"Sister Artoria, are you worried about something?"
Riding on the gentle horse through the fields, Artoria had been staring blankly at the distant town and forest until the voice of the boy in her arms brought her back to her senses.
"No. I was just thinking about how many people have come today. It seems everyone is very much looking forward to a worthy person becoming the King of Britain..."
Adjusting her emotions, Artoria let out a small laugh and spoke with forced casualness, but her hands unconsciously tightened on the reins.
Today was not just the most important day for all of Britain; it was also the day that would decide her destiny.
Last night, Merlin had already told her in her dream that the chosen day was today.
Artoria knew full well that her foster father asking her to deliver the lance to her brother Kay was just a pretext. Everything was simply to get her onto the stage of Britain.
And this was the very meaning of her birth.
Although she had understood her mission from the very beginning and all her efforts had been for that goal, now that the day had truly arrived, Artoria's heart was still filled with apprehension.
She wasn't sure if she could truly lead Britain, nor was she certain she was worthy enough.
But Merlin had told her that besides her, no one else was qualified to become the King of Britain.
—It had to be her.
However, before the girl's thoughts could drift too far, the boy's voice sounded again.
"Perhaps. But piling all of everyone's expectations onto one person seems a bit much. Saving Britain is something that one person definitely can't do alone. Shouldn't everyone work together?"
"...You have a point."
Looking at Aozaki Rin, who had turned his head to look at her with a matter-of-fact expression, Artoria was taken aback for a moment. The melancholy in her heart lessened, and a genuine smile bloomed on her face.
It was strange. Although the boy was about four years younger than her, he would occasionally say things that brought about a sudden realization. It reminded Artoria of the night of the festival last year, when he gave her that blue ribbon.
—[I know you're dressing as a man for a very important reason, Sister. But no matter what, deep down, a girl must long to dress up a little. Besides, no one will see through your disguise just because you're wearing a ribbon.]
Even though she herself had resolved to see herself as male, in moments like these, the boy "stubbornly" insisted on her true nature. It was a strange feeling for Artoria, but not one she disliked.
Perhaps because her laughter seemed to come at an odd moment, Aozaki Rin blinked in confusion.
"Did you see something funny, Sister?"
"It's nothing. I just think we need to speed up, or Sir Kay might already be done over there. Now, hold on tight, okay, En?"
"Mhm."
The corners of the girl's lips curled up as she urged the horse forward, holding the boy a little tighter.
In an instant, all her worries were swept away by the wind.
If possible, she wished she could just keep riding through the fields like this forever.
[You and your sister ride into town.]
[Fortunately, you arrive just in time. The selection of the king by drawing the sword has not yet begun.]
[You hand the lance to your brother Kay, but the surrounding knights comment that it's completely unnecessary for just pulling out a sword.]
[They soon come to regret their words.]
[Although you cannot see the specifics of the situation, you can hear knight after knight stepping forward with anticipation, only to retreat with sighs full of regret.]
[From what you can hear, no one has yet been able to pull out the sword embedded in the stone.]
[As more and more knights fail, complaints finally begin to bubble up from the crowd.]
[The knights suspect something must be wrong, especially since the legendary magus Merlin has not shown himself at all. A sword that cannot be drawn is just an unsightly piece of scrap metal.]
[Ultimately, what right does a sword have to decide the king of Britain?]
[Your brother Kay agrees. Having also failed to draw the Sword in the Stone, he intends to hold a tournament with the other knights, proposing that the final victor become the King of Knights.]
[He also advises you and your sister to head home early, muttering to her, "This ends here. This was the first and last chance. You should understand." ]
[However, before you can leave, someone in the crowd recognizes you as the youngest adopted son of the renowned knight Ector, the genius swordsman, and begins to urge you to step forward and try to draw the sword.]
[Your brother Kay is displeased by this and wants to challenge the one who instigated it to a duel.]
[To avoid causing a bigger commotion, you persuade your brother Kay to stand down and decide to step forward to draw the sword yourself.]
[In your view, however, if so many people have failed, then you will surely meet with the same result.]
[And so, you grip the hilt of the sword.]
