Alvin.
It wasn't a name unfamiliar to Mordred.
Though she had never seen him in person, ever since her birth, she had heard countless stories about the magical dragon from her mother, Morgan le Fay.
If Mordred had once looked up to Artoria with admiration, then the feelings she held for Alvin were more of curiosity... and respect.
Although, in today's Camelot Empire, the name "Alvin" was mostly met with curses and infamy.
But the version of the story told to her by her "mother" was very different.
In the Camelot Empire, there were once two people who truly kept the empire stable.
One was Artoria, and the other was Alvin, the night watchman.
One ruled in the light, the other guarded from the dark. And it was the one in the shadows who bore the Empire's filth, the one who did what the King could not.
In order to solidify the King's throne, Alvin had gone so far as to make himself a public enemy of the Empire, only to be "executed" by the King's own hand.
To Mordred, who had never known her father, this mysterious man had always been an enigma, someone she had wanted to meet ever since she was a child.
But now that they were face to face…
Her mind was completely blank.
What the hell…?
This boy who looked barely older than her, was supposedly her father?
"It's about time we return to the palace."
Artoria's calm voice pulled Mordred out of her spiraling thoughts.
Her chest tightened, suddenly becoming very aware of her situation.
She instinctively took half a step back… only to find Artoria's gaze already on her.
"Little Mo… I don't want to have to fight again."
The tone was serene, but the threat within it was crystal clear.
In that moment, Mordred's instincts screamed at her.
Although she knew she had to go back and tell her "mother" about this as soon as possible, her rational mind stopped her body from moving even an inch.
There was no escape.
Facing just Artoria, maybe, maybe—she could've gotten away. But with Alvin here too…?
It was impossible.
Artoria's unrelenting gaze bore into her. And finally, Mordred let out a long, defeated sigh.
"...Fine. Do whatever you want."
At the end of her words, she stretched out her hands towards Artoria in great annoyance.
"You don't need to cuff me."
Artoria spared her a glance and said evenly, "You're not going to run."
"You're awfully confident in your own strength," Mordred muttered a bit unhappily, however...
"It's not just my strength."
Artoria's eyes glinted with subtle meaning. "You're curious about him, aren't you?"
Hearing her words, Mordred was stunned for a moment. Then clicked her tongue and looked away.
Damn it..Although she didn't want to admit it, she had to say...Artoria really understood her.
….
Tap tap tap…
A black and gold carriage rolled down the sunlit road toward the royal palace. The streets were quiet and empty, basked in golden morning light.
Inside the carriage, Alvin reclined lazily on a velvet seat, staring out at the ornate, European-style buildings outside the window.
After a while, his gaze subtly drifted to the blonde woman sitting beside him.
Artoria sat upright, back straight, as dignified as ever. Despite her simple clothing, her graceful figure could not be hidden. Her lips were soft and red, her skin fair as snow, and her chest—
Well-endowed, to say the least, rising and falling gently with every bump of the carriage.
Looking at such enchanting sight in front of him, no matter what, at this moment, Alvin couldn't help thinking to himself…
'Man, pulling that sword from the stone back in the game really was the right call...'
Staring back to check, Alvin couldn't help but sigh inwardly once more.
In the original game's storyline, the system's task had been for Alvin to pull the Sword in the Stone in place of Artoria and become the new King Arthur.
And sure enough, Alvin did pull the sword from the stone—
Well… halfway.
Then shoved it right back in.
Originally, according to the Fate timeline, the one who pulled the Sword in the Stone, Artoria, would be cursed to have her body forever frozen at the age of sixteen.
But thanks to Alvin's meddling…
That curse? Yeah. It hit him instead.
Which meant Artoria was not affected by the pain of her physical development.
If not for that, all those very adult CG recollections of her wouldn't have existed in the first place.
Thinking back on those steamy, heart-pounding CG scenes from the game, even now as he recalled th, Alvin felt a bit of his heart stir.
To be honest, he didn't exactly mind going back to the palace with Artoria.
After all, the plot he'd lived through in the past was from a game, it had all been behind a screen.
But now…
Now it was reality.
And maybe, just maybe, some of those scenes from the game were about to actually happen.
Like that scene, "Artoria in the Bath" which mesmerized him, or the unforgettable:
"The King at Her Desk."
