[FGO] Rebellious Knight
As one of the most ironic members of the Knights of the Round Table, Mordred was originally a knight of King Arthur but a rebellious minister who raised the banner of rebellion. He was a wicked son with noble blood but who tarnished the nobility of the king. Mordred's relationship with King Arthur was complicated.
—At the same time, they are incredibly innocent.
Unlike the King Arthur Mordred knew, the Storm King, who voluntarily accepted the curse, was even more ruthless, yet strangely, he cared for her even more than the King Arthur she remembered.
"So you want to teach me a lesson because I destroyed your Britain? King Arthur, just say what you want to say about me!"
"Britain's demise was inevitable, and I will not blame anyone for it. Even if there were such a person, it would only be myself."
The reply coming through the lion-faced armor made Mordred choke, followed by an even stronger surge of anger. "...So what? Does that mean I don't even deserve to be hated by you!?"
Lord Mordred.
The king's calm and steady call was like icy lake water, its chilling temperature pouring down on Mordred's head, instantly extinguishing his pent-up rage.
While Mordred was still stunned, the Storm King said, "You are my knight, my subordinate, and of my blood. I have never denied these facts, but I will not use them to define your qualifications or worth. As long as your sword still wields for me, that is enough."
The royal family members, who shared a direct bloodline, stood facing each other, yet the Storm King's words and attitude showed no trace of paternal love... This was normal, and the only thing that felt right—Mordred thought.
After discovering that her father had changed from a woman to a man (although the sentence is quite ridiculous), everyone else accepted it calmly, but she was the only one who was surprised, which made Mordred feel extremely awkward.
But no matter how much he thought about it or questioned it, it wouldn't change the facts before him, so Mordred simply let this conflicted emotion become the fuel for his actions.
Regardless of whether King Arthur was male or female, she was proud to be one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table!
Meanwhile, King Arthur... no, the Storm King, stored the unchosen humans as reserve magic, forcing the summoned Knights of the Round Table to make painful choices.
During his lifetime, King Arthur also requisitioned village resources to maintain his army. Mordred saw no difference between the two. Even though she could understand Gawain and Tristan's dilemma and struggle, she did not think that the nobility of the King of Knights was tainted by this. In fact, she thought it was a more effective strategy.
To survive on the battlefield amidst the clash of swords, one must be flexible and adaptable, and her fighting style is ruthless, to the point of being barbaric.
Moreover, in order to save their country, they not only took the lives of foreigners, but also those they once thought were their compatriots, so there was no longer any sense of holiness to speak of.
Mordred does not reject the Storm King's approach.
However, if you told her that "that woman" was a "simple and romantic noblewoman"... if it weren't for the Storm King forbidding the Knights of the Round Table from fighting amongst themselves again, Mordred would have loved to take Gawain's head off, shake it, empty the water inside, and put it back in!
The entanglement between Mordred and Morgan le Fay is not complicated. As mother and child, the former gave life and education, while the latter repaid with rebellion and (the end of Britain). The fact that Mordred and the Enchantress were at odds—no one can get along with that woman—is also undeniable.
Since becoming a member of the Knights of the Round Table, Mordred has no longer clashed with the witch. Her impression of her mother is limited to her wanting to replace King Arthur and the many despicable tricks she used to achieve this.
Cooperating with that woman is tantamount to seeking help from a tiger; the slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin. Even if the benefits and harms are aligned, there's no guarantee that there won't be any treacherous schemes waiting for him.
In short, Mordred will not easily give up his trust.
Although Mordred had already decided on her approach to dealing with the "femme fatale," her unexpected encounter with her still caught her off guard.
After finishing his routine report and stepping out of the royal hall, the pointed floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the high-ceilinged corridor cast a row of neat, gleaming golden beams of light. The rebellious knight, who was walking along the corner in the radiance, suddenly stopped!
"...Huh? Ah, wait a minute!"
Mordred frowned as he watched the woman anxiously cover her face.
--What is she doing?
The woman before him had the silver hair and blue eyes that Mordred was familiar with. Her blue eyes, which should have been filled with a murky color, reflected Mordred's naivety and shyness.
Mordred instinctively crossed his arms and said coldly, "There's no one else here but you and me. Stop with this pretense."
As a child, Mordred blindly followed Morgan le Fay, becoming King Arthur's subordinate with great enthusiasm, while simultaneously witnessing Morgan le Fay's many treacherous schemes.
There are countless malicious attacks directed at King Arthur, but the most intense of them all comes from the obsession of the enchantress. That obsession eventually passed from Morgan le Fay to Mordred, becoming a curse that haunted them for life.
Now, the woman who shares the same face as the demon concubine casts a timid glance at him, saying, "My first meeting should have been more... poetic and picturesque."
