A Midsummer Night's Dream Woven from Intertwined Thoughts

[This is a world where only you cannot exist as a "human".]

[But it is also the world you hoped to see.]

[Everyone's destiny is quietly moving in the direction you hoped to see.]

"King, are you serious?"

Gawain looked at the cyan-gold blade Artoria handed to him, looking very surprised.

"You want to give me Excalibur Galatine?"

"Yes." Artoria nodded.

"I want to give it to you."

"But this is a holy sword obtained from the lake, right?" Gawain couldn't believe it at all.

"Why give it to someone like me?"

"Gawain, do you want to hear the truth?"

"King, that's a matter of course."

"Okay—"

Artoria looked at Gawain in front of her, complex emotions in her green eyes.

"I really don't have any reason to give you this blade."

"I just think this is the best ending for this blade."

"..."

Feeling the sadness in Artoria's eyes, Gawain didn't refute.

"I understand."

"Since you said so, King, I will cherish Excalibur Galatine."

[Artoria returned to Camelot as a victor.]

[Everyone welcomed her return.]

[But she always felt that she was missing a figure she should have seen.]

[But the more she tried to find it, the less she found.]

[All the Round Table Knights survived, and each of them is heading towards their own beautiful future.]

Like an unchanged goal.

"King, you have won a great victory, I hope to continue my journey to find the Spear of Longinus."

"Okay."

"Britain will always bless you, Percival, you will find the holy spear."

Like the nourishment of sweet love.

"Knight King, I should go back to Gaul. I will tell my people that you are a great and brave king."

"Also, I have a request."

"Can you attend my wedding with Guinevere? I want to take her back to Gaul in a legitimate way."

"Of course, Lancelot, I will offer the king's blessing to you."

Like a new challenge.

"King, I seem to have lost a target I must defeat."

"I want to rethink all this on the road in the years to come."

"If you wish."

"Then go, Palamedes."

Like a completely changed idea.

"King, you seem to understand people's hearts."

"No, Tristan."

"I still don't understand."

Like a gradually united family.

"Brother Gawain, Brother Gaheris, the king is over there!"

"Gareth, don't be so rude!"

"It's okay, Gawain."

"Girls of this age should be so lively."

"But if possible—"

"I hope to see Agravain by your side next time."

"He is also your brother, right?"

Like the usual stinginess.

"Artoria, the military expenses for this month have seriously exceeded the standard!"

"Although I don't know why the food has been growing so fast recently, and there are fat fish in those rivers, you can't waste it like this!"

"Sorry, I have caused trouble for my brother."

"But please rest assured, there will soon be no more cases of me exceeding the standard."

Like unwavering loyalty.

"King, you are a woman?"

"Sorry, Bedivere, I have kept it from you for so long."

"No, you don't need to apologize, King."

"Even as a woman, you have led Camelot to unprecedented prosperity. This is a secret worth keeping."

"It won't be a secret anymore, Bedivere."

"I'm tired."

[It's another year of good harvest.]

[The people of Camelot are full of joy, and their respect for King Arthur has increased.]

[But no one would have thought of what would happen next.]

[Their respected king, the admired king, unexpectedly raised her golden and smooth long hair on a newly repaired city wall that had collapsed, and revealed the secret that she was actually a woman.]

[This is a very shocking fact.]

[People are terrified.]

[People are flustered.]

[Even within the Round Table Knights, there was a shock.]

[But the final result was unexpectedly calm.]

The people of Camelot are not fools.

Everyone has witnessed the kind of life under Artoria's rule of Britain.

Since everyone can live a good life—

Whether the king is male or female is not that important.

As long as everything can continue as before, that's enough.

But Artoria didn't accept this kindness.

She no longer wanted to be the king.

Of course.

She didn't just leave Camelot so irresponsibly.

After all the handover was arranged.

Artoria personally put the crown on Morgan's head.

"May you reign in peace." She sincerely blessed the other party.

"The Round Table Knights will always protect you."

This is the end of the legend of King Arthur, but also the new beginning of Camelot.

[Artoria gave up the throne not only because she felt tired.]

[She also has things she wants to experience.]

[That is to continue living in this world as a "human".]

[Then the first step—let's start by returning Excalibur and Avalon to the lake.]

[The girl rode Dun Stallion back to the village she used to live in.]

[After learning the news of Ector's death, she offered flowers at the grave and cried bitterly.]

[She adjusted her mood and set off again to the holy lake she used to go to.]

[That's where she borrowed the holy sword.]

The world will not stop everything that should be done because of anyone.

The wind still blows like that.

The water still flows like that.

The forest is still lush, and the grass is still green.

Artoria, wearing a white dress, stopped her horse.

She walked into the depths of the forest.

The extremely comfortable feeling still filled this area blessed by the lake spirit.

Just by smelling it, you will feel much more relaxed.

But—Artoria didn't know why she felt a faint sadness.

And the further she went, the stronger this feeling became.

But it didn't last long—because this feeling was soon replaced by surprise.

In front of the lake in the depths of the forest, Artoria saw someone she never expected to see here.

It was Morgan.

She was sitting by the lake, looking at the mirror-like lake with a sad look.

