"I'm sorry, I was wrong, Father, Mother. I shouldn't have left for years without a word and not even called."
A few minutes later.
After receiving heavy, loving discipline from Naoki and Artoria, with her armor completely removed, Mordred, covered in bruises, easily performed a dogeza (kneeling with her head touching the ground) and apologized.
Not apologizing wouldn't do. If she didn't, she'd truly be beaten back to the Throne of Heroes. Though Mordred had briefly considered fighting back, the moment the thought crossed her mind, Naoki's glare made her shrink back.
[Try resisting, and I'll keep using force]—his look seemed to say something like that.
So Mordred gave in.
It wasn't because she was scared. In her entire life, she'd never been afraid of anything, but… her body's instinctive reaction left her unable to resist at all.
Watching Mordred lower her head to apologize, Gawain and Lancelot, observing this family scene from nearby, stood frozen in silence.
(Mordred was really disciplined like this by Sir Natsukawa…)
(Father and daughter? Those two are father and daughter, and this King Arthur… the three of them are husband, wife, and child?)
Mordred on Gawain's side was also an exceptional knight, but her relationship with King Arthur could hardly be called harmonious. Perhaps due to her illegitimate birth, despite Arthur's best efforts to interact with her as a father, it often ended in conflict.
It was shocking that King Arthur and Mordred here could get along so harmoniously.
If Mordred knew what the two were thinking, she'd probably grab her sword and fight them—calling parents beating their daughter a harmonious relationship?!
On Naoki's side, seeing Mordred lower her head to apologize, he stopped his actions.
"You've apologized? Do you know what you did wrong?"
"Uh… I shouldn't have followed Mother around, I should've called home over the years, making you all worry…"
"Good that you know! You unfilial child!" Naoki roughly ruffled Mordred's head. "Later, remember to apologize to everyone at home. Lia and I are enough for now. By the way, I won't plead your case with Rei. Handle that yourself."
(Doesn't that mean I'm definitely dead?!)
Sajyou Rei, plus Sajyou Manaka—Mordred could easily imagine what those two would do to her. She knew they'd always wanted to be her stepmothers. Having been away from home for so long, who knew how many grudges they'd built up in their hearts!
"Don't scare her, Master." Artoria sighed slightly. "I think Rei and Manaka won't make things too difficult for Mordred. If we push the issue onto Morgan, it should lighten things a bit."
"Phew~~~~~"
Mordred let out a huge sigh of relief.
If that's the case, it wasn't so bad. At least she wouldn't have to experience a fate worse than death.
But Mordred didn't get to relax for long. Naoki's hand gripped her head again. "Well, we'll talk about that later… Mordred, explain properly—what have you been doing with Morgan out there all these years? And why are you here now? Don't tell me you came for sightseeing."
"Uh… ow, ow, ow~~~ Father, it hurts! My head's gonna break! I'll talk!"
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Regarding her travels with Morgan over the years, Mordred's explanation was simple because there wasn't much to elaborate on. From her perspective, Morgan had just taken her around the world to travel. Though she'd experienced some things, they weren't particularly significant.
What mattered was what happened after the Human Order Incineration began.
"Mother and I came to this Singularity via Spiritron Transfer after the Human Order Incineration started half a year ago."
"Spiritron Transfer? Morgan knows that technique?"
"Uh, Mother said she got it from Merry. Those two seem to meet often in dreams."
Mordred didn't think twice and spilled the information.
(Good, leaking critical Chaldea secrets. Add it to Merry's tab. We'll settle it together later.)
Merry, lazing about in the seventh Singularity, was completely unaware she'd racked up another debt.
"But, though she called it Spiritron Transfer, Mother and I didn't come to this Singularity together. When I arrived, I happened to encounter the collective manifestation of the Knights of the Round Table there, and I displaced the Mordred on their side."
Displaced?
Could a Servant's summoning be displaced by Spiritron Transfer?
"It's probably a conflict with the concept of [Mordred]." Naoki mused. "Before the Mordred on Gawain's side could manifest, this Mordred arrived a bit earlier. As a result, she fulfilled the [condition of Mordred being summoned], naturally displacing the Mordred on Gawain's side."
Gawain: "That's a situation I never considered."
"Well, that's not the point. Besides, from Mordred's situation, Morgan must have come to this Singularity before her. So what did you do afterward?"
"Didn't do much. I just followed to face Vortigern, then when we were dragged into the Unique Barrier, Mother ordered me to act as a throne room guard. Oh, and midway, I was sent to the fourth Singularity once—there, I performed pretty well and saved Father's two juniors a few times!"
She must be referring to Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash.
Seeing Mordred's ahoge swaying and her eyes sparkling, Naoki knew this kid was fishing for praise.
"Yeah, you did great. I was away for something at the time, so it's good you could help."
"Hehehe~~~~ It wasn't a big deal. I just slashed a few enemy Servants."
Mordred laughed, rubbing her nose.
Seeing her cheerful face, everyone couldn't help but give a wry smile.
(With a face like that, it's hard to imagine she's the rebellious knight.)
(Truly like a child.)
"Watch your words, Mordred." Artoria said with a smile. "So, you appeared here now because—"
"Oh, I came to fulfill my throne room guard duty. It was Mother's order, after all. But since Mother's gone now, and I don't want to keep getting beaten by Father and Mother, it doesn't matter anymore."
Morgan's gone?
Realizing this, Naoki and Artoria raised their eyebrows, and Naoki said, "So, that means… all that's left is to go to the throne room and wake that idiot up, right?"