In the world of Type-Moon, it all begins with becoming Morgan's husband!

It was a sword with a blade made of gold, and the hilt was inlaid with gorgeous but practical gems.

The sharp blade was sheathed in a scabbard engraved with intricate patterns.

"This is the precious sword we wish to present to the king."

"Its name is Excalibur."

"As long as the king possesses this sword, he will be invincible before his enemies and bring more victories back to Camelot."

"And its scabbard, Avalon, will protect the king during this process, keeping him out of trouble."

"It is indeed a powerful blade."

"Lake spirits, I pay you my highest respects."

As Artoria spoke these words, she reached out her hand toward Excalibur with the utmost respect.

I've got it—

The moment they made contact, the light from the blade slowly flowed towards the girl.

[The Red Dragon's Gift+ has been activated: You sense that Artoria has been imbued with some kind of more powerful magic.]

You realize that the lake spirit possesses immense power.

The sound from the lake rose once more.

“My lord, although we do not object to you wielding the sword Excalibur.”

"But it is still part of the lake, so hopefully you will return it to the lake when things settle down."

"As it should be."

Artoria responded by gripping the sword in the lake.

This was an extremely simple contract exchange ceremony.

Everything seemed to have ended there.

Until Artoria suddenly spoke again.

“Lake spirit, if my dream is without flaw, it seems there is another blade left untouched in your hands?”

"Your Majesty, you are right."

The voice from the lake quickly responded to Artoria's question.

"Indeed there is another blade that was not taken when it should have been taken—the blade that is the counterpart to Excalibur."

"Its name is Excalibur Gallatin."

"In that case—"

A certain determination shone in Artoria's green eyes.

"Can I take it with me?"

"..."

The sounds from the lake fell silent for a moment.

“Your Majesty, even you should not possess two swords from the lake.”

"What if it's not me who takes it out, but someone else who is capable enough?"

"That might be possible."

The voice from the lake responded neither arrogantly nor humbly.

"But the outcome is not chosen by us, but decided by the rotating sword of victory (Excalibur Gallatin) itself."

Artoria didn't speak again, but looked at Ian beside her.

Her meaning couldn't be clearer—she wanted him to retrieve the Excalibur Gallatin.

Ian did not hesitate.

He came to the lake like Artoria.

The lake shone brightly once again.

Unlike the cold light that pierced the sky before, this time the red glow was much more intense.

Comparing the two is like comparing the sun and the moon.

[Do you know that the Excalibur Gallatin before you might possess abilities comparable to Excalibur?]

Logically speaking, a weapon like this shouldn't be so easily lifted.

But at the same time, you also discovered something.

That is, you feel a certain affinity between yourself and the Excalibur Gallatin.

[You saw yourself taking it out, as if from beyond the future.]

that's the truth.

The moment Ian touched the Excalibur Gallatin, he found that he was not burned by the rather intense light.

Instead, I felt as if I had received a favor.

He understood everything.

[The Sword of Victory++ talent has been acquired: Due to Morgan's influence on you, you and the sword in your hand are blessed by the sun, allowing you to wield it with ease.]

This sword was meant to be taken by Morgana, the princess born from the lake.

However, on the day of her exile, she was too grief-stricken to remove the sword from the lake in time.

Having spent so much time with her and been recognized by the lake, Ian thus gained the recognition of the Excalibur Gallatin.

Is this a coincidence?

Or was it destined?

Looking at the blazing blade in his hand, Ian felt a sense of intertwined destiny.

But Artoria, who was standing to the side, was unaware of all this.

All she knew was that he was doing exactly as she had hoped, taking the other sword blade out of the lake.

“Mr. Ian, I knew you could do it!”

"There really is some kind of bond between us!"

The girl seemed to mistake all of this for evidence of their relationship.

Ian hesitated for a long time, but ultimately did not correct this erroneous perception.

but--

It seems that we need to confirm all of this in some way.

that--

As long as I don't go inside there, it should be fine, right?

76. A young girl admires the flowers with her sweetheart (4,000-word chapter)

The setting sun gradually dipped below the mountaintop.

The dim sunlight bathed the entire forest, casting a pale yellow veil over everything it touched.

On the ground somewhere in the forest.

The swords Excalibur and Excalibur Gallatin are planted side by side in the ground.

They cast long, slanted shadows on the ground, and at first glance, they looked no different from each other.

Artoria was sitting under the tree, hugging her slightly curled-up legs, resting her head on her knees, and looking ahead.

Her eyes were filled with joy.

One reason is that he did indeed receive the Sword of Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake.

on the other hand--

Artoria looked at the Cyclic Victory Sword next to the Excalibur.

I never imagined that I would still have this kind of connection with Ian.

This is incredibly lucky.

"I am back."

Hearing the voice she had been longing for, the girl turned around and saw Ian holding a lot of fruit.

He smiled wryly and said, "It seems like this is all we can eat tonight."

"it does not matter."

Artoria was still smiling happily.

"I'll eat anything when I'm with Mr. Ian."

click-

A bonfire was lit.

In the forest shrouded in night, this was the only light on the lakeshore.

"This forest has such a wide variety of fruits."

Artoria looked at the fruits that Ian had gathered.

"As expected of the forest where the Lake Fairy resides, even the produce has become much more abundant."

"Well, that's true."

Ian wouldn't tell Artoria that he already knew about this all along.

After all, he had been here with Morgan a long time ago.

As the birthplace of the princess, Ian remembers almost every detail of the place—and none of that has changed much since.

However, there is no need to say such things out loud.