"It's exactly how I thought It would be."
In a village, Artoria nodded thoughtfully after completing her investigation.
"Britain's land has gone bad," she sighed, remembering what the villagers told her.
"It started months ago. The land stopped yielding crops."
"And we're only realizing this now…"
Artoria looked guilty. Even though she hadn't yet drawn the sword back then, nor taken on the duty of a king.
"You don't need to blame yourself so much, Artoria," Morgan reassured her.
"No one can see everything. You're no exception."
"If we start working now, there's still time to fix it."
"Fix it?"
Artoria picked up on something in Morgan's tone.
"Sis, do you know what to do?"
"Not exactly," Morgan replied, her eyes flashing with intent. "But we can try."
"Then I'll go get Ian! He's outside distributing food—"
"No need," Morgan stopped her. "Just the two of us can handle this."
"Not everything needs to involve him."
"You're the future king of Britain, Artoria. You should start thinking like one."
Already feeling nervous from earlier, Artoria took Morgan's words seriously.
"Okay. Just the two of us then."
They walked together to the farmlands.
Seeing the disaster before her, Artoria bit her lip. "What now, sister?"
"It's simple."
Morgan extended her hand, and a glow of blue magic lit up—mixed subtly with traces of red. It expanded quickly, forming a large glowing circle covered with intricate patterns.
Without hesitation, she pressed it into the earth.
A miracle occurred.
The withered land began to come back to life. Seeds that had been declared hopeless began to sprout. A long-dried river began to flow again.
Everything was reborn.
"Sister, what did you just do?" Artoria's eyes trembled.
"Just applying the right medicine," Morgan replied calmly, hiding her pride.
"Artoria, the land withered because it lacked magic."
"So if we inject magic into it again, it'll grow just fine."
"This..."
Artoria hadn't expected the solution to be so simple. She looked uncertain.
Just as Morgan had hoped.
"I know this might sound harsh," Morgan continued, "but you should understand what being Britain's king really means."
"You've realized, haven't you? You're not nearly ready."
"…Yeah."
This time, Artoria didn't argue. She admitted it honestly.
"I understand."
"But I won't give up. I promised Ian—I'll become a king he can recognize."
She paused, a little embarrassed, then added,
"I mean, a king that everyone—including Ian—can be proud of."
"If it's okay… would you help me too, sister?"
Morgan had complicated feelings as she looked at Artoria's outstretched hand.
She wanted nothing more than to slap it away.
But for the sake of her plan, she forced herself to take Artoria's hand.
"Of course I'll help. You were chosen by the sword—and you're my little sister."
"Logically and emotionally, I should help you."
"But before that, Artoria, I want you to consider something."
"What is it?"
Artoria now trusted Morgan completely.
"Well, I think the problem might actually be Ian."
"Huh?"
The topic suddenly returned to Ian, catching Artoria off guard.
"What does Ian have to do with this?"
"My dear sister, everything."
Morgan carefully steered her forward.
"Don't you think you've been spending too much time with him?"
"You're always together—only separating when absolutely necessary. Do you really think that's behavior fit for a king?"
"Sure, maybe you had a strong bond in the past."
"But—"
Morgan took Artoria's hand and placed it on the golden sword at her waist—Caliburn.
"If you stay trapped in that kind of bond, don't you think it's unfair to this sword?"
"Unfair to the sword…"
Artoria fell silent.
"You're saying I shouldn't spend so much time with Ian?"
"I didn't say that."
Morgan let go.
"I'm saying—if you truly want to protect everyone, if you want Britain to become a better place…"
"Then you can't be stuck in the past. You have to be willing to give things up."
"Maybe I said too much."
Morgan turned away.
"Think it over, Artoria."
"I won't bother you anymore," Morgan said as she walked out the door.
She was confident Artoria would be swayed by her words. After all, she had secretly used Tiamat's magic to cast a persuasion spell on her. Artoria would inevitably come to believe her relationship with Ian was inappropriate.
Things hadn't gone exactly as planned, but Morgan found the current situation more favorable. Taking away what belonged to Artoria—what a delightful prospect.
Morgan turned to look at Ian, still helping the villagers. She knew the next few words she'd say to him would be the final piece in her scheme.
"Ian. Tonight is the perfect time to confess your feelings."
The plan to drive a wedge between the knight and the king was nearing completion.