Chapter 8: Clarent—Radiant and Brilliant Royal Sword
The consequences of rejecting Rome soon became evident.
The grand army of Lucius Tiberius didn't appear on the coastline right away. After all, the Roman forces needed some preparation time.
However, immediately, there were problems with the trade routes that imported food from the continent.
"Not a single grain shall flow into the hands of the rebels!" That's what the Roman Emperor commanded.
Of course, with the centralized power of Western Rome, local officials still could secretly defy the Emperor's orders.
But the price of food soared.
"Well, we have no choice. Since the Emperor commanded it, our risks have increased."
"We're smuggling food at the risk of losing our heads, so the price increase is already good enough. You should be grateful, Britons."
The merchants pretended to be helpless while secretly chuckling.
Thanks to that, the situation in Britain, which was already experiencing crop reduction, worsened even more.
The frequency and intensity of disputes among the Knights of the Round Table increased.
===
"Merlin, did I make a mistake?" Artoria, troubled by these consequences, said, "Everyone is starving. If we don't have the imported food from Gaul, Britain won't be able to hold on..."
"Not really~" Merlin said in a relaxed tone. "Displaying the dignity of a king is also an important aspect. If you were to submit to Rome, it would also damage the majesty of a king~"
"Just... forget it."
Artoria felt that she must have been foolish to argue with Merlin over this matter. So, she brought up the topic of war again.
Thanks to her benevolent uncle, King Vortigern, the Saxons' influence on Britain grew stronger. From north to south, they almost occupied the entire island.
Although Artoria, as the ruler, had won several battles since her ascension, there was still a considerable distance to go before completely driving out the Saxons from Britain.
So the war had to continue. Artoria, as the commander-in-chief, together with Merlin as the strategist, prepared for the war.
"But you also know that this won't achieve much~" Merlin told Artoria in the end. "Even if you kill ten thousand Saxons, there will be a hundred thousand more landing. As long as Vortigern helps them, they can easily land on the island. It's endless."
"The war against Vortigern will be waged, but not now..." Artoria replied and decided to change the topic. "In the next battle, let Artorius join the fight."
"Really? He's only thirteen—hmm, or fourteen?"
"Agravain told me that he's already an excellent knight. Whether it's spearmanship, swordsmanship, horsemanship, or archery, he excels in all of them... and you yourself have taught him quite a lot, haven't you, Merlin."
"Ahahaha~"
Even if the secret was discovered, the mage of flowers only laughed happily, not concerned at all.
Realizing that this fellow was utterly hopeless, Artoria decided to change the topic.
"What about Artorius? What has he been busy with lately?"
Artoria, who wasn't good at expressing herself, showed her affection for her son in her own way.
"That child~?" Merlin said cheerfully. "Hmm... he's probably seeking comfort in the arms of a certain voluptuous big sister. After all, he can't feel a trace of motherly love in Camelot."
"Merlin!"
"Alright, alright, I apologize~"
Although he said he apologized, the incubus showed no sign of remorse whatsoever. "But, Your Majesty, I'm not joking. His Highness is indeed in the embrace of a certain voluptuous fairy big sister~"
"Avalon? He goes there again?!"
"Well, yes, where else?" Merlin said happily. "After all, His Highness is very popular. He's even surpassed me already, hm~hm~hm~"
At the same time...
As Artoria's fists clenched tighter and tighter and felt like she was suffocating when thinking of her son getting stolen.
For Artorius, it was a suffocating hell filled with the fragrance of flowers and sweetness, the bosom of a fairy.
In Avalon, the ideal land far from everything, within the splendid sea of flowers, the Lady of the Lake named Vivian tightly embraced the pretty boy.
"Why haven't you been coming lately, Artorius~? Do you hate your big sister? Did big sister do something wrong? Or maybe you've been playing with other girls outside and forgot about our promise~? Maybe I should just lock you up~ Hmph!"
Vivian, with a beauty that surpassed that of mortal women in appearance that could be called a perfect figure, gazed at the pretty boy in her arms with fervent and fanatical eyes.
If he were a fool, like the typical dense protagonists of a light novel, he would likely stumble and end up in a bad end in this situation. But Artorius was clearly not that kind of protagonist.
"It's clearly Vivian's fault." The boy feigned a very aggrieved look as he pulled out a gun from his embrace. "This thing is completely useless, Vivian."
Even though it was something he had asked Vivian to make, with the same design and specifications. But after Agravain slapped the bullet away, Artorius shamelessly blamed Vivian.
Being willful, stirring up trouble, and being unreasonable were not only women's specialties but also children's specialties.
Especially when used by a pretty 'shota', the power doubled, instantly capturing the heart of this fairy.
"Okay~ okay~ It's big sister's fault. What should big sister do to be forgiven?" That's what she said on the surface. However, deep inside, she kept repeating in her mind, 'Lock him up, in a place only I know!' while displaying a perfect smile.
The fairy big sister smiled, wishing she could push Artorius down right here right now. But when she saw the pure and innocent look in his eyes, she didn't dare to act on her desires.
"..."
He knew it wasn't her fault, but Artorius still wore an expression of 'You bullied me' to gain more benefits.
"I want to show off my skills in my first battle..." He muttered like that. "I've been given the opportunity to join the next battle against the Saxons, but it's my first time in battle. I want to achieve feats that will be remembered and sung about throughout the world."
"Is that so...?" The fairy big sister tilted her head and pondered for a few seconds before revealing a delighted smile. "If that's the case, then wait a little bit~"
She vanished without a trace, only to reappear in the same spot, now holding a shining sword that resembled the purest silver.
'Even though it's not as strong as Excalibur, it's not bad either.' Artorius thought to himself, 'It will do.'
"This is the sword that suits the present Artorius the best~" Vivian smiled. "Its name is Clarent—Radiant and Brilliant Royal Sword. It symbolizes the succession of the throne. Take it with you; it will definitely be helpful to you."
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
"Thank you, big sister! You really have a big... heart(boobs)!" Artorius said happily.
As a reward, he kissed the side of her face. One hand held her neck, and the other grasped the hilt of Clarent. The connection between the sword and him was so close, confirming that what Vivian said was true. This was the weapon that suited him best.
'It's time for some serious action.' thinking this, Artorius felt like he could let this fairy big sister take advantage of him a little more. And the latter indeed did just that.
After being kissed by Artorius, Vivian couldn't wait and embraced the pretty boy, kissing his lips and passionately sucking on them...
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