I, Guinevere, am going to crush you, you curry stick, today!

Upon hearing the news, Gawain discussed it several times with his father, King Lothar, his mother, Morgan le Fay, and his two younger siblings, speculating about what kind of person King Arthur was, what Merlin would do next, and... how they should treat this suddenly appearing uncle.

To Gawain's surprise, before they could reach a conclusion on the topic, the female magician herself came to him.

That happened about a week ago—after receiving reports of monster sightings, he left the castle with his trusted men and temporarily settled on the border of Orkney. That day was like any other: he patrolled the surrounding villages and fields during the day, repelling several wild boars that were eyeing his crops, and in the evening he shared roasted wild boar meat with the villagers, drank several barrels of ale, and returned to his temporary lodgings in a drunken stupor.

Then he found an unsigned "announcement letter" on his bed.

"I will accept your holy sword."

The Sword of Victory, which Gawain possessed, was a gift from a witch who called herself Nini Anne on his ninth birthday. It possessed power comparable to the blazing sun, and he cherished it like his own life, never leaving its side except for bathing and sleeping. Although he didn't think anyone could easily steal this holy sword when he was on guard, Gawain still increased his vigilance. That night, he slept with the sword under his head. However, when he woke up, the holy sword he had been resting on had turned into a broken piece of wood.

A line of words was carved on the wood, in the exact same handwriting as the previous letter: "Keeping our agreement, I'll accept the sword. You must be very curious about who I am, but I won't tell you. Likewise, I won't tell you that I'm currently..." He finished by writing a place name in a flamboyant style—not far, near the village. He stared at the words, his expression shifting repeatedly, unable to guess the other party's purpose. After much deliberation, he gave instructions to a few trusted men and rode off towards that place.

When he arrived, he found no one there, but the Sword of Victory was still stuck in the ground. At the same time, a raging boar, seemingly enraged by something, stood guard nearby. Upon seeing him, it charged at him like a madman. Fortunately, Gawain was blessed by a saint and had deliberately arrived at midday when the sun was at its strongest. Even without a sword, he managed to pin the boar to the ground and beat it to death with his bare hands.

But the demonic boar was different from ordinary wild boars. Its body was modified by magic, making it thick-skinned and incredibly strong. Even with Gawain's great strength, it took him a lot of effort to fight the demonic boar with his bare hands. When he looked up, covered in blood and panting, he found that the holy sword in front of him had disappeared once again.

Instead, a leaf marked another location was placed on it.

In the following days, he followed the clues deliberately left by the other party, chasing after them. He encountered all sorts of strange things along the way. Sometimes he encountered ferocious monsters and wild boars, sometimes he encountered bandits and robbers who robbed him on the road, sometimes he helped save a drowning child, or he dealt with an old witch who practiced magic on living people, and so on. After several days, when Gawain came to his senses, he found that he had somehow crossed more than half of Britain and had come all the way from Orkney on the edge of Scotland to the South.

On his journey, Gawain finally learned that the magician who had gone to such lengths to trick him was none other than the famous Merlin. Upon realizing this, however, even deeper questions arose.

It was obvious that although Merlin kept emphasizing the great usefulness of the Sword of Victory, her purpose was not—or rather, not only—the sword itself. Otherwise, she could have simply taken it and left on the first day; why would she have played hide-and-seek with him for so long? Despite racking his brains, Gawain couldn't fathom why Merlin had intentionally lured him here.

The female magician had always had a good reputation and was on Uther's side. Gawain, who disliked Vortigern's actions over the years, subconsciously regarded Merlin as an ally. Although he didn't know her thoughts and purposes, he knew that these prophets were always talking nonsense and had their reasons for doing so. Since he didn't feel any danger yet, he might as well keep her company for a while.

