Chapter 34 Ian, Not Right Now

Night fell. The weather was surprisingly clear. Artoria and Ian walked through the village. Thanks to Morgan's magic, the land had temporarily regained its vitality. The rekindled bonfires undoubtedly added a glimmer of hope to the settlement.

But— Recalling the words Morgan had said to her, Artoria felt that her heart could not calm down, no matter what. Is my relationship with him... the problem?

Artoria desperately wanted to deny this, but there was a voice in her head that she just couldn't get rid of.

"Artoria." "W-What is it?" the girl asked, looking at him with a hint of guilt. "You..." "I..." Artoria felt her heart pounding. He hasn't noticed anything, has he?!

However... "Your eyes are so beautiful. You're the most beautiful girl in Britain I've ever seen." "..." "What was that!" Artoria pouted. "I won't be happy with such a formulaic-sounding compliment." "Eh, really?" Ian scratched his cheek. "I learned it today. I thought you would like it."

"You..." Artoria started to speak, but then stopped. Her true nature was telling her this was something to be happy about. But the voice in her head was rejecting it all. Become the King. Become the King everyone expects. Become... the King he hopes for. Artoria felt her mind at war with itself once again. The last time this happened was when she was debating whether or not to save him.

"..." "Artoria, are you unhappy today?" Ian suddenly asked. "Not at all! I'm very happy!" As if to prove her point, Artoria spun in a circle in front of him. "See? I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?" She didn't want him to worry. Even now, with her thoughts a complete mess, that remained true. But what she didn't expect was— After she said this, the boy actively took her hand. The warmth of their palms met, becoming one in that moment.

"Ian," she whispered. "What are you trying to do...?" Artoria asked cautiously. She could feel that tonight, he wasn't looking to "feed." He wanted to do something completely different from before. She felt a sense of anticipation, yet also a sense of fear.

"Let me think." Recalling Morgan's instructions, Ian quickly made his next move. While still holding her hand, he leaned in closer. Soon, their gazes met and locked. Intense. Sincere. With no trace of concealment. Feeling the boy's fiery gaze, Artoria had already subconsciously turned her head away.

"What are you trying to do? This is so strange, not like you at all." "Why aren't you looking at me..." Ian muttered. With his free hand, he gently "twisted" Artoria's head back to face him.

"There, that's better." "What are you doing—mmph!" Artoria, her cheeks now cupped in Ian's hand, began to struggle. "Can't you just say it directly! If someone else sees us... it'll be weird."

"I love you, Artoria."

Ding. The air suddenly fell completely silent. After a long moment, as if waking from a dream, Artoria spoke in a daze. "What did you say?" "I love you, Artoria." "Say it again—" "I love you, Artoria."

Ian held Artoria's face, his gaze incredibly focused, his tone absolutely serious. That's right. This was Morgan's formulaic confession tutorial. "If you care about someone, you have to tell them." Ian had completely memorized this rule.

But— Artoria's reaction was not the same as Morgan's. She, of course, realized this was a confession. A confession made at a time when the village was recovering. But... this was wrong, wasn't it? At a time like this, she couldn't accept a confession, could she? Although she really did like this stupid, fight-loving dragon, this was no good. The young knight-princess touched the weapon at her waist, the Sword of Promised Victory, Caliburn. I am the King. The King that represents the future of Britain. If she were to selfishly indulge in his affection now, it would be a disservice to Caliburn.

"That's right, Artoria," the voice in her head whispered. "Reject him. After you become the true King, then you can come back and accept his feelings. You can do it, right?" The voice was crystal clear. I want to become King. I want to protect everyone. I made that vow when I drew the sword. He had done nothing wrong; it was she who was not yet worthy of the title of King.

For the first time, the girl pulled her hand back from the boy's. "Ian, not right now." "I... still have many things to do. Your affection... it's a little too soon for me." "I..." She couldn't bring herself to say anything that would hurt him, nor could she be as close to him as she usually was. Because she wasn't the true King yet. "I'm sorry." In the end, this was the only answer the girl could give. And with that, she turned and left, leaving Ian standing there all alone.

He looked at his hand, which Artoria had let go of, and a subtle change seemed to come over his eyes. He turned, preparing to follow in the direction Artoria had left. He always followed her—so today should be no different—

"She'll hate you if you chase her." From the shadows of a nearby path, Morgan emerged. "She already said 'not right now,' didn't she? If you still chase after her, you'll just seem clueless."

"But Artoria said 'I'm sorry' to me," Ian said, looking in the direction the girl had gone. "Why would she say that?" "Because she probably doesn't like you to that extent yet. In other words—" Morgan twisted the knife. "Maybe she doesn't care about you that much?"

"..." Morgan's words seemed to strike a nerve. The boy clutched his chest and whispered, "It hurts here. It's strange, it never has before." "That's because you were rejected," Morgan explained coolly. "And so, you feel pain."

Morgan walked up to Ian. With an elegance that far surpassed Artoria's, she took the strange knight's hand. Seeing his confused look, a triumphant glint flashed in the princess's eyes. It was the expression of someone who had finally won something against Artoria.

"Come—" "Since you couldn't get Artoria's affection tonight..." "Then... how about you try mine?"

Join my patreon For Early access to Chapter : patreon.com/TheWorldGod

Tiamat 200 Chapter (Final)

Honkai 110 Chapter

Lobotomy 110 Chapter

MushokuTensei 40 Chapter

'Pure Evil' Simulator 50 Chapter

MushokuTensei 40 Chapter