Looking at the young girl's beautiful eyes, like a verdant forest, and the trace of apprehension hidden within them, Souya ultimately softened his heart and agreed to Artoria's request.
Upon receiving his affirmative answer, a look of joy instantly appeared on Artoria's pretty face, and her ahoge twitched in response.
"Then I will go change clothes first, alright? Lamorak."
"Naturally. Wandering around constantly in armor would draw too much attention."
Souya smiled softly, then followed Artoria back to her temporary residence.
During the journey, the two intentionally avoided the passing knights. Although it was completely unnecessary, the process could be considered a minor thrill without any real danger.
After the young girl changed into casual clothes similar to Souya's, the two left the banquet venue again. Following the winding alleys, they headed in the opposite direction.
Along the way, both of them tacitly remained silent, simply walking shoulder to shoulder in the quiet night.
After walking for about twenty more minutes, as the surrounding houses gradually became sparse and dilapidated, Souya finally understood where Artoria wanted to take him.
It was the town's defensive wall.
Because of the constant wars, the lords governing this place had mostly chosen to protect themselves and fled. Therefore, the once-important defensive walls had fallen into disrepair over the years.
But this also made it convenient for people who wanted to climb up and look at the scenery.
"Al, do you want to go up?"
Souya turned to look at the young girl beside him.
"Can we?"
Artoria's eyes were full of anticipation. Her pale green pupils shimmered in the moonlight, inexplicably reminding one of the verdant forests of Britain.
Without answering, Souya merely smiled and expressed his meaning through action.
He was the first to step onto the stairs, which were somewhat mossy from lack of cleaning, and then reached out his hand to the young girl below.
Seeing this, a smile also bloomed on Artoria's face. She placed her hand in Souya's, and the two helped each other climb the wall, which was actually not that high.
But in Britain, where the terrain was mostly plains and mountains, this height was enough for Souya and Artoria to see a different kind of scenery.
Standing together on the high wall, the cool night breeze brushed their faces. What met their eyes was a vast plain spreading out under the boundless starry sky, dotted with stars and the blackness of the night, tranquil and unimaginably beautiful.
"It is truly beautiful..."
Artoria couldn't help but say.
"Yes, it is truly beautiful. This land, this sky."
Souya softly agreed. After speaking, he instinctively looked at Artoria beside him.
At this moment, the young girl was wholeheartedly immersed in this picturesque scenery. A smile hung on her beautiful face, and the forest in her eyes turned into a brilliant starry sky under the reflection of the heavens.
Indeed, not just the land and the sky, the person is beautiful too.
"Um... Lamorak, is there something on my face?"
Perhaps because Souya's gaze was too intense, or perhaps the young girl herself was paying close attention to him, Artoria quickly noticed the former's gaze.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Souya felt that even in this darkness, Artoria's face was unexpectedly flushed.
So Souya chuckled and deliberately teased her.
"No, I am looking at the scenery over there."
"How could that be! You were clearly looking at me just now..."
Seemingly not expecting the usually serious Souya to joke with her, seeing him deny her words, Artoria instantly became a bit anxious and embarrassed.
But she quickly saw the undisguised smile on Souya's face under the moonlight, and immediately understood she was being teased.
Her pretty face instantly became even redder, like a ripe peach, and her gaze began to wander.
"Honestly... Lamorak, why are you making such jokes? You must have been corrupted by Brother Kay!"
Looking at the Artoria who usually wore a mask and pretended to be unsmiling, now finally showing the appearance of a 15-year-old girl after taking off her armor...
The smile on Souya's lips couldn't help but widen.
The so-called crown is merely a shackle.
After this joke, the atmosphere between Artoria and Souya clearly became much more relaxed. Even their moods became somewhat cheerful as the previous emotions dissipated.
Enjoying the night breeze and looking at the sky, the two simply sat down on the wall.
Perhaps because the scenery, the state of mind, and even the person sitting beside her at this moment were all correct, Artoria began to proactively pour out her heart to Souya.
"Lamorak, actually, sometimes I wonder, must I really be this King?"
"Or rather, must the one who becomes King truly be me?"
