Ch. 158 Egde specifically found Mia later

Egde specifically found Mia later. Considering her abilities, it was clear that Mia was much more important than anyone else.

Mia agreed; she would take Wilden and Melina with her to the palace.

It wasn’t a bad thing to meet a ruler of another world.

“Um, maybe I shouldn’t go?” Merlin suddenly chimed in before they set off.

“No, you must go,” Kay said firmly. “As Artoria’s teacher, how can you shrink away when she meets a sovereign king for the first time?”

“But I’m not of much use anyway,” Merlin said coyly.

It was as if going to see this king was a terrible thing; Merlin even went so far as to admit he was ‘useless.’

Kay straightened his expression and coughed. “Now then, Mr. Merlin, you wouldn’t want the news of Artoria making a fool of herself in front of a sovereign king to become common knowledge, would you?”

“Ah, no, no, no,” Merlin waved his hands. “I believe Artoria can handle this matter just fine…”

“Are you going or not?!”

In the end, through a mix of persuasion and coercion…

Merlin wrapped himself in his hood, didn’t even bring his staff, and followed the group to the palace reluctantly, looking like an Assassin.

The King lived in a palace within the inner city. There were two city walls here, both solid walls made of stone bricks and concrete.

In the throne room, with guards standing on both sides, they saw the ruler, the sovereign King of Lancaster.

He was a lean old man with a goatee, his eyes not at all clouded by the passage of time.

He sat on the throne wearing a crown that had little decoration—more like a gilded circlet than a traditional crown.

“Stop there,” the King reached out a hand.

Because the group had not surrendered their weapons to the soldiers when entering the throne room, the King had them stop ten paces away.

Upon seeing the King, Sir Egde knelt on one knee in greeting.

“Your Majesty Braidin.”

King Braidin gazed sternly at the knight before him. “Egde, my Tribune. I granted your family the honor of managing land for me. Why have you abandoned your fief?”

“Please forgive me. The situation was urgent at the time, and it was the most prudent decision I could make in those circumstances.”

King Braidin sighed.

He couldn’t really blame the knight for such a thing; anyone lacking soldiers and defensive facilities would have made the same judgment.

“Please rise, Sir Egde.” King Braidin reached out a hand and gestured upward.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said as he stood up.

Mia noticed that the King’s left hand was hidden beneath his robe.

“I summoned you for another important matter,” King Braidin looked at the people following behind Egde, “but I suppose you have something to say as well? Why don’t you begin?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Egde kept his head bowed throughout. He was just about to introduce someone to the King.

Suddenly, he heard the King raise his voice.

“However, what I am more curious about,” the King said, “is why the Magician Merlin, who once served the High King, would appear in my court?”

“Oh dear… I suppose saying ‘you’re looking for Magician Merlin, what does that have to do with me, Magus Merlin’ won’t let me slip away, will it?” Merlin helplessly pulled back his hood. “I was recognized after all. If I’d known, I would have been more firm and refused to come no matter what…”

Kay shot him a glance.

It was as if he were asking: ‘The reason you didn’t want to come here was actually because you were afraid of being recognized?!’

The guards frowned, clearly dissatisfied with this young man of unknown origin who showed no respect to the King.

“Hehe,” the King’s goatee quivered as he laughed. “It seems Lord Merlin’s purpose here is not me.”

With that, he looked at the others following Egde. “Then, would you be willing to introduce these companions of yours to me?”

Merlin said quite irresponsibly, “Well, why don’t we let Sir Egde speak for me?”

The King shook his head.

Long before Britannia had split apart like this, Braidin had heard the name of Uther’s court magician, Merlin, and was also aware of his personality.

“Or perhaps, you will speak for yourselves?” Braidin reached out toward the group.

He couldn’t yet tell who was in the leading position.

Perhaps it was Kay?

Although Wilden was the largest, usually such a Soldier would at most be a knight.

Excluding the other women, only Kay fit the stereotypical image of a team leader.

“I am Kay, son of Sir Ector,” Kay replied.

“This is Artoria, my sister.”

After introducing the two, Kay turned to look at Mia.

If Mia didn’t speak, Kay would introduce her instead.

Mia decided to announce herself.

“My name is Mia, Your Majesty Braidin. I am just a traveler.”

“This is Melina,” Mia continued.

“I am Lady Mia’s attendant!” Melina suddenly answered quite loudly.

It was as if she wanted to ensure Mia didn’t seem inferior in a conversation with a king, so she called herself Mia’s attendant.

“Ah…” Mia paused for a moment, feeling somewhat awkward for some reason.

“This is Wilden, a knight,” she introduced last.

“Hmm…” The King was one of the few people who didn’t immediately marvel at Wilden’s physique.

He was contemplating something.

“Ector… Ector,” he murmured.

After a moment, he leaned forward and asked with an expectant look, “Is your ancestral home in Wales?”

“Yes,” Kay nodded.

“Then, was your father once the Knight Commander in the High King’s legion?”

“Yes,” Kay nodded again.

King Braidin took a deep breath.

He suddenly stood up, his left sleeve hanging empty.

“Merlin, oh Merlin. Though I do not know the full story of the past, since you have already brought such a young knight before me, why do you still think of deceiving me?”

He murmured, moving swiftly, and in an instant, he was in front of Kay.

“Come, young man, let me see your sword.”

“Your Majesty!” The guards, seeing their King make a dangerous move, hastily tried to intervene.

“It’s alright,” Braidin shook his head, signaling the guards to step back, then looked at Kay with a face full of smiles.

“Young man, quick, draw your sword before me and let me see it.”

“Ah, this…” Kay was utterly confused.

He didn’t quite understand why King Braidin would make such a request.

Kay swallowed hard.

He stepped back, knelt on one knee, and drew his sword in a posture that would not be considered presumptuous.

Well, that one-handed sword, and then presented it with both hands.

“This…” Braidin leaned over, carefully scrutinizing the sword.

“I thought it would be longer, and inlaid with gold.”

He muttered, a look of slight dissatisfaction appearing on his face.

The petty king of Lancaster, Braidin, straightened his back and glared at Merlin, shouting:

“Merlin, can you swear to the former king that this is the sword in the stone?”

“Huh?”

Merlin blinked innocently.

“Hmm?” Braidin glared back at him.

“Uh…” Kay felt speechless, as if he had been set up.

The atmosphere instantly fell into an awkward silence.

A few seconds later.

Merlin, Mia, Kay, and even Vilde.

All turned their heads in unison to look at Artoria.

“Gulp…” The young girl subconsciously took a half-step back.

Then she immediately realized that she shouldn’t shrink back at this moment.

So, following the momentum of her backward step, she unhooked the sheathed sword from her waist.

“Your Majesty Braidin, this is the true sword in the stone.”