"Ahhh "
Seeing Lot lost in thought, Gawain placed her milky-scented hand on the hem of his clothes.
To be honest, both Lot and Morgan were the type of parents who were careless the kind where the couple was the true love, and the child was an afterthought. They were practically the sort who, in their old age, could be written off as "do not resuscitate" without a second thought.
But this Gawain was surprisingly affectionate. She was deeply attached to both Lot and Morgan.
Perhaps it was due to her bloodline, but despite being just over a month old, Gawain had already developed to the level of a three- or four-month-old infant. She could reach out and grab things, full of energy. Clutching Lot's collar, she began squirming excitedly.
Seeing her like this, Lot chuckled and said, "What? You wanna go fishing with me?"
"Ahhh "
Though she didn't nod, her grip didn't loosen.
"Alright, my little princess, I'll take you with me."
After a moment's thought, Lot reluctantly agreed.
Taking a child to the River of Time wasn't a big deal.
He had tested it before it was possible to bring others there. Before marrying Morgan, he had once taken a heinous criminal condemned to death to the river. The bound prisoner had suffered no ill effects. In fact, he even felt more comfortable.
It just went to show how much more hospitable the River of Time was compared to the fading Age of Gods Lot currently lived in. If this were a xianxia world, the river's banks could probably be called a "paradise of immortals."
Not only had the prisoner breathed in the river's air, but Lot had also forced him to gulp down several mouthfuls of its water. After the experiment, Lot cut out the prisoner's tongue and observed him for a long time to confirm no abnormalities before finally executing him.
Carrying Gawain, Lot returned to his room to fetch his fishing gear.
"Be good, Gawain. When your old man here reels in a big haul someday, you'll help me pull the rod, okay?"
With his fishing gear in hand, Lot prepared to head to the River of Time.
Holding Gawain in one arm, he stepped outside only to run straight into Kay, who was carrying a stack of documents for preparatory work.
The two locked eyes, and the air froze.
Kay's expression instantly turned resentful.
Your Majesty, this is just unfair!
As for Lot…
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
The feeling was something like this:
You're a high-ranking executive who's drafted a ton of plans, dumped them all on your employees, and made them work overtime on their days off. And while they're slaving away at their desks, you, their boss, stroll by with your kid in your arms, announcing you're off to have fun.
Having been a corporate drone in his past life, Lot wasn't as heartless as a capitalist. Seeing Kay's expression, he couldn't help but feel a Guilty.
"Your Majesty, what are you…?" Kay couldn't help but ask.
"Kay, you know what? I'm doing something very important right now," Lot said with a solemn expression.
"What is it?"
Kay was momentarily taken aback by his serious tone.
At that moment, Lot continued, "I'm nurturing the next king of Camelot."
With that, he hoisted his fishing rod, adjusted his grip on the baby, and swiftly made his escape.
Kay could only stare dumbfounded as Lot left, unsure how to react.
Nurturing the next king?
Gawain is how old?
No how many months old?
And Your Majesty, how old are you?
Not even twenty!
You've got decades to prepare an heir!
Even if you want to start early, this is too early!
No child, no matter how gifted, can start learning at one month old!
Kay thought to himself.
Once outside the city and sure no one was watching, Lot carried Gawain straight into the River of Time.
The tranquil river, accessible only to Lot, flowed endlessly as the two arrived. The waters seemed broader and deeper than Lot remembered.
He was thrilled by the change.
[The river growing deeper means the treasures I can obtain are growing stronger. Maybe one day, I'll fish out something that can completely alter fate.]
The River of Time was his greatest trump card for growth.
Under Scáthach's tutelage, his skills had reached a level where he could hold his own against a young, inexperienced Artoria, Lancelot, or Galahad. But his drive was nowhere near theirs.
If Lancelot or Galahad lost a fight, they'd train twice as hard to win the next one.
But if Lot lost…
Artoria, Galahad quick, you handle this.
That was his attitude toward combat. And when it came to the legendary weapons they'd eventually obtain, the gap would only widen.
So, if he wanted to close that gap without putting in excessive effort, the River of Time was his only hope.
Not strong enough? Talent lacking?
No problem just cheat.
Deep blue, add points.
Wait, no.
Divine artifacts, come to me.
If he amassed enough powerful Noble Phantasms, he might just become this era's Gilgamesh.
Time
As long as I have enough of it,
And as long as I keep fishing,
My strength will grow.
With that thought, Lot raised his fishing rod.
It had been upgraded since his last outing. After Morgan enhanced it, he'd had Scáthach inscribe it with several runes. Now, this ordinary iron rod was far sturdier durable enough to withstand a few strikes from Artoria's Caliburn.
