[You had an unusually realistic dream.]
[But when you notice the next morning that your adoptive sister, Artoria, isn't forcing herself to stay awake like she usually does, you know that everything from your dream was real.]
[You are glad that Merlin kept his promise, and you don't mention this trivial matter to your sister.]
[Your life returns to its usual routine: helping with the farm work to support the family and practicing with your sword, day in and day out.]
[Age 10: Your appearance begins to grow more and more striking. Whenever you visit the town, the young women who used to pay attention to your "adoptive brother's" good looks gradually turn their gazes upon you.]
[You have awakened the talent 'Fair-Faced Youth (A)': Those with weak minds, regardless of gender, have a high probability of being charmed by your appearance.]
[However, this exceptional appearance brings you not a sense of superiority, but trouble.]
[Because you cannot see, beauty and ugliness are meaningless to you. You judge a person based solely on feeling.]
[Compared to you, however, your adoptive sister seems even more troubled by this. You often hear your sister Artoria sighing softly while looking at your face, as if lamenting that a hidden treasure of hers has been discovered by others.]
[You do not understand this.]
[In the autumn, the town holds a rare festival to celebrate the harvest.]
[Your foster father, Ector, gives you and your two adoptive brothers a rare day off. Accompanied by your brothers, you head to the festival.]
[Although you cannot see the outside world, the sounds of laughter and joy from the festival allow you to feel a passion that has been unleashed after a long period of suppression.]
[You learn from passing villagers that this year's harvest is the best in years. Everyone remarks that God's punishment on Britain has ended, and that things will surely get better from now on.]
[You and your two brothers begin to wander through the festival. During this time, a group of boys also attending the festival verbally harasses you and your "brother" Artoria for your appearances. Thanks to your brother Kay's sharp tongue, a conflict nearly breaks out between your two groups, but thankfully it comes to nothing.]
[At the end of the festival, there is a tournament for knight apprentices organized by the townspeople.]
[The winner can choose one of three prizes: a brand-new suit of armor, a fine sword, or a precious blue silk ribbon.]
[At your brother Kay's urging, you enter the tournament with a wooden practice sword.]
[Unexpectedly, in the first round, you face the leader of the group of boys from earlier.]
[Your opponent mocks you for being blind, and you knock him off the stage with a single strike.]
[What follows is like a scene on repeat. Every knight apprentice present fails to withstand a single one of your attacks before being defeated.]
[You win the knight apprentice tournament. Your clean and decisive image is etched into the hearts of everyone at the festival.]
[After the tournament, you don't choose the ill-fitting armor or the overly heavy sword as your prize, but instead select the blue silk ribbon.]
[On the way home, you give the ribbon to your sister, Artoria.]
[Your sister is a little surprised, but after a moment's hesitation, she happily accepts the gift.]
[And though you don't know what the color blue looks like, you can sense that it must be a color that suits your sister.]
[Besides, compared to weapons, you have always cared more for gifts that could make your family happy.]
[After this night, your fame begins to grow in the town.]
[To your surprise, however, within a few days, several families travel from town specifically to arrange a childhood engagement between you and their daughters.]
[Your foster father, encountering this situation for the first time, is uncharacteristically flustered, but he ultimately turns down all the marriage proposals on the grounds that you are still too young.]
[Your brother Kay teases you about this for days, but he is also proud of you.]
[Your sister Artoria seems relieved, yet for some reason, she occasionally appears gloomy.]
[To avoid the commotion caused by your appearance and fame, you begin to visit the town less frequently. In this way, another year passes.]
[Age 11: You have lost some of your childishness, and your appearance has become even more outstanding. But the people of the town are more concerned with another matter than with you, the famous but rarely seen victor of last year's festival.]
[—A few days ago, the court magus, Merlin, appeared.]
[He came to the town, plunged a sword into a stone, and proclaimed: "Whosoever pulls out this sword shall be the King of Britain." ]
[Because of this, knights from all over the country are eager to try their hand. For the first time, you realize that the carefree, older-brother figure from your dreams truly is a very famous person.]
[But what you cannot understand is, shouldn't the king of a country be the most qualified person? Why use such a method?]
[To you, it seems less like a ritual to select a king and more like a "scam," and for some reason, you can't help but associate it with your sister.]
[But the fervent anticipation for the King of Britain among the people around you is beyond your imagination. Even though Merlin's proclamation seems somewhat absurd, as the chosen day approaches, more and more knights arrive from all over the country to prove that they are the most worthy.]
[Finally, the chosen day arrives.]
[Your brother Kay, like all the other knights, heads to the designated location early on this important day, but he forgets to bring his lance, the most important tool for a knight.]
[After breakfast, your foster father, Ector, asks you and your sister to deliver the equipment to him.]
[Though you cannot see your father's expression, you can sense a reluctant, yet extremely restrained tone in his voice. It's as if he's relieved that a great goal is about to be achieved, yet he cannot clearly discern whether his own actions are right or wrong.]
[You are somewhat confused.]
[Nevertheless, at your father's urging, you and your sister mount the same horse, leave the hill where your home is, cross the meadows, and head toward the town.]
[But you can't tell if it's your imagination, or if your sister, sitting behind you with her arms protectively around you, seems unusually restless.]
[And so, you decide to ask her...]