Hearing these words, Souya couldn't help but freeze, instinctively turning his head to look at the Artoria who spoke them.
In Souya's eyes, the young girl didn't look at him when she said this; instead, she cast her gaze into the distance.
Her eyes also held an indescribable implication.
Clearly, Artoria was not joking. She truly harbored doubts about the theory of kingship instilled in her by Merlin since childhood.
Realizing this, Souya didn't know how to answer and could only respond with silence.
And Artoria seemed not to expect Souya's answer, continuing to speak on her own.
"Merlin said that in the near future, Britain will eventually be destroyed by the White Dragon. When that time comes, the people will be displaced, unable to eat enough or survive. And only I can save all this; only I can defeat the White Dragon."
"So I believed it, and set it as my life's principle. Because Merlin said this is what I exist for. If I do not become King, then the person Artoria Pendragon has no meaning in existing."
The young girl's tone was very soft. She seemed to be telling a completely unrelated story, but Souya could see her in the story from her words.
A little girl burdened with a mission and expectations from birth. No, to be precise, she should be a tool manufactured to become a King.
How sorrowful it was for her to be like this.
Souya knew that everything Merlin said was merely a lie fabricated according to the Will of the World. And Artoria, from before she was even born, had already fallen into this lie.
Thinking of this, Souya opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found he seemed to have no standing to offer her comfort.
After all, weren't his current and future actions also deceiving Artoria?
With such ugliness, akin to Merlin's, what right did he have to comfort Artoria?
But Artoria seemed to see the sorrowful expression on Souya's face and mistakenly thought he was feeling sad for her. So she smiled, reached out her hand, and waved it in front of his eyes.
"Don't be sad, Lamorak. I was talking about the me of the past just now. That version of me has long been left forever in the past."
Saying this, the young girl's eyes flashed slightly, her tone serious.
"The current me is the me who, under your teachings, Lamorak, understood the true meaning of my existence and thereby gained a new life."
"Just like you once said, a human first, and then a King."
"To be a human first, then a King. This is the path I will walk."
Looking at Artoria's seemingly glowing cyan eyes, Souya's mood at this moment was very complex.
He very much wanted to say something to her, yet he also understood that once certain words were spoken, many things would change.
Frankly speaking, Souya truly hated his current self. So indecisive, so irresolute. He was either in endless internal conflict all day or on the path to depression.
Now, seeing that both Gareth and Artoria had found what they truly wanted and pursued, and thereby ceased to hesitate or waver, this irritable feeling of inadequacy became even more profound.
Suddenly, Souya's mind recalled Percival's earlier words and the thoughts that had been interrupted by Artoria.
As if making a decision, Souya slowly exhaled a breath.
Since I have decided what I want to do and what I must do, then I should stop hesitating and wavering.
Perhaps I will bear infamy, perhaps I will betray everyone's expectations, or perhaps I will have to pay with my life and everything as the price. But as long as the result is what I want, isn't that enough?
Souya felt he had been somewhat foolish.
He never considered himself a good person. Even if he possessed the Heart of Eternal Clarity and the nobility of water in his soul, who said a 'bad person' couldn't possess these things?
The good people walking under the sun have souls of gold. Then why can't the wicked people crawling in the shadows have pitch-black wills?
Casting aside the so-called sense of shame and the merits of fame and fortune, all my actions and deeds are for the sake of what I seek.
Since I am destined not to be an ally of justice, then I will properly do what Morgan's knight should do.
If we are destined to cross swords in the future, then at least let the current interactions be filled with genuine emotion.
In a daze, it felt as if something pink had dissipated from his heart. Souya looked up again, and the gaze he directed at Artoria was no longer confused or evasive.
It was replaced by a sense of calm acceptance.
"Hmm?"
The young girl looked at Souya with some confusion. She felt that the Lamorak before her had become slightly different in that instant.
But if she really had to say it, it wasn't much. It seemed his eyes had just become a bit brighter?
However, Artoria didn't want to delve into this. The night was still long, and she wanted to chat more with Lamorak.
After all, this was a rare moment of time alone for the two of them. Furthermore, they were about to attack Londinium soon, and free time would only become increasingly scarce in the future.