For now, that was more than enough.
Preparing the rod, he gave it a test swing. Then, addressing the baby in his arms, he said
"Alright, let me show you the professional pride of a true angler."
No bait was needed for the River of Time. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he cast the line elegantly into the water.
"One, two, three here we go!"
Lot grinned.
"Ahhh…"
Seemingly infected by his enthusiasm, Gawain giggled happily, scratching at his face as she watched the rod with bright eyes.
She seemed just as curious as he was about what he'd catch.
A tug
An angler never returns empty-handed!
Lot cheered internally.
Huh?
The weight wasn't heavy.
But he could still hope.
With a firm yank, he reeled in his prize
And then his face stiffened, his lips twitching uncontrollably.
He stood frozen for several seconds.
"Ahh?"
Gawain tilted her head, sensing her father's shock.
Lot stared at his catch, torn between laughter and tears.
An angler never returns empty-handed
But there was another truth about anglers
They could pull anything from the water…
Except fish.
Yet now, flopping wildly on the riverbank, was a bighead carp.
"I went fishing… and actually caught fish," he muttered.
Not just one fish an entire bucket of them. His hook had snagged a red plastic pail, the kind he could've bought for twenty bucks in his past life.
No mystical aura, no hidden surprises just an ordinary bucket filled with fish.
When he dumped it on the shore, the fish spilled out, flopping energetically on the ground.
After triple-checking, Lot confirmed:
Yep. Just fish.
No hidden swords, no Zanpakuto hidden within just plain, ordinary fish.
"Ah well, a loss is a loss."
Lot's mood remained steady.
Fishing by the River of Time was like a gacha game. If one pull was bad, he'd just wait for the next.
He'd caught worse before.
"At least I can hand these to the kitchen. Morgan's always complaining that I never bring back any fish."
Gathering the fish back into the bucket, he noticed it still held some water likely scooped up from the river during the catch.
"Perfect. Saves me the trouble of finding water to keep them alive."
One arm cradled Gawain, the other carried the bucket, and his shoulder bore the fishing rod.
He was a mess of limbs, wishing he had a few extra hands.
"Gawain, don't squirm. And don't tease the fish they might bite."
Seeing her lean dangerously close to the bucket, eyes level with the water, Lot quickly warned her.
Startled, Gawain jerked her head back.
Satisfied, Lot turned his attention forward only for Gawain to sneak a hand into the bucket, scoop up a palmful of water, and sip it curiously.
Lot didn't notice until they reached Camelot's gates.
Then he saw his daughter sharing the fish's water supply.
"What are you doing!?"
He swatted the water from her hands.
"Ahh?"
Gawain tilted her head, confused by his reaction.
Seeing water still on her lips, Lot panicked. "My little princess, how much did you drink?"
She just blinked at him, uncomprehending.
"Ugh, let's just get you back to the castle."
Resigned, Lot hurried inside.
Babies could drink water, but in moderation. Gawain had clearly had more than a little, and he was worried.
Seeing his distress, she giggled, delighted.
Lot tapped her forehead lightly. "You little rascal. Hurry up and grow so you can help your dad and Morgan with paperwork."
Planning to exploit his one-month-old daughter for labor what a stellar father.
A guard carried the bucket while Lot held Gawain, returning to the castle.
On the way to their chambers, they ran into Morgan, who'd just finished handling Camelot's affairs.
The two met face-to-face.
Morgan took the fish from the guard, dismissed him, and examined the catch in amazement.
"Lot, you actually caught fish this time!?"
"Were you doubting I could?"
"Feel free to drop the 'doubting.' I never believed you could."
"..."
Lot had nothing to say to that.
"Watch the fish. I need to check on Gawain."
"Hm? What's wrong?" Morgan immediately tensed.
Lot explained how Gawain had secretly drunk from the bucket.
Morgan's worry spiked. "Is she okay? Will she be alright?"
"Should be fine."
That eased her nerves.
"Here, I'll take her."
She handed the fish back to Lot and scooped Gawain into her arms, heading inside for a checkup.
Hours later, after finding no issues, both parents finally relaxed.
But Morgan frowned. "Lot, has Gawain… grown faster than she should?"
"Eh, must be the good food," Lot deflected.
Then, teasingly, he cooed at Gawain:
"Come on, say 'Daddy.'"
He expected nothing
But then, in a tiny, milky voice, Gawain spoke
"Daddy."
"Mommy."
Stunned, Lot and Morgan exchanged glances.
Their one-month-old had just called them by name.