A cold sensation traveled up from his hand. Aozaki Rin couldn't see the situation before him, but he could vaguely judge that the sword was about chest-high.
His posture, as he tried to pull out a sword so ill-suited to his frame, must have looked somewhat comical.
But the surrounding knights did not laugh. Even though they no longer cared if the Sword in the Stone could be drawn, they couldn't help but stop in their tracks, their eyes fixed on the boy.
Similarly, Merlin was also watching in silence.
In fact, he had been standing by the stone dais since before the selection began, merely using illusion magic to conceal his form from others.
He also knew with certainty that the boy before him was bound to fail.
The Sword in the Stone had long been enchanted; only one who possessed the blood of the Red Dragon or one who could save Britain could draw it.
This whole affair was merely a ritual held for a single person.
His eyes fell upon the slender, fair-faced, golden-haired "youth" with a blue ribbon in their hair, standing silently in a corner. Merlin's usually playful face was, for once, etched with seriousness.
But his solemn, dignified state didn't last long. A grating screech of metal against stone echoed through the square without any warning, causing his face to go stiff.
It wasn't just him. Everyone present instinctively froze at the sudden sound, looking toward the boy in disbelief.
In Aozaki Rin's hands, the sword that should have been firmly embedded in the stone dais had already been pulled out by a small section, with only the tip of the blade still stubbornly biting into the stone.
Aozaki Rin froze, completely stunned by this turn of events.
But no matter how hard he pulled after that, the sword wouldn't budge an inch.
Helpless, he could only push the sword back in.
[You nearly pulled out the Sword in the Stone.]
[Unfortunately, you ultimately failed. Vaguely, you think you hear a sigh of relief on the wind, and the disappointed knights, their hopes dashed, leave in frustration, deciding to continue with their own plan to select a King of Knights.]
[You don't care about this and simply plan to return home with your sister.]
[However, your sister doesn't seem to share this plan. After a moment's hesitation, she says "I'm sorry" to you, and then silently walks toward the stone dais.]
[In that instant, you finally realize something.]
"Before you pick that thing up, you should think it over carefully."
The familiar magus's voice echoed in her ear. Artoria stood before the Sword in the Stone. In the vast square, only she and Aozaki Rin remained.
"Once you take up that sword, you will no longer be human until the very end. You will be hated by all humanity and ultimately meet a tragic death."
"Even knowing that, is this still your choice?"
As she wrapped her hands around the hilt, the girl's face twisted in fear for an instant.
Merlin's words were not a warning, but a prophecy. In that same moment, a vision of her final, grim fate formed in her mind.
"Sister, you don't have to do this."
Appearing by her side without her noticing, Aozaki Rin reached out and grabbed her wrist.
At this moment, he finally understood why his sister had to dress as a man, why she had to practice swordsmanship so diligently, why she had to be inundated with knowledge even in her dreams...
It was all because the burden of the king that the people of Britain longed for was resting on her shoulders.
It seems the time is not yet right...
Not stopping the boy's words or actions, the hidden Merlin sighed at the young king's immaturity, silently planning for the next selection opportunity.
To his surprise, however, the girl's slightly trembling body grew calm, and the fear on her face vanished.
"...I know. But this is what I must do. Thank you, En."
Artoria spoke as if a weight had been lifted from her. The anxiety and fear that had filled her heart transformed into a kind of stabilizing strength.
"But why?" the boy asked, unable to understand, his face etched with conspicuous worry.
"...Perhaps it is destiny. Although I may be hated, despised, and become tainted by many after this, I still want to see more smiles. I want to become the existence they are hoping for and create more happiness."
"Even if this was a destiny forced upon me, I no longer wish to run away from it."
The girl turned her head, her gaze fixed on the boy's face. Her hair, like golden sand, swayed in the wind, and a radiant smile lit up her beautiful features.
"And more importantly, I also want to protect the things that I want to protect."
—Schwing.
The sharp sound of a blade leaving its sheath.
[Your adoptive sister pulled out the Sword in the Stone.]
[You understand...]
[From this day forward, her name is no longer Artoria, but Artorius.]