Lot's inspection of the troops proceeded without a hitch, as expected.
The soldiers under their command were all elite veterans who had fought alongside them in the previous battles against Vortigern. Many hailed from Orkney, and those who did had undergone Lot's quasi-modern military training, making them exceptionally disciplined and reliable.
Artoria, too, was a responsible leader. By the time Lot arrived, he found the troops neatly assembled and ready.
Morale was high.
After a thorough inspection confirmed everything was in order, Lot returned to the castle.
And the moment he stepped inside, Morgan greeted him with a "surprise."
"Come here, you're going to be a father again!"
The moment Lot returned, Morgan announced this to him outright.
Hearing this, Lot froze on the spot.
[The child in your womb hasn't even been born yet. At most, it's only been a little over three months since conception.]
[What?]
[You're telling me you're already pregnant with another?]
[In this world, while Newton's coffin lid has long since flown off, we still have to abide by basic biology, right? Morgan, get a grip you're human, not a kangaroo. You can't be pregnant with one child while simultaneously nurturing another embryo.]
Morgan secretly laughed at the thoughts running through Lot's mind.
Though she didn't know what a "kangaroo" was, she could tell he had misunderstood.
Then, she raised her eyes to meet his.
"Why are you looking at me like that? This has nothing to do with me. This time, I'm just saying you've gained another son not that I'm becoming a mother again."
"What are you talking about!? You're not suspecting me of doing something, are you? Listen, I've been completely faithful to you. Before marrying you, I didn't even lay a finger on any of the maids in our household!"
Lot immediately panicked upon hearing Morgan's words.
Back then, the maids' appearances had been… less than appealing to his discerning tastes, so the then-virginal Lot naturally hadn't bothered with them. And after marrying Morgan? Even less so.
At first, it had been due to his fastidiousness. Now, it was love.
But now, Morgan was claiming he had another child Lot was genuinely flustered.
I haven't done anything!
I refuse to be wrongfully accused!
"Of course I have complete faith in you."
Seeing how flustered he was, Morgan waved her hand dismissively with a laugh.
Though she'd initially been suspicious of Lot's alarmingly proficient techniques on their wedding night, after all this time, she trusted him implicitly.
Even if every other man in the world were to cheat, Lot would never be one of them.
First, she was absolutely certain of his love for her. Second, given his lazy nature, he simply couldn't be bothered to stray.
Not wanting to keep him in suspense, Morgan quickly added, "I'm just here to give you an adopted son."
"Oh, is that all? You nearly gave me a heart attack." Lot let out a sigh of relief before curiosity got the better of him. "So, who's this adopted child? An orphaned knight's son?"
[Taking in war orphans and raising them into a loyal royal guard… That's actually not a bad idea. Huh. Morgan came up with this? Impressive.]
Lot mused internally.
…Wait, that is a good idea!
Morgan mentally filed the thought away for future use before grinning at Lot.
"Nope. It's Sir Galahad."
"WHAT!?"
Lot's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.
[Galahad's going to be my adopted son? What kind of development is this?!]
Seeing his shock, Morgan explained, "Well, he seemed like he was lacking paternal affection. So I suggested you become his foster father, and he didn't object. So, it's settled."
Lot was dumbfounded.
He pressed Morgan again:
"He really didn't object?"
"Of course not."
Morgan nodded firmly.
Then, with pleading eyes, she added, "Don't you think that poor boy deserves a father's love? You can give him that, right?"
"I… I suppose I can."
Lot reluctantly agreed.
[I'm not even twenty yet. How do I already have a son this old?]
[Though, given Galahad's birthdate, I am more than old enough to be his father.]
[But still…]
Seeing his hesitation, Morgan pressed further: "What's there to hesitate about? You're not worried Galahad would turn on you, are you? Come on, just accept it. This way, he'll serve us wholeheartedly."
"…Fine."
Lot finally gave in half-willingly, half-resignedly.
Besides, it was his fault Galahad had ended up here in the first place.
He owed the boy some responsibility.
And while Galahad's combat prowess was formidable, his character was leagues above a certain 358th Regiment Commander.
Having him as a foster son meant not having to worry about a halberd in the back.
That was reassuring.
Plus, adopting a son wasn't so bad.
It'd be good practice for fatherhood.
Morgan would be giving birth in a few months.
This way, he wouldn't be completely unprepared when the time came.
...
With the troops organized, it was time to march.
King Leodegrance's situation was dire there was no time to waste.
Once the soldiers were loaded onto the ships, Lot and Morgan boarded the flagship, setting sail for Scotland.
Accompanying them were the army's high command and key personnel.
Like a certain old swindler.
And, say, a certain Lancelot currently cosplaying as a zongzi.
Munching on actual zongzi, Lot and Morgan watched as Galahad hauled the bound knight onto the ship.
Staring at Lancelot, Lot felt a twinge of guilt.
I did kinda steal his son.
And now I've got him trussed up like a holiday dumpling.
