In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

A hint of wariness flashed in Yanan's eyes. He subtly moved a few steps to the side, coughed lightly, and said, "I know what you mean, Lily. For a girl your age, this is indeed a rather difficult matter."

A girl… Artoria’s eyes dimmed. Did even her teacher think that because she was a girl, she couldn’t be a proper queen?

“I know this goal is somewhat unrealistic, but just like you said, teacher, true strength lies in the inner strength of a person. Once they set a goal, they will strive to achieve it. So, teacher, please give me a chance.” She raised her head, a determined look appearing in her azure eyes.

Perhaps she is still somewhat inexperienced as a queen, but if Anan is willing to lend her a helping hand, then she is confident in facing those difficulties.

Yanan was terrified. What was wrong with this girl? She was usually so quiet, so why were she saying such shocking things today?

Is this what it means to experience the stirrings of puberty?

The emotions had been suppressed for too long, so they all burst out at once?

Surely not? They've only known each other for six months. Is your personal charm really that strong?

Alas, truly outstanding people are like gold hidden in stone; their brilliance cannot be concealed no matter where they are.

After indulging in a moment of self-admiration, Yanan coughed lightly and said, "Lily, I know you're eager, but have you considered that this might just be a momentary impulse? Children your age don't think things through yet, and it's easy to make decisions on a whim, ignoring the consequences. So... why don't you reconsider?"

He felt that Artoria had been suppressing her emotions for too long. Being raised as a queen since childhood had made her precocious and wise, but she had also lost too much as a result.

As a queen, she had to remain calm at all times. Apart from eating, her face rarely showed any emotional fluctuations. This did not mean that she had lost these normal feelings, but rather that she suppressed them to maintain the dignity of being a queen.

These repressed emotions may not show any signs in normal times, but once they encounter certain special circumstances, they will surge forth like a flood bursting its banks, sometimes even beyond the control of reason.

Such examples were commonplace in my past life.

"Teacher, although I may not be as mature as you, please don't treat me like a child. I will take full responsibility for every decision I make," Artoria said firmly.

"You're just bragging..." Anaen muttered to himself. If Artoria were really that strong, she wouldn't have gone to participate in the Holy Grail War and pinned her hopes for saving Britain on some illusory wish-granting machine.

"I think you'd better think it over carefully, maybe discuss it with Sir Hector or something."

There are some things that it's not appropriate for Anan to say as an outsider, but with Sir Ector's status and experience, he can probably help Artoria to be a little more clear-headed.

“Sir Hector already knows, and so does Kay; they all agree with my decision,” Artoria said.

Yanan looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Hector found out, and so did Kai!?

Are these two, father and son, possessed by Aqua? Not only do they not stop it, but they even agree with this decision?

Hey! This is the future king of Britain!

Anan couldn't hold back any longer. He had to confront Artoria now, or things would start to go in a strange direction!

“Listen to me, Lily.” He gripped Artoria’s shoulders and took a deep breath. “We haven’t known each other for very long, and our understanding of each other is still quite superficial—of course, I may know you a little more than you know me, but that doesn’t matter! What matters is…”

Yanan suddenly hesitated. The girl in front of him was, after all, his student whom he had taught for half a year. He was unsure whether it was the right thing to so cruelly shatter her illusions.

Ultimately, he's not like some ancient Gian who's a pleasure-seeker, leisurely enjoying red wine while watching others collapse. He simply can't do that.

“Teacher, I know this request is a bit unreasonable, and it is only natural that you will refuse. Neither Camelot nor I can offer a reward commensurate with it.”

Artoria gritted her teeth, looking at Anahn, a rare pleading look appearing in her holy blue eyes: "But! I still hope that you can lend me a helping hand and pull this country back from the brink of collapse. This is my only wish, please grant it! Whatever your requests are afterward, I will do my best to fulfill them!"

She bowed deeply, almost at a ninety-degree angle, towards Anahn.

Yanan was completely bewildered.

He suddenly realized that he might have misunderstood something, so he cautiously said, "Lily, tell me clearly first, what exactly do you want me to do?"

Artoria straightened up and said firmly, "Please teach me how to become a qualified king and restore Britain's former glory."

Yanan's lips twitched slightly.

He suddenly felt a little relieved that he hadn't said anything too strange beforehand, otherwise he would have lost all face today.

But how should I put it, the fact that we can chat so enthusiastically across servers is truly something else!

Shaking his head to clear his mind of these chaotic thoughts, Anaen looked at Artoria.

"So, you hope I can assist you in governing this country?"

Artoria nodded.

Yanan had a headache.

Britain was destined for destruction, a fact he had known with absolute clarity since the day he came into this world.

The age of gods is dying out, and human reason is being built. This is the inevitable trajectory of the times. Britain, caught between the two, will eventually become history. This is a process that no one can stop.

Tying himself to a ship destined to sink was not in line with his code of conduct.

It wasn't that he was worried about the splashing waves hitting him; it was just that the thought of all his efforts going to waste made him lose motivation.

What should I do...?

After glancing at Artoria, Anahn's eyes suddenly narrowed.

An idea popped into his mind.

Perhaps this method is worth trying...

He coughed lightly and looked at Artoria with a slightly serious expression.

"Lily, before I answer your question, I hope you can tell me something."

“Please speak,” Artoria said earnestly.

"Are you really ready to become king?"

Chapter Ten: The Untouchable Taboo

“Of course,” Artoria replied without hesitation.

How could she not be prepared? From the day she was born, she has been moving towards that goal.