Beautiful scenes. Beautiful memories. Beautiful woman.
But…
Looking at the beauty in front of him, something told Alvin that he was about to unlock a brand-new CG scene, one that had never appeared in the game before.
Alvin silently looked at the personal interface that appeared in front of him, and couldn't help but sighed inwardly with some worry.
Ever since earlier, the "White Moonlight" tag in his character menu had been pulsing with a bright pink glow.
Right beside it, the name "Artoria" had appeared, accompanied by a strange little icon:
A half-pink, half-black heart… fading into a strange gradient.
He had no idea what the hell that meant.
"…Yeah, I've got a bad feeling about this."
Lost in his thoughts, Alvin glanced over at the girl sitting across from him.
"Little Mo, why do you keep sneaking glances at me?"
"I—I wasn't!"
From the moment she got in the carriage, Mordred had been covertly peeking at Alvin nonstop.
Now suddenly exposed, and with Artoria also turning to look, Mordred, of all people, was so flustered that the rebellious, sharp-tongued knight couldn't get a single word out for a long time.
Her hands clenched awkwardly in her lap, her body stiff with uncertainty, until eventually, she just turned her head and mumbled—
"…Nothing. It's nothing."
Compared to the fierce and defiant Mordred from earlier, the girl right now looked more like the shy girl-next-door.
To be honest, Alvin couldn't help but smile to himself.
There was that famous quote of hers:
"I am the knight who dared to rebel against the King!"
Sure, rebellious Mordred was cool and all.
But… this bashful version of her was kinda adorable, too.
As if sensing Alvin's gaze, Mordred bit her lip, then suddenly raised her head with the air of someone going all in as she spoke.
"I just wanted to know, back then, the entire Round Table said you were killed by the King Arthur herself. How did you fool everyone?"
The moment the words left her mouth, not only Mordred, but even Artoria stared silently at Alvin.
The Sword of Promised Victory, its destructive power was beyond question.
Especially after the Thirteen Seals were lifted.
If Alvin had truly given up, forsaken the regenerative powers of the White Dragon's Core…
Then even he should've died from that blast.
And at that time, Artoria had watched with her own eyes as the sword unleashed its blazing wave of magical energy, engulfing Alvin completely.
So now the question was—
How the hell had he pulled this off?
"…It's a long story," Alvin said casually. "Let's just say it was an illusion."
"You know illusion magic?" Mordred couldn't help but ask, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.
"Hmm… maybe just a little," The latter replied vaguely.
However, eyen such a half-baked answer was enough to completely shatter Mordred's earlier gloom as she leaned forward slightly, eyes shining like a child's.
To be honest, when she thought about it…
Going back to the palace wasn't that bad actually
Worst case, she'd be under house arrest or something.
But if it meant getting a chance to talk to Alvin?
Yeah.
That was totally worth the price of admission.
After all, every time her "mother" mentioned Alvin, there was always a trace of sorrow, almost heartbreak, on her otherwise cold and ruthless face.
For someone like that to show such emotion…
There had to be something deep between them.
Maybe… just maybe, if she stayed close to him while in the palace, she could dig out some of those secrets.
The thought made Mordred feel a sudden spark of excitement.
After a smooth ride, the royal carriage finally rolled to a stop before the King's private chambers.
When the three stepped out, the palace guards at the door froze in place.
They didn't recognize Alvin, but Artoria's face? That was impossible to miss.
Immediately, they stepped forward and gave a formal salute.
"Your Majesty, welcome back."
"Anything happen while I was gone?" Artoria asked calmly.
"No major incidents. Though… it seems the interrogation room caught a few more transmigrators. Two of the Round Table knights are handling it as we speak."
When they finished speaking, they glanced at Mordred secretly and couldn't help but feel secretly frightened.
What on earth did the King go out to do this time…?
Why is the rebel knight here of all places?!
However, at this moment, Artoria's voice cut in again, cold and direct:
"Take her to rest."
"…Yes, Your Majesty."
The guards lowered their heads in obedience, but couldn't help sneaking a look at the unfamiliar boy beside the King.
"What about… him?" one asked cautiously.
"He stays."
"And from this moment on, no one is allowed near the royal chambers—no exceptions."
After giving these instructions, Artoria gently took Alvin's hand and led him deep into the royal residence.
"I have some things to discuss with him, privately."