At this moment,
At the intersection of the fourth and fifth rings of the royal capital, on the street named Tavern Street, Suya, Lucan, and Gawain all looked at Merlin, who was squatting in the corner of the carriage, exchanging bewildered glances.
Lucan's painstaking and meticulously planned grand deception was only meant to result in Suya drawing the sword. Yet, Merlin actually carried an item that could instantly remove the 'curse' of the Sword in the Stone, allowing Suya to pull it out.
And Suya, already an important member of Morgan le Fay's faction, was completely at a loss for words—
From the outcome,
He had killed Arthur and even helped Morgan le Fay obtain the [Mystic Blade of the Bible], perfectly completing his mission as a triple agent.
Making Princess Morgan le Fay the biggest winner in a series of events!
At this moment,
Gawain stared at Merlin, asking incredulously:
"You mean, the [Mystic Blade of the Bible] is now in Princess Morgan le Fay's hands?"
Merlin immediately retorted softly, "At least it's not in the Church's hands, right?"
Hearing this, Gawain temporarily breathed a sigh of relief.
And then, Lucan, with a complex expression, finally understood the whole story and dropped a bombshell:
"But as far as I know, Princess Morgan le Fay is now Saintess Elizabeth of the Church!"
Merlin blinked, then looked at Lucan, who, as former close confidant and prophet to King Uther, knew countless royal secrets, with a look of utter shock.
Hearing this, Suya immediately recalled the 'ambiguous' look Saintess Elizabeth had given him when she left not long ago, and his body trembled.
Damn it, it all checks out!
For a moment, they looked at each other, each beginning their own brainstorming session.
After a long while,
Lucan, who was integrating this sudden event into his vast plan but struggled to foresee the future, sighed helplessly, looking at the group with a headache.
"Three days from now, the Princess will invite Suya to a banquet. We'll find a way to retrieve the [Mystic Blade of the Bible] then."
"Since things have come to this, let's eat first."
Lucan then raised a hand and pointed to a tavern ahead on Malt Street, which was Suya's group's destination for this trip.
Hearing that he could finally eat again, Suya nodded without hesitation.
Then, he looked at Knight Gawain beside him, remembering the giant flame sword she had conjured out of thin air earlier—it was definitely not a Noble Phantasm, nor did it involve magic; it was an extremely pure technique manifested through 'sword qi.' So, he invited:
"Knight Gawain, would you like to join us?"
Gawain looked up at the tavern sign, which prominently read [Hero's Brew], unconsciously touched her deflated purse at her waist, a hint of longing rising in her eyes, yet still asking Suya with some hesitation:
"This tavern... do we really have to eat here?"
"Come on, Gawain—at worst, we'll wash dishes for a few months to pay off the debt."
At this point, Merlin, who seemed to be temporarily free from debt, joyfully linked arms with Gawain, dragging her towards the tavern door. Their height difference was immense; Merlin was practically hanging on the female knight's arm.
Gawain, however, shook her off disdainfully and quickly caught up with Suya.
"You gambling addict, let go of me, I barely know you!"
In medieval Britannia,
Street names gradually appeared over time, sometimes named after nearby trees or rivers, farms at the end of roads, or inns at a corner. Street names could also originate from events that happened on the road, or what was on the road,
For example, Church Street, Mill Street, Station Road, Knight Street, Lewd Alley.
Tavern Street, within the fourth ring of the royal capital Winchester, was a district filled with various taverns.
Among them, the name Hero's Brew was known to all. It had the best wine in the entire capital, the most delicious dishes, the most beautiful waitresses, and also the most troublesome proprietress—
Gryfflette.
It was noon,
Listening to Merlin softly introduce the place to him, Suya couldn't help but become curious about the tavern.
And upon entering this three-story, spacious tavern,
A noisy atmosphere immediately assailed them. Knights, merchants, and soldiers sat around square tables, raising their ceramic mugs and laughing loudly. In a corner, a minstrel played a lute with a smile.
The clinking of mugs, laughter, arguments, mixed with a cheerful tune gradually approaching and the scent of mead in the air.
As if very familiar with the place,
Lucan led Suya and the others inside, found a square table in a corner, and said something to the attending waitress.
Without much waiting, a series of the tavern's signature dishes, such as the honey-moss roasted black dog leg Lucan had mentioned, dragon egg pancakes made from wyvern eggs, mead, roasted salamander meat, and other dishes, were served.