Honestly, this whole trip…
Wait we're going to see Guinevere, aren't we?
Oh. Never mind, then.
With that thought, Lot turned to Galahad behind him.
"Did you tie those ropes yourself?"
He asked.
"Yes."
Galahad nodded, his expression slightly odd.
Even now, the whole situation felt surreal.
This man, who looked about his age, was now his foster father.
But having agreed to it, Galahad would honor the relationship.
"Yes," he repeated.
Then, noticing Lot's gaze, he wondered if his foster father thought he'd been too harsh.
Well, maybe. To outsiders, treating one's birth father like this would seem excessively filial.
If he tells me to untie Lancelot later, what should I do?
"Make sure to add more restraints later. Those bindings are still too loose."
"…Understood."
Galahad nodded, his expression growing even more peculiar.
I… may still be too pure for this.
Lot smirked in satisfaction.
As if I'd let my son Gawain die by Lancelot's hand on my watch.
With that settled, Lot decided to personally tighten Lancelot's bonds.
Meanwhile, Lancelot was busy plotting his escape.
I'm destined to be a renowned knight!
I won't be reduced to a bound prisoner!
He needed to break free.
If he could slip these restraints, his chances of escape were high.
Lancelot's heritage meant he could easily return to land, even at sea.
He'd made up his mind:
If I get out of this, I'm heading straight back to France.
I'm never setting foot on Britain's shores again.
Just as he was thinking this, Lot walked in.
Spotting him, Lancelot glared fiercely.
"Here to mock me?"
He spat.
"Not my style." Lot chuckled, holding up several iron chains.
Lancelot's face paled.
"What are you doing?"
"Ensuring security."
Lot proceeded to bind Lancelot securely with the chains.
"Hey, what's your deal with me?!"
By now, Lancelot had realized his treatment wasn't standard Camelot prisoner protocol.
He was being singled out.
Given special attention.
Damn it, who asked for this kind of special treatment?!
I just want the normal prisoner experience!
I came from France! I haven't killed innocents or bullied the weak aside from that one time I fought you, I've done nothing wrong!
Seeing Lot before him, he desperately pleaded:
Just tell me what I did wrong!
I'll fix it, okay?
Just let me know how I'm supposed to die!
I can take the pain but I deserve to know why!
Lot replied, "That's for you to figure out. But I'll say this: Galahad's hatred toward you isn't baseless. And me keeping you tightly bound during this mission to aid Leodegrance? Also necessary."
"You're all hiding something. That Galahad beneath the hatred, there's something else. What is our connection?"
Lancelot stared intently at Lot.
"The Knight of the Lake's intuition is as sharp as ever," Lot thought admiringly.
Aloud, he said, "You'll have to ask him about that. Now, stay put. And don't try anything funny."
With that, he left.
Leaving Lancelot to stare despairingly at his now-dumpling-tier bindings.
Exiting, Lot found Galahad waiting outside.
Seeing his conflicted expression, Lot patted his shoulder.
"To be fair, he's somewhat innocent in all this. Maybe try talking to him. Stubbornness leads to lifelong regrets."
He offered the advice gently.
"But… Father, he still doesn't know, does he?"
Galahad gestured inside, the word "Father" feeling strange on his tongue.
"..."
"So you'll wait until he meets your mother?"
"No. I don't want him seeing her ever again."
"Then you'd rather he marry someone else?"
Lot pressed.
"That's "
Galahad instinctively shook his head.
"No. I wouldn't allow that either."
"So you're condemning him to eternal bachelorhood?"
"I…"
Galahad flushed awkwardly.
"Let me think about it more."
He finally replied.
Navigating a father-son relationship really is complicated.
"Anyway, the priority now is the upcoming battle. Even a lion uses full strength to catch a rabbit and King Rience is no weakling among Scotland's forces. We can't afford carelessness."
Lot murmured to himself.
...
Before Camelot's army could arrive, King Leodegrance and King Rience had already clashed.
Their knights and troops met on a grassland a few miles outside Leodegrance's castle.
Despite Leodegrance's efforts, his age and strength were no match for Rience.
The battle ended in Rience's victory.
With the Scottish nobles rallying behind him, Rience's forces surrounded Leodegrance's castle, besieging it completely.
They assaulted the walls relentlessly.
"Father, haven't the enemies retreated yet?"
Guinevere stood beside Leodegrance, her voice laced with worry.
"No…"
Leodegrance admitted quietly.
But he quickly reassured her:
"Don't fear. As long as I'm here, no harm will come to you."
"I believe in you, Father."
The two stood atop the battlements, watching Rience's forces swarm below.
The sheer numbers made both pale.
It was terrifying.
Just as Leodegrance was about to offer more comfort, his eyes caught movement in the distance.
A contingent of soldiers in Camelot's armor was charging toward them.
His eyes lit up.
A grin spread across his face.
Camelot's reinforcements had finally arrived.