While Caim and his companions were fighting in various parts of the battlefield, Arthur, the supreme commander of the western army, was carving his way through the Knights of the Blue Wolf, heading straight for the heart of the eastern forces.
“Our flanks were defeated, Your Highness. At this rate, we’re going to be surrounded,” Merlin reported to Arthur, who was leading the charge into enemy territory. The Knights of the Red Tiger and the noble army were being pushed back—at this rate, the eastern army was going to close in around Arthur. “I’ve also lost contact with my disciples. I really think we should retreat.”
“What a boring joke. Things are finally getting interesting,” Arthur replied, grinning belligerently. It wasn’t the look of someone who was cornered, but the smile of a bloodthirsty beast. “Only a bloody battlefield can give birth to a conqueror. This situation—this predicament—is exactly what will make me an overlord! Overcoming this crisis will be my first triumph as a newly born emperor!”
Merlin sighed. “Well, if that’s what you want... But there’s no guarantee Prince Lance is even there, you know. That’d be too obvious.” She shrugged.
Ahead of them was the heart of the eastern army—where Lance ought to be. But would they actually find him there? Despite his carefree attitude, Lance was actually quite a shrewd man. Would he really just sit and do nothing but wait for Arthur to come to him?
“Maybe we’ll find nobody there at all,” Merlin continued.
“That is indeed a possibility. But no matter what, I’m certain that my brother will surprise us.” Arthur smiled cheerfully, as though he was expecting a surprise party. A trap likely was waiting for him. He was certain of that. But even so, he couldn’t help but look forward to whatever his brother had prepared for him. “No matter what traps Lance has set for me, I’ll crush them and take his head. What I have to do hasn’t changed since the beginning of this war.”
“Am I allowed to say you’re an idiot?”
“That’s a step too far, wench,” Gawain rebuked Merlin for her impudent words toward their liege. The Black Knight stood on Arthur’s other side, trotting alongside him on horseback. “Isn’t it your duty to avoid His Highness getting in danger with your precious foresight, in any case?”
Merlin had the ability to predict the future, but it had proven useless in this conflict. Though she had somehow been able to perceive Caim’s opening strike, she hadn’t been able to see anything beyond that.
“Unfortunately, there’s too much chaos—that is to say, uncertain elements—so Laplace can’t make proper calculations.” Merlin pursed her lips. She didn’t predict the future by receiving a prophecy from on high, but by using mathematics to process every conceivable variable and calculate all possible outcomes. Chaos—uncertain elements—corrupted those calculations. “And it’s not just the Poison Queen. The entire battlefield is engulfed in chaos. That’s not something that can be done in a day—someone has been sowing the seeds for a long time now.”
“Must be Lance—which makes things even more interesting,” Arthur said. Merlin’s explanation had been intended to stop him, but all of it had only made Arthur even more eager to fight. “We’re charging straight ahead. Everyone, cover me!”
“Yes, Your Highness!” the soldiers replied in unison. They kept away the enemy, allowing Arthur to proceed forward.
Finally, Arthur reached a large tent—the base of operations for the eastern army.
“That’s clearly an invitation... Fine, I’ll take the bait!” Fully aware it was a trap, Arthur ripped into the tent’s fabric with his spear, tearing it open. Inside was...
“Hey, I’ve been waiting for you, Arthur,” said Lance Garnet, seated at a table and calmly drinking tea.
“...You never fail to surprise me, Lance.”
Arthur had never expected this. He had been certain that the eastern army’s strongest warrior—Caim—would be lying in wait. Failing that, he’d expected several soldiers ready to impale him with their spears, some sort of trap, or even an empty tent. But Lance simply waiting for him? No, he had never expected that.
“You really do know how to entertain me... You’ve earned my praise,” Arthur said.
“You’re acting so conceited. Do you think you’ve already taken the throne?” Lance smiled wryly at his brother’s condescending attitude, then pointed at the chair across from him, on the other side of the table. “Anyway, sit. Or you don’t want my tea?”
“Hmph,” Arthur snorted. His pride wouldn’t allow him to retreat in fear when Lance was alone with no enemy in sight.
“Your Highness!” Gawain exclaimed.
“Step back,” Arthur rebuked him. “This is a conversation between brothers. It would sully my pride to have guards while my little brother is here alone.”
Gawain and Merlin obeyed their liege and retreated to the entrance of the tent, staying on alert to be ready for whatever happened next.
“You’d better not serve me the dregs,” Arthur said, sitting.
“Hey, I know how to entertain a guest,” Lance replied, skillfully pouring black tea into a cup. The fragrance wafting from it alone proved that the beverage was made with very expensive leaves. “Some milk and... How much sugar do you want?”
“Five spoonfuls.”
“I see that you’ve still got a sweet tooth. You know, I find that side of you rather charming.” Lance chuckled pleasantly. Despite his appearance and attitude, Arthur loved sweets and couldn’t hold his liquor. Lance had always thought that made his brother feel more human.
When Lance placed the teacup in front of his brother, Arthur didn’t hesitate and heartily drank it in one gulp, not even stopping to check if it was poisoned.
“You should take your time and savor it. Dessert hasn’t even arrived yet,” Lance chided him.
“So. What did you want to talk about?” Arthur asked.