The crown symbolizing the peak of Camelot's royal power was lying motionless on the grass beside her.

"..."

After hesitating for a while, Artoria decided to say hello.

"Morgan."

"Huh?"

Hearing the not unfamiliar voice, Morgan turned her head.

The moment she saw Artoria, her pupils subconsciously widened a bit, but quickly returned to calm.

Everything in Camelot was in her hands.

Artoria didn't even want a decent title.

If she still hated her, it would be a bit shameless.

"It's you, Artoria."

"I didn't expect to see you in this place."

"I should ask you this." Artoria responded, "Why do you know this lake where you can borrow the holy sword?"

"This is where I was born, of course I know."

"..."

"..."

Artoria and Morgan looked at each other.

They looked a bit similar, and they could even feel the regret hidden in each other's eyes.

"Sit down and chat for a while?"

Morgan moved her body to the side.

"You should still have this time."

"Yes, of course."

Artoria rolled up her skirt with both hands and sat next to Morgan.

She looked at the lake and squeezed out a smile.

"It seems that for you, the pressure of the throne is basically non-existent."

"It's okay."

Morgan stroked the crown beside her with her slender fingers.

"After all, I have been thinking about this kind of thing all the time."

"After really getting in touch with it, it's much simpler than imagined."

"Is that so?"

Artoria hugged her curled legs.

"Is this the so-called wish fulfillment?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Morgan smiled self-deprecatingly.

"Not really."

"After sitting on that seat, I realized that my desire did not come from the throne itself."

"I just don't like the feeling of being ignored."

"It's just a way to achieve this goal."

"It's you—"

Morgan looked at Artoria next to her, looking puzzled at the white dress on her body.

"I have never seen you like this."

"Getting rid of the throne seems to have made you a lot easier?"

"More or less a little."

A bit of complex emotion appeared in Artoria's eyes.

"But it's not as good as imagined."

"It's just that my head is a little clearer than before."

"Is that so?"

Morgan gave a wry smile.

"Then I helped you?"

"Perhaps." Artoria shrugged. "At least for now."

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere fell into silence again.

Neither of them knew how to continue the topic, and this kind of quietness was actually a pleasant situation.

After a long time.

Morgan spoke again:

"Artoria."

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just hope that when you have time, you can go back to Camelot."

"Why?"

"Because—"

Morgan's tone was a bit lonely.

"I want to give you my youngest daughter, Mordred."

"Just as an exchange for you giving Excalibur Galatine to Gawain."

"..."

This was an obvious lie.

Artoria was silent for a moment and asked a question that might have troubled her before.

"Then Mordred, is she willing?"

"I think she will be willing." Morgan explained, "I can't get along with her at all."

"If it's you, I don't think she will be like this."

"But I have no experience in raising children." Artoria politely refused.

"But if this continues, you won't have any in the future, right?"

Morgan ruthlessly exposed Artoria's situation.

"Why not take this opportunity to try?"

"..."

Having said that, Artoria didn't refuse anymore.

"I understand."

"As long as Mordred doesn't mind, I will take her to my side."

"But I have a question."

"What question?"

"Who is that child's father?"

Artoria stared at Morgan.

"You never seem to mention who your husband is."

"..."

Morgan looked at her hand, her eyes filled with sincere nostalgia.

"I don't remember who it is either."

"I only know that he is a very important person to me."

"He would say a lot of sweet words in my ear, saying that I am more beautiful than flowers, saying that I am as beautiful as flowers, saying that I am not as beautiful as flowers."

"He would hold my waist and greedily smell my scent in my ear."

"He is still a rigid idiot, clearly he was not finished, but as soon as I said stop, he really stopped."

"It's very interesting to torture such a person with my feet. Watching him want to move but not dare to move, my heart would be extremely happy."

"But he betrayed me now."

"I told him not to go, but he still went."

Morgan's sincere nostalgia moved Artoria.

She couldn't help but express her inner voice.

"Then I also have a very important person that I don't remember who it is."

"His body is very strong, and his voice is so gentle."

"He likes to drink wine in a very strange way, but he has never been drunk."

"He is very hypocritical, clearly saying that he is very happy, but in fact, every time I want to feel his temperature, it is very reluctant."

"He thought I didn't know anything, but I actually knew everything."

"Then Artoria, such a hypocritical person, you must hate him very much, right?" Morgan asked.

"No."

Artoria shook her head.

"I miss him very much."

"Even if he deceived me, I still miss him."

"I want to see him."

Morgan was silent, then nodded.

"Me too."

"I miss him very much too."

"I wish I could see him again."

Hope passed back and forth in the conversation between the two.

The sisters, who were once like fire and water, were now on the grass by the lake, talking about the person forgotten by the world.

Newborn prayers intertwined between the new king and the old king.

This lake in the forest, which has created countless miracles, gathered countless elves again.

They were like fireflies, picking up the bits and pieces left in the world according to the depiction full of thoughts.

If you can't exist as a "human" anymore.

Then—respond to the Midsummer Night's Dream of the two kings of Britain as "elves".

Holding such an idea, a figure appeared on the road in the forest.

"Morgan."

"Artoria."

"Long time no see."

"And—"

"I miss you too."