Fate: The Forged Arthur Pendragon

Lucan had never imagined his heroic journey would begin by feeding a king.

But at this moment, the problem was staring them in the face!

After tonight's meal, the Cook-Soldier Knight Regiment was clearly running out of provisions.

Moreover, between the time spent feeding the knight regiment and feeding Suya, over three hours had already passed. Two meals a day would take six hours. Add to that the time for Suya's training and handling miscellaneous tasks, and it would inevitably cut into their eight hours of marching time.

They would have to reschedule their route if they wanted to reach Sol City on time.

But these were minor issues. The most crucial question was—

Where were they going to get enough food for the knight regiment and the king?!

Thinking this, Lucan first sought out Dagonet, who was arranging for the camp setup at the front of the encampment. After informing him of the situation, Lucan grimly pulled out a map from his and slapped it onto the grass.

The two Knights of the Round Table began to scrutinize their route.

At this moment,

Dagonet had just barely processed the shocking news the king had delivered that morning when Lucan presented him with another terrifying piece of information.

However, this was a matter of their livelihoods and lives.

Dagonet thoughtfully stroked his upturned mustache for a moment, then pointed at the map, his expression troubled:

"We have two roads to Sol City. One is the main road we've always used, connecting castles to castles, and castles to various fortified cities."

"The other is a network of rural dirt roads maintained by various manor lords."

"Due to the magical tides in the central continent, ancient beasts have been reviving and wild animals have been mutating for many years. These issues were usually handled by the knights and priests of the manors or by hired individuals."

"However, you know the current situation. Cornwall is on the verge of falling. The manor knights have either gone to battle or retreated to the rear. With no one to deal with these beasts, and with facilities falling into disrepair, combined with the magical tides and the gathering of giant beasts, it will inevitably awaken even more terrifying things."

Dagonet cleared his throat, trying to sound impartial, and suggested, shrinking his neck:

"I don't recommend taking that road."

"The few Master-rank individuals among us wouldn't be enough to satisfy the hunger of a Kelpie, water monster, Stonehenge Giant, Beanstalk Giant, Kraken, or Catelas, should we encounter them."

Lucan stared at the map, his eyes red as he looked up and asked:

"Then where do we get food from?!"

"Those few castles along the main road have been picked clean countless times. Forget food, they probably didn't even leave us a single wild vegetable!"

"And if my judgment is correct, if we can provide that brat with enough food and professional guidance before reaching Sol City..."

"We... might be able to turn fiction into reality!"

Dagonet's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly tried to dissuade him:

"Wait, Lucan, you're not actually thinking of hunting giant beasts, are you? No, how much money did that brat give you to make you this desperate?"

"I already checked that road. The bridges and road signs along the way have been destroyed at some point. It will be very difficult to travel. Although taking this road would shorten our travel time to Sol City."

"Passing through this road to reach the bridgehead Pendenburg would only take a day."

"But who knows what dangers we might encounter!"

Lucan raised a hand to stop him from speaking further and asked:

"You're familiar with this area. Just tell me directly, what's edible here? And high in calories!"

Dagonet's mouth twitched slightly, and he reluctantly began to list a few things:

"Changeling, a monster that flew over from Ireland. Its wings are quite tasty if it transforms into a bird."

"Black Dog, a giant black dog with glowing eyes, the size of a calf."

"Morgawr, a sea serpent known as the 'Cornish Sea Monster'."

Lucan nodded, took a deep breath, and pulled Dagonet to his feet:

"Lead the way!"

"Wh-what, me? Wait, just the two of us? To fight those monsters?"

"No, we also need to bring our King."

"To make him a qualified swordsman in just seven days, some training is essential."

"For now, let's go confirm the route."

Night had fallen deeply,

The full moon silently illuminated the campsite below.

Suya regained consciousness from his dazed state once more.

At this moment, his body had fully recovered to its pre-transmigration level, and it seemed this wasn't even the limit. His body was still undergoing a subtle, continuous transformation.

Glancing around at the knights, who were exhausted to the point of collapse, hugging pots and pans and sleeping soundly,

After overhearing some exaggerated whispers about himself from the knights during their journey, Suya gradually realized that something seemed amiss with his body.