All five of them were professionals, needing such food to replenish their consumption. Without saying much, they immediately began to eat.
And soon, half an hour later,
With unlimited food provided, only Gawain and Suya could continue eating.
An hour later,
Gawain put down her knife and fork with a satisfied expression, looking at Suya, who was still eating, with some surprise.
And at this moment, Suya also noticed the problem.
Just like when he first ate the smoked fish from the storage in Hector's manor, no matter how much he ate, he could never truly feel full.
After he became a high-level swordsman, even food of the black dog meat caliber began to struggle to fill his stomach.
He couldn't help but look up, gazing back at the others who were watching him eat, about to ask,
At this moment, Lucan looked at him, squinting and smiling:
"I presume you've noticed as well."
"Mere food, even the meat of magical beasts, is difficult to sustain the daily consumption of ordinary heroes and legendary powerhouses."
At this moment, Gawain slightly furrowed her brows, looking at Suya and interjecting:
"Begging your pardon, this..."
"Suya," Suya supplied his name.
"Knight Suya should only have the aura of a high-level swordsman. Logically, with food of this caliber, Your Excellency would feel full after at most one bite."
"But it's unbelievable; Your Excellency actually eats more than I do, despite me being a Half-Hero with a naturally good appetite."
"As the saying goes, 'appetite is power,' Your Excellency's power is simply... unfathomable!"
Gawain's sky-blue eyes flickered with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, as if she had witnessed something incredible.
Lucan nodded, smiling at Gawain.
"A king's appetite is naturally extraordinary!"
"A king?" Gawain raised an eyebrow slightly, turning to look at Suya.
"Knight Suya, are you also a prince summoned by the Church to attempt to pull out the Sword in the Stone?"
But soon, she shook her head and spoke:
"Knight Suya, please forgive my bluntness, this sword-pulling ceremony is not as simple as you imagine."
"Furthermore," she turned to Merlin, making no effort to hide the distaste in her eyes,
"Although this gambling addict possesses great potential as a magic user, if her power could be fully developed, she could achieve unexpected results in the Royal Selection. However, bringing her along for the Royal Selection is a complete miscalculation."
Gawain paused, offering a reminder that seemed meant to be subtle but ultimately came across as sarcastic:
"Please, do keep a close eye on your treasury."
Suya had wanted to say that he wasn't there to participate in the Royal Selection, but oddly, following Gawain's subsequent words, he actually nodded in agreement.
Merlin looked at Suya in disbelief.
Before Merlin could react, Lucan, squinting his eyes, spoke to Gawain, whose gaze had been intentionally or unintentionally fixed on Suya's face:
"Knight Gawain, I presume you have already understood the potential that our King possesses."
"And now, to participate in the Royal Selection, we require a large number of people."
"We have been watching you for a long time. We had intended to call upon you tomorrow, but we never expected to meet you on our very first day in the royal capital."
"So,"
"On behalf of our King, I extend an invitation to you. Please join our faction."
Hearing this, Gawain immediately frowned. She first glanced at Suya's unparalleled handsome face, then, with immense willpower, swallowed the tears that were almost spilling from the corners of her eyes.
She closed her eyes, and with difficulty, refused:
"Forgive me, although I would very much like to discuss swordsmanship with Knight Suya."
"But,"
"If the price is loyalty, then I must refuse."
"I was once enlightened by a holy ritual; the king I am to pursue in this life is the one who pulls out the Sword in the Stone."
"I see."
Lucan nodded, taking a detour: "Then, Knight Gawain, I presume you have seen that our King is suffering from the predicament of being unable to feel full."
"We are also looking for a way to solve this problem, but as far as I know—"
"Among the existing Half-Heroes in the royal capital, only you have mastered [Magic Circulation], which only heroes can master."
"Therefore, I would like to ask you to teach this ability to our King."
"Magic Circulation?" Gawain froze, her face immediately showing an embarrassed expression.
Lucan stared at Gawain, coaxing patiently: "How about it?"
"This ability... ugh..."
At the thought of how this ability came to be, Gawain found it difficult to speak. After thinking for a moment, she intended to refuse,
But then, Lucan smiled and held up a finger, saying:
"10,000 gold pounds."
"We're not asking for your allegiance to our King, just commissioning you, like a casino commissions you to collect debts. It's an employment relationship."
Gawain's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded.
"Deal!"
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