novelden Chapter 362: Refusal
Chapter 362: Refusal
Inside the house, Artoria sat on her bed. She was in the simplistic room and the minimal furniture there sent her down memory lanes. Even the closet had the same pair of khaki shirts and brown pants she wore, as even here she was raised as a boy.
Her conversation partner seemed deep in thought over what she had said on the way here.
"So, you were named king after pulling out a sword?" Adam nodded to himself.
When she said the name Arthur Pendragon, he thought that she only had the same name. After all the real Arthur Pendragon was a male. However, with the legend of the sword, and Artoria’s wish to save her kingdom named Britain, it became clear that she was indeed the same Arthur Pendragon he read about in the Arthurian legends.
’But in this world, Arthur Pendragon is a woman... Well, as long as she didn’t become a woman after being born a male I don’t mind it, but seriously who made this happen?’ The little knowledge he had of history from Earth was cracking.
"Yes, from what I remember the day should be near." Artoria said, checking through the yellowish papers on her bedside table.
"Any idea on how you will find a king more worthy than you?" He asked taking a seat on the chair he just made from the vine hanging by the window.
"I’ll have to find someone other than me who can pull out that sword. That is the only way to bring all the Lords together." Artoria said. "Back then, Knights and Lords came around from all over but none succeeded. We just need to search more."
"You want me to help?" He said matching her gaze.
"Please." She nodded.
"Well, I’ll try." Adam closed his eyes.
In an instant, his consciousness surged outward, expanding beyond the confines of the house, sweeping across grasslands, and stretching over mountains until it reached the distant coastlines. His mind spanned the vastness of the land, touching the pulse of forests, the breath of rivers, and the tremors of unseen life. Then, he found it—the sword, radiating a quiet power rooted deep in the stone. As he focused, the intricate web of its connection to the land and its people unfolded before him, a bond woven into the very essence of the earth itself.
The few moments of silence were too heavy for Artoria, she would have squirmed in place if not for her image but it didn’t help much. She had said she’d find a worthy king, but she didn’t know how to do that. But thankfully, Adam was there. With his powers, it wouldn’t be unnatural for him to find the one worthier than her.
However, when he opened his eyes, her heart sank as if she knew what he would say.
"Artoria... there is no one more worthy than you for the sword." He said, his voice turning serious. "No, I should say that you were born to pull out that sword, born to be the King of Britain."
Others would die to hear words like these, however, she sat there in silence gritting her teeth.
’If I don’t pull out the sword then the forces will remain fragmented in the face of invasion... if that happens, Britain would be doomed to fall before it can even unite.’ Artoria lamented at the destruction that played out in her head.
Did she have no other choice but to become the King?
***
A week had passed since then and the day of prophecy arrived.
Valiant knight orders, lords of territories, and skilled wandering knights, everyone who wanted to try their worth stood before the sword in the stone. The country was ready to decide on the next king.
The tensions in the air were high as the Uther Pendragon watched over the crowd from a distance. Many tried to pull out Caliburn, but the sword refused to budge no matter how mighty the warrior was, and neither did it show mercy to the ambitious young.
"Sir Ector, where is he?" Uther turned to the old knight standing beside him.
The grey-haired man’s wrinkled mouth remained shut, he didn’t know how to explain the current situation to his king. Before the king could push for an answer, a consensus formed between the hundreds of knights standing on the green plains.
"Since no one can pull out the sword, we shall measure our might through swordplay and jousting." Announced King Lot of Orkney.
This method was prepared in advance in case no one could pull out Caliburn from the stone. It was a useless suggestion as Uther was sure the sword would be pulled out. Just that the one who was supposed to do it, didn’t step forward as others were lining up to give their names for the tournament.
However, Uther soon found the person he was waiting for. Instead of reaching for the sword, that person stood in the line receiving the ire of the men standing around her.
"Sir Ector... Am I seeing things?" He couldn’t believe it himself.
The child he had sired for the sake of pulling out the sword, stood in the line. However, unlike the pants she was supposed to wear to hide her gender, Artoria wore a blue dress under her armor, showing no signs of hiding her true identity.
"I... I apologize my king." Sir Ector himself couldn’t understand what happened to Artoria.
Since her duel with Kay, her changes have become more noticeable. The biggest being her refusal to hide her true gender so suddenly causing this scene.
As Uther watched on with a frown, Artoria looked at the knights around her. They were strong, respectful knights that she knew of even if they hadn’t achieved much yet. However, the gazes that fell on her weren’t kind.
"What are you doing here?" The knight in charge of writing down names looked at her with a tilted gaze.
"To submit my name as a contender." She said, steadfast and still.
"You? A woman?"
The comment from the knight elicited hundreds of reactions from the people around, yet none of them were positive. It wasn’t that female knights weren’t allowed, but this was a contest for the throne. They couldn’t allow a woman to compete out of principle.
"Is there a problem with that?" Artoria remained firm, her sharp gaze made the knight take a step back. "Write down my name."
She had commanded him instead of clarifying, and the knight almost followed. The aura from that small body made his pen touch the paper on instinct. However, before he could a new voice came in.
"Are you dense, woman? This isn’t a place for you, not to mention you are a mere apprentice knight, you cannot join anyway." It was a burly knight covered in armor, an enforcer to keep order. He was bold enough to reach out to her, probably to pull her out of the line by force.
Although the armor looked dated, Artoria recognized it as it belonged to one of the knights who died fighting for her during the unification. Still, she didn’t plan on letting this pass. In fact, she was waiting for someone to start.
"Now, don’t make m-!" The knight’s words cut short as his world flipped.
Lying flat on his back he could only gaze up at the vast blue sky, and the girl who overshadowed that vastness with her presence alone.
"Make you do what?" Her voice, although akin to a bell, rang through the place like a war gong.
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