That's why he hasn't resorted to force to seize it yet. Instead, he accepted Merlin's suggestion to settle the matter with a game of chess. Gawain himself is quite skilled at chess. Apart from occasionally losing to his mother Morgan le Fay, his two younger siblings and father King Lotte can hardly beat him on the chessboard. But when he met Merlin, he realized that there are always stronger players out there. This also ignited his fighting spirit. No matter what, he was determined to win a game against Merlin in the future.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Gawain looked up at the position of the sun and figured it was probably noon. He got up and went to the horses tied to the side, took two portions of food and water, and returned to the tree to hand the food and drink to Merlin. Ever since the female magician stopped hiding and the two started traveling together, Gawain had volunteered to take on the responsibility of preparing food and drink for the journey.

In his view, this was a perfectly normal thing to do. They weren't at their wits' end, so why let the lady go hungry?

After eating two hardened pieces of bread with just water, Gawain didn't care much about the taste; what mattered to him more was whether he could fill his stomach. Now that he had finished the two substantial pieces of bread, he let out a satisfied sigh and asked, "So, ma'am, what do you need me to do today?"

"Not urgent."

Merlin tore off a small piece of bread, soaked it in water to soften it, and smiled slightly: "Didn't you want to know why I used this method to lure you here? Actually... I wanted to ask you for a favor."

"Just like the past few days?"

“Oh, it’s different, of course it’s different. You can recall, the things that happened a few days ago were all caused by you and resolved by yourself. I didn’t ask you for help.” Merlin shook her head: “But this time, I’m asking you for help in Merlin’s name.” She paused, and her gaze towards Gawain suddenly became more pleased—if Artoria, who had known Merlin for many years, were here, she would probably shudder at this look, and her ahoge would stand up.

But at this moment, the only person present was a young knight who had only known her for a few days.

Gawain, who was still unaware of the person's personality, laughed heartily: "Madam, please feel free to ask whatever you need."

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Merlin smiled as the trees cast shadows. “I hope you can have a duel with someone here. A friendly, pointless duel that won’t have any negative consequences.”

"Who is it?"

"Well..." The female magician was about to answer when suddenly, she seemed to hear a sound. Her ears twitched slightly, and she looked in a certain direction. A few seconds later, Gawain also noticed several figures coming from the direction of the town.

And walking at the very front was actually a familiar acquaintance.

He couldn't help but blink, his head lowered and then raised again, before he stood up in surprise from the shade of the tree:

"Fina?"

……

P.S.: I'm still 600 words short. I originally wanted to write 4,000 words, but after thinking about it, I feel like stopping here is just right, so... well, that's it then~ I'll speed things up and try to finish this part of the story around 400,000 words. Remember to vote!

Chapter 113 You adults are truly filthy

Looking at the hem of her garment with the words "help" written on it, Guinevere twitched her lips, her heart completely unmoved. If it weren't for the meticulous Lily beside her, she felt she might have burst out laughing.

To be honest, she didn't believe for a second that the female magician, with her abilities, would encounter any danger on this trip. It was just a trip to Orkney to borrow a sword. Although King Lot and Gawain were highly skilled in martial arts, they knew nothing about magic, and Merlin was one of the most outstanding illusionists of the time. If she used her true skills, there might not be anyone in all of Britain who could stop her.

Of course, Oknife also had Morgan Lefebvre.

What puzzled Guinevere was that this witch, who was treacherous and cunning in the Arthurian legends and almost single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of the villain, was actually a gentle, considerate, and slightly naive wife in reality... Over the past ten years, she had subtly probed and even had Terena confirm that Morgan le Fay was a complete novice when it came to magic—unless she could maintain this facade for fifteen years at all times.

But it's one thing to hide it from others, but what's the point of hiding it from a newborn baby who should be clueless and know nothing?

Because she couldn't understand this, Guinevere could only conclude that Morgan le Fay was completely different from the image she remembered, and that this was one of the butterfly effects caused by her time travel. From another perspective, even Merlin had transformed from an old man into this smiling fox spirit; it didn't seem so surprising that Morgan le Fay had changed somewhat.

