Aslan, time and the years had not left any obvious marks on either of them. This made Aslan recall the scene of his first meeting with his cousin. In the blink of an eye, ten years had already passed. In this mood, Aslan couldn't help but want to reminisce with Artoria. But before he could even open his mouth, a soldier, still wounded, rushed into the tent. "From Sir Gawain's command! An urgent military report!"
After handing the letter with its wax seal to a nearby knight, the hurried messenger fainted on the spot. But his mission was complete: he had personally delivered this vital intelligence to the remaining Round Table Knights or the King.
Kay quickly called for people to carry the knight away for emergency treatment, while at the same time taking the letter and unfolding it. After reading just the first two lines, Kay clenched the letter in his hand, his expression twisting. Fury burned within him, making him look as if he wanted to tear the letter to shreds. It was hard to imagine the usually gentle man having such an expression.
"How dare he?!! How dare he betray the King's trust!! Mordred!!"
Artoria reached out and took the intelligence report from Kay's hand. She frowned as she read it. "Mordred..."
The letter stated that Mordred had declared King Arthur a sinner who could not bring happiness to the people and had, with her own strength, subdued the other knights left behind in Camelot, launching a rebellion.
Kay took a deep breath. Although the expression on his face had gradually calmed, the veins still bulging on his forehead showed that this knight was not as calm as he appeared. "My King, although we would very much like to consolidate our rule in Gaul, it seems for now we can only temporarily abandon it and return to Britain."
Artoria looked back in the direction of Britain, then issued her command. "Prepare to return to Britain!"