Subjectively, Suya only felt he had eaten less than two bowls of rice. Even now, right after eating, his stomach still felt empty...

But objectively, looking at the knight regiment, who appeared as if they had just survived a brutal battle, Suya had to admit the fact that he alone was so exaggerated that an entire knight regiment was needed to service his 'eating' routine.

But why was this?

Whether it was his Discernment talent, which was even more absurd than before his transmigration, his Counterfeit Imitation talent, or the currently exposed trait of being able to eat an enormous amount—

There was something undeniably strange about his body.

"Is it because of this thing called 'War Mark'?"

Suya murmured, raising his palm and looking at the strange white lines that spread from his wrist to his fingertips.

Compared to daytime, these lines had grown another segment, just barely forming the rudimentary shape of a diamond pattern on his wrist.

Just as Suya was lost in his self-doubt,

A figure, bathed in moonlight, slowly approached from behind.

"This is the first time I've seen a War Mark that grows silently within the muscles appear so dramatically on the surface of the body."

It was Merlin's voice.

The young magician girl jumped out from the shadows of the trees behind them, squatting on a white stone beside Suya, and pointed at the on his wrist.

"According to the dissection records of some advancing professionals by magicians,"

"This thing is a byproduct that appears after practicing battle techniques."

"After completing their battle technique training, these, called 'War Marks,' appear in the muscles and meridians of professionals. However, even now, we still cannot decipher what exactly this thing is."

"It cannot carry power, nor can it enhance the physique."

"However, what ultimately matures alongside this is another wondrous thing,"

"Knights and warriors call it 'Qi'."

"Assassins call it 'Chakra'."

Suya turned his head slightly, his gaze tracing the outline of the girl's face bathed in moonlight, and asked curiously:

"Qi? You mentioned it's essential for becoming a high-level swordsman. Could it be that these are actually channels for carrying that mysterious power? Something like the 'Qi Jing Ba Mai' (Eight Extraordinary Meridians)?"

"Unfortunately, that's not the case." Merlin shook her head, propping her chin on her hand in thought. She explained:

"Someone with War Marks doesn't necessarily possess Qi."

"And someone with Qi doesn't necessarily have more or denser War Marks than other professionals."

"These two are not in a direct inherited relationship. In fact, their relationship is more like an abstract concept, akin to the chicken-and-egg paradox."

"But,"

"My elders used to say—"

"What it carries... is a greater, more dazzling thing."

At this point, Merlin's eyes dimmed slightly, but she immediately narrowed them into crescent moons and chuckled,

"However, that's all a lie."

"My ideal used to not be to become a magician. I also trained with a sword, but..."

"I never understood what that more dazzling thing was in the end."

Suya sat up a little straighter and softly asked:

"So, Merlin, what are you trying to say?"

Merlin stood up, hands behind her back, and tiptoed, jumping off the stone. Then, turning in the moonlight, she spoke slowly, as if implying something, or perhaps reminding him of something:

"Legend has it that those who can condense their War Marks into the shape of an emblem are heroes seen once in a millennium in this world. They might be dragon-slaying heroes, kings who rule millions, valiant warriors who vanquish evil, or bards who have experienced countless legendary tales..."

"But one thing remains the same: they are destined to bear a fate incomprehensible to ordinary people."

"The moment that emblem takes shape,"

"You will inevitably face a choice."

Here, Merlin paused, then stated with a solemn expression:

"And at that time, I hope—you will confront your inner choice."

"Then,"

"Choose a path you will never regret."

Suya blinked, not quite understanding the magician girl's words,

But at this moment, he could see the most genuine and sincere emotions in the girl's eyes—a look almost akin to pleading,

And a complex mix of heavy hatred and regret.

Merlin, being stared at so directly by Suya, inexplicably felt a sense of shame. She felt utterly foolish for having said such nonsensical things, as if she were standing naked before Suya.

She pursed her lips, turned her back, and walked quickly towards the sleeping tent.

"Gu~wu... Why are you looking at me like that? I warn you not to make any unauthorized guesses."

"It's time to sleep."

"This is just a little reminder from a card friend. It doesn't really matter if you don't listen. Just pretend you were dreaming."