At least things are changing for the better.

If it were the Morgan we know now, he might be able to get along well with Artoria in the future, and there would be no Mordred, and no subsequent Battle of Camlann.

It's always good to have an optimistic outlook on life; who knows, it might just come true someday.

Similarly, she couldn't find anything that could put Merlin in danger, not to mention the incredibly flashy "SOS" in front of her, which was obviously just someone's idle pastime.

That's what she was thinking. She exchanged a glance with Kai and saw the same disdain in his eyes.

"Or... let's pretend we didn't see it?" She blinked her left eye, asking with her gaze.

“I’d like to do that too.” Kai gave him a knowing look: “If only you could convince Ah-Lily to accept.”

Even now, he still occasionally calls Lily by the wrong name, so much so that unsuspecting people always think that this handsome young man has a cold that hasn't healed and is holding back a sneeze all day. Countless girls in the town empathize with this pain of not being able to sneeze, and they all fuss over him, their eyes filled with tears, wishing they could turn into a scarf and stick it on Kai.

Guinevere watched with envy, and could only mutter to herself, "Relying on her youth to act so recklessly—she'll definitely have kidney problems before she's even thirty!"

As it turned out, Nimiao overheard this and, looking at the little girl's innocent smile—"Daddy, Daddy, I want to eat that, that, and that, otherwise I'm going to ask Brother Kai and Sister Lily what kidney deficiency is!"—Guinevere could only suppress her heartache and buy a whole bunch of snacks from all over the country to shut her up.

What's most infuriating is that as soon as she finished eating and wiped her mouth, she turned around and told everyone.

When Lily asked with a puzzled look, "Fenna, what does 'kidney deficiency' mean? Why did Sir Kai's face turn dark immediately upon hearing that word, and why hasn't he gone to see any girls in town for the past two days..."

Guinevere remained silent at that moment.

Closer to home.

Noticing Kai's gaze, she glanced to the side as well. If it were just her and Kai, it wouldn't be so bad, but the problem was that Lily was also there.

Even knowing Merlin's incredible abilities, this thing was most likely just a prank. But Guinevere could perfectly imagine Lily's answer:

"What if it's true?"

Going to the place Merlin specified will take up a whole morning, or even a whole day.

If I don't go...

Looking into Lily's emerald green eyes, Guinevere felt that there was probably no one in the world who could firmly say "I won't go."

At the very least, she and Kai cannot.

Their eyes met, and Kai shrugged, ending the brief exchange of glances. Lily looked the two of them back and forth curiously, as if she had noticed something, but didn't ask.

Nimiao, on the other hand, kept a straight face, acting like a little adult. She tiptoed and tugged at Lily's clothes a couple of times. Once the latter leaned down, she whispered seriously in Lily's ear, "Sister Lily, are you feeling a sense of crisis right now?"

"Hmm?" The girl in the white dress tilted her head slightly. "A sense of crisis? No, not at all."

"How could you not have one!" The little girl's eyes widened in disbelief. "Did you and Daddy just play around like that?!"

Before Lily could answer, she covered her mouth and stumbled back a few steps, exclaiming, "You adults are so filthy—"

He turned and ran into the hotel as soon as he finished speaking.

Lily stared blankly as the little girl's figure disappeared, then slowly straightened up. A sentence stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say it for a long time, forgetting what she wanted to say. Turning around, she saw Kay glaring fiercely at Guinevere.

"What have you been doing to my Al all this time?!"

Guinevere glared back defiantly: "It wasn't me who did it to her! It was what she did to me!"

Kai's gaze suddenly became meaningful.

"What happen to you guys?"

Upon Lily's question, the two immediately exchanged friendly smiles. Guinevere pointed to the piece of clothing in Kay's hand: "It's nothing. Nemia is probably just using this as an excuse to go to the kitchen for something to eat again. Don't worry about her. Speaking of which, since this was written by Merlin... shall we go take a look?"

