Friend Karna, Teacher Karna

Gawain's mouth opened to retort, but he cut him off immediately. "Excalibur will refuse to submit to him, but the scabbard—the embodiment of protection and justice—acknowledged his pure soul. Are you a better judge than it is?"

Gawain closed his mouth, the question striking the core of his beliefs. No matter what, he didn't believe chivalry was incorrect. It was a set of rules ensuring fair battles to grant victory to the most skilled side. But he couldn't dismiss Merlin's words, either.

How many kids, their eyes filled with dreams, charged against hordes of barbarian tribes valiantly never to return? How many weeping mothers and widows had he seen after returning to Camelot? They were uncountable...

No. It was even worse, making him see a glaring inconsistency at the heart of their system. How did it make sense for knights to protect the orphans and widows when they created them?