75: [The Twin Swords of Fate]

On the journey to the lake of her dreams.

Rei, who should have been leading the horse, was instead seated atop Dunstallion.

A faint blush dusted Artoria's cheeks as she nestled against his chest, looking both content and shy.

"Sir Rei… once again, I've troubled you with my whims."

"Not at all."

Rei held the reins in one hand while gently clasping hers with the other.

"Regardless of my role, I should be the one to accompany you on this quest for a new blade."

"Is that so? That makes me happy."

Feeling the warmth of his hand, a flutter stirred in Artoria's heart.

"Then—"

"Sir Rei, do you think…?"

"Do I think what?"

"That…" Artoria hesitated, her voice soft.

"That this feels a little like a honeymoon?"

"..."

Rei did not answer, only offering her a knowing smile—one that, as always, Artoria mistook as silent agreement.

"Being able to travel like this with you… it's wonderful."

Closing her emerald eyes, she allowed herself to indulge in the fantasy.

[You knew what Artoria was thinking.]

[Yet, you didn't have the heart to shatter her dream—even if it would likely never come true.]

[You ensured the ride remained steady, so as not to disturb her slumber.]

[What you never expected, however, was that following Artoria's directions would lead you somewhere eerily familiar.]

Dunstallion came to a halt atop a cliff.

Rei looked down at the lush landscape below, a strange sense of déjà vu washing over him.

It was a place he had been before—only from a different path.

Like traveling to Camelot's eastern gate instead of the western one.

"Sir Rei, is something wrong?"

Sensing his hesitation, Artoria slowly opened her eyes.

She leaned her head back against him, gazing up at his face.

"Is there something unusual?"

"No." Rei shook his head. "It's nothing."

"The wind is simply restless today."

"Forgive me, Artoria, for disturbing your dream."

"You didn't."

Artoria shifted closer to him, as if seeking more warmth.

"As long as you're with me, Sir Rei, I can always dream sweetly."

[You chose the most stable path down the cliffside.]

[You reached the forest at its base unharmed.]

[That sense of familiarity only grew stronger, making you certain that you had been here before.]

[You knew that something awaited you—something that would change your life forever.]

"Sir Rei."

Artoria gazed down the forest path, a thoughtful glint in her emerald eyes.

"The road ahead doesn't seem fit for horses."

"Understood."

The horse's hooves stilled.

Rei and Artoria dismounted one after another.

Leaving Dunstallion in a lush patch of grass, the two ventured deeper into the forest.

There was no denying it—

This was a land untouched by war.

Everywhere they looked, there was nothing but vibrant greenery and towering trees.

"Sir Rei, this place is truly beautiful."

Artoria took a deep breath before turning back with a bright smile at the man walking behind her.

"It's just like the legendary forests said to be blessed by the fae!"

"..."

Blessed by the fae?

[Artoria's words sparked a realization within you.]

[You were now certain—without a doubt—you had been here before.]

And the person with you at that time—

Was Morgan.

Back when King Uther ordered her return from the front lines, Morgan had confided in you, expressing her reluctance to go back to the royal capital.

It was an impossible request to refuse.

The two of you had ended up wandering into a forest.

It was there that Morgan first laid bare her true feelings—both in spirit and in body.

If he remembered correctly—

Rei fixed his gaze on the path ahead.

At its end, there should be a crystal-clear lake.

Yet before he could decide whether to confirm his suspicions, Artoria had already taken his hand.

"Sir Rei, the road is still long."

"Let's hurry along!"

"…Alright."

[Your instincts were correct.]

[At the end of the forest path, waiting for you and Artoria, was indeed a pristine lake.]

[It lay like a bright gemstone embedded within the heart of the forest, its surface rippling gently under the wind's caress.]

[You realized—this was the same lake where you and Morgan once stood.]

"Sir Rei."

Artoria gazed at the crystal-clear waters before her, her emerald eyes shimmering with emotion.

"This is the place I saw in my dreams."

"I see."

Rei stepped beside her.

As he looked down at the lake's untainted surface, old memories surfaced in his mind.

He recalled the first time he had ever seen Morgan cry.

All her frustration, her loneliness, had poured out in that moment.

In that instant, she was no longer a princess.

She was an abandoned soul trapped in darkness—an exiled mage discarded by fate itself.

"No one has ever given me a chance..."

The harder she struggled, the further away her dreams drifted.

That sorrowful confession had been engraved into Rei's very soul.

He had been unable to bear it.

"It's alright. I will always be here."

The words left his lips before he even realized—yet the woman standing beside him was not Morgan.

It was Artoria.

Her green eyes widened at his sudden declaration.

But then, she smiled—a radiant, blissful smile.

"Sir Rei, that would make me very happy."

"..."

Rei had no response.

If he were to measure things from the very beginning—

Then he was nothing more than a lowly, despicable knight, one who coveted the body of a princess.

His oaths, his poison-laced vows—those were merely the chains of desire.

But after everything he had seen and experienced, Rei knew—

His feelings for Morgan had long surpassed fleeting pleasures.

He had witnessed how fate carved misfortune into her very existence.

He knew her unyielding defiance.

And so—

Let him be the one knight who remained loyal to her, no matter what.

Morgan was Britain's princess.

How could she be abandoned? How could she be stripped of her pride?

Though he said nothing, Artoria still looked overjoyed.

She reached out and embraced the man she loved.