"Well, let's go and have a look."

Lily paused, then said, "...What if it's true?"

……

The place Merlin specified wasn't far; it was only a 30-40 minute walk from the main gate of the town. The weather was sunny and warm, and having just finished a meal, a short walk like this was quite enjoyable.

Of the three, Kai walked slightly ahead, while Guinevere and Lily walked side by side behind. Lily had been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding Kai these past few days to avoid having her identity exposed. Although she knew the reason, her sworn brother still couldn't help feeling hurt and disappointed. Years later, as everyone grew older and their skin thickened, Kai would often bring up this old story whenever he got drunk, and then give it a good scolding with his unforgiving mouth.

But at this time, young people in their early twenties are still very concerned about their image and feel ashamed, so they are unwilling to show their feelings. Lily herself felt guilty, but Guinevere would occasionally comfort and reassure her indirectly. After a few days, she thought she had also improved her "brother-in-law's" favorability.

This was a joking idea, and she herself didn't take it seriously. At this moment, she was walking side by side with Lily, chatting about trivial things, occasionally steering the conversation towards Kai, who would then chime in with a few words. As they walked and talked, the warm sunlight shone down. At one moment, Guinevere seemed to see something incredible, and suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked.

She shook her head: "No... I must have seen wrong." But as she walked on, she quickened her pace, overtaking Kai in a flash. At the same time, the young man looked ahead and paused, startled: "Look, under that tree... isn't that Merlin?"

The words had barely left his mouth when the two people under the opposite tree looked over. The one who resembled Merlin hadn't moved yet, but the other figure, draped in a green cloak, suddenly stood up and exclaimed, "Fina?"

Guinevere's expression changed, and she rushed over in three strides:

"Gawain? You were kidnapped by Merlin, sword and all!?"

……

"...This is Lily, this is Sir Kay, the son of Sir Hector. This is Gawain, the eldest son of King Orkney, and also my childhood friend..."

Under the shade of the trees, they exchanged brief self-introductions. Guinevere was both surprised and delighted to meet a long-lost friend here. She originally wanted to give him a warm punch, but after looking around, she couldn't see any spot on his silver-white armor that would be easy to punch without hurting him, so she had to give up.

At the same time, Gawain briefly explained how he had been "lured" here by Merlin step by step. Although he spoke in a nonchalant tone, those who knew the female magician's personality couldn't help but look at him with pity.

It's easy to imagine that the past week must have been a thrilling and unforgettable adventure for Gao Wen.

He himself didn't think there was anything wrong with it. After recounting his experience, he turned to Guinevere and said, "Fina, I heard from your father that you heard about the King Selection Ceremony and came south specifically to join in the fun. But the King Selection Ceremony has been over for some time now. Why haven't you gone back yet?"

"Well... there's a slight problem, and it hasn't been resolved yet... I'll go back once this is over."

"What's wrong? Do you need my help?"

"It's hard to describe in words..."

Faced with Gawain's question, Guinevere could only sigh.

You can't exactly tell him that you broke the important Sword of Kings and that you plan to use that as an excuse to cling to King Arthur and hold onto that golden thigh...

Thinking about such things alone is fine, but actually saying them aloud is probably too embarrassing. Fortunately, Gawain didn't intend to press further. He glanced at Kay and Lily, seemingly deep in thought, and after a moment, his brow relaxed: "Sir Hector, the rumored adoptive father of King Arthur... Well, since that's the case, I won't ask why. Anyway, Fenna, be careful while you're out there. If you need any help, just ask. Gareth has been wanting to see you for a while. He even secretly packed his bags to come south to find you... Unfortunately, he tripped and fell as soon as he left the castle, twisting his left ankle, and he's been bedridden ever since."

"Gareth is still so clumsy..." Guinevere imagined the scene and couldn't help but smile wryly.

