The succession ceremony was dry and tedious. Ethan noticed that many people at the ceremony were unhappy with Mordred, this "suddenly appearing" heir.
"It seems like there will be a lot of fun once Mordred becomes His Majesty the King."
"That's her problem. I hope she enjoys it."
"That doesn't sound like a responsible father."
He turned to look at the blond young man beside him. The familiar face gave him the illusion that he was still struggling to survive on that "not-so-big" ocean.
After Ethan brought Mordred back, Arthur immediately began preparing for her succession. Since it had long been decided that this day would come, preparations were already underway, and everything progressed smoothly under Arthur's supervision.
When Mordred had been back in this world for nearly a month, the succession ceremony was officially held. The crew of the Venus came specifically to witness the event, which was soon followed by the news of "the former King Arthur's serious illness and death."
This was the official statement to the outside world. In truth, Arthur had taken the potion jointly prepared by Ethan and Merlin and had returned to his peak age.
"I am indeed not a responsible father."
Thinking carefully, he had spent his life building a powerful nation and had never truly cared for or taught Mordred.
At the time, he thought he had arranged everything for her, even finding her an excellent tutor, and believed he had fulfilled his duty as a father.
It was only after letting go of everything and looking back that he realized he was no different from his "original" self, failing to give his child enough attention.
"So, if Mordred ruins the empire you worked so hard to build, you won't be angry?"
"Do you remember? Back then, you brought another me from a parallel world, hoping I would guide her."
At that time, Ethan had brought Artoria to Arthur, hoping she would let go of her obsession. He hadn't expected the matter to affect Arthur as well.
"If Mordred cannot govern this country well, it proves she isn't a qualified king, so there's no need to forcibly cling to that position."
Arthur's attitude was clear. If Mordred failed in ruling and was overthrown, there was no need to hold on to the throne. Let the country evolve naturally.
As for Mordred's future, maybe he would take her traveling, or perhaps she would take him around. She had likely seen far more strange worlds than he had over the years.
Just like the group Mordred brought back, they came from completely different worlds.
During this time, Ethan also helped Mordred fulfill her promise to Klan by resurrecting the elite pilot Mikhail Braun.
The miraculous resurrection of the dead had a significant impact on Mordred's subordinates. Only then did they begin to realize who they were really working for. These people were not human at all.
After that, including the newly revived Mikhail, they all needed to undergo basic enhancements. The batch of VF units Mordred ordered, while still resembling the VF-25 in appearance, had specifications that exceeded those of the VF-27, which only the cyborg Brera could operate. To bring out the full performance of these fighters, physical strength beyond that of normal humans was required.
Klaus was particularly excited about this. This was exactly what he wanted.
Moreover, Mordred had proven that her previous claims about inheriting a vast empire were not nonsense. They became the king's close knights, enjoying both high status and excellent treatment.
More importantly, this king had the support of the legendary Merlin and another equally powerful mage. Any lingering doubts they had were gradually fading. Ozma was already considering whether to bring over his sister and his girlfriend.
As Mordred's "Close Knights" gradually formed a viable combat unit, Arthur was also steadily recovering his strength. He hadn't trained or fought for many years. Even though his body had returned to its peak and his magic power was steadily rising, that didn't mean his combat ability immediately returned to its prime. He needed time to adjust.
When he had recovered around 80 percent of his peak strength, Ethan completed the synchronization and connection of the two worlds. After that, Mordred and Galahad could travel freely between them.
The group Mordred had recruited had the "lowest level of authority." They could submit applications to the AI Luna through their personal terminals. Once approved, they could also travel between this world and their original world using the Venus's teleportation equipment.
They didn't have full access to the teleportation system, but that didn't mean they would never use it. As their strength and loyalty increased, the Venus would gradually grant them more permissions.
These newcomers didn't yet understand how great an advantage this was. Presumably, Mordred and Galahad wouldn't tell them right away. After all, these people had just become their subordinates. Mordred needed time to understand them. The disturbances that would follow would be the best opportunities to test their abilities.
With the change of the throne, the entire empire fell into a strange silence. But even the most insensitive person could sense the undercurrents beneath that calm surface.
"You're not staying to watch the show?"
"No. They're just a bunch of outdated relics and some ambitious but incompetent opportunists."
Arthur packed his things. In fact, there wasn't much to pack. Ethan had given him a personal terminal, and he had stored most of his belongings in the storage space, mainly souvenirs that held personal meaning. Aside from that, there was only a sword given to him by Merlin.
Excalibur had already been passed down to Mordred. That sword, which symbolized imperial authority, was now always worn by her.
This time, the sword Merlin gave Arthur was not just a symbol but a weapon of real power.
When Merlin handed him the sword, Ethan had examined it carefully. It looked very plain, a two-handed sword with few markings and no inlaid stones or decorations.
What surprised Ethan most was that the sword had no layered seals that needed to be "named" to unlock, nor was there any condition that required breaking the seals to unleash its full power.
"After so many years, I kind of miss the adventurous life I had back then."
Arthur looked at Camelot in the distance. The city had expanded greatly. The once prominent white city walls had long become the dividing line between the inner city and the new urban area. From a distance, the original walls were no longer visible.
"The life where I am now is quite different from what you experienced."
"That's good. I can enjoy a fresh new life."
With a final glance, Arthur said his goodbye to this world in his heart. He knew that from today onward, he would probably never return. After all, to this world, King Arthur was already dead. He was now just a young adventurer named Arthur.
He was especially glad now that he had delayed things for so many years. If he had called Mordred back while still in his prime, even if he could let go of this world, he probably wouldn't have been able to adjust his mindset.
Wasting all that time allowed him to see things more clearly.
Just as he was thinking this, his vision suddenly blurred, and the scenery around him changed.
Arthur stood in a daze for a long time before recovering. He remembered that when he traveled between worlds with Ethan in the past, it had never been so easy and seamless.
"Indeed, many things have changed."
"Yes."
Ethan could have taken Arthur directly to any location on the Venus, but he still chose to appear in the teleportation room.
After introducing the situation, Arthur was once again surprised.
"You can now travel to other worlds with this equipment?"
"As long as the coordinates are recorded."
"It really has become a lot more convenient."
Ethan then gave him a tour of the main areas, eventually taking him to the bridge so he could stand before the main window and gaze out at the vast universe.
"It's truly magnificent."
He wasn't just referring to the universe, but also praising the massive space battleship.
"If you want, I can take you outside to get a better view of the entire ship."
"No rush."
Arthur shook his head. Though the holographic images felt lacking, he realized he had too much to catch up on. Sightseeing could wait. He needed to first update his "common sense" so he wouldn't embarrass himself later.
"And... it seems you're preparing for something."
Ethan nodded. He didn't expect to hide anything from Arthur, who had ruled for decades. After all, Arthur had spent those years learning how to read people, and Ethan hadn't tried to conceal it in the first place.
"I need to take care of a small problem."
Now that he had wrapped up everything else, including arrangements for the young girls, Mordred's return, and with Ada having completed the information recovery on the Endless, even the transformation of the divine realm had entered a stable phase, it was time for him to begin his infiltration mission.
"A main god provoked me earlier. I plan to check things out and investigate his background."
"You're going alone?"
Ethan nodded. Infiltration missions weren't suited for large groups. However, saying he was alone wasn't entirely accurate. If necessary, he could summon a large team of helpers at any time.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)