"Sir Rei."

"I know this may sound greedy, but—"

"May I have you to myself, just for this moment?"

"..."

Once again, Artoria's directness stirred something deep within him.

He had no words to offer.

Instead, he simply leaned down and captured her lips.

Her lips were as soft as ever—like the purest, most exquisite confection Britain had to offer.

A mere bite would send waves of sweetness across his senses, like sugar dissolving on the tongue.

She whimpered at first, but ultimately, she refused to pull away.

In the end, she became a meek, obedient prey.

[You played with Artoria's feelings, forcing her, as a king, to reveal a side of herself only you were allowed to see.]

[Looking at her bashful expression, you could only curse yourself for being a scoundrel.]

[But even so, you knew you could not waver.]

[You had a mission to complete.]

The lake shimmered under the moonlight.

Above its surface, an ethereal glow began to gather.

A mysterious voice echoed through the air.

"King, you have arrived."

The airy, divine voice reverberated throughout the forest.

Artoria immediately composed herself.

She turned to the lake, her eyes radiating the authority of a sovereign.

"The time has come."

"As per our agreement, I have come to claim the blade."

"Then we shall present our sword to the King."

The voice from the lake was both warm and powerful.

[Excalibur]

A column of light burst forth from the lake's depths, piercing the heavens as if challenging the stars themselves.

The radiance began to solidify—

A sword emerged from the water's surface.

Its blade gleamed with golden brilliance.

Its hilt was adorned with ornate, yet practical gemstones.

And its keen edge rested within a scabbard engraved with intricate patterns.

"This is the sacred blade we bestow upon our King."

"Its name is Excalibur—the Sword of Promised Victory."

"So long as you wield this blade, you shall be invincible, bringing countless victories to Camelot."

"And its scabbard, Avalon, shall shield you from harm."

"A magnificent weapon, indeed."

"Lady of the lake, I offer you my highest respect."

Artoria spoke with solemn reverence as she reached out toward Excalibur.

The moment her fingers touched its hilt, light surged from the blade—flowing into her body.

[Gift of the Red Dragon+ Activated: You sense Artoria being imbued with an even greater magical power.]

[You realize that the Lady of the lake command immense strength.]

The voice from the lake spoke once more.

"King, while we do not object to you wielding Excalibur..."

"It is still a part of the lake. When all is settled, we ask that you return it."

"That is only natural."

Grasping the sword, Artoria responded resolutely.

It was a simple, ceremonial exchange.

Everything seemed to conclude peacefully—

Until Artoria suddenly spoke again.

"Lady of the lake, if my dreams were true—there should be another sword left unclaimed?"

"You are correct, King."

The lake's voice swiftly answered her inquiry.

"There exists another blade, a counterpart to Excalibur."

"Its name is Excalibur Galatine—the Sword of Revolving Victory."

"Then in that case—"

Determination gleamed in Artoria's emerald eyes.

"May I claim it as well?"

"..."

A brief silence followed.

"King, even for you, it is not meant to wield both lake-forged swords."

"Then, if not I, could another capable individual claim it?"

"That may be possible."

The voice from the lake remained steady.

"However, the decision does not lie with us—but with Excalibur Galatine itself."

Artoria said no more.

Instead, she turned toward Rei.

Her intentions were clear—she wished for him to claim Excalibur Galatine .

Rei did not hesitate.

Just like Artoria, he stepped forward, toward the lake.

The lake erupted with light once again.

However, unlike the cold radiance that had previously pierced the sky, this time, the crimson glow was far more intense.

The contrast between the two was like that of the sun and the moon.

[You realize that the Sword of Revolving Victory (Excalibur Galatine) before you may very well rival the Sword of Promised Victory (Excalibur) in power.]

[By all logic, a weapon of this caliber should not be so easily drawn.]

[Yet at the same time, you notice something else.]

[You feel a peculiar affinity with the Sword of Revolving Victory (Excalibur Galatine).]

[As if glimpsing into the future, you see yourself successfully drawing it from the lake.]

And sure enough—

The moment Rei's hand touched the Sword of Revolving Victory (Excalibur Galatine), he found that the searing glow, which should have burned him, did not harm him at all.

Instead, it felt as though he was receiving a blessing.

He understood everything.

[Talent Acquired: Sword of Revolving Victory++

– Due to Morgan's influence, both you and the blade in your hand have been blessed by the sun, allowing you to wield it effortlessly.]

This was meant to be the sword of the lake-born princess, Morgan.

But on the day she was exiled, overwhelmed by sorrow, she failed to claim the blade from the lake in time.

Having been by her side for so long—and once acknowledged by this very lake—Rei was granted the recognition to wield the Sword of Revolving Victory (Excalibur Galatine) in her place.

Was this mere coincidence?

Or was it fate?

Rei looked down at the blazing sword in his hands and felt an inescapable sense of destiny entwining itself around him.

But beside him, Artoria remained unaware of any of this.

She only knew that, just as she had hoped, he had successfully drawn the other sacred sword from the lake.

"Sir Rei, I knew you could do it!"

"There really is… some kind of bond between us, isn't there?"

The young King of Knights seemed to see this moment as proof of their deep connection.

Rei hesitated for a long time but ultimately chose not to correct her misunderstanding.

However—

Perhaps it was time to solidify that belief in another way.

As long as it didn't go too far, that should be fine, right?