Gao Wen also smiled and said, "I probably won't be able to change it for the rest of my life."

After a few more casual words, the group sat down in the shade of the leaves. Gawain fetched water for everyone, and Guinevere summoned a gentle breeze, making the already comfortable environment even more pleasant. Once they had become more familiar with each other, Gawain brought up the topic they had interrupted earlier: "Madam, you still haven't told me who you want me to duel with."

Gawain had already briefly mentioned this matter, and now that it was brought up again, everyone's eyes turned to Merlin. The female magician smiled, her chin peeking out from under her hood slightly raised: "Here, I'm sitting right across from you."

"what?"

Guinevere originally thought that Merlin's duel opponent must be Lily. Although she didn't know what the female magician was planning, according to the usual pattern, it was nothing more than trying to recruit soldiers and win people's hearts for King Arthur.

However—she looked up at the sky; the sunlight was dazzling, it was midday, and a sudden sense of panic gripped her. She knew that Gawain possessed the blessing of a saint, and his power tripled whenever he was in the sunlight. Even without this blessing, he was already a highly skilled martial artist; with the saint's blessing, his strength would be even more terrifying.

Lily is not yet the invincible Knight King she will become. Leaving aside her own strength, consider her two holy swords: one is broken into a limb and hasn't been repaired, while the other is fused into her body and cannot be removed. With these two disadvantages, Lily is likely doomed to lose this duel.

Even though Gawain was one of her closest friends, one thing was one thing, and on this matter, Guinevere would definitely side with Lily without question. As she was thinking this, she suddenly realized something was off; Merlin seemed to have said that the duel opponent was sitting directly opposite Gawain…

She looked to her left, then to her right, and saw Lily's and Kai's expressions: one was bewildered and questioning, the other gloating. Looking up again, she met Gawain's surprised gaze.

Guinevere blinked, belatedly realizing that she didn't seem to need to worry about Lily anymore. She shakily raised a finger, glanced at Merlin sitting next to Gawain, then pointed to herself: "You mean, you want me... to duel with Gawain?"

"To be precise, it was a fair duel, a point-to-point duel, with no negative consequences," Merlin replied with a smile.

But these words did nothing to lessen the turmoil raging within Guinevere: "What the hell?! A duel with Gawain... Let me do it!?"

Her eyes widened, and her truest thought blurted out: "I'm going to get mashed into a plate of mashed potatoes, you know!"

P.S.: 37 words short of 4,000... I'll be staying in Shenzhen for a few days starting tomorrow, nothing much to do, so I'll try to update more~ Remember to vote!

Chapter 114 A Woman's Left Hand

Regardless of how much exaggeration there is in the description of "being mashed into a plate of mashed potatoes," Guinevere has a deep understanding of Gawain's strength. Because of this, she believes from the bottom of her heart that she has no chance of winning. When she hears the female magician's words, after her initial surprise, she thinks that the other party is probably up to some strange prank again.

But when Guinevere looked over, she found Merlin's expression, hidden in the shadows of his hood, to be quite serious, not like he was joking. She sat back down, her body only halfway up in a jump. "Could you please explain in more detail?"

Merlin chuckled softly. "No need to panic. This duel isn't happening now, but rather in the near future. All I need now is for Ser Gawain to nod and make a promise—"

She paused after speaking, then turned her gaze to Gawain: "This will be a fair duel that stops short of causing any negative impact on anyone."

“Of course.” Despite not knowing the background, Gawain readily agreed. He and his siblings had known Guinevere since childhood and had always regarded her as a sister, just like Gareth, so they would never do anything to harm her.

Merlin nodded in satisfaction, then glanced in Guinevere's direction. The girl twirled a small strand of hair between her fingers, her gaze shifting between the group as if pondering someone's intentions. In the end, she simply smiled and agreed. But then she asked, "What about the specifics?"