They had successfully escaped.
After Mash's words left Lancelot stunned, New Camelot sent no more Knights in pursuit—perhaps due to Guinevere's presence, or perhaps because of Tristan's death.
Did the Lion King know that sending a single Round Table Knight would be a suicide mission, or was it something else...?
-
Within New Camelot City, in the Inner City Throne Room, all the Round Table Knights had gathered.
They were "mourning" Tristan's death, requesting half a day of rest to honor his memory while awaiting the King's judgment on Gawain and Lancelot for failing to complete their orders.
"Mordred, was that really your mother? The Guinevere from another world?"
"Sir Gawain, how many times are you going to ask that?! Is it really so surprising that my mother could overpower both you and Lancelot? Just know this: in my world, my mother is the strongest Round Table Knight."
Mordred reeked of smoke and fire. Though she denied starting the fires in the city, every Knight present knew the truth.
After confirming that the woman was indeed Guinevere, Gawain turned to Lancelot with another question.
"It wasn't just Guinevere. The one who called you 'Dad' was Galahad, wasn't it? Lancelot, you..."
"Hey!" Mordred cut in. "Let me make one thing clear: my mother and Lancelot never had an affair. She's only interested in women."
Lancelot was cut off before he could speak, but upon hearing Mordred's words, he let out a deep sigh of relief. His affair with Guinevere had been a thorn in his heart, his greatest regret even after death.
It had made him believe his most fitting Class should have been a Berserker, like a rabid dog. His long-held wish had always been to be punished by the King.
But in this Singularity, the King had commanded them to assist and serve, and he had been summoned as a Saber.
"Mordred," Lancelot said, "thank you for that information. I'm very happy to hear it."
"Tch."
Mordred clicked her tongue and said no more. She was, after all, a Knight of the next generation and had received a proper education. She knew it was improper to gossip about her elders' romantic affairs.
But with her silence, it was Agravain from the proper human history who spoke up.
"Lancelot, you shouldn't have been here these past two days. When the King summoned you back, it wasn't to let you go easy on the enemy and defy orders."
"Sir Agravain, I truly didn't hold back. Guine—no, that Miss Ruler is genuinely that powerful."
Lancelot paused, then continued, seeing Agravain's unrelenting glare.
"But if you're referring to Galahad calling me 'Dad,' you should know I would inevitably react that way. In my lifetime, he never once called me that."
"Sir Agravain, you're still holding a grudge, aren't you? After all, I'm the one who killed you with my own hands."
With his black helmet, black hair, and a face as dark as thunder, Agravain had returned to serve the King once more. He had intended to set aside the circumstances of his death, but Lancelot had just forced him to remember.
"Hah! You betrayed your king, your wife, and your son. And when Gawain's plea for aid finally reached you, you couldn't even make it to Camlann Hill in time. You're nothing but a failure who spent the rest of his life drowning in regret.
"I'll ask you just one thing: will you betray the King again for Guinevere and Galahad?"
Agravain's right hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his suspicion undisguised. He had died exposing Lancelot's affair with 'Guinevere,' and Lancelot was the man who had taken his life. But what truly mattered to him was Lancelot's betrayal of the King.
"I've said it before: I will serve the King faithfully to the very end."
In truth, if Agravain hadn't brought it up, Lancelot had been considering seeking out Galahad. But now that the possibility had been laid bare, he was trapped.
Betray the King again to help his 'daughter,' or continue serving the King to atone for his posthumous regrets? The two choices balanced precariously on a scale. The slightest push in either direction could tip Lancelot's decision.
Compared to the story Guinevere remembered, Mash had called him 'Dad' far too early. The location and circumstances were completely wrong, and Mash's follow-up attack after the word was missing.
This meant Lancelot had already been swayed by Agravain's verbal assault, forcing him to make a choice different from what he might have otherwise.
"Then, Mordred, will you leave? The Father-King here is not your Father-King, but the Queen Mother there truly is your Queen Mother."
Everything Agravain did was for the King's sake. Compared to Lancelot, Mordred's betrayal had directly led to the King's death, making Agravain hate her just as fiercely.
Even if this Mordred wasn't the one he despised.
"Sir Agravain, you needn't be so anxious. Even if we all left, Father would at most sigh a few times. Her greatest faith lies in her own divine power, honed over eight hundred years of wandering the world. We are merely tools to handle her errands."
"Sir Mordred, answer the question directly!"
Their eyes met, but Mordred remained silent. Her silence, however, was a clear declaration of her choice.
Agravain sighed. Gawain and Lancelot exchanged a glance, then silently moved to block Mordred's escape route.
"Mordred, if you wanted to leave, you should have done so right after setting the fire to lure the King back."
"Sir Gawain... no. Since you call me Mordred, I should call you Brother. After all, besides Father and Queen Mother, I also have Mother Morgan.
"Brother Gawain, Brother Agravain, do you truly believe the Lion King's ideal is correct? She has completely abandoned the Code of Chivalry.
"Besides, the reason I didn't leave is obviously because I bear Father's blessing. No matter where I go, she can sense me. Do you think my departure would be seen as following Mother, or as inviting Divine Punishment upon Father?"
At the word "Brother," Gawain's steps faltered slightly. Agravain, however, remained stone-faced.
"Sir Gawain, this is the King's choice. Do not forget your oath."
"Mordred, you heard him."
Gawain's voice fell, and he resumed his advance. Now, if Mordred wanted to escape, she would have to fight her way out.
Just then, the Lion King, who had returned due to the fire and taken a short rest, emerged.
Having removed her helmet, she now wore a golden crown adorned with a cross. Her eyes had turned a cold, emotionless emerald green.
Before even entering the room, she grasped the situation from the knights' positions. With a wave of her hand, she revoked the Rampage blessing she had bestowed upon Mordred.
Then, without a word, she pointed her right index finger directly at Mordred.
In an instant, a storm compressed to its absolute limit slammed into Mordred before she could even react.
The single blow sent her flying backward like a streak of light, shattering the Royal Palace wall, collapsing New Camelot's towering city wall, and embedding her deep within the wilderness beyond.
Yet, even after all that, Mordred wasn't dead. She wasn't even severely injured. The King, now possessing only her Divinity, had merely unleashed an attack to expel a knight who no longer belonged to her.
Of course, there was another reason she held back: this Mordred had earned the right to reside within New Camelot City. This was different from the Mordred Guinevere's memories recalled—the one who should have been summoned.
The original Mordred had no residency rights and was only permitted to enter the city during the day to report on her duties.
This meant the Mordred now climbing out of the crater was more favored by the Lion King. She had previously passed the Holy Selection.
"My King, you..."
"The last shred of humanity left in me tells me I am very fond of her."
In the Throne Room, even Agravain fell silent. His lowered face, however, seemed subtly less grim.
With Mordred's issue resolved, it was time to address the "incompetence" of Lancelot and Gawain.
"Mordred's [Rampage] Blessing. Which of you wants it?"
The Lion King's voice was colder than before, her tone declarative.