The woman continued, "I thought that when I was facing you, I would have more complicated emotions, but... actually, seeing you, I'm certain of one thing."
"What is it?" Mordred asked gruffly, but Mordred had no expectation that Morgan would say anything nice. She could even imagine the witch's face, with her signature smile, spewing out a terrifying curse.
...Hmm? If this woman reveals her true colors, I'll have a good reason to teach her a lesson!
Thinking of this, Mordred's lips curled into a smile, and he suddenly became enthusiastic as if he had been injected with chicken blood.
Meanwhile, Morgan was completely unaware of Mordred's ulterior motives. Under the gaze of the blond knight, the beautiful blue-eyed noblewoman slowly spoke:
"I like you very much."
The slender woman's fair and delicate hands crossed at her lower abdomen, her straight back displaying her dignified demeanor, her clear, lake-like eyes shimmering with dazzling light.
Morgan's delicate face flushed with shyness, a blush spreading across her porcelain-like skin, yet her eyes shone with a clear purity.
"I love you and the other children just as much as I love every one of Morgan le Fay's children. It makes me wonder what it would have been like to have been a part of your childhood; missing those times is my biggest regret."
Faced with this heartfelt confession, Mordred wanted to scoff, but found that the sharp words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter even a sneer no matter how many times he opened his mouth.
Morgan's sincere and straightforward gaze left Mordred speechless.
...This woman is indeed a witch.
Even if they don't bewitch others, they'll still bewitch themselves.
According to the other knights, Morgan, as a noblewoman, was romantic and gentle, but it was meaningless for the other party to come and say these things to her.
—Just as she was already chilled to the bone by the icy temperature, even when bathed in the warm glow of the sunlight, she was unwilling to step into that shimmering lake again.
She wouldn't be fooled, and she certainly wouldn't believe this woman.
"Lady Mordred, I know I have no right to act as your mother, nor do I have the right to control your actions, but I hope you will cherish yourself. Please believe in my intentions."
"..."
Those were words of warmth Mordred had never imagined. She tried to tell if the other person was hiding something, after all, the Morgan le Fay she knew was a venomous woman skilled at using sweet lies to disguise malice.
Cherishing herself? No, before this spirit body disappears, constantly slaying her master's enemies until she exhausts her last bit of usefulness is her only way to atone for her sins.
Especially having received the blessing of "Berserk," she will wield her longsword until the very last moment.
This is also what she excels at—facilitating and leading to destruction.
But at this moment, Mordred felt as if he had been slashed, as if some inexplicable "something" was suddenly surging into his chest.
—If it wasn't the enchantress's magic, then this woman must have tampered with things in some other way.
Mordred recalled what Gawain and Tristan had said about this woman's contributions to the Holy City, including the whispers of admiration among the Knights of the Righteous. Her deeds were so different from the wicked queen she knew that the rebellious knights were inevitably thrown into confusion.
What annoyed Mordred even more was that when the image of the throne wet with tears appeared in her mind, what came to mind was not "It was that woman's scheme again," but "Only a true heart could shed such tears."
She just couldn't find a weakness in this woman! If it were the Storm King, he certainly wouldn't have been bewitched by this woman.
Mordred, the knight who defied King Arthur and even overthrew him, entrusts the power of judgment to the Storm King.
Before Morgan Le Fey reveals his true colors, she wants to see what he's up to.
-
Morgan's chance encounter with Mordred disrupted her rhythm, but she felt that the atmosphere between them wasn't as bad as she had imagined, and there was even a chance it would improve—at least they didn't swing their swords at each other the moment they met, did they?
Putting aside the causes and consequences of his birth, Morgan trembled all over upon hearing about the rebellious knight's outrageous deeds, even just imagining meeting the boy.
Morgan was still able to muster maternal love when facing Gawain and Agwen.
However, Mordred's bloodline as the other half of the Rebellious Knight destined him to be different, which made Morgan repeatedly avoid encountering him.
Fortunately, the moment he met the other party, a feeling of affection welled up from the bottom of his heart and won Morgan over.
It wasn't just because of her face, which resembled Artoria's, but more so because of the stern look captured in her emerald eyes, which made Morgan feel an involuntary sense of closeness.
—Ah…she loves this child, Mordred. A fine knight with unwavering faith, no less than any hero recorded in glorious myths.
On the other hand, Mordred's wariness also reminded Morgan of Artoria.
When they first met, Wang Mei was also very wary of her, so it was impossible to win her over in one fell swoop. She needed to gradually and patiently break down Wang Mei's defenses.
In any case, it takes time to cultivate feelings and replace negative preconceived notions with new, beautiful memories.
Therefore, we must put aside this personal feeling for the time being, since the situation facing this singularity is more important, especially since the subsequent plans are closely related to the land that Morgan wants to save.
So what's next...?
"Masters of Chaldea, we await your arrival."
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