Every day before dawn, he would get up and train hard, never slacking off even in the most basic exercises, striving to hone his skills. At night, he would dream of receiving Merlin's teachings, absorbing that valuable knowledge, and learning how to be a qualified king.

What has sustained her through the past decade or so is her belief in becoming a queen!

She must save Camelot, save Britain, for it is her birth mission!

Sensing the girl's determination, Anan sighed inwardly, but his smile remained unchanged: "So, what kind of king do you intend to become?"

"Of course, it's Ideal King!"

Artoria did not hesitate for a moment. This was a belief that Merlin had instilled in her mind since she was a child: she would eventually become the ideal king of Britain.

"An ideal king?" Anan's lips curled into a smile that was hard to decipher—it was hard to tell whether it was mockery or regret. "Whose ideal? The people? The nobles? The knights? Or... yourself?"

Artoria hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Of course it's the people, I am their king."

“What a beautiful vision.” Yanan clapped his hands. “Congratulations, Al, you have grasped the true meaning of being a king.”

Just as a slight smile appeared on Artoria's face, Anahn continued, "At the same time, you also destroyed this country."

Artoria was stunned, her azure eyes filled with disbelief.

A gentle breeze from the lake stirred her long, pale blonde hair. After a long while, she asked softly, "Why?"

Yanan gazed at the shimmering lake and said calmly, "Lily, this world is complex, and people's hearts are complex. Managing a country is not as simple as children playing house."

"The upper class is a vortex, a battlefield without gunpowder. The exchange of interests, the checks and balances of power, the entanglements of factions, and all sorts of complicated situations can sometimes bewilder even the wisest sage, let alone a village girl like you who has lived in the countryside for more than ten years."

Artoria clenched her fists. Although she knew that what Anaun said made sense, she still really wanted to punch him in the face!

Unaware of what was happening, Yanan continued, "Do you know what those officials and nobles will do if you ascend the throne?"

Artoria frowned, pondered for a long time, and said, "They will stop me because they don't want to be managed by me."

She was well aware of her own limitations. Although it was King Uther's order to pull out the sword from the stone and become King Arthur, those guys might not accept it. After all, no one wants an ancestor to suddenly appear on their head.

Anan shook his head: "No, those guys will respectfully serve you as their master because they need you to face the lowly king, the Angles and the Saxons. They'll push you to the forefront and then comfortably hide in the background. In exchange, they'll relinquish some power, but never core power. They might accept your orders, or they might not, depending on whether they affect their interests. Of course, regardless, they'll act as if they'd die for you, while you, residing in the palace, have no time to care."

Artoria: "Merlin can see everything [now], and nothing they do escapes his eyes."

“That’s why I said, Lily, you don’t understand people at all,” Yanan said calmly.

"Why?" Artoria's face showed some anxiety. After being repeatedly rejected by Yanan, her mentality had become somewhat unbalanced.

"Merlin can see [the present], that's true, but if you really do that, it won't be long before the whole of Camelot is in a state of panic, and it might even turn into a mutiny. Besides..."

Anan gave Artoria a meaningful look: "Are you really sure Merlin will tell you everything he sees?"

Artoria remained silent.

“Let’s continue our previous topic.” Anan picked up a few pebbles from the ground and threw them into the lake. “If you don’t repel the Low King and allow Camelot to be invaded by the Anglo-Saxons, those guys will immediately push you out as a sacrifice. Even if you succeed, they will lurk in the shadows and try to overthrow you.”

"Why?" Artoria was completely confused. Why did those people still want to overthrow her even though she had brought about the victory?

“Because you said you would become the people’s ideal king,” Yanan said.

"But what does this have to do with them?" Artoria's ahoge curled into a question mark.

“Of course it’s related, and very related.” Yanan turned to look at Artoria. “Commoners and nobles are natural enemies, with irreconcilable contradictions between them. By choosing to stand on the side of the people, you are undoubtedly the enemy of the nobles, and of course they will overthrow you.”

“How could commoners and nobles be natural enemies? Sir Hector is clearly very popular with the people of Tyrell,” Artoria retorted.

"Because they belong to different classes, they must be enemies!"

"Class?" Artoria looked confused again. "What is that?"

Yanan sighed inwardly.

Only at times like these did he clearly recognize the limitations of his era.

If this were in his previous life, he would have slapped a high school politics textbook across Artoria's face long ago.

“Let me give you an example,” he decided to change his approach. “Lily, what do you think is the most important thing for ordinary people?”

“Land,” Artoria said after a moment’s thought.

“That’s right, it’s about land.” Yanan nodded. “Suppose a nobleman buys a large tract of land without permission to build a manor, cuts down all the crops that are about to ripen, and gives the original owner of the land very little compensation. Do you think he did the right thing?”

“Of course that’s wrong!” Artoria said without hesitation. “To occupy someone else’s land, you must obtain their consent and provide appropriate compensation!”

Not to mention that this guy actually dared to waste food. If she were there, she would definitely beat him so badly that he couldn't take care of himself!

"But he has his reasons. He earned this title and this land with his life on the battlefield, losing both his legs in the process. So he wants to build a manor to live out his old age in peace. The king said that everything here is his, and he can do whatever he wants with it. Besides, he has provided shelter for the people of his territory. What wrong has he done by requisitioning a few plots of land?"

"This...this..." Artoria was completely bewildered. On one hand, her heart told her that the nobleman's actions were undoubtedly wrong, but on the other hand, the nobleman's actions were in accordance with the kingdom's regulations.

For a moment, she didn't know how to make a judgment.